Fall Control Ladder With Self-Rescue Cable Arrestor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ladders pose a safety risk due to the risk of users falling and becoming incapacitated at elevated work regions, requiring third-party rescue, which can expose rescuers to similar hazards and is often challenging without proper fall control systems.
Innovation Solution
A ladder with a fall control system featuring a tensioner, mount, cable, and arrestor that allows users to be securely tethered, providing a locked configuration for support and an open configuration for easy descent, along with a tether system for anchoring the ladder, ensuring user safety and facilitating controlled rescue without elevating the rescuer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tether or safety harness is engaged to prevent falls, then user safety is improved, but the user can become stranded at elevated work region requiring third-party rescue
Solution Approach 1:
The fall control system enables self-rescue by allowing the user to control their own descent through the cable and arrestor mechanism. The user can activate the arrestor to lock onto the cable and control their descent speed, eliminating the need for third-party rescue operations and allowing self-extraction from stranded situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable and arrestor mechanism serve as an intermediary system between the user and the ground, providing a controlled descent path. This intermediary mechanism allows the user to safely lower themselves without requiring another person to ascend to the elevated position, thus resolving the rescue capability problem while maintaining safety.
2Reliability
If third-party rescue is used to retrieve incapacitated user, then user recovery is achieved, but rescuer is exposed to similar elevated hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows the incapacitated user to autonomously control their descent via the arrestor and cable mechanism, completely eliminating the need for third-party rescue. This ensures user recovery while exposing no one else to the hazards of elevated work regions.
3Reliability
If fixed tether is used to prevent falls, then fall protection is improved, but user freedom of movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The fall control system transitions from a static fixed tether to a dynamic cable-and-arrestor system. The cable can pay out as the user moves, and the arrestor can be activated or deactivated to allow free movement or provide fall protection as needed. This dynamic system maintains fall protection while preserving user freedom of movement and adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fall control system effectively prevents user falls and allows for controlled descent of incapacitated individuals, reducing the risk of injury to both users and rescuers by maintaining user safety and stability through secure tethering and controlled descent mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a tensioner (20) mounted towards a bottom end (3) of the ladder (1), wherein the tensioner (20) has a locked configuration for holding tension on the cable (10) to support a weight of the user (U)
Implementation Method 2
an arrestor (15) movably engaged with the cable (10) for coupling a user (U) to the cable (10), wherein the arrestor (15) locks on the cable (10) and thereby holds the user (U) at a fixed point on the cable (10)
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 1D
Figure 2A~2C
AI summary
The invention is directed broadly to a ladder having a fall control system, comprising: a ladder; a tensioner mounted towards a bottom end of the ladder; a mount mounted towards a top end of the ladder; a cable that extends from the tensioner and over the mount in a looped configuration; and an arrestor movably engaged with the cable for coupling a user to the cable, wherein the tensioner has a locked configuration for holding tension on the cable to support a weight of the user and an open configuration for allowing the cable to pass through the tensioner.