Fall Protection Device Braking Plate Pivot

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fall protection devices fail to maintain reliable quick-locking functions in dusty environments due to dust accumulation, leading to malfunction, and the spiral spring is prone to overstretching and breakage from elastic fatigue during rapid rotations.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a frame with a rolling member, a braking plate, and a restoring spring, where the braking part is pivotally disposed on the braking plate's inner side surface, and a coaxial decelerating member and spiral spring are used to ensure the blocking portion abuts the blocking part effectively, preventing rotation and distributing friction forces to prevent overstretching.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the braking block is pivotally disposed on the braking plate with a loose engagement manner, then the braking block can pivot outward easily to prevent dust accumulation, but the braking block may pivot backward excessively causing disengagement from the blocking block

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepivoting easeVSAvoidquick-locking reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the engagement parameter from loose to tight by providing a tight fit between the pivot and the pivoting hole. This ensures the braking block pivots outward easily for dust prevention while maintaining reliable engagement with the blocking block during operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a pivot as an intermediary element between the braking plate and the braking block. This pivot with tight fit serves as a mediator that controls the pivoting motion, allowing the braking block to move outward for dust evacuation while preventing excessive backward pivoting that would cause disengagement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the spiral spring is fixed on the shaft and side cover, then the structure is simple, but the spiral spring becomes overstretched during rapid rotation causing elastic fatigue and breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidspiral spring durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the spiral spring from the traditional fixed configuration on the shaft and side cover, and relocates it to be fixed on the braking plate instead. This extraction from the original position eliminates the overstretching problem during rapid rotation while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the traditional spring fixation arrangement by fixing the spiral spring on the braking plate rather than on the shaft and side cover. This inversion changes the force distribution pattern, preventing overstretching during rapid rotation and improving spiral spring durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of manufacture

If the blocking portion and blocking block are engaged with a wide space between housing and braking plate outer surface, then assembly tolerance is accommodated, but the quick-locking effect is lost due to disengagement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly toleranceVSAvoidquick-locking function
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the spatial parameter by providing a tight fit between the pivot and the pivoting hole, and between the braking block and the blocking block. This parameter change ensures that even with assembly tolerances, the blocking portion and blocking block maintain reliable engagement for the quick-locking function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This configuration enhances the reliability of the quick-locking function by ensuring the blocking portion consistently engages, and the spiral spring remains functional by distributing forces co-axially, preventing overstretching and breakage.

Implementation Method 1

a spiral spring 182 connected to the rolling member 14, in order to provide a winding force to the safety belt 16

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a restoring spring 42 connected between the braking part 40 and the braking plate 32, in order to move the braking part 40 toward the non-braking position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

a braking part 40 pivotally disposed on the inner side surface of the braking plate 32... the blocking portion of the braking part 40 is pivoted out to a braking position from a non-braking position to attach the blocking part due to a centrifugal force produced by the rolling braking plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 4

a decelerating member 300 fitted around the shaft 242 and located between the shaft 242 and the rolling drum 244... an outer peripheral of the decelerating member 300 has at least one friction surface 300a being in contact with an inner peripheral surface 244a of the rolling drum 244

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3459600B1Fall protection device
Publication Date: 2021.11.24 YOKE INDAL CORP
  • EP3459600B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3459600B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3459600B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A fall protection device includes a frame (14), a rolling member (24), a safety belt (26), a braking plate (32), a braking part (40), and a restoring spring (42). The frame (14) has a first side plate (18). An outer side surface (182) of the first side plate (18) is provided with a blocking part (182a). A rolling member (24) is rotatably disposed on the frame (14). A safety belt (26) is wound around the rolling member (24). A braking plate (32) is engaged to the rolling member (24) and has an inner side surface (322), which faces the outer side surface (182). The braking part (40) is pivotally disposed on the braking plate (32) and is located between the inner side surface (322) and the outer side surface (182), whereby to ensure that the braking part (40) at a braking position could be abutting against the blocking part (182a).