Femur Traction Device with Mechanical Buckle and Threaded Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing femur traction devices face issues with secure ankle cuff fastening in inclement weather and inadequate sizing for larger boots, leading to compromised functionality and potential loss or entanglement, along with difficulty in fine-tuning tension.
Innovation Solution
A femur traction device featuring a tensioning harness with a stirrup and adjustable tensioning strap secured by a tensioning buckle, and a tension-adjusting device with a threaded shaft and knob for precise tension control, allowing for quick and secure ankle fixation and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hook-and-loop fasteners are used to secure the ankle cuff, then the device can be easily adjusted and secured, but the fastening becomes unreliable in inclement weather with mist, rain, snow, sand and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hook-and-loop fastening system with a pure mechanical buckle system. The buckle includes a body with a receptacle and a tongue with a release mechanism, providing positive mechanical engagement that is not affected by weather conditions like rain, snow, sand, or debris that compromise hook-and-loop fasteners.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the ankle cuff is made smaller to fit standard applications, then the device is more compact and easier to store, but it cannot accommodate larger boots such as ski boots or construction worker boots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an adjustable cuff system where the cuff can be extended or modified in size. The cuff includes adjustment mechanisms that allow it to expand from a compact state to accommodate larger boots such as ski boots or construction worker boots, providing versatility across different application sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cuff is designed to serve multiple size requirements through adjustment mechanisms. A single cuff design can adapt to fit standard footwear as well as larger boots, eliminating the need for multiple cuff sizes and providing universal applicability across different user needs.
3Ease of operation
If the tensioning harness is made loose and flexible for easy packing, then it can be quickly stored away, but it becomes prone to loss and entanglement in other equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a storage pouch that contains the tensioning harness. The harness can be neatly nested within the pouch when not in use, preventing entanglement and loss while allowing for compact and organized storage with the remainder of the traction device equipment.
4Measurement precision
If strap length adjustment is used to fine-tune tension, then the device structure remains simple, but precise tension control becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces strap length adjustment with a threaded shaft mechanism. The threaded shaft engages with a threaded bore in the hitch body, providing precise mechanical advantage for tension adjustment. Rotating the shaft advances or retracts it through the bore, enabling fine-tuned tension control with a simple rotational motion.
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 solution provides reliable ankle fixation in various conditions, prevents loss, and allows for precise tension adjustment, enhancing the effectiveness and usability of femur traction devices in emergency situations.
Implementation Method 1
a tension-adjusting device with a threaded shaft and knob for precise tension control
Data Source
AI summary
A femur traction device includes a brace adapted to be secured to a patient's leg, with one end secured above a break in the leg and a hitch end extending below the foot and providing a hitch for a tensioning harness. The tensioning harness is secured between the hitch and the patient's ankle, and straps of the harness may be lengthened or shortened to increase or decrease tension on the leg. The tensioning harness advantageously does not rely on hook-and-loop type fastening means, is color coded to facilitate proper use, and stores in a pouch that forms part of and is secured to the remainder of the tensioning harness.