Firefighter Drag Harness with Pocket Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Firefighters and emergency workers face challenges with drag harnesses when they are either worn inside protective garments, requiring time-consuming searches by rescuers, or on the exterior, where they can get caught or abraded on external surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A protective garment with an outer shell, a pocket, and a drag harness featuring a gripping loop that can be stored within the garment and extended externally for easy access and use by rescuers, along with a pull strap for safe and visible operation, reducing entanglement risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the drag harness is worn within the protective garment, then the protective garment maintains a clean exterior appearance, but the rescuer must search within the protective garment to grasp the drag harness which is time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The drag harness is pre-positioned in a specific location (exterior pocket or exterior attachment point) before emergency occurs, eliminating the need for rescuers to search through the protective garment. This preliminary positioning of the gripping loop in an accessible location resolves the time-loss issue while maintaining protective garment integrity
2Ease of operation
If the drag loop is permitted to extend from the protective garment, then the rescuer can easily access the drag harness, but the drag loop can get caught on external surfaces such as tree branches and building debris
Solution Approach 1:
The protective garment acts as an intermediary between the drag harness and the external environment. The gripping loop extends through a controlled aperture or pocket opening rather than being fully exposed, providing rescuer access while the garment structure prevents direct contact with entangling external surfaces like branches and debris
3Ease of operation
If the drag harness is worn on the exterior of the protective garment, then the rescuer can easily access the drag harness, but any portion of the drag harness can get caught and/or abraded on external surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The drag harness gripping loop is nested within or through the protective garment structure rather than being fully external. The loop passes through an aperture or pocket opening, allowing rescuer access while the garment walls protect the harness material from abrasion and entanglement with external surfaces, maintaining harness integrity
Data Source
AI summary
A drag harness for use with a protective garment for a fire fighter or emergency worker is provided. The drag harness includes a gripping loop having a pull strap affixed thereto. The pull strap extends from an aperture in the protective garment such that the drag loop can be pulled through the aperture to drag the wearer. Furthermore, the protective garment may include a pocket wherein a portion of the drag loop may be contained when in a stored state.