Flexible Slide Pull Attachment for Reduced Hand Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semi-automatic pistol users with compromised grip and hand strength, such as the elderly or those with hand injuries, face difficulties in racking the slide due to the required hand strength to counteract the recoil spring compression.
Innovation Solution
A flexible slide pull attachment with a contoured pull tab and relief grooves is adhered to the slide, providing leverage and conforming to the slide's surface, allowing easier racking with reduced hand strength and accommodating various pistol configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user attempts to rack the slide manually using only hand strength, then the operation can be performed without additional components, but users with compromised grip strength (elderly, injured, or one-handed shooters) cannot overcome the recoil spring compression force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a slide pull attachment as an intermediary device between the user's hand and the slide. This attachment provides a mechanical advantage by extending the user's grip leverage, allowing them to overcome the recoil spring force with compromised hand strength. The attachment acts as a mediator that transforms the user's limited hand strength into sufficient pulling force.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide pull attachment extends the gripping surface beyond the traditional slide rearward edge by wrapping around the slide in a three-dimensional configuration. This dimensional extension allows the user to apply force over a larger area and leverage multiple points of contact, effectively distributing and amplifying the pulling force beyond what is possible with direct hand gripping alone.
2Ease of operation
If a rigid pull attachment is used to provide leverage, then hand strength requirements are reduced, but the attachment cannot adapt to different pistol configurations and may interfere with the rear sight picture
Solution Approach 1:
The slide pull attachment utilizes a flexible sheet material that can conform to various slide shapes and sizes. This flexibility allows the same attachment design to adapt to different pistol configurations without interfering with the rear sight picture. The material can be molded or bent to match the specific geometry of each pistol while maintaining the mechanical leverage function.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment incorporates flexible elements that can dynamically adjust to different pistol geometries. Rather than being a fixed rigid structure, the flexible material allows the attachment to adapt its shape and positioning based on the specific pistol configuration, providing universal applicability across different firearm models.
3Strength
If the sheet member is made thick to provide structural integrity, then the attachment can withstand recoil spring force, but it interferes with the rear sight picture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin flexible sheet material that provides sufficient structural integrity through its flexibility and conformability rather than thickness. The material can be molded into shapes that distribute stress effectively while maintaining a thin profile that does not protrude into the rear sight picture area.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment utilizes curved and contoured shapes that follow the natural geometry of the slide. These curved forms distribute mechanical stress along arcs and contours rather than requiring thick rigid sections, maintaining structural integrity while preserving a low profile that avoids interfering with the sight picture.
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 attachment facilitates easier slide racking with reduced hand strength, enabling operation by individuals with limited dexterity or one-handed use without interfering with the rear sight picture.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesive material disposed on a rear surface of the sheet member for adhering the sheet member to a slide
Implementation Method 2
The longitudinal relief grooves permit the sheet member to flex and wrap over a top surface of the slide and conform to the slide outer surface
Data Source
AI summary
A slide pull attachment for use on a slide of a semi-automatic pistol comprises a flexible, unitary sheet member having a longitudinal centerline and a lateral centerline, an adhesive material disposed on a rear surface of the sheet member for adhering the sheet member to a slide, and a contoured pull tab projecting upwardly from an upper surface of the sheet member. The contoured pull tab is located rearward of the lateral centerline and adjacent a first side edge of the sheet member. The attachment further comprises a plurality of spaced, parallel relief grooves extending longitudinally in the upper surface of the sheet member between a rearward edge of the sheet member and a forward edge thereof, and a plurality of spaced, parallel relief grooves extending laterally in the upper surface of the sheet member from a second side edge of the sheet member towards the first side edge.