Folding Strap Bracket for Rescue Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rescue equipment brackets for first responders often fail to securely and efficiently store and retrieve equipment due to limitations in elastic member restraints, which can be difficult to use with heavy gloves and in low-visibility conditions, and may degrade over time.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system with a base, arms, and a strap featuring hook and loop fasteners that self-adjusts to securely hold objects, allowing for easy mounting and removal with minimal effort, even in low-visibility conditions, using a pull tab for ease of use and a strap that self-tightens to accommodate objects of varying sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an elastic member is used to restrain equipment on a bracket, then the equipment can be secured to the bracket, but the elastic member is difficult to manipulate when wearing heavy gloves and in low-visibility conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system is designed to be self-tightening through the folding strap mechanism. When the strap is folded around the equipment, it automatically tensions itself without requiring the user to manually stretch or adjust it, eliminating the need to manipulate the end of the restraint while maintaining secure equipment restraint
Solution Approach 2:
The restraint is divided into multiple segments including the strap, fastener, and folding portions. This segmentation allows the strap to be folded into discrete sections that can be easily manipulated and secured, making it simpler to operate while maintaining reliability through the multi-component securing mechanism
2Ease of operation
If the elastic member is stretched to disengage the restraint from the base, then the object can be released from the bracket, but repeated stretching causes the elastic member to permanently stretch and reduce its effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The folding strap mechanism is self-releasing - when the fastener is undone, the strap automatically unfolds and releases the equipment without requiring the user to stretch or pull the restraint. This eliminates repeated stretching while maintaining ease of release through the self-unfolding action
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of stretching the restraint to release it (the conventional approach), the system inverts the release mechanism by using a folding strap that automatically unfolds and releases when the fastener is opened, reversing the traditional stretch-to-release paradigm
3Adaptability or versatility
If the elastic member is used to secure objects of various sizes, then the bracket can accommodate different equipment, but the finite number of discrete mating locations limits the ability to adequately tighten the elastic member around objects of particular sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint transitions from a static system with fixed mating locations to a dynamic folding strap mechanism that can be folded into various configurations. This allows the strap to adapt to equipment of different sizes by folding into the appropriate number of sections, providing continuous adjustment rather than discrete positions
Solution Approach 2:
The effective length and configuration of the restraint are changed by folding the strap into different numbers of sections. This parameter change allows the same restraint to be optimized for different equipment sizes, improving both adaptability and the ability to achieve proper tension
4Ease of operation
If the second end of the elastic member is made accessible for manipulation, then the restraint can be secured and released, but in low-visibility conditions it is difficult to locate and manipulate the second end of the elastic member
Solution Approach 1:
The pull tab is made from material with a color that contrasts with the strap material, making it easily locatable in low-visibility conditions. This visual differentiation allows users to quickly find and manipulate the restraint end without adding complex locating mechanisms
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 system provides a secure, adjustable, and easy-to-use method for storing and retrieving rescue equipment, reducing the need for excessive force and minimizing strap degradation, making it suitable for time-critical emergency situations.
Implementation Method 1
a first fastener attached to a first portion of the strap, and a second fastener attached to a second portion of the strap and configured to mate with the first fastener
Data Source
AI summary
Brackets are provided for securing objects to mounting surfaces. The brackets have a foldable strap attached to a base. The base can be mounted on the mounting surface. The strap can extend over the object to be secured, and can be folded back on itself so that fasteners on the strap hold the strap in a folded state in which the strap secures the object to the base.