Safety Harness Air Bladder Pressure Sensor Operator Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety harnesses lack a reliable mechanism to ensure an operator is securely fastened, as they only rely on attachment to a machine's anchor point without verifying the presence of a body, and they often lack ergonomic support and comfort.
Innovation Solution
A safety harness with an integrated air bladder and pressure sensor system that provides ergonomic support and ensures operator safety by using a comparator circuit to verify proper wear through output voltage changes, which can also trigger a machine interlock or alarm if the harness is removed during operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing safety harnesses only rely on attachment to machine's anchor point, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of operator safety verification deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical attachment verification with an electronic sensing system. Pressure sensors detect the operator's presence and weight distribution, converting mechanical pressure into electrical signals for verification. This substitution enables reliable operator detection while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through the use of standard sensor components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pressure sensors as intermediary elements between the operator and the safety verification system. These sensors act as mediators that detect the operator's presence indirectly through pressure application on the harness, enabling safety verification without direct mechanical interlocking mechanisms.
2Reliability
If no body detection mechanism is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of ensuring operator presence deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex body detection mechanisms with simple pressure sensing. Instead of using cameras, RFID tags, or biometric sensors, the system uses pressure sensors that detect the operator's presence through the mechanical pressure applied when sitting or standing in the harness. This approach achieves reliable detection with minimal added complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard harness without additional features is used, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the ergonomic support and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the safety verification function with the ergonomic support structure by integrating pressure sensors into the existing harness padding and seating areas. The same structural elements that provide comfort and lumbar support also serve as the sensing surfaces, eliminating the need for separate sensor mounting structures and simplifying manufacturing.
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 effectively prevents falls by ensuring the operator is securely fastened and provides ergonomic support and comfort, making it more reliable and user-friendly for applications like lifts, bucket trucks, and mobile work platforms.
Implementation Method 1
A pressure sensor is connected to the pressure sensor via tubing and has an output voltage... when the safety harness is worn and tensioned on the operator the air bladder resulting in an increase in the output voltage from the air pressure sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A safety harness for an operator of a machine includes an air bladder attached to the safety harness such that the bladder is positioned between the operator and the harness. A pressure sensor is connected to the pressure sensor. A comparator circuit receives an output voltage of the pressure sensor and compares it to a reference voltage setpoint. When the safety harness is not worn by the operator the voltage output of the air pressure sensor is below the threshold reference voltage of the comparator circuit and when the safety harness is worn and tensioned the air bladder results in an increase in the output voltage from the air pressure sensor to determine whether the safety harness is being worn to switch the machine interlock when the operator is safely fastened into the harness.