Adjustable Harness Back Plate for Power Tool Weight Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power tool harnesses often fail to distribute the weight of the tool optimally across the operator's body, leading to uneven loads and increased burden, and their complex structures can be cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A harness with a vertically extending back plate and adjustable shoulder strap pads that distribute the weight across both shoulders and the back, featuring a narrow upper portion with a hole for reduced rigidity and easy adjustment, allowing for better fit and reduced operator burden.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the back plate has a curved shape to fit on the operator's back, then the fit is improved, but the weight distribution becomes uneven and the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The back plate is designed with a narrow upper portion that can be bent and pulled toward the operator's back by adjusting the belt length. This dynamic adjustment mechanism allows the back plate to adapt to different operator body shapes without requiring a complex curved structure, resolving the contradiction between fit and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The belt length is made adjustable through the narrow portion, allowing the back plate to change its position and shape relative to the operator's back. This parameter change enables the back plate to conform to different body types while maintaining a simple overall structure, addressing both fit and complexity concerns.
2Strength
If the back plate is made rigid to support the power tool weight, then the weight bearing capacity is improved, but the ability to fit different operators decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The back plate is segmented into a rigid lower portion for weight bearing and a flexible upper portion with a narrow part for adjustment. This segmentation allows the back plate to maintain strength where needed while providing adaptability through the flexible upper section that can be positioned differently on various operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper portion of the back plate is designed to be dynamically adjustable through the narrow portion and belt mechanism. This allows the rigid back plate to adapt its position and configuration to fit different operators while maintaining its weight bearing capability through the rigid lower portion.
3Device complexity
If the shoulder strap pads are fixed in position, then the structure is simplified, but the ability to distribute weight optimally is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The shoulder strap pads are connected to the back plate through adjustable belts that pass through the narrow portion. This dynamic connection allows the shoulder strap pads to be positioned optimally on different operators while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and weight distribution optimization.
Data Source
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AI summary
A harness (1) is worn by an operator to support a power tool (36) on a lateral side of the operator, and includes a back plate (2) extending in a vertical direction and placeable on a back of the operator, and a pair of shoulder strap pads (3, 3) that contact both shoulders of the operator. The shoulder strap pads (3, 3) are fixed to the back plate (2), and the back plate (2) is connected to each of the shoulder strap pads (3, 3) by a belt (5, 22). The harness (1) further includes an adjusting member (6, 6) with which a length of the belt (5) is adjustable, so that a position of the back plate (2) is adjustable toward the back of the operator by adjusting the length of the belt (5) using the adjusting member (6, 6).