Harness Back Plate with Angled Guide Slots to Prevent Strap Curling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing full body harnesses face issues with elongated straps curling, causing discomfort and difficulty in adjustment, and there is a need for improved strap management to prevent curling and bunching.

Innovation Solution

A wearable body harness with an X-shaped shoulder strap configuration and a back plate featuring angled guide slots that route the webbing material to prevent bunching, along with deflectable tabs and a Y-shaped back plate design to manage strap alignment and prevent tangling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If elongated straps are used in full body harnesses, then the harness can provide comprehensive body support and suspension, but the straps naturally curl and bunch up causing discomfort and difficulty in adjustment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveharness body support and suspensionVSAvoidstrap adjustment and comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The back plate is divided into multiple functional regions with guide slots positioned at specific locations to segment the strap routing path. This segmentation allows the strap to be guided through distinct zones (upper guide slots for shoulder straps, lower guide slots for leg straps) preventing random curling and bunching while maintaining comprehensive body support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide slots act as intermediary structures between the strap and the user's body. These slots mediate the interaction by providing a controlled pathway that prevents direct contact between the curling strap and the user's skin, thereby eliminating discomfort while preserving the strap's supportive function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If elongated straps are routed around the body to provide suspension, then the harness ensures safety in fall situations, but the straps create difficulty in adjusting and managing to prevent curling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefall safety suspensionVSAvoidstrap management and anti-curling structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The back plate structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the harness, guides the straps through defined pathways, prevents curling and bunching, and facilitates adjustment. The guide slots are integrated into the back plate to achieve strap management without adding separate complex components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide slots are positioned at specific angular orientations (upper guide slots at approximately 45 degrees, lower guide slots at approximately 135 degrees) to control the three-dimensional routing of the straps. This dimensional arrangement prevents curling by establishing a fixed spatial pathway that maintains strap tension and alignment throughout the body suspension.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of operation

If the back plate includes guide slots at specific angles, then the webbing material is routed to prevent bunching and maintain alignment, but the structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrap alignment and bunching preventionVSAvoidback plate guide slot configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different regions of the back plate have guide slots with different angular characteristics tailored to the specific routing requirements of each strap. The upper guide slots are angled at approximately 45 degrees to match the shoulder strap pathway, while the lower guide slots are angled at approximately 135 degrees for the leg straps. This local customization prevents bunching without requiring complex overall restructuring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11497948B2Harness back plate and strap arrangement

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 MSA TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

A wearable body harness has first and second shoulder straps arranged in an X-shape, a back plate on a rear portion of the shoulder straps with the first shoulder strap crossing over the second at the back plate. The back plate includes a pair of lower guide slots, having a first lower guide slot side and a second lower guide slot side contiguous with the first and arranged at an angle relative thereto, and a pair of upper guide slots, having a first upper guide slot side and a second upper guide slot side contiguous with the first and arranged at an angle relative thereto. A first of the pair of upper and lower guide slots route a webbing material of the first shoulder strap. A second of the pair of upper and the pair of lower guide slots route the webbing material of the second shoulder strap.