Safety Harness Component with Recessed Leg Straps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety harnesses do not effectively keep the femoral veins free during use, potentially leading to orthostatic shock upon falling, which can be fatal.
Innovation Solution
A component with a support structure and wedge-shaped leg strap pads that are detachably attached to the safety harness, creating a recess to keep the femoral vein free, featuring a flexible material that is softer than adjacent padding and a releasable fastening device for easy attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional safety harnesses are used without special design features, then the harness structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but the femoral veins are not protected and may be compressed during falling or hanging, leading to orthostatic shock
Solution Approach 1:
The leg strap is divided into multiple functional zones: a first leg strap pad at the front, a second leg strap pad at the back, and a recessed section between them. This segmentation allows the harness to simultaneously provide compression protection through the pads and maintain vein patency through the recessed area, resolving the contradiction between protection and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the leg strap are given different properties: the leg strap pads are made of softer, more compliant material to distribute pressure and protect the femoral vein, while the support structure provides rigidity for overall harness stability. This local differentiation of material properties enables the harness to provide both protection and structural integrity without excessive complexity.
2Reliability
If the leg strap uses uniform padding throughout, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the femoral vein cannot be kept free during falling or hanging operations
Solution Approach 1:
The leg strap is constructed with distinct segments: padded areas at the front and back, and a recessed section between them. This segmentation can be achieved through modular assembly or targeted material application during manufacturing, balancing the need for vein protection with manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Padding material is applied selectively only where needed (at the front and back of the leg strap) rather than uniformly throughout. The recessed section between the pads remains free of padding to maintain vein patency. This localized application of padding reduces manufacturing complexity compared to uniform padding while still providing the necessary protection.
3Reliability
If existing harnesses are retrofitted with vein protection features, then protection is improved, but the retrofitting process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The protection system is segmented into a detachable component that can be separately manufactured and then attached to existing harnesses. This modular approach allows retrofitting without redesigning the entire harness system, reducing the complexity of the retrofitting process while maintaining effective vein protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The vein protection functionality is extracted as a separate, detachable component (the leg strap with recessed section and pads) that can be independently manufactured and then integrated with existing harnesses. This extraction simplifies retrofitting, as only the protective component needs to be added rather than redesigning the entire harness system.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a component (100) for fitting to a safety harness (102) for a human user (104), for at least partially preventing obstruction of the femoral vein (106) of the user (104), said component (100) comprising: a support structure (108); two leg harness pads (110) fitted to the support structure (108) at such a distance from one another that, when the component (100) is fitted to the safety harness (102), a section (112) of the support structure (108) arranged between the two leg harness pads (110), in particular a section without a leg harness pad, at least partially prevents obstruction of the femoral vein (106) of the user (104), if the user (104) has put on the safety harness (102); and a detachable fastening mechanism (114), that is fitted or can be fitted to the support structure (108), for detachably fastening the component (100) to the safety harness (102).