Hook-and-Loop Equestrian Safety Device for Rider Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Equestrian sports riders and drivers face the risk of serious injury or death due to being dragged by a horse or horse-drawn vehicle when control lines fail to release, as existing connectors do not allow separation of the lines, leading to entanglement and increased tensile force.
Innovation Solution
A safety device utilizing hook-and-loop fasteners to connect control lines, allowing for separation and release when a rider or driver is entangled, with a lower threshold tensile force required for disengagement compared to traditional connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional buckles or connectors are used to connect control line ends, then the connection can withstand great tensile force and prevent line separation, but the fallen rider or driver cannot be released and will be dragged to death or severe injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the strength parameter of the connector by using hook-and-loop fasteners instead of traditional buckles. The hook-and-loop fastener has a lower tensile strength threshold that allows it to break under extreme force, thereby preventing the harmful effect of dragging injury while maintaining sufficient connection strength for normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of connector failure into a beneficial safety feature. The hook-and-loop fastener is designed to fail at a specific force threshold, transforming what would normally be a harmful failure mode into a protective mechanism that releases the rider or driver before severe injury occurs.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a releasable fastener system is used to allow line separation, then the fallen rider or driver can be released, but the connection may not withstand sufficient tensile force for normal control
Solution Approach 1:
The hook-and-loop fastener is selected with specific physical parameters that balance normal operational strength with controlled failure characteristics. The fastener maintains sufficient strength for normal riding control but is designed to fail at a force threshold below what would cause severe dragging injury.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a safety device with hook-and-loop fastener is used, then the control lines can separate to prevent fatal dragging, but the device complexity increases compared to simple buckles
Solution Approach 1:
The hook-and-loop fastener acts as a disposable safety component that is intentionally designed to fail after use or after reaching its strength threshold. This simplicity in design (using a common fastener type) offsets the increased complexity, making the overall device more manageable despite the added safety function.
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 safety device effectively prevents riders or drivers from being dragged by allowing the control lines to separate, reducing the risk of injury or death by lowering the tensile force needed for disengagement, making it safer for equestrian sports.
Implementation Method 1
The present invention uses at least one hook-and-loop fastener for connecting ends of the control lines for guiding a horse
Data Source
AI summary
A safety device for equestrian sports uses at least one hook-and-loop fastener for connecting ends of the control lines for guiding a horse such that the ends of the control lines will separate and thereby stop a fallen rider or driver from being dragged by a horse or a horse drawn vehicle.