Hookless Sports Harness Coupling via Aperture and Spherical Engager
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hook and loop coupling systems in wind-driven sports harnesses cause discomfort due to upward pull and risk of line tangling, posing safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A hookless coupling device with an elongate body and aperture, wider at the connector end and narrower at the engagement end, utilizing a spherical engager tethered to a line, which engages with the body through the aperture, preventing tangling and reducing discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional hook and loop coupling arrangement is used, then the sports device can be retained, but the upward pull causes rotation of the spreader bar and discomfort to the sportsperson
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the hook from the coupling system, replacing it with a hookless elongate body and aperture arrangement. This eliminates the rotational problem caused by the hook while maintaining the retention function through the aperture-engager interface.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a hook that protrudes outward to engage the loop, the invention inverts the approach by using an aperture (hole) that receives the engager from the outside and secures it internally through the narrower engagement end, reversing the traditional engagement geometry.
2Reliability
If a traditional hook and loop coupling arrangement is used, then the sports device can be retained, but lines can unintentionally catch or tangle with the hook posing a danger
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the hook component entirely from the system, replacing it with a smooth aperture-based coupling mechanism. This extraction eliminates the protruding hook that causes lines to catch and tangle, while the aperture provides sufficient retention through its geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The elongate body with aperture provides a smooth, continuous surface without protruding elements, creating a streamlined coupling interface that prevents line entanglement while maintaining structural integrity for secure retention.
3Reliability
If a hook is used with downward orientation to retain the loop, then the sports device is retained, but the spreader bar and front of the harness rotate causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the hook that causes rotational instability, replacing it with an aperture-based system where the engager is received through and secured by the aperture geometry, eliminating the lever arm that causes spreader bar rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of the hook protruding outward requiring downward orientation to retain the loop, the invention uses an aperture that receives the engager and secures it through internal geometry at the narrower engagement end, inverting the retention mechanism to eliminate rotational forces.
Data Source
AI summary
A hookless coupling device for releasable connection to a sports harness includes an elongate body having a connector end for connection with the sports harness, an engagement end, and an elongate aperture extending between the connector end and the engagement end for engaging an engager. The aperture is wider at the connector end than at the engagement end. The sports harness includes a band for surrounding the waist or hips of a person, and the elongate body. A sports device, releasably engagable to the harness, has a spherical engager tethered with a line. The aperture passes the spherical engager though the engagement end and the engager is moved to the connector end. A sports kite includes a canopy, a traction line having a first end tethered to the canopy, and a second end to which the spherical engager is connected.