Inflatable Rescue Backboard with Drop Stitch Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rescue backboards are cumbersome, require multiple rescuers for water operations, and existing inflatable devices lack the rigidity needed for effective CPR, while also being bulky and difficult to transport in compact form.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable attachment that can be rapidly secured to a rescue backboard, using a compressed fluid source or manual inflation, and an inflatable rescue backboard that can be quickly converted from a compact to a rigid configuration, utilizing drop stitch material for rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foam material is attached to the backboard for buoyancy, then buoyant properties are improved, but the device becomes bulky to store and the foam degrades in storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces solid foam buoyancy material with an inflatable chamber system that uses pneumatic pressure to provide buoyancy. The chambers can be inflated with air or other gases to create the necessary floating force, eliminating the need for bulky foam materials while maintaining reliable buoyant properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the buoyancy system from a permanently expanded foam structure to an inflatable chamber that can transition between deflated and inflated states. This allows the same buoyancy function to be achieved with dramatically reduced storage volume when deflated.
2Reliability
If foam material is attached to the backboard for buoyancy, then buoyant properties are improved, but the device attracts animals that feed on foam material
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing foam material with inflatable chambers, the patent eliminates the organic foam substance that attracts animals. The chambers can be constructed from synthetic materials that are not food sources for animals, thereby removing the harmful attraction while preserving the buoyancy function through pneumatic inflation.
3Reliability
If foam material is attached to the backboard for buoyancy, then buoyant properties are improved, but it becomes extremely difficult to slide the backboard under the rescuee
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the buoyancy system dynamic by using inflatable chambers that can be deflated during the rescue operation to reduce buoyancy and allow easy sliding under the rescuee, then inflated afterward to provide buoyancy for water rescue. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between needing buoyancy and needing ease of placement.
4Strength
If a conventional rigid rescue backboard is used, then structural rigidity is improved, but it takes up a lot of storage space and is cumbersome to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible inflatable chambers with drop stitch construction that can be collapsed into a thin, compact form for storage and transport, then inflated to provide the necessary structural rigidity for rescue operations. This resolves the contradiction between rigidity and compact storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the backboard from a permanently rigid structure to an inflatable structure that transitions from a compact deflated state to a rigid inflated state. This allows the same object to occupy minimal storage space while providing full structural rigidity when needed.
5Volume of moving object
If existing inflatable rescue devices are used, then compact storage is improved, but they lack the rigidity needed for effective CPR
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs drop stitch construction within the inflatable chambers, which creates a rigid structural framework when inflated. This allows the device to maintain a compact flexible form for storage while providing the necessary rigidity for CPR when inflated, resolving the contradiction between compact storage and structural strength.
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
Enables efficient water rescue operations with reduced personnel, provides a rigid surface for CPR, and allows for compact and lightweight storage and transport, maintaining functionality and visibility.
Implementation Method 1
The inflatable attachment may be inflated rapidly during the rescue, using a compressed liquified foam or another inflation fluid source, such as an air or CO2 canister
Implementation Method 2
The inflatable attachment provides buoyancy and support for the rescuee during water rescue operations
Data Source
AI summary
An inflatable rescue attachment includes at least a U-shaped bladder that is adapted to be secured around the outer perimeter of the head and side portions of a rescue backboard and can be inflated rapidly using an inflation fluid source. The rigid, inflatable backboard includes a central portion with drop stitch material enclosed in an airtight chamber which, when inflated, provides a flat, rigid surface for securing and transporting a rescuee. The inflatable rescue attachment may be used with the inflatable backboard, as well as with a standard wood, plastic, or fiberglass rescue backboard.