Lanyard Connection Device with Integrated Length Adjuster and Dual-Actuator Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional helicopter lanyards require operators to divert attention from their surroundings to adjust the length, and quick release mechanisms are prone to inadvertent actuation due to snagging or obstruction.
Innovation Solution
A lanyard connection device with an integrated length adjuster and a secure, multi-actuator quick release mechanism that allows for length adjustment without diverting attention and reduces the risk of accidental release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the length adjuster is positioned at a spaced distance from the connection device, then the structure is simpler and manufacturing is easier, but the operator must divert attention from surveillance to adjust the length
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the length adjuster and connection device into a single integrated assembly, allowing the operator to adjust length at the same location where the lanyard connects to their harness. This eliminates the need to reach back to a separately positioned adjuster, resolving the contradiction by making adjustment accessible without attention diversion.
2Productivity
If the quick release mechanism is easily accessible, then release speed is faster, but the risk of inadvertent actuation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The quick release mechanism uses a dynamic spring-loaded gate that requires deliberate two-handed actuation. The spring provides automatic resetting force, and the gate geometry requires simultaneous pressure on both sides, making accidental activation unlikely while maintaining fast intentional release capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates preliminary protective features including a shielded gate position, spring bias toward closed state, and requiring dual-sided actuation. These preliminary anti-actions prevent inadvertent release while preserving quick intentional release when needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate hardware components are used, then each component can be optimized independently, but the overall device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connection device and length adjuster into a single integrated assembly with common structural elements. The frame serves dual purposes as both connection structure and adjuster housing, reducing total component count while maintaining independent optimization of critical functions through modular sub-assemblies.
Data Source
AI summary
A lanyard connection device combines, in a singular piece of hardware, a movable gate for opening and closing a load-receiving eye of the device, a lock for holding the gate closed, a user-actuated quick release operably associated with the lock, and a length adjuster configured for engagement with a lanyard at an intermediate location between anchoring and tail ends thereof. The adjuster is manipulatable between a holding state preventing displacement between the device and lanyard, and an adjustment state releasing the hold to enable user-adjustment of the lanyard's working length. To prevent inadvertent opening of the eye, the quick release comprises multiple actuators that require simultaneous actuation thereof to release the lock from the locking position. The adjuster features a slidable bollard that receives wrapped engagement of the lanyard and, in the holding state, clamps the wrapped segment thereof against a neighboring clamping surface.