Lockable Rope Shackle With Flexible Lock and Stopper Body
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Rope shackles lack a locking mechanism, leading to potential failure during use due to knot slippage, inconsistent strength, and bulkiness, which is a concern in lifting applications where a secure attachment is critical.
Innovation Solution
A lockable shackle apparatus comprising a stopper body and a flexible lock that secures the rope in place, eliminating the need for knots and providing consistent strength, with the flexible lock being easily replaceable and inexpensive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a knot is used to secure the rope in traditional rope shackles, then the shackle can be formed without additional locking components, but the knot may slip back through the eyelet causing failure and requires a large size to mitigate this risk
Solution Approach 1:
A stopper body is introduced as an intermediary component between the rope and eyelet. The stopper body prevents the rope from slipping through the eyelet by providing a physical barrier, while the flexible lock secures the stopper body to the rope. This mediator resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for large knots while ensuring reliable security.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional single-knot structure is segmented into multiple functional components: the stopper body that prevents slippage, the flexible lock that secures the assembly, and the rope itself. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, improving overall reliability without increasing overall complexity.
2Reliability
If a large knot is fashioned to prevent slippage, then the security against failure is improved, but the rope shackle becomes bulky and difficult to store
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper body serves as a compact intermediary that provides the necessary security function without requiring a large knot. The stopper body's compact design, combined with the flexible lock, achieves reliable slippage prevention in a space-efficient manner, resolving the contradiction between security and size.
3Reliability
If metal shackles with bolts or pins are used, then the shackle can be locked shut securely, but the weight increases and the bolt or pin may get stuck or get lost
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameter of the locking component is changed from rigid metal (bolt or pin) to flexible material (elastic or rubber). This parameter change maintains the locking security function while significantly reducing weight and eliminating the problems of getting stuck or lost. The flexible lock can deform to engage and disengage easily while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional rigid mechanical locking system (bolt or pin) is replaced with a flexible mechanical system. The flexible lock uses elastic deformation rather than rigid insertion and rotation, substituting the mechanical principle while achieving the same security function with reduced weight and improved reliability.
4Ease of manufacture
If the strength of rope shackles depends on the fashioned knot, then manufacturing is simplified, but the strength becomes inconsistent and may decrease over time
Solution Approach 1:
The critical strength-dependent function is extracted from the knot and transferred to the flexible lock and stopper body assembly. The knot becomes a simple routing element rather than the primary load-bearing security mechanism. This extraction allows the knot to be formed simply while maintaining consistent, reliable strength through the engineered flexible locking system.
Data Source
AI summary
A lockable shackle apparatus, and method of use, is provided herein. The lockable shackle apparatus may comprise a stopper body, a rope, and a flexible lock. First and second passageways extend through the stopper body transverse to a length of the stopper body. The rope is positioned through the first and second passageways with a majority of the rope extending from a first pair of adjacent ends of the first and second passageways. The flexible lock includes a main hole configured to receive the majority of the rope and be positioned adjacent to the stopper body. A distal portion of the majority of the rope is configured to be removably positioned over the stopper block. The flexible lock further includes first and second lock holes configured to be positioned over first and second ends of the stopper body for retaining the distal portion of the rope on the stopper body.