Resilient Mesh Bag Safety Tether for Hand-Held Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety tethers for hand-held articles are cumbersome, difficult to secure, and prone to getting caught on objects due to their length, while also being inconvenient to use when only a single item is being used.
Innovation Solution
A safety tether comprising a resilient wire mesh bag with a retractable leash and hook fastener that attaches to the user, allowing secure and convenient use of hand-held items by collapsing for storage and expanding to accommodate various shapes, with a clip for hanging when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tether line is fixed directly to the tool and tool belt, then the article can be secured to the user, but the connection is difficult to secure properly and the tether line gets caught on objects due to its length
Solution Approach 1:
A resilient bag acts as an intermediary component between the tether line and the hand-held article. The bag receives and contains the article, with the tether line attaching to the bag rather than directly to the article. This intermediary structure simplifies the connection mechanism while maintaining security, as the article is retained within the bag's confined space rather than requiring direct tether attachment to the article itself.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a tool belt with pockets is used to hold hand-held articles, then articles can be stored when not in use, but the tool belt is large and cumbersome to wear when only a single article is used
Solution Approach 1:
The bag is designed with resilient, flexible material that allows it to dynamically adapt its size and shape. When containing a single article, the bag compresses to a compact form factor that minimizes burden on the user. When multiple articles need to be stored, the bag can expand to accommodate them. This dynamic adaptability eliminates the need for a large, fixed-size tool belt while maintaining storage versatility.
3Ease of operation
If a long tether line is used to secure the article, then the article can be attached to the user, but the tether line tends to get caught up on different objects
Solution Approach 1:
The hand-held article is nested within the resilient bag, which in turn is attached to the tether line. This nested configuration allows the article to be contained in a compact space close to the user's body, reducing the effective length of the tether line needed. By nesting the article within the bag rather than having it suspended freely on a long tether, the entanglement hazard is significantly reduced while maintaining freedom of movement.
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 solution effectively reduces drop hazards by providing a secure, efficient, and ergonomic means to attach hand-held items to users, minimizing interference and allowing for easy use and storage.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient bag for receiving the article, the bag being constructed of wire mesh, the wire mesh being formed by joining portions of a wire at nodes such that the bag is biased to a collapsed state
Implementation Method 2
a retractable leash for attaching the bag to a user, the leash having opposing first and second ends
Data Source
AI summary
A safety tether is able to secure a wide variety of different hand-held articles directly to a user, particularly for overhead work. A resilient bag holds the article and is formed by joining portions of a wire at nodes such that the bag is biased to a collapsed state to form a mesh. Mouth loops of the mesh are circumferentially spaced around a mouth of the bag. A hook fastener includes a hook onto which the mouth loops are inserted to draw the mouth closed and a gate for closing the hook to retain the mouth loops. The hook fastener is connected to one end of a retractable leash, the opposing end of which is attached to the user's apparel. The bag may also have a clip by which it may be hung from a user's apparel.