Modular Rescue Stretcher With Adjustable Rods for Narrow Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing military rescue stretchers are bulky and cumbersome to transport due to their fixed length, making them difficult to maneuver through narrow terrain and requiring rapid assembly in stressful situations.
Innovation Solution
A modular stretcher design with adjustable main rods and a lying structure composed of movable elements, such as crawler chain structures, allowing for compact storage and quick assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the stretcher has a standardized fixed length of about 2 m, then it can transport human beings effectively, but it becomes cumbersome to transport when not in use and difficult to maneuver through narrow terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The stretcher is divided into multiple modular segments including main rods, lying structure sections, and connecting elements that can be assembled and disassembled. This segmentation allows the stretcher to be broken down into smaller components for easier transport and storage, while reassembled into a full-length configuration for patient transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The stretcher incorporates adjustable and movable components including telescopic main rods that can extend and retract, and lying structure sections that can be configured in different positions. This dynamic design enables the stretcher to adapt its length and configuration based on whether it is being used for patient transport or stored/transported empty.
2Weight of moving object
If the stretcher is designed to be lightweight and compact for easy transport, then it is easier to carry over large distances, but it may compromise the stability and comfort of the lying surface
Solution Approach 1:
The lying structure utilizes flexible yet supportive elements such as textile materials and lightweight framework components that provide necessary patient support while minimizing weight. The flexible lying surface can adapt to patient contours while maintaining structural integrity through the modular framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The stretcher employs composite construction combining lightweight materials (such as aluminum alloys, carbon fiber, or high-strength polymers) with supportive structural elements. This composite approach achieves an optimal balance between weight reduction and mechanical strength/stability requirements.
3Device complexity
If the stretcher uses simple cylindrical bars and flexible textile for lying surface, then it is lighter and simpler in structure, but it may reduce the stability and comfort for patients
Solution Approach 1:
The lying structure is segmented into multiple support elements distributed along the stretcher length, including head support, torso support, leg support sections. This segmentation provides targeted support at critical anatomical points while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular components are designed with universal connection interfaces and standardized elements that serve multiple functions - the same basic structural elements provide both structural support and patient comfort features, reducing overall complexity while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a stretcher for transporting individual(s), the stretcher including two main rods, wherein each main rod is movable along a longitudinal direction between a contracted position and an extended position; and a lying structure being releasably connected to each of the two main rods.