Nested Cylinder Carrying Handle for Firefighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Firefighters face challenges in safely and efficiently transporting multiple oxygen cylinders while fighting fires, as existing methods are cumbersome, unstable, and time-consuming, particularly when entering burning structures or using them with SCBAs.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, compact carrying handle system comprising an outer and inner handle, designed to fit within each other for storage, with tabs that securely attach to cylinder brackets, allowing a single person to carry multiple cylinders with ease, either in one hand or with one hand free.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional methods are used to transport multiple oxygen cylinders, then the task can be completed, but it requires multiple people and is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cylinder-carrying functions into a single integrated handle device. The handle simultaneously engages with multiple cylinder valves through its forked structure, allowing one person to transport multiple cylinders at once, thereby improving productivity and reducing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrying handle is designed with universal applicability to work with standard oxygen cylinder valves. The forked structure with adjustable arms can accommodate different cylinder configurations, making the device versatile for various respiratory equipment setups and improving operational efficiency.
2Reliability
If multiple cylinders are carried using existing methods, then transportation is possible, but stability and security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is pre-configured with forked arms positioned to engage cylinder valves before movement begins. The design incorporates preliminary securing mechanisms that automatically lock onto the valves, ensuring stable transport without requiring complex manual securing operations during movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle is segmented into multiple engagement points (forked arms) that can independently secure to different cylinder valves. This segmentation allows each cylinder to be individually secured while maintaining overall system stability, improving both reliability and ease of operation.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact carrying solution is designed, then portability is improved, but the attachment mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The handle design incorporates nested structural elements where the forked arms are integrated within the handle body when not in use. The arms can be retracted or folded into the handle's cavity, creating a compact form factor that minimizes volume while maintaining the complexity needed for secure attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a light weight, rigid, carrying handle that allows a single user to safely and securely transport multiple cylinders with one hand. The carrying handle consists of a rectangular grip plate, a tab at each end of the grip plate extending away from the grip plate about perpendicular to the surface of the grip plate, and a grip guard on each side of the grip plate also extending away from the grip plate about perpendicular to the surface of the grip plate. The tabs and grip guards all preferably extend in the same direction away from a inner surface of the carrying handle. The tabs are configured thin such that it can be inserted into and through an opening in a cylinder collar bracket.