Parapet Cap Safety Mat with Cinch Straps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accessing flat building roofs with parapet walls can be dangerous due to the need to step onto and over the wall, especially when the cap is wet or covered in dew, rain, snow, or ice, as existing safety mats do not effectively address the traction and securing issues for this specific scenario.
Innovation Solution
A safety mat with a flexible and durable pad, featuring multiple cinch-down straps with hooks and a retainer for compact storage, designed to hang over the parapet cap and secure to the wall and ladder, providing enhanced traction and stability through an anti-slip surface and adjustable strap systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional ladder is used to access the roof, then the roof can be accessed, but the risk of slipping and falling increases when the parapet cap is wet or covered in dew, rain, snow, or ice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a safety mat as an intermediary device between the ladder and the parapet cap. The mat provides a secure attachment system with straps that wrap around the cap and hooks that engage with the ladder, creating a stable platform that eliminates the direct contact between feet and the slippery cap surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety mat utilizes a flexible pad made of anti-slip material that can conform to the curved surface of the parapet cap. This flexible design allows the mat to maintain secure contact with the cap while providing traction, and the flexibility enables the mat to be wrapped around the cap and secured with straps.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a safety mat is placed over the parapet cap, then traction is improved, but the mat must be securely attached to prevent displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism is divided into multiple independent components: straps that wrap around the cap, hooks that engage with the ladder, and an adjustable attachment system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function and enables easy adjustment and installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The securing mechanism incorporates adjustable and movable elements, such as adjustable strap lengths and flexible hook positions, allowing the system to adapt to different cap diameters, heights, and ladder configurations. This dynamic design ensures secure attachment across various installation scenarios.
3Reliability
If the safety mat is designed with multiple straps and hooks, then security is enhanced, but the device becomes more complex and harder to store
Solution Approach 1:
The safety mat is designed to be foldable and collapsible, allowing the straps and hooks to be nested within the folded mat structure. This nesting capability enables the multi-component securing mechanism to be compacted into a small, portable package for easy storage and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The mat incorporates flexible and collapsible components that can transition between an expanded configuration during use and a compact configuration for storage. The dynamic design allows the straps and hooks to be neatly arranged and contained within a small volume when not in use.
Data Source
AI summary
In a first embodiment a safety mat for use with a parapet cap on a wall is disclosed. The cap extends over the top of the wall and partially down each side of the wall. The safety mat includes a durable flexible pad having a width greater than a width of the top wall; a first cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from an interior of the pad toward a first width end; and a second cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from the interior of the pad toward a second width end.