Pivoting Latch Sling Bar for One-Handed Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sling bars require the use of both hands to securely attach a sling or vest, making it difficult for caregivers to manage the attachment process while handling the sling bar.
Innovation Solution
A sling bar design featuring a bar with a sling attachment member, a lift hook, and a pivotally coupled latch member that can be manipulated with one hand to securely attach a sling or vest, allowing the latch to be easily opened and closed to accommodate a loop of the sling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional sling bar attachment portions are used, then secure attachment of sling or vest is achieved, but both hands are required to manipulate the attachment portion
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a latch member with a tongue portion for engagement, a lever portion for actuation, and a pivot member for rotation. This segmentation allows the complex attachment function to be broken down into simple, intuitive hand movements while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch member is designed to be dynamically repositionable between closed and open positions through pivotal motion about the pivot member. This dynamic design allows the attachment mechanism to transition from a locked state to an unlocked state with simple manual manipulation, enabling one-handed operation while maintaining secure attachment when closed.
2Reliability
If both hands are required to manipulate the attachment portion, then secure attachment is achieved, but difficulty arises when simultaneously manipulating the sling bar attachment portion
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulation function is extracted and concentrated into the lever portion of the latch member, which can be actuated independently with one hand. This allows the user to open or close the attachment mechanism without requiring the other hand to hold or stabilize the sling bar, enabling simultaneous manipulation of multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch member design allows the user's hand to serve multiple functions: the same hand that opens the latch can simultaneously guide the sling or vest into position. The lever portion acts as both the opening mechanism and a guide for proper insertion, reducing the need for separate manipulation steps.
3Ease of operation
If a simple attachment mechanism is used, then ease of one-handed operation is achieved, but attachment security may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The lift hook features an asymmetric design with a pointed portion that fits into a corresponding recess in the latch member's tongue portion. This asymmetric geometry ensures proper orientation and secure engagement, preventing accidental disengagement while maintaining simple one-handed operation for opening and closing.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism is designed as a simple, robust mechanical system without complex locking features or electronic components. The simplicity of the design makes it reliable and maintenance-free, with no moving parts other than the pivotal latch member, ensuring long-term security without compromising ease of operation.
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
Enables one-handed operation for caregivers to attach and secure slings or vests to the sling bar, reducing the burden and allowing for easier handling of the sling bar attachment process.
Implementation Method 1
a latch member pivotally coupled to the bar attachment portion at a pivot member. The latch member is repositionable between a closed position, in which the latch member extends across the upward-facing opening and engages the lift hook, and an open position, in which the latch member is spaced apart from the upward-facing opening and the lift hook
Data Source
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AI summary
A sling bar includes a bar extending between a first end and a second end, and a sling attachment member positioned at at least one of the first end and the second end, the sling attachment member including a bar attachment portion coupled to the bar, a lift hook extending outward from the bar attachment portion, the lift hook defining an upward-facing opening, and a latch member pivotally coupled to one of the bar attachment portion or the lift hook, where the latch member is repositionable between a closed position, in which the latch member extends across the upward-facing opening and engages the other of the lift hook or the bar attachment portion, and an open position, in which the latch member is spaced apart from the upward-facing opening and the other of the lift hook or the bar attachment portion.