Pleated Braided Towing Tie Link for Shock Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Common heavy vehicle towing implements, such as chains and straps, accumulate elastic potential energy when subjected to tension, leading to explosive releases and injurious backlash upon breakage, and fail to dampen shock waves effectively, causing premature breakage.
Innovation Solution
A towing tie assembly with a pleated and interwoven configuration of flexible straps forming a square braid, which includes 'C' bends and arm capturing spaces, and secure fastening means like eye bolt assemblies to prevent unbraiding and absorb shock waves, allowing slow release of elastic energy upon breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If common towing ties (chains, straps, cable) are used to tow heavy vehicles, then they can transmit towing force effectively, but they accumulate elastic potential energy that releases explosively upon breakage causing injurious backlash
Solution Approach 1:
The towing tie is divided into multiple discrete link components, each link being a separate entity that can flex and absorb energy. This segmentation allows the tie to behave more like a flexible chain with energy-dissipating joints rather than a continuous rigid structure that stores elastic energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The link component is designed with inherent energy-absorbing characteristics through its construction from multiple flexible straps braided together. This structure provides beforehand cushioning by absorbing and dissipating elastic potential energy as heat through internal friction between the braided straps, preventing explosive release upon breakage.
2Duration of action of moving object
If common towing ties are used, then they provide continuous towing capability, but they transmit forceful shock waves along their lengths without damping causing premature breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The link component serves as a pre-designed shock absorber positioned at critical points in the towing tie. Its multi-strap braided construction provides beforehand cushioning by dampening shock waves through internal friction and elastic deformation, preventing these shocks from propagating along the entire length of the towing tie and causing premature failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The link component acts as an intermediary element between different sections of the towing tie. It mediates the transmission of forces by absorbing and dissipating shock waves, thereby protecting other sections of the towing tie from the full force of shocks and reducing premature breakage risk.
3Reliability
If a pleated and interwoven configuration of multiple flexible straps is used for the link component, then shock waves are damped and elastic energy is released slowly, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The link component is constructed from multiple flexible straps that are pleated and interwoven to form a braided structure. This flexible construction allows the link to deform elastically under load while dissipating energy through internal friction between the straps, providing shock damping and controlled energy release without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The link component uses a composite structure formed by braiding multiple flexible straps together. This composite construction combines the strengths of individual straps while creating internal friction interfaces that dissipate energy, achieving reliable shock damping and controlled energy release through the composite nature of the braided assembly rather than a single monolithic component.
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 assembly effectively damps shock waves, reducing the risk of chain breakage and minimizing injurious backlash by slowly releasing stored energy, and is compactly designed for easy storage and use.
Implementation Method 1
the link initially flexibly stretches to an elastic limit and thereafter functions substantially equivalently with the tow chain
Implementation Method 2
such waves are damped by the inventive link, advantageously preventing such waves from fracturing the tow chain
Implementation Method 3
the inventive link slowly releases its stored elastic potential energy and advantageously reduces dangerous and injurious backlash and whipping of the chain
Data Source
AI summary
A towing tie assembly including a link having longitudinal and oppositely longitudinal ends and incorporating four pleated straps, each pleated strap forming longitudinally extending series of “C” bends, each “C” bend having a stem section and a pair of arm sections, each “C” bend's stem and arm sections defining a capture space, and each longitudinally extending “C” bend series forming a series of adjacent arm pairs with each “C” bend formed arm capture space receiving one of the adjacent arm pairs; the towing tie assembly further having fastening loops connected operatively to the link's longitudinal and oppositely longitudinal ends.