Press Sling Protective Elements Gap Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Press slings with spring-loaded elements pose a risk of skin pinching and bruising due to gaps between pressing elements that decrease in width during closure, leading to potential injury.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating protective elements to cover at least some of the gaps between pressing elements, particularly at the end regions where the user's hand is involved, and providing anti-twist devices to ensure coverage in both open and closed positions, along with holding elements for improved user grip and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spring elements are added to press slings to prevent slipping down, then reliability is improved, but the risk of skin pinching and bruising increases due to gaps between pressing elements decreasing in width during closure
Solution Approach 1:
Protective elements are introduced as intermediary components between the pressing elements and the user's skin. These protective elements cover the gaps between pressing elements, preventing direct contact and pinching of the skin while allowing the pressing operation to proceed normally. The protective elements act as a mediator that eliminates the harmful effect without interfering with the functional operation of the press sling.
Solution Approach 2:
The press sling is divided into functional pressing elements and separate protective elements. This segmentation allows the pressing elements to perform their compression function while the protective elements independently cover the gaps between them. The protective elements can be attached to or integrated with the pressing elements, but their separate identification allows for optimized design of each component.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If protective elements are added to cover gaps between pressing elements, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective elements are merged with the pressing elements by attaching them to the same structural components. The protective elements can be attached to the pressing jaws or the connecting elements between pressing elements, combining the functional and protective features into a unified assembly. This merging reduces the overall complexity compared to having completely separate protective devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective elements serve multiple functions: they cover the gaps between pressing elements to prevent skin pinching, they can provide structural support during operation, and they may serve as attachment points for labeling or identification. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
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
Reduces the risk of skin pinching and bruising by ensuring that gaps are partially or fully covered, enhancing user safety and handling during the operation of press slings, especially with spring-loaded designs.
Implementation Method 1
press slings have been developed whose individual press elements connected to one another in a chain-like manner also have spring elements. The spring elements are arranged in such a way that they always cause the press sling to close around the press fitting.
Implementation Method 2
The press fittings are usually made of metal. The inside diameter of the press fitting is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the pipe ends to be connected, so that due to the radial compression the inside of the press fitting is pressed against the outside of the pipe ends and due to the permanent deformation a firm, particularly tight connection is established.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5a
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A crimping loop for joining workpieces, particularly those of a tubular shape, has several crimping elements (10) connected to each other in a chain-like fashion by pivots. A gap (24) is formed between adjacent crimping elements, especially when the crimping loop is open. Particularly when closing the crimping loop, this gap can cause the user to be crushed. To prevent this crushing, according to the invention, at least one of the gaps (24) is at least partially covered by a protective element (26). Furthermore, the invention preferably includes rotatably arranged retaining elements (78) with a finger recess (80). These serve to improve the handling of the crimping loop.