Reconfigurable Cumberbund with Internal Cable Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cumberbunds for PALS devices do not facilitate easy and entanglement-free connection of electrical cables for body-carried computer equipment and peripherals, making it difficult to reconfigure and integrate electrical components during missions.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable cumberbund with internal passageways and VELCRO-equipped flaps that allows for the routing and secure connection of electrical cables between computer components and peripherals, enabling rapid exchange and integration with existing tactical vests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional cumberbunds are used with PALS devices, then the vest can be mounted on the user's body, but electrical cables cannot be easily routed and are prone to entanglement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates internal passageways within the cumberbund structure that allow electrical cables to be routed through the fabric layers. The cables are nested within channels formed by the cumberbund's construction, preventing entanglement while maintaining ease of connection. This is achieved by creating hollow spaces within the cumberbund's multi-layer fabric structure that guide cable placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cumberbund acts as an intermediary structure between the vest and the user's body, providing a dedicated pathway for cable routing. The internal passageways serve as intermediate channels that mediate the transition of cables from external to organized internal routing, eliminating the need for complex external cable management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple electrical components are mounted on the body, then functionality is enhanced, but cable entanglement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cumberbund provides nested internal passageways that accommodate multiple cables simultaneously. Each cable can be routed through dedicated channels within the fabric structure, allowing multiple electrical components to be integrated without their cables becoming entangled. The layered fabric construction creates nested pathways that keep cables separated and organized.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal passageway system segments the cable routing into distinct pathways within the cumberbund structure. This segmentation prevents cables from different components from mixing and tangling, while still allowing all components to be mounted on the same vest. Each cable route is divided into separate channels within the fabric.
3Ease of operation
If the cumberbund structure is modified to include internal passageways, then cable management is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal passageways are created within flexible fabric layers of the cumberbund. Rather than requiring rigid structural modifications, the patent uses flexible fabric construction with integrated channels that can be formed during standard textile manufacturing processes. This maintains ease of manufacture while achieving improved cable management.
Solution Approach 2:
The cumberbund is constructed from multiple fabric layers that are segmented to create internal channels. These layers can be manufactured separately and then assembled using conventional stitching techniques, breaking down the complex passageway creation into manageable manufacturing steps that don't require specialized processes.
Data Source
AI summary
An interchangeable cumberbund with integrated wiring to allow for connecting a variety of electronic devices for an intended purpose or mission and exchanging a configured garment for another. The reconfigurable cumberbund allows for multiple quick-disconnect cable harnesses to be weaved into the cumberbund which enables rapid and convenient removal of hardware that incorporates all I/O to a computer. The reconfigurable cumberbund connected to a wearable tactical vest containing a mobile ultra-rugged personal computer is the essential combination that allows hands-free use by the user.