Removable Handle Connection for Zip Line Pulley Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pulley systems for zip lines and similar applications often require separate versions with and without handles, increasing costs and complicating certification and maintenance due to the difficulty of removing handles without affecting force distribution or causing safety incidents.
Innovation Solution
A connection device with a removable handle that is easy to install and remove, featuring a connector with a ring that can be open or closed, a handle with extensions for user grip, and a wire member with a loop that secures to the connector, allowing the handle to be fitted and removed without altering the force distribution between the user and the anchor point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a handle is fixed to the pulley body, then the user can grip the handle during descent and keep balance, but the handle becomes a source of incidents when users use it as a suspension point for pull-ups or support their weight with their arms
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is segmented from the pulley body through a removable connection mechanism. The handle can be detached from the pulley by opening the carabiner connector, allowing the pulley to be used in configurations where a handle is not needed or where the handle might cause safety issues. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing the handle functionality when needed while eliminating it when it becomes a safety hazard.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate pulleys with and without handles are provided for different configurations, then each pulley can be optimized for its specific use, but costs increase and certification and maintenance become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pulley is designed with universal adaptability through the removable handle mechanism. The same pulley body can function with or without a handle by simply attaching or detaching the handle via the carabiner connector. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate pulley inventories for different configurations, reducing costs and simplifying certification and maintenance while maintaining adaptability for various use cases.
3Ease of operation
If the handle is made removable to allow easy installation and removal, then the same device can be used with different connectors and pulleys, but the handle must not modify the distribution of forces between the user and the anchor point
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is extracted as a separate, removable component connected via a carabiner connector rather than being integrated into the force-bearing structure. The handle extensions are positioned to provide grip functionality without interfering with the wire member's direct connection to the carabiner and anchor point. This extraction allows easy installation and removal while maintaining proper force distribution through the wire member and carabiner connection.
4Ease of operation
If the handle extensions are made longer to improve user grip, then the user can better hold the handle during descent, but the handle may be more likely to be used as a suspension point for pull-ups
Solution Approach 1:
The handle extensions have localized dimensions optimized for their specific function. The extensions are sized to provide adequate grip surface area for hand placement during descent, but are not excessively long or robust to encourage improper use as a suspension point. The local quality of the handle geometry provides sufficient grip functionality while minimizing the risk of harmful improper use behaviors.
Data Source
AI summary
A connection device comprises a connector forming a ring with an open position and a closed position. A handle is fixed to the connector and has two extensions receiving a user's hands. The handle defines a tube extending in a first direction and a through hole arranged to pass through the tube perpendicularly to the first direction. A first end of a wire member forms a loop fixed to the connector in the tube. The second end of the wire member is fixed to the user. The connector passes through the through hole and the loop to fix the handle and the wire member to the connector.