Retractable Label System for Harness Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing harnesses face issues with cumbersome and inaccessible label information, as well as label damage due to flexible material and fragile seams, which compromise user comfort and safety standards.

Innovation Solution

A retractable label made of rigid or semi-rigid material that slides within a storage pocket, utilizing a guide element such as a ribbon or cord, allowing easy access and visibility while being compact and resistant.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If flexible labels are attached by seams to the internal part of the harness, then the labels are protected from damage, but the labels become cumbersome and not easily accessible when the harness is positioned on the user's body

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelabel protectionVSAvoidlabel accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The label is made retractable through a sliding mechanism along a guide element, allowing it to dynamically change position between stored and accessible states. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the label to be protected when not in use while remaining easily accessible when needed, eliminating the need for fixed attachment that causes cumbersomeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The label information is extracted from the fixed seam attachment and placed into a movable storage pocket system. This allows the label to be separated from the harness structure when not needed, improving accessibility while maintaining protection through the storage pocket enclosure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Loss of information

If multiple labels are added to meet increasing safety standards and technical characteristics, then the information completeness is improved, but the labels become more cumbersome and difficult to access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidlabel accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The retractable storage pocket system serves multiple functions: it can accommodate one or multiple labels of varying sizes, provides protection, ensures accessibility, and maintains a compact profile. This universal solution handles increasing information requirements without proportionally increasing cumbersomeness, as all labels share the same accessible retrieval mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If transparent covers made of plastic are sewn to contain the label, then the label is protected, but the seams become fragile and the system is expensive and not very resistant to wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelabel protectionVSAvoidseam resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces expensive fragile plastic covers with a durable textile storage pocket that is integrated into the harness structure. The storage pocket uses the same robust materials as the harness itself, eliminating the weak seam interface between different materials and providing long-term wear resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

4Reliability

If labels are stuffed into a storage pocket, then the labels are protected, but the storage and removal of the label becomes difficult and the pocket damages the labels

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelabel protectionVSAvoidlabel retrieval
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A guide element (ribbon or cord) is introduced as an intermediary between the label and the storage pocket. This guide element creates a controlled sliding path that allows easy label retrieval while preventing damage, resolving the contradiction between protection and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2161702B1Harness with folding label system
Publication Date: 2011.02.09 ZEDEL CORP
  • EP2161702B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2161702B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2161702B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The harness (1) has a storage pouch (3) for storing a retractable tag (4), where the tag is made of rigid or semi-rigid material. The tag is mounted slidingly in translation between two fixed ends of an inner guiding element (7) of the storage pouch. The guiding element is constituted by a ribbon or cord. The tag comprises a passage slot for passage of the guiding element. The storage pouch is located on an outer face of a belt (2). The tag comprises a covering made of plastic material.