Rotating Harness Relief Assembly for Suspension Trauma Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Safety harnesses used for fall protection can become stiff and restrict movement, leading to mobility issues and suspension trauma due to constriction, which can cause blood circulation problems and potentially serious injury or death during falls.
Innovation Solution
A relief apparatus with a flexible connection point between harness straps, allowing for rotation and translation, and an integrated relief step that can be deployed to alleviate compression and improve blood circulation, enabling greater mobility and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If safety harnesses use rigid strap connections, then structural strength is maintained, but user mobility and flexibility are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing rigid strap connections with a dynamic relief apparatus that includes rotating components. The upper plate can rotate relative to the base plate around a central axis, allowing the harness to adapt to user movements while maintaining connection strength. This rotational capability enables the harness to accommodate various body positions without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The relief apparatus is segmented into distinct functional components: a base plate for securing lower body straps, an upper plate for securing upper body straps, and a rotating connection mechanism between them. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while collectively providing both mobility and strength.
2Reliability
If harness straps are tightened for fall protection, then safety is improved, but blood circulation is restricted causing suspension trauma
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating mechanism allows the harness to dynamically adjust to user movements, preventing excessive constriction. When the user moves their arms or torso, the upper plate rotates relative to the base plate, maintaining appropriate strap tension without over-compression, thereby preventing suspension trauma while preserving fall protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The relief apparatus changes the geometric parameters of the harness configuration through rotation. By altering the relative orientation between upper and lower body straps, the system maintains optimal compression levels that provide safety without causing harmful constriction that leads to suspension trauma.
3Adaptability or versatility
If harness straps are made rigid for structural integrity, then connection strength is maintained, but flexibility and range of motion are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating connection mechanism provides dynamic adaptability, allowing the harness to adjust to various body positions and movements. The upper plate can rotate around the central axis to accommodate arm movements, torso rotation, and other motions, maintaining connection strength while providing the necessary flexibility for user comfort and mobility.
Data Source
AI summary
A relief apparatus and method of use for providing a flexible connection point between straps of a harness and mitigating suspension trauma for a user of the harness. In various embodiments, the relief apparatus comprises a base plate comprising one or more base strap slots and a central cavity defined by a cavity wall protruding out of a plane of the base plate, and an upper plate comprising one or more upper strap slots and an aperture configured to fit around the cavity wall of the base plate. The base plate and the upper plate are arrange concentrically along a central axis and may be configured to each rotate about the central axis. The relief apparatus further comprises a relief step comprised of a line and having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being secured to a deployment feature.