Sectional Litter With Overlapping Plates for Rapid Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing litters are heavy, large, and difficult to deploy, often requiring multiple people and delaying patient evacuation, with limited versatility and ease of storage and transportation.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, sectional litter system with overlapping plates that can be quickly moved from a stowable to a deployed configuration, allowing single-person operation and easy transportation, featuring straps for securement and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional pole litters are used, then patient evacuation function is provided, but weight and size increase making transportation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The litter is divided into multiple separate plates (first plate, second plate, third plate, fourth plate) that can be individually carried and then assembled together at the destination, reducing the weight each person must carry while maintaining structural integrity when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The plates are designed to nest within each other when not in use, with smaller plates fitting into spaces between or on top of larger plates, minimizing storage volume and making transportation feasible for small teams
2Productivity
If traditional pole litters are used, then patient support is provided, but deployment time increases delaying evacuation
Solution Approach 1:
The plates are pre-configured with attachment points, straps, and structural features that enable rapid assembly without requiring complex alignment or tools during the evacuation process
Solution Approach 2:
The litter transitions from a static, pre-assembled pole structure to a dynamic assembly process where plates can be quickly connected and disconnected, allowing flexible deployment and reconfiguration based on terrain and patient needs
3Ease of operation
If traditional pole litters are used, then patient transportation is enabled, but multiple people are required increasing operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple plates are combined to form a unified litter structure that distributes patient weight across several components, achieving the structural strength of traditional litters while allowing individual plates to be handled by single persons
Solution Approach 2:
The litter structure transitions from a two-dimensional pole framework to a three-dimensional plate assembly, utilizing vertical stacking and overlapping surfaces to create strength through distributed load bearing rather than relying on long spanning poles
4Volume of moving object
If litters are made lightweight and compact, then storage and transportation are improved, but versatility and functionality are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The modular plate design allows the same set of components to be assembled in different configurations depending on patient size, terrain conditions, and evacuation requirements, maintaining versatility while keeping individual components compact for storage
Solution Approach 2:
Each plate is designed with universal attachment points and features that allow it to function in multiple positions and roles within the litter assembly, enabling a single set of plates to provide various litter configurations for different medical and terrain scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
A sectional litter is provided. The litter includes a plurality of plate sections, at least some of which are configured to secure directly to a patient. Each plate section includes a plate, and each plate overlaps at least one other plate, thereby forming a main body that can be dragged along the ground or carried above the ground, depending on a user's preference. The litter includes a plurality of straps, including lateral straps for maintaining spacing of the plates when dragging the litter, lateral straps for securing the litter to a patient, and handle straps for lifting a patient when dragging the patient is infeasible or undesirable. The plates define a plurality of lifting apertures for securing adjacent plates to each other when lifting, thereby forming a semi-rigid main body.