Sheet Holding Arrangement for Quick, Secure Patient Transfers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient transfer devices often involve labor-intensive, time-consuming, and ergonomically challenging steps due to the complexity of attaching and holding sheets during patient transfers.
Innovation Solution
A sheet holding arrangement with knobs and holder elements that provide a form-fit connection, ensuring secure attachment and detachment of sheets, using a connecting member with a rounded groove and semi-circular end section to clamp the sheet securely, and a pulling arrangement for easy transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional sheet holding arrangements are used, then the sheet can be attached to the pulling arrangement, but the attachment process is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet holding arrangement is divided into separate functional components: knobs with stems, holder elements with openings, and a connecting member. This segmentation allows for quick assembly and detachment while maintaining secure holding capability during patient transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex locking mechanisms that require multiple steps to secure, the invention uses a simple insertion principle where the stem passes through the opening and the rounded groove automatically engages with the semi-circular end section. The design inverts the complexity from the locking mechanism to the geometric shape compatibility.
2Reliability
If conventional sheet holding arrangements are used, then the sheet can be held during transfer, but the sheet may slip or tear due to high stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The stem is designed with a rounded groove and the holder element's opening includes a semi-circular end section with a rounded bulging surface. This curvature creates a form-fit connection that distributes stress evenly across the contact surfaces, preventing stress concentration that would cause sheet tearing or slipping.
Solution Approach 2:
The opening transitions from a first portion larger than the head to a second portion with smaller dimensions matching the stem's rounded groove. This parameter change creates a tapered engagement that secures the sheet firmly while distributing the holding force across a larger area, reducing stress concentration on the sheet material.
3Ease of operation
If conventional sheet holding arrangements are used, then the sheet can be attached securely, but detachment and reuse are difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stem can be easily extracted from the opening by simply pulling it out, as the rounded groove and semi-circular end section design allows for smooth insertion and removal without complex locking mechanisms. This extraction capability enables quick detachment and reuse of the sheet holding arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the stem and holder element is designed to be dynamically adjustable - easily insertable and removable when not in use, yet securely engaged during patient transfer. The rounded groove and semi-circular end section create a stable engagement during transfer while allowing simple detachment when needed.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
A sheet holding arrangement (1) for holding a sheet (116) when transferring a patient placed on the sheet (116), comprising at least two knobs (14) and at least two holder elements (2), where the sheet (116) is held between the knobs (14) and holder elements (2) when connected to each other, where the holder element (2) is provided with an opening (4) adapted to allow insertion of the knob (14) through the opening (4), where the sheet holding arrangement (1) is connectable to a pulling arrangement (107), where the sheet holding arrangement (1) comprises a connecting member (17) provided with at least two knobs and where the stem (16) comprises a circumferential groove (18) having a shape that corresponds to a semi-circular end section (10) of the holder element (2), such that the sheet (116) is held between the groove (18) and the semi-circular end section (10) when the holder element (2) is connected to the knob (18). The advantage of the invention is that a patient placed on a sheet can be transferred from a first surface to a receiving surface in an easy and secure manner.