Sling Pre-Failure Warning Indicator for Overload Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Synthetic fiber slings lack a precise method to detect overload or damage, leading to potential sudden failure and safety risks, as existing indicators are unpredictable and prone to false readings due to environmental factors and material differences.
Innovation Solution
A pre-failure warning indicator system with a separate dedicated strand and ring structure, where the ring is designed to fail at a predictable load, triggering a visible and audible warning before the sling is damaged, ensuring consistent and accurate overload detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a synthetic fiber sling is used to provide high load-lifting performance and flexibility, then the sling becomes lighter and more flexible, but the sling lacks visible indication of damage or overload conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a tell-tale indicator that changes its visual state (withdraws or changes appearance) when the sling is subjected to overload conditions. This allows operators to visually detect damage or excessive stretching without adding significant weight to the sling.
Solution Approach 2:
The tell-tale indicator acts as an intermediary element that provides information about the sling's condition. It mediates between the load-bearing core and the operator, translating internal stress conditions into visible external indicators.
2Loss of information
If a tell-tale indicator is incorporated into the sling to detect overload, then damage detection capability is improved, but the indicator may provide false readings due to environmental factors and material differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the tell-tale indicator with specific material properties and dimensional parameters that are engineered to respond predictably to overload conditions. The indicator's withdrawal distance or visual change is calibrated to correspond to specific stress thresholds, providing more reliable and consistent readings.
3Strength
If the sling core is made large to increase load capacity, then strength is improved, but visual inspection of the core becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the inspection function from the load-bearing core itself by incorporating a separate tell-tale indicator. This indicator is positioned to be easily accessible and visible, allowing operators to assess sling condition without needing to inspect the hidden core directly.
4Strength
If the sling is designed with high strength-to-weight ratio, then load-lifting performance is improved, but the sling becomes more susceptible to sudden failure without warning
Solution Approach 1:
The tell-tale indicator provides preliminary warning of potential failure by detecting and indicating overload conditions before they cause permanent damage to the core. This allows operators to take preventive action and avoid catastrophic failure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a reliable and objective means to detect sling overload, preventing catastrophic failures by allowing for timely inspection and maintenance, reducing the risk of accidents and property damage.
Implementation Method 1
the ring is designed to fail at a predictable load
Implementation Method 2
triggering a visible and audible warning before the sling is damaged
Data Source
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Figure 6
AI summary
A pre-failure warning indicator (11) is provided for use with a sling (10) . The pre-failure warning indicator (11) triggers at a point that is predictable within a relatively narrow range, thereby increasing the possibility that a damaged sling (10) is removed from use. The pre-failure warning indicator (11) includes a dedicated strand of material (20) that is placed in close proximity to the load-bearing core yarns (17) of the sling (10) but remains separate and independent from the core yarns (17) ; the ends (22,24) of the dedicated strand are connected via a sacrificial "ring" (26) . A warning fiber (29) having an end that is visible to operators/riggers works in conjunction with the sacrificial strand (20) and the ring (26) . The ring (26) is designed to fail when the sling (10) is subjected to a specifically chosen condition (e.g., excessive weight) . The failure of the ring (26) causes the warning fiber (20) to withdraw from the rigger' s view thereby warning the rigger that the sling (10) was subjected to the specifically chosen condition and may be damaged.