Smart Lanyard Trigger Mechanism for Emergency Activation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current personal safety lanyards do not provide assistance to individuals after deployment, as they either break away from the body, leaving attached devices too far to be useful or remain attached but unable to help the person in need.
Innovation Solution
A 'smart' safety lanyard with a trigger mechanism that detects deployment and automatically activates a device to initiate contact or provide location information to response personnel, incorporating features like one-way or two-way communication, GPS, or emergency beacons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the safety lanyard breaks away from the body to prevent injury, then the person is protected from impact, but the attached devices (cell phone, GPS, emergency beacon) become too far away to be useful
Solution Approach 1:
The safety lanyard system is divided into two separate attachment points: one on the person's body and another on the safety equipment. This segmentation allows the communication device to remain attached to the safety equipment while the person can move independently, maintaining device proximity without compromising fall protection.
2Length of moving object
If the safety lanyard remains attached to the person after deployment, then the communication device stays close, but the person may be injured or unable to help themselves
Solution Approach 1:
The safety lanyard acts as an intermediary element between the person and the communication device. It maintains the connection necessary for device proximity while incorporating safety mechanisms (breakaway features, controlled deployment) that protect the person from injury during fall events.
3Speed
If the lanyard is activated immediately upon deployment detection, then emergency contact is initiated quickly, but false alarms may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification by detecting multiple deployment indicators (lanyard extension, trigger mechanism activation) before initiating emergency contact. This preliminary action sequence ensures that activation occurs only when genuine emergency conditions are confirmed, reducing false alarms while maintaining rapid response capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal safety device comprises a “smart” safety lanyard capable of automatically contacting emergency response personnel. A “smart” lanyard of the subject invention comprises a strap with one or more fall arrest mechanisms or break away mechanisms operably attached thereto. A trigger mechanism also operably attached to the safety lanyard can detect when the fall arrest or break away mechanism has been deployed. A personal communication device operably attached to both the strap and to the trigger mechanism can automatically contact response personnel when the lanyard has been deployed.