Spliced Rope Eye Design for Grinding Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ropes with eyes used in industrial and maritime applications have a vulnerable spliced connection that wears out quickly due to grinding, leading to potential failure and safety hazards, and existing protective materials either fail to address this issue or increase cost and weight.

Innovation Solution

A rope design where the first and second rope portions are spliced from an end portion, forming a thinner, more flexible connection that can be woven or braided, reducing vulnerability and maintaining strength, with optional synthetic materials and jacketed yarns for added protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the second rope portion is spliced into the first rope portion at a distance from the end to form a traditional eye, then the eye can be formed for towing or anchoring, but the spliced connection becomes thick and vulnerable to grinding damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance to grinding damageVSAvoidthickness of spliced connection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of forming the eye by splicing the second rope portion into the first rope portion at a distance from the end (traditional method), the invention inverts the approach by forming the eye at the very end of the rope. The second rope portion is spliced into the first rope portion such that the eye is formed at the end, creating a thin spliced connection that is not vulnerable to grinding damage while maintaining the functional eye for towing or anchoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Strength

If a thick spliced connection is used to ensure strength, then the connection is stronger, but the handling flexibility of the rope decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength of spliced connectionVSAvoidhandling flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the spliced connection by forming the eye at the end of the rope rather than at a distance from the end. This parameter change results in a thin spliced connection that maintains sufficient strength while significantly improving handling flexibility, allowing the rope to bend and move more freely without the stiffness caused by a thick spliced connection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10669670B2Rope having a spliced eye, corresponding method of forming an eye and use of the rope

Publication Date: 2020.06.02 LANKHORST TOUWFAB

AI summary

Rope having an eye. The rope comprises a first rope portion and a second rope portion. The first rope portion and the second rope portion are spliced into each other for forming a spliced connection for obtaining the eye. The first rope portion and the second rope portion are formed from an end portion of the rope.