Support Belt With Overlapping Sections And Skew Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support belts for weightlifting and heavy object lifting often fail to provide adequate stabilization for lower back and abdominal muscles, limiting flexibility and comfort during exercises.
Innovation Solution
A support belt with an elongated body featuring overlapping abdominal support sections, a lumbar support section, and stiffener panels, along with a strap for securing the waist, and Velcro strips to control vertical movement and skewing between sections, allowing for adjustable support and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If support belts are made with fixed rigid structures to stabilize lower back and abdominal muscles, then stabilization effectiveness is improved, but flexibility and comfort during exercises deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The support belt is divided into multiple sections: rigid lumbar support section for lower back stabilization, rigid abdominal support sections for abdominal muscle support, and flexible side sections for comfort and flexibility. This segmentation allows different parts of the belt to serve different functions - providing stabilization where needed while maintaining flexibility in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the belt have different rigidity properties tailored to their specific functions. The lumbar and abdominal sections use rigid materials (leather, vinyl, or foam) for stabilization, while the side sections use flexible materials for comfort. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between overall rigidity and localized flexibility.
2Reliability
If support belts use overlapping sections to provide comprehensive support, then support coverage is improved, but complexity of structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The belt body is segmented into distinct functional sections (lumbar support section, abdominal support sections, side sections) that are joined together. This segmentation allows for comprehensive support coverage while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that is easier to manufacture and adjust compared to fully integrated complex designs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If support belts are made with adjustable features for different exercises, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support belt incorporates adjustable features including removable and repositionable stiffener panels, and an adjustable strap system with multiple positioning options. These dynamic elements allow the user to customize the belt's support characteristics for different exercises and personal needs, providing adaptability without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A support belt for stabilizing lower back and abdominal muscles during heavy lifting, comprising: an elongated body that wraps about the waist of a person, with overlapping abdominal support sections toward the ends of the body and a lumbar support section midway between the ends, stiffener panels on the lumbar and abdominal support sections, a strap on the outer side of the body for securing the body about the waist, and means for limiting vertical movement and pivotal movement and/or skewing between the overlapping sections without impairing lengthwise movement between them.