One-Handed Tank Wall Anchor for Fall Arrest
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the ship-building industry, workers face challenges when operating inside large tanks due to limited anchoring points, leading to fall hazards, and existing anchoring solutions are cumbersome, requiring two hands for installation and potentially causing damage to the tank walls or coatings.
Innovation Solution
A vertical lifeline anchor designed to fit and lock into half-moon apertures in tank walls, allowing one-handed installation and secure attachment without additional steps, featuring a main anchor body with hook members that create a slot for wall engagement, preventing removal even under uplift forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a clamp is used to secure a lifeline from an overhead cross beam or bulkhead, then fall protection is provided, but the installation requires two hands and is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor device is segmented into distinct functional components: a body portion with a latch mechanism, a hook member for engagement, and a wall engagement surface. This segmentation allows the device to be operated with one hand while maintaining secure fall protection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor device incorporates a self-latching mechanism where the latch automatically engages with the hook member upon insertion, providing secure fall protection without requiring continuous manual operation. The device serves itself by automatically securing once installed.
2Reliability
If existing anchoring solutions are used in large tanks, then fall hazards are addressed, but the tank wall or coating may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor device acts as an intermediary between the lifeline system and the tank wall, distributing loads through its wall engagement surface and hook member configuration. This intermediary role prevents direct damage to the wall or coating while maintaining fall protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor device changes the physical parameters of the anchoring system by providing a distributed contact interface with the wall rather than concentrated point loads. This parameter change reduces stress concentration and prevents damage to the tank wall or coating.
3Reliability
If anchoring points are limited in large tanks, then worker movement is restricted, but re-anchoring is required for safe transit
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor device is designed with universal applicability to various tank wall configurations and aperture types. Its multi-functional design allows it to be installed in different locations and orientations, reducing the need for specialized anchoring solutions at each position and simplifying re-anchoring operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An anchor is provided for securing a strand from a wall aperture having a maximum height dimension and a maximum width dimension greater than the maximum height dimension. The anchor has an anchor body member having a first wall engagement surface on a lateral side there-of and a strand-securing aperture. A first hook member is attached to the anchor body member, extends laterally therefrom, and has a second wall engagement surface that intersects and is perpendicular to the first wall engagement surface. A second hook member attached to the first hook member has a longitudinal hook length and a third wall engagement surface parallel to, spaced apart from and opposing the first wall engagement surface. The first and third engagement surfaces define a slot with a width greater than the wall thickness. The longitudinal hook length is less than the maximum aperture width and greater than the maximum aperture height.