Flotation Vest Tether System for Watersport Force Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Watersport enthusiasts face significant body strains and potential injuries due to the intense pulling forces experienced while gripping a tow rope handle during watersports, which can lead to fatigue and injury.
Innovation Solution
A watersport support system comprising a flotation vest with adjustable tethers and handle gripping devices featuring malleable gripper bodies that transfer the pulling force from the user's arms to the torso, allowing the user to grip and release the tow rope without continuous strain, ensuring safety by immediate separation upon release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the user grips the tow rope handle directly with their hands, then they can maintain control of the tow rope, but the pulling force causes intense strain on their arms and shoulders leading to fatigue and injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flotation vest with tether system as an intermediary between the user and the tow rope handle. The vest includes a belt around the user's torso and tethers that connect the belt to the handle, allowing the towing force to be transferred to the user's torso rather than their arms and shoulders. This mediator device enables the user to maintain control of the tow rope while significantly reducing the harmful pulling forces on their upper body limbs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dimension of force application by moving the attachment point from the user's hands (extremities) to the user's torso (central body structure). The flotation vest with its belt and tether system redistributes the towing force across the user's chest and back, utilizing the stronger central body structure to bear the load rather than the weaker arm and shoulder muscles
2Reliability
If the user maintains a continuous grip on the tow rope handle to withstand pulling forces, then they can remain connected to the tow rope, but the continuous muscle engagement leads to rapid fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The flotation vest acts as a mechanical intermediary that bears the towing load, allowing the user to relax their grip. The vest's belt and tether system maintains the connection to the tow rope handle while the user's hands can be released from active gripping, thereby extending the duration of water sport activity without fatigue
Solution Approach 2:
The flotation vest system provides self-service by automatically maintaining the connection to the tow rope through its belt and tether mechanism. The vest structure itself sustains the towing forces without requiring continuous active muscle engagement from the user, enabling prolonged participation in the water sport activity
Data Source
AI summary
A watersport support system includes a flotation vest having a back surface, a front surface and side surfaces. At least one adjustment belt is positioned horizontally around the main body of the vest. A pair of tethers engage the adjustment belt along both sides of the vest, and a pair of handle gripping devices are removably connected to the end of the pair of tethers. Each of the handle gripping devices includes an elongated strap that terminates into a malleable curved gripper body, and a hand strap is positioned adjacent to each gripper body. As the user squeezes the gripper body and the tow handle, the pulling force from the handle is transferred from the user's arms to the pair of tethers and the adjustment strap that loops around the back of the user's torso. When the user releases the gripper body, the body disengages the handle.