U.S. patent application number 16/460616 was filed with the patent office on 2021-01-07 for adjustable connectors for use with webbing of patient harness systems and other types of safety belt systems.
This patent application is currently assigned to Intertek Industrial Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is Intertek Industrial Corporation. Invention is credited to Scott Bradley, Leonard Shllaku.
Application Number | 20210000225 16/460616 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2021-01-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210000225 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bradley; Scott ; et
al. |
January 7, 2021 |
ADJUSTABLE CONNECTORS FOR USE WITH WEBBING OF PATIENT HARNESS
SYSTEMS AND OTHER TYPES OF SAFETY BELT SYSTEMS
Abstract
Adjustable connectors disclosed herein are adapted to connect
webbing, e.g., urethane coated webbing, to a buckle. The adjustable
connector includes a baseplate, a tongue at a front end of the
baseplate, a webbing aperture within the baseplate, and first and
second walls extending perpendicularly from the baseplate. In
certain embodiments, the adjustable connector includes a rotatable
lock bar including a central portion having an outer surface and
first and second tabs. In certain embodiments, a front edge of the
webbing aperture comprises an arced front edge extending between
side edges of the webbing aperture such that a distance between a
center of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture and a back
edge of the webbing aperture is greater than a respective distance
between each of the ends of the arced front edge and the back edge
of the webbing aperture.
Inventors: |
Bradley; Scott;
(Jacksonville, FL) ; Shllaku; Leonard;
(Jacksonville, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Intertek Industrial Corporation |
Jacksonville |
FL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Intertek Industrial
Corporation
Jacksonville
FL
|
Appl. No.: |
16/460616 |
Filed: |
July 2, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
International
Class: |
A44B 11/25 20060101
A44B011/25; B60R 22/12 20060101 B60R022/12 |
Claims
1. An adjustable connector adapted to connect webbing to a buckle,
the adjustable connector comprising: a baseplate that is generally
planar and includes a front end, a back end, and a central portion
between the front and back ends; a tongue at the front end of the
baseplate and adapted to be received and locked in a buckle; a
webbing aperture within the central portion of the baseplate, the
webbing aperture including a front edge, a back edge, and first and
second side edges, the front edge of the webbing aperture closer
than the back edge of the webbing aperture to the tongue; first and
second walls extending perpendicularly from the baseplate; first
and second slots respectively within the first and second walls,
each of the first and second slots having a respective front end
and back end, the front end of each of the first and second slots
closer to the tongue than to the back edge of the webbing aperture;
and a rotatable lock bar including a central portion having an
outer surface and first and second tabs extending from opposing
longitudinal ends of the central portion; wherein the first and
second tabs rest respectively within the first and second slots and
enable the rotatable lock bar to be slidable along the entire
length of the slots and completely rotatable in both clockwise and
counterclockwise directions when the first and second tabs of the
rotatable lock bar are adjacent to the front ends of the first and
second slots.
2. The adjustable connector of claim 1, wherein the adjustable
connector is adapted for use with a urethane coated webbing having
a length thereof that is received within the webbing aperture and
loops around at least 180 degrees of the outer surface of the
rotatable lock bar, and wherein: the rotatable lock bar is adapted
to lock the adjustable connector in place relative to the urethane
coated webbing, in response to a force being applied to the webbing
in a direction that is generally opposite the tongue and generally
parallel to the baseplate such that a portion of the webbing
adjacent to the back edge of the webbing aperture is forced against
the back edge of the webbing aperture; and the rotatable lock bar
is adapted to rotate and allow the adjustable connector to be moved
relative to the urethane coated webbing, in response to a force
being applied to the webbing in a direction that is generally
perpendicular to the baseplate such that the portion of the webbing
adjacent to the back edge of the webbing aperture is not forced
against the back edge of the webbing aperture.
3. The adjustable connector of claim 1, wherein: the front edge of
the webbing aperture comprises an arced front edge that extends
between the first and second side edges of the webbing aperture
such that a distance between a center of the arced front edge of
the webbing aperture and the back edge of the webbing aperture is
greater than a respective distance between each of the ends of the
arced front edge and the back edge of the webbing aperture; and the
arced front edge of the webbing aperture, that extends between the
first and second side edges of the webbing aperture, is devoid of
any portion that bows toward the back edge of the webbing
aperture.
4. The adjustable connector of claim 3, wherein: the distance
between the center of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture
and the back edge of the webbing aperture is at least 50% greater
than the respective distance between each of the ends of the arced
front edge and the back edge of the webbing aperture.
5. The adjustable connector of claim 3, wherein: the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture includes an intermediate arced portion
that extends between first and second distal arced portions; and
the intermediate arced portion of the arced front edge of the
webbing aperture has a non-infinite arc radius that is greater than
a respective arc radius of each of the first and second distal
arced portions of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture.
6. The adjustable connector of claim 5, wherein: the non-infinite
arc radius of the intermediate arced portion of the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture is at least three times greater than
the respective arc radius of each of the first and second distal
arced portions of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture.
7. The adjustable connector of claim 3, wherein: the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture provides for increased adjustability
of the adjustable connector relative to the webbing, in response to
a force being applied to the webbing in a direction that is
generally perpendicular to the baseplate such that the portion of
the webbing adjacent to the back edge of the webbing aperture is
not forced against the back edge of the webbing aperture, compared
to if the front edge of the webbing aperture was a straight edge
extending perpendicularly between the first and second side edges
of the webbing aperture.
8. The adjustable connector of claim 3, wherein the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture is devoid of any linear segments.
9. The adjustable connector of claim 3, wherein the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture comprises a piecewise linear curve
including at least one linear segment.
10. An adjustable connector adapted to connect webbing to a buckle,
the adjustable connector comprising: a baseplate that is generally
planar and includes a front end, a back end, and a central portion
between the front and back ends; a tongue at the front end of the
baseplate and adapted to be received and locked in a buckle; a
webbing aperture within the central portion of the baseplate, the
webbing aperture including a front edge, a back edge, and first and
second side edges, the front edge of the webbing aperture closer
than the back edge of the webbing aperture to the tongue; first and
second walls extending perpendicularly from the baseplate; first
and second slots respectively within the first and second walls;
and a lock bar extending between and slidable along the first and
second slots; wherein the front edge of the webbing aperture
comprises an arced front edge that extends between the first and
second side edges of the webbing aperture such that a distance
between a center of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture
and the back edge of the webbing aperture is greater than a
respective distance between each of the ends of the arced front
edge and the back edge of the webbing aperture; and wherein the
arced front edge of the webbing aperture, that extends between the
first and second side edges of the webbing aperture, is devoid of
any portion that bows toward the back edge of the webbing
aperture.
11. The adjustable connector of claim 10, wherein: the distance
between the center of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture
and the back edge of the webbing aperture is at least 50% greater
than the respective distance between each of the ends of the arced
front edge and the back edge of the webbing aperture.
12. The adjustable connector of claim 10, wherein the adjustable
connector is adapted for use with a urethane coated webbing having
a length thereof that is received within the webbing aperture and
loops around at least a portion of an outer surface of the lock
bar, and wherein: the lock bar is adapted to lock the adjustable
connector in place relative to the urethane coated webbing, in
response to a force being applied to the webbing in a direction
that is generally opposite the tongue and generally parallel to the
baseplate such that a portion of the webbing adjacent to the back
edge of the webbing aperture is forced against the back edge of the
webbing aperture; and the lock bar is adapted to be moved relative
to the urethane coated webbing, in response to a force being
applied to the webbing in a direction that is generally
perpendicular to the baseplate such that the portion of the webbing
adjacent to the back edge of the webbing aperture is not forced
against the back edge of the webbing aperture.
13. The adjustable connector of claim 11, wherein: the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture includes an intermediate arced portion
that extends between first and second distal arced portions; and
the intermediate arced portion of the arced front edge of the
webbing aperture has a non-infinite arc radius that is greater than
a respective arc radius of each of the first and second distal
arced portions of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture.
14. The adjustable connector of claim 13, wherein: the non-infinite
arc radius of the intermediate arced portion of the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture is at least three times greater than
the respective arc radius of each of the first and second distal
arced portions of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture.
15. The adjustable connector of claim 14, wherein: the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture provides for increased adjustability
of the adjustable connector relative to a urethane coated webbing,
in response to a force being applied to the webbing in a direction
that is generally perpendicular to the baseplate such that the
portion of the webbing adjacent to the back edge of the webbing
aperture is not forced against the back edge of the webbing
aperture, compared to if the front edge of the webbing aperture was
a straight edge extending perpendicularly between the first and
second side edges of the webbing aperture.
16. An adjustable connector adapted to connect webbing to a buckle,
the adjustable connector comprising: a baseplate that is generally
planar and includes a front end, a back end, and a central portion
between the front and back ends; a tongue at the front end of the
baseplate and adapted to be received and locked in a buckle; a
webbing aperture within the central portion of the baseplate, the
webbing aperture including a front edge, a back edge, and first and
second side edges; first and second walls extending perpendicularly
from the baseplate; first and second slots respectively within the
first and second walls; and a lock bar extending between and
slidable along the first and second slots; wherein the front edge
of the webbing aperture comprises an arced front edge that extends
between the first and second side edges of the webbing aperture
such that a distance between a center of the arced front edge of
the webbing aperture and the back edge of the webbing aperture is
greater than a respective distance between each of the ends of the
arced front edge and the back edge of the webbing aperture; and
wherein the arced front edge of the webbing aperture is devoid of
any linear segments.
17. The adjustable connector of claim 10, wherein the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture comprises a piecewise linear curve
including at least one linear segment.
18. The adjustable connector of claim 10, wherein the lock bar
comprises a rotatable lock bar that is completely rotatable in both
clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
19. An adjustable connector adapted to connect webbing to a buckle,
the adjustable connector comprising: a baseplate that is generally
planar and includes a front end, a back end, and a central portion
between the front and back ends; a tongue at the front end of the
baseplate and adapted to be received and locked in a buckle; a
webbing aperture within the central portion of the baseplate, the
webbing aperture including a front edge, a back edge, and first and
second side edges; first and second walls extending perpendicularly
from the baseplate; first and second slots respectively within the
first and second walls, the first and second slots each sloping
downwards towards the back end of the baseplate; and a rotatable
lock bar including a central cylindrical portion having a textured
outer surface and first and second cylindrical tabs extending from
opposing longitudinal ends of the central cylindrical portion and
having smaller diameters than the central cylindrical portion;
wherein the first and second cylindrical tabs rest within, are
slidable along, and are rotatable within, the first and second
slots to thereby enable the rotatable lock bar to be slidable along
a length of the slots and rotatable in both clockwise and
counterclockwise directions; wherein the front edge of the webbing
aperture comprises an arced front edge that extends between the
first and second side edges of the webbing aperture such that a
distance between a center of the arced front edge of the webbing
aperture and the back edge of the webbing aperture is at least 50%
greater than a respective distance between each of the ends of the
arced front edge and the back edge of the webbing aperture; wherein
the arced front edge of the webbing aperture includes an
intermediate arced portion that extends between first and second
distal arced portions; and wherein the intermediate arced portion
of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture has an arc radius
that is at least three times greater than a respective arc radius
of each of the first and second distal arced portions of the arced
front edge of the webbing aperture.
20. The adjustable connector of claim 19, wherein: the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture is devoid of any linear segments.
21. The adjustable connector of claim 19, wherein the arced front
edge of the webbing aperture comprises a piecewise linear curve
including at least one linear segment.
Description
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY
[0001] Embodiments of the present technology generally relate to
adjustable connectors for use with patient harness systems and
other types of safety belt systems.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Patient transport apparatuses are used to transport patients
in ambulances, other types of vehicles, hospitals, and other types
of facilities. Various types of patient transport apparatuses
exist, such as, but not limited to, stretchers, cots, wheelchairs,
hospital beds, and/or the like. When used to transport patients,
e.g., in an ambulance or hospital, it is important to keep the
patients securely restrained for their safety and the safety of the
medical personnel transporting the patients. Accordingly, harness
systems are often used to restrain patients to patient transport
apparatuses. Harness systems may also be used to restrain medical
personnel to their seats within ambulances and other emergency
vehicles. Such harness systems should preferably be easily
adjustable so that they readily accommodate use with patients and
medical personnel of different sizes, e.g., different heights,
weights and girths. Adjustable connectors, which include a metal or
alloy tongue (adapted to be received and locked in a buckle) and a
metal or alloy lock bar (adapted to lock the connector in place)
are typically used to allow for such adjustability. Additionally,
such harness systems should be sufficiently strong and lockable to
withstand certain crash events. More specifically, they may also
need to meet applicable safety standards, such as, but not limited
to, crash safety standards if used in vehicles. Further, since such
harness systems may be used with patients that are ill, bleeding,
vomiting, and/or leaking other bodily fluids, such harness systems
are preferably easily cleanable.
[0003] Conventional harness systems have used nylon or polyester
webbing to strap patients to patient transport apparatuses.
However, such webbing if typically porous and thus difficult to
clean once subjected to bodily fluids, dirt, grease, and/or other
contaminants.
[0004] Recently, coated webbings have been manufactured and sold
that are liquid resistant and easy to clean. An example of such a
coated webbing is the PathoShield.TM. urethane coated webbing
available from Masson Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind.
[0005] A problem with using urethane coated webbing in harness
systems is that such webbing is much stiffer than conventional
webbing and has a much greater coefficient of friction than
conventional webbing, making urethane coated webbing much more
difficult to use with adjustable connectors that are made of metal
or alloy. More specifically, tests have shown that it is very
difficult to adjust the location of an adjustable connector (made
of metal or alloy) along a length of urethane coated webbing.
Accordingly, while urethane coated webbing has been available for
quite some time, many manufacturers of patient transport
apparatuses and/or harness systems have not yet incorporated
urethane coated webbing into their products. Accordingly, quite a
bit of time and other resources are still typically required to
clean the webbing that is used in harness systems of patient
transport apparatuses.
SUMMARY
[0006] Certain embodiments of the present technology are directed
to an adjustable connector adapted to connect a urethane coated
webbing to a buckle. The adjustable connector includes a baseplate,
a tongue, a webbing aperture, and a rotatable lock bar. The
baseplate is generally planar and includes a front end, a back end,
and a central portion between the front and back ends. The tongue,
which is at the front end of the baseplate, is adapted to be
received and locked in a buckle. The webbing aperture, which is
within the central portion of the baseplate, includes a front edge,
a back edge, and first and second side edges. Further, first and
second walls extend perpendicularly from the baseplate, with first
and second slots respectively within the first and second walls. In
certain embodiments, the first and second slots each slope
downwards towards the back end of the baseplate.
[0007] In accordance with certain embodiments, the rotatable lock
bar includes a central portion having an outer surface that is
preferably textured (e.g., knurled). First and second tabs extend
from opposing longitudinal ends of the central portion. In certain
embodiments where the central portion and the tabs are all
cylindrical, the tabs have smaller diameters than the central
portion. More generally, the tabs of the rotatable lock bar each
have a smaller cross-sectional width than the central portion of
the rotatable lock bar. The first and second tabs rest respectively
within the first and second slots, and are slidable along and
rotatable within an entire length of the first and second slots, to
thereby enable the rotatable lock bar to be slidable along the
entire length of the first and second slots and rotatable in both
clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
[0008] In accordance with certain embodiments, the adjustable
connector is adapted for use with a urethane coated webbing having
a length thereof that is received within the webbing aperture and
loops around at least 180 degrees of the outer surface of the
rotatable lock bar. The rotatable lock bar is adapted to lock the
adjustable connector in place relative to the urethane coated
webbing, in response to a force being applied to the webbing in a
direction that is generally opposite the tongue and generally
parallel to the baseplate such that a portion of the webbing
adjacent to the back edge of the webbing aperture is forced against
the back edge of the webbing aperture. The rotatable lock bar is
adapted to rotate and allow the adjustable connector to be moved
relative to the urethane coated webbing, in response to a force
being applied to the webbing in a direction that is generally
perpendicular to the baseplate such that the portion of the webbing
adjacent to the back edge of the webbing aperture is not forced
against the back edge of the webbing aperture.
[0009] In accordance with certain embodiments, the front edge of
the webbing aperture comprises an arced front edge that extends
between the first and second side edges of the webbing aperture
such that a distance between a center of the arced front edge of
the webbing aperture and the back edge of the webbing aperture is
greater than a respective distance between each of the ends of the
arced front edge and the back edge of the webbing aperture. In
certain embodiments, the distance between the center of the arced
front edge of the webbing aperture and the back edge of the webbing
aperture is at least 50% greater than the respective distance
between each of the ends of the arced front edge and the back edge
of the webbing aperture.
[0010] In accordance with certain embodiments, the arced front edge
of the webbing aperture includes an intermediate arced portion that
extends between first and second distal arced portions, wherein the
intermediate arced portion of the arced front edge of the webbing
aperture has an arc radius that is greater than a respective arc
radius of each of the first and second distal arced portions of the
arced front edge of the webbing aperture. More specifically, in
certain embodiments, the arc radius of the intermediate arced
portion of the arced front edge of the webbing aperture is at least
three times greater than the respective arc radius of each of the
first and second distal arced portions of the arced front edge of
the webbing aperture.
[0011] Where the front edge of the webbing aperture is an arced
front edge, the arced front edge of the webbing aperture provides
for increased adjustability of the adjustable connector relative to
the urethane coated webbing, in response to a force being applied
to the webbing in a direction that is generally perpendicular to
the baseplate such that the portion of the webbing adjacent to the
back edge of the webbing aperture is not forced against the back
edge of the webbing aperture, compared to if the front edge of the
webbing aperture was a straight edge extending perpendicularly
between the first and second side edges of the webbing
aperture.
[0012] In certain embodiments, the arced front edge of the webbing
aperture is devoid of any linear segments. In other embodiments,
the arced front edge of the webbing aperture comprises a piecewise
linear curve including at least one linear segment.
[0013] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of
the claimed subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a top view of an adjustable connector according to
an embodiment of the present technology.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the adjustable connector
shown in FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view of the adjustable connector shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustable connector
shown in FIGS. 1-3 taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2, viewed in
the direction of the arrows, and showing a loop of webbing
extending around a rotatable lock bar of the adjustable
connector.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a top view of an adjustable connector according to
an alternative embodiment of the present technology.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Certain embodiments of the present technology are directed
to an adjustable connector adapted to connect a urethane coated
webbing (or other types of webbing) to a buckle. FIG. 1 is a top
view of an adjustable connector 102 according to an embodiment of
the present technology. FIGS. 2 and 3 are, respectively,
perspective and side views of the adjustable connector 102.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the adjustable connector 102 is
shown as including a baseplate 110, which is generally planar and
includes a front end 112 and back end 116, and a central portion
114 between the front and back ends 112, 116. A tongue 120 is
located at the front end of the baseplate 110. The tongue 120
includes a tongue aperture 122 and is adapted to be received and
locked in a buckle (not shown).
[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the adjustable connector 102 includes
a webbing aperture 130 within the central portion 114 of the
baseplate 110. The webbing aperture 130 has a front edge 132, a
back edge 136, and side edges 139, 140, which collectively define a
boundary of the webbing aperture 130.
[0022] A pair of walls 142, 144 extend perpendicularly upward from
the baseplate 110 at opposing sides of the baseplate 110. More
specifically, the wall 142 extends from the baseplate 110 in close
proximity to the side edge 139 of the webbing aperture 130, and the
wall 144 extends from the baseplate 110 in close proximity to the
side edge 140 of the webbing aperture 130. As shown in FIGS. 2-3,
slots 152, 154 are included respectively within the walls 142, 144.
As shown in FIG. 3, each of the slots 152, 154 is shown as slanting
downward towards the back end 116 of the baseplate 110 at an angle
.alpha., which can be referred to as the slot slant angle. In
certain embodiments the slot slant angle .alpha. is within the
range of 4 degrees to 15 degrees, and in a specific embodiment is 6
degrees. In alternative embodiments, rather than sloping downwards,
the slots 152, 154 can be generally parallel to the baseplate 110.
In FIG. 3, the slot 154 is shown as having a length L and a width
w, which are the same respectively as the length and width of the
other slot 152. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1-3, the slots 152,
154 are linear along their entire lengths L. In alternative
embodiments, the lengths of the slots 152, 154 can be partially or
continuously curved, or can be made up of multiple contiguous
linear segments each having a different slant angle, or made up of
a combination of one or more linear segments and one or more curved
segments.
[0023] The tongue 120 and the walls 142, 144 are integrally formed
with the baseplate 110. In certain embodiments, the baseplate 110,
the tongue 120, and the walls 142, 144 are made from a blank of
cold rolled carbon steel that is chrome nickel plated and bent to
provide the walls 142, 144. Such a blank could already include the
apertures 122 and 130, and the slots 152 and 154 before portions of
the blank are bent to provide the walls 142, 144. Metalworking
machines that can be used to bend such a blank are often referred
to as brakes, bending machines, bending breaks, sheet metal
folders, or folders. The use of alternative types of metals or
alloys and coatings are also within the scope of the embodiments
described herein.
[0024] The adjustable connector 102 also includes a rotatable lock
bar 160 that is configured to span a gap between the walls 142,
144. The rotatable lock bar 160 include a central portion 162
having an outer surface 164. The outer surface 164 is preferably
textured (e.g., knurled) to increase the coefficient of friction of
the outer surface 164 compared to if it were smooth, so that the
outer surface 164 will readily grip a length of webbing. Tabs 166,
168 extend from opposing longitudinal ends of the central portion
162 and have smaller diameters (or more generally, cross-sectional
widths) than the central portion 162. The diameters (or more
generally, cross-sectional widths) of the tabs 166, 168 are
slightly smaller than widths of the slots 152, 154, thereby
enabling the tabs 166, 168 to rest within, be slidable along, and
be rotatable within, the entire lengths of the slots 152, 154. This
in turn enables the rotatable lock bar 160 to be slidable along the
lengths of the slots 152, 154 and rotatable in both clockwise and
counterclockwise directions. In certain embodiments the rotatable
lock bar 160 is made from heat treated carbon steel that is zinc
plated. The use of other types of metals or alloys and/or coatings
for the rotatable lock bar 160 are also within the scope of the
embodiments described herein.
[0025] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustable connector
102 taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2, viewed in the direction of
the arrows, and showing a loop of webbing 172 extending around the
rotatable lock bar 160 of the adjustable connector 102. The loop of
webbing 172 includes an upper free end segment 173 and a lower
connected end segment 174 that is connected to something sturdy,
such as a frame of a stretcher, cot, wheelchair, seat, or vehicle,
but not limited thereto. A portion of the free end segment 173 of
the loop of webbing 172 comes into contact with the back edge 136
of the webbing aperture 130 when a force is applied to the free end
segment 173 in the direction of the arrow 190 shown in FIG. 4, as
explained in further detail below.
[0026] In accordance with certain embodiments, the webbing 172 is a
fabric material coated or encapsulated by a plastic, such as
urethane, in which case the webbing 172 can be referred to as a
coated webbing 172, or even more specifically (if coated by
urethane) as a urethane coated webbing 172. Such a urethane coated
webbing can be coated, e.g., with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)
that is specifically designed to be resistant to oil, grease and
abrasion. An exemplary urethane coated webbing is the
PathoShield.TM. webbing available from Masson Inc., headquartered
in Indianapolis, Ind. The coated webbing 172 will grip the outer
surface 164 (of the central portion 162 of the rotatable lock bar
160) when the webbing 172 comes in contact therewith. As noted
above, urethane coated webbing is stiffer and has a higher
coefficient of friction compared to conventional non-coated
webbing. This makes it very difficult to adjust the location of a
conventional adjustable connector (which includes a non-rotatable
lock bar) along a urethane coated webbing, as will be described in
additional detail below.
[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the central portion
162 of the rotatable lock bar 160 is cylindrical and has a circular
cross-section. Similarly, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the
tabs 166, 168 of the rotatable lock bar 160 are also cylindrical
and have a circular cross-section. In alternative embodiments, the
central portion 162 of the rotatable lock bar 160 need not be
cylindrical and need not have a circular cross-section. For
example, the central portion 162 of the rotatable lock bar 160 can
alternatively be cuboidal or rectangular and have a square or
rectangular cross-section. For another example, the cross-section
of the central portion 162 of the rotatable lock bar 160 can have
various other shapes, such as, but not limited to, pentagonal,
hexagonal, or octagonal. Further, the tabs 166, 168 of the
rotatable lock bar 160 need not be cylindrical and need not have a
circular cross-section, so long as the tabs 166, 168 are slidable
along and rotatable within an entire lengths of the slots 152, 154,
to thereby enable the rotatable lock bar 160 to be slidable along
and rotatable in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions
along the entire lengths of the slots 152, 154. For example, the
cross-sections of the tabs 166, 168 of the rotatable lock bar 160
can have various other shapes, such as, but not limited to,
pentagonal, hexagonal, or octagonal.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 4, in certain embodiments, an end of the
segment 174 of the webbing is secured to something sturdy, as noted
above. In order to connect the adjustable connector 102 to the
webbing 172, a most distal end of the free end segment 173 of the
webbing 172 is extended beneath the baseplate 110 and upwardly
through the webbing aperture 130 in a counterclockwise direction
(as viewed in FIG. 4) and at least partially around the rotatable
lock bar 160 passing back through the webbing aperture 130 near the
back edge 136. In other words, to connect the adjustable connector
102 to the webbing 172, a length of the webbing 172 is looped
around the central portion 162 of the rotatable lock bar 160. While
the free end segment 173 of the webbing 172 is positioned over a
main body of the webbing 172, a user can grasp and pull the free
end segment 173 into the direction of arrow 190 to tighten the
adjustable connector 102.
[0029] In operation, the tongue 120 is lockingly engageable with a
buckle (not shown) that is secured directly or via another length
of webbing to a vehicle, bed, chair, cot, stretcher frame, or the
like. A user grasps the free end segment 173 of the webbing 172 and
pulls it in the direction of the arrow 190. In the event slack
exists in the webbing 172 the rotatable lock bar 160 rotates in a
counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. As the webbing 172
is further tightened, the webbing 172 is gripped by the outer
surface 164 of the central portion 162 of the rotatable lock bar
160 which will cause the rotatable lock bar 160 to move (e.g.,
downwardly) in slots 152, 154 causing the webbing to serpentine
around the back edge 136 of the webbing aperture 130 thereby
positioning a portion of the webbing 172 adjacent to and against
the back edge 136, and thereby locking the webbing 172 to the
adjustable connector 102, and vice versa.
[0030] The rotatable lock bar 160 is able to rotate as the
adjustable connector 102 is moved to-and-fro relative to the
webbing 172. The rotatability of the rotatable lock bar 160
provides a mechanism by which a location of the adjustable
connector 102 can be adjusted relative to the length of the webbing
172 when the webbing 172 is slack and positioned apart from the
back edge 136 of the webbing aperture 130. Additionally, by being
slidable along the lengths of the slots 152, 154, the rotatable
lock bar 160 allows contact between the webbing 172 and the
rotatable lock bar 160 to limit relative motion between the webbing
172 and the rotatable lock bar 160 as the rotatable lock bar 160
moves (e.g., downwardly) in the slots 152, 156 and forces a portion
of the webbing 172 against the back edge 136 of the webbing
aperture.
[0031] The back edge 136 of the webbing aperture 130 provides a
stop surface which extends perpendicularly to and between the
upstanding walls 142, 144. The back edge 136 of the webbing
aperture 130 engages a portion of the webbing 172 when the webbing
172 is taut and extending in the direction of arrow 190 which is
parallel and in an opposite direction to the direction that the
tongue 120 extends from baseplate 110. By positioning the webbing
172 generally perpendicular to baseplate 110, the portion of the
webbing 172 that had been forced against the back edge 136 is moved
apart from the back edge 136 thereby unlocking the adjustable
connector 102 from the webbing 172 and again allowing the rotatable
lock bar 160 to rotate, and thereby, again allowing movement and
adjustment of the location of the adjustable connector 102 along a
length of the webbing 172. Thus, in order unlock the webbing 172
from the adjustable connector 102, and vice versa, the adjustable
connector 102 may be grasped and pulled upwardly until the webbing
is generally perpendicularly arranged relative to the baseplate
110. Such grasping of the adjustable connector 102 can be achieved,
e.g., by a user placing one or more of their fingertips under the
back end 116 of the baseplate 110.
[0032] The front edge of the webbing aperture of a conventional
adjustable connector spans generally straight across a baseplate
between the side edges of the webbing aperture, such that
substantially the entire front and back edges of the webbing
aperture are parallel to one another. By contrast, in the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, and best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the
front edge 132 of the webbing aperture 130 within the baseplate 110
is arced. More specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4
the front edge 132 of the webbing aperture 130 is arced as it
extends between the side edges 139, 140 of the webbing aperture 130
such that a distance (d1 in FIG. 1) between a center of the arced
front edge 132 and the back edge 136 of the webbing aperture 130 is
greater than a distance (d2 in FIG. 1) between each of the ends
137, 138 of the arced front edge 132 and the back edge 136 of the
webbing aperture 130. Preferably, the distance (d1 in FIG. 1)
between the center of the arced front edge 132 and the back edge
136 of the webbing aperture 130 is at least 50% greater than the
distance (d2 in FIG. 1) between each of the ends 137, 138 of the
arced front edge 132 and the back edge 136 of the webbing aperture
130.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, in the embodiment shown, the arced
front edge 132 of the webbing aperture 130 includes an intermediate
arced portion 133 and distal arced portions 134, 135, wherein the
intermediate arced portion 133 extends between the distal arced
portion 134 and the distal arced portion 135. The intermediate
arced portion 133 has an arc radius (r1 in FIG. 1) that is greater
than the arc radius (r2 in FIG. 1) of each of the distal arced
portions 134, 134 of the arced front edge 132 of the webbing
aperture 130. In certain embodiments, the arc radius r1 of the
intermediate arced portion 133 is at least three times greater
(i.e., at least 3.times.) than the arc radius r2 of each of the
distal arced portions 134, 135. For example, in a specific
embodiment, the arc radius r1 of the intermediate arced portion 133
is about 60 mm (i.e., about 2.4 inches), and the arc radius r2 of
each of the distal arced portions 134, 135 is about 13 mm (i.e.,
about 0.5 inches). The term "about", as used herein, means within
plus or minus 10 percent (i.e., +/-10%) of a specified value.
[0034] The rotatable lock bar 160 (which includes the central
portion 162 and the tabs 166, 168 extending from opposing
longitudinal ends of the central portion 162) significantly
improves the adjustability of the adjustable connector 102,
compared to if the adjustable connector 102 included a conventional
non-rotatable lock bar, while still enabling the adjustable
connector 102 to pass applicable federal and industry safety
standards, such as Standard No. 209 of the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS) covering seatbelt assemblies, and the
J3027 Recommended Practices related to "Ambulance Litter Integrity,
Retention and Patient Restraint" by the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE). Further, the arced front edge 132 of the webbing
aperture 130 also significantly improves the adjustability of the
adjustable connector 102, compared to if the front edge of the
webbing aperture conventionally spanned generally straight across
the baseplate between the side edges of the webbing aperture, while
still enabling the adjustable connector 102 to pass applicable
federal and industry safety standards, such as Standard No. 209 of
the FMVSS, and SAE Recommendation J3027, which were mentioned
above.
[0035] As noted above, in a conventional adjustable connector, the
lock bar is non-rotatable, and the front edge of the webbing
aperture spans generally straight across the baseplate between the
side edges of the webbing aperture. Tests have shown that by
including both the rotatable lock bar 160 and the arced front edge
132 of the webbing aperture 130, the adjustability of the
adjustable connector 102 along a length of urethane coated webbing
172 is increased by about 60% compared to such a conventional
adjustable connector, while still satisfying applicable safety
standards. Such tests were performed by measuring how much force is
required to move the adjustable connector relative to the urethane
coated webbing 172 when a portion of the webbing was not forced
against the back edge 136 of the webbing aperture (in multiple
orientations ranging from horizontal to vertical). By using the
rotatable lock bar 160 together with a baseplate having a webbing
aperture including a conventional front edge (that spans generally
straight across the baseplate between the side edges of the webbing
aperture), the adjustability is still improved by about 20%
compared to use of the convention non-rotatable rectangular lock
bar with urethane coated webbing, while still satisfying applicable
safety standards. By using a baseplate including the arced front
edge 132 of the webbing aperture 130 together with a convention
non-rotatable rectangular lock bar with urethane coated webbing,
the adjustability is still improved by about 40% compared to if the
webbing aperture had a conventional front edge (that spans
generally straight across the baseplate between the side edges of
the webbing aperture), while still satisfying applicable safety
standards. Thus, while adjustability relative to a urethane coated
webbing can be maximized by manufacturing an adjustable connector
(e.g., 102, 102') that includes both of the aforementioned
improvements (i.e., both a rotatable cylindrical locking bar, e.g.,
160, and an arced front edge, e.g., 132, of a webbing aperture in a
baseplate), improvements in adjustability relative to a urethane
coated webbing can also be achieved by providing just one of these
two features, and certain embodiments of the present technology are
also related to adjustable connectors that include just one of the
two improvements.
[0036] In the embodiment of the adjustable connector 102 shown in
FIGS. 1-4, the arced front edge 132 of the webbing aperture 130 is
shown as being continuously curved such that it is devoid of any
linear segments. In an alternative embodiment of the adjustable
connector, labeled 102' in FIG. 5, an arced front edge 132' of a
webbing aperture 130' is shown as being a piecewise linear curve
including a plurality of linear segments that collectively form the
arced front edge 132' similar to the continuously curved arced
front edge 132 best shown in FIG. 1. The remaining components of
the adjustable connector 102', which are the same as in the
adjustable connector 102, are labeled the same and need not be
described again. Less than 5% of the arced front edge 132 of the
webbing aperture 130, best shown in FIG. 1, is parallel to the back
edge 136 of the webbing aperture 130. Less than 20% of the arced
front edge 132 of the webbing aperture 130', shown in FIG. 5, is
parallel to the back edge 136 of the webbing aperture 130'.
Substantially the same improvements to adjustability should be
achieved using this alternative embodiment.
[0037] Another benefit of having the front edge (e.g., 132 or 132')
of the webbing aperture (e.g., 130 or 130') of a baseplate (e.g.,
110) be arced, rather than span straight across between sides of
the webbing aperture, is that is reduces the friction between the
front edge and the webbing, thereby improving the reliability of
the combination of the adjustable connector (e.g., 102 and 102')
and the webbing 172, especially where the webbing 172 is a urethane
coated webbing. More specifically, where the front edge of the
webbing aperture spans straight across between sides of the webbing
aperture, the webbing constantly rubs against the front edge of the
webbing aperture in a manner that can eventually rub off the
coating and abrade the underlying webbing material such that it may
eventually fail. By having the front edge of the webbing aperture
be arced, rubbing of the webbing against the front edge of the
webbing aperture is significantly reduced such that the coating
does not rub off and the underlying webbing material does not
abrade such that it may eventually fail.
[0038] While the adjustable connectors (e.g., 102 and 102') of the
embodiments of the present technology described herein were
specifically designed for use with urethane coated webbing, to
significantly improve adjustability while also satisfying
applicable safety standards, such embodiments of the present
technology can also be used with other types of coated webbing, as
well as with conventional non-coating webbing. In other words, the
adjustable connectors (e.g., 102 and 102') according to embodiments
of the present technology described herein, can also be attached to
conventional non-coated webbing.
[0039] While not specifically shown in the FIGS., the adjustable
connectors (e.g., 102 and 102') of the embodiments of the present
technology can also include a plastic cover that snaps over a
baseplate (e.g., 110) such that the lock bar (e.g., 160) and the
webbing aperture (e.g., 130 and 130') cannot be seen when viewing
the adjustable connectors from the top.
[0040] The description of the present disclosure has been presented
for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended
to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the disclosure. The aspects of the disclosure herein
were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles
of the disclosure and the practical application, and to enable
others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure
with various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated.
[0041] The disclosure has been described in conjunction with
various embodiments. However, other variations and modifications to
the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected from a
study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, and
such variations and modifications are to be interpreted as being
encompassed by the appended claims. In the claims, the word
"comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the
indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.
[0042] For purposes of this document, it should be noted that the
dimensions of the various features depicted in the figures may not
necessarily be drawn to scale.
[0043] For purposes of this document, reference in the
specification to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," "some
embodiments," or "another embodiment" may be used to describe
different embodiments or the same embodiment.
[0044] For purposes of this document, a connection may be a direct
connection or an indirect connection (e.g., via one or more other
parts). In some cases, when an element is referred to as being
connected or coupled to another element, the element may be
directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to
the other element via intervening elements. When an element is
referred to as being directly connected to another element, then
there are no intervening elements between the element and the other
element.
[0045] For purposes of this document, without additional context,
use of numerical terms such as a "first" object, a "second" object,
and a "third" object may not imply an ordering of objects, but may
instead be used for identification purposes to identify different
objects.
[0046] The foregoing detailed description has been presented for
purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the subject matter claimed herein to the
precise form(s) disclosed. Many modifications and variations are
possible in light of the above teachings. The described embodiments
were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the
disclosed technology and its practical application to thereby
enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the technology in
various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to
the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope be
defined by the claims appended hereto.
[0047] Although the subject matter has been described in language
specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is
to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts
described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described
above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the
claims.
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