Patent Application
20080148533
This disclosure relates to adjustable securement straps, such as a strap for use with a litter, stretcher, gurney or the like that is easily adjustable to any length while simultaneously secure at that length so the strap may accommodate people of all shapes and sizes.
Transporting an incapacitated or injured person from an emergency situation, such as an accident site or battlefield, to a hospital or other place for treatment is essential to receiving proper medical care. An ambulance, such as a van, truck, helicopter or similar vehicle, is well known for such transport. However, the patient or injured person must first be moved from their initial location to the ambulance. Litters, stretchers, and similar devices are known to facilitate such casualty movement. To prevent further injury, straps are generally used to immobilize the person during transport, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,982 of Davis which discloses a safety belt and harness for confining a person to a litter. Straps may also be used to secure the person and the litter to a bed or support structure in the transport vehicle.
The present inventors have recognized a need for improved securement straps including features useful for patient transport.
An adjustable length litter strap assembly comprises an elongate strap extending between first and second parts of a two-piece buckle to form a securement loop. The strap is threaded through one of the buckle parts and manually slidable therethrough for adjusting a length of the litter strap assembly. According to one embodiment, a pinch guard is affixed to a first end portion of the strap so that the pinch guard substantially overlaps the first buckle part when the first buckle part is detached from the second buckle part. The pinch guard preferably has a width greater than a width of the strap and is sized to substantially overlap the first buckle part and second buckle part when the first buckle part is attached to the second buckle part.
According to another embodiment, a free end of the strap is secured to a keeper loop that encircles a middle portion of the strap at a section thereof between the first and second buckle parts and is slidable therealong. The free end portion of the strap is preferably folded upon itself to define a pull tab that extends from the keeper loop to facilitate grasping for adjusting a position of the keeper loop along the middle portion.
Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A middle portion 34 of strap 16 disposed between first end portion 26 and an opposite second end portion 36 of strap 16 includes an adjustment section 38 slidably engaged with second buckle part 20 to permit manual adjustment of the size of securement loop 24. Adjustment section 38 is preferably threaded through a pair of parallel elongate slots 40 and 42 in second buckle part 20 and folded upon itself to form a second overfolded portion 44 that is wrapped around a friction bar 46 of second buckle part 20 interposed between slots 40 and 42. This overfolded threaded arrangement of adjustment section 38 forms a secure friction anchor connection to second buckle part 20 when strap 16 is under tension, to prevent securement loop 24 from loosening while allowing it to be tightened around person 12 by pulling on the free second end portion 36 of strap 16, as illustrated by the broken lines in
In one embodiment, a pinch guard 48 is affixed to first end portion 26 or first buckle part 18, by stitching 32 or otherwise. Pinch guard 48 extends from its point of attachment to first end portion 26 and past two-piece buckle 22 to thereby form a flap 50 that underlies (i.e. overlaps) substantially the entire two-piece buckle 22. Pinch guard 48 may, thus, prevent the skin or clothing of person 12 from being pinched between first and second buckle parts 18 and 20 when coupling them together. In some instances, pinch guard 48 may prevent pinching between adjustment section 38 and second buckle part 20 when adjusting the size of securement loop 24, as further described below with reference to
The free second end portion 36 of strap 16 is preferably securely attached to a keeper loop 52 that loosely encircles middle portion 34 of strap 16 for sliding movement therealong. Keeper loop 52 is moved along middle portion 34, away from second buckle part 20 and toward first buckle part 18, to take up slack in second end portion 36. When strap 16 is snugly cinched around person 12, the pressure of middle portion 34 against keeper loop 52 frictionally holds keeper loop 52 in place to retain second end portion 36 adjacent strap 16 and prevents second end portion 36 from flapping against the person 12 or attending medical personnel when exposed to helicopter rotor wash, high winds, or other perturbations. Retention of second end portion 36 by keeper loop 52 may also help prevent second end portion 36 from tripping emergency personnel, being tangled in equipment, or otherwise being mishandled.
A pull tab 54 may be formed by a third overfolded portion 56 of strap 16 where second end portion 36 is coupled to keeper loop 52. With reference to
Keeper loop 52 may be metal cast molded to form an endless loop or a segment of metal wire formed into a loop, the ends of which may or may not be joined by welding, for example. Examples of metal that may be used include steel, aluminum, and alloys. In addition, keeper loop 52 may be formed from other materials, such as plastic, and may take shapes other than the oval shape shown.
Referring now to
In one embodiment, pinch guard 48 includes a second elongate strap 76 preferably made of a continuous elongate strip of fabric, such as woven nylon webbing. First and second ends 78 and 80 of strap 76 are typically heat cut, which may produce hard and sometimes sharp ends. To prevent fraying of ends 78 and 80 and abrading person 12 with ends 78 and 80, second strap 76 preferably has first end 78 interposed between overlapping portions 82 of overfolded first end section 30 of strap 16. In addition, second strap 76 is preferably folded upon itself twice to define axially opposite fourth and fifth overfolded portions 84 and 86 respectively. This allows second end 80 of strap 76 and a cut end 92 of strap 16 to be interposed between overlapping portions 88 of fourth overfolded portion 84. Fifth overfolded portion 86 may extend from first buckle part 18 past second buckle part 20 along axis 90 defined by the fourth and fifth overfolded portions 84 and 86 to prevent person 12 from being pinched when buckle parts 18 and 20 are coupled and when the size of securement loop 24 is adjusted.
Pinch guard 48 may be sewn to first end portion 26 of strap 16 using high-strength box stitches 32 (
Referring now to
While strap 16 and second strap 76 may comprise nylon webbing, other webbing or fabric materials may be used. Further, while strap 16 and second strap 76 may each comprise a continuous length of material, segments of material may be combined to form strap 16 or second strap 76.
Litter strap assembly 10 has been described herein as being used with a litter. However, litter strap assembly 10 may also be used with other devices used to carry people, such as stretchers, scoop stretchers, reeves stretchers, gurneys, long spine boards, or wheelchairs, for example. In addition, litter strap assembly 10 may be used for securing other objects and cargo.
Various buckle types may be used for two-piece buckle 22, such as a three-way buckle, double bar buckle, swivel bar buckle, or others. In addition, first buckle part 18 and second buckle part 20 may be constructed from the same or different materials such as metal or plastic. One suitable two-piece buckle 22 is the Cobra buckle system sold by AustriAlpin Vertriebs GmbH of Fulpmes, Austria under part number FC45B. Further, while various examples have been described to secure overfolded first end section 30 to first buckle part 18, second overfolded portion 44 to second buckle part 20, and third overfolded end portion 56 to keeper loop 52, in some embodiments other securing methods may be used, such as riveting, stitching, overmolding, heat welding, bonding or otherwise.
It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.
