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Assignees
Member
SRI InternationalSRI International is an independent nonprofit research institute with a rich history of supporting government and industry. For almost 80 years, SRI has collaborated across technical and scientific disciplines to discover and develop groundbreaking products and technologies, delivering world-changing solutions for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future. The Nomura-SRI Innovation Center (NSIC) further enhances SRI's mission by bridging the gap between Japan and Silicon Valley, fostering corporate innovation and talent development.
SRI International is an independent nonprofit research institute with a rich history of supporting government and industry. For almost 80 years, SRI has collaborated across technical and scientific disciplines to discover and develop groundbreaking products and technologies, delivering world-changing solutions for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future. The Nomura-SRI Innovation Center (NSIC) further enhances SRI's mission by bridging the gap between Japan and Silicon Valley, fostering corporate innovation and talent development.
Publication Number
US-11986413-B2
Publication Date
2024-05-21
Expiration Date
2036-02-25
Abstract
A variety of flexible body harnesses are provided to distribute loads comfortably and evenly across one or more segments of the human body. The trajectories of load-bearing straps of the provided body harnesses apply shear to underlying portions of skin of a body segment evenly across the length of the load-bearing straps. Such trajectories can approximate catenary curves as the straps encircle the body segment. The trajectories of such straps around a body segment are maintained by attaching the straps to an underlayer, by incorporating the straps into a flexible material, and/or by weaving further straps around the load-bearing straps to maintain their relative location and/or curvature. Such body harnesses can be provided as part of assistive, rehabilitative, prosthetic, or strength-enhancing systems configured to apply forces to the body via the body harnesses.
Core Innovation
The invention provides flexible body harnesses designed to distribute loads comfortably and evenly across one or more segments of the human body. These harnesses use load-bearing straps with trajectories that apply shear to the underlying skin, ensuring the distribution of forces remains substantially even along the length of each strap. Such trajectories can approximate catenary curves and are maintained by attaching the straps to an underlayer, integrating them within a flexible material, and/or weaving them together with alignment straps.
The flexible body harness is structured to enclose a body segment, featuring a flexible underlayer, a tether that extends along the body segment, and pairs of straps disposed along specified, adjustable trajectories. These strap trajectories are designed so their angles relative to the tether increase with distance from the tether, resulting in even shear when external forces are applied via the tether. The system aims to maximize the area over which force is transmitted to the wearer’s skin, avoiding excessive pressure at any one location.
The problem addressed is the uneven distribution of normal and shear forces in conventional harnesses and assistive devices, which can cause discomfort or injury due to localized pressure on the skin. The disclosed harness solves this by distributing both types of force evenly, especially during physical activities or load carriage, thereby reducing injury risk and increasing comfort for users such as warfighters, elderly, disabled individuals, laborers, athletes, and persons undergoing rehabilitation or prosthetic use.
Claims Coverage
There are two independent claims in this patent, each delineating a distinct inventive feature related to flexible body harnesses with specific strap arrangements for even load distribution.
Flexible body harness with catenary-trajectory straps and underlayer for even shear distribution
A flexible body harness mountable to a body segment, comprising: - A flexible underlayer. - A tether configured to extend along the body segment. - First and second straps coupled to both the tether and underlayer, with each strap disposed along a trajectory at least partially around the body's segment. A portion of at least one trajectory corresponds to a section of a catenary curve. - The trajectories are positioned on opposite sides of the harness relative to the tether; the respective angles of the trajectories relative to the tether increase (and remain under 90 degrees) with distance from the tether along each strap, across at least a portion of each strap. - When force is applied via the tether, the harness applies a substantially even shear to the skin of the segment via the straps and underlayer.
Flexible body harness with woven alignment straps for trajectory maintenance and even shear
A flexible body harness mountable to a segment of the body, including: - A tether configured to extend along the length of the body segment. - First and second straps, each coupled to the tether and disposed along respective trajectories at least partially around the body segment, with a portion of at least one trajectory corresponding to a section of a catenary curve. - The straps' trajectories are on opposite sides of the harness relative to the tether, with angles relative to the tether less than 90 degrees and increasing with distance from the tether along each strap. - The harness further includes a plurality of alignment straps woven together with the first and second straps to maintain their trajectories when force is applied, ensuring even shear is applied to the skin across each strap portion.
The claims cover flexible body harnesses that utilize specific strap geometries and arrangements—including catenary trajectories, underlayers, and woven alignment straps—to maintain trajectory and ensure even shear distribution across the skin of a body segment when load is applied.
Stated Advantages
Evenly distributes forces, particularly shear, across the skin of a body segment to avoid excess pressure at any one area.
Reduces discomfort and risk of injury caused by localized forces when carrying loads, performing physical activities, or using assistive devices.
Facilitates safe and comfortable transmission of assistive, rehabilitative, prosthetic, or strength-enhancing forces to or from body segments.
Documented Applications
Assistive exosuits and devices for increasing strength, endurance, or rehabilitation by transmitting forces between body segments or from body to external objects.
Integration in systems to provide assistive, rehabilitative, prosthetic, or strength-enhancing capabilities, such as supporting warfighters, the elderly, persons with disabilities, movers, laborers, and athletes.
Use in flexible exosuits with actuators or force-transmitting elements for tasks including walking assistance, load carriage, and mobility augmentation.
Application as part of a prosthesis to transmit and distribute forces evenly between the user's body and the prosthetic limb.
Potential use for non-human animals, such as animals in training or research settings.
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