EP0555156B1 - Automatic strap for hand held tools such as an ice pick - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to traction straps adaptable to a hand tool such as an ice ax provided with a handle, one free end of which forms a gripping zone and the opposite end of which is connected to a tool head. The strap is provided with means for hooking to the handle in the vicinity of the tool head. The strap forms a loop in the vicinity of the gripping area to allow the passage and maintenance of the wrist with one hand of the user holding the tool by said gripping area.

In current mountaineering techniques, technical ice axes are frequently used in traction. The ice ax, as described for example in document FR-A-2 145 124, comprises a tool head provided with a blade extending in a generally transverse direction relative to the axis of the handle. The user, by a striking movement, plants the tool head blade in the wall of ice he wants to climb, the handle developing downstream. The user can then pull on the handle to move upstream. He then releases the tool head blade from the glass wall, and replants it higher to start the traction movement again.

The traction can naturally be supported by the hand, surrounding the grip part of the handle. However, straps have been provided in certain known ice axes, as in other mountaineering tools as described in document FR-A-2 134 953, to surround the wrist with the hand passed around the handle, the strap being likely to support all or part of the tool holding effort, to relieve the hand.

In these known axes with traction strap, the strap forms a loop surrounding the wrist, this loop having to be tightened when the wrist is in the traction position with the hand passed around the grip part of the handle. The user must therefore adapt the length of the strap loop to the circumference dimension of the wrist. A first maneuver is necessary to adjust this length and put the strap in the pulling position. A second maneuver is necessary when the user wants to completely release his hand from the strap. In known ice axes, traditional means for adjusting the strap length are provided for this, the operation of which requires the intervention of the other hand of the user or his teeth.

The need to intervene with the other hand of the user or his teeth constitutes a drawback that the present invention aims to eliminate.

Thus, the problem proposed by the present invention is to design a new traction strap structure for a hand tool such as an ice ax in which the adaptation and tightening of the strap around the wrist in the traction position can be done by movement of the only hand whose wrist and passed through the strap, and in which the complete release of the hand out of the blood can also be done by moving the only hand whose wrist and passed through the strap, without ever require the intervention of the other hand of the user or his teeth. Simultaneously, in the pulling position, the strap, passing around the wrist, must not have a noose effect tending to tighten the wrist excessively. The strap should just tighten the wrist so that it cannot come out, and thus avoid the loss of the tool.

• la sangle doit pouvoir tenir serre un poignet en une position fermée dans laquelle la main correspondante est sur l'extrémité de préhension du manche ; dans cette position fermée, une traction longitudinale à l'écart de la tête d'outil peut être supportée par la sangle retenant le poignet ;
• la sangle doit se desserrer et libérer à volonté le poignet sans intervention de l'autre main ou des dents de l'utilisateur, par un mouvement de traction du poignet engagé dans la sangle, ce mouvement s'effectuant à l'écart du manche dans une direction non parallèle au manche et non dirigée à l'opposé de la tête d'outil ;
• mise en position ouverte, la sangle doit rester dans cette position ouverte et permettre le passage du poignet,
• la sangle doit pouvoir se refermer sur le poignet par simple passage du poignet et traction sur la sangle par le poignet dans une direction parallèle au manche et à l'écart de la tête d'outil.

Thus, the essential functions of a traction strap according to the present invention are as follows:

• the strap must be able to hold a wrist tight in a closed position in which the corresponding hand is on the grip end of the handle; in this closed position, a longitudinal pull away from the tool head can be supported by the strap retaining the wrist;
• the strap must loosen and free the wrist at will without intervention of the other hand or the user's teeth, by a pulling movement of the wrist engaged in the strap, this movement being carried out away from the handle in a direction not parallel to the handle and not directed opposite the tool head;
• put in the open position, the strap must remain in this open position and allow the wrist to pass,
• the strap must be able to close on the wrist by simply passing the wrist and pulling the strap by the wrist in a direction parallel to the handle and away from the tool head.

Preferably, the strap should be adjustable to accommodate common ice ax lengths.

• entre les moyens d'accrochage et la boucle de maintien, la sangle est formée d'un premier et d'un second brins généralement parallèles l'un a l'autre,
• les premières extrémités des deux brins sont solidarisées par les moyens d'accrochage,
• les secondes extrémités opposées des deux brins sont solidaires l'une de l'autre en continuité pour former la boucle de maintien,
• les deux brins passent simultanément dans un même passant, le premier brin coulissant librement dans ledit passant,
• le passant est solidarisé au second brin par des moyens de solidarisation, à la base de la boucle de maintien,
• un moyen de maintien assure la liaison entre une zone intermédiaire du second brin, zone intermédiaire située entre la première extrémité et le passant, et une zone intermédiaire choisie du manche d'outil.

To achieve these and other objects, the present invention provides a traction strap adaptable to a hand tool such as an ice ax provided with a handle with a grip zone in the vicinity of a free end, the end opposite of the handle connecting to a tool head by a junction zone, the strap being provided with means for hooking to the tool head, the strap forming a holding loop in the vicinity of the grip zone for passage and maintaining a wrist of the user holding said gripping area. The strap according to the invention is such that:

• between the hooking means and the retaining loop, the strap is formed of first and second strands generally parallel to each other,
• the first ends of the two strands are secured by the attachment means,
• the second opposite ends of the two strands are integral with one another in continuity to form the holding loop,
• the two strands pass simultaneously in the same pass, the first strand sliding freely in said pass,
• the passer-by is secured to the second strand by securing means, at the base of the retaining loop,
• a holding means provides the connection between an intermediate zone of the second strand, intermediate zone located between the first end and the passer-by, and a chosen intermediate zone of the tool handle.

Preferably, the strap length is adjustable, to adapt to the length of the tool handle portion located between the tool head and the gripping area.

• la figure 1 est une vue générale d'une sangle selon la présente invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de côté d'un piolet technique muni d'une sangle selon la présente invention en position de traction ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de côté du même piolet avec la même sangle selon la présente invention en position intermédiaire pendant un mouvement d'ouverture pour libérer le poignet ; et
• la figure 4 représente le piolet avec la sangle en position ouverte.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given in relation to the attached figures, among which:

• Figure 1 is a general view of a strap according to the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a side view of a technical ice ax provided with a strap according to the present invention in the traction position;
• Figure 3 is a side view of the same ice ax with the same strap according to the present invention in the intermediate position during an opening movement to release the wrist; and
• Figure 4 shows the ice ax with the strap in the open position.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the hand tool receiving a strap according to the invention is a technical ice ax provided with a handle 1 with a grip zone 2 in the vicinity of its free end 3. The end opposite 4 of the handle is connected to a tool head 5 by a junction zone 6. The tool head 5 comprises in particular a blade 7 intended to be planted in an ice wall 8, the handle 1 then developing towards the 'downstream as shown in Figure 2.

The strap 9 according to the invention is provided, at a first end, with hooking means 10 for its attachment to the tool head 5. At its second end, the strap 9 forms a holding loop 13 shaped to surround the wrist of a user.

Between the attachment means 10 and the retaining loop 13, the strap 9 is formed of a first strand 11 and a second strand 12 generally parallel to one another. The first ends 14 and 15 of the two strands are secured by the hooking means 10. In practice, these first ends of strands 11 and 12 are secured by a transverse seam 33.

The second opposite ends of the two strands 11 and 12 are integral with one another in continuity to form the retaining loop 13, as shown in the figures.

The two strands 11 and 12 pass simultaneously in the same pass 16. The first strand 11 slides freely in the pass 16. On the other hand, the pass 16 is secured to the second strand 12 by fastening means 17, at the base of the loop. holding 13. Thus, the holding loop 13 is formed by the strap part connecting the two strands 11 and 12 and leaving the passer-by 16 opposite the attachment means 10.

The second strand 12 further cooperates with a holding means 18, in an intermediate zone of the second strand 12 between its first end 15 and the loop 16. The holding means 18 is shaped to be fixed in a chosen intermediate zone of the handle 1 of tool, and to thus secure said intermediate zone of second strand 12 to said chosen intermediate zone of handle 1 of tool.

By this arrangement, the retaining loop 13 is of adjustable length by sliding the first strand 11 of strap in the pass 16. The sliding is obtained automatically on opening and closing by simple movement of the user's wrist passed through the holding loop 13.

In the embodiment shown, the attachment means 10 comprise length adjustment means, making it possible to adapt the length of the strap 9 to the length of the tool handle 1, in order to position the holding loop 13 at the level of the gripping area 2 of the tool handle 1. For this, the hooking means 10 comprise a strap extension 19, extending the second strand 12 beyond its first end 15. The extension 19 is intended to pass through a lumen 20 provided in the tool head 5. Two rings 21 and 22 are fixed to the first end 14 of the first strap strand 11 by a strap loop 23. After passing through the opening 20, the extension 19 can be wedged in known manner in the two rings 21 and 22, to ensure the attachment of the strap 9 to the tool head 5 and its length adjustment.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the fastening means 17 of the loop 16 comprises a pull tab 24 secured to the loop 16 and provided with a hooking face cooperating with a corresponding face of the second strand 12 of strap. The two hooking faces constitute a removable hooking zone 25 of the hook-fabric-loop fabric type. It is thus possible, by displacement of the pull tab 24 on the second strand 12, the circumference of the holding loop 13 to adapt it to the circumference of the wrist of the user.

In the embodiment shown, the holding means 18 may advantageously be a holding tongue secured transversely to the second strand 12, and shaped to surround and tighten the tool handle 1. The two ends of the retaining tab are shaped to hang one on the other in a removable manner, by providing, for example, faces of the hook-fabric-loop fabric type.

Alternatively, the holding means 18 may include a hole in the appropriate intermediate part of the tool handle 1, hole through which the second strap strand 12 passes. The connection function between the second strand intermediate zone 12 and the intermediate handle region 1 of the tool is thus provided in an equivalent manner.

The first strand 11 advantageously comprises, in the vicinity of its first end 14, an extra thickness 26 constituting a brake to oppose the sliding of the first strand 11 in the loop 16 when the strap is in the open position. The additional thickness may simply consist of the strap return after the loop 23, secured to the first strand 11 by seams.

The holding loop 13 can advantageously be provided with a secondary self-insurance loop 28, as shown in the figures. The self-insurance loop 28 is shaped to allow the passage of a carabiner.

The holding loop 13 is advantageously provided with a reinforcement 27, increasing the bearing surface of the strap in this holding zone, to increase the comfort of the user.

The operation of the strap 9 according to the invention is as follows: the strap is shown in FIG. 4 in the open position, position in which the holding loop 13 has a circumference which substantially exceeds the circumference of a user's wrist. In this position, the user can therefore easily pass his hand through the holding loop 13.

The user then pulls the strap 9 towards the gripping zone 2 of the tool, by simply pulling his wrist in the appropriate direction, to bring the strap 9 back to the pulling position shown in FIG. 2, position in which the holding loop 13 is located near the gripping zone 2. In this position, a wrist pull exerted on the holding loop 13 parallel to the handle 1 away from the tool head 5, as represented by arrow 30, produces a sliding of the loop 16 on the first strand 11 of strap, producing the tightening of the retaining loop until the portions of first strand 11 and second strand 12 located between the loop and the attachment means 10 have the same length. The tightening of the holding loop is then limited. The strap is then in the pulling position, its two strands 11 and 12 being stretched between the hooking means 10 and the holding loop 13, the holding loop 13 being fitted tightly around the wrist of the user whose hand is holding simultaneously the gripping zone 2 of the tool, the circumference of the holding loop 13 being determined by the chosen position of the pull tab 24 for fastening the loop 16 to the second strand 12.

To release his hand from the strap 9, the user can simply exert a pulling movement of the wrist engaged in the holding loop 13, the pulling being carried out away from the handle 1 in a direction not parallel to the handle 1 and not directed opposite the tool head 5. In practice, such traction can be effected by rotational movement illustrated in FIG. 3 according to arrow 31. By this movement, the passer-by 16 is retained by the second strand 12, at constant distance from the retaining tongue 18, while the entire retaining loop approaches the hooking means 10. The first strand 11 is then relaxed, so that a pull of the wrist on the holding loop 13 causes the first strand 11 to slide in the loop 16 as shown by arrow 32, which increases the circumference of the holding loop 13 and allows the hand to be released from the holding loop 13.

During the opening movement, the user can interrupt the movement in the intermediate position, the strap then remaining in the open position shown in FIG. 4.

Continuing the rotational movement according to arrow 31 in FIG. 3, the first strand 11 slides in the loop 16, and can advantageously slide to a fully open position in which the loop reaches the region of the first end of the first strand 11, zone occupied by the extra thickness 26. If the user releases the strap 9 in this fully open position, the passer-by 16 is braked by the extra thickness 26, so that the retaining loop 13 remains more securely in the open position, in which its diameter is much greater than that of the user's wrist.

Thus, for later use, the user can very easily iron his hand in the holding loop 13, which has retained a circumference much greater than that of the wrist.

The strands 11 and 12 can be produced by a cord, a strap, a cable or any other form of link. On the other hand, the retaining loop 13 can advantageously be made of a material and in a form suitable for receiving the wrist and forming a sufficient bearing surface. Thus, the retaining loop 13 may have a form of strap of greater width, increasing the comfort of the user.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations thereof contained in the field of claims below.

Claims (11)

1. Adaptable traction strap on a hand-held tool such as an ice-axe equipped with a handle (1) with a grip zone (2) in the vicinity of one free end (3), the opposite end (4) of the handle (1) being connected to a tool head (5) by a connecting zone (6), the strap (9) being provided with means (10) for attachment to the tool head (5), the strap (9) forming a retaining loop (13) in the vicinity of the grip zone (2) enabling passage and retention of the wrist of the user holding said grip zone, characterised in that :

   - between the attachment means (10) and the retaining loop (13) the strap is formed from a first section (11) and from a second section (12) generally parallel one to the other,

   - the first ends (14, 15) of the two sections are held together by the attachment means (10),

   - the second opposed ends of the two sections are permanently connected together in order to form the retaining loop (13),

   - the two sections pass simultaneously into the same slider (16), the first section (11) sliding freely in the said slider (16),

   - the slider (16) is connected to the second section (12) by connection means (17), at the base of the retaining loop (13),

   - a retaining means (18) ensures the connection between an intermediate zone of the second section (12) and a selected intermediate zone of the handle (1) of the tool,

   so that the retaining loop (13) is of a length which is adjustable by sliding the first strap section (11) in the slider (16), this sliding being obtained automatically upon opening and upon closing by simple displacement of the wrist of the user passed into the retaining loop (13).
2. Strap according to Claim 1, characterised in that the two sections (11, 12) extending between the attachment means (10) and the retaining loop (13) are of such length that the retaining loop (13) is located level with the grip zone (2) of the handle (1) of the tool.
3. Strap according to one of Claims 1 or 2 characterised in that the attachment means (10) comprise means of longitudinal adjustment, in order to adapt the length of the strap to the length of the handle (1) of the tool, and in order to position the retaining loop (13) level with the grip zone (2) of the handle (1) of the tool.
4. Strap according to Claim 3, characterised in that the attachment means (10) comprise:

   - a strap extension (19), extending the second section (12) beyond its first end (15), and intended to pass through an aperture (20) provided in the head (5) of the tool,

   - two rings (21, 22) secured to the first end (14) of the first section (11) by a strap loop (23), in which rings the end of the strap extension (19) of the strap may be gripped, ensuring attachment of the strap to the head (5) of the tool , and its longitudinal adjustment.
5. Strap according to any one of Claims 1-4, characterised in that the connection means (17) of the slider (16) comprises a pull strap (24) integral with the slider and provided with an attachment surface cooperating with a corresponding surface of the second section (12) in order to constitute a removable attachment zone (25) of the hook-and-pile fabric type.
6. Strap according to any one of Claims 1-5, characterised in that the retaining means (18) is a retaining tongue rendered transversely integral on the second section (12) and configured to surround and grip the handle (1) of the tool and in order to be attached in a removable manner thereon according to its two ends.
7. Strap according to any one of Claims 1-6, characterised in that the first section (11) comprises, in the vicinity of its first end (14) a thickened portion (26) constituting a brake opposing the sliding of the first section in the slider (16), in order to maintain the strap in the open position.
8. Strap according to any one of Claims 1-7, characterised in that the retaining loop (13) is equipped with a secondary loop (28) providing automatic security.
9. Strap according to any one of Claims 1-8, characterised in that the retaining loop (13) is provided with a reinforcement (27) increasing the surface area of the load-bearing portion of the strap.
10. Hand tool such as an ice axe, characterised in that it comprises a traction strap (9) according to any one of Claims 1-9.
11. Hand tool with a traction strap (9), such as an ice axe provided with a handle (1) with a grip zone (2) in the vicinity of one free end (3), the opposite end (4) of the handle (1) being connected to a tool head (5), the traction strap (9) comprising a first strap section (11) and a second strap section (12) generally parallel one with the other, and permanently connected at their second ends one with the other in order to form a retaining loop (13), with attachment means (10) comprising an extension (19) extending the second section (12) of the strap beyond its first end (15) and passing through an aperture (20) provided in the head zone of the tool (5) in order to attach to the first end (14) of the first strap section (11), in which tool:

    - a slider (16) is rendered integral with the second section (12) of the strap by connection means (17) at the base of the retaining loop (13),

    - the first strap section (11) slides freely in the slider (16),

    - the second strap section (12) passes through an aperture provided in an appropriate intermediate zone of the handle (1),

    so that the retaining loop (13) is of a length which is adjustable by sliding of the first strap section (11) in the slider (16), the sliding being obtained automatically upon opening and closing by simple displacement of the wrist of the user passed into the retaining loop (13).

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