Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
  • A62B1/00—Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like
  • A62B1/06—Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices
  • A62B1/14—Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
  • A62B35/00—Safety belts or body harnesses; Similar equipment for limiting displacement of the human body, especially in case of sudden changes of motion
  • A62B35/0043—Lifelines, lanyards, and anchors therefore
  • A62B35/005—Vertical lifelines

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an individual safety device against falls from a height. It relates to a mobile fall arrester for belay support more particularly suitable for flexible vertical belay supports.
• the present invention provides a new device which is particularly safe, reliable and convenient to use.
• the mobile fall arrester for belay support of the type comprising a retaining groove in which said belay support is retained by means of a pivoting lever between an open position and a closed position, of which one of the ends comprises a locking cam, and the other free end of which comprises a hole intended to receive a carabiner, while a stop system limits the pivoting of the lever in an intermediate position when passing from the position of closing to the open position, is characterized in that the stop system consists of a retractable movable stop.
• the stop is pivotally movable and is, according to the preferred embodiment, constituted by a pivoting pawl urged by a spring in the active stop position.
• the stop is constituted by the end of a lower arm of the pivoting pawl, said end being intended to cooperate with the stop surface of the lever to determine its intermediate position.
• the pawl is pivotally mounted around a transverse axis arranged in the upper part of the fall arrester, while it is biased by a spring which, advantageously, also acts on the pivoting lever.
• the retaining groove is produced by the wall of a main flange and comprises a secondary flange constituted by a wall, while the lever is pivotally mounted between the two flanges.
• the fall arrester of the invention comprises a longitudinal passage parallel to the groove, said passage being limited laterally by, on the one hand, the first edge of the main flange and, on the other hand, the first edge of the second flange.
• Figure 1 is an overview illustrating how the fall arrest device of the invention is used.
• Figure 2 is a side view showing more particularly the fall arrester mounted on the belay cable and its connection to the harness worn by the user.
• Figures 3, 4 and 5 are execution views of the fall arrester;
• Figure 3 is a plan view
• Figure 4 is a side view, lever side
• Figure 5 is a sectional view along AA.
• Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, but illustrating the fall arrester in its extreme open position showing the various elements constituting the fall arrester, the secondary flange being removed for a better understanding of the drawing.
• FIGS. 7 to 11 illustrate the different stages of setting up the fall arrester of the invention.
• Figure 12 shows how the fall arrester according to the invention is used.
• Figure 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment
• the mobile fall arrester (1) is part of personal protective equipment against falls from a height bearing the general reference (2) and comprising, in addition to said fall arrester (1), a harness (3) carrying at least one mooring loop. (4) with a snap hook (5), said fall arrester (2) being intended to be removably connected to a vertical belay support (6) fixed, for example, on an intervention pylon (7) .
• the mobile fall arrester (1) In its position of use, i.e. connected to the harness (3), the mobile fall arrester (1) can be moved up (HA) or down (BA) at will by normal sliding (that is to say at the speed of ascent or descent of the user) along a cable or a vertical rope (e) (6) constituting the belay support. In the event of a fall, which corresponds to an accelerated descent speed, the mobile fall arrester locks onto the cable. It will be understood that the user (8) can then climb or descend along the pylon (7) by sliding the fall arrester upwards (HA) or downwards (BA) along the safety cable (6) in case of need, while it will be ensured not to fall down by blocking its fall arrester (1) on said cable (6) constituting the belay support.
• the fall arrester (1) essentially comprises a straight hollow profile (9) intended to receive the belay cable (6) which is retained there after engagement by means of a cam (10) movable in pivoting.
• the hollow profile (9) consists of the wall (11a) of a main flange (12a) whose first side edge (13a) is folded parallel to said wall, so as to form a gutter or a semicircular groove (9), while the second lateral border (14a) is in the plane of the wall and is curved.
• the groove has a semi-circular profile with a vertical axis (YY 1 ) and has substantially the dimension of the cable or cord (6) intended to be housed there.
• the locking cam (10) is integral with a maneuvering and hooking lever (16) which is pivotally mounted on the fall arrester around a transverse axis (XX 1 ).
• the second lateral border (14a) constitutes a lower ramp, substantially circular, of radius (RI) centered on the axis (XX 1 ).
• the body of the mobile fall arrester comprises, in addition to the main flange (12a) described above and forming the groove (9), a secondary flange (12b).
• the latter is integral with the main flange to be parallel to it and spaced by a distance (d) to constitute, on the one hand, a space (e) between the two flanges intended for the movement of the lever (16) and, on the other part, a longitudinal passage (40) for the engagement of the cable (40).
• the secondary flange has a configuration identical to the wall (11a) of the main flange (12a).
• the passage (40) is laterally limited by the first border (13b) of the main flange (12a) and the first border (13a) of the secondary flange (12b).
• the width of the passage is greater than the diameter of the cable or cord (6) intended to be engaged therein, said passage extending parallel to the axis (YY 1 ) of the groove.
• the lever (16) mentioned above is arranged to pivot about the transverse axis (XX 1 ). It is arranged to move between the two flanges (12a, 12b) in the space (e) formed between the main flange (12a) and the secondary flange (12b). It is thus mounted in rotation about an axis (21) extending between the two flanges so that its attachment end (22) extends beyond the ramps (14a, 14b) of the two flanges (12a, 12b). Said free attachment end (22) further includes a hooking hole (23) for receiving the hooking carabiner (5) which can be engaged therein.
• the hanging hole (23) is cylindrical and its axis (QQ 1 ) is at a distance (Ll) from the axis (XX 1 ) greater than the value of the radius (RI) of the ramp plus the radius of said hole ( 23) so that its peripheral wall (24) is at a distance (L2) from the axis (XX ') greater than the radius (RI).
• the lever (16) comprises, on the side opposite the hanging hole (23), a cam (10) constituted by a locking ramp (25) for blocking the fall arrester (1) on the support of belay.
• the lever (16) can therefore take, by rotation about the axis (XX 1 ), two extreme positions: an open position as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, and a closed position as shown in the figures 3, 9, 10 and 11.
• the fall arrester comprises two stops (28, 29) to limit the angular displacement of the lever downwards by a lower stopper (28) and upwards by an upper stopper (29).
• the lower stop (28) is made by a cylindrical spacer extending between the two flanges (12a, 12b) in the lower zone, while the upper stop (29) is made by another upper cylindrical spacer connecting the upper portion of the two flanges (12a, 12b).
• a torsion spring (27).
• the latter is useful, on the one hand, for maintaining the fall arrester (1) on the belay cable (6) at the time of fitting and removing the carabiner (5) and, on the other hand part, to ensure that the fall arrester is blocked in the event of a fall, even before the carabiner (5) has to pivot the lever down by itself.
• a movable retractable stop member (50) for the lever (16) intended to limit its rotation upwards in an intermediate position not allowing the belay support to leave the fall arrester which consists of a pivoting pawl (50) urged to close by a spring (27).
• Said pawl is intended, on the one hand, to limit the pivoting of the lever in an intermediate position and, on the other hand and simultaneously, to condemn, thanks to its shape, the untimely release of the belay support (6) by the passage (40).
• the pawl consists of three arms, namely, a lateral arm (51) intended to condemn the untimely release of the belay support (6) by the passage (40), a lower arm (52) intended to limit the pivoting of the lever up in the intermediate position, as well as an upper actuating arm (55).
• the lower arm (52) serves as a stop for the lever thanks to its lower end (53) intended to cooperate with the upper stop surface (54) of the lever (16).
• the pawl thanks to its lateral arm, constitutes an obstacle condemning the untimely release of the belay support by the passage (40).
• the pawl constituting a double security system, is biased, in its active stop and closing position, by a spring (27) which is advantageously the same spring as that actuating the lever (16).
• the pawl is mounted movable in rotation about the transverse axis (58) disposed between the main flange and the secondary flange in the upper part of the fall arrester substantially in the extension of the first edge (13b) of the secondary flange, such so that the upper part of the pawl exceeds the border (13b) until it reaches the border (13a), thus blocking the passage (40).
• the pawl is in the stop position for the lever, it blocks the passage (40) and vice versa.
• the pawl is movable and retractable between a position called
• FIGS. 7 to 11 illustrate the different stages of setting up the fall arrester of the invention.
• the user by placing the first flange (12a) of the fall arrester (1) in the palm of his right hand, rotates with his thumb the lever (16) upwards according to RI to clear the passage (40) for the cable ; all in keeping the pawl (50) in its inactive position, it brings the fall arrester (1) onto the cable (6) to pass said cable (6) through the passage (40), as illustrated in FIG. 7.
• the fall arrester (1) In the position illustrated in FIG. 11, the fall arrester (1) is locked against any untimely descent downwards (BA) preventing the user from falling but can be moved upwards (HA) to its intermediate position in abutment against the pawl, by rotation upwards along (RI) of the lever (16), as illustrated in FIG. 12.
• the user can descend without intervening on the fall arrester (1).
• the lever (16) pivots downwards (BA) according to (RI), while the locking ramp (25) pinches the cable (6).
• the fall arrester comprises a mobile and retractable stop system (52, 53, 54) which limits the pivoting of the lever in an intermediate position when the user moves this lever from the closed position to the open position. It is then impossible for the user to exceed this intermediate position and it is then impossible for the cable to leave the retaining groove, the cam (10) being still engaged in the cable retaining zone, as it appears in FIG. 12 .
• the fall arrester is advantageously metallic such as, for example, stainless steel or any other suitable material.
• Figure 13 is a side view illustrating an alternative embodiment according to which the fall arrester (1) is extended downwards by a grip handle (60).
• Said handle forms a sufficiently large and resistant loop to constitute an ascent handle that the user can grasp in order to hoist himself upwards, by pulling on his fall arrester. It will be added that thanks to the fall arrester of the invention, the user can also move down without the risk of losing his lifeline, this being due to the fact that the passage (40) is condemned.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)
• Lift-Guide Devices, And Elevator Ropes And Cables (AREA)
• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
• Clamps And Clips (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=8859998

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (23)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 2001
  • 2001-02-14 FR FR0101997A patent/FR2820641B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2002
  • 2002-01-30 ES ES02701345T patent/ES2292715T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-01-30 US US10/468,093 patent/US7080716B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-01-30 WO PCT/FR2002/000353 patent/WO2002064215A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-01-30 EP EP02701345A patent/EP1359980B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-01-30 AT AT02701345T patent/ATE372151T1/de active
  • 2002-01-30 CA CA002438256A patent/CA2438256A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-01-30 DE DE60222239T patent/DE60222239T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-01-30 PT PT02701345T patent/PT1359980E/pt unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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