Classifications

• • 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
  • A62B35/04—Safety belts or body harnesses; Similar equipment for limiting displacement of the human body, especially in case of sudden changes of motion incorporating energy absorbing means

Definitions

• the invention relates to a safety lanyard for connection to a fall protection harness.
• a safety lanyard in combination with a fall protection harness is used to arrest the fall of a person.
• a fallen person is suspended by a lanyard connected to known types of fall protection harness, the majority of the persons weight is supported on the groin straps of the harness which causes discomfort and can lead to medical complications such as venous pooling.
• a footloop attached to the harness enables the person who is suspended in the harness to stand up in the footloop and therefore reduce the pressure on the groin and other parts of the body.
• footloops While such footloops are known, the known footloops comprise separate units which must be attached to a harness. They therefore have the risk of being left behind or incorrectly attached. They also add extra bulk and clutter to a harness causing further inconvenience to the wearer. In addition the footloop has to be deployed by the user requiring several actions to be performed under difficult conditions and possibly whilst injured.
• the invention seeks to remove these risks by providing a footloop which is incorporated into a lanyard and which deploys automatically in the event of a fall.
• a lanyard for a fall protection harness comprising a connection means at a distal end thereof adapted to be connectable to a safety harness
• the lanyard is provided with a body support means configurable between a stowed position on the lanyard and an operative position wherein the body support means can support a portion of a user's body to relieve at least a portion of the user's weight from the safety harness.
• the body support means is automatically deployed from its stowed configuration to its operative configuration when a tensile force applied to the lanyard exceeds a predetermind threshold.
• the body support means may be manually configurable between its stowed and operative positions.
• the body support means comprises a strap having a loop formed at a distal end thereof, an opposite end of the strap being attached to the lanyard.
• a body support means for use with a lanyard, the body support means comprising an elongate member having a connection means at each end to enable the elongate member to be connected in parallel with a lanyard, the body support means including a body support member connected at one end to said elongate member and having a body support loop at an opposite end, the body support member being configurable between a stowed position on the elongate member and an operative position wherein the body support member can support a portion of a user's body to relieve at least a portion of the user's weight from a safety harness.
• the body support member may be automatically deployed from its stowed configuration to its operative configuration when a tensile force applied to the elongate member of the body support means exceeds a predetermined threshold.
• Figure 1 is a front view of the lanyard with the support loop in the stowed position
• Figure 2 is a front view of the lanyard with the support loop in the active position
• Figure 3 is a view of the support loop in the stowed position with the protective cover removed.
• Figure 4 is an alternative embodiment of the invention with the support loop in the stowed position provided as a separate unit attached to an existing lanyard.
• a lanyard being a rope, webbing, chain or other flexible elongate member, is used to support a person in the event of a fall.
• the lanyard (1) incorporates a connection loop at each distal end thereof to enable the lanyard to be connected at one end to a fall protection harness, typically at a dorsal connection, and the opposite end to an anchor point.
• the lanyard (1) incorporates a tear out section (2) capable of dissipating energy in the event of a fall.
• the tear out section (2) comprises an elongate section of material that is folded, the folded section being interconnected, for example by weak stitching or weak interconnecting fibres, and contained beneath a protective cover (3).
• a body support means (4) is attached to the end of the tear out section, nearest the user (5).
• the body support means is normally held in a folded, stowed position beneath the protective cover (3) alongside the tear out section (2).
• the body support means is pulled from the protective cover to occupy an active position wherein the user can obtain additional support from said body support means by placing their foot or knee in a loop provided at the end of the body support means whereby the user can relieve the weight applied to the groin straps.
• adjustment means such as an adjustable buckle, is provided so that the length of said body support means can be varied to fit different sizes of user.
• the loop of said body support means is stiffened, for example by a plastic tube surrounding a region of the loop to hold the loop open to assist the user in placing their foot, leg etc in said lower section.
• said body support means is provided as a separate unit. Said unit being connected in parallel with an existing lanyard (1) incorporating tear out section (2) contained beneath a protective cover (3).
• the body support means (4) is contained beneath a separate protective cover (6) and is releaseably connected to the end of the tear out section nearest the user (5).
• the protective cover (6) is releaseably connected to the end of the tear out section furthest from the user (7). In the event of the user falling, as the tear out section elongates said body support means (4) is pulled from the protective cover (6) to occupy an active position wherein the user can obtain additional support from the body support means.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38068955

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2007
  • 2007-03-15 WO PCT/GB2007/000913 patent/WO2007110581A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-03-15 WO PCT/GB2007/000909 patent/WO2007110580A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-03-15 EP EP07712901A patent/EP1998856A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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