EP3017847A1 - Safety harness and life line comprising such a harness - Google Patents

Abstract

Safety harness (1), made from flexible bands with high mechanical resistance, comprising at its upper part a torso (2), at its lower part a bib (3), a ventral attachment zone (10) to attachment means (11) for the roping of the user, and opening / closing means (9) allowing, in the open position, the lateral expansion of the harness (1) away from a vertical median plane (1-1) for its installation or removal, and allowing, in the closed position, maintaining the harness (1) around the body of the user. The torso harness (2) comprises two straps (7, 8). The shorts (3) comprises a pair of leg loops (4, 5) on either side of the vertical median plane (1-1). The ventral attachment zone (10) is permanently closed, formed by the junction of the ventral ends of the two shoulder straps (7, 8) and the attachment means (11). The respective dorsal portions (7a, 8a) of the two shoulder straps are disposed entirely on either side of the vertical median plane (1-1) and are connected to one another by a dorsal closure (9) forming said means opening / closing.

Description

The present invention relates to safety harnesses for connecting a user to a rope or other restraint system.

Many types of safety harnesses are already known, forming either a simple harness consisting of a belt secured to a pair of thighs, or a complete harness having moreover shoulder straps. Single harnesses can be used on normal adult users with their center of gravity normally below the waist. Full-body harnesses are preferred for use on obese adult users or children, with their center of gravity tending to be above the waist.

For example, the document FR 2 604 097 A1 describes a complete harness, made from flexible bands with high mechanical strength, comprising at its upper part a torso, at its lower part a bib, a ventral attachment zone for the roping of a user, and means opening / closing, in the open position, the lateral expansion of the harness away from a vertical median plane for its installation or removal, and allowing, in the closed position, the maintenance of the harness around the body of the user. The torso harness comprises two shoulder straps that cross in the back and are connected to the front by the ventral attachment zone. The shorts comprise a pair of thigh turns disposed respectively on either side of the vertical median plane.

In the known harnesses, in particular that described in the document mentioned above, the opening / closing means are arranged in the ventral attachment zone, to be easily accessible by the user for donning or removing the harness. Thus, the ventral attachment zone comprises both the opening / closing means, and a fastening means for connecting the harness to a rope or other restraint system. In particular, the ventral attachment zone generally comprises, as attachment means, a catching loop in which the user can pass a carabiner with annular body and closure finger possibly secured by a ring. The user can permanently open the closing finger to detach the harness vis-à-vis the rope or other restraint system, and it can permanently open the means of opening / closing the harness.

The known harnesses are quite suitable for use by an experienced user, who can easily put on or remove the harness by operating the opening / closing means, but is aware enough not to risk causing an inadvertent opening of the carabiner attachment or opening / closing means of the harness, opening then removing the user's hold and no longer ensuring its safety against falls.

However, known harnesses do not provide sufficient security in the case of an inexperienced user, or a child, or in the case where increased safety rules are made mandatory.

This is particularly the case in adventure courses, because it is necessary to ensure the safety of inexperienced or minor users. Such adventure courses are equipped with one or more life lines comprising a continuous wire link connected to successive fixed points by flat spacers. The harnesses are connected to the wire link by a lanyard and carabiners.

When the known safety harnesses are used, it is then necessary for a surveillance staff to ensure a quasi-continuous presence along the route, so as to prevent the user from deliberately becoming unintentionally detached and thus no longer restrained by the lifeline.

With known safety harnesses, attempts have been made so far to improve safety by providing for fixed attachment of the lanyard to the ventral attachment zone. But this simultaneously leads to permanently maintain in the closed position the opening / closing means of the harness. Certainly the user can no longer separate the harness vis-à-vis the lanyard that connects to the carabiner security engaged around the continuous wired link. But the user can not, either, open the harness to put on or remove. The operations of threading or removal of the harness are then very complex, long and tedious.

The idea underlying the invention is to give the harness additional properties so that it, at the same time, retains a great facility to put on or remove, and ensures better safety by avoiding inadvertent openings or detachments of the harness.

A problem proposed by the present invention is therefore to design a new harness structure which is very easy to put on or take off, and which simultaneously prevents the user from opening the opening / closing means when these have been closed.

A second problem proposed by the present invention is to design such a new harness structure that prevents the user from separating the harness vis-à-vis the security carabiner engaged around the lifeline.

A third problem proposed by the present invention and to design a lifeline associated with harnesses and arranged in such a way that The user can not, by himself, open the harness or detach it from the continuous wired link of the lifeline.

• la zone d'attache ventrale est fermée en permanence, formée de la jonction des extrémités ventrales des deux bretelles et du moyen d'attache,
• les parties dorsales respectives des deux bretelles sont disposées entièrement de part et d'autre du plan médian vertical et sont reliées l'une à l'autre par une fermeture dorsale formant lesdits moyens d'ouverture/fermeture.

For this, according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a safety harness, made from flexible bands with high mechanical strength, comprising at its upper part a torso, at its lower part a bib, a ventral attachment zone means for fastening the user, and means for opening / closing, in the open position, the lateral expansion of the harness away from a vertical median plane for its installation or its removal, and allowing, in the closed position, maintaining the harness around the body of the user, the torso with two shoulder straps, the shorts comprising a pair of thighs on either side of the vertical median plane; according to the invention, provision is furthermore made for:

• the ventral attachment zone is permanently closed, formed by the junction of the ventral ends of the two shoulder straps and the attachment means,
• the respective dorsal portions of the two straps are disposed entirely on either side of the vertical median plane and are connected to one another by a dorsal closure forming said opening / closing means.

Because the opening / closing means of the harness are placed in the back position, these means are difficult to access by the user wearing the harness. This reduces the opportunity for the user to break away from the lifeline. This is all the more effective if it is anticipated that the back closure requires some maneuvering force, or some agility of the fingers of the user.

In order to give the harness a large capacity of opening and closing to facilitate the maneuvers of threading and withdrawal of the harness when the back closure is open, it is advantageous to provide that each strap develops from the ventral attachment zone to 'to one of the thighs of the shorts.

In addition, it can also be provided that the ventral attachment zone is connected to each thigh of the legwarmer by a respective ventral binding strap.

In practice each ventral binding strap may be formed by the extension of one of the straps, said straps intersecting in the ventral attachment zone.

To further increase safety, it can be advantageously provided that the back closure comprises security locking means prohibiting any opening maneuver by a hand of the user.

In this way, the detachment of the user can be ensured only by an intervention of an external party who has specific means for operating the locking means to ensure the opening of the back closure.

According to a practical embodiment, it is possible to limit the possibilities of access to the safety locking means, by making them accessible, for unlocking, only through at least one small-diameter unlocking hole in the back closure and in the which an operator can engage an unlocking tool lug.

In this way, the outside party must have the unlocking tool to release the user. In other words, in an adventure course, another user who does not have the unlocking tool can not open the harness itself. It is thus possible to significantly reduce the number of people needed to ensure the safety of users on a lifeline, said users can not detach themselves from the lifeline until the end of the course where a person with the unlocking tool can release them.

According to a second aspect, the invention provides for preventing any maneuver detachment of the harness vis-à-vis the security carabiner engaged on the continuous wire link of the lifeline.

According to a first embodiment, this can be done by providing to hang the harness to the lanyard by a carabiner provided with locking means inaccessible to the user.

According to a second embodiment, this can be done by providing that the attachment means comprises a lanyard, one end of which is secured to the ventral attachment zone, and the other end of which comprises a fastening loop to the carabiner of security.

According to a third aspect of the invention, provision is made for a lifeline, comprising a continuous wired link connected to successive fixed points by flat struts, and at least one safety harness as defined above, connected to the wired link. continuous by a safety carabiner and by a lanyard having two ends respectively secured to the safety carabiner and the harness, the safety carabiner having an annular body provided with a slot allowing the passage of flat spacers but whose size is smaller than that link continuous wired and lanyard loop to prohibit the user any possibility of disengaging the safety harness vis-à-vis the continuous wired link.

The lifeline can advantageously be associated with at least one dorsal closure unlocking tool, said tool comprising at least one lug adapted to penetrate into an unlocking hole of said back closure to ensure its unlocking.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique d'avant d'un harnais selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique d'arrière du harnais de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique d'avant du harnais de la figure 1, engagé sur le corps d'un utilisateur ;
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique illustrant les moyens principaux d'une ligne de vie selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique de face d'une fermeture dorsale selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention, ladite fermeture dorsale étant destinée à être associée à des sangles assurant sa liaison aux parties dorsales des bretelles ;
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique éclatée de la fermeture dorsale de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 7 est une vue de côté droit de la fermeture dorsale de la figure 5 ; et
• la figure 8 illustre un outil de déverrouillage de la fermeture dorsale.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of particular embodiments, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

• the figure 1 is a schematic front view of a harness according to one embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 2 is a schematic rear view of the harness of the figure 1 ;
• the figure 3 is a schematic front view of the harness of the figure 1 , engaged on the body of a user;
• the figure 4 is a schematic view illustrating the main means of a lifeline according to one embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 5 is a diagrammatic front view of a back closure according to one embodiment of the invention, said back closure being intended to be associated with straps ensuring its connection to the dorsal parts of the straps;
• the figure 6 is a schematic exploded view of the dorsal closure of the figure 5 ;
• the figure 7 is a right side view of the back closure of the figure 5 ; and
• the figure 8 illustrates a tool for unlocking the back closure.

In the embodiment illustrated on the figures 1 and 2 , the safety harness 1 comprises, at its upper part, a torso 2, and at its lower part, a shorts 3.

The shorts 3 comprises a right thigh 4 and a left thigh 5, respectively disposed on either side of a vertical median plane I-I. The two leg loops 4 and 5 are connected to each other by a transverse link 6 which limits the spacing, but that can however be removed.

The torso harness 2 comprises a right shoulder strap 7 and a left shoulder strap 8. The respective dorsal portions 7a and 8a of the shoulder straps 7 and 8 are disposed entirely on either side of the vertical median plane II and are connected to each other. 9. The back closure 9 is disposed in the vicinity of the middle of the dorsal portion 7a or 8a of the shoulder straps 7 and 8, to make it the least accessible possible by the user equipped with the safety harness 1.

The respective ventral portions 7b and 8b of the shoulder straps 7 and 8 meet in a ventral attachment zone 10 provided with attachment means 11. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. figures 1 and 2 , the attachment means 11 is a simple loop.

Each strap 7 and 8 extends upwardly from the ventral attachment zone 10 and back down to the respective leg turn on the same side of the vertical median plane I-I. In this case, the right shoulder strap 7 forms a loop between the ventral attachment zone 10 and the right leg loop 4. Similarly, the left shoulder 8 forms a loop between the ventral attachment zone 10 and the lap of left thigh 5.

The ventral attachment zone 10 is further connected to each of the thighs 4 and 5 of the shorts 3 by a respective ventral connection strap 8c and 7c.

In practice, each ventral connecting strap 7c and 8c is formed by the extension of a corresponding strap 7 and 8, said straps 7 and 8 intersecting in the ventral attachment zone 10 to which they are secured.

The straps 7 and 8 comprise length adjustment loops 12 and 13 disposed in their dorsal portions 7a and 8a so as to be inaccessible to the user wearing the harness.

Similarly, the leg loops 4 and 5 have respective length adjustment loops 14 and 15, to adapt the size of the leg loops 4 and 5 to the morphology of the user.

We now consider the figure 3 , illustrating the harness equipping a user 100. The set is seen from the front. The dorsal portion of the torso with the dorsal straps 7a and 8a is distinguished by a dashed line, and with the dorsal closure 9 located approximately at the height of the armpits of the user 100.

The safety harness 1 according to the invention is made from flexible bands with high mechanical strength, for example a braid of synthetic materials based on polyamide having a width of a few centimeters. The connection between the straps 7 and 8 and the leg loops 4 and 5 is provided by respective seams 16 and 17 ( figure 2 ). Similarly, the connection between the two straps themselves 7 and 8 with the attachment means 11 in the ventral attachment zone 10 is performed by seams 18.

We now consider Figures 5 to 7 , illustrating an embodiment of the back closure 9.

There is a closure body 9a and a removable loop 9b, each provided with a respective slot 9c or 9d for the passage of a closure strap 9th or 9th ( figures 1 and 2 ) secured by seams 19 or 20 to the respective dorsal part 7a or 8a of the straps 7 or 8.

The closure body 9a is in two parts, namely a base 9g and a lid 9h, secured to one another by rivets 9i. The closure body 9a has a longitudinal passage 9j for engaging a lug 9k with shoulders 9ℓ1 and 9ℓ2 of the removable loop 9b. The closure body 9a further comprises a transverse passage 9m in which slide two lateral latches 9n and 9o biased outwardly by respective springs 9p and 9q fixed on the closure body 9a.

The latch 9n has an outer end 9n1, which can protrude from the closure body 9a, and an inner end 9n2 which remains engaged inside the closure body 9a. Each of the two ends comprises a shoulder, the general structure of the latch 9n thus being U-shaped. When the back closure 9 is mounted, the spring 9p, of coil-type compression spring, bears against the shoulder of the outer end. 9n1 to push the latch 9n outwards, that is to say upwards on the figure 6 . The inner end 9n2 is on the other side of the longitudinal passage 9j, to engage in the shoulder 9ℓ2 of the lug 9 to ensure the locking of the removable loop 9b.

The latch 9o has a similar structure, with an outer end 9o1 and an inner end 9o2, with a U-shape, the spring 9q engaging against a shoulder of the outer end 9o1 to push the latch 9o outwardly . The inner end 9o2 is on the other side of the longitudinal passage 9j and is engaged against the shoulder 9ℓ1 of the lug 9k to lock the removable loop 9b.

In the engagement position of the lug 9k of the detachable buckle 9b in the closure body 9a, the latches 9n and 9o pushed by the springs 9p and 9q engage behind the shoulders 9ℓ1 and 9ℓ2, preventing the withdrawal of the buckle removable 9b and thus the opening of the back closure 9.

As illustrated on figures 5 and 7 , the closure body 9a is further surrounded by a protective ring 9r, covering both ends of the transverse passage 9m, and having, in the vicinity of each of the ends of the transverse passage 9m, an unlocking hole 9s of small diameter, small enough to prohibit the passage of a user's finger, the diameter preferably being about 3 mm.

Thanks to the presence of the protective ring 9r and the small diameter 9s unlocking holes, the opening of the back closure 9 is not possible with a simple manual action by the fingers of the user. This opening requires having a double unlocking tool 21, illustrated on the figure 8 , formed of a flexible link 21a connecting two pins 21b and 21c able to be engaged in the corresponding unlocking holes 9s provided in the protective ring 9r of the closure body 9a to solicit the locks 9n and 9o to the gap of the pin 9k of the removable loop 9b.

We now consider the figure 4 which illustrates the essential elements of a lifeline according to the present invention.

The lifeline comprises a continuous wire link 22 connected to successive fixed points such as the fixed point 23, by flat spacers such as the spacer 24, the spacer having a thickness E significantly less than the diameter of the continuous wired link 22 .

The continuous wire link 22 receives safety carabiners such as the safety carabiner 25. Such a safety carabiner 25 comprises an annular body 25a provided with a slot 25b. The size of the annular body 25a is chosen sufficient so that its interior space is traversed with clearance by the continuous wire link 22 on which it is slidably engaged. The dimension of the slot 25b is chosen to be large enough to allow the passage of a spacer 24 according to its thickness E, and sufficiently small to prevent the passage of the continuous wire link 22. In this way, the safety carabiner 25 slides on the link wired continuous 22 and can not be detached by the user, throughout the course. The surveillance personnel can nevertheless open the security carabiner 25, which comprises for this a pivoting finger locked by locking means whose actuation requires the use of a tool such as the tool illustrated on the figure 8 .

As illustrated on the figure 4 , the lifeline further comprises at least one safety harness 1, such as that illustrated on the Figures 1 to 3 , and on which only the ventral attachment zone 10 has been illustrated.

The safety harness 1 is connected to the continuous wire link 22 by the safety carabiner 25 and by a lanyard 26 having two ends 26a and 26b respectively secured to the safety carabiner 25 and a hooking loop 11a of the safety harness. 1. In the realization illustrated on this figure 4 , the two ends 26a and 26b of the lanyard 26 are looped, the first end loop 26a being traversed by the safety carabiner 25, the second end loop 26b being engaged in the attachment loop 11a of the safety harness 1. In this case, it is understood that the lanyard 26 is permanently secured to the ventral attachment zone 10, and thus constitutes one of the elements of the attachment means 11 in association with the attachment loop 11a. In other words, in this case, the safety harness 1 comprises a fastening means 11 including the lanyard 26. According to a variant, the lanyard 26 can be secured by seams to the ventral attachment zone 10.

To prevent unwanted detachment of the lanyard 26 vis-à-vis the carabiner 25, it is expected that the lanyard 26 is made by means of a braid or cord whose diameter is greater than that of the slot 25b.

Under these conditions, a user equipped with the safety harness 1 can not detach from the lifeline, since he can neither open the safety harness 1 nor detach the safety harness 1 from the safety harness 1. 26, or separate the lanyard 26 vis-à-vis the security carabiner 25, or separate the carabiner 25 vis-à-vis the continuous wired link 22.

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

Claims (11)

- Safety harness (1), made from flexible bands with high mechanical resistance, comprising at its upper part a torso harness (2), at its lower part a bib (3), a ventral attachment zone (10) with attachment means (11) for the roping of a user (100), and opening / closing means allowing, in the open position, the lateral expansion of the harness (1) away from a vertical median plane (1-1) for its installation or removal, and allowing, in the closed position, maintaining the harness (1) around the body of the user (100), the torso (2) comprising two straps (7, 8), the shorts (3) comprising a pair of leg loops (4, 5) on either side of the vertical median plane (II),
characterized in that - the ventral attachment zone (10) is permanently closed, formed by the junction of the ventral ends of the two shoulder straps (7, 8) and the attachment means (11), the respective dorsal portions (7a, 8a) of the two shoulder straps (7, 8) are arranged entirely on either side of the vertical median plane (II) and are connected to one another by a dorsal closure (9 ) forming said opening / closing means. - Safety harness (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each strap develops from the ventral attachment zone (10) to one of the thighs (4, 5) of the shorts (3) . - Safety harness (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the ventral attachment zone (10) is further connected to each thigh (4, 5) of the bib (3) by a respective ventral binding strap (7c or 8c). - Safety harness (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that each ventral connecting strap (7c or 8c) is formed by the extension of one of the straps (7, 8), said straps intersecting in the area ventral attachment (10). - Safety harness (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the straps (7, 8) comprise length adjustment loops (12, 13) arranged in their dorsal parts (7a, 8a). ). - Safety harness (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the leg loops (4, 5) are connected to each other by a transverse link (6) which limits the spacing. - Safety harness (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the back closure (9) comprises safety locking means (9n, 9o) prohibiting any opening maneuver by a hand of the user (100). - Safety harness (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the safety locking means (9n, 9o) are accessible, for unlocking, through at least one unlocking hole (9s) of small diameter formed in the dorsal closure (9) and wherein an operator can engage a pin (21b, 21c) of unlocking tool (21). - Safety harness (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the attachment means (11) comprises a lanyard (26), one end (26b) is integral with the area of ventral fastener (10), and the other end (26a) comprises a fastening loop to a safety carabiner (25). - Lifeline, comprising a continuous wire link (22) connected to successive fixed points (23) by spacers (24) flat, characterized in that it comprises at least one safety harness (1) according to one any of claims 1 to 9, connected to the continuous wire link (22) by a safety carabiner (25) and a lanyard (26) having two ends (26a, 26b) secured respectively to the safety carabiner (25) and the harness (1), the safety carabiner (25) having an annular body provided with a slot (25b) allowing the passage of spacers (24) flat but whose size is smaller than that of the continuous wire link (22) and the lanyard loop (26a) to prohibit the user any possibility of detaching the safety harness (1) vis-à-vis the continuous wire link (22). - Lifeline according to claim 10, characterized in that it is associated with at least one unlocking tool (21) dorsal closure (9), said tool (21) comprising at least one lug (21b, 21c)) adapted to penetrate into an unlocking hole (9s) of said back closure (9) to ensure its unlocking.

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