EP4223374A1 - Schutzvorrichtung zum klettern - Google Patents

Schutzvorrichtung zum klettern Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4223374A1
EP4223374A1 EP23152531.2A EP23152531A EP4223374A1 EP 4223374 A1 EP4223374 A1 EP 4223374A1 EP 23152531 A EP23152531 A EP 23152531A EP 4223374 A1 EP4223374 A1 EP 4223374A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cam
angle
lobe
camming
lobes
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP23152531.2A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
David OLDRIDGE
Darren McMaster
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Excalibur Wales Ltd
Original Assignee
Excalibur Wales Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Excalibur Wales Ltd filed Critical Excalibur Wales Ltd
Publication of EP4223374A1 publication Critical patent/EP4223374A1/de
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B29/00—Apparatus for mountaineering
    • A63B29/02—Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropes; Means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
    • A63B29/024—Climbing chocks

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a protection device for use in climbing. It has particular application to a protection device of the type known as a "spring-loaded camming device”, abbreviated "SLCD”.
  • SLCD spring-loaded camming device
  • An SLCD includes a stem on which is carried a head that comprises two or more pivotal cam lobes, each cam lobe being carried on one or more cam axle about which it can rotate.
  • the cam lobes which are sprung to an expanded position, can be drawn to a retracted position by operation of a manual control, typically by drawing the control along the stem. Transition between the expanded and retracted positions is caused by rotation of the cam lobes about the cam axle.
  • the angular position of the cam lobe on the cam axle is referred to as the "lobe angle", will be donated ⁇ , and will be taken to increase as the cam lobes move towards the expanded position.
  • the cam lobes are retracted and the head is inserted into a fissure in a rock.
  • the control is released, to allow the springs to cause the cam lobes to rotate about the cam axle(s) towards the expanded position.
  • the cam lobes make contact with and grip opposing walls of the fissure, and thereby retain the head within the fissure.
  • the cam lobes are arranged such that if a force is applied to the stem that would pull the head from the fissure, the cam lobes are urged to rotate towards the expanded position, thereby enhancing the grip of the cam lobes on the rock.
  • the stem normally includes a loop to which a flexible sling can be connected, typically during manufacture, and/or a carabiner can be connected by a user as required.
  • a camming device is disclosed in EP-A-2 853 296 of the present applicant, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • Each cam lobe has a body that has a centre plane, a pivot axis that extends through the body normal to the centre plane, and an external cam surface that extends across the body parallel to the pivot axis. It is the cam surface that makes contact with the walls of the fissure.
  • each cam lobe is carried on the cam axle(s) to rotate with respect to the head about its pivot axis.
  • the radial distance of the cam surface from the pivot axis, denoted r varies in a continuous curve circumferentially about the pivot axis, the curve closely approximating a logarithmic spiral.
  • a basic property of a logarithmic spiral is the polar slope angle, which corresponds to an important parameter in the design of the cam lobes known in this context as the "camming angle", commonly denoted as ⁇ .
  • the camming angle in the context of a cam lobe is illustrated in Figure 1 . If a radius is extended from the pivot axis through the cam surface, ⁇ is the angle between that radius and a line normal to the cam surface at the point it is intersected by the radius.
  • camming effectiveness may be enhanced by ensuring that the pressure at the contact between the cam surface and the rock be maintained at a value that is close to constant and, in particular, closer to constant than is the case if a logarithmic spiral (i.e., constant camming angle) is approximated.
  • the present invention provides a camming device comprising:
  • the present inventor has gone against convention and the abovementioned disclosures by providing a cam in which the camming angle ⁇ varies at different circumferential locations around the cam surface so as to decrease as the point of contact approaches the tip of the cam lobe - that is, as the cam lobes move in the direction from the retracted to the extended position (that is, as the lobe angle ⁇ increases).
  • the value of ⁇ may vary between a minimum of 10° and a maximum of 20°. Such a range may not necessarily be found in any one embodiment.
  • embodiments may have values of ⁇ that fall within a range of 13.5° ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ 16.5°, while other embodiments may have values of ⁇ that fall within a range 15° ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ 20°.
  • ⁇ decreases linearly with increasing ⁇ .
  • a camming device may be constructed with a minimum of two cam lobes. However, typical embodiments have four or more. In some embodiments of the invention, all of the cam lobes may have a cam angle ⁇ that decreases with lobe angle ⁇ , as described above. In other embodiments, one or more cam lobe may have a constant cam angle and/or one or more cam lobe may have an angle that increases with the value of the lobe angle ⁇ .
  • this invention provides a camming device comprising:
  • t decreases linearly with increasing ⁇ .
  • the invention also provides camming devices that embody both the first and second aspect in combination.
  • a camming device embodying the invention includes a stem 10 that has a pair of eyes 12 at a first end through which sling or a connector can be attached, the stem 10 extending along a stem axis.
  • a head assembly 14 is attached to the opposite end of the stem 10.
  • the head assembly 14 has first and second cam axles 16', 16" that extend along respective cam axes, transverse to the stem axis, parallel to one another and spaced equidistantly from the stem axis.
  • the head assembly 14 further includes a plurality of cam lobes 20 that are substantially identical in this embodiment.
  • Each cam lobe 20 is formed from a single piece of metal with a centre plane and a substantially constant cross-section with several through holes.
  • One of the through holes is a pivot hole 22 of circular cross-section centred on a pivot axis of the cam lobe, the pivot axis extending normal to the centre plane.
  • Another larger hole is a clearance hole 24, the function of which will be described below.
  • Other holes serve to minimise the mass of the lobes.
  • Each cam lobe 20 has a cam surface 30 that forms part of its periphery.
  • the cam surface 30 extends along a locus that approximates to a logarithmic spiral with an origin that coincides with the pivot axis.
  • a plurality of transverse and circumferential grooves are formed in the cam surface 30.
  • Each cam lobe 20 is carried on one of the two cam axles 16', 16", the axle passing through the pivot hole 22.
  • the cam axle 16', 16" is a close sliding fit in the pivot hole 22, such that the cam lobe 20 can pivot on the cam axle 16', 16" about its pivot axis.
  • the other of the cam axles 16', 16" passes through the clearance hole 24, which is shaped and dimensioned to allow pivotal movement of the cam lobe 20 to take place within a working range of lobe angles.
  • This embodiment includes four cam lobes 20, two being carried on each cam axle 16', 16".
  • the two cam lobes 20 closest to the stem 10 are carried on the first cam axle 16' and are arranged in a first orientation.
  • the two cam lobes 20 further from the stem 10 are carried on the second cam axle 16" and are arranged in an opposite orientation.
  • a biasing spring biases each cam lobe 20 about the cam axle 16' upon which it is mounted to one end of its working angular range (which will be referred to as the expanded position) at an angle denoted ⁇ max . Movement beyond the extended position is prevented by the other cam axle 16" reaching the limit of the clearance hole 24.
  • the expanded position which is shown in Figure 1
  • a release trigger 32 is carried on the stem 10. The release trigger 32 can be manually drawn along the stem 10, acting through connecting elements (not shown) to cause the cam lobes 20 to rotate away from the expanded position, movement being limited at a position denoted ⁇ min .
  • cam lobes 20 on the first cam axle 16' rotate in the opposite direction to those on the second cam axle 16". For each cam lobe, rotation in a positive angular direction will be deemed to be rotation towards the expanded position - that would be anticlockwise in the case of the cam of Figure 3 .
  • the release trigger 32 is operated to rotate the cam lobes 20 away from the expanded position until the distance between the cam surfaces in 30 a direction transverse to the stem axis is reduced sufficiently to enable the head assembly 14 to be inserted into a fissure 34 in a rock between two rock surfaces 36.
  • the release trigger 32 is then released to allow the cam lobes 20 to rotate towards the expanded position until their cam surfaces 30 make contact with the rock surfaces 36, as shown in Figure 2 .
  • This angular position of the cam lobes 20 on the axles 16' 16" will be referred to as the locking angle ⁇ look .
  • a loading force F L applied to the stem 10 as shown in Figure 2 tends to urge the four cam lobes 20 in a direction that tends to increase ⁇ towards the expanded position, thereby forcing the cam surfaces 30 into contact with the rock surfaces 36, the contact being approximated to a line that extends across the cam surface 30.
  • the embodiment is conventional in its construction, with the value of ⁇ being substantially constant throughout the working angular range to keep the frictional force constant throughout the working angular range.
  • ⁇ is substantially constant throughout the working angular range to keep the frictional force constant throughout the working angular range.
  • the cam lobes 20 are shaped such that ⁇ decreases as the locking angle increases, so the pressure between the cam surface 30 and the rock surface 36 is more nearly constant with a variation in locking angle that is the case with a cam in which the cam angle ⁇ is constant. That is, the peripheral shape of the cam surface 30 deviates from a logarithmic spiral such that the distance r from the cam axis to the locking surface is progressively less than would be the case for a true logarithmic spiral as ⁇ increases.
  • a decrease in value of ⁇ causes an increase in the locking force applied by the cam surface 30 to the rock surface 36 for a given loading force F L , which compensates for the increase in contact area so as to maintain the contact pressure more nearly constant.
  • one or more cam lobes in embodiments of the invention may have a non-constant thickness, as shown in Figure 4 .
  • the thickness t decreases with an increase in l ⁇ . This reduces the width of the contact between the cam surface 30 to the rock surface 36, so reducing the contact area and for a given reaction force F R increasing the contact pressure.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Pulmonology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Valve-Gear Or Valve Arrangements (AREA)
  • Gears, Cams (AREA)
EP23152531.2A 2022-02-07 2023-01-19 Schutzvorrichtung zum klettern Pending EP4223374A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2201549.9A GB2615745A (en) 2022-02-07 2022-02-07 Protection device for use in climbing

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4223374A1 true EP4223374A1 (de) 2023-08-09

Family

ID=85018916

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP23152531.2A Pending EP4223374A1 (de) 2022-02-07 2023-01-19 Schutzvorrichtung zum klettern

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP4223374A1 (de)
GB (1) GB2615745A (de)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2158540A (en) * 1984-05-05 1985-11-13 Edelmann & Ridder Gmbh & Co Climbing device for mountaineers
US4645149A (en) * 1985-09-04 1987-02-24 Lowe Alpine Systems, Inc. Camming device for climbers
WO1997010877A1 (en) * 1995-09-22 1997-03-27 Hugh Irving Banner Rock fissure cam device
US5860629A (en) * 1996-09-06 1999-01-19 Reed; Max W. Climbing aid having movable axle
US20050037023A1 (en) 2003-08-12 2005-02-17 Metolius Mountain Products, Inc. Mechanical climbing aid of the cam type
US20060231708A1 (en) * 2005-04-18 2006-10-19 Robertson Bryson D R Camming device for climbing or use thereof
EP2853296A1 (de) 2013-09-26 2015-04-01 DMM International Ltd Schutzvorrichtung zur Verwendung beim Klettern

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090230268A1 (en) * 2008-03-17 2009-09-17 Maltsev Alexandre S Camming device for anchoring to rock protrusions
WO2020110081A1 (en) * 2018-11-30 2020-06-04 Matteo Vianini Anchoring and support climbing device

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2158540A (en) * 1984-05-05 1985-11-13 Edelmann & Ridder Gmbh & Co Climbing device for mountaineers
US4645149A (en) * 1985-09-04 1987-02-24 Lowe Alpine Systems, Inc. Camming device for climbers
WO1997010877A1 (en) * 1995-09-22 1997-03-27 Hugh Irving Banner Rock fissure cam device
US5860629A (en) * 1996-09-06 1999-01-19 Reed; Max W. Climbing aid having movable axle
US20050037023A1 (en) 2003-08-12 2005-02-17 Metolius Mountain Products, Inc. Mechanical climbing aid of the cam type
US7740223B2 (en) 2003-08-12 2010-06-22 Metolius Mountain Products, Inc. Mechanical climbing aid of the cam type
US7802770B2 (en) 2003-08-12 2010-09-28 Metolius Mountain Products, Inc. Mechanical climbing aid of the cam type
US20060231708A1 (en) * 2005-04-18 2006-10-19 Robertson Bryson D R Camming device for climbing or use thereof
EP2853296A1 (de) 2013-09-26 2015-04-01 DMM International Ltd Schutzvorrichtung zur Verwendung beim Klettern

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2615745A (en) 2023-08-23

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