FR2812055A1 - Safety device for kite pilot's harness end comprises ring fixed to end by removable spindle fixed to pilot by cord and safety bracelet - Google Patents

Abstract

The jettison safety device for a harness end comprises a ring (7) fixed to an end (5) by a removable spindle (12). The spindle is fixed to the pilot by a cord (9) and a safety bracelet (15) enabling the pilot to activate the jettison system.

Description

i The present invention relates to a safety device for tips

of

  harnesses, in particular those used for the practice of traction kite.

  It is well known to produce ropes 5 forming ends of harnesses with two sides for fixing in strap 2 and 11 on the control rod 1, and protected in small flexible tubes 4. This type of end has the advantage of be particularly simple. It forms a "U" and allows the pilot with an adequate harness fitted with a hook to hang from the

steering bar.

  This system, which is widely used in windsurfing, can be dangerous for traction kites. In fact, when the pilot undergoes very strong traction while being hooked, in particular during a fall, the weight and inertia of his body prevents him from being released from this end of the harness 5. In emergency situations , the effort required to release the end of the harness hook is no longer possible and the pilot can be trained or thrown on an obstacle. It is easy to imagine different security systems using a trip control arranged in a location of the given aircraft or pilot. This is called active safety, that is to say requiring from the pilot a voluntary and reflective act. Outside, in an emergency or high stress situation, few practitioners are certain

  to have the presence of mind to make a specific gesture in a specific place.

  So the principle of passive safety is to not require from the

  pilot that a reflex act to trigger his system.

  The object of the present invention is therefore a passive safety system, where the pilot in an emergency situation to detach himself from his harness, only needs to let go of his bar and spread his arm controlling the system. The object of the present invention is to equip a harness end with a release system 10 allowing the pilot to free himself effortlessly

  excessive by reflex movement when necessary.

  The invention will be better understood by referring to the figures: - Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the end of the harness 5

  equipped with a release system 10 at rest.

  - Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the end of the harness 5

  equipped with a release system 10 triggered.

  - Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the end of

  harness 5 equipped with a release system 10 at rest.

  - Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the end of

  harness 5 equipped with a release system 10 triggered.

  - Figures 5, 7 and 9 show other embodiments of the end of the harness 5 equipped with a release system 10 at rest. - Figures 6, 8 and 10 show other exemplary embodiments of

  end of harness 5 equipped with a release system 10 triggered.

  The safety device for end of harness according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises: - a release system 10, mainly consisting of a ring 7, an axis 12 and a tip 5, and allowing voluntary separation from

  minus one side of the said end with the steering bar 1.

  The principle of the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention consists in integrating a release system under load, near a side for fixing by strap 11 of the end of the harness 5 formed. The opposite side of fastening by strap 2 receives at its end 3 the end 5 protected by a flexible plastic tube 4. These elements are secured

  between them by a seam or any other suitable means at the end 3.

  The other side for fixing by strap 11 receives a metal ring of shape

oval 7.

  According to other embodiments, this ring 7 can be replaced in its function by an eyelet fixed in the strap 1 1, or directly by a sewn fold of this strap 1 1 forming a rigid orifice equivalent to

the ring 7.

  The end of the end 5 projecting from the tube 4 to which it is integral is provided with a retaining node 6. A loop 13 is formed with the end 5 in order to arrange said loop through the ring 7. A rigid floating axis 12, constituted in particular by a metal clip provided with a fixing hole 8 is disposed through the loop 13 in order to secure, even under strong

  load, the end 5 at the side of fastening by strap 11.

  A homogeneous harness end is thus obtained, to which the pilot can hang by means of a conventional harness provided with a hook, not shown. The axis 12 is integral with a link 9, via its fixing hole 8. According to another exemplary embodiment, this axis is constituted by a hollow rigid tube, in particular metallic, so as to receive the link directly

9 inside.

  The pilot is permanently attached to said link 9 via a safety bracelet 15, attached to his wrist (not shown). The length of this link 9 is calculated so as to operate a very slight tension when the hand of the pilot receiving the bracelet 15 is in its proper place on the pilot bar 1. If necessary, the pilot simply has only to further separate his arm from the release system 10 so that the axis 12 comes out of its housing and thus releases the loop 13 at the end 5, as shown in FIG. 2. Said pilot bar being released, the pilot is not more united than

  i the bracelet 15 / link 9 / axis 12 assembly to which it is attached.

  According to other exemplary embodiments, the loop can be produced in different ways, in particular by placing the side of node 6 down so as to obtain, in addition to the blocking effected by said node, an effect

  self-locking tip 5 on itself relative to the ring 7.

  i5 It will be noted that the node 6 can be positioned in different places of the said end, the length of which in FIG. 1 is not representative. So

  the user can adjust the length himself.

  Indeed, the node 6 abuts, under load, against the ring 7 and

  determines the useful length of the end 5.

  According to another configuration mode, the axis 12 is this time integral with the end 5 still through a node 6 (Figure 3). Said axis, of adequate length, passes through the ring 7 and is then held pressed against the end 5 by a strip of removable self-gripping fabric 14 (shown in FIG. 3 in transparency for more understanding), wound on it - even around the axis 12 / end 5 / ring 7 assembly. In this way, even a strong pull on the end 5 cannot release the release system 10. The self-gripping fabric strip 14 is secured by sewing or any other appropriate means of the link 9. This said cord is always connected to a wrist of the user as in the previous example by a bracelet 15. Thus, a lateral pull carried out by the hand of the pilot connected to said bracelet will open the winding of the self-gripping fabric 14 and releasing the axis 12 under the traction of the tip 5. Said axis pivots by its

  free end in the ring 7 and is detached therefrom (FIG. 4).

  According to a variant, this self-gripping fabric is replaced in its function by a clip or a snap button in particular, fixed on a strip of fabric, or more generally any element offering mechanical characteristics

  suitable for fixing while remaining removable from its support.

  According to other exemplary embodiments, the elements of the examples described above are assembled in a different manner. The example described according to FIG. 1, in this case, sees the ring 7 no longer joined strap 11, but at the end of the end 5 by a seam or a knot. The end by strap 11 is provided with a piece of rope identical to the end 5 with a knot 6 and fulfilling the same function. The bracelet 15 / link 9 / axis 12 assembly does not change and operates in an identical manner to that described above. The same inversion is also applicable according to the example described in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The bracelet 15 / link 9 / self-gripping fabric strip 14 assembly does not change. In fact, o the ring 7 or the like can be on one side or the other of the system of

drop 10.

  According to another variant, the fixing side 11 directly consists of a rope identical to the end 5 and fixed to the bar 1 by a knot or any

other appropriate means.

  i5 The safety bracelet 15 will be, for convenience, the same as that used for conventional wing security (not shown), that is to say that with a single bracelet 15, a first rope will go up. type 9 for the wing and to the side another link 9

  for the tip release system.

  According to another variant, the release system 10 mainly consists of a series of rings 7A, 7B, 7C, distributed in a pair 7B, 7C secured on one side, in particular on the strap 1, so as to accommodate with stability axis 12 (fig5 / 6). Between these two rings 7B and 7C, is housed

  the single ring 7A, secured to the end 5 by an appropriate fixing method.

  The axis 12 crosses the said ring at its junction with the pair 7B / 7C, thus creating a resistant assembly between these three rings. In the same way as in previous examples, the principle of dropping by a link 9 is respected. A lateral pull on the said rope drives the axis 12 out of the rings 7A / 7B / 7C and the dissociation of the end 5 with the side of

strap 11.

  According to a variant of the examples using an axis 12, this said axis consists of a conventional metal pin with self-locking strand return in "Z" (not shown), that is to say that this pin self-locks in place by applying pressure to the element it covers. This arrangement keeps the pin in place until

some extraction force.

  According to another embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8, the end itself passes around the bar 1 to provide a fixing side. On the opposite side, there is a loop 13 with the said end, by a knot or a seam. A ring 7 has been previously passed around the end, itself protected from wear by a tube 4. The loop 13 is passed by the user around the bar 1, then through the ring 7. L the end of the loop 13 is then blocked by the axis 12. By this configuration, the whole of the release system 10 formed is integral with the bar 1 and instantaneously released by conventional traction on the axis 12, by the link 9 and

bracelet 15.

  no According to a variant not shown of this example, the ring 7 consists of a torso chain link, in order to present the ideal alignment, that is to say that the link is not on a single plane but that 'it is twisted so that its two ends form between them a substantially right angle. The advantage of this configuration is that it requires only a small force

  axis 12 extraction, even under heavy load.

  According to a variant not shown of this example, the ring 7 is formed directly by a knotted or sewn loop of the end 5 forming

  a ring with appropriate mechanical characteristics.

  According to a variant, also not shown, the axis 12 is provided with a retention system such as self-gripping fabric, as well as the loop 13, so as to always remain in place when handling without load of

  the entire security system 10.

  All of these devices apply to all ends of harness for the practice of activities requiring it, but also to sail incidence adjustment systems using a movable type 5 end secured to

a steering bar 1.

  The different embodiments of end fixing 5 on the bar 1 exposed above are applicable with the different examples of

  release systems also exposed.

  According to another exemplary embodiment of the release system 10 shown according to FIGS. 9 and 10, the axis 12 can be curved, made in particular of metal and thus allowing great ease of extraction.

  whichever direction you pull.

  The end 5 shown identically to the previous examples, and protected by a tube 4, is extended by a main strap 53 of which it is secured by a seam or any other suitable means. The distal end of this main strap 53 is extended by a link forming a loop 13. This link can also be secured to the main strap 53 by a seam. A secondary strap 54, of suitable length and integral with the main strap 53, is provided with an eyelet 55 in its center. A ring

  conventional 7 is arranged around the tube 4.

  To implement this example of a device, the main strap 53 is passed around the tube 1, then through the ring 7. Finally, the link forming a loop 13 at the end of the main strap 53, passes through the eyelet 55. The system is then locked when the axis 12 passes through

  of the link forming a loop 13, above the eyelet 55 (see FIG. 9).

  The major advantage of this variant is to greatly increase the efforts undergone by the said axis. So even under very heavy load on tip 5,

  it is easy to extract the axis 12 and free one of the sides of said end.

  In addition, this axis can be equipped with self-gripping fabric (not shown) in order to ensure minimum maintenance and thus avoid

nuisance trips.

  Note the use of the main strap 53 may be justified for reasons of assembly during manufacture, in particular the secondary strap 54, but is not imperative to the production of this variant. Indeed, the end 5 can be extended sufficiently so that it directly receives a secondary strap 54 intended to receive the eyelet 55. In this case, care will be taken to ensure that all of these elements are properly sized so that they correctly fit into each other, in particular the end of the tip 5 forming a loop 13 in the eyelet 55 then the axis 12 blocking the whole. This variant in fact imposes a further return to the end of the tip 5 via the ring 7, thereby thereby further reducing the force required to extract the axis 12, thus

  that multidirectionality of meaning this extraction.

  It will be noted that for all of the examples of embodiments exposed, the use of the safety bracelet 15 is not compulsory. Indeed, pilots who do not wish to be systematically retained at link 9 by a bracelet can replace this said bracelet by a gripping element (not shown), in particular a floating ball or a handle. In this case, the pilot in difficulty wishing to disassociate himself from his harness end assembly must voluntarily pull this gripping element in order to extract the axis 12 and free himself. In this configuration, the link 9 will be of adapted length so as not to hinder the maneuvers of the pilot or

  cause nuisance trips.

Claims (7)

  1 / End of harness for steering bar, characterized in that it comprises: - a release system 10, consisting in particular of a ring 7, an axis 12 and a tip 5, and allowing voluntary separation at least one   side of the said end with the steering bar 1.   2 / end of harness for steering bar, according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one end of a tip 5 is fixed around the   bar 1 by a loop 13, a ring 7, and secured by a pin 12.   io 3 / harness end for steering bar, according to claims 1 and 2,   characterized in that the axis 12 is removable by means of a link 9.   4 / end of harness for steering rod, according to claims 1, 2 and 3,   characterized in that a loop 13, extending the end 5, passes around the tube 1, successively by a ring 7 and an eyelet 55, and is blocked by unaxe12.   / End of harness for steering bar, according to claims 1, 2 and 3,   characterized in that the axis 12 is secured to the loop 13 of the rope 5 by   self-gripping fabric or other suitable restraint system.   6 / End of harness for steering bar, according to any one   previous claims, characterized in that the axis 12 is shaped noticeably curved.   7 / End of harness for steering bar, according to any one   previous claims, characterized in that a main strap 53   connects one end of the tip 5 to the loop 13.   8 / harness end for steering bar, according to claims 1, 2 and 3,   characterized in that the ring 7 consists of at least one link of chain, especially torso.   9 / end of harness for steering bar, according to claim 1, characterized in that an axis 12, fixed at one end of the end 5, passes through a ring 7 and is held pressed against said end by a strip of self-gripping fabric 14.   / End of harness for steering bar, according to claim 1 characterized in that a link 9 is fixed to the strip of self-gripping fabric   removable 14, allowing the release system 10 to be actuated.