FR2820474A1 - Self-locking snap hook, has pivoting stirrup whose lower end engages with lower end of hook to close it, hook being deformed when axial force is applied above threshold value and end of stirrup locked in place by lug fitting into seating - Google Patents

Abstract

The self-locking snap hook has a pivoting stirrup (5) whose lower end (7) engages with the lower end (3) of the hook to close it. When an axial force (F) is applied which exceeds a threshold value, the hook is slightly deformed and the end of the stirrup is locked in place by a lug (13) which fits into a seating (16) on the hook.

Description

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SELF-LOCKING CARABINER
The present invention relates to self-locking carabiners, generally used for the practice of mountaineering, speleology or other similar activities.

 The most commonly used carabiners to date have a general shape of an elongated closed ring consisting of a body having a curved C-shaped structure with two ends facing one another and separated by a space d opening, with a movable finger of which a first end is pivotally articulated on a first end of the body along a transverse axis to pivot between an open position freeing the opening space and a closed position in which a second end of the finger s 'engages on a second end of the body.

 The respective second ends of the body and of the finger are generally shaped according to complementary shapes, respectively a male end shape and a female end shape, in order to fit one into the other at the end of the closing movement in the pivot plane. The complementary shapes are adapted to limit the progression of the finger towards the outside beyond its closed position, thus ensuring a possibility of holding the carabiner during a transverse traction force.

 To ensure good resistance during longitudinal traction, FIGS. 1 and 2 of document WO-A-88 03826 teach to use complementary hook shapes, for example a shape of finger end or engaged hook body on a body or finger end cross member. These hook shapes limit the axial spacing of the respective second ends of the body and of the finger during deformation of the carabiner body under axial tensile stress. Simultaneously, the hook shapes allow the free rotation of the finger on the body in the absence of axial tensile stress applied to the carabiner body, and prohibit the rotation of the finger from its closed position to its open position in the presence of '' an axial tensile stress applied to the carabiner body.

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 However, this hook shape constitutes an aggressive part, capable of injuring the fingers of the user, of damaging a rope or a strap, or of hindering the passage of a strap or of a rope during their introduction or their extraction out of the carabiner.

 To avoid the risks resulting from the presence of such a hook shape, while ensuring the other effects of resumption of the axial traction stresses by the carabiner finger and of self-locking by prohibition of rotation of the finger during an axial stress , the documents EP 0 696 687 and EP 0 822 348 have proposed to give the male engagement part a T-shape having two lateral protuberances which each engage in a lateral housing of the female engagement part.

 The fact remains that the lateral protrusions constitute salient elements capable of favoring the attachment of the ropes or straps, or at least of slowing their sliding during the passage through the opening space of the carabiner.

 Another disadvantage of the T-shaped engagement parts is that they are not applicable to carabiners whose finger is made of a wire.

 The problem proposed by the present invention is to design a new self-locking carabiner structure, comprising other forms of male and female engagement ensuring the self-locking function opposing the pivoting of the finger in traction, and devoid of hook shape or in T likely to hang external objects.

 Another object of the invention is to design such a carabiner structure whose male-female engagement parts are designed in such a way that they can be applied equally to carabiner structures whose body and finger have a generally cylindrical cross-section, or to carabiner structures in which the finger consists of a looped wire.

 To achieve these and other objects, a self-locking carabiner according to the invention comprises:

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 - a body having a curved C-shaped structure with two ends facing one another and separated by an opening space, a movable finger having a first end pivotally articulated on a first end of the body carabiner along a transverse axis, to pivot between an open position freeing the opening space and a closed position in which a second end of the movable finger engages on a second end of the carabiner body, - a first locking structure, provided at one of the second ends of the movable finger or of the carabiner body, and a second locking structure, provided at the other of the second ends of the movable finger or of the carabiner body, said locking structures being of complementary shapes and shaped to allow the free rotation of the movable finger on the carabiner body in the absence of axial tensile stress applied to the carabiner body, to allow a slight axial relative movement of the respective second ends of the carabiner body and the movable finger relative to each other during an axial deformation of the carabiner body under the effect of a stress of axial traction applied to the carabiner body while limiting this displacement to a value below a determined threshold, and to prevent rotation of the movable finger from the closed position to the open position during said axial deformation of the carabiner body, the first locking structure comprises a median locking lug, which extends in an axial direction from its base and away from the top of said end of the movable finger or of the carabiner body which carries it, - the first locking structure comprises an open enveloping structure delimiting a housing containing the locking lug, leaving a free peripheral space around the lug locking and making the locking pin inaccessible by external elements such as ropes or straps, the second locking structure comprises an additional hooking element, shaped to freely engage in the peripheral space surrounding the locking pin in

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 the absence of deformation of the carabiner body, and comprising a half-loop locking portion, during a deformation of the carabiner body by axial traction, the locking lug engages behind said locking portion of the second locking structure, which then prohibits the pivoting opening of the movable finger.

 As already specified, the open enveloping structure prevents any external element such as rope or strap from hanging on the lug. Likewise, the half-loop shape of the locking portion eliminates any risk of hooking the ropes or straps on the second locking structure.

 According to a first possibility, the first locking structure with locking lug is provided at the second end of the movable finger, while the second locking structure is provided at the second end of the carabiner body.

 According to a second possibility, the first locking pin locking structure is provided at the second end of the carabiner body, while the second locking structure is provided at the second end of the movable finger.

 In both cases, according to a first embodiment, the movable finger is composed of a metallic wire in open loop with two lateral branches and the ends of which constitute the first end of the movable finger and are engaged in respective transverse housings offset from the carabiner body and the middle portion of which constitutes the second end of the finger.

 In this case, the locking pin can be produced in the following way: the middle portion or second end of the movable finger is in the form of a crosspiece, the central portion of which has a folded in folded to constitute the locking pin, generally in the side branches of the wire.

 As an alternative, the middle portion or second end of the movable finger is in the form of a cross member coming to cooperate with a locking lug provided on the first locking structure.

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 According to a second embodiment, the movable finger is composed of a rod with a round cross section, and at its second end carries the first locking structure with locking lug.

extrémité du corps de mousqueton de la figure 1 ; - la figure 3 est une vue en coupe selon le plan B-B de la figure 1 i - la figure 4 est une vue de côté partielle du mousqueton de la figure 1 ; - la figure 5 est une vue de côté d'un mousqueton selon un second mode de réalisation de la présente invention ; - la figure 6 est une vue en coupe selon le plan C-C de la figure

5 ; t - la figure 7 est une vue de face du doigt de mousqueton de la figure 5, détaché du corps de mousqueton ; - la figure 8 est une vue de côté en coupe partielle du mousqueton de la figure 5, en position fermée en présence d'une traction longitudinale F ; - la figure 9 est une vue de côté partielle du mousqueton selon un autre mode de réalisation similaire de celui de la figure 5 ;

- la figure 10 est une vue de côté en coupe partielle illustrant le détail de seconde extrémité du corps de mousqueton selon une variante de la figure 8 ; - la figure 11 est une vue de côté en coupe partielle d'une autre

variante de seconde extrémité de corps de mousqueton de la figure 8 ; - la figure 12 illustre six exemples de coupe transversale de corps de mousqueton de la figure 5 ; Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given in conjunction with the attached figures, among which: FIG. 1 is a side view in partial section of a carabiner according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the closed position in the absence of longitudinal traction; - Figure 2 is an end view along arrow A of the second

end of the carabiner body of Figure 1; - Figure 3 is a sectional view along the plane BB of Figure 1 i - Figure 4 is a partial side view of the carabiner of Figure 1; - Figure 5 is a side view of a carabiner according to a second embodiment of the present invention; - Figure 6 is a sectional view along the plane CC of Figure

5; t - Figure 7 is a front view of the snap hook of Figure 5, detached from the carabiner body; - Figure 8 is a side view in partial section of the carabiner of Figure 5, in the closed position in the presence of a longitudinal traction F; - Figure 9 is a partial side view of the carabiner according to another embodiment similar to that of Figure 5;

- Figure 10 is a side view in partial section illustrating the detail of the second end of the carabiner body according to a variant of Figure 8; - Figure 11 is a side view in partial section of another

variant of the second end of the carabiner body of FIG. 8; - Figure 12 illustrates six examples of cross section of the carabiner body of Figure 5;

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 - Figure 13 is a partial side view in partial section of a carabiner according to a third embodiment of the present invention; - Figure 14 is a partial side view in partial section of a variant of the carabiner of Figure 13; - Figure 15 is a front view of the carabiner finger of Figure 14; - Figure 16 is an end view of the second end of the snap hook of Figure 14; Figure 17 is a side view in partial section of a carabiner according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; - Figure 18 is a side view of the carabiner finger of Figure 17; and - Figure 19 is a sectional view along the plane D-D of Figure 14.

 In all the embodiments illustrated in the figures, the carabiner comprises a body 1 having a curved C-shaped structure with two ends 2 and 3 facing one another and separated by an opening space 4 A movable finger 5 comprises a first articulated end 6 and a second end 7. The first end 6 of the movable finger 5 is pivotally articulated on the first end 2 of the carabiner body 1 along a transverse axis 8, to pivot between a position open 9 illustrated in dotted lines and freeing the opening space 4 and a closed position 10 illustrated in solid lines and in which the second end 7 of the movable finger 5 engages on the second end 3 of the carabiner body 1.

 The respective second ends 3 and 7 of the carabiner body 1 and of the movable finger 5 comprise locking structures of complementary shapes shaped to allow the free rotation of the movable finger 5 on the carabiner body 1 in the absence of a constraint. axial traction F applied to the carabiner body 1 between its two vertices 11 and 12 as illustrated in FIG. 1. In addition, the locking structures are shaped so as to allow a slight axial displacement of the spacing of the respective second ends 3 and 7 of the body of

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 carabiner 1 and the movable finger 5 relative to each other during an axial deformation of the carabiner body 1 under the effect of said axial tensile stress F applied to the carabiner body 1, while however limiting this displacement to a value below a determined threshold defined by portions of ends which abut one on the other. Also, the locking structures are shaped to prevent rotation of the movable finger 5 from its closed position 10 to its open position 9 during said axial deformation of the carabiner body 1 resulting from the application of the axial tensile stress F.

 In all embodiments, the locking structures provided at the respective second ends 3 and 7 of the carabiner body 1 and the movable finger 5 are such that the first locking structure comprises a median locking lug, protected by an open enveloping structure , and engaging on a complementary hooking element of the second locking structure during a deformation of the carabiner body by axial traction F, thus preventing the pivoting of the opening of the finger.

 In the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first locking structure with median locking lug is provided on the second end 3 of the carabiner body 1, while the second locking structure with complementary shape is provided on the second end 7 of the movable finger 5.

 As seen more particularly in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first locking structure comprises a central locking pin 13, which extends in an axial direction from its base 14 away from the top 15 of said second end 3 of the carabiner body 1 carrying it. The locking pin 13 is housed in an open enveloping structure which delimits a housing 16 containing the locking pin 13 and which leaves a peripheral space 20 free around the locking pin 13.

In this case, the locking lug 13 is entirely contained in a housing 16 hollowed out in the second end 3 of the carabiner body 1, the housing 16 being fully open on

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 the inner face of the carabiner body 1 and the side of the top 15, being closed on the outside of the carabiner body 1 by a bottom 17 and being closed laterally by two side walls 18 and 19. The peripheral space 20 is provided all around the central locking pin 13 in the housing 16, and between the central locking pin 13 and the bottom 17.

 For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the free edges 180 and 190 of the side walls 18 and 19 come level with the interior surface 130 of the central locking pin 13, as seen in the side view of the Figure 1, or Figure 2. In this way, the central locking pin 13 thus fully wrapped in the housing 16 can not hang external elements such as ropes or straps when using the carabiner.

 In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the second locking structure, formed by the second end 7 of the movable finger 5, is a simple half-loop of metal wire shaped to come and engage around the locking lug 13 in the housing 16, occupying the peripheral space 20 when the carabiner is in the closed position. The half-loop has an end cross member 21 which, when the carabiner body 1 is deformed by an axial pull F, engages in the peripheral space 20 between the central locking pin 13 and the bottom 17. In other words, in this position, the lug engages behind said crosspiece 21 which forms a locking portion, thus preventing the opening pivoting of the movable finger 5.

 In this embodiment, the movable finger 5 is composed of a looped metal wire, the two ends 22 and 23 of which constitute the first end 6 of the movable finger 5 and are engaged in respective transverse housings of the carabiner body 1. The middle portion of the metal wire constitutes the cross member 21 which produces the second locking structure.

 In the second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, we find the essential elements of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 which are identified by the same reference numerals: the carabiner body 1, with two ends 2 and 3, a movable finger 5 at two ends 6 and 7. The movable finger

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 5 also has a wire structure. The difference of this second embodiment lies in the position of the first and second locking structures: the first locking structure with a central locking pin 13 is then provided on the second end 7 of the movable finger 5, while the second structure enveloping locking is provided on the second end 3 of the carabiner body 1.

 Thus, as can be seen in the figures, the central locking pin 13 is produced by a folded-in fold of the crosspiece of the second end 7 of the movable finger 5, fold contained in the volume defined by the two lateral arms 70 and 71 parallel of the movable finger 5. The lateral arms 70 and 71 are close to the locking pin 13 and constitute an enveloping structure open on two opposite faces and which delimits a limited volume containing the locking pin 13. In other words, as is seen in side view in Figure 5, the locking pin 13 does not protrude from the contour formed by the arms 70 and 71 of the movable finger 5, so that the locking pin 13 can not hang a rope, strap or other object that you want to insert into the carabiner during use.

 The second locking structure, better visible in FIGS. 6 and 8, comprises a transverse recess 24 open on the inner face of the second end 3 of carabiner body 1, communicating with an axial hole 25 opening at the top 15 of the second end 3 of the carabiner body 1. The inner wall 26 of the axial hole 25, or wall which separates the axial hole 25 from the interior lumen of the carabiner body 1, constitutes a complementary hooking element which engages freely in the space peripheral 20 which surrounds the locking lug 13, that is to say the space defined by the end loop of the movable finger 5.

In addition, this interior wall 26 constitutes a locking portion behind which the locking pin 13 engages during a deformation of the carabiner body 1 by axial traction F. This deformation is illustrated in FIG. 8, in which it can be seen that the locking lug 13 penetrates into the axial hole 25 under the interior wall 26, so that the interior wall 26 prevents the opening of the movable finger 5 from pivoting.

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 FIG. 10 illustrates a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 8, a variant in which the hole 25 is a transverse hole, oriented in the plane of pivoting of the movable finger 5, and which opens onto the external face of the carabiner body 1.

 FIG. 11 illustrates another variant of this same embodiment, in which the hole 25 is flared and opens both on the external face of the carabiner body 1 and on the top 15 of the carabiner body 1.

 In the embodiment of Figures 5 to 8, the movable finger 5 has a shape in two generally rectilinear sections which are angularly connected by an elbow.

 In the variant of FIG. 9, the movable finger 5 has an S curvature, the other essential structural parts such as the locking pin 13 being identical.

 In these embodiments, the carabiner body 1 may have a cross section of various shapes, examples of which are illustrated in Figures 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e and 12f.

 FIG. 13 illustrates, in side view, a third embodiment of the carabiner according to the present invention. In this case, the movable finger 5 has a traditional structure with a round cross section. The first locking structure is provided on the finger, comprising the central locking pin 13 contained in a housing 16 provided in the second end 7 of the movable finger 5 and open along the external face of the movable finger 5 and at the top of its second end 7. The locking pin 13 is formed by machining along its inner face by making one or two transverse holes such as the hole 27a provided in the side walls bordering the housing 16. It can thus be seen on the carabiner, the presence of at least one transverse hole 27a opening onto a lateral face and placed opposite the portion of peripheral space 20 situated between the locking pin 13 and the bottom 17 of the housing 16.

 The second locking structure, intended to wrap the locking pin 13, is provided on the second end 3 of the carabiner body 1, and it comprises a transverse recess 24 on the inner face of the second end 3 of the

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corps de mousqueton 1, communiquant avec un trou axial 25 dont la paroi intérieure 26 constitue l'élément de verrouillage derrière lequel vient s'engager l'ergot de verrouillage 13 lors d'une traction axiale sur le corps de mousqueton 1.

carabiner body 1, communicating with an axial hole 25, the inner wall 26 of which constitutes the locking element behind which the locking pin 13 engages during axial traction on the carabiner body 1.

 Figures 14 to 16 illustrate a variant of this third embodiment, a variant in which the digging under the locking pin 13 is carried out by drilling a transverse hole 27 from the inner face of the movable finger 5 into the housing 16 The locking lug 13 is thus contained in the housing 16 open along the external face of the movable finger 5, with the transverse hole 27 which opens onto the interior face of the movable finger 5 and makes it possible by machining the posterior recess of the locking pin 13.

 In the embodiment of FIGS. 17 and 18, we find the general structure of the embodiment of FIG. 14, with a difference relating to the production of the locking lug 13: in this embodiment, the lug of locking 13, provided at the second end 7 of the movable finger 5, is produced by cutting and folding a central tongue.

 It is considered, according to the invention, that in all the embodiments the locking portion is in the form of a half-loop, in order to cooperate with the locking lug 13: in FIGS. 1 and 3, the half-loop is formed by the second end 7 of finger 5 made of wire; in FIGS. 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 17, the shape is more complex but, as illustrated in section in FIG. 19, the active part which cooperates with the locking lug 13 is a half-loop, with solid peripheral parts surrounding a perforated central part for engaging the locking lug 13.

 In all embodiments, the operation is as follows: in the absence of an axial tensile stress F applied to the carabiner body 1, the carabiner body 1 has a shape such that the movable finger 5 can freely pivot between its closed and open positions, the locking lug 13 not being in contact with the second locking structure constituted either by the cross member 21 (Figures 1 to 4), or by the inner wall 26 (Figures 8 to 17) .

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 The locking lug 13 is permanently contained in the housing 16 delimited by walls which prevent hooking with any external element such as a rope or a strap.

 When applying a traction F of sufficient intensity between the two peaks 11 and 12 of the carabiner body 1, the carabiner body 1 elastically elongates, so that the locking lug 13 engages under the second locking structure such as the cross member 21 or the inner wall 26, thus preventing the opening pivoting of the movable finger 5 and thus producing an automatic dynamic locking. When the axial tensile stress F disappears, the carabiner body 1 returns to its original shape, so that the movable finger 5 can again pivot freely between its closed position and its open position, ensuring automatic unlocking.

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

Claims (10)

 CLAIMS 1-Self-locking carabiner, comprising: - a body (1) having a curved C-shaped structure with two ends (2,3) facing one another and separated by an opening space (4 ), - a movable finger (5) having a first end (6) pivotally articulated on a first end (2) of the carabiner body (1) along a transverse axis (8), to pivot between an open position (9) releasing the opening space (4) and a closed position (10) in which a second end (7) of the movable finger (5) engages on a second end (3) of the carabiner body (1), a first locking structure, provided at one of the second ends of the movable finger (5) or of the carabiner body (1), and a second locking structure, provided at the other of the second ends of the movable finger (5) or of the carabiner body (1), said locking structures being of complementary shapes and shaped p or allow the free rotation of the movable finger (5) on the carabiner body (1) in the absence of axial tensile stress (F) applied to the carabiner body (1), to allow a slight axial relative movement of the seconds respective ends (3,7) of the carabiner body (1) and of the movable finger (5) relative to each other during an axial deformation of the carabiner body (1) under the effect of a axial tensile stress (F) applied to the carabiner body (1) while limiting this displacement to a value below a determined threshold, and to prevent rotation of the movable finger (5) from the closed position (10) towards the open position (9) during said axial deformation of the carabiner body (1), characterized in that: the first locking structure comprises a central locking pin (13), which extends in axial direction from its base (14 ) and away from the top (15) of said end of the movable finger (5) or the carabiner body (1) which carries it, - the first locking structure comprises an open enveloping structure delimiting a housing (16) containing the lug <Desc / Clms Page number 14>

 of locking (13), leaving a peripheral space (20) free around the locking pin (13), and making the locking pin (13) inaccessible by external elements such as ropes or straps, - the second structure locking device comprises an additional hooking element (21, 26), shaped to freely engage in the peripheral space (20) surrounding the locking lug (13) in the absence of deformation of the carabiner body (1 ), and comprising a locking portion (21, 26) in a half-loop, - during a deformation of the carabiner body (1) by axial traction (F), the locking lug (13) engages behind said locking portion (21, 26) of the second locking structure, which then prohibits the opening pivoting of the movable finger (5). 2-carabiner according to claim 1, characterized in that the first locking pin locking structure (13) is provided at the second end (7) of the movable finger (5), while the second locking structure is provided the second end (3) of the carabiner body (1).  3-Carabiner according to claim 1, characterized in that the first locking pin locking structure (13) is provided at the second end (3) of the carabiner body (1), while the second locking structure is provided at the second end (7) of the movable finger (5).  4-Carabiner according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the movable finger (5) is composed of a metallic wire in open loop with two lateral branches (70,71) and whose ends (22,23 ) constitute the first end (6) of the movable finger (5) and are engaged in respective transverse housings offset from the carabiner body (1) and the middle portion of which is in the form of a crosspiece (21) the central portion of which has a fold retracted to form the locking lug (13), generally in the plane of the lateral branches (70, 71) of the wire.  5-Carabiner according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the movable finger (5) is composed of a wire <Desc / Clms Page number 15>  open loop metal with two lateral branches (70, 71) and whose ends (22, 23) constitute the first end (6) of the movable finger (5) and are engaged in respective transverse housings offset from the carabiner body (1 ) and the middle portion of which is in the form of a cross member (21) which cooperates with a locking lug (13) provided on the first locking structure.  6-Carabiner according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the movable finger (5) consists of a rod with round cross section, and at its second end (7) carries the first latching lug structure lock (13).  7-Carabiner according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking lug (13) is contained in a housing (16) open along the external face of the movable finger (5), with a transverse hole (27) opening onto the inner face of the movable finger (5) to allow the posterior recess of the locking lug (13) to be produced by machining.  8-Carabiner according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking lug (13) is contained in a housing (16) open along the external face of the movable finger (5), with at least one transverse hole (27a) opening out on a side face and placed opposite the portion of peripheral space (20) located between the locking lug (13) and the bottom (17) of the housing (16).  9-carabiner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the second locking structure comprises a transverse recess (24) open on the inner face of the carabiner body (1).  10-Carabiner according to claim 9, characterized in that the transverse recess (24) communicates with a hole (25) opening on the external face of the carabiner body (1).