FR3014645A1 - SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY AND EMERGENCY PENDANT - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a suspension assembly comprising a first cable (20a), a second cable (20b) and a fixation system (23) of a distal end (21a) of the first cable (20a) with a distal end (21b). ) of the second cable (20b), the fastening system (23) comprising a first part (23a) and a second part (23b), the first part (23a) being integral with the distal end (21a) of the first cable ( 20a) and adapted to slide on the second cable (20b), the second part (23b) being integral with the distal end (21b) of the second cable (20b) and adapted to slide on the first cable (20a), the suspension assembly being characterized in that each of the first and second parts (23a, 23b) has an inner face (F1a, F1b), the inner faces (F1a, F1b) having substantially complementary surfaces when the direction in which the first part (23a) is suitable for grout ser on the second cable (20b) coincides with the direction in which the second piece (23b) is adapted to slide on the first cable (20b), so as to form stops.

Description

GENERAL TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a suspension assembly for a device type emergency pendant.

STATE OF THE ART The "emergency collars" or "emergency pendants" are alarm devices intended mainly for the elderly. They take the form of a box at the end of a rope that can be hung around the neck. The box presents wireless communication means, for example with a fixed base connected to a communication network, or directly with a mobile telephone network. If the person who wears this pendant falls or feels bad, it can activate the case with a simple gesture (most often by pressing a large button on the case, pulling the cord, etc.), which triggers a remote alarm: relatives or firefighters are warned of the incident, and can intervene quickly. These pendants provide satisfaction and significantly improve the safety of the people who wear them. However we note that the cord system of these pendants is to perfect. Either the pendant goes through the head (with a sufficiently long cord), and in this case it can be lost (for example if the person falls forward), or it has a length adjusted and must be tied or attached with a fastener, hence a risk that the cord loose and that the pendant falls again. In addition, it can be uncomfortable for the person wearing it. The invention improves the situation.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION The present invention thus relates to a suspension assembly comprising a first cable, a second cable and a system for fixing a distal end of the first cable with a distal end of the second cable, the fixing system comprising a first part and a second part, the first part being integral with the distal end of the first cable and adapted to slide on the second cable, the second part being integral with the distal end of the second cable and adapted to slide on the first cable, the suspension assembly being characterized in that the first and second parts have facing faces having substantially complementary surfaces when the direction in which the first part is adapted to slide on the second cable coincides with the direction in which the second piece is adapted to slide on the pr first cable, so as to form stops. The present suspension assembly effectively and surely move from a long position to a short position, complementarity faces facing ensuring that there is no risk of damaging the cable to move from a position to the other. According to other advantageous and nonlimiting features: an inner face of the first part extends in a plane substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the first part is adapted to slide on the second cable; and an inner face of the second piece extends in a plane substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the second piece is adapted to slide on the first cable. The geometry of orthogonal flat faces is the simplest and most natural to have complementary faces; the first cable extends orthogonally from the internal face of the first piece; and the second cable extends orthogonally from the inner face of the second piece. Thus, the cables extend parallel in the internal space of the fastening system, for a fluid sliding; the first part has a substantially rectilinear channel in which the second cable slides, the channel of the first part extending from the internal face to an external face of the first part; the second part has a substantially rectilinear channel in which the first cable slides, the channel of the second part extending from the internal face to an outer face of the second part.

The use of channels makes it possible to finely control the floating force applied to the cables during sliding; - The distance between the inner face and the outer face of each of the first and second parts is at least twice the distance between the axes of the first and second cables at the inner face of the workpiece. Such a configuration of "long guidance" further reduces the risk of twisting and pinching a cable; the first and second parts are identical. It is easier and less expensive to produce a single room model.

The present invention further relates in a second aspect to an emergency pendant comprising: - a housing comprising a wireless communication module controlled by actuating means; - A suspension assembly according to the first aspect of the invention for the suspension of the housing. The suspension assembly according to the first aspect of the invention is indeed particularly suitable for suspending a call box around the neck of a person. According to other advantageous and nonlimiting features: the first cable has a proximal end and the second cable has a proximal end, the housing being integral with each of the proximal ends of the first and second cables. This two-wire architecture allows efficient attachment and opens access to a voltage sensor; - The actuating means comprise a voltage sensor of the proximal end of the first cable and / or the second cable. 30 - Such a voltage sensor advantageously replaces a button, because it can be triggered very easily even by a person in great difficulty (it only has to pull the cable). In addition, such a sensor is particularly suitable for the suspension assembly according to the invention; - The first cable and the second cable form a single cable having for ends the distal end of the first cable and the proximal end of the second cable, said cable passing through an opening of the housing. In this alternative, just make a hole in the box to have a secure fixation. The case is more mobile around the neck. PRESENTATION OF THE FIGURES Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the description which follows of a preferred embodiment. This description will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 shows an emergency pendant equipped with a fastening system according to the invention; FIG. 2 represents an embodiment of a fastening system according to the invention; - Figures 3a-3b are two views of the fastening system according to the invention respectively in two positions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION General Architecture With reference to FIG. 1, the present invention relates to an assembly comprising a first cable 20a, a second cable 20b and a fastening system 23 of a distal end 21a of the first cable 20a with a distal end 21b of the second cable 20b. Combined with a housing 10 which it allows the suspension (housing comprising a wireless communication module 11 controlled by actuating means 12 which will be described later), the suspension assembly forms an emergency pendant 1 such that evoked before. It will be understood that the present assembly can be used to suspend something other than a case 10 of an emergency pendant 1. The first and the second cable 20a, 20b can either be two separate (typically identical) cables, in which case they each have a distal end 21a, 21b and a proximal end 22a, 22b (this is the case shown in FIG. 1), that is to say form a single cable, having for ends the distal end 21a of the first cable 20a and the proximal end 21b of the second cable 20b. This second case is equivalent to a case in which the proximal ends 22a, 22b of the two cables 20a, 20b have been fused together. In the following description, we will take the example of two separate cables 20a, 20b, but it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to this structure and it is possible to have a single cable 20 for which the fastening system 23 joins the two ends. The denomination "first and second" cable is indeed only a drafting convenience, and can quite designate twice the same cable. The cable or cables 20a, 20b can be of any length and material, but advantageously it is flexible plastic cables with a diameter of a few millimeters and a length of a few tens of centimeters. The fixing system 23 comprises a first part 23a and a second part 23b, a preferred embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 2. The first part 23a is integral with the distal end 21a of the first cable 20a and adapted to slide on the second cable 20b, and the second part 23b is integral with the distal end 21b of the second cable 20b and adapted to slide on the first cable 20a. This sliding mechanism is shown more particularly in FIGS. 3a and 3b, which respectively correspond to a "long" position and a "short" position of the suspension assembly. Each piece 23a, 23b can slide on a cable 20a, 20b from its proximal end 22a, 22b to its distal end 21a, 21b at which it abuts against the other part 23a, 23b. The movement of a part 23a, 23b along a cable 20a, 20b causes the same movement of the other part 23a, 23b on the other cable 20a, 20b. The portion of the first cable 20a "beyond" the second part 23b (and therefore beyond the distal end 21b of the second cable 20b) is referenced 200a, and similarly the portion of the second cable 20b beyond the first piece 23a (and therefore beyond the distal end 21a of the first cable 20a) is referenced 200b.

In the space between the two parts 23a, 23b, the portions 200a and 200b of the cables 20a and 20b extend in parallel: the first cable 20a and the second cable 20b are then in parallel, as opposed to the portions outside parts 23a, 23b, in which the cable is unique (either the first cable 20a or the second cable 20b). If we move the first and second parts 23a, 23b by sliding them, we increase the size of the portions 200a and 200b, and therefore we reduce the total length of the suspension assembly (since we increase the proportion of cables "Superimposed"). X cm displacement of parts 23a, 23b reduces the overall length of the X / 2 cm suspension assembly. The long position can be used to pass an emergency pendant 1 equipped with the present suspension set to the neck of a person, then the pieces 23a, 23b are slid on the cables 23a, 23b so as to pass the set of suspension in short position. The pendant 1 can not then fall by accident. Contact Surfaces With reference to the figures, each part 23a, 23b has an internal face F1a, F1b and an external face F2a, F2b. The internal faces F1a, F1b are oriented towards the central portion of the fastening system 23 (at the portions 200a, 200b) and are therefore facing one another. The external faces F2a, F2b are the faces opposite to the internal faces F1a, F1b and are thus oriented towards the outside of the fastening system 23. The present suspension assembly is distinguished in that the facing faces (ie the internal faces F1a, F1b have substantially complementary surfaces when the direction in which the first part 23a is adapted to slide on the second cable 20b coincides with the direction in which the second part 23b is adapted to slide on the first cable 20b, so as to form stops. Complementary means that they can be in contact over their entire surface. For example, two planar faces may be complementary, a convex face and a concave face may be complementary, etc. However, it is important that this complementarity must be verified "when the direction in which the first part 23a is adapted to slide on the second cable 20b coincides with the direction in which the second part 23b is adapted to slide on the first cable 20b". This means that the surfaces defined by the internal faces Fia, Fl b must be identical to a translation when the parts 23a, 23b are aligned, in other words when the cables 20a, 20b are in a configuration in which the cables 20a , 20b are straight (of the type shown in Figures 3a, 3b). In practice, the inner faces F1a and F1b of the parts 23a, 23b extend for example as can be seen in the figures each in a plane substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the parts 23a, 23b are adapted to slide on a cable 20a, 20b; with each cable 20a, 20b extending orthogonally from an inner face Fia, F1 b. It is important to understand that in some of the internal faces Fia, Fl b could appear complementary (for example by forming an elbow on one and / or the other cable, in view of their flexibility), but with a difference of orientation that makes that when the direction in which the first part 23a is adapted to slide on the second cable 20b coincides with the direction in which the second part 23b is adapted to slide on the first cable 20b (in other words when we replace the cables 20a, 20b in the upright position), an angle appears. For example, if the two pieces 23a, 23b had triangular shapes with bottom base (in other words, each inner face is flat, but has an angle with respect to the direction of sliding on the cable) in FIG. 3a , although they would present internal faces which at first sight could be complementary (because planes), the existence of the angle (of 60 ° if the triangles are equilateral) between the normals to these two faces when the direction according to which the first part 23a is adapted to slide on the second cable 20b coincides with the direction in which the second part 23b is adapted to slide on the first cable 20b, that they are not complementary. Alternatively, internal faces F1a, F1b which might appear to be non-complementary (for example because the cables 20a, 20b are curved) can be more visibly once the sliding directions of the parts 23a, 23b are aligned. on the cables 20a, 20b.

In all cases, the sliding directions of each of the parts 23a, 23b on the cables 20a, 20b tend to align when the parts 23a and 23b come closer, that is to say when the length of the intermediate portions 200a , 200b tends to zero. As explained, the long position corresponds to such extreme positioning of the parts 23a, 23b on the cables 20a, 20b. This extreme position corresponds to a contact of the internal faces F1a, F1b, in other words to a zero length for the portions 100a, 100b. The fact that the internal faces F1a, F1b are complementary then allows them to form stops, in other words that the contact between these faces is distributed over the entire surface and not only punctual. This abutment prevents pivoting of a part 23a, 23b with respect to the other and thus a punching (in other words a pinching may cause rupture) or cables 23a, 23b which could occur in the long position of the suspension assembly.

Part Structure As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2, the first and second parts 23a, 23b are advantageously identical. Each piece 23a, 23b has in a preferred embodiment an "eight" profile, defining two substantially rectilinear and parallel channels. A channel 24a, 24b passing through (in FIG. 2, channel "up" for the first part 23a and channel "down" for the second part) allows the passage of the sliding cable 23a, 23b, and another blind channel (it will be understood that it can also be through) receives the other cable 20a, 20b whose distal end 21a, 21b is integral with the part 23a, 23b. The cable 20a, 20b can be glued within this blind channel so as to obtain the solidarity of the elements. The through channel 24a, 24b extends from the internal face F1a, F1b to the outer face F2a, F2b of the piece 23a, 23b. It has a length advantageously at least two times greater than the distance between the axes of the first and second cables 20a, 20b at the internal face F1a, F1b of the part 23a, 23b, in other words the distance between the centers. two channels. This allows a "long guide" of each cable 20a, 20b, which also reduces the risk of twisting cables 20a, 20b and punching. The long guide also makes it possible to increase the contact surface between each piece 23a, 23b and the cable 20a, 20b which slides therein, so as to increase the friction force exerted. Indeed, as explained, the suspension assembly is passed to the neck of a person when it is in the long position, and the parts 23a, 23b are moved by sliding so as to put the assembly in the short position, which prevents that the whole can accidentally fall of the neck of the person. And the friction force exerted in the channels 24a, 24b prevents a return to the long position. It is thus desirable to provide a channel length 24a, 24b such that the friction force exerted is at least twice the weight of a housing 10 (or other) suspended by the suspension assembly, so that only one manual and voluntary action allows to iron the whole in long position to remove the neck of the person. Furthermore, the elongated form of "profiled" type (the present parts 23a, 23b are invariant by translation) is not likely to injure the neck of the person even pulling on a cable 20a, 20b.

Emergency pendant As explained, the present suspension assembly is preferably part of an emergency pendant 1 as shown in Figure 1, for which it is particularly suitable. The emergency pendant thus comprises a housing 10 comprising a wireless communication module 11 controlled by actuating means 12 and the suspension assembly for the suspension of the housing 10. The housing 10 can be many shapes and numerous materials, for example substantially parallelepipedal and plastic, and it houses the electronic components of the emergency pendant 1. The communication module 11 connects to a communication network 2, typically a type 3G or 4G mobile telephone network, or a WiFi network connected to the Internet (it will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to any type of communication network). In the case where the network 2 is a mobile communication network, the module 11 may comprise a SIM card ("Subscriber Identity Module") of an operator of the mobile communication network. The box 10 may comprise a data processing module, which takes for example the form of a processor, and a battery.

The communication module 11 is controlled by actuating means 12 (in particular via the data processing module). In other words, the triggering of the actuating means 12 causes the activation of the communication module 11 and the sending of one or more requests (for example an SMS to a predetermined number, a message to the fire department, etc.). ), in other words trigger an alarm via the network 2. The actuating means 12 may comprise a button (which must simply be pressed to trigger the alarm) and / or a voltage sensor. In particular, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each cable 20a, 20b has a proximal end 22a, 22b, the housing 10 being integral with each of the proximal ends 22a, 22b of the first and second cables 20a, 20b, and said sensor is a voltage sensor of the proximal end 22a, 22b of the first cable 20a, 20b and / or the second cable 20b. Such a sensor triggers the alarm if it measures a force greater than a predetermined threshold. In other words, if the person wearing the pendant 1 is in difficulty, it triggers the actuating means by pulling on the housing 10, which increases the voltage measured by the sensor. The predetermined threshold force is advantageously chosen between the weight of the housing 10 (for the alarm to be triggered by itself) and the friction force applied by the channels 24a, 24b on the cables 20a, 20b (so that the assembly suspension does not go off if the person wishes to sound the alarm). Alternatively, the first cable 20a and the second cable 20b can form a single cable having at its ends the distal end 21a of the first cable 20a and the proximal end 21b of the second cable 20b (in other words the proximal ends 22a, 22b are "merged"). The single cable forms a loop that simply pass through an opening of the housing 10 (for example a simple eyelet in the wall of the housing 10, or a ring secured to the latter) to suspend it.

In general, it will be understood that those skilled in the art will be able to adapt the internal components of the housing 10 according to the intended use of the emergency pendant 1.35

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Suspension assembly comprising a first cable (20a), a second cable (20b) and a fastening system (23) for a distal end (21a) of the first cable (20a) with a distal end (21b) of the second cable ( 20b), the fastening system (23) comprising a first part (23a) and a second part (23b), the first part (23a) being integral with the distal end (21a) of the first cable (20a) and adapted for sliding on the second cable (20b), the second part (23b) being integral with the distal end (21b) of the second cable (20b) and adapted to slide on the first cable (20a), the suspension assembly being characterized in that the first and second parts (23a, 23b) have opposing faces (F1a, F1b) having substantially complementary surfaces when the direction in which the first part (23a) is adapted to slide on the second cable (20b). coincides with the direction according to the the second piece (23b) is adapted to slide on the first cable (20b), so as to form stops. 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein an inner face (F1a) of the first piece (23a) extends in a plane substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the first piece (23a) is adapted to slide on the second cable (20b); and an inner face (F1b) of the second piece (23b) extends in a plane substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the second piece (23b) is adapted to slide on the first cable (20a). 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the first cable (20a) extends orthogonally from the inner face (Fia) of the first piece (23a); and the second cable (20b) extends orthogonally from the inner face (F1b) of the second piece (23b) 4. An assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first part (23a) has a substantially rectilinear channel (24a) in which the second cable (20b) slides, the channel (24a) of the first piece extending from the inner face (F1a) to an outer face (F2a) of the first piece (23a); the second piece (23b) has a substantially rectilinear channel (24b) in which the first cable (20a) slides, the channel (24b) of the second piece extending from the inner face (F1b) to an outer face (F2b) of the second piece (23b). 5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the distance between the inner face (F1a, F1b) and the outer face (F2a, F2b) of each of the first and second parts (23a, 23b) is at least twice as large as the distance between the axes of the first and second cables (20a, 20b) at the internal face (Fia, F1b) of the part (23a, 23b). 6. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second parts (23a, 23b) are identical. 7. Emergency pendant (1) comprising: - a housing (10) comprising a wireless communication module (11) controlled by actuating means (12); - A suspension assembly according to one of the preceding claims for the suspension of the housing (10). 8. Pendant according to claim 7, wherein the first cable (20a) has a proximal end (22a) and the second cable (20b) has a proximal end (22b), the housing (10) being integral with each of the proximal ends. (22a, 22b) first and second cables (20a, 20b). 9. Pendant according to claim 8, wherein the actuating means (12) comprise a proximal end tension sensor (22a, 22b) of the first cable (20a, 20b) and / or the second cable (20b). . 10. Pendant according to claim 7, wherein the first cable (20a) and the second cable (20b) form a single cable having at its ends the distal end (21a) of the first cable (20a) and the proximal end (21b). ) of the second cable (20b), said cable passing through an opening of the housing (10).