GB2274049A

GB2274049A - A body harness

Info

Publication number: GB2274049A
Application number: GB9400105A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel William David Aldsworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-01-06
Filing date: 1994-01-05
Publication date: 1994-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 2014-01-05
Also published as: GB2274049B; GB9300162D0; GB9400105D0

Abstract

The harness may be worn by an angler to assist in supporting a rod, or used to secure the wearer to a seat, e.g. in a vehicle, or used to support the wearer in yachting, windsurfing or in ladder or telegraph pole work. It comprises a first strap member 11 for extending around the body of the wearer and has fastening means 18 at its ends securing at the front of the body. A pair of shoulder straps 19, 20 are connected at one end to the first strap member 11 at the back thereof, and the other ends are connected to the front of the first strap member 11. Support straps 12, 13 are connected at one end to the first strap member 11 and extend forwardly and have releasable fastening means 14 for fastening to an article, e.g. fishing reel (Fig. 2), in front of the wearer. In use a substantial proportion of the stresses applied to the harness via the support straps 12, 13 are borne by the rib cage of the wearer. Additional straps 22, 23 enable the wearer to be strapped to the back of a chair for example, a two-part crutch strap 31A, 31B (Fig. 3) may also be provided. <IMAGE>

Description

A BODY-HARNESS This invention relates to a body-harness which can, for example, be worn by an angler primarily to assist in supporting a rod in an operative position when, for example, coarse fishing.

It is known when sea-angling for game fish, that when an angler has hooked a very large fish, such as a shark or tuna, that he expects to have to fight for a long time, he may fit the butt of the rod into a cup fitted on a belt buckled loosely around his waist such that the cup hangs in a sporran-like position and he may also put on a shoulder harness fitting around his shoulders with a strap extending from each shoulder that he clips to respective lugs on a reel fitted onto the rod.

An object of this invention is to provide a body-harness that can be comfortably worn by, for example, coarse fisherman to support a fishing rod in an operative position for long periods whilst waiting for a fish to bite. Other potential advantages and uses of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the subsidiary claims of the specification.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a bodyharness comprising: a first strap member adapted to extend around the body of the wearer with each end thereof extending forwardly so as to fit around the front of the body of the wearer and having first releasable fastening means for securing the ends of the first strap member together; a pair of shoulder straps each connected at one end thereof to the first strap member in or around a position corresponding to the back of the wearer and adapted to extend therefrom over a respective shoulder of the wearer with the other end thereof being connected to the first strap member in or around a position corresponding to the front of the wearer: a pair of support straps each connected at one end thereof to the first strap member and adapted to extend forwardly of the wearer and each having a releasable fastening means for fastening to an article in front of the wearer, the arrangement being such that a substantial proportion of the stresses applied to the harness via the support straps are borne by the rib cage of the wearer.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a body-harness comprising: a first strap member adapted to extend around the body of the wearer with each end thereof extending forwardly so as to fit around the front of the body of the wearer and having first releasable fastening means for securing the ends of the first strap member together; a pair of shoulder straps each connected at one end thereof to the first strap member in or around a position corresponding to the back of the wearer and adapted to extend therefrom over a respective shoulder of the wearer with the other end thereof being connected to the first strap member in or around a position corresponding to the front of the wearer; and securing straps each attached at one end to the first strap with the other ends adapted to be releasably secured together such as to secure the harness and hence the wearer to an article, eg a seat back, behind the wearer, the arrangement being such that a substantial proportion of the stresses applied to the harness via the securing straps are borne by the rib cage of the wearer.

The body-harness may conveniently be made from rot-resistant webbing material, such as a woven nylon, and be fitted with commercially available plastics buckles and strap-length adjusters, with the various strap members being sewn together.

Thereby, it should be understood, the body harness may be readily adjusted so that it may be comfortably worn for long periods.

An angler can quickly fasten the ends of the support straps, conveniently to respective lugs provided on the fishing reel fitted to the rod he intends to use, such that rod can be easily supported in an operative position without undue strain and without the need for the angler to use his or her hands to hold the rod in position.

Hence, the angler's rod can be comfortably used whilst being immediately "to hand" when a fish is hooked or a bite is sensed, instead of being laid on a rod support fixed in the bank where the angler is fishing as so often is the case.

Preferably the body-harness includes a pair of additional straps each attached at one end to respective sides of the rod-support strap with the other ends adapted to be releasably secured together such as to connect the harness around the back of a seat.

Thus it should be understood that not only may the weight of a rod supported by the harness be taken by a chair or the like on which the angler is sitting, but the harness can be used to safely secure a disabled angler, or young child angler, against accidents.

Moreover, the harness may additionally incorporate a further pair of straps supporting a cup-like member for receiving the butt of a fishing rod or the harness may be used in conj unction with a separate strap for supporting such a cup-like member.

The invention will now be further described merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in - hich: Figure 1 is a perspective view a body-harness accordirig to a first aspect of the invention disposed as it would be when worn by an angler; Figure 2 is a view of an angler wearing a harness similar to that shown in Figure 1 supporting a fishing rod together with a cup-like member for receiving the butt of the fishing rod; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a body-harness similar to that shown in Figure 2 but with the addition of a crutch strap; Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a disabled person wearing a harness similar to that shown in Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the disabled person shown in Figure 4.

The body-harness for use by an angler as shown in Figures 1 - 3 includes a first strap 11 adapted to fit around the back of an angler with support straps 12 and 13 extending forwardly therefrom with support clips 14 for clipping the support straps 12 and 13 to respective lugs 29 provided on a fishing reel 30 fitted to the angler's rod 26.

Each of the support straps 12 and 13 is provided with means for adjusting its length such as buckles 15.

Sewn or otherwise secured in known manner to the first strap 11 are two front straps 16 and 17 whose free ends are each provided with respective portions of a buckle 18 which allows the effective length of the straps 16 and 17 to be adjusted and the ends of the straps 16 and 17 to be buckled to each other around the front of the angler.

Also sewn or otherwise secured to the first strap 11 are two shoulder straps 19 and 20, interconnected by a back-strap 21 arranged to inhibit the shoulder straps 19 and 20 from slipping off the shoulders of an angler when the body-harness is in use. One end of each shoulder strap 19, 20 is connected to the first strap 11 in or around a position corresponding to the small of the back of the angler. The other end of each shoulder strap 19, 20 is connected to the first strap in or around the region where the respective belt-like straps 16, 17 are connected thereto. Alternatively, in another arrangement (not shown), the front ends of the shoulder straps 19, 20 may be connected to the respective straps 16, 17.

The shoulder straps 19 and 20 may each be provided with known strap-length adjustment means (not shown) in order that the straps may each be adjusted to comfortably fit an angler wearing the body-harness.

Two additional straps 22 and 23 may optionally be provided connected to the first strap 11, strap 23 being adjustable in length as indicated at 24, and each strap 22 and 23 having respective parts of a readily releasable buckle 25 connected thereto. These additional straps 22 and 23 are adapted to allow the first strap 11, and hence the angler, to be secured to the back of a chair (and/or in the case of a young child or a handicapped angler attached to a tree or other fixing that can safely prevent such an angler from falling into the water).

As will be apparent from Figure 2, an angler may position the butt of a fishing rod 26 in a known cup-like receptical 27 mounted on a further pair of straps, such as 28 extending down from the waist of the angler and then attach the clips 14 to lugs 29 provided on the reel 30 mounted on the rod 26 such that the rod 26 is comfortably and conveniently supported in an operative position without the need for the angler to hold the rod 26 with his hands.

Figure 3 shows a similar body harness to that shown in Figure 1 but with the addition of a crutch strap comprising two parts 31A and 31B.

One part 31A is connected to the first strap 11 in a position corresponding to the back of the wearer, eg between the positions where the shoulder straps 19, 20 are attached to the first strap 11.

The other part 31B is connected to the front strap 17. The free ends of the straps 3iA and 31B are provided with the respective halves of a releasable buckle 32 to enable the two parts 31A and 31B to be releasably secured together.

In use, one part of the crutch strap 31A extends down from the back of the harness is fitted between the legs of the wearer and connected to the other part which extends down from the front of the harness.

Such a crutch strap is used where extra security is rquired to ensure that the body-harness cannot be pulled off the wearer.

The harness described above may be constructed in a variety of ways.

In one arrangement, the support straps 12 and 13 may be continuations of the first strap 11 as shown in Figure 1 and the front straps 16 and 17 attached to the first strap 11, eg around the positions at which the shoulder straps 19, 20 are attached thereto. Alternatively, the front straps 16 and 17 and the front strap 11 may be a continuous strap member with the support straps 12, 13 attached thereto.

The body harness described above may be used in other applications besides the use by an angler described. One example of such other applications is by a disabled person in a wheelchair 33 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. The disabled person wears the body-harness in a similar manner to that described above with the additional straps 22 and 23 passing around the back of the wheel chair 33 to secure the disabled person within the wheel chair.

The support straps 12, 13 may be attached to a fishing rod as described above or may be used for other purposes, eg for attaching to a cover 34 laid over the wearer's legs as shown in Figure 4 to hold the cover 34 in place.

In other version of the body-harness, the support straps 12, 13 may be omitted, the harness simply serving to hold the wearer in a chair or to some other article by means of the straps 22 and 23.

The body-harness described above is designed to be comfortable to wear and so that a substantial proportion of the stress applied to the harness via the support straps 12, 13 and/or the straps 22, 23 is borne by the wearer's rib cage. This is achieved by designing the harness such that the first strap 11 and the front straps 16 and 17 fit against the wearer's body at a height correpsonding to the rib cage.

These straps thus lie against the body at a position above the waist but below the wearer's breast. Some of the stresses applied to the harness will be borne by the wearer's shoulders but due to the design and location of the various straps, a substantial proportion of the stress will still be borne by the wearer's rib cage.

It will be appreciated that the various versions of the body harness described above may be used in a wide variety of applications. some examples are: - windsurfing - where the harness may be used to attach the wearer to the mast by means of the support straps 12, 13.

- yachting - where the harness may be used to attach the wearer to an article in front of them by means of the support straps 12, 13 and/or to an article behind them by means of the straps 22 23.

- ladder or telegraph pole work - where the harness may be used to attach the wearer to the ladder or pole by means of the support straps 12, 13.

- within a vehicle- where the harness may be used to secure the wearer within a seat by means of the straps 22, 23.

Claims

4. A body-harness as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in

which the first strap means is provided with means for adjusting its effective length.

5. A body-harness as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which each of the shoulder straps are provided with means for adjusting its effective length.

6. A body-harness as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the shoulder straps are interconnected by a back-strap.

7. A body-harness as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which strap members are formed from woven rot-resistance webbing.

8. A body-harness as claimed in claim 8 in which the webbing is woven from a nylon synthetic plastics thread.

9. A body-harness claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the first releasable fastening means comprises a quick release fastener.

10. A body-harness as claimed in any one of the preceding claims for use by an angler and which incorporates a further pair of straps supporting a cup-like member for receiving the butt of a fishing rod.

11. A body-harness as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 for use by an angler in combination with a separate cup-like member with supporting straps adapted to be loosely worn by an angler such that the butt of a fishing rod may be lodged in the cup-like member with the rod in an operative position.

12. A body-harness comprising: a first strap member adapted to extend around the body of the wearer with each end thereof extending forwardly so as to fit around the front of the body of the wearer and having first releasable fastening means for securing the ends of the first strap member together; a pair of shoulder straps each connected at one end thereof to the first strap member in or around a position corresponding to the back of the wearer and adapted to extend therefrom over a respective shoulder of the wearer with the other end thereof being connected to the first strap member in or around a position corresponding to the front of the wearer; ; and securing straps each attached at one end to the first strap with the other ends adapted to be releasably secured together such as to secure the harness and hence the wearer to an article, eg a seat back, behind the wearer, the arrangement being such that a substantial proportion of the stresses applied to the harness via the securing straps are borne by the rib cage of the wearer.

13. A body-harness substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.