Device for carrying equipment items

Abstract

A carabiner (10) for carrying equipment is disclosed. The carabiner includes a hook assembly including a generally C-shaped body (20) having an opening (22) closed by an openable gate portion (24). The carabiner also includes a mounting assembly (14) including a mounting boss (40) to which the body is releasably connected and one or more fasteners (56) connecting the mounting boss (40) to a base component. The mounting boss (40) can include a bore through which the body (20) is tightly fitted such that the body is able to pivot about an axis of the bore relative to the boss. A control component can be provided for inhibiting movement of the body within the bore. The carabiner can be mounted in a safety harness by connecting the base to a component of the safety harness, such as by passing the fasteners through holes in the component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a device for carrying equipment or articles. The invention is particularly applicable to a device for carrying equipment on a safety belt designed for people working at heights. Background Technology

[0002] Workers at heights must frequently carry a large amount of equipment, such as hardware (carabiners, ascenders, descenders, pulleys, etc.), ropes, slings, and tools, during their work. Typically, this equipment is carried by temporarily attaching it to a work safety harness worn by the worker. It is crucial that this equipment is attached to the safety harness in a way that ensures it will not accidentally detach, as such detachment could result in equipment loss, damage to objects, or injury to people below. However, it is also essential that the equipment can be easily and conveniently detached from the safety harness when needed.

[0003] To date, stitched gear-shaped textile loops, metal hooks, or polymer hooks, or small locking hooks, are typically provided to hold the equipment. Locking hooks specifically designed to attach fabric webbing to seat belts to provide a position where the equipment can be suspended are also known; an example of this is disclosed in GB-A-2 530 558.

[0004] These devices can result in very little free space outside the seatbelt, leading to clutter and potentially causing components to stack or become tangled. Additionally, these components are typically in fixed positions because they need to be sewn into the structural elements of the seatbelt or fitted into predetermined but limited locations on the seatbelt where the structural webbing is visible and accessible.

[0005] The applicant has realized that many existing seat belts have gaps on their outer surfaces, and the device could potentially be carried on their outer surfaces, but no attachment device is available to achieve this.

[0006] Most seat belts consist of webbing and textile materials to create a shape and structure that keeps the user in place. Some seat belts have a semi-load-bearing component made of a flexible plastic material through which holes are formed. These holes are typically used for load retention and webbing positioning during seat belt assembly. In a typical setup, the seat belt has multiple 5mm holes spaced 15mm apart on the semi-load-bearing material to create small but robust mounting points. The applicant has recognized that these holes, which are typically used only during assembly, can also be used during full seat belt operation. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a locking hook for carrying a device, the locking hook comprising:

[0008] a. A hook assembly comprising a generally C-shaped body having an opening that is closed by an openable door portion;

[0009] b. A mounting assembly comprising a mounting boss and one or more fasteners, the body being releasably connected to the mounting boss, the one or more fasteners connecting the mounting boss to the base component.

[0010] Typically, the mounting boss includes a hole through which the body passes. Preferably, the body is tightly fitted into the hole, allowing the body to pivot relative to the boss about the axis of the hole. The device may include a control component for preventing movement of the body within the hole. The control component may prevent rotational and / or axial movement of the body within the hole. The control component may include one or more rings formed of an elastomeric material, for example, carried on the body. Alternatively or additionally, the control component may include an engagement member (or multiple engagement members) that can be secured to the boss or body at a position where the engagement member prevents or inhibits rotational movement of the body within the hole. Preferably, the engagement member can be secured to the boss or body at a storage position where the engagement member does not prevent or substantially does not prevent or inhibit rotational movement of the body within the hole.

[0011] One or more fasteners may include nuts and bolts that engage with each other by threads, with the bolt shaft passing through holes in the boss and base components. One or more fasteners may include threaded screws retained in holes within the base component. Reinforcement may be provided to distribute the load applied to the base by the fasteners and / or the boss.

[0012] In a second aspect, the invention provides a seat belt to which the mounting components of the device implementing the first aspect of the invention are connected.

[0013] In a typical embodiment, a safety belt is designed to support a person working at height or to provide fall protection.

[0014] In this embodiment, the base component may be formed from components of the seatbelt. Typically, fasteners, or each fastener, pass through corresponding holes in the components of the seatbelt. For example, the component may be a semi-load-bearing component. The component may have holes formed in it during the manufacture of the seatbelt.

[0015] In use, the safety belt can be combined with one or more devices carried on the hook assembly of the locking hook. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail by way of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1A locking hook implementing the present invention is shown, which is a device for carrying equipment or articles;

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The cross-section of the lock hook;

[0019] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 The main sub-component of the locking hook;

[0020] Figure 4 It shows that it is suitable for use with Figure 1 A safety belt used in conjunction with a locking hook;

[0021] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 The half-load-bearing component of the seat belt;

[0022] Figure 6 It shows the installation Figure 4 On the components of the seat belt Figure 1 The base component of the locking hook;

[0023] Figures 7 and 8 show in detail the installation... Figure 4 On the components of the seat belt Figure 1 The lock hook;

[0024] Figure 9a Figure 9c shows the sequence for assembling the locking hook onto the base component of Figure 8;

[0025] Figure 10 The diagram shows the O-ring being installed onto the assembled lock hook;

[0026] Figure 11 and Figure 12 The installation in the folded state is shown. Figure 4 On the components of the seat belt Figure 1 The lock hook;

[0027] Figures 13a to 13c An alternative device is shown. Figure 1 The locking hook can be installed on the components of the seat belt through this device;

[0028] Figure 14 It shows the mounting on a solid block component. Figure 1 The lock hook;

[0029] Figure 15 and Figure 16 The installation is shown Figure 1 The process of replacing the lock hook; and

[0030] Figure 17 , Figure 18 as well as Figure 19A second embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is a... Figure 1 A variation of the locking hook, wherein the locking hook body can be selectively locked or unlocked. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the device for carrying equipment or articles, as a first embodiment of the present invention, takes the form of a locking hook. The locking hook has two sub-assemblies: a hook assembly 12 and a mounting assembly 14.

[0032] The hook assembly 12 includes a generally C-shaped body 20 having a first end portion and a second end portion, with an opening 22 formed between the first end portion and the second end portion. A door portion 24 is supported on the body 20 at the first end portion and pivots at one end portion such that the door portion can move between a closed position (the door portion is spring-biased toward the closed position) and an open position, in which the door portion closes the opening, causing the body 20 to form a complete loop. In the open position, a gap exists between the door portion and the nose 27 of the body 20 at the second end portion. The door portion 24 includes a locking cylinder 26 for securing the door portion 24 in the closed position.

[0033] The main body 20 has a cylindrical, straight rear portion 28 opposite to the door portion 24. A peripheral groove 30 is formed in the rear portion 28. The main body 20 has a top portion 32 between the rear portion 28 and the opening 22, the top portion 32 having a cross-section larger than the cross-section of the rear portion 28. The main body 20 has a truncated conical portion 34 between the rear portion 28 and the top portion.

[0034] Mounting assembly 14 includes a boss 40. The boss 40 has two parallel bolt holes 42, whose axes are 15 mm apart. At least one end portion 58 of each bolt hole 42 is threaded. There may also be a circular, unthreaded remaining portion. A circular cross-section hole 44 extends through the boss 40 in a direction perpendicular to the bolt hole 42, and the hole 44 has an axis equidistant from the axis of the bolt hole 42. The diameter of the hole 44 is slightly larger than the diameter of the rear portion 28 of the body 20. The boss 40 has a flat mounting surface surrounding the opening of the bolt hole 42.

[0035] The upper opening of the hole 44 has a step 46. An upper O-ring 48 surrounds the body 20 immediately adjacent to the truncated conical portion 34 and contacts the step 46 of the boss 40. A lower O-ring 49 is located within a groove 30, the length of which causes the groove 30 to be immediately adjacent to the lower O-ring. The O-rings 48 and 49 serve as control components: the lower O-ring 49 prevents axial movement of the body 20 within the hole 44, while the upper O-ring 48 prevents rotational movement of the body 20 within the hole 44.

[0036] The shape and size of the main body 20 and the boss 40 allow the locking hook to be positioned according to... Figure 9a Assembled in the sequence shown in Figure 9c, wherein the nose 27 of the main body 20 is inserted into the hole 44, and then the main body passes through the hole until the upper O-ring 48 contacts the boss 40. Figure 10 As shown, the lower O-ring 49 then passes along the body 20 of the locking hook through the nose 27 until the lower O-ring is located in the groove 30. The O-rings 48 and 49 are formed of an elastomeric material, and the dimensions of the O-rings are determined to fit tightly within the groove 30.

[0037] Figure 4 A seatbelt 50 is shown, with a locking hook that can be used with it. The seatbelt includes multiple semi-load-bearing components 52, including… Figure 5 The semi-load-bearing component shown has a number of through holes 54, each with a diameter of 5 mm in this example, and the center-to-center spacing of these through holes is 15 mm. This component 52 can be made of a technical textile material through which the holes can be easily formed.

[0038] The locking hook 10 is mounted on the seat belt 50 by arranging its flat mounting surface on the seat belt component 52, with the bolt hole 42 of the locking hook aligned with a corresponding through hole 54 in the component 52. The shaft of the bolt 56 then passes through each corresponding through hole 54 into the bolt hole 42 of the boss 40. The bolt 56 is driven to engage with the threaded portion 58 of the bolt hole 42. The head of the bolt 56 contacts one surface of the component 52, pulling the flat mounting surface into contact with another surface of the component 52. In this way, multiple locking hooks can be secured to and removed from the seat belt 50 as needed to meet the user's requirements for carrying equipment.

[0039] As an alternative, at least one end portion of each bolt hole 42 may be a hexagonal cross-section to receive a nut into which the bolt is driven.

[0040] The installation process described in the previous paragraph can be performed before or after assembling the locking hook as described above, which means that the individual boss 40 ( Figure 15 ) or assembled lock hooks ( Figure 16 Install it onto component 52.

[0041] For use, the hook 10 is configured such that the body 20 extends substantially vertically from the component 52. Equipment items can be carried on the hook by passing the component through a portion of the door 24 through the opening 22. Once the door 24 is closed, the items are retained on the hook 10. A locking cylinder 26 can then be used to secure the door in the closed position, preventing the removal of equipment items until the locking cylinder is released.

[0042] If the locking hook is not needed temporarily, the locking hook can be put into storage by pivoting the main body 20 relative to the boss 40 about the axis of the hole 44 until the main body rests against the part 52 where the locking hook is fixed. Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown. The presence of O-rings 48 and 49 provides resistance to pivoting motion, thereby ensuring that the body 20 tends to remain in the rotational position where the body is positioned by the user.

[0043] Figures 13a to 13c A variation of the device for mounting the locking hook is shown. In this device, a first reinforcing plate 60 is positioned between the mounting surface and the first surface of the component 52, and the locking hook is mounted on the first surface of the component. A second reinforcing plate 62 is arranged between the head of the bolt 56 and the component 52, and the locking hook is mounted on the component. Each reinforcing plate has two holes through which the shaft of the bolt 56 passes. The reinforcing plates 60 and 62 serve to distribute the load on the component 52, which allows the locking hook to be used on components 52 formed of various materials.

[0044] Boss 40 offers a wide range of attachment options. In the example so far, Boss 40 is bolted from the rear via component 52. Boss 40 can also be bolted in another direction, with bolt 56 threaded into the receiving material. Figure 14 The diagram illustrates how the locking hook implementing the invention can be mounted onto a fixed base 66, for example, to hold a tool in a workspace. A bolt 56 can be received in a threaded hole in the fixed base, or a self-threaded screw can be used instead of a bolt.

[0045] Second implementation example Figures 17 to 19 As shown. This embodiment has all the features of the first embodiment, which will not be described again. The modification in this embodiment is a modification of the boss 140 and a portion of the body 120.

[0046] In this embodiment, the boss 140 has a first lug 180 and a second lug 182, which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the hole 44 and radially opposite to each other. A first threaded hole 184 and a second threaded hole 186 are formed in each of the two lugs 180 and 182, respectively. The threaded holes 184 and 186 have an axis parallel to the hole 40, and the body 120 is received in the hole and perpendicular to the bolt hole 42.

[0047] The forked segment 190 protrudes radially from the truncated conical portion of the body 120. The forked segment 190 has two protrusions that extend radially from the body 120 and are connected to each other through a concave notch. The protrusions extend in a direction generally perpendicular to the rear portion 28 of the body 120.

[0048] A cap screw 192 is provided, which has a shank that carries an external thread that mates with the thread in the threaded holes 184, 186.

[0049] exist Figure 17 In the illustrated configuration, the body 120 rotates to protrude from a surface away from the component, and the device is mounted on the surface of the component. In this configuration, the protrusion of the fork-shaped segment 190 is radially opposed to the first threaded hole 184. If the shank of the cap screw 192 is inserted into the first threaded hole 184 and screwed downwards, the head of the cap can be tightened to engage with the first lug 180, closely adjacent to the concave notch of the fork-shaped segment 190. The protrusion of the fork-shaped segment 190 cannot pass through the head of the cap screw 192, which prevents rotation of the body 120 relative to the boss 140.

[0050] Once the cap screw 192 is removed from the first threaded hole 184, the body 120 can rotate on the boss 140, as described above with respect to the first embodiment. The cap screw 192 can be inserted into the second threaded hole 186 and tightened against the second lug 182, so that the cap screw 192 can be stored when it is not used to prevent the body 120 from pivoting. This allows the body 120 to rotate on the boss 140, which may impose some limitation on movement when the forked segment 190 contacts the head of the cap screw 192 toward one extreme of its range of motion.

[0051] As can be seen, during use, the threaded holes 184 and 186 open in a generally upward direction. This allows the user of the seatbelt to access the cap screw 192 while wearing the seatbelt, and also tends to ensure that gravity prevents the cap screw 192 from being lost from the threaded holes 184 and 186.

Claims

1. A locking hook for carrying equipment, the locking hook comprising: a. A hook assembly comprising a generally C-shaped body (20) having an opening (22) that is closed by an openable door (24). b. A mounting assembly comprising a mounting boss (40) and one or more mounting fasteners, the body (20) being releasably connected to the mounting boss, the one or more mounting fasteners connecting the mounting boss (40) to a base component, the mounting boss including a hole (44) through which the body is fitted tightly into the hole, such that the body is pivotable relative to the mounting boss about an axis of the hole; and c. A control component for preventing the body from rotating within the hole. Its features are: d. The control component includes a control fastener (192) that can be fixed to the mounting boss (40) or the body (20) at a position where the control fastener prevents the body from rotating within the hole.

2. The locking hook according to claim 1, wherein, The control component prevents the body from moving axially within the hole.

3. The locking hook according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control component includes one or more rings (48, 49) formed of an elastomeric material, which are carried on the body.

4. The locking hook according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control fastener (192) can be fixed to the mounting boss (40) or the body (20) at a storage position in which the control fastener does not prevent the body from rotating within the hole.

5. The locking hook according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, One or more mounting fasteners include nuts and bolts (56) that engage with each other by threads, the shaft of the bolts passing through holes in the mounting boss and the base component.

6. The locking hook according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, One or more mounting fasteners include threaded screws retained in holes (68) within the base component.

7. The locking hook according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The mounting assembly includes reinforcements (60, 62) to distribute the load applied to the base component by the mounting fasteners and / or the mounting bosses.

8. A safety belt (50) wherein a mounting assembly of a locking hook according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is attached to the safety belt.

9. The seat belt (50) according to claim 8, wherein, The safety belt is designed to support people working at heights.

10. The seat belt (50) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The safety belt is designed to provide fall protection.

11. The seat belt (50) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The base component is composed of components of the seat belt (50).

12. The seat belt (50) according to claim 11, wherein, The mounting fastener passes through a corresponding through hole (54) in the component of the seat belt (50).

13. The seat belt according to claim 12, wherein, The component of the seat belt (50) is a semi-load-bearing component.

14. The seat belt (50) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The component of the seat belt (50) includes a through hole formed in the component of the seat belt (50) during the manufacture of the seat belt.

15. The seat belt (50) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The safety belt is combined with one or more devices carried on the hook assembly of the locking hook.

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