Connector with safety door

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector or climbing carabiner (1) in which a door (10) coupled with a swinging finger (2) is adapted to ensure an improved closed state of the finger. The door (10) is movable along its longitudinal axis and rotatable about the longitudinal axis to open and close the fingers (2). The door comprises at least one safety recess (101) that engages with a nose post (54) of a nose (52) of the carabiner when the finger (2) performs a movement different from the movement in the sequence of movements required to open the finger.

Description

[0001] Applicant:

[0002] - Cognex Srl, Italian, with registered office in: Via Aprile 25, 23804 Montemarcello (Lecco) P.IVA 02959350145

[0003] For the purposes of the present assignment, its residence is elected by the following representatives: Filippo FERRONI (Reg. No. 530BM), Mirco BIANCO (Reg. No. 1639B), Marco CAMOLESE (Reg. No. 882BM), Giancarlo REPOSIO (Reg. No. 1168BM), Corrado BORSANO (Reg. No. 446BM) and Matteo BARONI (Reg. No. 1064BM).

[0004] Via Palestro 5 / 2, Metroconsult Srl, 16122 Genova (GE)

[0005] Named inventor:

[0006] 1) Marco Bonati

[0007] 2) Livio Coser

[0008] The present invention relates to a connector for fastening a person engaged with a cable, a rope or the like, for example when working on a construction site or performing maintenance work at height or when climbing a mountain or enjoying a suspended path in an adventure park.

[0009] Before proceeding further, it is necessary to point out that, as will become apparent in the following description, the term "connector" refers to what is commonly called "carabiner" or "spring carabiner".

[0010] In the following, all these names should be understood as synonyms with the same meaning.

[0011] As is known, a carabiner is basically a special elliptical metal ring, which can have different shapes and sizes, and which is provided with a spring-type element which ensures the correct closure of the hook, which, when closed, assumes the characteristics of a ring.

[0012] This connector is generally used for suspending or suspending objects and finds particular application in the field of mountaineering (in which it is absolutely necessary for performing maneuvers on the wall), but it is also widely used for many maintenance, construction, repair, cleaning, etc. operations that must be carried out at height on buildings or various civil and industrial structures.

[0013] For example, let’s consider the maintenance and cleaning of skyscraper facades, the work of wind turbines or telecommunications antennas, mountain rescue operations, or the activities of fire brigades.

[0014] Within this application framework, there is a wide variety of carabiners available, varying in shape, size, and material.

[0015] While the invention is applicable to all such variations, it was specifically developed for carabiners equipped with a safety gate, which is a bushing that can be moved to a non-operating retracted position in which it allows the carabiner to be opened by moving its resilient swing lever, or to a forward position in which it locks the lever to keep the carabiner closed.

[0016] The door can be threaded or have a spring-controlled snap-on mechanism; this system can be used to prevent the carabiner's lever from accidentally opening when closed. This is advantageous when a person needs to protect themselves while climbing a wall or maneuvering in hazardous conditions.

[0017] In fact, when a carabiner is positioned so that the lever-equipped arm contacts the wall, the carabiner's own movement can disengage the lever, creating a dangerous situation or even causing the user to fall. A door-locking lever overcomes this problem.

[0018] Carabiners must meet precise technical specifications regarding their mechanical properties, such as ultimate tensile strength, fatigue strength, and lever opening cycles.

[0019] Carabiners used for rock climbing and mountaineering applications, like those used for work or leisure, are considered personal protective equipment and must be certified to comply with applicable regulations. In Europe, such regulations are specified in CEN standards (EN 362 and EN12275). Carabiners used for rock climbing and mountaineering applications can also be certified by UIAA: in some cases, this certification specifies slightly higher ultimate tensile strength values, thus requiring manufacturers to adhere to stricter limits.

[0020] As a safety requirement, standards EN 362-EN 12275 also stipulate that at least two movements must be performed in order to open a carabiner:

[0021] -EN 362-4.1.3: Single lever connectors must have an automatic or manual lever locking function;

[0022] -EN 362-4.1.4: Connectors with a single self-locking lever must automatically lock the lever when it is closed, and at least two different intentional manual actions must be required to open the lever.

[0023] Regardless of the applicable technical standard, the safety requirements are of primary importance for the connector or carabiner, since the safety of the person who works or practises sports using such a connector depends on such requirements.

[0024] Therefore, in this respect, there is a constant felt need to improve the performance of such connectors.

[0025] For example, in automatic carabiners that require two movements (rotation of the door about its axis + opening of the lever) to open, or in automatic carabiners that require three movements (translation of the door along its axis + rotation of the door about its axis + opening of the lever), when the force that causes the carabiner to open is stopped, they will automatically close again during any opening phase and return to their initial position.

[0026] In these cases, in order to ensure the safety of the intentional opening, it is necessary to carry out two or three movements in succession to minimize the risk of accidental opening, but at the same time an unintentional force vector acting on 2 / 3 movements and oriented in the direction of such movements can still open the carabiner.

[0027] For example, let's consider a situation in which a person secured with a cable and carabiner working at height on a building or rock climbing loses grip: in this case, the body of the person can be in an inverted position and the tension of the cable passing through the carabiner can act unpredictably on the door and on the closed lever to the point of causing the lever to open.

[0028] The present invention aims to eliminate or at least minimize this risk, thus increasing the safety level of the connector or carabiner.

[0029] In other words, the technical problem on which the present invention is based is to provide a new type of connector or carabiner, which comprises a safety door for the closing function and has structural and functional characteristics that ensure a higher safety than the prior art carabiners.

[0030] The idea to solve this problem is to allow the mechanism to distinguish between intentional opening and accidental opening based on the correct sequence of movements required to open the carabiner.

[0031] In fact, by requiring a forced sequence of movements of the components of the carabiner in order to open it, the carabiner can be prevented from opening as long as the exact sequence is not observed.

[0032] Therefore, every time a single unintentional external force triggers a movement before the previous movement has started, i.e. when the correct sequence is not observed, the safety system will enter a safety lock mode in which the previous movement will be blocked until such force stops applying and the system returns to the initial state without any external stimulus.

[0033] The features of the invention are set out with particularity in the accompanying claims.

[0034] These features will become more apparent from the following description in which, reference is made to the attached drawings wherein:

[0035] - Figure 1 An exploded view of the connector or carabiner according to the present invention is shown;

[0036] - Figure 2 and Figure 3 respectively show a side view and a top view of the connector of Figure 1 in the assembled condition;

[0037] - Figure 4 and Figure 5 show isometric views of the aforementioned connector in the respective safety operating conditions;

[0038] - Figure 6 and Figure 7 show longitudinal sectional views of the aforementioned connector in the respective safety operating conditions; Figure 4 and Figure 5 show side views of the aforementioned connector shown;

[0039] - Figure 8 and Figure 9 show longitudinal sectional views of the aforementioned connector in the respective safety operating conditions;

[0040] - Figure 10 (a), (b), (c) of the aforementioned connector are views of the door thereof, observed from different angles;

[0041] - Figure 11 An exploded view of a variant of the connector or carabiner according to the present invention is shown;

[0042] - Figure 12 and Figure 13 show isometric views of the aforementioned variant of the connector in the respective safety operating conditions;

[0043] - Figure 14 and Figure 15 show longitudinal sectional views of the aforementioned variant of the connector in the respective safety operating conditions.

[0044] With reference to the figures listed above, the first figure shows a connector according to the present invention, which is indicated as a whole by the reference number 1.

[0045] The connector 1 has a closed oblong profile, substantially elliptical, although it can be constructed in other ways, for example with a circular, "D" shaped, "8" shaped or any other shape known in the art.

[0046] The connector comprises a levered finger 2 which can oscillate about a pivot 3 located at a first end 51 of the body or hook 50 of the connector; more specifically, the pivot 3 consists of a pin which passes through a hole 4 in the forked base 23 of the finger, preferably associated with a bushing 30 to reduce friction and stress. The pin 3 also extends into a hole 53 formed in the first end 51 of the body 5 of the connector 1.

[0047] The tip 20 of the oscillating finger 2 is intended to abut the second end 52 of the body 5, which has a "C" shape; the second end 52 of the body 5 is also referred to as the connector nose.

[0048] The tip 20 of the finger has an internal seat 21 which has a shape complementary to that of the nose 52 of the connector 1, which is coupled and abuts the internal seat 21 when the connector is in the closed condition (Fig. 2). Figure 2 An enlarged detail is shown which represents the instant in the dynamic of the automatic closing process in which, when the door 10 is turned, it hits the nose 54 of the nose of the connector 52, where the inclined ramp helps the door to slide into its original position).

[0049] The elastic action of the spring 7 housed inside the finger 2 keeps the finger 2 abutting the nose 52; when the connector is in the assembled condition, the spring 7 is kept in place inside the finger 2 by the foil 6.

[0050] In this example, the shapes of the nose 52 and of the seat 21 are male-female type to allow the nose 52 to fit into the seat 21 when the finger 2 is turned outwards to close the connector 1.

[0051] However, other shapes of the seat 21 and of the nose 52 are also possible without departing from the teachings of the present invention, as will become apparent hereinafter.

[0052] A safety door 10 is applied externally and coaxially to the finger 2 to fix the connector 1 in the closed condition, which door is also movable between an advanced position, in which it locks the finger 2 in the closed condition, and a retracted position, in which it allows the finger 2 to oscillate in a levered manner.

[0053] To this end, the door 10 and the finger 2 are coupled to each other by means of joints and springs 8, 9; the door 10 is preferably also provided with external knurling 13, which makes it easier to grip with the phalanges of the fingers of the hand of the user.

[0054] In this example, the springs 8, 9 are kept in place by the washers 38, 39 at the respective grooves or cavities 28, 29 of the finger 2, with the connector in the assembled condition.

[0055] In particular, springs 8 and 9 enable the operation of door 10 by performing a predefined sequence of movements opposite to the elastic action of springs 8 and 9, said movements comprising:

[0056] i) an upward axial translation movement (with reference to the attached figures);

[0057] ii) a clockwise rotation movement.

[0058] These movements of door 10 align the upper notch 100 thereof with the nose 52 of body 5, so that finger 2 can be turned inward against the action of spring 7, thus opening connector 1.

[0059] The inward movement of finger 2 is therefore the third movement iii) of the sequence that needs to be performed to ensure the safety of connector 1.

[0060] In other words, the sequence of movements i), ii), iii) provides a certain degree of intrinsic safety to the connector, since if such a sequence is not performed in that exact order, the connector cannot be opened. In this regard, it must be pointed out that the three consecutive movements i) -> ii) -> iii) must be performed intentionally by the user, since they require overcoming the elastic contrast applied by springs 8, 9 and 7 (in that order).

[0061] Conversely, by performing the same sequence in the opposite order iii) -> ii) -> i), connector 1 can be safely closed by returning door 10 to the lowered condition, turning it in such a way that notch 100 is not aligned with nose 52 of body 5.

[0062] The elastic return action of springs 7, 9 and 8 facilitates the opposite sequence, in which springs 7, 9 and 8 operate in line with the movements that door 10 must perform.

[0063] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Connector 1 is shown in the idle condition, i.e. in the closed condition and without external forces applied thereto; in this condition, nose 52 of body 5 is engaged in seat 21 in tip 20 of finger 2.

[0064] As can be observed, in this case, main notch 100 of door 10 is not aligned with nose 52 (turned about 90°); on the contrary, in the position corresponding to nose 52, there is a second notch 101 of door 10, which is smaller than the first notch and has a size substantially similar to that of nose column 54 associated with nose 52 of body 5.

[0065] The function performed by this second notch 101 is to ensure that, if an external force tends to move finger 2 from the idle condition of the connector ( Figure 2 and Figure 3) the lever-shaped finger 2 is started to move inward, the nose 54 will protrude into the notch and prevent the door from turning.

[0066] Therefore, the second movement ii) of the above sequence will not be allowed to occur.

[0067] This means that an additional phase iv) is added to the above sequence to increase the overall safety of the connector.

[0068] In this case, in fact, even if there is a force tending to move the finger 2 inward, the door 10 will not be able to turn, so the entire sequence i) -> ii) -> iii) will be locked.

[0069] This condition is shown in several views of the pair Figures 4-5 , Figures 6-7 and Figures 8-9 , in which it can be seen that, starting from the condition in which the door 10 is slightly turned from the idle state ( Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 ), if an external force tends to move the finger 2 inward (clockwise in Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 ) toward the inside of the body 5, the nose 54 of the nose 52 will engage the seat 101 of the door 10, thus preventing the door 10 from turning further.

[0070] Therefore, this condition represents a safety lock of the connector, increasing the continuity of the above sequence i) -> ii) -> iii).

[0071] From this description, it can be understood how the present invention is able to solve the technical problem on which it is based.

[0072] In fact, the solution described herein allows the mechanism to discriminate between intentional and unintentional opening, so that the connector opens only when the correct sequence of movements i) -> ii) -> iii) is performed.

[0073] On the contrary, whenever a single unintentional external force triggers a movement before the previous one has started, i.e. when the correct sequence is not observed, the safety system will enter a safety lock mode, in which the previous movement will be blocked until such force stops applying and the system returns to the initial state without any external stimulus.

[0074] This result is obtained in a simple and effective way thanks to the presence of a second notch 101 on the door 10, which is configured and positioned so as to be easily engaged by the nose 54 of the body 5.

[0075] However, the solution is not limited to the shape of the engagement notch, which in the example shown herein passes through the entire thickness of the door 10, as it can alternatively be machined only partially, without passing through the entire thickness of the door, remaining inside it, or, as a further alternative, it can not reach the top end of the door, being machined as a slot or hole.

[0076] Furthermore, the solution disclosed herein can be applied to carabiners provided with other types of opening mechanisms, as it is based on the concept of sequence of movements and on the activation of a safety locking mode when an incorrect sequence is performed.

[0077] More specifically, let us consider carabiners equipped with screw doors, in which the engagement will keep the locking position and will prevent accidental unscrewing, or automatic carabiners equipped with doors that translate along their axis (by means of a spring-type system that moves the door upwards to close the hook), in which the retention cavity can be a hole or a slot contained within the dimensions of the door, which engages with the hook of the carabiner, suitably shaped with engagement teeth.

[0078] Figures 11 to 15 Another possible variant is shown in Figs. 6-8, which show, through views similar to those of the first example, a twist-type connector 1, i.e. a connector that requires two movements; for simplicity and ease of understanding, in Figures 11 to 15 In Figs. 6-8, the same reference numbers used in the preceding figures have been used to indicate the same or equivalent elements.

[0079] For brevity, the latter will not be further described and reference should be made to the description above.

[0080] In essence, Figures 11 to 15 The variant shown in Figs. 6-8 differs from the previous one in that the finger 20 of the connector can be opened by performing a sequence with only two movements:

[0081] ii) a clockwise rotation movement;

[0082] iii) an inward movement of the finger 2.

[0083] To this end, the mechanism of the door 10 comprises only a single spring 8 located outside the finger 2, instead of the two springs adopted in the previous example.

[0084] In any case, the same safety considerations already made above apply also to the closure of the finger 2, which is ensured by a second notch 101 into which the nose column 54 of the connector nose 52 engages.

[0085] To understand this, reference can be made to the explanations provided for the previous example, which, with the appropriate modifications, also apply to this variant.

[0086] In this case, in fact, the door 10 can only perform a rotational movement (torsion) about its own axis, without axial translation; this simplifies the opening sequence of the connector 1, but reduces the safety degree, depending on the sequence of movements required to open the connector.

[0087] For this reason, the present application appears particularly advantageous for this application, since the engagement of the nose 54 of the body 5 of the connector with the safety notch or cavity 101 makes it possible to prevent the arm 2 from opening under the action of a force tending to perform the opposite sequence of movements iii) -> ii).

[0088] However, all these features should fall within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A connector (1) comprising: - a hook-shaped body (5); - a finger (2) connected to the hook-shaped body (5) and oscillating between a closed condition, in which the finger (2) engages with one end (52) of the body (5), and an open condition, in which the finger (2) is separated from the end (52) of the body (5) against the elastic action of at least one spring (7); - a door (10) coupled with the oscillating finger (2) for locking the finger (2) in its closed condition, wherein the door (10) is movable along its longitudinal axis and rotatable about the longitudinal axis to open and close the finger (2), characterized in that the door comprises at least one safety notch (101) adapted to engage with a nose post (54) of the nose (52) of the body (5) when the finger (2) is subjected to an opening movement from the closed condition.

2. The connector according to claim 1, comprising at least one spring (8, 9) whose elastic force is opposite to the translational and rotational movement of the door (10).

3. The connector of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The notch (101) is provided on the door (10) offset by about 90 degrees with respect to the main notch (100) which allows the passage of the nose (52) of the body (5) when the door is turned to open the finger (2).

4. The connector of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The opening of the finger (2) occurs after a sequence of the following movements: i) an axial translational movement of the door (19); ii) a rotational movement of the door (10) to align the main notch (100) with the nose (52) of the body (5); iii) a movement of the finger (2) towards the inside of the connector to open the finger.

5. The connector according to claim 4, further comprising: iv) a condition in which the door (10) is prevented from rotating in case the sequence of movements i) -> ii) -> iii) is not performed, wherein the safety notch (101) engages with the nose post (54) of the nose (52) of the body (5).

6. The connector of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The opening of the finger (2) occurs after a sequence of the following movements: ii) a rotational movement of the door (10) to align the main notch (100) with the nose (52) of the body (5); iii) a movement of the finger (2) towards the inside of the connector to open the finger.

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