Carabiner with safety catch

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement (10) comprising a carabiner (12) and a safety element (14) that can be reversibly attached to the carabiner (10), wherein the carabiner (10) comprises a base body (16) and a locking body (18), wherein - the base body (16) has a first end (16a) and a base body contact end (16b), - the closure body (18) has a first end (18a) and a closure body contact end (18b), wherein the locking body (18) is movably connected at its first end (18a) in a connection area (20) to the first end (16a) of the base body (16) and is movable between a closed position in which the base body contact end (16b) is in contact with the locking body contact end (18b) and an open position in which the base body contact end (16b) is not in contact with the locking body contact end (18b), wherein the locking element (14) secures the locking body in the closed position when attached to the carabiner (10). The safety element (14) preferably has an eyelet (24) for a connecting element in order to loosely connect the safety element (14) to the carabiner (12).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a carabiner with an additional safety device to prevent the carabiner from opening unintentionally.

[0002] Carabiners are well known and serve to connect two objects. European patent application 3 001 047 A1 describes a carabiner in which a locking component can be secured by means of a rotating cap to prevent the closed carabiner from opening unintentionally.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide further solutions that reduce the risk of a closed carabiner being unintentionally opened. A further object is to develop solutions in which an observer can easily recognize whether a carabiner is secured against intended opening.

[0004] The invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments and embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0005] The problem is solved by an arrangement comprising a carabiner and a safety element reversibly attachable to the carabiner. The carabiner comprises a base body and a locking body, wherein the base body has a first end and a base body contact end, and the locking body has a first end and a locking body contact end, wherein the locking body is movably connected at its first end to the first end of the base body in a connection area and is movable between a closed position in which the base body contact end is in contact with the locking body contact end, and an open position in which the base body contact end is not in contact with the locking body contact end.

[0006] When the safety element is attached to the carabiner, it secures the locking mechanism in its closed position. Consequently, the safety element attached to the carabiner prevents the carabiner from opening.

[0007] The safety element is reversibly attachable to the carabiner and can therefore either be completely detached from the carabiner and stored independently if desired, or attached to it, in which case it performs its safety function. According to one training method, the safety element can also be loosely connected to the carabiner without performing its safety function, but merely to ensure that the carabiner and safety element can be stored together.

[0008] In the carabiner's connection area, the locking mechanism is movably connected at its first end to the first end of the main body, for example via a joint, particularly a swivel joint. A return element automatically positions the locking mechanism so that it is in the closed position. A locking mechanism in the closed position can be moved into the open position by applying force.

[0009] If the safety device is attached to the carabiner, it is no longer possible to move the locking mechanism into the open position. This provides an additional layer of security against accidental opening. Furthermore, it offers the user valuable information, as they can visually see the attached safety device and thus know that the carabiner is secured against unintentional opening.

[0010] According to a further development, the securing element is a plastic clamp that can be attached to the carabiner by momentary elastic deformation, remains attached to the carabiner by restoring its original shape after elastic deformation, and can be removed from the carabiner again by a corresponding further momentary elastic deformation. Suitable plastics with appropriate moduli of elasticity, which allow attachment to the carabiner and secure fastening there, and removal from the carabiner, can be readily provided by a person skilled in the art with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept.

[0011] Examples of suitable plastics include polypropylene, silicone elastomers, elastic polyurethanes and rubbers.

[0012] According to one method, the locking mechanism in the closed position is achieved by the locking element overlapping both the base body contact end and the locking body contact end. Accordingly, a mechanical lock is advantageously provided in the area of ​​the carabiner where opening is normally initiated, in the form of the reversibly attached locking element, which prevents unintentional opening.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the locking mechanism in the closed position is achieved by the locking element overlapping the connection area where the first end of the base body connects to the first end of the locking body. This overlap reduces or completely prevents the movement of the locking body relative to the base body, thus advantageously providing the locking effect. The locking element is elastic enough to be reversibly attached to the base body and preferably inelastic enough to prevent or substantially prevent the locking body from pivoting relative to the base body.

[0014] According to one design, locking in the closed position is achieved by the locking element overlapping both the base body contact end and the locking body contact end, as well as the connection area between the first end of the locking body and the first end of the base body. This reduces or prevents the movement of the locking body relative to the base body by means of the overlap in the connection area, and additionally secures the contact between the locking body contact end and the base body contact end. This provides a particularly advantageous double locking mechanism for the closed position.

[0015] According to the design, the base body contact end has an external thread, and the closure body contact end has a matching external thread. This matching, for example through identical or compatible thread characteristics, ensures that the base body contact end external thread is a continuation of the closure body contact end external thread, and vice versa. Furthermore, either the base body contact end or the closure body contact end has a threaded sleeve with an internal thread. The internal thread of the threaded sleeve is, in turn, matched to the external threads of the base body contact end and the closure body contact end.When the internal thread of the threaded sleeve engages the external thread of the base body contact end and the external thread of the locking body contact end, the locking body contact end can be fixed in the closed position relative to the base body contact end via the threaded sleeve. This is achieved by screwing the threaded sleeve onto the device by rotating it, thus following the thread path, so that it overlaps both the base body contact end and the locking body contact end. The reversibly attachable locking element to the carabiner is designed so that, when attached to the threaded sleeve, it additionally secures the closed position already fixed by the threaded sleeve.This is achieved by the fixed locking element making it difficult or impossible for a user to grip the threaded sleeve and rotate it. Therefore, the threaded sleeve can no longer be unscrewed far enough from the locking body contact end, following the thread path, to allow the locking body contact end to move relative to the base body again. This advantageously provides an additional safeguard for the carabiner's closed position.

[0016] According to one design, the locking element has a hollow contour that forms a negative mold of the part of the carabiner which, when attached, is at least partially enclosed by the locking element to achieve the attachment. This advantageously provides an improved positive locking connection of the locking element to the carabiner and thus increased protection against unintentional detachment of the locking element.

[0017] According to training, when not in use, the safety element can be attached to a point on the carabiner for storage and thus connected to it in such a way that it does not impair the movement of the locking mechanism.

[0018] According to an alternative design, the safety element has a mounting eyelet and can be movably connected to the carabiner by means of a connecting element threaded through the eyelet. This ensures that the safety element remains connected to the carabiner even when it is not attached. In this case, the safety element is loosely connected to the carabiner and, advantageously, cannot be lost. Instead, it is easily located and accessible to the user when they want to attach the safety element to the carabiner to secure the locking mechanism in the closed position. Examples of suitable connecting elements include cable ties, chains, or cords.

[0019] The problem of making the safety device identifiable to a person, for example, a user of a carabiner, is advantageously solved by the safety element itself. If a person perceives a safety element attached to a carabiner, they know that the carabiner is additionally secured in its closed position. This perception can be ensured simply by the shape of the safety element and thus the presence of an additional part on the carabiner.

[0020] According to training, the safety element, for improved identification, has a color that differs from the color of the carabiner. For example, if the carabiner is a metal part without any additional surface paint or coating, then, according to further training, the carabiner's color differs in that it does not match the corresponding metal color. Common metal colors are, based on experience, colors with a gold or reddish component, but especially silver or gray.

[0021] According to training, the safety device has a signal color. Signal colors are defined as those that stand out conspicuously from the background. Examples of signal colors in connection with carabiners, which form the background and, as described above, are usually metallic colors, are red, green, yellow, orange, and blue.

[0022] The training and further education courses described herein can be combined in any way.

[0023] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, in which – possibly with reference to the drawings – at least one embodiment is described in detail. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are identified by the same reference numerals.

[0024] This shows: Fig. 1 a schematic view of a carabiner in an open position, Fig. 2 a schematic view of the carabiner in the closed position, Fig. 3 views of a safety element, Fig. 4. A carabiner in the closed position with a safety element attached for securing.

[0025] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a carabiner 12. This carabiner has a base body 16 with a first end 16a and a base body contact end 16a, as well as a locking body 18 with a first end 18a and a locking body contact end 18b. In a connection area 20, the approximate extent of which is indicated by two dot-dash lines, the first end 16a of the base body 16 is movably connected to the first end 18a of the locking body 18, allowing pivoting about a pivot axis represented by a circle and not labeled. The carabiner 12 is shown in an open position in which the base body contact end 16b is not in contact with the locking body contact end 18b.In the open position, the carabiner 12 can be hooked into an object to be connected to the carabiner 12, for example a rope can be inserted or the base body contact end 16b can be inserted into a ring of the object.

[0026] Fig. Figure 2 shows the carabiner 12 from Fig. 1 in the closed position. To achieve this position, the locking body 18 was pivoted about the pivot axis until the locking body contact end 18b is in contact with the base body contact end 16b. The closed position is maintained by a return element (not shown) as long as the locking body 18 is not pivoted back into an open position by a force.

[0027] Fig. Figure 3 shows views of two safety elements 14. In the Fig. Figure 3A shows a top view of a locking element 14, which has a hollow contour 22. In the Fig. Figure 3B shows a cross-section of a carabiner 12, which is held in the fixed position by the hollow contour 22. Fig. Figure 3C shows a schematic side view of a further development of a safety element 14, in which Fig. 3D top view, and in the Fig. Figure 3E shows a spatial oblique view from a lateral upper position. The depicted securing element 14 has a hollow contour 22 and additionally an eyelet 24 through which a connecting element (not shown) can be guided to connect the securing element 14 to a carabiner 12 (not shown).

[0028] Fig. Figure 4 shows a schematic view of an arrangement 10 consisting of a carabiner 12 and a safety element 14. The carabiner 12 corresponds to the one in Fig.Figure 2 shows a carabiner 12, with the locking body 18 in the closed position. Also shown is a locking element 14, which overlaps the base body contact end 16b and the locking body contact end 18b, thus securing the carabiner 12 in the closed position. The base body contact end 16b and the locking body contact end 18b, which are overlapped by the locking element 14 and are therefore not visible, are indicated by dotted lines.

[0029] Although the invention has been further illustrated and explained in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived from them by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exist. It is also clear that the embodiments mentioned as examples are truly only examples and are not to be understood in any way as limiting, for example, the scope of protection, the possible applications, or the configuration of the invention.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without leaving the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

Claims

[1] Arrangement (10) comprising a carabiner (12) and a safety element (14) reversibly attachable to the carabiner (10), where the carabiner (10) comprises a base body (16) and a locking body (18), wherein - the base body (16) has a first end (16a) and a base body contact end (16b), - the closure body (18) has a first end (18a) and a closure body contact end (18b), wherein the locking body (18) is movably connected at its first end (18a) in a connection area (20) to the first end (16a) of the base body (16) and is movable between a closed position in which the base body contact end (16b) is in contact with the locking body contact end (18b) and an open position in which the base body contact end (16b) is not in contact with the locking body contact end (18b), wherein the locking element (14) secures the locking body in the closed position when attached to the carabiner (10). [2] Arrangement (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the locking in the closed position is achieved by the locking element (14) superimposing both the base body contact end (16b) and the locking body contact end (18b). [3] Arrangement (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the locking in the closed position is achieved by the locking element (14) by superimposing the connection area (20) to connect the first end (16a) of the base body (16) with the first end (18a) of the locking body (18). [4] Arrangement (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the fixation in the closed position is achieved by superimposing both the base body contact end (16b) and the closure body contact end (18b) as well as by superimposing the connection area (20) between the first end of the closure body (18a) and the first end (16a) of the base body (16). [5] Arrangement (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein - the base body contact end (16b) has a base body contact end external thread and the closure body contact end (18b) has a matching closure body contact end external thread, - the base body contact end (16b) or the closure body contact end (18b) shall have a threaded sleeve with internal thread, - wherein, by means of the threaded sleeve, when its internal thread engages the external thread of the base body contact end (16a) and the external thread of the closure body contact end, the closure body contact end (18b) can be fixed in the closed position relative to the base body contact end (16a) via the threaded sleeve, characterized by , that the locking element (14) is designed for reversible attachment to the threaded sleeve, wherein, when attached to the threaded sleeve, the closed position already fixed by the threaded sleeve is additionally secured by the locking element (14). [6] Arrangement (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the locking element (14) has a hollow contour (22) which is a negative shape of that part of the carabiner (12) which, in the attached state, is at least partially received by the locking element (14). [7] Arrangement (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the securing element (14) has an eyelet (24) and can be loosely connected to the carabiner (10) by means of a connecting element guided through the eyelet (24). [8] Arrangement (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the safety element (14) has a different color than the color of the carabiner (12). [9] Arrangement (10) according to claim 8, characterized by , that the safety element (14) has a signal color.

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