SAFETY DEVICE FOR A Rappelling or Fall Protection System

Description

AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a safety device, preferably an anchor point, for a rappelling or fall protection system, comprising a guide element which has a recess, a connecting plate which can be connected to a substrate and is connected to the guide element via at least two connecting means, and a ring for attaching securing means. wherein the ring is guided through the recess and is movably mounted in it, whereby the ring is aligned parallel to a flat support surface of the connecting plate in a basic position and encloses an angle other than 0° with the support surface in a working position. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Safety devices, such as anchor points, serve to secure people, objects, or animals in buildings or facilities. They are the part of a fall protection or abseiling system that is permanently attached to a surface, such as a wall or frame. In such systems, commonly used for occupational safety, for example, during exterior building cleaning or assembly work at height, a safety device, such as a rope, strap, or line, is attached to the safety device on one side and to the object being secured on the other, for example, to a person's harness or a load-bearing strap for an object. A carabiner or hook is typically used to attach the safety device to the safety device, specifically to the anchor point.

[0003] Since safety devices, especially anchor points, are generally planned and installed during the construction of buildings, but are not in constant use, they should be installed in a space-saving and unobtrusive manner. Therefore, EP 1222001 B1 proposes a safety device comprising a guide element and a movable ring, referred to therein as a buckle. The movable ring is fitted into an L-shaped notch such that, in its resting position, it lies parallel to a base plate, also called a connection plate. By moving the ring within the notch, it can be rotated by 90°, allowing it to be used to attach a safety device. The ring is generally flat and has a recess, preferably right-angled, for fitting the ring into the notch and for attaching a safety device.

[0004] While the safety device is either not subjected to any load during use, for example, when it is used in a fall arrest system and is only loaded in the event of a fall, or is largely subjected to purely static loads, for example, when it is used in a rappel system and an object, such as a person or an object, loads the safety device primarily through its own weight, sudden, high dynamic loads can also act on the safety device, manifesting as a force introduced into the ring. Such dynamic loads occur, for example, when a secured object falls, as soon as the safety device is tensioned and the force generated by the fall is introduced into the ring.

[0005] In a state-of-the-art locking device, however, the ring is the only component that can plastically deform when an upper threshold of the applied force is exceeded, thus dissipating the energy generated by the dynamic load. Due to the small deformations, the damping of the dynamic load is very low, and high forces act on the object being secured.

[0006] A further disadvantage of the prior art is that, after a dynamic load exceeding an upper threshold of the applied force, the plastic deformation is only noticeable at the ring. This means that such a safety device could easily be put back into operation simply by replacing the ring. However, the fact that the metallic structure of the guide element also changes due to the high load and could potentially fail under a renewed dynamic load remains hidden from the user.

[0007] WO 2014 / 044804 A1 discloses a fastening element for fixing a safety device in a substrate, in particular a masonry wall.

[0008] WO 01 / 28632 A1 discloses a safety device for a rappelling device for securing persons, animals and objects. TASK OF INVENTION

[0009] It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to propose a safety device comprising a guide element that functions as a fall indicator, thus enabling simple verification of operational readiness. A further object is to increase the damping of dynamic loads by the safety device. Furthermore, the safety device should be characterized by simple and cost-effective manufacturing as well as low maintenance requirements. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] This problem is solved by a safety device with the features of the main claim. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the respective dependent claims.

[0011] The invention relates to a safety device, preferably an anchor point, for a rappelling or fall protection system, comprising a guide element which has a recess, a connecting plate which can be connected to a substrate and is connected to the guide element via at least two connecting means, and a ring for attaching securing means. wherein the ring is guided through the recess and is movably mounted in it, whereby the ring is aligned parallel to a flat support surface of the connecting plate in a basic position and encloses an angle other than 0° with the support surface in a working position.

[0012] It is further provided that the guide element comprises a cover plate and wall elements, wherein the wall elements extend at an angle, preferably at right angles, from the cover plate towards the connecting plate, forming a material-free space bounded by the cover plate and wall elements to allow plastic deformation of the guide element in the area of ​​the recess when a force introduced via the ring exceeds an upper threshold value. Preferably, the guide element and connecting plate are made of a metallic material, in particular steel, and especially preferably stainless steel.

[0013] A major disadvantage of the prior art lies in the massive design of the guide element, which is typically milled from a solid block. Due to the large wall thicknesses and the resulting high material accumulation, the guide element is very rigid and only deformable under very high forces. To overcome this disadvantage, the guide element has a material-free space in its center, which is bounded laterally by the wall elements and on the side opposite the connecting plate by the cover plate, which can have any geometric shape. The wall thickness of the cover plate or the wall elements is chosen to be very small compared to the circumference of the cover plate and is preferably between 0.5 and 4 mm. Preferably, the wall thickness of the entire guide element is uniform, although different wall thicknesses are also conceivable.

[0014] Preferably, the wall elements are arranged around the perimeter of the cover plate. It is also conceivable that the wall elements run parallel to the perimeter but are offset inwards, forming a lateral edge. The cover plate is preferably flat, although this does not preclude sections of the cover plate from being convex. The guide element is particularly space-saving when the wall elements extend perpendicularly from the cover plate towards the connecting plate. In other words, this forms a can-shaped guide element, which is closed by the connecting plate, thus creating a cavity between the connecting plate, the cover plate, and the wall elements.The connecting means traverse the material-free space to connect the connecting plate and the guide part, preferably with at least one connecting means arranged on both sides of the recess, viewed normally to the recess.

[0015] This design of the guide element drastically reduces its stiffness, causing it to deform plastically when a force exceeding the upper threshold is applied to the ring. In particular, the area of ​​the guide element in contact with the ring deforms plastically. While only elastic deformations occur when the force applied to the ring is below the upper threshold, which is typically between 1 kN and 3 kN depending on the application, and the guide element and ring remain usable, exceeding the upper threshold causes the guide element to deform to such an extent that damage is visible to the naked eye, or the ring can no longer be returned to its original position.

[0016] To guide the fasteners, which are, for example, threaded screws, through the guide element and the connection plate, the connection plate has first openings and the cover plate has second openings, which are preferably arranged parallel to each other. It is conceivable that the fasteners can be directly connected to the substrate, and that by fixing the fasteners to the substrate, the guide element is pressed onto the connection plate. The connection plate can also be part of a specially designed fastening element, which, for example, dampens dynamic loads by means of an absorber element or is attached to metal profiles, such as metal stud walls, partition walls, or suspended ceilings, and is suitable for absorbing dynamic loads.

[0017] The improved plastic deformability of the guide element, which offers positive properties and desired effects through its function as a fall indicator and energy absorption in case of excessive forces, also has negative consequences: Excessive tightening of the fasteners that clamp the guide element and the connecting plate against each other can lead to undesirable deformation of the guide element or the cover plate in the area of ​​the second openings. In the best-case scenario, this only restricts the ring's movement, which can be remedied by reducing the tightening force. In the worst-case scenario, however, excessive tightening leads to plastic deformation of the guide element, which, due to the associated change in the metallic structure, causes embrittlement, leading to breakage of the guide element under dynamic loading.To minimize this safety risk and prevent plastic deformation of the guide element during assembly, the invention provides for a spacer element to be arranged between a first opening and a second opening to bridge the gap between the cover plate and the connecting plate. Since the space between the first and second openings is locally filled by the spacer element, which is preferably annular so that the connecting elements can pass through it, the cover plate can no longer bend towards the connecting plate, and plastic deformation is effectively prevented. The spacer element can, for example, be an inserted, pressed-in, or welded-in sleeve.

[0018] One embodiment of the invention provides that the wall elements are designed as at least one pair of mutually parallel, opposing first wall elements and one pair of mutually parallel, opposing second wall elements. This allows for particularly space-saving installation, especially when the surface has a rectangular footprint. The parallel wall elements also serve to distribute the force evenly into the connecting element. Preferably, the first and second wall elements form a right angle with each other, resulting in a rectangular outline.

[0019] Since two opposing parallel wall elements are particularly well suited for the movable mounting of the ring, a further embodiment of a locking device according to the invention provides that the recess is formed in the two first wall elements and preferably divides the first wall elements into a first wall part and a second wall part. The recesses on the two opposing wall elements are congruent, so that the section of the ring guided by the guide element is essentially parallel to the second wall elements. If a connecting element is arranged in the area of ​​both the first and second wall parts, this results in a particularly high level of safety against the guide element tearing out, such that this only occurs when a force is applied that is several times the upper threshold value.

[0020] To enable cost-effective production of the guide element using a deep-drawing process, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the wall elements are connected to each other only via the cover plate. In other words, the edges formed between the adjacent wall elements have a relief, so that one wall element is not directly connected to the adjacent wall elements. This makes it possible to produce the can-shaped guide element from a flat plate. Accordingly, the guide element is produced by a deep-drawing process in a preferred embodiment. Deep-drawing processes are known to those skilled in the art and are characterized by the fact that a substantially flat starting plate, which is arranged between a die and a mold, is transformed into a three-dimensional shape by means of an indentation force acting on the die.

[0021] Large plastic deformations of the guide element, particularly in the area of ​​the recess and that part of the cover plate which is in contact with the section of the ring guided by the guide element, occur when the upper threshold value of the applied force is exceeded, especially if the wall elements containing the recess, preferably the first one, have low stiffness. Therefore, in a further embodiment of a locking device according to the invention, the recess is provided to be at least partially open in the direction of the connecting plate. In this way, the stiffness corresponds to an open rather than a closed cross-section.

[0022] In order to enable a simple mechanical functional test in addition to visual inspection, in which the ring can no longer be returned to its home position after plastic deformation of the guide element, a further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the ring rests in its home position on a tab formed by the first wall element 11, extending parallel to the bearing surface, and is spaced apart from the connecting plate by the tab. The tab projects finger-like into the recess and forms a contact surface for the ring in its home position, which is aligned parallel to the bearing surface in its undeformed state. For example, the tab can be designed as an L-shaped fold projecting from the first wall elements, in particular the first wall sections, extending onto the side of the wall elements opposite the free space.Because the tab bends open due to the plastic deformation of the guide part, creating a gap between the connecting plate and the tab, the deformed tab prevents the ring from being moved back into its starting position without additional force.

[0023] To enable the ring to be fixed in its home position by snapping it into place, a further embodiment provides that the recess has a locking section for fixing the ring in its home position and a working section for receiving the ring in its working position. Preferably, the locking section and the working section are formed by two rectangles of different sizes, preferably connected by a chamfer, with the locking section and the working section being flush when viewed from the direction of the connecting plate. The smaller rectangle forms the locking section of the recess and its dimension, normal to the bearing surface, corresponds to the thickness of the ring, so that the ring is fixed in the locking section in its home position and the angle between the ring and the bearing surface cannot be changed.However, if the ring is moved in a direction parallel to the support surface by applying slight force, it is located in the working section of the recess formed by the larger rectangle. This working section extends perpendicular to the support surface across the detent section, preferably to the cover plate. When the ring is in the working section, it is pivotable, allowing an angle between the ring and the support surface between greater than 0° and less than or equal to 180° to be set. The working position is typically between 30° and 150°.

[0024] It is particularly advantageous if the working section has a transition to the resting section that is designed as a chamfer.

[0025] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting means are designed as a connecting element, preferably a screw, and a receptacle connected to the connecting element, preferably a threaded sleeve, wherein the receptacles are arranged in first openings of the connecting plate. Due to the compact design, the guide part can be clamped against the receptacles arranged in the connecting plate by means of the connecting elements, without the connecting elements being directly connected to the substrate. This allows, for example, pre-assembly of the locking device on the connecting plate or a fastening element forming the connecting plate. For this purpose, the receptacles are either pressed or glued into the first openings of the connecting plate, or they are welded to the connecting plate and either project into or abut the first openings.To create the connection with the substrate, another design variant provides that the receptacles can be connected to anchoring elements, which serve to fasten them to the substrate. Such anchoring elements can, for example, be designed as threaded rods that are screwed into the receptacles. However, it is also conceivable that the anchoring elements are attached to the connection plate independently of the receptacles, for example as part of a fastening element.

[0026] To avoid the need to manufacture or assemble an additional separate spacer element, further particularly preferred embodiments of the invention provide that the section of the connecting plate forming the first openings is designed as a first funnel-shaped bulge extending towards the cover plate, and / or that the section of the cover plate forming the second openings is designed as a second funnel-shaped bulge extending towards the connecting plate. Funnel-shaped here refers to the strictly monotonous or monotonous change in the cross-section of the opening from a first diameter to a second, smaller diameter, whereby cylindrical sections may also be formed. Such funnel-shaped bulges can be produced particularly easily, for example, by a deep-drawing process.

[0027] The spacer element is either formed completely by the first funnel-shaped bulge or completely by the second funnel-shaped bulge, so that the first bulge of the connecting plate rests flush on the cover plate or the second bulge of the cover plate rests flush on the connecting plate.

[0028] In another preferred embodiment, the spacer element is formed by the first and second funnel-shaped protrusions, with a contact surface forming between the protrusions. This is a particularly advantageous embodiment because the combination of the two protrusions allows for bridging particularly large distances without significant anisotropy effects in the protrusions, thus achieving exceptionally high strength. The tightening force is therefore transferred from the second protrusion to the first via the contact surface.

[0029] To effectively reduce the notch stresses acting in the ring, or to largely prevent their occurrence, a further preferred embodiment provides that the ring has an inner radius and an outer radius in sections, wherein the outer radius is 2 to 4 times larger than the inner radius and / or the inner radius of the ring lies within a range of 10% to 30% of the width of the guide element. The inner radius is the radius formed between any two inner edges. A further positive effect of the outer edges being rounded by means of the outer radius is that the risk of injury from protruding sharp edges is avoided. Since the width of the guide element, i.e., the distance between the wall elements with the recess, isBetween the recesses themselves, which correspond to the minimum necessary dimension of the opening of the ring defined by the inner edges, the ratio between width and inner radius is particularly well suited to maintaining the necessary radii for different sizes of the locking device. A width between 20 mm and 50 mm, an inner radius between 2 mm and 10 mm, and an outer radius between 8 mm and 30 mm are particularly advantageous.

[0030] A further advantage of the design of the inner and outer radii of the ring according to the invention is that, in the event of a sudden dynamic load on the ring exceeding the plastic limit load, which occurs, for example, when an object to be secured falls, plastic hinges form in the region of the radii. In other words, the geometry of the radii, or of the entire ring, is chosen such that, in the event of a load, the maximum moment is located in the region of the radii. The plastic deformation of the ring, deliberately induced in the region of the plastic hinges, results in greater plastic damping of the force acting on the object, since a higher proportion of the dynamic load can be absorbed by the ring as deformation energy.

[0031] When dimensioning the guide element, in addition to its dimensions in a direction perpendicular to the bearing surface (i.e., its height), the wall thickness is also of great importance. Therefore, a further preferred embodiment of a locking device according to the invention provides that the wall thickness of the guide element lies in a range between 10% and 20% of its height. For a preferred height of between 10 mm and 20 mm, this results in a preferred wall thickness of between 1 mm and 4 mm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0032] The invention will now be explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment. The drawings are exemplary and are intended to illustrate the inventive concept, but in no way to restrict or even exhaustively represent it.

[0033] This shows: Fig. 1a an axonometric view of a locking device according to the invention with two connecting means in a basic position; Fig. 1 an alternative axonometric view of a locking device according to the invention; Fig. 2a-2 a schematic representation of the movement sequence of the locking device from the basic position to a working position; Fig. 3 a sectional view of a first embodiment of the locking device in the basic position; Fig. 4 a detailed view from Fig. 3 Fig. 5 a sectional view of a second embodiment of the locking device in the basic position; Fig. 6 a top view of the locking device in the basic position; Fig. 7 an exploded view of the locking device according to Fig. 5 . WAYS TO IMPLEMENT THE INVENTION

[0034] In the Figures 1a and 1bFigure 1 shows a variant embodiment of a safety device according to the invention, preferably an anchor point. The safety device consists of a connecting plate 2, which rests against a substrate in the mounted state, a guide element 1, and a ring 3. The guide element 1 and the connecting plate 2 are connected to each other and clamped against each other by two connecting means 5. The Fig. 1aThe illustrated connecting elements 5 are each formed by a connecting element 19 and a receptacle 20, wherein in the present embodiment the connecting elements 19 are designed as countersunk screws and the receptacles 20 as threaded bushings. The receptacles 20 and the associated anchoring elements 21, which here are designed as threaded rods and serve to fix the connecting plate 2 in the substrate, are countersunk in the substrate when installed. The substrate is, for example, a wall or a metal frame, with possible substrate types including masonry, concrete, stone, wood, or metal.

[0035] The design of the connecting means 5 is considered secondary to the function of the invention; however, it is advantageous if each connecting means 5 comprises a connecting element 19. The connecting elements 19 can be designed, for example, as screws, bolts, sleeves, or pins. Preferably, the connecting elements 19 have a threaded section. As in Fig. 5 As can be seen, the connecting means 5 can also consist of the connecting elements 19, wherein the connecting elements 19 in the exemplary embodiment are designed as fastening screws that can be fixed in the substrate.

[0036] The connection plate 2 always has a flat surface, which is referred to as the bearing surface 7. However, it is also conceivable that the connection plate 2 is bent upwards along its circumference in the direction of the guide element 1, so that the connection plate 2 extends outwards from the substrate in a can-like shape. This allows the locking device to be easily concealed, for example, when installed in a concrete wall, by essentially arranging the locking device behind a flat wall surface and being closable with a plug, thus creating a flat wall surface. It is also conceivable that the connection plate 2 is designed as part of a special fastening element, which, for example, dampens dynamic loads by means of an absorber element or is attached to metal profiles, such as metal stud walls, partition walls, or suspended ceilings, and is suitable for absorbing dynamic loads.

[0037] The guide element 1 comprises a cover plate 10, which has a rectangular perimeter and is aligned parallel to the connecting plate 2 or the support surface 7, and four wall elements 11, 12, which are configured as a pair of parallel and opposing first wall elements 11 and a pair of parallel second wall elements 12 offset by 90° relative to the first wall elements 11. In the present embodiment, the wall elements 11, 12 project at right angles from the cover plate 10 and form a right angle with the support surface 7 of the connecting plate 2. The imaginary edges where a first and a second wall element 11, 12 would meet are notched, so that the first and second wall elements 11, 12 are connected only via the cover plate 10.

[0038] The guide element 1 has a recess 4 which extends in a straight line from one side of the guide element 1 to the other. More precisely, a recess 4 is formed in each of the first wall elements 11, with the recess 4 dividing each first wall element 11 into a first 14 and a second wall element 15. A ring 3 is guided and movably mounted in the recess 4. Figures 1a, 1b and 2a The ring 3 is in a basic position 6, in which it is aligned parallel to the bearing surface 7 of the connecting plate 2. Normally, the ring 3 is aligned parallel to the vertical direction in its basic position. In each of the areas of the guide part 1 formed by the two wall sections 14, 15, a connecting element 5 is arranged symmetrically to the axes of symmetry of the cover plate 10.

[0039] Exclusion 4 shows, as in the Figures 2a to 2dParticularly noticeable when viewed perpendicular to the first wall element 11 are a locking section 6 and a working section 8. Locking section 6 and working section 8 are formed by two interconnected rectangles of different sizes, which meet flush at a common lower edge that runs parallel to the connecting plate 2. Locking section 6 and working section 8 are connected by a transition section formed by working section 8 with a chamfered edge. The larger rectangle forming working section 8 of the recess 4 is symmetrically aligned with the center point of the first wall element 11 and extends from the connecting plate 2 to an inner surface of the cover plate 10.The smaller rectangle forming the locking section 6 is laterally offset from the larger rectangle, so that it is located in the first wall section 14 and extends towards the cover plate 10 only far enough to accommodate a thickness 32 of the ring 3. The recess 4 is completely open towards the connecting plate 2. In the basic position, the ring 3 is locked in the locking section 6 of the cross-section of the recess 4 and is therefore no longer pivotable.

[0040] The Figures 2a to 2d Figure 1 shows the movement of the locking device from its home position to a working position, in which the ring 3 is pivoted by an angle 9 relative to the support surface 7, where any angle 9 other than 0° and less than 180° is conceivable, but the preferred angle range of the working position lies between 30° and 150°. From the figure shown in Fig. 2aIn the basic position shown, the working position is achieved by moving the ring 3 out of the locking section 6 of the recess 4 towards the second wall part 15, so that the ring 3 is no longer prevented from pivoting by the small rectangle (see Fig. 2b In these illustrations, the previously described shape of the recess 4 is particularly clearly visible. Also visible is a height 31 of the guide element 1, which corresponds to the distance between the connecting plate 2 and the surface of the cover plate 10 facing away from the connecting plate 2. The working position is shown by way of example in the Figures 2c and 2d shown, with the angle 9 in Figure 2c 45° and in Figure 2d 90°.

[0041] In the working position, a safety device (not shown), such as a rope, line, or strap, can be attached to ring 3, preferably by means of a hook or carabiner. Under load, a force is transmitted via the safety device through ring 3 into the guide element 1.

[0042] A tab 16 extending parallel to the connecting plate 2 is arranged at the lower edge of the recess 4, which in the present embodiment is formed by an L-shaped fold projecting from the first wall part 14, with the ring 3 in the basic position (see Fig. 3 ) rests on the tab 16 and is therefore spaced away from the connecting plate 2.

[0043] Fig. 3Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through the locking device, clearly demonstrating that a material-free space 13 forms between the wall elements 11, 12 and the cover plate 10, which is bridged at least by the connecting elements 5. In other words, the cover plate 10 and the wall elements 11, 12 form a can-shaped body that surrounds the material-free space 13, or a cavity, which is bounded by the connecting plate 2. The provision of the material-free space 13 ensures that the guide element 1, in particular the part of the cover plate 10 or the wall elements 14, 15 in contact with the ring 3, is plastically deformable when the force introduced via the ring 3 exceeds an upper threshold value. This plastic deformation allows for purely visual inspection to determine whether the locking device is still operational.Since, in the case of plastic deformation, the tab 16 also deforms in such a way that a gap forms between tab 16 and connecting plate 2, a simple mechanical test of the operational capability can also be carried out: If the ring 3 can no longer be brought from the working position into the basic position in which it is aligned parallel to the support surface 7 because the bent tab 16 prevents the return, then the locking device is no longer operational and must be replaced or rendered unusable.

[0044] Furthermore, the guide element 1 designed in this way can also be manufactured cost-effectively and quickly by a deep-drawing process and does not need to be milled from a solid block, as is known according to the prior art. This is also achieved by a wall thickness 30 of the guide element 1, which is selected to be between 10% and 20% of the height 31 of the guide element 1. In the present embodiment, the wall thickness 30 is 1.55 mm, while the height 31 is 11.6 mm.

[0045] To accommodate the connecting elements 5, which, as previously described, each consist of a connecting element 19 and a receptacle 20, the connecting plate 2 has two first openings 17 into which the receptacles 20 are pressed, and the cover plate 10 has two corresponding second openings 18 to accommodate the connecting elements 19. The plastic deformation of the guide part 1, facilitated by the presence of the free space 13, has a detrimental effect on assembly insofar as excessive tightening torque of the connecting elements 19 or excessive tightening force of the connecting elements 5 causes the cover plate 10 to plastically deform in the area of ​​the second openings 18, leading to embrittlement of the material and, in the worst case, premature fracture of the guide part 1 under dynamic load.

[0046] Therefore, a spacer element 22 is provided between the first openings 17 and the second openings 18, which bridges the gap between the cover plate 10 and the connection plate 2, thus preventing plastic deformation of the guide part 1 under typical tightening torques. While alternative embodiments provide a separate spacer element that is glued, welded, inserted, or pressed between the cover plate 10 and the connection plate 2, in the present embodiment, the spacer element 22 is formed by the connection plate 2 and the cover plate 10 themselves.

[0047] Fig. 4Figure 1 now shows the design of the spacer element 22 in detail. The section of the connecting plate 2 forming the first openings 17 is designed as a first funnel-shaped bulge 23 extending towards the cover plate 10. The diameter of the first bulge 23 decreases continuously from a maximum diameter on the side of the connecting plate 2 facing away from the guide part 1 to a minimum diameter, with the decreasing section forming a radius in cross-section, and extends tubularly further towards the cover plate 10.

[0048] The section of the cover plate 10 forming the second openings 18 is designed as a second funnel-shaped bulge 24 extending towards the connecting plate 2. The diameter of the second bulge also decreases from a maximum diameter at the cover plate 10 to a minimum diameter, with the second bulge 24 having the shape of a hollow truncated cone in the area facing the cover plate 10, which transitions into a tubular section.

[0049] The two protrusions 23, 24 abut each other along an annular contact surface 25, thus jointly forming the spacer element 22, with the first protrusion comprising between 30% and 50% and the second protrusion between 50% and 70% of the spacer element 22. The ratios between the protrusions 23, 24 can, in principle, be configured differently.

[0050] In the Fig. 5In the second embodiment shown, the spacer element 22 is formed entirely by the second funnel-shaped protrusions 24 of the second openings 18 of the cover plate 10. The connecting plate 2 is flat in the area of ​​the first openings 17, so that the contact surface 25 is formed between the respective second funnel-shaped protrusion 24 and the connecting plate 2. Since the connecting means 5 in the present embodiment each consist of a connecting element 19, preferably a fastening screw, the connecting elements 19 protrude through the first openings 17 of the connecting plate 2.

[0051] It is also conceivable that in an alternative embodiment the spacer element 22 is formed entirely by the first bulge 23 and the contact surface 25 is formed between the respective first bulges 23 and the cover plate 10.

[0052] Fig. 6Figure 1 shows a top view of a locking device in its initial position. The design of ring 3 is particularly evident, with a section of ring 3 guided by the guide element 1. From there, ring 3 extends parallel to the first two wall elements 11 and is closed outside the guide element 1. In other words, ring 3 is essentially rectangular, with a similarly rectangular recess in its center. The outer and inner edges are rounded at their transitions, resulting in a shape resembling a chain link. Ring 3 is generally flat, with a wall thickness that is essentially constant along its circumference.

[0053] The ring 3 completely surrounds the area of ​​the guide element 1 forming the first wall section 14, or at least encompasses a width 29 of the guide element 1, which corresponds to the distance between the outer surfaces of the two first wall elements 11. It can be seen that the ring 3 has inner radii 27 on the side facing the first wall sections 14 at the transition of the edges defining the rectangular recess, and outer radii 28 on the other side at the transition of the edges forming the circumference. The inner radius 27 is 4.5 mm, while the outer radius is 10.5 mm, in order to reduce the notch effect.

[0054] For better understanding, shows Figure 7An exploded view of the second embodiment of the invention, which has already been discussed above. In particular, it is clearly visible that the connecting plate 2 has four bent positioning lugs 26, which facilitate easy alignment of the connecting plate 2 and the guide part 1. When the guide part 1 is slid onto the positioning lugs 26, it is ensured that the first openings 17 of the connecting plate 2 and the second openings 18 of the guide part 1 are aligned with each other, in order to easily insert the connecting elements 5. The two tabs 16 projecting laterally from the first wall sections 14 of the first wall elements 11, as well as the formation of the spacer element 22 by the second funnel-shaped protrusions 24 of the second openings 18, are also clearly visible. REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0055] 1 Guide part 2 Connection plate 3 Ring 4 Recess 5 Fastener 6 Locking section 7 Support surface 8 Working section 9 Angle 10 Cover plate 11 First wall elements 12 Second wall elements 13 Material-free space 14 First wall section 15 Second wall section 16 Tab 17 First openings 18 Second openings 19 Connecting element 20 Receptacle 21 Anchoring device 22 Spacer element 23 First protrusion 24 Second protrusion 25 Contact surface 26 Positioning nose 27 Inner radius of ring 3 28 Outer radius of ring 3 29 Width of guide part 1 30 Wall thickness of guide part 1 31 Height of guide part 1 32 Thickness of ring 3

Claims

1. A securing device, preferably a fastening point, for an abseiling or fall-protection system, comprising - a guide part (1) which has an aperture (4), - a connection plate (2) which is connectable to an underlying surface and is connected to the guide part (1) via at least two connecting means (5), and - a ring (3) for attaching securing means, wherein the ring (3) is guided through the aperture (4) and is mounted movably therein, whereby the ring (3) in a basic position is oriented parallel to a flat support face (7) of the connection plate (2) and in a working position forms an angle (9) unequal to 0° with the support face (7), wherein the guide part (1) comprises a cover plate (10) and wall elements (11, 12), wherein the wall elements (11, 12) extend at an angle, preferably at a right angle, from the cover plate (10) in the direction of the connection plate (2) and form a material-free space (13) delimited by the cover plate (10) and wall elements (11, 12) in order to allow a plastic deformation of the guide part (1) in the region of the aperture (4) if a force introduced via the ring (3) exceeds an upper threshold value, wherein the connection plate (2) has first openings (17) for the connecting means (5) and the cover plate (10) has second openings (18) for the connecting means (5), characterised in that a spacer element (22) is disposed between each first opening (17) and each second opening (18) in order to bridge the distance between cover plate (10) and connection plate (2).

2. The securing device according to claim 1, characterised in that the wall elements (11, 12) are formed as at least one pair of mutually parallel, mutually opposed first wall elements (11) and a pair of mutually parallel, mutually opposed second wall elements (12).

3. The securing device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that the wall elements (11, 12) are connected to one another only via the cover plate (10).

4. The securing device according to claim 3, characterised in that the guide part (1) is produced by a deep drawing method.

5. The securing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the ring (3) in the basic position rests on a tab (16), which extends parallel to the support face (7) and is formed by the first wall element (11), and is spaced from the connection plate (2) by the tab (16).

6. The securing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the aperture (4) has a detent portion (6) for fixing the ring (3) in the basic position and a working portion (8) for receiving the ring (3) in the working position.

7. The securing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the connecting means (5) are formed as, in each case, a connecting element (19), preferably a screw, and a receptacle (20) connected to the connecting element (19), preferably a threaded sleeve, wherein the receptacles (20) are disposed in first openings (17) of the connection plate (2).

8. The securing device according to claim 7, characterised in that the receptacles (20) are connectable to anchoring means (21), which anchoring means (21) serve for securing in the underlying surface.

9. The securing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the portion of the connection plate (2) forming the first openings (17) is formed as a first funnel-shaped protrusion (23) extending in the direction of the cover plate (10).

10. The securing device according to claim 9, characterised in that the spacer element (22) is formed by the first funnel-shaped protrusion (23).

11. The securing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the portion of the cover plate (10) forming the second openings (18) is formed as a second funnel-shaped protrusion (24) extending in the direction of the connection plate (2).

12. The securing device according to claim 11, characterised in that the spacer element (22) is formed by the second funnel-shaped protrusion (24).

13. The securing device according to claims 9 and 11, characterised in that the spacer element (22) is formed by the first (23) and second funnel-shaped protrusion (24), wherein a contact face (25) forms between the protrusions (23, 24).

14. The securing device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that the ring (3), in portions, has an inner radius (27) and an outer radius (28), wherein the outer radius (28) is greater by a factor of 2 to 4 than the inner radius (27), and / or in that the inner radius (27) of the ring (3) lies in a range between 10% and 30% of a width (29) of the guide part (1).

15. The securing device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that a wall thickness (30) of the guide part (1) lies in a range between 10% and 20% of a height (31) of the guide part (1).