CARABINER DEVICE AND CARABINER OPENING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a carabiner device and an opening device for carabiners, preferably with a safety function, in particular for use in water sports, mountain sports and other applications where securing the carabiner against unintentional opening is very important for safety reasons.

[0002] Carabiners with a safety lock to prevent accidental opening are commonly found in kitesurfing, for example. They can be used, among other things, to attach a safety line that connects the kite to the surfer's harness. In case of danger, this safety line can be released by a release mechanism, allowing the surfer to completely detach from the kite.

[0003] In practice, this safety line must be connected to the surfer's harness before surfing. This is done by the surfer manually operating the carabiner. To prevent the carabiner from opening unintentionally while surfing or launching the kite, previously known carabiners have a deformable cover element that, when the carabiner is closed, at least partially covers the carabiner's locking bolt. This is intended to prevent the carabiner from opening unintentionally, for example, if lines come into contact with the locking bolt, creating the risk of the carabiner opening unintentionally.When attaching the eyelet of the safety line to the carabiner, the cover element is first pushed downwards in the state of the art, so that the locking bolt of the carabiner is released and then pushed backwards by hand by the surfer so that the carabiner opens and the eyelet can be attached.

[0004] Since the carabiners used here are usually quite small, primarily for weight reasons, it's cumbersome for the surfer to first slide the cover aside and then simultaneously push back the locking bolt when attaching the safety line. Often, the cover can't be easily compressed far enough to create sufficient space for the carabiner's opening, allowing the safety line's loop to be attached, and the surfer's fingers get in the way.

[0005] A carabiner device is known from IT 2020 0001 9402 A1. An opening device for a carabiner is known from US 2020 / 261772 A1.

[0006] Against this background, it is an object of the invention to provide a carabiner device and an opening device for carabiners with a safety function that can be operated by the user in a simple and reliable manner.

[0007] The problem is solved by a carabiner device with the features of claim 1 and an opening device with the features of claim 13. The dependent claims specify particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0008] The carabiner device according to the invention has a carabiner element with a carabiner shackle and a lock with a locking bolt movable relative to the carabiner shackle, by actuating which the carabiner is opened.

[0009] According to the invention, an actuating device is provided which is in operative connection with the lock bolt and, when actuated, transmits a force to open the carabiner to the lock bolt.

[0010] In other words, the carabiner device according to the invention separates the function of locking the lock by means of the locking bolt from the actuation of the lock to open it, by having this actuation performed by an actuating device that is operatively connected to the locking bolt. This ensures that the user's fingers are no longer in the way when the eyelet is attached. Instead of manually pushing back the locking bolt with the fingers, as is necessary in the prior art, and possibly simultaneously deactivating a safety device, e.g., sliding a cover element that covers the locking bolt out of the way to open the carabiner element, only the actuating device needs to be activated.

[0011] A carabiner element with lock and locking bolt according to the present invention can, in a simple embodiment, be a hook with a spring-assisted snap closure.

[0012] The carabiner device according to the invention has a safety device which is designed to prevent unintentional opening of the carabiner element by actuating the locking bolt, wherein the safety device comprises an actuating element of the actuating device.

[0013] The safety device can comprise a preferably elastically deformable base element, preferably in the form of a sleeve or at least a partial sheathing of the carabiner element, and / or (only) an actuating part of the actuating device.

[0014] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the carabiner device has a cover element as a safety device which, in the closed state of the carabiner, at least partially covers the locking bolt and includes the actuating element, preferably in the form of a push button. The cover element can be designed such that, when the actuating element is actuated, the coverage of the locking bolt is reduced to such an extent that an eyelet of a suspension element, for example a safety lanyard, can be attached to the carabiner.

[0015] Furthermore, the cover element can be designed so that it automatically returns to its initial position after the confirmation element is released, in which the locking bolt is at least partially covered. The safety function here serves to prevent the snap closure from opening unintentionally. In this way, it is ensured that after the button is pressed, the locking mechanism of the carabiner element is again prevented from opening unintentionally, for example, by ropes becoming entangled in it.

[0016] In a simple embodiment of the invention, the cover element is made of an elastic material, in particular an elastic plastic, preferably ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and is deformable when the button is actuated to such an extent that the lock bolt becomes accessible from the outside.

[0017] In a particularly useful design of the cover element, it has a base element into which a conventional carabiner element can be inserted. This base element can preferably be designed in the form of an elastically deformable sleeve, for example with a spring bellows, so that it can be easily deformed elastically when the actuating device is activated.

[0018] The actuating device comprises an actuating element, for example in the geometric shape of a button, so that the user can actuate the element even without looking, since they can feel the button shape. However, the invention can encompass any form of actuating element.

[0019] The actuating device can advantageously be designed such that, when actuated, it can be moved in a first direction, thereby bringing the lock bolt into operative contact with the actuating device and / or deactivating a safety device that secures the lock in the closed state, and can also be moved in a second direction of movement by further actuating, as a result of which the opening force is applied to the lock bolt.

[0020] Preferably, when the actuating device is activated in the first direction, the locking device is first deactivated, making the lock bolt operable, and in a second movement, e.g. a rotational movement as a result of which, e.g., the actuating part is moved relative to the base element, e.g., tilted, whereby an opening force is applied to the lock bolt during the resulting tilting movement.

[0021] In this way, it is ensured that the user can distinguish between releasing the locking element and actuating it without looking, which leads to safe and easy operation of the carabiner mechanism according to the invention.

[0022] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover element, which functions as a locking device, is designed such that, upon actuation of the actuating device, it can first be elastically deformed in a first direction, thereby releasing the lock bolt, and can then be actuated in a second direction of movement by further actuation, as a result of which the opening force is applied to the lock bolt. For example, the cover element can be deformed in a first actuation step and can then be moved section by section in a second direction by further actuation of the button, so that the opening force is applied to the lock bolt.

[0023] The cover element can comprise a preferably elastically deformable base element, preferably in the form of a sleeve. It can also comprise an elastically deformable spring bellows, which, in addition to the material properties of the corresponding plastic, allows for greater elastic deformation of the base element. The actuating device can further comprise an actuating part movable relative to the base element, on which, for example, a button element can be formed, wherein actuating the button element brings the actuating part into operative contact with the base element to open the carabiner mechanism.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, if the cover element is made of a deformable plastic, it has been found that inserting a stabilizer element into the cover element can be advantageous for receiving the carabiner element. As already mentioned, the carabiner element can be a conventional carabiner known from the prior art.

[0025] In such or other embodiments, the cover element can further comprise a fixing element by means of which the carabiner element can be fixed in a positionally stable manner in the stabilizer element.

[0026] In such embodiments, it becomes possible to provide a cost-effective carabiner device according to the invention using conventional carabiner elements.

[0027] The stabilizer element can be designed to be inserted into the base element of the cover element, and a locking element, preferably in the form of an arm or a projection, can be provided on the stabilizer element to ensure stable positioning within the base element. The function of the arm or projection can be to support the locking element, thereby improving the stability of the stabilizer element's position.

[0028] To realize the inventive approach of actuating the carabiner device in different directions of movement as described above, a preferred embodiment is designed such that the actuating device comprises a rounded contact surface and a suitably dimensioned, rounded projection element that comes into contact with the rounded contact surface when the actuating device is actuated in the first direction of movement.

[0029] For example, the stabilizing element can comprise the rounded contact surface, and the actuating part can comprise a suitably dimensioned, rounded protrusion element that comes into contact with the rounded contact surface when the cover element is deformed in the first direction of movement of the first actuation.

[0030] Such embodiments or other embodiments can be designed such that, when the actuating device is activated, the bellows of the base element is first deformed, making the lock bolt freely accessible from the outside, and in a second movement in the form of a rotation, the actuating part is tilted relative to the base element, whereby an opening force is applied to the lock bolt during the tilting movement.

[0031] Such designs are characterized by a simple structural design and reliable functionality.

[0032] However, the invention is not limited to a carabiner device with a carabiner element but also includes, since the carabiner element can be a conventional separate component, an opening device for a carabiner which is designed to be detachably connected to a carabiner element and which includes an actuating device which, after connection with the opening device, is in operative contact with a locking bolt of the carabiner element and is designed to transmit a force to open the carabiner element to the locking bolt when actuated.

[0033] The geometry of such an opening device is adapted to a given carabiner element in such a way that it can be detachably connected to the carabiner element, thereby creating a functional connection for opening the carabiner element. For example, the carabiner element can be inserted at least partially into the opening device or into at least a partial sheathing thereof.

[0034] Further advantages and preferred embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the drawing, in which Figure 1 an exploded view of the individual components of an embodiment of the carabiner device according to the invention, Figure 2 the exemplary embodiment of the Figure 1 (without cover element) in assembled state in a basic position with the carabiner closed, Figure 3a the exemplary embodiment of the Figure 2(without cover element) in a first actuation state after deformation of the cover element and in the (still) closed position of the carabiner, Figure 3b a view of the exemplary embodiment of the Figure 3a with cover element and Figure 4 a view of the exemplary embodiment of the Figure 2 and 3 Show in full activation state with the carabiner open.

[0035] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the carabiner device according to the invention, illustrating all individual components. The carabiner device 1 comprises a carabiner element 2 with a carabiner shackle 21, which has an opening section 22 into which a spring steel element 23 can be mounted, serving as a latch for a corresponding carabiner lock. The lock is formed by the end section of the carabiner shackle 21 with the correspondingly pre-tensioned spring element 23, which bears against the inside.

[0036] The carabiner device further comprises a cover element 3 as a safety device. In this embodiment, the cover element is made of EVA plastic and has a bellows 31 in its central section, allowing it to be elastically deformed in the vertical direction beyond the elastic properties of the plastic. Reference numeral 3 refers to the basic element of a cover element. The cover element 3 has an opening 32 at its lower end section into which a safety lanyard (not shown) can be inserted.

[0037] Another component of the cover element consists of an actuating part in the form of a head 4, which can be seen in the upper section of the image. This head 4 has a button 41, which serves as an actuating element by means of which the cover element can be moved in such a way that the lock of the carabiner element 2 is released. In its lower section, the head 4 has a rounded projection which, after deformation by actuating the button 41, comes to rest against a correspondingly rounded counter surface 51 of a stabilizer element 5. The stabilizer element 5 is designed to be inserted into the base element 3 of the cover element. The stabilizer element 5 is made of a material with lower elasticity so that it can act as a stable counter bearing over the contact surface 51. The stabilizer element has an arm 52 that anchors its position within the base element 3 of the cover element 3, 4.

[0038] When assembling the carabiner device 1 according to the invention, the stabilizer element 5 is slid with its upper section onto the lower section of the carabiner element 2. A fixing element 6, which is inserted into a section 53 of the stabilizer element via a clip mechanism, reliably and securely connects the stabilizer element 5 to the carabiner element 2. The three pre-assembled components – carabiner element 2 with stabilizer element 5 and fixing element 6 – are inserted into the base element 3 of the cover device. The arm 52 of the stabilizer element 5 secures the entire mechanism against rotation by bracing itself against a sheath of the safety lanyard (not shown) inserted from below through the opening 32.

[0039] In the undeformed state of the base element 3, its opening 33 is closed upwards by the head part 4, whereby a lower bearing surface 43 of the head part 4 comes into contact with the upper edge of the base element 3.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the cover element consists of two components, the base element 3 and the head part 4, which allows for easy disassembly of the components of the carabiner device 1 according to the invention. However, it is also possible that in alternative embodiments the safety device, here the cover element, is designed as a single, integral component.

[0041] In alternative embodiments, the cover element can also be designed without a spring bellows, and the carabiner element 2 can optionally be arranged in the cover element without a stabilizer element 5. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the cover element is designed as a sleeve that completely encloses the carabiner; however, any other geometric configuration is also possible, for example, one that only covers the section of the carabiner element 2 that represents the lock, in order to secure this section against unintentional opening.

[0042] The arrangement shown in the figures without the carabiner element 2 thus represents an opening device within the meaning of the invention, into which the carabiner element can be inserted by inserting it into the base element 3.

[0043] Figure 2 This shows in Figure 1An exploded view illustrates an embodiment of a carabiner device according to the invention in its assembled state in a side view, wherein the base element 3 of the cover element is not shown to illustrate the structure. Identical reference numerals denote identical parts of the illustration. Figure 1 By mounting the spring steel element 23 as a locking bolt on the carabiner element 2, its opening 22 is closed, thus forming a lock 24 which is in the Figure 2 is illustrated in the closed state. As can be seen from the Figure 2 As can be seen, the lock 24, or rather the associated spring steel 23, is covered by the head 4 of the cover element as a locking mechanism. As a result, the lock 24 is not accessible from the outside when the cover element is undeformed.

[0044] In the embodiment shown in this description, this displacement of the cover element is achieved by elastic deformation of the same; however, it is also fundamentally possible to provide a different displacement mechanism for releasing the locking mechanism. The elastic deformation offers the advantage that a kind of return element is formed, in which the base part 3 in particular acts as a return element, so that if the button 41 is not actuated, the lock closes automatically, and the entire mechanism is automatically returned to its initial position after the actuating button 41 is actuated.

[0045] As furthermore from the Figure 2As can be seen, when the lock is closed and the cover device is not displaced, surface 42 does not rest on its counterpart surface 51. Therefore, the illustrated embodiment is designed such that, in order to release the lock 4 in a first actuation direction, the head part 4 must first be pushed downwards by actuating the actuating button 41 until surface 42 comes into contact with surface 51 of the stabilizer element 5.

[0046] This position is in the Figure 3a This is illustrated. Here, the surface 42 of the rounded lower part of the head section 4 of the cover element rests on its corresponding counterpart surface 51 of the stabilizer element 5. In other words, in the Figure 3a In the shown state, the head section 4 has already been moved downwards by a certain amount, so that the lock bolt in the form of the spring steel element 23 becomes accessible from the outside.

[0047] In Figure 3bis the relevant embodiment of the Figure 3a The cover element is shown in a side view, including its base element 3. The illustration shows the bellows section 31, which is compressed to a certain degree in this state.

[0048] In Figure 4 The embodiment illustrated in the other figures is finally shown in its fully open state. In this illustration, the base element 3 of the cover element is again omitted to clarify the individual components. The head section 4 has been shown opposite the one in the Figure 3a The position shown is tilted by actuating the actuating button 41, whereby the round surface 42 of the head part 4 rolls in the opposing surface 51 of the stabilizer element 5. As a result of the resulting rotation, the spring steel 23 together with the head part 4 is tilted laterally, thereby opening the lock 24.

[0049] As can be seen in particular from the presentation of the Figure 4 As can be clearly seen, in the present embodiment the actuating button 41 is arranged laterally on the side opposite the lock 24. This ensures that the lock 24 can be opened securely. Since the actuating device 41 also rests against the straight section of the carabiner shackle 21, the user can easily locate it by touch.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the elastic deformation of the base element 3 in the tilting position also causes a restoring force which ensures that when the actuating device 41 is released, the lock 24 returns to the initial position of a closed carabiner element 2 not only through the restoring force of the spring steel 23 but also through the restoring force of the base element 3 of the cover device.

[0051] The invention provides an improved carabiner device with a safety function to prevent unintentional opening. This device includes an actuating mechanism by which the carabiner's locking mechanism can be operated without having to manually operate the locking bolt. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the actuating mechanism interacts with a safety device that secures the locking bolt in the closed position, preventing external operation of the lock. This interaction occurs such that, upon actuating the device, the safety device is first deactivated before the carabiner's lock is opened by further actuation.

[0052] Furthermore, the invention provides an opening device with a corresponding actuating function that can be used for conventional carabiner elements after the opening device has been connected to a suitable carabiner element to realize the opening function.

[0053] Exemplary embodiments are also given in the attached patent claims.

Claims

1. Carabiner device (1) comprising a carabiner element (2) with a carabiner hoop (21) and a lock (24) with a lock bolt (23) which is movable with respect to the carabiner hoop and by actuation of which the carabiner is opened, and a safety device which is configured to prevent unintentional opening of the carabiner element (2) by actuation of the lock bolt, characterized by an actuating device which is operatively connected to the lock bolt (23) and, upon actuation, transmits a force for opening the carabiner to the lock bolt (23); wherein the safety device comprises an actuating element (41) of the actuating device.

2. Carabiner device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the safety device comprises a covering element which, in the closed state of the carabiner element (2), at least partially covers the lock bolt (23), and comprises the actuating element (41).

3. Carabiner device according to Claim 2, characterized in that the covering element is designed such that, upon actuation of the actuating element (41), the covering of the lock bolt (23) is reduced to such an extent that an eye of a suspension element, for example a safety line, can be suspended in the carabiner. and the covering element is designed such that, after the release of the actuating element (41), it returns to its starting position in which the lock bolt (23) is closed and at least partially covered.

4. Carabiner device according to either of Claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the covering element is produced from an elastic material, preferably from plastic and particularly preferably from ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), and, by actuation of the actuating element, is deformable to such an extent that the opened lock of the carabiner element (2) becomes accessible from the outside.

5. Carabiner device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating device is designed such that, upon actuation, it can be moved in a first direction, as a result of which the lock bolt (23) is brought into operative connection with the actuating device, and / or the safety device which is configured to prevent unintentional opening of the carabiner element (2) by actuation of the lock bolt is deactivated, and, in addition, can be brought into a second movement direction by actuation, as a result of which the opening force is applied to the lock bolt (23).

6. Carabiner device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device comprises a preferably elastically deformable basic element (3), preferably in the form of a sleeve or an at least partial sheathing of the carabiner element (23), and an actuating part (4).

7. Carabiner device according to one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the covering element, preferably the basic element (3), comprises an elastically deformable spring bellows (31).

8. Carabiner device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device comprises a movable actuating part (4) on which the actuating element (41) for opening the carabiner is formed.

9. Carabiner device according to one of Claims 2 to 4 or 7, characterized in that the covering element comprises a stabilizer element (5) which is configured for receiving and positionally stable stabilization of the carabiner element (23) within the covering element.

10. Carabiner device according to Patent Claim 9, characterized in that the stabilizer element (5) comprises a fixing element (6), by means of which the carabiner element (23) can be fixed in a positionally stable manner in the stabilizer element (5), and / or the stabilizer element (5) is designed such that it can be inserted into the basic element (3) of the covering element, wherein a securing element (51), preferably in the form of an arm or projection, is formed on the stabilizer element (5) and permits positionally stable positioning of the stabilizer element (5) within the basic element (3).

11. Carabiner device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating device comprises a rounded bearing surface (42), and comprises a suitably dimensioned, rounded projection element which comes to bear in the rounded bearing surface when the actuating device is actuated in the first movement direction.

12. Carabiner device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, upon actuation of the actuating device, firstly the safety device is deactivated, as a result of which the lock bolt (23) can be actuated, and, in a rotational movement, the actuating part (4) is tilted with respect to the basic element (3), wherein, in the resulting tilting movement, an opening force is applied to the lock bolt (23).

13. Opening device for a carabiner, which opening device is configured to be releasably connected to a carabiner element (23) and comprises an actuating device which, after the connection of the opening device to a carabiner element (23), is operatively connected to a lock bolt (23) of the carabiner element (2) connected to the opening device and, upon actuation, is configured to transmit a force for opening the carabiner element (2) connected to the opening device to the lock bolt (23) thereof, characterized in that the opening device furthermore comprises a safety device which is configured to prevent unintentional opening of the carabiner element (23) by actuation of the lock bolt, wherein the safety device comprises an actuating element (41) of the actuating device.

14. Opening device for a carabiner according to Claim 13, with a sheathing which is configured to at least partially sheath a carabiner element (2).