OVERSIZED SKYDIVING EQUIPMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a passenger harness, with or without spreaders, for use in oversized parachute jumps, designed to cooperate with the pilot's harness and equipped with at least a dorsal and a frontal section adapted to be applied respectively to the passenger's back and abdomen. The harness is characterized in that it includes tightening / loosening means to maintain, without compressing, the passenger in freefall aligned with the pilot. The dorsal (2) and frontal (1) sections of the harness are connected at their lower ends by a stabilizing strap (3) that secures the passenger relative to the pilot. One section of the strap encircles the passenger's waist, while the other section is dedicated to attaching and tightening the harness against the pilot.The stabilizing strap section (3) intended for support is comprised of an end fixed to the dorsal part (2) of the harness and an adjustable buckle with a movable bar (5) serving as a stopper, located on the frontal area of ​​the harness. Figure to be published: Figure 1.

Description

Title of the invention: OVERSIZED PARACHUTE JUMP EQUIPMENT STATE OF THE ART

[0001] The present invention relates to an oversized parachute jump equipment.

[0002] The invention finds its application in particular during tandem parachute jumps, that is to say when the parachutist called pilot carrier takes, under the same oversized parachute, a passenger or an additional frontal load.

[0003] To do this in this type of jump, a harness dedicated to the passenger or the additional load is used, intended to connect to the harness of the pilot carrier, hence its name "passenger harness" intended for a person or an additional frontal load.

[0004] The passenger harness must be attached to the pilot carrier's harness. Thus, the passenger harness has, in a manner known per se, attachment carabiners arranged in the vicinity of the user's collarbones which cooperate with an attachment ring located on the pilot carrier's harness to ensure vertical support for the passenger during descent under open canopy.

[0005] On the other hand, the passenger harness has, in a manner known per se, adjustable rapid ejectors with a hookable end arranged on connecting straps fixed to the front part of the passenger harness, which are used to attach the lower part of the passenger harness to the harness of the pilot wearer and to adjust by tightening the length of the connecting strap between the harness of the pilot wearer and the passenger harness in order to keep the passenger in free fall.

[0006] The passenger harness is an assembly of main and secondary straps, buckles and fabrics.

[0007] The straps form a harness, the metal buckles allow the harness to be adjusted and closed on the passenger. The fabric is sewn onto the harness to form a container that allows the straps to be packaged and possibly a seat for the passenger to sit on for descent under open sail.

[0008] In the context of the present invention, the term "pilot carrier" refers to the parachutist who takes with him another person or an additional frontal load, and the term "passenger" refers to the person being taken.

[0009] Unless otherwise indicated, the explanations given with reference to a passenger are also valid, where appropriate in a similar manner, with reference to an additional charge.

[0010] Throughout this patent application, the term "front part" of the harness is used. the face, which in the position of use, never comes into contact with the user's shoulder blades; the opposite face of the harness has been called the "dorsal part".

[0011] Document US 4,746,084 describes equipment for tandem parachute jumping comprising a pilot carrier harness and a passenger harness, the passenger harness consisting of a dorsal part where all the adjustments in torso length and harness straps are made.

[0012] the dorsal part of said passenger harness is connected to the pilot carrier's harness by snap hooks at the level of the pilot carrier's clavicles to ensure vertical support of the passenger from above during descent under open canopy, and connecting straps on the side with one end of which the attachment is arranged at the level of the front part of the passenger harness for lateral support in free fall, the other end of the connecting strap is free and ensures tightening after having connected the attachment and adjustment loop to the pilot carrier harness, constituted by an adjustable rapid ejector.

[0013] Document FR 2915734 proposes equipment for oversized parachute jumps characterized by the fact that it comprises, in addition to means for keeping the dorsal part separated at its upper end from the front part of the harness and attachment carabiners to ensure the vertical support of the passenger, as well as in the lower part of the connecting straps on the side, one end of which is fixed on each front part to the thigh strap of the harness for the lateral support of the passenger to the pilot carrier in free fall, the other end is free to ensure tightening after having connected the attachment and adjustment loop to the pilot carrier harness constituted by an adjustable rapid ejector as known from the state of the art.

[0014] These two types of equipment according to the prior art have the same major drawback, the arrangement of the lower attachment of the passenger harness to the pilot carrier harness is made with one end of the connecting strap fixed on a single front part of the harness at the level of the thighs or hips of the passenger.

[0015] A loose connection is thus achieved so that in the prior art, the force is exerted on the passenger's equipment only; as a result of which, the user's thighs are each held at only one point of the harness, so that the hips are not belted.

[0016] This arrangement has the consequence that the support is not sufficient in the event of the tandem passenger taking an imperfect position in free fall.

[0017] The axial support of the passenger's body by the pilot carrier is not ensured during free fall, as a result the passenger's body can move in a "helix" from the axis of that of the pilot carrier, this is a factor of instability in free fall.

[0018] The present invention aims to remedy all or part of the drawbacks of the state of the art.

[0019] The aim of the invention is to provide a harness which overcomes this drawback, by having characteristics which allow, when a tightening pull is carried out by the pilot wearer on the lower straps, to obtain a distribution of the tightening force between the dorsal and frontal part of the passenger harness.

[0020] The device according to the invention therefore has as its object a harness with a stabilizing strap which acts on tightening not only on the elements arranged on the front part of the passenger harness but also intended to apply a measured pressure on the body of the passenger being transported.

[0021] The present invention therefore aims to create equipment with means which allow the passenger, during free fall, to ensure axial support against the body of the pilot carrier such that, correctly adjusted, he cannot place himself across the axis of the body of the pilot carrier and induce a spinning situation during free fall.

[0022] The idea underlying the invention is to give the passenger harness additional properties to the prior art so that the passenger harness according to the invention ensures that the passenger is held around the yaw axis of the pilot carrier during maneuvers of the pilot carrier, such as twisting and spinning movements of the body.

[0023] According to the invention, a device was therefore sought that could be installed on a passenger harness, on which it was proposed to adapt a stabilizing strap that is cross-sectional to connect the dorsal part to the front part of the passenger harness.

[0024] In this way, the stabilizing strap is connected by one end fixed at a point on the dorsal part of the passenger harness and passes through a member which acts as a connection and adjustment located on the front part of the front harness in a manner known per se, to return back by its free end to come and hook onto the pilot carrier harness and constitute the hooking and adjustment of the stabilizing strap to the desired length thanks to an adjustable rapid ejector.

[0025] The device according to the invention further comprises, in its preferred embodiment, a connecting member which, positioned on the front part, mechanically connects the front strap and the thigh strap.

[0026] Advantageously, each section of stabilizing strap located between the dorsal part and the front part of the harness slides in a buckle with a movable bar or a buckle with a metal adjustment loop to pre-adjust the length necessary for the size of the passenger.

[0027] Advantageously, this first section of stabilizing strap then passes through a single-loop buckle located on the front part of the harness and which serves as a stop for the tightening buckle with a movable bar or the buckle with a metal adjustment loop.

[0028] Said single-loop loop being of smaller dimension than the tightening loop with movable bar or the metal adjustment loop buckle, one or the other comes into contact when the end of the stabilization strap is tensioned during the final tightening carried out by the pilot carrier.

[0029] Advantageously according to an embodiment of the invention in the front part: the front strap is connected directly to the thigh strap, one of these two straps being equipped with the single-loop buckle which cooperates with a tightening buckle with a movable bar or with a double-loop metal adjustment buckle arranged on the stabilization strap to ensure the passage and pre-adjustment and of the first section of stabilization strap.

[0030] Advantageously in an improved embodiment of the invention, a connecting member positioned on the front part of the harness is used to assemble the front strap with the thigh strap and integrates the single-loop buckle to form a single metal part and allow the stabilization strap to pass through.

[0031] Advantageously, in a preferred embodiment, the front strap is connected to the thigh strap by a connecting member which has the second function of simultaneously ensuring the passage and pre-adjustment of the first section of stabilization strap length by means of a tightening buckle of the movable bar type integrated into said connecting member.

[0032] The pre-adjustment of the first section of the stabilization strap being carried out to the size of the passenger, the second section of stabilization strap will return back by its free end to come and attach to the pilot carrier harness by the known attachment and adjustment means to thus constitute the attachment and the final adjustment of the stabilization strap.

[0033] According to these characteristics, the stabilizing strap is a single strap forming two separate sections arranged on either side of the connecting member placed on the front part of the harness.

[0034] In this way, said stabilization strap is able to slide along its entire length, thus constituting a simple and reliable solution for making the first section of said strap adjustable in translation, the other section of free-strand stabilization strap allows, thanks to its associated loop, the attachment and tightening of the passenger against the pilot carrier by means of a rapid adjustable ejector known from the state of the art which hooks into a ring located on the pilot carrier's harness.

[0035] In this way, the best possible support is ensured for the passenger against the pilot carrier in free fall after the attachment and tightening of each free end of the stabilization strap has been carried out.

[0036] Advantageously in a variant of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the front straps of the passenger harness are connected directly to the leg straps and each cooperate with a single-loop buckle arranged either on the in- lower part of the front strap or on the leg strap.

[0037] Advantageously, said connecting member located on the front part of the harness incorporates a tightening buckle of the movable bar type capable of simultaneously ensuring the passage and adjustment of the stabilization strap length section dedicated to adjustment to the passenger's size.

[0038] According to this characteristic, the stabilizing strap is a single strap arranged on either side of the tightening buckle of the movable bar type placed on the front part of the harness.

[0039] In this way, said stabilizing strap is able to slide, thus constituting a simple and reliable solution for making said strap mobile in translation, the other section of stabilizing strap with free strand allows, thanks to its sulking, the attachment and tightening of the passenger against the pilot carrier.

[0040] In this way, the passenger is ensured to be properly supported against the pilot carrier in free fall after the attachment and tightening of the end of the stabilization strap has been carried out by means of the adjustable rapid ejectors known from the state of the art.

[0041] In a variant of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the front straps of the passenger harness are connected directly to the thigh straps and cooperate with an adjustment buckle with a movable bar arranged either on the lower end of the front strap or on the thigh strap.

[0042] Said adjustment buckle with movable bar being, according to the main characteristic of the invention, crossed by the stabilization strap, and allows its adjustment at will as seen previously.

[0043] In another variant of the embodiment, the stabilizing strap has, in an identical manner, one end fixed to the dorsal part of the passenger harness and a metal adjustment loop buckle is arranged between the dorsal part of the passenger harness and a single loop buckle connected to the front part of the harness.

[0044] This arrangement has the dual function of adjusting the length section of the stabilization strap to the thickness of the passenger's hips and of serving as a lock to constitute a stop against the single-loop buckle when the free strand of the stabilization strap is tightened too tightly and thus prevents the tightening force from being transmitted to the passenger's body during the final tightening by the pilot carrier for the jump.

[0045] Thus no compression force is exerted directly on a part of the passenger's body since the clamping force exerted by the pilot carrier on the free strand of the stabilization strap contributes to maintaining and guiding the entire body of the passenger in the axis of the pilot carrier in free fall.

[0046] According to this variant embodiment, each stabilizing strap of the passenger harness is provided between the dorsal and frontal part of the harness with a buckle with a metal adjustment loop capable of sliding along the stabilizing strap.

[0047] Once the hip thickness length section adjustment has been carried out, this metal adjustment loop buckle is able to abut against a single loop buckle serving as an adjustment stopper and located on the front part of the harness. Advantageously, this single loop buckle in which the stabilization strap passes is smaller than the metal adjustment loop buckle and secured to a connecting member which serves to connect the front strap to the thigh strap.

[0048] The first section of length of stabilizing strap located between the end fixed to the dorsal part of the harness and the buckle with metal adjustment loop will be used to belt the user at the level of his hips after final tightening carried out by the pilot wearer, the second length of strand located between the buckle with single loop and each adjustable rapid ejector is dedicated to tightening the passenger against the pilot wearer after hooking the adjustable rapid ejector onto a ring belonging to the pilot wearer's harness allowing the free strand of the stabilizing strap to be adjusted at will.

[0049] The ability of the stabilization strap to slide in the metal adjustment loop buckle allows for great flexibility of use.

[0050] In this variant embodiment, it is sufficient, depending on the passenger's morphology, to move the metal adjustment loop provided for this purpose along the stabilization strap, ensuring that the length section of the stabilization strap between the dorsal part and the frontal part does not harm the user's comfort.

[0051] In this way, the length of the stabilization strap dedicated to maintaining the passenger's waist can be adjusted first on the ground and the adjustable rapid ejector located on the free strand of the stabilization strap can be used to attach and tighten the passenger against the pilot carrier just before the parachute jump.

[0052] According to each embodiment, the passenger harness is advantageously composed of at least two stabilizing straps.

[0053] In the following description, the use of the term stabilization strap should be considered to mean the two stabilization straps, each located on each side of the user's body.

[0054] Other aims and advantages will appear during the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention which is not, however, limiting.

[0055] According to preferred but non-limiting variants, the equipment according to the invention is such that the user will therefore put on the harness according to the invention and adjust on each side the length of the stabilizing strap between the dorsal part and the front part of the harness.

[0056] The length adjustment is made by adjusting the stabilizing strap in the adjustment buckle with movable bar or the buckle with metal adjustment loop along the stabilizing strap section.

[0057] The distance thus obtained represents the maximum gap in the section of the stabilizing strap dedicated to holding the passenger between the dorsal part and the frontal part of the passenger harness of the invention.

[0058] The stabilizing strap of the invention is adjusted on each side to an identical length, which is defined according to the morphology of the user so that the harness is adjusted to the user's build at the waist after the passenger has put on the harness according to the invention.

[0059] The remaining length of the free-ended stabilizing strap strand will be used to apply the force by which the passenger's body will be kept in line with the pilot carrier's body during the free fall.

[0060] The attached figures are given by way of example and are not limiting of the invention. They only represent preferred embodiments of the invention and will allow it to be easily understood. Brief description of the drawings

[0061] [Fig.l] is a ¾ back view of the harness according to the invention and illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention with a detailed mode of the connecting member equipped with a tightening buckle of the movable bar type.

[0062] The harness is composed of a front part 1 and a back part 2.

[0063] The back part 2 is suitable for being applied to the passenger's back while the front part 1 is suitable for being applied to the passenger's stomach.

[0064] According to this preferred embodiment, the front part 1 of the harness is made up of at least two parallel front straps 8 capable of being applied longitudinally to the passenger's stomach connected to two leg straps 9 by means of a connecting member 4.

[0065] The back part 2 also comprises at least two back straps 12 capable of being applied to the passenger's back to ensure at one end the maintenance of the spacers 13, the attachment of the carabiners 10 and to connect by their other ends the leg straps 9.

[0066] The connection between the front part 1 and the back part 2 is ensured by the passage of a stabilizing strap 3 in a tightening loop of the movable bar type 5 as visible in the magnifying glass detail, advantageously the connecting member 4 and the tightening loop of the movable bar type 5 form only one and the same part of the sulking.

[0067] The passage and tightening of the stabilizing strap section 3 located between the dorsal part 2 and the front part 1 of the passenger harness is ensured by the routing of the stabilizing strap 3 in the tightening loop of the movable bar type 5 shown in the magnifying glass detail.

[0068] For the adjustment by shortening the section between the front part 1 and the back part 2 in the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is sufficient to pull the stabilizing strap 3 on one side at the level of the movable adjustment bar 5 arranged on the connecting member 4 to benefit from a smaller section of length between the back part 2 and the front part 1 of the passenger harness, which has the simultaneous effect of lengthening the strand of stabilizing strap 3 at the free end.

[0069] To adjust the elongation of the section between the front part 1 and the back part 2, it is sufficient to remove and pass slack from the stabilizing strap 3 towards the back part 2 in the tightening buckle with movable loop 5 provided for this purpose.

[0070] This adjustment is carried out on the ground before boarding the plane, this allows the passenger to keep the harness on them, thus providing a good fit.

[0071] Ideally, the adjusted length of the stabilizing strap 3 between the dorsal part 2 and the frontal part 1 is very slightly less than the thickness of the passenger's waist so that the transmission of force to the tightening of the pilot carrier is bearable by the user of the passenger harness.

[0072] The passenger harness thus adjusted will then be attached to the pilot carrier's harness by the carabiners 10 fixed on the top of the passenger harness which cooperate by hooking to a ring present on the pilot carrier harness to constitute, in a manner known in the state of the art, the upper attachment.

[0073] The pilot carrier thus conventionally ensures the upper anchoring of the passenger's harness which, when the parachute opens, ensures the vertical suspension of the passenger during the descent under open canopy.

[0074] Advantageously, the passenger harness will then be attached by its lower part on each side of the pilot carrier's harness by means of each adjustable rapid ejector 6 located on the free strand of the stabilizing straps 3.

[0075] These adjustable rapid ejectors 6 are each connected in a manner known per se to a ring arranged on the bottom of the pilot carrier's harness.

[0076] These adjustable rapid ejectors 6 are equipped in a known manner with an adjustment means for proceeding by traction of the pilot carrier on the free end of the stabilization straps 3 to adjust the length of the free strand of said stabilization straps 3, which makes it possible to maintain the body of the passenger in free fall in the axis against the body of the pilot carrier.

[0077] Furthermore, when the traction is exerted by the pilot carrier, the resulting force is on the one hand distributed between the dorsal part 2 and the tightening buckle with movable loop 5 without bringing one and the other closer together since the stabilization strap section 3 dedicated to the thickness of the passenger's hip is kept apart taking into account the arrangement described previously and on the other hand aims to reduce the spacing between the two bodies.

[0078] [Fig.2] is a ¾ back view of the harness of an alternative embodiment according to the invention.

[0079] Referring to [Fig.2], we see that the stabilizing strap 3 is intended to encircle the user's waist at will between the back part 2 and the front part 1.

[0080] It is fixed at one end to the dorsal part 2 and passes upstream of its free end in a double metal adjustment loop 7 located between the dorsal part 2 and a single loop buckle 11 connected to the front strap 8 above the thigh strap 9.

[0081] The double-passage metal adjustment part 7 makes it possible to adjust the length of the stabilization strap to the desired dimensions of the user's waist, such that it exerts in the area delimited between the dorsal part 2 and the single-passage buckle 11, a lateral holding force on the user against the pilot carrier, once the attachment and tightening of the stabilization straps 3 has been carried out by the pilot carrier.

[0082] The single loop buckle 11 is smaller than the double metal adjustment loop 7 in order to serve as a stopper.

[0083] In the case where the front part 1 is made up of a front strap 8 and a thigh strap 9 connected together by a connecting member, the latter advantageously incorporates a single loop of a smaller size than the double metal tightening loop 7 to allow the stabilization strap 3 to circulate.

[0084] The stabilizing strap may have a width of approximately 50 mm. REFERENCES

[0085] 1 Front part

[0086] 2 Dorsal part

[0087] 3 Stabilization strap

[0088] 4 Connecting organ

[0089] 5 Clamping buckle with movable loop

[0090] 6 Adjustable quick ejector

[0091] 7 Double metal adjustment loop

[0092] 8 Front strap

[0093] 9 Thigh strap

[0094] 10 Carabiner

[0095] 11 Single loop buckle

[0096] 12 Back strap

[0097] 13 Spreader

Claims

Claims

1. - Equipment for carrying a passenger during an oversized parachute jump of the harness type with or without spreaders, provided with at least one front part (1) and one back part (2) capable of being applied respectively to the stomach and back of the passenger, characterized by the fact that it comprises in its lower part, in the closed position, tightening / loosening means to maintain, without compressing, the passenger in free fall in the lateral axis of the body of the pilot carrier.

2. - Equipment according to claim 1 in which the means for maintaining the passenger's body in the lateral axis of the body of the pilot-carrier comprise on either side of the harness a stabilizing strap (3) fixed by one end to the dorsal part (2), its other end being free and extending transversely between the dorsal part (2) and the front part (1) of the harness.

3. - Equipment according to claim 2 in which the stabilizing strap (3) is provided at its free end with an adjustable rapid ejector (6) with a double loop and concomitant hookable means allowing attachment to the pilot carrier harness and tightening and loosening at will of the free end of said stabilizing strap (3).

4. - Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each stabilizing strap (3) slides in an adjustment buckle with a movable bar (5) to adjust the length of the stabilizing strap (3) necessary for the size of the passenger between the back part (2) and the adjustment buckle with a movable bar (5) and to serve as a stopper to limit the spacing and allow the lateral support of the passenger between the back part (2) and front part (1) of the harness after the tensioning of the free end of the stabilizing straps (3) when the quick-adjustment ejectors (6) are hooked.

5. - Equipment according to claim 4 characterized in that the adjustment buckle with movable bar (5) forms a single metal part with a connecting member (4) carried by a region located on the front part (2) of the harness or cooperate together by forming two separate parts.

6. - Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that in the front part (1), the front strap (8) is connected directly to the thigh strap (9) and cooperates with an adjustment buckle with a movable bar (5) arranged on one or other of said straps and intended for the passage and adjustment of the stabilization strap (3).

7. - Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a metal adjustment loop buckle (7) is arranged on each stabilization strap (3) between the dorsal part (2) and a single loop buckle (11) fixed on the front part (1) of the harness to adapt to the size of the passenger.

8. - Equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that the metal adjustment loop buckle (7) comes into contact with the single loop buckle (11) which serves as a stopper when tightening the stabilizing straps (3), in order to limit the tensioning when the quick-adjusting ejectors (6) are hooked to tension the free end of the stabilizing straps (3).

9. - Equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that the single-loop buckle (11) forms a single metal part with a connecting member (4) carried by a region located on the front part (1) of the harness or cooperates alone with the front strap 8 or thigh strap 9.

10. - Equipment according to any one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that the single-loop buckle (11) is smaller than the metal adjustment loop buckle (7).

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