Slinging auxiliary tool

Abstract

To provide a slinging auxiliary tool capable of safely performing slinging work on a utility pole and preventing the eye of a sling belt from coming off the hanging ear of a pole-mounted transformer.SOLUTION: A slinging auxiliary tool 1A, an aid that prevents an eye 62 of a sling belt used to suspend an object from coming off its latching target, comprises a pair of operating parts 3, 4 rotatably connected via a pivot shaft 2, a pair of holding structures 5, 6 that open and close in conjunction with the opening and closing movements of the pair of operating parts 3, 4, forming a ring when closed and accommodating and holding the overlapping part of the eye 62 within the ring, and an opening restriction structure that restricts the opening movement of the pair of operating parts 3, 4. The holding structures 5, 6 each have a hook-shaped bent tip end, a latching part 7 that latches onto a side edge 62a of the eye 62, and a latching protrusion 8 that protrudes from the inside of the latching part 7 and presses against the eye 62 at the latching part 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slinging aid that assists in slinging work, and more particularly to an aid used with a sling belt for slinging. [Background technology]

[0002] First, the conventional situation will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a conventionally known sling belt. Fig. 8 is a partial perspective view showing the eye of the conventionally known sling belt attached to the suspension lug of a pole-mounted transformer. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the pole-mounted transformer suspended by the conventionally known sling belt. As shown in Figure 7, a conventionally known sling belt 110 is composed of a belt body 111 made of a belt-shaped woven fabric, for example, using fiber filament yarn, and loop-shaped eyes 112 (annular portions) formed at each of its longitudinal ends. Furthermore, a pole-mounted transformer 100 installed on a utility pole comprises, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, a transformer body 101 having lifting lugs 102 on the sides for lifting, a lid 103 installed on the top of the transformer body 101, and a lid pressing member 104 fixed to the top of the lifting lug 102 with a bolt 104a so as to press down on the lid 103.

[0003] Furthermore, when suspending the pole transformer 100 using the conventionally known sling belt 110 as described above, the eyes 62 of the sling belt 110 shown in Figure 7 are engaged with each of a pair of hanging ears 102 (see Figures 8 and 9) provided at opposing positions on the periphery of the cover 103 when the pole transformer 100 is viewed in plan. More specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the folded portion of the eye 112 of the sling belt 110 is hooked into a recess 102a formed vertically below the hanging ear 102 of the pole-mounted transformer 100, and the belt body 111 is positioned so as to be suspended over the lid 103 of the pole-mounted transformer 100. Furthermore, Figure 9 shows the state in which a hook 120 is engaged with the middle of the belt body 111 stretched over the cover 103 of the pole-mounted transformer 100 and then pulled up by operating the hook 120 with a winch or the like (not shown).

[0004] Furthermore, when the hook 120 is pulled up by a winch or the like and tension is applied to the sling belt 110 (see Figure 9), the eye 112 of the sling belt 110 will not come off the hanging lug 102 of the pole-mounted transformer 100. Normally, the circumference of the eye 112 (annular portion) of the sling belt 110 is sufficiently larger than the size of the hanging ear 102 of the pole-mounted transformer 100, so before the hook 120 is pulled up (see Figure 8), that is, when no tension is applied to the sling belt 110, the eye 112 of the sling belt 110 is likely to come off the hanging ear 102 of the pole-mounted transformer 100 (see Figure 8). That is, there is a concern that the folded portion of the eye 112 will droop due to its own weight and come off the recess 102a of the hanging ear 102.

[0005] Furthermore, if a worker were to pull up the hook 120 with a winch or the like without realizing that the eye 112 of the sling belt 110 had come off the hanging ear 102 of the pole-mounted transformer 100, not only would the pole-mounted transformer 100 not be able to be suspended, but in the worst case scenario, there would be a possibility of the pole-mounted transformer 100 falling, which would be extremely dangerous. In consideration of these circumstances, at the site, the eye 112 of the sling belt 110 and the hanging ear 102 of the pole-mounted transformer 100 are tightly fastened with a binding wire or the like to prevent the sling belt 110 from coming off the pole-mounted transformer 100. On the other hand, when using a binding wire, although the eye 112 of the sling belt 110 and the hanging ear 102 of the pole-mounted transformer 100 can be firmly fixed, there is another problem in that it is time-consuming to tie and fix them tightly, especially on a utility pole. Prior applications that address the above-mentioned problems are known, for example, from Patent Documents 1 and 2 shown below.

[0006] Patent Document 1, titled "Sling Belt and Sling Belt Slip-Off Prevention Device," discloses an invention relating to a sling belt for hanging pole-mounted transformers and a sling belt slip-off prevention device that is attached to the sling belt. The sling belt slippage prevention device disclosed in Patent Document 1 was submitted by the same applicant as the present invention, and will be explained using the same reference numerals as in Figure 3 in the document. This slippage prevention device (1) prevents the engagement portion (112) of the sling belt (111) from coming off the hanging lug (103) when a pole-mounted transformer (101) having a hanging lug (103) and a lid retainer member (105) provided on the upper part of the hanging lug (103) is hung by the sling belt (111). The device comprises an annular fastening portion (11) into which the engagement portion (112) is inserted and which fastens the upper side of the engagement portion (112) hooked on the hanging lug (103) together with the lid retainer member (105), and an annular hook portion (13) which is connected to the fastening portion (11) and hooked on the hanging lug (103) to prevent the fastening portion (11) from loosening. According to the sling belt slippage prevention device disclosed in Patent Document 1 having the above configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for the engaging portion (loop portion) of the sling belt to come off the hanging lug of the pole transformer.

[0007] Patent document 2, titled "Sling belt and magnet for sling belt," discloses an invention relating to a sling belt for hanging equipment with a hook on the side of an iron body, and a magnet for a sling belt that can be attached to the sling belt. The sling belt disclosed in Patent Document 2 is also by the same applicant as the present invention, and to explain it using the same symbols as in Figure 1 in the document, it is a sling belt (1) for suspending a pole-mounted transformer (101) having a hanging lug (103) attached to the side (102a) of an iron container (102), and is belt-shaped with annular engaging portions (11) at both ends that engage with the hanging lug (103), and a sling belt magnet (2) that is attached to the side edge of the engaging portion (11) and that is attracted to the side (102a) of the container (102) by magnetic force when the engaging portion (11) engages with the hanging lug (103). When the sling belt disclosed in Patent Document 2 having the above configuration is used, the engaging portion of the sling belt can be made less likely to come off the hanging lug of the A-pole transformer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-115045 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-90373 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] When a worker uses the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 on a utility pole, in order to attach the sling belt anti-slip device to the hanging lug of the pole-mounted transformer, the worker must lean over the utility pole and attach the sling belt eye and the sling belt anti-slip device (= the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1) to the hanging lug, which is in a position that cannot be seen with the naked eye. In this case, workers would likely be forced to work in an awkward position on the utility pole, which could lead to them losing their balance and falling.

[0010] In the case of the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, when fastening the engaging portion of the sling belt disclosed in Patent Document 2 to the hanging lug of the pole-mounted transformer, the worker had to lean over the utility pole and fasten the engaging portion equipped with a magnet to the hanging lug, which was in a position that could not be seen. Normally, pole-mounted transformers are made entirely of steel, which raises concerns that the magnets attached to the engaging parts of the sling belts may be attracted to unintended parts of the pole-mounted transformer, preventing the engaging parts of the sling belts from smoothly engaging with the hanging lugs. Additionally, in the case of the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, even if the engaging portion of the sling belt is not properly fastened to the hanging lug of the pole-mounted transformer, which is located in a position that cannot be seen by workers, the engaging portion is attracted by the magnet and will not droop, which presents another problem in that it is difficult for workers to detect dangerous situations.

[0011] The present invention has been made in response to the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a slinging aid that enables slinging work on utility poles to be performed safely and that prevents the eye of a sling belt hooked onto the hanging lug of a pole-mounted transformer from coming off the hanging lug. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The first invention for solving the above problem is a slinging aid that prevents the eye of a sling belt used to suspend an object from coming off its engaging object, and is equipped with a pair of operating parts that are rotatably connected via a pivot shaft, a pair of holding structures that open and close in conjunction with the opening and closing movements of the pair of operating parts, and when closed form a ring that accommodates and holds the overlapping part of the eye within this ring, and an opening movement restriction structure that restricts the opening movement of the pair of operating parts, and is characterized in that the holding structure has a locking part whose tip is bent into a hook shape and locks onto the side edge of the eye, and a hooking protrusion that protrudes from the inside of the locking part and presses the eye at the locking part. In the first aspect of the invention having the above configuration, the pair of operating portions have the function of indirectly opening and closing the pair of holding structures. The pair of retaining structures accommodate and hold the overlapping portion of the eye within the loop formed by them, thereby clamping the overlapping portion of the eye between the pair of retaining structures, which temporarily shortens the circumference of the eye of the sling belt when it is fastened to the fastening object, preventing the eye from coming off the fastening object. Furthermore, the opening restriction structure has the effect of restricting the opening movement of the pair of operating parts, thereby preventing the pair of operating parts and the pair of holding structures from opening except when necessary, which would result in the eye becoming disengaged from the pair of holding structures. In addition, the locking portion of the holding structure has the effect of preventing the holding structure from coming off the eye by locking onto the side edge of the eye when the overlapping portion of the eye is accommodated within the ring formed by the pair of holding structures. Furthermore, the locking projection provided on the locking portion has the effect of pressing the eye at the locking portion, and preventing the eye from coming off the locking portion due to the frictional force generated at that time.

[0013] A second invention is the above-mentioned first invention, characterized in that the holding structure has a flexible portion between the locking portion and the pivot shaft. In the second aspect of the present invention, when tension is applied to the eyes held by the pair of retaining structures, i.e., when a force acts on the pair of retaining structures through the eyes to push them apart, the flexible section bends and deforms, preventing the pair of retaining structures from opening or being damaged, thereby reducing the risk of the retaining structures coming off the eyes when the sling belt is suspended.

[0014] The third invention is the first or second invention described above, characterized in that the opening movement restriction structure comprises an engaging part that engages with one of the operating parts, and a cylindrical body that is arranged on the peripheral side of the overlapping part of the pair of operating parts and the engaging part, and a stopper that slides along the center line of the cylindrical body. In the third invention having the above configuration, the engaging part engages with the end of one of the operating parts, thereby restricting the opening of the one of the operating parts. Furthermore, the stopper is provided around the overlapping portion of the pair of operating parts and the engaging part, thereby preventing the end of one of the operating parts from being disengaged from the engaging part. This indirectly restricts the opening of the one of the operating parts. In other words, in the third invention, one of the operating parts cannot be opened unless the stopper is slid away from the overlapping portion of the pair of operating parts and engaging parts, thereby preventing unintended opening of one of the operating parts.

[0015] A fourth invention is the above-mentioned first or second invention, wherein the opening restriction structure includes an elastic body that prevents the pair of operating parts from opening. In the third aspect of the invention having the above configuration, the elastic body has the effect of preventing the opening operation of the pair of operating parts by its elastic force. In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the opening movement of the pair of operating parts is constantly restricted by the elastic force of the elastic body, and the pair of operating parts can be opened when an external force acts against this elastic force.

[0016] The fifth invention is the first or second invention described above, characterized in that it is provided with a fall prevention structure having a string-like connecting member provided near one end of the operating part, and a fixing device provided at the end of the connecting member that is not connected to the operating part. In the fifth aspect of the invention having the above configuration, the connecting member functions to connect the slinging aid and the fastener, and the fastener functions to secure the end of the connecting member to the sling belt or to a desired location on the object suspended by the sling belt. Therefore, the fifth invention has a fall prevention structure consisting of a connecting member and a fixing device, which has the effect of preventing the sling aid from unintentionally coming off the overlapping portion of the eye and falling when tension is applied to the eye of the sling belt, i.e., when the sling belt is suspended. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the eye of the sling belt is fastened to the fastening portion (e.g., the hanging lug) of the suspended object (e.g., a pole-mounted transformer), the circumferential length of the eye fastened to the suspended object can be temporarily shortened, thereby preventing the eye from coming off the suspended object. Furthermore, when the object to be hoisted is a pole-mounted transformer, the installation of the first invention to the overlapping portion of the sling belt eye can be performed on the cover of the pole-mounted transformer. Therefore, when slinging a pole-mounted transformer on a utility pole, the worker does not need to lean forward on the pole to install the first invention to the overlapping portion of the sling belt eye. Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, slinging work for a pole transformer can be carried out safely and reliably.

[0018] According to the second aspect of the present invention, when tension is applied to the eye of the sling belt, it is possible to prevent the pair of retaining structures from opening, i.e., preventing the pair of retaining structures from losing their loop shape, which means that the pair of retaining structures will not come off the eye of the sling belt. Therefore, according to the second invention, it is possible to provide a slinging aid that is less likely to come off the eye during use than the first invention. In other words, according to the second invention, it is possible to provide a slinging aid with higher performance.

[0019] According to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to more reliably prevent the retaining structure from coming off the eye when tension is applied to the sling belt. This prevents the slinging aid of the third invention from unintentionally coming off when, for example, lowering a pole-mounted transformer installed on a utility pole with a sling belt. Therefore, the third and fourth inventions also provide a slinging aid with higher performance.

[0020] According to the fifth invention, even if the retaining structure unintentionally comes off the eye when tension is applied to the sling belt, the fall prevention structure can prevent the slinging aid of the fifth invention from falling. Therefore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a slinging aid that is safer when used can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the slinging auxiliary device according to the present embodiment is in use. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a front view of a sling belt equipped with a sling assisting device according to this embodiment in a suspended state. [Figure 3] 3A is a view seen from the direction indicated by the symbol X in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a view showing a pair of holding structures in the slinging auxiliary device shown in FIG. 3A in an open state. [Figure 4] 10 is a plan view showing a state in which the holding structure of the slinging auxiliary device according to the present embodiment is bent. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a slinging aid according to a first modified example of the present embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which tension is applied to an eye held by the slinging aid. [Figure 6] 6A is a plan view of a slinging aid according to a second modified example of the present embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of the same slinging aid with a pair of holding structures opened. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventionally known sling belt. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which the eye of a conventionally known sling belt is hooked onto the hanging lug of a pole-mounted transformer. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pole transformer suspended by a conventionally known sling belt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] A slinging aid according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.

[0023] [1; Basic configuration of the present invention] The basic configuration of a slinging aid according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "this embodiment") will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the use of the slinging aid according to this embodiment, Fig. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a sling belt equipped with the slinging aid according to this embodiment is suspended, Fig. 3A is a view seen from the direction indicated by the symbol X in Fig. 2, and Fig. 3B is a view showing the pair of holding structures of the slinging aid shown in Fig. 3A in an open state. 1 is a view taken along the arrow Y in FIG. 2 in a state where the sling belt 60 shown in FIG. 2 is not suspended.

[0024] In this embodiment, the case where the object to be suspended by the sling belt 60 is the pole transformer 50 in particular has been described as an example, but the object to be suspended may be something other than the pole transformer 50 . Prior to describing the slinging auxiliary device 1A according to this embodiment, the structure of the pole transformer 50 to be suspended will be briefly described below. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pole-mounted transformer 50 comprises a transformer body 51 having multiple pairs (for example, two pairs) of lifting lugs 52 on the sides, a lid 53 installed on top of the transformer body 51, and a lid pressing member 54 fixed to the top of the lugs 52 with bolts 54a so as to press down on the lid 53. When a pole-mounted transformer 50 installed on a utility pole is to be lowered from the pole, first, when the cover 53 of the pole-mounted transformer 50 is viewed in plan, the eyes 62 of the sling belt 60 are fastened to each of a pair of hanging ears 52 arranged symmetrically with respect to the center position of the cover 53. Next, as shown in Figure 2, a hook 70 is engaged with the middle of the belt body 61 that is stretched over the cover 53 of the pole-mounted transformer 50, and the hook 70 is operated and pulled up using a winch or the like (not shown), and the pole-mounted transformer 50 is lowered from the pole while hanging from the sling belt 60.

[0025] The slinging auxiliary device 1A of this embodiment is an auxiliary device that prevents the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 from coming off the object to be engaged (for example, the hanging ear 52) when the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 is engaged with the object to be engaged (for example, the hanging ear 52 of a pole-mounted transformer 50) and no tension is applied to the belt body 61 of the sling belt 60, as shown in Figure 1, for example. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the slinging aid 1A according to this embodiment is used by attaching one to each of the two eyes 62 of the sling belt 60.

[0026] More specifically, the slinging aid 1A of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3A, comprises a pair of operating parts 3, 4 that are rotatably connected via a pivot shaft 2, a pair of holding structures 5, 6 that open and close in conjunction with the opening and closing movements of the pair of operating parts 3, 4, and an opening movement restriction structure that restricts the opening movement of the pair of operating parts 3, 4.

[0027] Furthermore, a holding structure 5 is provided integrally with the operating portion 3, and a holding structure 6 is provided integrally with the operating portion 4, and the pair of operating portions 3, 4 and the pair of holding structures 5, 6 are both formed of, for example, a resin molded body. The pivot shaft 2 may be a resin molded body, but may also be made of metal to ensure sufficient strength.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 3A, the pair of retaining structures 5, 6 form a loop 18 when closed, and accommodates the overlapping portion of the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 within this loop 18 (see Figure 1). As shown in Figure 3A, both of the retaining structures 5 and 6 have hook-shaped bent ends, and are provided with a locking portion 7 that locks onto the side edge 62a of the eye 62 of the sling belt 60, and a hooking protrusion 8 that protrudes from the inside of this locking portion 7. When the locking portion 7 is locked to the side edge 62a of the eye 62, the locking protrusion 8 presses the eye 62 toward the inside of the locking portion 7, and the frictional force generated thereby prevents the locking portion 7 from coming off the side edge 62a of the eye 62.

[0029] In addition, when the slinging aid 1A of this embodiment is viewed from the direction indicated by the symbol X in Figure 2, the holding structures 5 and 6 have a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the center line 19 that passes through the axis of the pivot shaft 2. As a result, when the pair of holding structures 5, 6 are closed, a ring 18 is formed, and the overlapping portions of the eye 62 can be held close to each other by the holding structures 5, 6, respectively.

[0030] The slinging aid 1A of this embodiment has, as a structure for restricting the opening movement of the pair of operating parts 3, 4, a combination of an engaging part 9 (e.g., made of synthetic resin) that restricts the opening movement of the operating part 3, and a stopper 12 (e.g., made of synthetic resin) that is a cylindrical body mounted on the peripheral side of the overlapping part of the pair of operating parts 3, 4 and the engaging part 9, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the engaging part 9 is a rectangular plate that is rotatably mounted near the side edge of the operating part 4 via a pivot shaft 9a (made of, for example, synthetic resin or metal), and the end on the side that is not supported by the pivot shaft 9a is cut out to form an engaging recess 9b. The operating portion 3 also has an engaging protrusion 3a at its end that engages with the engaging recess 9b. As shown in FIG. 3A, by engaging the engaging protrusion 3a of the operating unit 3 with the engaging recess 9b of the engaging part 9, the rotational movement of the operating unit 3 is restricted.

[0032] On the other hand, the engagement between the engaging protrusion 3a and the engaging recess 9b can be easily released. For this reason, in the slinging aid 1A according to this embodiment, a cylindrical stopper 12 is provided on the peripheral side of the overlapping portion of the pair of operating parts 3, 4 and the engaging part 9. This makes it possible to restrict unintentional rotation of the engaging part 9. In other words, the slinging aid 1A according to this embodiment can prevent the pair of holding structures 6 from unintentionally opening due to the engagement between the engaging protrusion 3a and the engaging recess 9b being unintentionally released.

[0033] In the slinging auxiliary tool 1A according to this embodiment, the stopper 12 can be slid in the direction of the center line of the cylindrical body that constitutes the stopper 12 (the same direction as the extension of the center line 19). As shown in FIG. 3B, when the stopper 12 is slid toward the end of the operation unit 4, the engaging part 9 can be rotated around the axis of the pivot shaft 9a. This operation disengages the engaging recess 9b of the engaging part 9 from the engaging protrusion 3a of the operating part 3, allowing the operating part 3 to be opened and closed around the axis of the pivot shaft 2 as a base axis. That is, the pair of holding structures 5, 6 can be changed from a closed state (see FIG. 3A) to an open state (see FIG. 3B). Then, as shown in Figure 3B, the pair of retaining structures 5, 6 can be opened, and the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 can be engaged with each of the engaging portions 7, or the eye 62 engaged with each of the engaging portions 7 can be removed from the engaging portions 7. When the pair of holding structures 5, 6 in the open state are closed to form the ring 18, the above procedure can be carried out in reverse.

[0034] [2; Effects of the present invention] As shown in Figure 1, when the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 is engaged with the engaging portion (e.g., the hanging ear 52) of the object to be hung (e.g., the pole-mounted transformer 50), by attaching the slinging auxiliary device 1A of this embodiment to the overlapping portion of the eye 62 located directly above the bolt 54a of the lid holding member 54, the circumference of the folded portion 62b side of the eye 62 engaged with the hanging ear 52 can be temporarily shortened. This prevents the folded portion 62b of the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 from sagging vertically downward due to its own weight and from coming off the recess 52a of the hanging ear 52.

[0035] Furthermore, when the object to be suspended by the sling belt 60 is particularly a pole-mounted transformer 50, the work of attaching the slinging auxiliary device 1A of this embodiment to the overlapping portion of the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 can be carried out on the cover 53 of the pole-mounted transformer 50. Therefore, particularly when performing work to lower the pole-mounted transformer 50 installed on the utility pole from the utility pole, and when performing slinging work for the pole-mounted transformer 50 on the utility pole, the worker does not need to assume a position that requires him or her to lean over the utility pole. Therefore, by using the slinging auxiliary tool 1A according to this embodiment, slinging work for a suspended object (for example, a pole transformer 50) can be performed safely and reliably.

[0036] Furthermore, in the slinging aid 1A of this embodiment, the pair of holding structures 5, 6 each have a locking portion 7 and a locking protrusion 8, so that when the overlapping portion of the eye 62 is accommodated within the ring 18 formed by the pair of holding structures 5, 6, the locking protrusion 8 can press the eye 62 against the inside of the locking portion 7. This makes it possible to prevent the slinging auxiliary tool 1A attached to the overlapping portion of the eye 62 from moving in the direction in which the eye 62 extends. In other words, the effect of preventing the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 from coming off the hanging lug 52 of the pole-mounted transformer 50 can be more reliably achieved.

[0037] In addition, since the pair of retaining structures 5, 6 each have an engagement portion 7 and a hooking protrusion 8, tension is applied to the belt body 61 and the eye 62 as the sling belt 60 is suspended, making it difficult for the pair of retaining structures 5, 6 to come off the eye 62 even if the pair of retaining structures 5, 6 unintentionally open. In other words, the slinging aid 1A according to this embodiment can be prevented from coming off the sling belt 60 and falling during use.

[0038] Furthermore, since the slinging aid 1A of this embodiment is equipped with a combination of an engaging part 9 and a stopper 12 as an opening restriction structure, the risk of the pair of holding structures 5, 6 opening unintentionally when using the slinging aid 1A can be significantly reduced. Therefore, according to the slinging aid 1A of this embodiment, a high-performance slinging aid can be provided.

[0039] [3; Regarding the detailed structure and modifications of the present invention] (Regarding the holding structure) FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the holding structure of the slinging aid according to this embodiment is bent. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 4, both of the holding structures 5 and 6 may have a flexible portion 11 made of a flexible resin material or flexible metal in the region between the locking portion 7 and the pivot shaft 2. In this way, when the pair of retaining structures 5, 6 both have flexible portions 11, for example, when the sling belt 60 is hung by the hook 70 shown in Figure 2 and tension is applied to the belt body 61 and the eye 62, that is, when a force is applied to push apart the overlapping portion of the eye 62 of the sling belt 60, the flexible portions 11 in each of the retaining structures 5, 6 bend as shown in Figure 4, and deform so as to push apart the ring 18 from the inside, thereby preventing the pair of retaining structures 5, 6 from opening up.

[0040] Therefore, since the pair of holding structures 5, 6 have flexible portions 11, it is possible to prevent the holding structures 5 and 6 from coming off the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 or from being damaged when using the slinging aid 1A of this embodiment. Therefore, according to the slinging auxiliary device 1A according to this embodiment as described above, an auxiliary device that is highly reliable and safe when used can be provided.

[0041] (Fall prevention structure) As shown in Figures 1, 3A, 3B and 4, the operating part 4 of the slinging aid 1A of this embodiment may be provided with a string-like connecting member (string 14 or a band not shown) attached near the end on the side where the pivot shaft 2 is not provided via a hanging part 13, which is a ring structure integrally molded with the operating part 4 from, for example, a synthetic resin, and a fixing device such as a snap hook or clip not shown attached to the end of the connecting member string 14 on the side not connected to the hanging part 13.

[0042] In this case, by fixing a fixing device (not shown) to the belt body 61 of the sling belt 60 or to a desired location on the object to be suspended by the sling belt 60, such as the pole-mounted transformer 50, even if the pair of retaining structures 5, 6 unintentionally come off the eye 62 when the sling belt 60 is suspended by the hook 70 shown in Figure 2, for example, and tension is applied to the belt body 61 and the eye 62, the slinging aid 1A of this embodiment can be prevented from falling. Therefore, according to the slinging auxiliary device 1A according to this embodiment as described above, an auxiliary device that is more reliable and safer when used can be provided.

[0043] (Modifications of a pair of holding structures) A modified example of a pair of holding structures will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a slinging aid according to a first modification of this embodiment, and Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which tension is applied to the eye held by the slinging aid. Note that both Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B are cross-sectional views taken along line ZZ in Fig. 2 when the slinging aid 1A' according to the first modification is in use. The slinging aid 1A' according to the first modification includes a leaf spring holding portion 15 and a leaf spring 16 instead of the flexible portion 11 in the previous slinging aid 1A.

[0044] The leaf spring holding portion 15 is integrally molded from, for example, synthetic resin as a part of the holding structure 5' or the holding structure 6'. For example, when the overlapping portion of the eye 62 is accommodated in a pair of holding structures 5', 6', the leaf spring holding portion 15 in the holding structure 5' has a recess 15a formed on the surface on which the eye 62 is arranged, and insertion holes 15b for inserting the end of the leaf spring 16 are formed continuously at each of the corners on the locking portion 7 side and the pivot shaft 2 side at the bottom of this recess 15a. Furthermore, the leaf spring 16 has a leaf spring body 16a that has an arched cross section and protrudes toward the eye 62, and a pair of flat insertion ends 16b provided at each end of the leaf spring body 16a.

[0045] Furthermore, the leaf spring 16 is attached to the recess 15a by inserting the insertion end 16b into the insertion hole 15b. A cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line ZZ in FIG. 2) of the leaf spring holder 15 equipped with the leaf spring 16 is shown in FIG. 5A. Furthermore, the holding structure 6' also includes a leaf spring holding portion 15 and a leaf spring 16 of the same structure.

[0046] In the first modified slinging aid 1A', as shown in Figure 5A, when the eyes 62 of the sling belt 60 are accommodated within the ring 18 formed by a pair of retaining structures 5', 6', the leaf spring 16 presses each eye 62 toward the hooking protrusion 8 provided on the engaging portion 7. This makes it possible to prevent the slinging aid 1A' according to the first modified example, which is attached to the overlapping portion of the eye 62, from unintentionally moving in the direction in which the eye 62 extends. As a result, for example, when the eye 62 of the sling belt 60 is engaged with the hanging ear 52 of the pole-mounted transformer 50, by attaching the slinging auxiliary device 1A' relating to the first modified example to the overlapping portion of the eye 62, it is possible to prevent the eye 62 from coming off the hanging ear 52.

[0047] Furthermore, when the sling belt 60 equipped with the slinging aid 1A' of the first modified example is hung and tension is applied to the belt body 61 and the eye 62, a force acts to push apart the overlapping portion of the eye 62, as shown in Figure 5B. Then, due to the above-mentioned movement of the eye 62, the leaf springs 16 in the pair of holding structures 5', 6' are pressed toward the outside of the ring 18, and each leaf spring 16 is crushed, that is, deformed so as to approach a flatter shape. This prevents the pair of holding structures 5', 6' from opening unintentionally, and also prevents the holding structures 5', 6' from being damaged. Therefore, the slinging aid 1A' according to the first modified example as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B also exerts the same effects as those of the slinging aid 1A.

[0048] [4; Other Modifications of the Invention] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of a slinging aid according to a second modification of this embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of the slinging aid with a pair of holding structures opened. 6A and 6B are both views taken along the arrow X in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the slinging auxiliary device 1B according to the second modification is in use. As shown in FIG. 6A, the slinging aid 1B of the second modified example has operating parts 3' and 4' instead of the operating parts 3 and 4 of the previous slinging aid 1A, and also has an elastic body 17 as an opening restriction structure that prevents the opening operation of the operating parts 3' and 4'.

[0049] In the second modified example of the slinging aid 1B, a holding structure 5 having an operating portion 3' and a holding structure 6 having an operating portion 4' are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line 19, and a pivot axis 2 is provided at the overlapping portion between them. As a result, by operating the pair of operating portions 3', 4' so as to narrow the gap between them (in the direction indicated by symbol P in Figures 6A and 6B), the pair of holding structures 5, 6 can be opened (see Figure 6B).

[0050] In addition, the second modified example of the slinging aid 1B has a pinch ring, which is a metal elastic body 17, suspended between a position near the pivot axis 2 of the holding structure 5 and a position near the pivot axis 2 of the holding structure 6, and this elastic body 17 biases the pair of holding structures 5, 6 so that they are always in a closed state. That is, the slinging auxiliary device 1B according to the second modified example is configured by replacing the clamping portion of a conventionally known pinch with a pair of holding structures 5 and 6. It should be noted that the same effect can be achieved by interposing a torsion spring, a coil spring, or the like between the pair of operating parts 3' and 4' instead of the elastic body 17 in FIG. 6A.

[0051] The slinging aid 1B according to the second modified example as described above can also exert the same effects as the previous slinging aid 1A. Furthermore, the slinging aid 1B according to the second modification can provide an aid with a simpler structure than the slinging aid 1A. In this case, there is an advantage that the manufacturing cost of the slinging auxiliary device according to the present invention can be reduced. [Industrial Applicability]

[0052] As described above, the present invention provides a slinging aid that enables safe slinging work on utility poles and prevents the eye of a sling belt hooked onto the suspension lug of a pole-mounted transformer from coming off the suspension lug, and can be used in technical fields related to cargo handling and maintenance of power transmission facilities, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A, 1A', 1B...Slinging auxiliary device 2...Pivot shaft 3, 3'...Operating portion 3a...Engaging protrusion 4, 4'...Operating portion 5...Retaining structure 6...Retaining structure 7...Latching portion 8...Latching projection 9...Engaging part 9a...Pivot shaft 9b...Engaging recess 11...Flexible portion 12...Stopper 13...Latching portion 14...String 15...Leaf spring holding portion 15a...Recess 15b...Insertion hole 16...Leaf spring 16a...Leaf spring body 16b...Insertion end 17...Elastic body 18...Ring 19...Center line 50...Pole-mounted transformer 51...Transformer body 52...Hanging ear 52a...Recess 53...Cover 54...Cover retaining member 54a...Bolt 60...Sling belt 61...Belt body 62...Eye 62a...Side edge 62b...folded portion 70...hook 100...pole-mounted transformer 101...transformer body 102...hanging ear 102a...recessed portion 103...lid 104...lid retaining member 104a...bolt 110...sling belt 111...belt body 112...eye 120...hook

Claims

1. An auxiliary device that prevents the eye of a sling belt used to hang an item from coming off the locking object, a pair of operation units rotatably connected via a pivot shaft; a pair of holding structures that open and close in conjunction with the opening and closing operations of the pair of operating parts, form a ring when closed, and accommodate and hold the overlapping portion of the eye within the ring; an opening restriction structure that restricts the opening operation of the pair of operation parts, The holding structure includes: a locking portion whose tip end is bent into a hook shape and which is locked to a side edge of the eye; A slinging aid characterized by comprising a locking protrusion that protrudes from the inside of the locking portion and presses the eye at the locking portion.

2. 2. The slinging aid according to claim 1, wherein the holding structure has a flexible portion between the locking portion and the pivot shaft.

3. The opening restriction structure is an engaging part that engages with one of the operation parts; The slinging aid described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical body mounted on the peripheral side of the overlapping portion of the pair of operating parts and the engaging parts, and is provided with a stopper that slides along the center line of the cylindrical body.

4. 3. The slinging aid according to claim 1, wherein the opening restriction structure includes an elastic body that prevents the pair of operating parts from opening.

5. a string-like connecting member provided near one end of the operation unit; 3. The slinging aid according to claim 1, further comprising a fall prevention structure having a fixing device provided at the end of the connecting member on the side not connected to the operating portion.

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