Fall restraining device

Abstract

To easily confirm wear generated from an edge part or the like of a belt with a simple structure in a fall restraining device.SOLUTION: A wear detection area 11 and a normal area 12 are provided on a surface of a belt 10 of a fall restraining device. The wear detection region 11 is different in color from the normal region 12, and when wear reaches the region, the wear can be visually recognized. The entire area of an edge portion 10a, which is partitioned into predetermined widths along both sides in a longitudinal direction of the belt 10, is the normal region 12. In a central portion 10b of the belt 10, which is defined by excluding the edge portion 10a, predetermined widths along both sides in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the edge portion 10a are the wear detection regions 11, and the rest is the normal region 12. Since the edge portion 10a is the normal region 12, wear can be easily and quickly detected by visual observation, and excessive detection of wear is prevented. Since there is no need to separately add a component or complicate a structure for wear detection, assembly and manufacturing are also easy.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fall prevention device that is composed of a belt such as a harness for working at height, a lanyard, or a waist belt. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Fall arrest devices such as harnesses, waist belts, and lanyards are known that are worn to prevent falls when working at heights such as at construction sites. This type of fall arrest device has a belt as its main component, and the belt's selvage, i.e., both longitudinal edges, frequently rub against structures such as buildings, the worker's body, and components of the fall arrest device such as the belt loops when working at height.

[0003] Therefore, wear and cuts (hereinafter referred to as "wear and tear") are likely to occur starting from the selvedge of the belt, and if this is overlooked or misjudged and the worker continues working while wearing the fall arrest equipment, the weakened belt may break, exposing the worker to the risk of falling or other danger. Therefore, as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, attempts have been made to reduce wear on the belt of fall arrest devices by making improvements to the belt itself and its associated components.

[0004] However, the degree of belt wear is inspected visually by workers, but most conventional belts are single-colored and are not designed to be suitable for visual inspection. The industry has established standards for disposal, and requires disposal and replacement when the standards are reached. However, this determination relies heavily on empirical rules, and coupled with psychological factors such as "it would be a waste" and "it's still usable," there are doubts as to whether objectivity is guaranteed in terms of implementation. Thus, no matter how much money was spent to reduce belt wear, it was difficult to objectively determine whether the standard for disposal had been met, and there was a limit to how much of an accident resulting from belt breakage could be reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-110619 [Patent Document 2] Publication number 02-023325 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to make it easy to check for wear occurring at the selvedge portion of a belt or the like in a fall arrest device with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the fall arrest device of the invention has as its component at least a belt, and the belt has a wear detection area on the surface of either the front or back surface, which can be recognized visually or tactilely when wear occurs in that area, and a normal area remaining therefrom, and the selvage portion, which is defined to a predetermined width along both longitudinal sides of the belt, is the normal area throughout, and the central portion of the belt, which is defined excluding the selvage portion, is configured so that at least the predetermined width along both longitudinal sides adjacent to the selvage portion is the wear detection area.

[0008] With this configuration, it is possible to accurately and quickly determine whether the belt is worn or not by visually or tactilely checking the condition of the wear detection area without the need for special measuring tools, making it easier to inspect fall arrest equipment. Since the ears, which are most susceptible to wear, are in the normal range, the need for disposal or replacement is only determined when the wear exceeds the normal range and reaches the wear detection range, preventing excessive disposal or replacement of fall arrest devices. This allows for an optimal product life cycle and reduces the economic burden. By having the belt function as a wear indicator, there is no need to add additional parts or complicate the structure, making assembly and manufacturing easy and allowing belt wear to be checked simply and inexpensively.

[0009] In the fall arrest device of the present invention, it is preferable that the wear detection area has a different color from the normal area. With this configuration, when wear occurs in the wear detection area, it is easy to visually recognize it from the color contrast with the normal area, and anyone can easily, quickly, and accurately judge the state of wear by visual inspection.

[0010] In the fall arrest device of the present invention, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the difference in color of the wear detection area from the normal area is achieved by the weaving of the belt. With this configuration, there is no risk of peeling off, etc., compared to when the surface of the belt is colored, and the life of the wear detection area can be extended.

[0011] In the fall arrest device of the invention, the central portion can be configured to consist of a first wear detection area of ​​a specified width provided along both sides of the longitudinal direction, a second wear detection area of ​​a specified width provided along the center line of the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt, and the remaining normal area. With this configuration, wear from the selvedge portion can be detected by the first wear detection area, and wear in the center of the belt, such as burns caused by sparks or heat sources or scratches caused by structures, can be detected by the second wear detection area, allowing for more accurate recognition of the wear state.

[0012] In the fall arrest device of the present invention, a configuration can be adopted in which the entire central portion is a wear detection area. With this configuration, it is possible to recognize wear from the selvage of the entire central portion of the belt, as well as wear in the center of the belt, such as burns caused by sparks or heat sources and scratches made by structures.

[0013] In the fall arrest device of the present invention, it is preferable that the wear detection area has a configuration in which either brightness or saturation differs by 20% or more from the normal area. With this configuration, the wear detection area is highly visible due to the contrast in brightness and saturation with the normal area, making it easy to see and enabling more accurate recognition of the wear state.

[0014] In the fall arrest device of the present invention, it is preferable that the ear portion has a width perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt of 1 mm to 3 mm in accordance with each disposal standard (for example, 1 mm for a lanyard, 2 mm for a full harness, and 3 mm for a waist belt). With this configuration, it is possible to detect moderate wear in the wear detection area. If the width of the selvedge is less than 1 mm, even slight wear that does not affect the strength of the belt will reach the wear detection area and be detected, which may lead to unnecessary disposal and replacement. Furthermore, if the width of the selvedge exceeds 3 mm, even significant wear that affects the strength of the belt will not reach the wear detection area and will not be recognized, which could result in the continued use of a fall arrest device in a dangerous state that should actually be discarded and replaced.

[0015] In the fall arrest device of the present invention, it is preferable that the wear detection area has a width dimension of 1 mm to 3 mm perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt. This configuration increases the likelihood that wear will be detected in the wear detection area. If the width of the wear detection area is less than 1 mm, the width is too small to visually check the wear, and there is a risk that it will be overlooked. Furthermore, if the width of the damage detection area exceeds 3 mm, the width is too large and the contrast with the normal area is weakened, which also raises the risk of damage being overlooked.

[0016] The fall arrest device according to the present invention may be a harness for working at height, and the belt may be the main belt. With this configuration, it becomes possible to check for wear and tear on the main belts, such as the shoulder belts and thigh belts of a so-called full harness, making it possible to accurately prevent falls and other accidents caused by breakage of the main belts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The fall arrest device of the present invention is configured as described above, and has a simple structure that makes it easy to check for wear occurring at the belt selvedge portion, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] Front view of fall arrest equipment [Figure 2] Close-up of the belt part of the fall arrest device [Figure 3] An enlarged diagram showing the schematic diagram of the belt part of the fall arrest device being worn down. [Figure 4] Close-up of the belt part of the fall arrest device [Figure 5] An enlarged diagram showing the schematic diagram of the belt part of the fall arrest device being worn down. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the embodiment of the harness 1 for work at height, which is shown as an example of a fall arrest device according to the invention, has a pair of shoulder belts 2 and thigh belts 3 made of woven synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon.

[0020] When worn by a worker, the shoulder belts 2 extend from the left and right sides of the waist towards the back, cross each other, are hung on both shoulders, are approximately parallel on the left and right sides of the chest, return to the left and right sides of the waist, and cross each other on the left and right sides of the waist. The crossing point on the back of the shoulder belt 2 is inserted into a D-ring stopper 2a to maintain the crossed state. A D-ring 2b is fixed to the D-ring stopper 2a, and a lifeline (lanyard) is attached here.

[0021] In addition, a protective pad 2c is attached to the shoulder belt 2 from the crossing point on the back side to the point where it is placed on both shoulders to protect the worker's body. Furthermore, at the crossing points of the shoulder belts 2 on the left and right sides of the waist, holders 2d for holding a separate waist belt are attached. The shoulder belt 2 also comes with a shoulder buckle 2e and a hook holder 2f for storing a safety line hook.

[0022] Both ends of each shoulder belt 2 are positioned downward, with one end being an outer end positioned on the outside in the left-right direction and the other end being an inner end positioned on the inside in the left-right direction. The inner ends of the shoulder belts 2 are each fitted with a thigh buckle 2g. The thigh belt 3 extends between the outer ends of the pair of left and right shoulder belts 2. Thigh buckles 3a are attached to the left and right ends of the thigh belt 3, respectively. These thigh buckles 2g and 3a are detachable, and when the worker is wearing the garment, the thigh belt 3 is placed along the base of both thighs and the thigh buckles 2g and 3a are engaged to form a loop that holds the thighs. The thigh belt 3 also serves as a buttocks pad.

[0023] The harness 1 for working at height has a belt-like back support 4 that connects the left and right shoulder belts 2 on the back side. Furthermore, the harness 1 for high altitude work has a chest belt 5 that connects the left and right shoulder belts 2 on the chest side. The chest belt 5 has a clip 5a in the middle so that it can be attached and detached. At the intersections of the belts 2, 3, 4, and 5, there are provided annular seam portions 6 formed by sewing the belts together.

[0024] Hereinafter, the shoulder belts 2, thigh belts 3, and back support 4 will be collectively referred to as the main belt 10 (the chest belt 5, which is narrower than these, will be referred to as the secondary belt). As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the surface of the main belt 10 of the harness 1 for high-altitude work has a wear detection area 11 and a remaining normal area 12 (in Figure 1, the secondary belt has a similar configuration). As shown in the figure, the wear detection area 11 and the normal area 12 are different in color, making them visually distinguishable.

[0025] This difference in color is realized by weaving. Specifically, for example, dope-dyed yarn is used as the yarn in the normal region 12, and dyed natural yarn is used as the yarn in the wear detection region 11. Although the color difference is not particularly limited, it is preferable that the wear detection area 11 has a difference of at least 20% in either brightness or saturation compared to the normal area 12. The greater the difference in saturation or the greater the difference in brightness, the more eye-catching the area becomes. Therefore, with this configuration, the wear detection area 11 stands out, making it easier to detect wear on the main belt 10. Here, lightness and saturation are determined based on the JIS standard color table conforming to JIS Z 8721. Also, they can be measured using a colorimeter (color difference meter) or a spectrophotometer.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the selvage portions 10a are defined in a predetermined width along both longitudinal sides of the main belt 10, and the entire area of ​​each selvage portion 10a is a normal region 12. The size of the ear portion 10a in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 mm to 3 mm, more preferably 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm, and even more preferably about 2 mm.

[0027] Furthermore, the central portion 10b of the main belt 10, defined by excluding the selvage portion 10a, has a predetermined width along both sides of the longitudinal direction adjacent to the selvage portion 10a, which is a strip-shaped wear detection region 11. The wear detection region 11 has a uniform width and is linear. The portion of the central portion 10b excluding the wear detection region 11 is a normal region 12. In the drawing, the width of the wear detection region 11 is larger than the width of the selvage portion 10a. The size of the wear detection area 11 in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited.

[0028] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the entire back surface of the main belt 10 is a normal area 12, and no wear detection area 11 exists.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, when wear such as wear w or cuts c from the selvedge portion 10a of the main belt 10 reaches the wear detection area 11, the color of that area disappears, making the wear visible. Therefore, it is possible to easily, quickly and accurately determine by visual inspection whether or not to discard the harness 1 for work at height (main belt 10).

[0030] Since the entire lug portion 10a is the normal region 12, small wear from the lug portion 10a is not detected by the wear detection region 11. This prevents excessive wear detection, which would lead to excessive disposal and replacement of the harness 1 (main belt 10) for work at height, and thus prevents unnecessary increases in costs.

[0031] 4 shows another example of the main belt 10. In this example, the central portion 10b has a first wear detection region 11a, which is a strip of a predetermined width and is provided along both sides of the longitudinal direction adjacent to the selvage portions 10a, and a second wear detection region 11b, which is a strip of a predetermined width and is provided along the center line in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The first and second wear detection areas 11a, 11b are both linear and of equal width, and in the drawing, the width of the first wear detection area 11a is greater than the width of the second wear detection area 11b, which is approximately equal to the width of the edge 10a. The entire central portion 10b is a normal region 12 except for the first and second wear detection regions 11a and 11b.

[0032] In this example, the first wear detection area 11a detects wear from the selvedge portion 10a, and as shown in Figure 5, the second wear detection area 11b can also visually detect wear in the center of the belt, such as burns (b) caused by sparks or heat sources, and cuts (c) caused by contact with structures.

[0033] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and all modifications and variations within that scope and in a meaning equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0034] In the embodiment, a harness 1 for working at height is given as an example of a fall arrest device, but this is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to the belt of a fall arrest device that has a belt (including a strap) as a component, such as a lanyard or a waist belt. Furthermore, the configuration of the harness for working at height is not limited to that of the embodiment, and for example, the thigh belt 3 and the hip support belt may be separate.

[0035] In the embodiment, the wear detection area 11 is a different color from the normal area 12, making it possible to visually confirm wear, but the material or fiber thickness of the main belt 10 may be different between the wear detection area 11 and the normal area 12, making it possible to distinguish the two areas by touch. For example, if the wear detection area 11 has a characteristic feel to the touch and part of the characteristic feel is missing due to wear, it becomes possible to determine by touch alone that the wear has reached the wear detection area 11.

[0036] The form and range of the wear detection region 11 in the central portion 10b are not limited to those described in the embodiment, and for example, the entire central portion 10b may be the wear detection region 11. Also, the wear detection region 11 and the normal region 12 may be alternately provided in vertical stripes in the central portion 10b. In the embodiment, the difference in color between the wear detection area 11 and the normal area 12 is achieved by weaving, but the method of achieving the difference in color is not limited to this, and for example, paint can also be applied to the wear detection area 11. In the embodiment, the wear detection area 11 is provided only on the front surface of the main belt 10, but the wear detection area 11 can also be provided on the back surface. In the embodiment, the wear detection area 11 is provided on the entire main belt 10, but this is not limited to this, and the wear detection area 11 may be provided only on the shoulder belt 2 or the thigh belt 3. Also, as shown in the figure, the wear detection area may be provided not only on the main belt 10 but also on the auxiliary belt. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1. Harness for working at height 2 shoulder straps 2a D-ring stopper 2b D ring 2c protective pad 2d holder 2e Shoulder buckle 2F Hook Hanger 2g thigh buckle 3 Thigh belt 3a thigh buckle 4. Back support 5 Chest belt 5a clip 6 Suture area 10 Main Belt 10a Ear section 10b central part 11 Wear detection area 11a First wear detection area 11b Second wear detection area 12 Normal area w Wear c Cut wound b Burnt remains

Claims

1. At least a belt is included as a component, The belt has a front surface and a back surface, and the front surface of the belt has: The device has a wear detection area where wear can be recognized visually or tactilely when wear occurs in the area, and a remaining normal area, The entire area of ​​the selvage section, which is defined to a predetermined width along both sides of the belt in the longitudinal direction, is the normal area, A fall arrest device in which the central portion of the belt, excluding the selvedge portion, has a predetermined width along at least both longitudinal sides adjacent to the selvedge portion, which is the wear detection area.

2. The fall arrest device according to claim 1 , wherein the wear detection area has a different color from the normal area.

3. 3. The fall arrest device according to claim 2, wherein the difference in color between the wear detection area and the normal area is achieved by the weaving of the belt.

4. A fall prevention device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the central portion consists of a first wear detection area of ​​a predetermined width provided along both sides of the longitudinal direction, a second wear detection area of ​​a predetermined width provided along the center line of the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt, and the remaining normal area.

5. 4. A fall prevention device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the entire central portion is a wear detection area.

6. 4. A fall arrest device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the wear detection area has a difference of at least 20% in either brightness or saturation from the normal area.

7. A fall arrest device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the width of the selvedge portion, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt, is 1 mm to 3 mm.

8. A fall arrest device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wear detection area has a width dimension in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt of 1 mm to 3 mm.

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