Safety harness with a self-locking back brace

Abstract

A fall arrest safety harness including left and right shoulder straps, a waist strap, and a back plate attached to the left and right shoulder straps at a back intersection. A back brace for use with such a harness, the back brace having a self-locking fastener at an upper end of the back brace. The fastener is fastenable to the back plate and self-locks, and the lower end of the back brace is connectable to the waist strap. A method of attaching the back brace to a safety harness.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Safety harnesses are often used to reduce the likelihood that a user will experience a fall and / or to safely restrain the user in the event of a fall. Such harnesses are often used in combination with one or more of a self-retracting lifeline (e.g., a personal self-retracting lifeline), an energy-absorbing lanyard, and other fall prevention devices.

Summary of the Invention

[0002] Broadly summarized, disclosed herein is a fall prevention safety harness including left and right shoulder straps, a waist strap, and a back plate attached to the left and right shoulder straps at a back intersection. Also disclosed is a back brace for use with such a harness, the back brace having a self-locking fastener at an upper end thereof. The fastener is securable to the back plate, self-locks, and a lower end of the back brace is connectable to the waist strap. Also disclosed is a method of equipping a safety harness with such a back brace. These and other aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, this broad summary should not be construed to limit the claimable subject matter, whether such subject matter is presented in the claims originally filed in the application, or in the claims as amended during the prosecution of the application or otherwise presented.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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[0004] The following terms are defined with respect to a fall prevention safety harness worn by an upright user as seen from behind the user.

[0005] Terms such as "vertical", "upward", "downward", "up", and "down" correspond to directions that are at least generally parallel to the sagittal and coronal planes of a user wearing the harness. The vertical axis (V), and the upward (u) and downward (d) directions along the vertical axis are shown in various figures. The vertical axis typically corresponds to the "vertical" direction with respect to the earth's gravity, for example, when the harness is worn by a standing user. The term "forward" refers to a direction that is generally perpendicular to the vertical axis and towards the body of the user of the harness. The term "backward" refers to a generally opposite direction away from the body of the user of the harness. The forward and backward directions (f) and (r) are shown in various figures and are typically generally parallel to the cross-section of the user when standing upright. As a specific example, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the forward direction is the direction into the plane, and the backward direction is the direction out of the plane. (In the figures, the "r" of "backward" is italicized to distinguish it from the "r" on the right). The term "lateral" refers to a direction that is generally perpendicular to the vertical direction and generally parallel to the coronal plane of the user, i.e., a direction running horizontally from left to right. The lateral axis (L), and the left (l) and right (r) directions along the lateral axis are shown in various figures. For ease of explanation, the above terms are applied to an article, such as a back brace, even when the article is not yet implemented in a fall prevention harness.

[0006] The term "back" has its ordinary meaning with respect to the anatomical structure of a human and refers to the region proximate to a person's back, generally extending from the shoulders to the lumber region.

[0007] As used herein as a modifier of a property or characteristic, the term "substantially" means, unless otherwise specified, that the property or characteristic is readily recognizable by one of ordinary skill in the art without undue approximation (e.g., for a quantifiable property, within + / - 20% unless otherwise specified). With respect to angular orientation, the term "substantially" means, unless otherwise specified, within 40° clockwise or counterclockwise. Unless otherwise specified, the term "essentially" means a high degree of approximation (e.g., for a quantifiable property, within + / - 10%). With respect to angular orientation, the term "essentially" means within 20° clockwise or counterclockwise. The term "essentially" means a fairly high degree of approximation (e.g., for a quantifiable property, within + / - 2%; for angular orientation, within + / - 10 degrees), but it will be understood that the phrase "at least essentially" encompasses specific cases of "exact" matching. However, it should be understood that "exact" matching, or any other characterization using terms such as the same, equal, identical, uniform, constant, etc., is within the normal tolerance or range of measurement error applicable to the particular situation, rather than requiring absolute accuracy or complete identity. Terms such as "configured" are at least as restrictive as the term "adapted" and require not merely the physical ability to perform the stated function, but the actual design intent to perform that function. All references in this specification to numerical parameters (dimensions, ratios, etc.) are understood to be calculated using an average value derived from a plurality of measurements of the parameter (unless otherwise noted).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Fall prevention safety harnesses (sometimes referred to as full body safety harnesses) are widely used in situations where an operator is at height or where there is a risk of falling even if not at height. Fall prevention safety harnesses are configured to function in combination with fall prevention devices or equipment such as, for example, self-retracting lifelines or horizontal lifelines, lanyards, etc. to provide fall prevention. Thus, in normal use, at least one such fall prevention device is typically connected to a safety harness, for example, a D-ring (or other suitable connection point) supported by the harness. Fall prevention safety harnesses will be distinguishable from general purpose items such as, for example, backpacks.

[0009] As shown in the general representation of FIG. 1, the full-body fall prevention safety harness 1 comprises first and second shoulder straps 2 and 3 that extend above the top of the shoulders as shown in FIG. 2. The harness 1 also comprises a waist strap 5 that surrounds the user's waist / hip region. Such straps typically consist of flat webbing made from woven synthetic fabrics such as, for example, polyamide, polyaramid (such as Kevlar, etc.), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (such as Dyneema, etc.). Such straps are typically flexible (e.g., can conform to the surface of the wearer's body and can pass through one or more of buckles, guides, loops, etc.), but typically are not significantly stretchable. As will be well understood, such straps (and other straps such as, for example, leg or thigh straps that may be present) are interconnected with each other and often have various pads (such as shoulder pads 4 and waist / hip pads 8) for improving the comfort of the harness, as well as various buckles, latches, connectors, loops, guides, additional pads such as, for example, chest pads and / or leg pads, etc. attached thereto. Such components and exemplary configurations of such components are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,959,664, 9,174,073, and 10,137,322, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. It will be understood that the specific configurations of FIGS. 1 and 2 are intended as exemplary representations and that, in practice, the safety harness may differ from the configurations shown in these figures.

[0010] In many safety harness designs, the first and second shoulder straps 2 and 3 cross, overlap, and intersect each other at a back intersection 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Such a back intersection is generally located toward the center of the user's back, for example, between portions of the shoulder blades. The term "point" is used for convenience of explanation and does not require the straps to intersect at a single "point" in the mathematical sense. Rather, the first and second shoulder straps 2 and 3 each include overlapping sections 12 and 13 that are in an overlapping relationship such that they at least partially overlap over a distance visible to the naked eye (e.g., several centimeters) along their lengths. In some examples, the straps can be guided such that the overlapping sections of the straps are at least generally parallel over a short distance, for example, when passing through various slots, guides, etc. The back region where the shoulder straps at least partially overlap each other (when viewed along the front-back direction) is referred to herein as the back intersection.

[0011] Fall prevention safety harnesses often include various plates that can be relatively rigid (e.g., made of molded plastic and / or metal) compared to other relatively flexible harness components such as straps, pads, cushions, etc. For example, many harnesses include a back plate 300 as shown in various exemplary configurations of FIGS. 1 and 2. Such a back plate is located at the back intersection and typically serves to guide the shoulder straps and / or support a back pad or cushion. That is, the first and second straps 2 and 3 typically meet and cross at a location occupied by the back plate 300 that includes various guides, slots, etc. to assist in the placement and guidance of the straps, as shown in the exemplary general representations of FIGS. 1 and 2. In many embodiments, the back plate may support a back D-ring 40 (or any suitable element that can connect a desired article or device to the harness).

[0012] As shown in the general representation of FIG. 2, the present specification discloses the use of a brace 100 having an upper end 101 fastened to a back plate 300 and a lower end 140 connected to the back 6 of the waist strap 5. The mechanism by which the upper end 101 is fastened to the back plate 300 and the lower end 140 is connected to the waist strap 5 will be described in more detail later in this specification.

[0013] The back brace 100 functions as a force transmission member, which means that it acts to transmit at least a part of the load that would otherwise be (directly or indirectly) supported by the shoulder straps 2 and 3 to the waist strap 5. By a back force transmission member is meant that such a load is transmitted along the wearer's back of the harness, rather than along the front or side of the wearer. Such a load can result from the weight of various articles (e.g., one or more of hooks, self-retracting lifelines, D-rings, carabiners, fasteners, buckles, latches, tools, devices, etc.) directly or indirectly attached to or otherwise connected to the shoulder straps 2 and 3 and / or the back plate 300. The load can often result from the combined effect of the components of the harness itself, in addition to, for example, articles attached to the harness. Regardless of the source of the load, the back brace 100 is configured such that the brace 100 is loaded by compression to transmit a part of this load from the user's shoulders to the user's waist / hips. That is, the direction of force transmission is, for example, at least generally downward along the vertical axis of the harness. Thus, by definition, the back brace 100 is distinguished from any member or component configured to transmit a load in the opposite upward direction (from the waist towards the shoulders). (Examples of members configured to transmit a load upward from the waist towards the shoulders include, for example, the spinal support plate disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,405,728.)

[0014] The back brace 100 disclosed in this specification can disperse the load more evenly and improve the comfort of the fall prevention safety harness, especially when the harness is worn for a long time. Further, as will be described in more detail later in this specification, the back brace 100 is not permanently mounted at the factory but can be manually connected to the harness (and in some embodiments, may be removable from the harness). Thus, when necessary, the brace 100 can be manually installed by the user on-site as needed, i.e., by hand (without the need for special tools or fixtures). (In this particular context, the "user" may be the person who will actually wear the harness or another person designated to perform the installation.) Such a configuration is distinct from those that require the back brace to be factory-mounted when the harness is manufactured and those that require the harness to be returned to the factory or service center for retrofitting the back brace to the harness.

[0015] Further details and characteristics of the back brace 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3, which shows an exemplary back brace 100 fastened to the back plate 300. In these and many other figures, all other components of the harness 1 (including the shoulder straps 2 and 3) are omitted to facilitate the presentation of the features and functions of these articles. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand, for example, how the back plate 300 can be attached to the shoulder straps 2 and 3 and how the straps 2 and 3 can be passed through various guides, slots, etc. of the back plate 300.

[0016] As is apparent in FIG. 3, the back brace 100 includes at least one elongated member 105. A fastener 150 configured such that the brace 100 can be fastened to the back plate 300 is provided at the upper end portion 106 of the elongated member 105. Typically, the fastener 150 provides the upper end portion 101 of the brace 100. The lower end portion 140 of the brace 100 is connected to the waist strap 5. In the normal use of the harness 1 and the back brace 100, the elongated member 105 is typically oriented at least generally vertically, except when the wearer is, for example, leaning or bending the upper body.

[0017] To perform the force transmission function described above, the back brace 100 is rigid. By "rigid" it is meant that in the normal use of the harness 1 (e.g., when the user of the harness stands, walks, bends, leans the upper body, etc.), the brace 100 does not deform (e.g., bend), but remains in its original shape. In various embodiments, the brace 100 may be made of a material having a flexural modulus of at least 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 10, 15 or 20 GPa (or may include an elongated beam made of such material). In further embodiments, the flexural modulus may be at most 30, 25, 18, 13 or 8 GPa. In some embodiments, the brace 100 may comprise an elastic coating, padding, cushioning, etc. applied to at least a portion of the surface of the member 105. However, the brace 100 must at least include an elongated beam of appropriate stiffness to provide the desired rigidity. Further, the member 105 of the brace 100 must not be hinged or articulated in any way such that it can deform or fold under load rather than maintaining its original shape.

[0018] In some exemplary embodiments, the member 105 of the brace 100 may take the form of an elongated beam of a metal such as steel or aluminum, or may include such a beam. In such embodiments, the beam may be coated or overmolded at various desired locations with a soft material, such as a rubbery material, that functions as a filler or cushion. In some embodiments, at least the elongated member 105 of the brace 100 may be formed of a rigid organic polymer material (e.g., an injection-moldable resin) having a flexural modulus of at least 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 10, 15, or 20 GPa. (A “rigid” material means a material having a flexural modulus of at least 1.0 GPa.) In some embodiments, the organic polymer material may include one or more fillers, such as glass particles, glass fibers, carbon fibers, etc., to impart the desired flexural modulus to the material.

[0019] In some embodiments, the fastener 150 at the upper end 101 of the brace 100 may be composed of the same organic polymer material as the elongated member 105. For example, in some embodiments, the member 105 and the fastener 150 may be molded in a single process such that these articles are an integral part of a single molded back brace 100 where the fastener 150 extends integrally from the elongated member 105. This is in contrast to an exemplary embodiment, for example, where a separately fabricated fastener 150 (which may be made of a material different from the member 105) is attached to the upper end of the member 105.

[0020] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the elongate member 105 of the back brace 100 and the integral fastener 150 at the upper end of the brace 100 may consist essentially of a molded organic polymer material and exhibit a flexural modulus of at least 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 10, 15 or 20 GPa and may be part of a single integral article. In further embodiments, such a material may exhibit a flexural modulus of up to 30, 25, 18, 13 or 8.0 GPa. In this context, the term "consisting essentially of" allows, in particular, for the presence of macroscopic metallic components in the form of connectors (e.g., metal posts or studs 141 as shown in FIG. 3) at the lower end of the brace 100. In such embodiments, the presence of other macroscopic metallic components (in particular, elongate metallic struts or beams) in the member 105 and / or the fastener 150 is not allowed. However, such a configuration does not exclude the presence of inorganic fillers added in the form of powders or fibers (e.g., to improve the mechanical properties of the molded organic polymer material, such as to achieve one of the above flexural modulus values). Examples of such fillers include metals or metal oxides, glass powders, glass fibers, carbon fibers, etc. In certain embodiments, the member 105, the fastener 150 or both may be molded from a polyamide resin (e.g., nylon 6, nylon 66, etc.) with added glass fiber filler.

[0021] The lower end portion 140 of the back brace 100 (e.g., the lower end portion of the elongated member 105) is connected to the waist strap 5 of the harness 1. In some embodiments, the lower end portion 140 of the back brace 100 may be connected to a waist plate 7 provided on at least the back 6 of the waist strap 5, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2. The presence of such a waist plate 7 can improve the degree to which the force transmitted downward by the brace 100 can be dispersed along the waist strap 5. Such a waist plate 7 may be attached to the waist strap 5 permanently or removably, for example, as will be readily understood (e.g., the waist strap 5 may pass through or along a guide or slot provided in the waist plate 7). Thus, it will be apparent that the concept of connecting the lower end of the brace to the waist strap specifically includes the situation of connecting the lower end of the member to a waist plate that is itself attached to the waist strap. In other words, the connection of the lower end of the brace to the waist strap may be direct or indirect, for example.

[0022] The lower end portion 140 of the brace 100 can be manually connected to the waist strap 5 by the user on-site without using special tools or fixtures. In some embodiments, for example, any such connection can be separated when it is desired to remove the brace 100 from the harness 1. In some embodiments, the lower end portion 140 of the brace 100 may be pivotally connected to the waist strap 5 by providing a pivot connection between the lower end of the brace and a waist plate fixedly (non-pivotally) attached to the waist strap. Thereby, the upper part of the brace 100 can be pivoted at a desired angle (e.g., along the left-right lateral direction). Thereby, the comfort of the harness can be improved, for example, when the wearer tilts the upper body to one side or the other side while still conveniently maintaining the force transmission ability of the brace. In some embodiments, the connection between the lower end portion 140 of the brace 100 and the waist plate 7 may be a multi-axis connection (e.g., a ball socket connection) that allows not only the left-right pivoting of the member but also at least a limited amount of front-back pivoting of the member along the sagittal plane. Thereby, the comfort of the harness can be further improved, for example, when the wearer is bending, sitting, or crouching.

[0023] To summarize, the lower end portion 140 of the brace 100 can be connected to the lumbar plate 7 via any suitable connection, for example, it can be pivotally connected. For example, the lower end portion 140 of the brace 100 can engage with complementary features of the lumbar plate 7 to removably connect the lower end portion 140 to the lumbar plate 7, and may include anti-rotation features, such as studs or posts, or cavities or holes. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the connection portion 141 is in the form of a metal post. It will be understood that there are many ways to achieve such a connection, such as a pivotal connection. Such a configuration, as well as generally the shape, size, and configuration of the lumbar plate 7 and how it interacts with the waist strap, can be varied as desired. Therefore, it is emphasized that the specific configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are exemplary. Other configurations and methods for connecting the lower end of the back brace to the waist strap are presented in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 793163, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0024] If necessary, the back brace 100 may be vertically adjustable. In some embodiments, this can be achieved by the member 105 having an adjustable elongated length, for example, by making the member from first and second telescoping sections, moving the sections relative to each other, and then providing an actuator (e.g., a spring-biased push button) that can lock them in the desired position. (The length of the member may or may not be adjustable.) In some embodiments, the lumbar plate 7 may include several vertically spaced connection points to which the lower end of the member 105 can be connected.

[0025] In many embodiments, the back brace 100 may include an elongated member 105 that is relatively straight when viewed along the anteroposterior direction and is oriented at least generally parallel to the sagittal plane of the harness wearer (i.e., extends generally vertically) along most or all of the elongated length of the member. In some particular embodiments, such a member may be at least generally aligned with the user's sagittal plane, such as in the exemplary design of FIG. 2. In many such embodiments, such a member 105 may also be connected to the lumbar plate 7 centered on the sagittal plane of the harness wearer, again such as in the exemplary design of FIG. 2.

[0026] In some embodiments, the member 105 may exhibit local variations from such a linear geometric shape (in addition to such variations that may exist in the form of features of the fastener 150 at the upper end of the member). For example, in some embodiments, the lower portion of the member 105 may branch (split) so as to generally form an inverted "Y" shape, for example, as it approaches the waist belt. Such a configuration can be used, for example, with a member that connects to a lumbar plate that extends a large lateral distance along the back / waist region, or with a member that connects to first and second lumbar plates that are laterally spaced so as to bracket the sagittal plane (such a general type of lumbar plate 7 is seen in the exemplary harness of FIG. 1). Such a configuration is included in the disclosure herein as long as the member 105 and the overall brace 100 function to transmit load at least generally vertically along at least the back towards the waist strap as described herein. Such a configuration is distinguished from one in which a member or other article is configured to transmit load in a direction having a large lateral component, for example, only to the side of the user's hip.

[0027] Note that even when such a member 105 is generally, substantially, or essentially straight when viewed along the front-rear direction, in many embodiments, such a member may be curved when viewed along the lateral direction. For example, the force transmission member may be bent outward (backward) along a part of its length so as to generally follow the curvature of the wearer's back and / or to minimize the contact of the member with the wearer's back.

[0028] Self-locking of the fastener to the back plate In the configuration disclosed herein, a fastener 150 capable of fastening the upper end portion 101 of the back brace 100 to the back plate 300 is provided at the upper end portion 101 of the brace 100. Such a configuration is shown in the exemplary general representation of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 presents an enlarged view of the upper end portion of the brace 100 and the plate 300. FIG. 5 presents a side view of these articles (including also portions of the shoulder straps 2 and 3). As described above, in many embodiments, the fastener 150 may be an integral part of the brace 100, i.e., it extends integrally from the elongated member 105 of the brace 100.

[0029] The fastener 150 is capable of being fastened to the back plate 300, and further, by definition, the fastener 150 is "self-lockable" to the back plate 300. Self-lockable (and similar terms such as self-locking, self-locked, etc.) means that the fastening of the fastener 150 to the plate 300 is achieved only by the components and features that are integral with the fastener 150 and that function in combination with the components and features integral with the plate 300. In other words, such a fastening does not require or depend on the use of any additional elements, such as separately manufactured mechanical fasteners like one or more pins, rods, bolts, screws, clips, clamps, buckles, bands, binders, staples, latches, rivets, cords, etc. Thus, the configuration disclosed herein is distinguished from, for example, a configuration in which the upper end of the brace is seated within a receiving portion of the back plate and fixed therewith by a mechanical fastener such as a split pin or an R-clip.

[0030] Self-lockable means that the fastener 150 and the back plate 300 are configured to engage with each other such that they "automatically" lock with each other as a result of simply moving these two articles relative to each other (e.g., by pressing the fastener 150 against the plate 300 in a schematic manner as shown in FIG. 6 and described in more detail later in this specification). In other words, no individual operation of any part or component of the fastener 150 or the back plate 300 with respect to the other part of the fastener 150 or the back plate 300 is required to achieve fastening. In fact, fastening can be achieved without the user having to contact the fastener 150 during or after the fastening process. For example, no component of the fastener 150 or the plate 300 needs to be individually pushed, rotated, twisted, locked, or generally directly individually operated to achieve fastening.

[0031] Unlike the term "connection", which can be either direct or indirect, the concept of fastening the fastener 150 of the brace 100 to the back plate 300 needs to be "direct". That is, the fastener 150 is directly engaged with the plate 300, rather than being engaged with some article or element that itself is engaged with the plate 300, for example.

[0032] To facilitate a brief description of the process of fastening the fastener 150 to the back plate 300, the upper end portion 101 of the brace 100 (including the fastener 150) and the portion of the back plate 300 are shown in FIG. 6. In this figure, these articles are brought together and ready to achieve the desired fastening, for example, to provide a general type of configuration shown in FIGS. 3-5. Briefly summarized, the back plate 300 may include a front-to-back through-opening 310 configured such that a specific portion of the fastener 150 of the brace 100 can pass through and / or be present therein. The fastener 150 may include at least one tab 166 extending upward from at least one shelf 159, and may further include at least one locking hook 170 (most easily seen in the side view of FIG. 11) spaced from the at least one tab 166. To effect the fastening, the upper end portion 101 of the brace 100 is tilted slightly forward (with respect to the vertical orientation of FIG. 6) and moved forward in a general direction indicated by the straight block arrow in FIG. 6 such that the tab 166 moves into the through-opening 310. The brace 100 may then be rotated in a general manner indicated by the curved block arrow in FIG. 6 such that the locking hook 170 of the fastener 150 seats within the notch 312 of the plate 300. As a result, the fastener 150 self-locks to the plate 300 in a general manner shown in FIGS. 4 (rear side view), 5 (side view), and 7 (front side view).

[0033] Here, the features and functions of the fastener 150 of the brace 100 are described and further detailed. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, in some exemplary embodiments, the fastener 150 may include an elongated beam 151 that extends generally laterally (e.g., integrally) from the upper end 106 of the elongated member 105 of the back brace 100, and at least one spar 154 that extends generally upwardly from the elongated beam 151. The fastener 150 may further include at least one support member 156 that extends generally laterally from the upper end of the at least one spar 154, and at least one shelf portion 159 that extends generally forwardly from at least a portion of the at least one support member 156. The fastener 150 may further include at least one tab 166 that extends generally upwardly from at least a portion of the at least one shelf portion 159. As described above, in some embodiments, all such articles may be part of an integral fastener 150 of an integrally formed brace 100.

[0034] In some embodiments, the fastener 150 may include two (e.g., left and right) spars (153, 154), support members (155, 156), shelf portions (157, 159), and / or tabs (163, 166). These and other features of the fastener 150 are shown in FIGS. 8 - 11 from various perspectives. In some embodiments, the laterally innermost surfaces of the left and right tabs, shelf portions, and / or support members may define slots 161 (most clearly seen in FIG. 10, but also seen in FIGS. 6 and 8 - 9) that are generally vertically oriented. The presence of such slots 161 allows sections of the left and right shoulder straps 2 and 3 to be passed diagonally through the slots 161 during the process of mounting the back brace to the safety harness. This enables portions of the left and right shoulder straps 2 and 3 to be present within a front - to - back through - opening 162 (most easily seen in FIG. 10) defined by the various spars, support members, and / or shelf portions of the connector 150. That is, after mounting the back brace 100 to the harness 1, the left and right shoulder straps 2 and 3 can extend longitudinally through the through - opening 162 in the schematic manner shown in FIG. 5.

[0035] In some embodiments, the fastener 150 includes a locking hook 170 that protrudes forward (most readily visible in FIGS. 9 and 11). In some embodiments, the locking hook 170 may be spaced apart from and disposed below the left and right shelf portions 157 and 159. In some embodiments, the locking hook 170 may include a flange 171 that extends generally forward from the front edge of the elongated beam 151, and a locking lip 173 that extends generally downward from the front edge of the flange 171. In some embodiments, the upper surface 172 of the flange 171 may be planar and may be generally parallel to the lower surfaces 182 and 183 of the left and right shelf portions 157 and 159, as shown in FIG. 11. In some embodiments, the upper surface 172 of the flange 171 may extend from the upper surface 152 of the elongated beam 151 and may be at least generally coplanar with the upper surface, as in the exemplary design of FIG. 8.

[0036] In some embodiments, for reasons that will become apparent later, the foremost face 174 of the locking hook 170 may be coplanar (generally along the front-rear direction) with the front face of at least one tab of the fastener 150, or may be recessed 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm rearward with respect to the front face. (An exemplary embodiment in which the foremost face 174 of the hook 170 is coplanar with the front faces 164 and 167 of the left and right tabs 163 and 166 is shown in FIG. 11.) In many embodiments, the locking hook 170 may be integrally formed with other components of the fastener 150. For example, as is apparent in FIG. 9, the hook 170 may extend integrally from the elongated beam 151.

[0037] As described above, the back plate 300 is configured (i.e., shaped and sized) to pass through and / or allow various components of the fastener 150 to pass through it in order to achieve the desired fastening, and thus includes a front-to-back through-opening 310. Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, in some embodiments, the through-opening 310 includes an upper lintel 315 that extends generally horizontally and a lower sill 311 that extends generally horizontally (i.e., is partially defined thereby). That is, the lintel 315 may define the upper edge of the opening 310, and the sill 311 may define the lower edge of the opening 310.

[0038] A portion of the sill 311 may be interrupted by a notch 312 that extends horizontally, and the notch defines a locking flange 313 at the lower edge thereof, as seen in FIGS. 12 and 13. The notch 312 (the vertical depth and width of which may be selectively chosen as desired) is configured to receive the locking hook 170 of the fastener 150 such that when the fastener 150 is fastened to the plate 300, the aforementioned locking lip 173 of the locking hook 170 abuts against the locking flange 313 in front in the schematic manner of FIG. 7. The through-opening 310 may be further defined by lateral edges, for example, as seen in FIG. 13.

[0039] Here, the process of implementing the back brace 100 on the harness 1 is described in more detail. The process is typically carried out with the back plate 300 (typically implemented at the factory) present. One skilled in the art will readily understand how to implement the back plate during the manufacture of the safety harness 1. Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 13, typically, the left shoulder strap 2 can approach the plate 300 from the upper left, proceed forward through the upper auxiliary strap guide 342, and then downward along the front face 301 of the plate 300. After that, it can emerge at the rear through the through-opening 341 provided therefor. If a D-ring 40 is present (as in FIG. 5), the strap can then proceed rearward through the slot 42 of the D-ring 40 provided therefor. The strap can then continue to proceed downward (through the front of the sleeve 330 if present), and then forward through the through-opening 310. The strap can then continue to proceed downward along the front face 301 of the plate 300 and then emerge at the rear through the lower auxiliary strap guide 346. (Such a strap arrangement is shown in FIG. 5, where the presence of the brace 100 and its fasteners 150 is ignored). Typically, the left shoulder strap approaches the plate 300 from the upper left and leaves the plate 300 at the lower right. The right shoulder strap 3 follows a similar path except that it approaches from the upper right and leaves the shoulder strap at the lower left, so that the left and right shoulder straps cross in the schematic manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (thus showing the aforementioned back intersection 10).

[0040] By attaching the back plate 300 to the shoulder straps 2 and 3 of the harness 1 in the above-described schematic manner, the back brace 100 can be implemented (the plate 300 is typically implemented at the factory, and in some embodiments, the brace 100 may be implemented on-site, for example, after a significant amount of time has elapsed after the plate 300 is implemented). To implement the brace 100, the portions of the left and right shoulder straps 2 and 3 that proceed to the rear side of the back plate 300 are loosened (pulled through the various slots of the plate 300) so that they protrude (bulge) rearward from the plate 300 by a sufficient amount to have a sufficient amount of play for operation. The loosened portions of the straps 2 and 3 can then be obliquely passed through the slot 161 of the fastener 150 of the brace 100 so as to be present within the through-opening 162 of the fastener 150 and extend longitudinally therethrough. By achieving this preliminary step, the fastener 150 can be fastened to the back plate 300.

[0041] As described above with reference to FIG. 6, fastening of the fastener 150 to the back plate 300 can be achieved by momentarily tilting the brace 100 such that the upper end portion 101 of the brace 100 tilts forward, and then moving the upper end portion 101 and the fastener 150 forward such that the tabs 163 and 166 of the fastener 150 enter the through-opening 310 of the plate 300 and pass through the upper flange portion 315 of the plate 300. The lower end portion 140 of the brace 100 can then be rotated forward such that the front end portion of the locking hook 170 enters the notch 312 and the locking lip 173 of the hook 170 contacts the locking flange 313 that defines the lower edge of the notch 312. By continuing to apply a forward force, deflection of one or more components of the fastener 150 is caused such that the locking lip 173 can pass through and penetrate forward beyond the locking flange 313. When the hook 170 has penetrated sufficiently forward, the hook 170 snaps downward to a predetermined position where the locking lip 173 is in a seated (engaged) configuration in front of the locking flange 313. Here, the tabs 163 and 166 of the fastener 150 of the brace 100 are in a predetermined position and are in front of the front edge 317 of the upper flange portion 315 of the plate 300 (seen in FIG. 12). Here, without the need to individually manipulate any component of the fastener 150 (or the brace 300) and without the need to use additional mechanical fasteners (e.g., separately fabricated pins, clamps, etc.) to hold the fastener 150 in a predetermined position, the fastener 150 self-locks in a predetermined position on the brace 300.

[0042] After the fastener 150 is self-locked to the back plate 300, the shoulder straps 2 and 3 can be tightened as needed. In this regard, the self-locking assembly of the back plate 300 and the back brace 100 is similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 5 showing that portions of the shoulder straps 2 and 3 follow a path as described above. Here, the straps 2 and 3 also extend through the through-opening 162 of the fastener 150. Thus, in many embodiments, with the brace 100 implemented as described above, the through-opening 162 of the fastener 150 of the back brace 100 is at least partially aligned with the through-opening 310 of the back plate 300 (along the front-rear direction) such that the straps 2 and 3 can extend therethrough, as apparent in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0043] Other features of the configuration of the fastener 150 of the back plate 300 and the back brace 100 described herein can be seen in FIG. 7. As described above, the back plate 300 includes a rear face 302 and a front face 301. Since the front face 301 faces the back of a person wearing the harness 1, it can be advantageous for the front face 301 to present a relatively uniform, for example, smooth and / or planar, front main surface 303. Looking at FIG. 7, it becomes apparent that when the fastener 150 is in a predetermined position on the back plate 300, the front faces 164 and 167 of the tabs 163 and 166 of the fastener 150 can be positioned such that they are at least generally coplanar with the main surface 303 of the plate 300. Being at least generally coplanar means being within 1.0 mm of the closest portion of the main surface 303 (along the front-rear direction). This ensures that the tabs do not extend forward beyond the main surface 303 and create any pressure points that could be uncomfortable for the user. (Similarly, with the aforementioned configuration where the foremost point 174 of the locking hook 170 is either coplanar with the surfaces 164 and 167 of the tabs or recessed rearward therefrom, it can be ensured that the locking hook 170 does not protrude significantly forward and create any pressure points that could be uncomfortable.)

[0044] In order to achieve a configuration in which the front surfaces 164 and 167 of the tabs 163 and 166 are not located in front of the main surface 303 of the plate 300, the front edge 317 of the upper eaves portion 315 of the plate 300 may be recessed rearward with respect to the main surface 303 of the plate 300 to provide a space that can be occupied by the tabs 163 and 166. Such a configuration can be seen in FIG. 12. Thus, in some embodiments, the front surface 317 of the upper eaves portion 315 may be recessed by a distance within ±20% of the (maximum) thickness of the tabs 163 and 166 of the fastener 150 rearward with respect to the front main surface 303 of the back plate 300. When the fastener 150 is fastened (and self-locked) to the back plate 300 in this way, the rear surfaces 165 and 168 of the tabs 163 and 166 (as seen in FIG. 8) abut forward against the front surface 317 of the upper eaves portion 315 (as seen in FIG. 12).

[0045] The lower end portion 140 of the back brace 100 may be connected, for example, to the waist strap 5 (e.g., the lumbar plate 7 attached to the waist strap 5) before or after the upper end portion 101 of the brace 100 is connected to the back plate 300. (In other words, the connection of the upper end portion of the brace 100 to the back plate 300 and the connection of the lower end portion of the brace 100 to the waist strap can be performed in any desired order).

[0046] The configuration of the various components of the fastener 150 (e.g., the various tabs, shelves, struts and / or spars, and the locking hooks) may be selected to allow for a degree of flexibility sufficient to perform the above-described fastening, including their individual designs and their relationships with the other components of the fastener 150. That is, the locking hook 170 and / or any or all of the various tabs, shelves, etc. may exhibit sufficient flexibility to self-lock. Referring to the side view of the fastener 150 in FIG. 11, the tabs 163 and 166 can be bent slightly forward, the shelves 157 and 159 can be bent slightly downward, and / or the locking hook 170 can be bent slightly upward when the front end of the hook 170 penetrates forward beyond the locking flange 313 of the back plate.

[0047] In at least some embodiments, this ability may result from the slight flexibility of a plurality of components of the fastener 150 that operate together. This can be contrasted with being able to bend depending on any single component (e.g., the hook 170) while the others remain unbent. In other words, in some embodiments, all of the geometric properties of these components, together with the materials from which they are made, can be selected such that the entire fastener 150 exhibits the desired flexibility to self-lock. As described above, in some embodiments (e.g., where the fastener 150 is integrated with the elongated member 105 of the brace 100), the same material (e.g., molded resin) may be used for both the elongated member 105 and all of the components of the fastener 150. In such embodiments, the geometric properties of these components can be selected such that the fastener exhibits the desired flexibility while, nevertheless, the elongated member exhibits the desired rigidity. It is emphasized that the flexibility required for self-locking may be relatively small (e.g., the individual components of the fastener 150 may not need to be bent, for example, more than 1 millimeter to self-lock). Thus, if the integral fastener 150 of the brace is sufficiently flexible for self-locking to occur, a material characterized herein as "rigid" may be used for the brace 100.

[0048] In some embodiments, the fastener 150 and the back plate 300 may be configured such that fastening of the fastener 150 to the plate 300 results in a permanent self-locking connection, which means that in normal use of the harness 1, the connection is not separable by the user. In other embodiments, the fastener 150 and the back plate 300 may be configured such that the fastener 150 (and thus the brace 100) is separable from the back plate 300. In such embodiments, the user may need to loosen the shoulder strap to gain access to the front face 301 of the back plate 300. The user then reverses the above process, including the step of biasing the brace 100 upward relative to the back plate 300 so that there is clearance to unlock the hook 170 from the locking flange 313. In some embodiments, for disconnecting, the use of a small lever or tool may be useful to assist in deflecting the front end of the locking hook 170 upward so that the locking lip 173 of the hook 170 moves away from the locking flange 313 of the plate 300. Thus, even in embodiments where the brace 100 is disconnectable from the back plate 300, the brace 100 may not necessarily be self-disconnectable from the plate 300. Whether the brace 100 and the plate 300 are specifically configured, particularly whether the brace 100 and the plate 300 are configured to be disconnectable from each other by the user in normal use of the harness 1 (and in that case, the procedure used for disconnection as well) may be specified in the instructions provided to the end user.

[0049] (As shown in the exploded view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 13) The back plate 300 may include any suitable design (e.g., the shape, thickness, aspect ratio, number, size, and arrangement of through openings, slots, reinforcing ribs, etc.) that can achieve the configurations described herein. In some embodiments, the entire back plate 300 may consist of a single unit, e.g., a single injection molded part made by molding a thermoplastic organic polymer resin. However, in some embodiments, the back plate 300 may take the form of a multi-component structure as shown in the exemplary embodiment of the exploded view of FIG. 14. In such embodiments, the back plate 300 may include a rigid central body 320 (e.g., composed of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of at least 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 10, 15, or 20 GPa). In further embodiments, the central body may be composed of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of up to 30, 25, 18, 13, or 8.0 GPa.

[0050] The back plate 300 may further include a flexible upper extension 321 and / or a flexible lower extension 322. In some embodiments, such extensions may be composed of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of less than 1.0 GPa. In further embodiments, any such flexible extension may be composed of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of less than 0.8, 0.5, 0.3, 0.2, or 0.1 GPa. (Such materials may have any suitable minimum flexural modulus, e.g., 0.05 GPa). In some convenient embodiments, any such flexible extension (321 and / or 322) may be overmolded onto the previously molded rigid body 320. Various features (e.g., holes as seen in FIG. 14) may be provided on the body 320 to improve the bonding of any such overmolded extension to the body 320. In various embodiments, the overmolded flexible extension may be composed of any suitable organic polymer resin, e.g., thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic vulcanizate, polyurethane, natural or synthetic rubber, etc.

[0051] In this way, by making the upper section 321 and / or the lower section 322 of the back plate 300 from a relatively flexible material, the entire back plate 300 can be more easily adapted to the shape of the user's back, thereby improving the comfort of the harness 1. However, it may be advantageous for the portion of the plate 300 that defines the through-opening 310 to which the fastener 150 of the brace 100 is attached to be relatively rigid so that the fastener 150 of the brace 100 can be securely self-locked. Thus, in some embodiments, a portion of the (rigid) body 320 may surround all four sides of the through-opening 310 of the back plate in the manner shown in FIG. 14. In some particular embodiments, at least one edge of the opening 310 may include a thin overmold layer of the flexible material that overlaps the material of the rigid body, as is apparent from FIG. 14. Still further, in order to improve the ability of the locking flange 313 to hold the locking lip 173 of the hook 170 in place, the locking flange 313 of the back plate 300 (where the locking hook 170 of the brace 100 engages) may advantageously be made of a rigid material rather than a flexible material. Thus, in embodiments of the type shown in FIG. 14, the locking flange 313 that defines the lower edge of the notch 312 may be provided by the exposed portion of the rigid body 320 of the back plate 300. This exposed portion of the rigid body 320 projects upwardly beyond any one or more portions 323 of the flexible lower extension 322 (as seen in FIG. 14) that may be adjacent to the exposed portion 313 of the rigid body. In other words, the notch 312 as shown in FIG. 13 may be partially defined by a portion 323 of the flexible lower extension 322, but at least the locking flange 313 may be provided by a portion of the rigid body 320 as illustrated by the configuration shown in FIG. 14.

[0052] The fall prevention safety harness 1 disclosed in this specification is often used to provide a back connection point to which a safety line (e.g., a lanyard, or a cable of a self-retracting lifeline) or a safety device (e.g., a personal self-retracting lifeline) can be connected to the harness. By connecting to the harness at this location, when the user engages in work activities, the line (or device) can stay generally behind the user's back so as not to unduly interfere with the work activities. In many convenient embodiments, the back connection point can take the form of a D-ring (e.g., made of a metal such as steel, aluminum, any suitable alloy, etc., to exhibit appropriate strength and durability). The term D-ring is a well-used technical term, and those skilled in the art will understand that the size, shape, geometry, etc. of such an article may be changed.

[0053] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the back D-ring 40 may be provided proximate to the back plate 300 as shown in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1-4. In some such embodiments, the back D-ring may be pivotable, for example, so that the D-ring can be rotated to an "up" position (e.g., as in FIGS. 1-4) to facilitate attachment of the line to the D-ring.

[0054] As shown in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 4, 5, and 15, in some embodiments, the back D-ring may be held in a predetermined position proximate to the back plate 300 by shoulder straps 2 and 3 that extend through slots 42 provided in the D-ring 40 and proceed to the rear side of the base 43 of the D-ring 40. As is apparent from the side view of FIG. 5, in such embodiments, in the absence of straps 2 and 3, there is no article that holds the D-ring 40 in a predetermined position proximate to the back plate 300. That is, in such embodiments, the D-ring 40 does not have a “rigid” connection to the back plate 300 by a rigid or semi-rigid component. Rather, the D-ring 40 comprises only a “soft” connection to the back plate 300 by the shoulder straps. In such a configuration, the D-ring 40 can be rotated about a rotation axis 43 that generally coincides with the base 41 of the D-ring 40. In such a configuration, the D-ring 40 is typically mounted at the factory by passing the shoulder straps 2 and 3 through the slots 42 in the same operation as passing straps through various slots and guides in the back plate 300, for example.

[0055] In other embodiments, the D-ring 40 may include a "rigid" connection to the back plate 300, as shown in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 16 and 17. In an exemplary type of rigid connection, the D-ring 40 may include a base (e.g., a shaft) 41 attached to the back plate 300 (e.g., may be attached to the base). For example, the back plate 300 may include receiving portions that are laterally spaced apart from each other and face inwardly, configured to receive both ends of the shaft 41, as is apparent from FIGS. 16 and 17. Such a D-ring 40 may be rotatable relative to the shaft 41, and / or the shaft 41 may be rotatable relative to the back plate 300. In either case, the D-ring 40 can rotate about a rotation axis 43 that generally coincides with the shaft 41. In some such embodiments, the D-ring 40 may be biased (e.g., by a torsion spring or a coil spring) into the general upward configuration shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. In any such rigid connection configuration, the D-ring is typically mounted at the factory, for example, by attaching the D-ring 40, the shaft 41, etc. to a predetermined position on the back plate 300. Typically, the shoulder straps 2 and 3 extend through the slots 42 and proceed to the rear side of the shaft 41, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

[0056] As shown in the various figures of this specification, the specific shapes, sizes, and geometries of the D-ring 40 and the back plate 30, and in particular, the arrangement of the various strap guides, slots, etc., are merely exemplary, and it will be understood that any suitable variations are contemplated.

[0057] In some embodiments, the D-ring 40 may be the only article or component associated with the back plate 300 that enables creation of a back connection to the safety line and / or safety appliance. In other embodiments, some other type of connection may be provided instead of or in addition to the D-ring. In some embodiments of this general type, a sleeve (i.e., a generally tubular element defining a hollow space through which an elongate member of a connector can pass) can be used. In some embodiments, a sleeve 330 integral with the back plate 300 may be provided (e.g., the sleeve 330 may be formed as part of the aforementioned body 320 of the plate 300). Such a sleeve 330 is shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 13. The sleeve 330 extends generally laterally along the plate 300 and defines an elongate internal space 331 that extends laterally therein. It will be understood that such a sleeve 330 need not be surrounded entirely by a circumferential surface along the entire lateral length of the sleeve 330 (or even at any location along the length of the sleeve 330). For example, an exemplary sleeve 330, such as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, is not completely surrounded along any portion of its length and is open forwardly along its entire length and yet defines the internal space 331 in a manner suitable for the purposes described below.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 15, the connector 400 can be connected to the back plate 300 by the sleeve 330. The term connector is generally used to denote any element that can be connected to the back plate 300 and to which a safety line or safety device can be connected in the normal use of the harness. In some embodiments, the connector 400 may be a carabiner. In some embodiments, the connector 400 may take the general form shown in FIG. 15. Such a connector may comprise a body with an elongate closure pin 401 that is slidably movable relative to the body and one or more actuators (e.g., a spring-biased button) that can be actuated to slidably move the closure pin. The elongate closure pin 401 of the connector 400 can be passed through the internal space 331 of the sleeve 330 and locked to the body of the connector 400. Such connectors (sometimes referred to as single-pin connectors), other connectors, and other potentially useful features of the back brace, back plate, and harness are described in more detail in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 793,163, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0059] In other embodiments, the connector may take the general form shown in FIG. 17. For example, it may be a general type of two-pin connector 410 as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 532005 and resulting International (PCT) Patent Application Publication No. WO2019 / 012468, the entireties of both documents being incorporated herein by reference. Some such connectors, particularly certain two-pin connectors, can allow a plurality of safety devices to be attached thereto. In certain embodiments, for example, two so-called personal self-retracting lanyards (e.g., Twin-Leg Nano-Lok personal self-retracting lanyards available from 3M Fall Protection) may be connected to a two-pin connector of the general type shown in FIG. 17 to achieve a 100% tie-off configuration. Other features and characteristics of safety harnesses and their components and use are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,137,322 and 10,232,199, the entireties of both documents being incorporated herein by reference.

[0060] For example, referring to FIGS. 4 and 13, an advantageous characteristic becomes apparent of disposing an integral sleeve 330 directly above the through-opening 310 into which the fastener 150 of the brace 100 is fastened. Specifically, the lower portion of the sleeve 330 can function as the aforementioned upper lip portion 315 that defines the upper edge of the through-opening 310. When the fastener 150 is in place, the upper surfaces 158 and 160 of the ledges 157 and 159 of the fastener 150 (as seen in FIG. 8) closely abut (i.e., are within 2.0 mm from the closest approach point) the lower surface 316 of the upper lip portion 315 (as seen in FIGS. 12 and 13). That is, the upper surfaces of the ledges 157 and 159 are located very close to the lower surface of the sleeve 330. A configuration of this general type is seen in FIG. 7. In various embodiments, these articles may abut within 1.5, 1.0, or 0.5 mm, or may actually contact each other.

[0061] With such a configuration, when a force is applied to the sleeve 330 (e.g., as a result of the weight of one or more personal self-storing lifelines connected to the connector 400 attached to the sleeve 330), a significant portion of this force can be transmitted to the components that closely abut the fastener 150. Such a configuration allows a significant portion of the load of the article connected to the sleeve 330 to be transmitted directly from the sleeve 330 to the brace 100 and then downward to the waist strap 5 without the need for the load to pass through the shoulder straps 2 and 3. This can be contrasted with a configuration in which a significant portion of such a load is instead transmitted to the shoulder straps 2 and 3. Thus, this configuration enables the most efficient transmission of force directly to and along the back brace, thereby improving the user's comfort by reducing the load on the user's shoulders.

[0062] Figures 16 and 17 show a sleeve 330 of a different style than that shown in FIGS. 13 and 15. That is, rather than comprising a sleeve integrally formed as part of the back plate 300, FIGS. 16 and 17 show a sleeve 330 that is separately fabricated and further offset (spaced apart) from the back plate 300. For example, such a sleeve 330 may be provided at the end of a support arm 337 that serves to space the sleeve 330 from the back plate 300 (e.g., generally rearwardly), as in the exemplary configuration shown in FIG. 16. Such a sleeve may be made of, for example, a molded polymeric material, metal, or any suitable material. Regardless of the constituent material, such a sleeve comprises an elongated internal space 331 through which an elongated member of the connector (e.g., a pin) can pass. In some embodiments, the support arm 337 of such a sleeve may be attached to the same shaft 41 used by the D-ring 40 such that the D-ring 40 and the sleeve 330 have a common axis of rotation, as in the exemplary designs of FIGS. 16 and 17.

[0063] In embodiments where one or more sleeves 330 of any type are present and are attached to a connector of any type, those skilled in the art will readily understand how the shoulder straps 2 and 3 can extend through the various gaps and slots present in such a design. For example, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 15, straps 2 and 3 can extend through the gap 402 defined by the connector 400 (and through the aforementioned through-opening 310 of the back plate 330).

[0064] It will be understood that many variations of the above configuration are possible. In particular, the number and geometric arrangement of tabs, struts, shelves and / or spurs may be changed as required. For example, it will be understood that a self-locking fastener as disclosed herein may comprise at least one shelf extending generally forwardly, at least one tab extending generally upwardly from the shelf, and at least one locking hook located below the shelf and spaced from the shelf. These articles and any components supporting them can be configured such that one or more of these articles can flex temporarily to the extent necessary for the article to self-lock into complementary through-holes in the back plate. Thus, a wide variety of configurations of articles such as spurs, struts, shelves, etc. are possible, particularly different numbers, shapes, sizes, angular orientations, etc. In particular, there may not necessarily be any firm distinction between what is referred to herein as a "shelf" and what is referred to herein as a "strut". That is, a strut may be designed such that a portion of the strut provides a shelf. Further, in some embodiments, one or more tabs and one or more locking hooks may be spaced apart generally horizontally rather than generally vertically, or a combination of both approaches may be used. Still further, parameters such as the peripheral shape and / or size of the back plate, for example, may be changed. For example, the exemplary back plates 300 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have a different peripheral shape than those in other figures.

[0065] Users of any fall prevention device, apparatus, system, or component thereof described herein are emphasized to be imposed with performing any appropriate steps, actions, preventive measures, operating procedures, etc. as required by the applicable laws, regulations, norms, standards, and / or instructions. That is, under any circumstances, the existence of any configuration disclosed herein does not exempt the user from the obligation to comply with all applicable laws; regulations; norms; standards promulgated by the applicable agencies (e.g., ANSI); instructions provided by the manufacturer of the fall prevention system, apparatus, or component; instructions provided by the manufacturer of the fall prevention system, apparatus, component; instructions provided by the entity supervising the work site, etc.

[0066] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specific exemplary embodiments, elements, structures, features, details, arrangements, configurations, etc. disclosed herein can be modified and / or combined in numerous ways. It is emphasized that any embodiment disclosed herein may be used in combination with any one or more other embodiments disclosed herein, as long as the embodiments are compatible with each other. For example, any feature or configuration of the back brace described herein may be used in combination with any feature or configuration of the back plate described herein, as long as such features and configurations are compatible with each other. Similarly, the methods disclosed herein may be used with a back brace and a back plate having any of the features or configurations disclosed herein. As a specific example, any of the geometric features of the articles (e.g., fasteners) disclosed herein may be used in combination with any of the features of the composition and / or physical properties (e.g., flexural modulus) of the material from which the articles are made, as disclosed herein. Although other specific examples are not listed here, it is emphasized that all such combinations are envisioned and only specific cases of incompatible combinations are prohibited.

[0067] In summary, all such modifications and combinations are considered to be within the scope of the inventive concept, rather than representative designs selected merely for illustrative purposes. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the specific exemplary structures described herein, but should be extended to at least the structures described by the language of the claims and their equivalents. Any elements positively described herein as alternatives may be explicitly included in the claims or excluded from the claims in any desired combination. Any element or combination of elements described herein in open-ended language (e.g., "comprising" and its derivatives) is considered to be further described in closed-ended language (e.g., "consisting of" and its derivatives) and partially closed-ended language (e.g., "consisting essentially of" and its derivatives). Although various theories and possible mechanisms may be considered herein, in no case do such considerations limit the patentable subject matter. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between the description herein and the disclosure of any document incorporated herein by reference, and no priority is claimed thereto, the description herein shall prevail. Exemplary embodiments are shown below. [Item 1] Left and right shoulder straps that overlap and intersect at the back intersection, A back plate attached to the left and right shoulder straps at the back intersection, A waist strap, A back brace, comprising a self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace, the integral fastener being self-locked to the back plate, and the lower end of the back brace being connected to the waist strap. A fall prevention safety harness comprising the above. [Item 2] The elongated generally vertical member of the back brace and the self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace are part of a single integrally molded article, the single integrally molded article being essentially made of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of at least 1.0 GPa to 10.0 GPa and not including an elongated metal reinforcing support or reinforcing beam. The safety harness according to Item 1. [Item 3] The self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace is An elongated beam extending generally horizontally from the upper end of the elongated generally vertical member of the back brace, At least one spar extending generally upward from the elongated beam, At least one support member extending generally horizontally from the upper end of the at least one spar, At least one shelf portion extending generally forward from at least a part of the at least one support member, At least one tab extending generally upward from at least a part of the at least one shelf portion. The safety harness according to Item 1 or 2, comprising the above. [Item 4] The elongated beam, the at least one spar, and the at least one support member at least partially define a front-to-back through opening configured such that the left and right shoulder straps of the safety harness can extend therethrough when the safety harness is worn by a human user. The safety harness according to Item 3. [Item 5] The self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace is An elongated beam extending generally horizontally from the upper end of the elongated generally vertical member of the back brace, A left spar extending generally upward from the left end of the elongated beam, A left support member extending generally horizontally inward from the upper end of the left spar, A left shelf portion extending generally forward from at least a part of the left support member, and a left tab extending generally upward from at least a part of the left shelf portion, are provided. The integral fastener at the upper end of the back brace, a right spar extending generally upward from the right end portion of the elongated beam, a right support member extending generally inward in the horizontal direction from the upper end portion of the right spar, a right shelf portion extending generally forward from at least a part of the right support member, and a right tab extending generally upward from at least a part of the right shelf portion, The safety harness according to item 3, further comprising. [Item 6] The left support member and the right support member, the left shelf portion and the right shelf portion, and the innermost ends in the horizontal direction of the left tab and the right tab define a generally vertically oriented slot configured to pass through the left and right shoulder straps of the safety harness during the process of mounting the back brace to the safety harness. The safety harness according to item 5. [Item 7] The self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace further comprises a locking hook protruding forward, the locking hook protruding forward comprises a flange extending generally forward from the front edge of the elongated beam, and a locking lip extending generally downward from the front edge of the flange. The safety harness according to any one of items 3 to 6. [Item 8] The foremost surface of the locking hook is in the same plane as the front surface of the at least one tab or is recessed 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm rearward from the front surface. The safety harness according to item 7. [Item 9] The back plate has a front-to-back through-opening, the front-to-back through-opening is shaped and sized to receive the portion of the self-locking fastener of the back brace, and the self-locking fastener is fastened to and self-locked to the back plate. The safety harness according to any one of items 1 to 8. [Item 10] The through-opening of the back plate comprises a horizontally extending upper ridge portion and a horizontally extending lower threshold portion, and the ridge portion and the threshold portion respectively form the upper edge and the lower edge of the through-opening. The safety harness according to item 9. [Item 11] A part of the horizontally extending lower threshold portion is interrupted by a horizontally extending notch. A locking flange defines the lower edge of the notch within the notch. The notch is configured to receive a locking hook that protrudes forward of the self-locking fastener of the back brace. When the self-locking fastener is fastened to the back plate, a downwardly extending locking lip of the locking hook abuts against the locking flange of the back plate in front, self-locking the fastener to the back plate. The safety harness according to item 10. [Item 12] The self-locking fastener and the upper hook portion of the back plate of the back brace are configured such that when the self-locking fastener is fastened and self-locked to the back plate, the rear surface of an upwardly extending tab of the fastener abuts against the front surface of the upper hook portion of the back plate in front. The safety harness according to item 10 or 11. [Item 13] The front surface of the upper hook portion of the back plate is recessed rearward from the front main surface of the main body of the back plate by a distance within ±20% of the thickness of the upwardly extending tab of the self-locking fastener. When the back brace is fastened to the back plate, the front surface of the upwardly extending tab of the fastener is at least substantially coplanar with the front main surface of the main body of the back plate. The safety harness according to item 12. [Item 14] When the self-locking fastener of the back brace is fastened to the back plate, the front-to-back through-opening of the back plate is at least partially aligned with a front-to-back through-opening defined by an elongate beam, at least one spar, and at least one support member of the fastener. When the safety harness is worn by a human user, the left and right shoulder straps of the safety harness extend through the aligned portions of the through-opening of the back plate and the through-opening of the fastener. The safety harness according to any one of items 9 to 13. [Item 15] The harness includes a back D-ring pivotally connected to the back plate, and the harness further includes a sleeve configured to receive an elongate member of a connector. The safety harness according to any one of items 9 to 14. [Item 16] The sleeve is an integral part of the main body of the back plate, the sleeve has a lower outer surface, and the self-locking fastener of the back brace and the sleeve of the back plate are such that when the fastener is fastened to the back plate, the upper surface of at least one shelf portion of the fastener is located below the lower outer surface of the sleeve of the back plate and is configured to closely contact within 2.0 mm of the lower outer surface of the sleeve of the back plate. The safety harness according to item 15. [Item 17] The lower part of the sleeve functions as a laterally extending upper hook portion that defines the upper and lower edges of the front-rear through-opening of the back plate. The safety harness according to item 15 or 16. [Item 18] The back plate is composed of a molded organic polymer material and has a rigid main body showing a flexural modulus of 1.0 GPa to 10.0 GPa, a flexible upper extension overmolded on the upper part of the rigid main body, which extends upward from the upper part of the rigid main body and is composed of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of less than 1.0 GPa. A flexible upper extension, a flexible lower extension overmolded on the lower part of the rigid main body, which extends upward from the lower part of the rigid main body and is composed of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of less than 1.0 GPa. A flexible lower extension, and is provided with The part of the rigid main body of the back plate surrounds all four sides of the front-rear through-opening of the back plate. The safety harness according to any one of items 9 to 17. [Item 19] A locking flange that defines the lower edge of a notch provided in a threshold portion that extends laterally and defines the lower edge of the through-opening is provided by the exposed portion of the rigid main body, and the exposed portion projects upward beyond a part of the flexible lower extension adjacent to the exposed portion of the rigid main body. The safety harness according to item 18. [Item 20] The lower end of the back brace is removably connected to the waist strap by being connected to a rear waist strap plate attached to the waist strap. The safety harness according to any one of items 1 to 19. [Item 21] A method of equipping a back brace to a fall prevention safety harness, At the back intersection of the left and right shoulder straps of the harness, manually press the self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace forward against the back plate attached to the left and right shoulder straps of the harness, so that the integral fastener fastens to the back plate and self-locks, thereby connecting the upper end of the back brace to the harness, manually connecting the lower end of the back brace to the waist strap of the harness, A method comprising. [Item 22] The method according to item 21, wherein the method is on-site installation by a user of the harness. [Item 23] A back brace configured to be implemented in a fall prevention safety harness, comprising an elongated member and a self-locking fastener integrally extending from the upper end of the elongated member, the self-locking fastener comprising a shelf portion extending generally forward and a tab extending generally upward from at least a part of the front edge of the shelf portion, the self-locking fastener further comprising a locking hook located below and spaced from the shelf portion, the locking hook comprising a flange extending generally forward and a locking lip extending generally downward from at least a part of the front edge of the flange. A back brace. [Item 24] The back brace according to item 23, wherein the lower main surface of the shelf portion is planar, the upper surface of the flange of the locking hook is planar, and the lower main surface of the shelf portion is generally parallel to the upper surface of the flange of the locking hook.

Claims

1. Left and right shoulder straps that overlap and intersect at the back intersection point, A back plate attached to the left and right shoulder straps at the back intersection point, A waist strap, A back brace, comprising an integral self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace, the self-locking fastener being self-locked to the back plate, and the lower end of the back brace being connected to the waist strap, Comprising, Self-locking means that the fastening of the self-locking fastener to the back plate is achieved only by the components and features integral with the self-locking fastener, which function in combination with the components and features integral with the back plate. The self-locking fastener and the back plate engage with each other so as to automatically lock with each other as a result of simply moving these two articles relative to each other. A fall-preventing safety harness.

2. The elongated generally vertical member of the back brace and the self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace are parts of a single integrally molded article, the single integrally molded article being essentially made of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of at least 1.0 GPa to 10.0 GPa and not including an elongated metal reinforcing support or reinforcing beam. The safety harness according to Claim 1.

3. The self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace is An elongated beam extending generally laterally from the upper end of the elongated generally vertical member of the back brace, At least one spar extending generally upward from the elongated beam, At least one support member extending generally laterally from the upper end of the at least one spar, At least one shelf portion extending generally forward from at least a part of the at least one support member, At least one tab extending generally upward from at least a part of the at least one shelf portion, Comprising. The safety harness according to Claim 1.

4. The self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace further comprises a locking hook protruding forward, the locking hook protruding forward comprising a flange extending generally forward from the front edge of the elongated beam and a locking lip extending generally downward from the front edge of the flange. The safety harness according to Claim 3.

5. The back plate has a front-to-back through-opening, and the front-to-back through-opening is shaped and sized to receive the self-locking fastener portion of the back brace, and the self-locking fastener is fastened to and self-locked to the back plate. The safety harness according to claim 1.

6. When the self-locking fastener of the back brace is fastened to the back plate, the front-to-back through-opening of the back plate is at least partially aligned in the front-to-back direction with a front-to-back through-opening formed by an elongated beam, at least one spar, and at least one support member of the self-locking fastener. When the safety harness is worn by a human user, the left and right shoulder straps of the safety harness extend through the front-to-back through-opening of the back plate and the aligned portion of the front-to-back through-opening of the self-locking fastener. The safety harness according to claim 5.

7. The back plate is Composed of a molded organic polymer material, a rigid body having a flexural modulus of 1.0 GPa to 10.0 GPa, A flexible upper extension overmolded on the upper part of the rigid body, extending upward from the upper part of the rigid body, and composed of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of less than 1.0 GPa. A flexible upper extension, A flexible lower extension overmolded on the lower part of the rigid body, extending downward from the lower part of the rigid body, and composed of an organic polymer material having a flexural modulus of less than 1.0 GPa. A flexible lower extension, and includes The portion of the rigid body of the back plate surrounds all four sides of the front-to-back through-opening of the back plate. The safety harness according to claim 5.

8. A method of equipping a fall-prevention safety harness with a back brace, Manually pressing the self-locking fastener at the upper end of the back brace forward against the back plate attached to the left and right shoulder straps of the fall-prevention safety harness at the back intersection of the left and right shoulder straps, so that the integrated self-locking fastener fastens to and self-locks to the back plate, thereby connecting the upper end of the back brace to the fall-prevention safety harness, Manually connecting the lower end of the back brace to the waist strap of the fall-prevention safety harness, Including Self-locking means that the fastening of the self-locking fastener to the back plate is achieved only by components and features integral with the self-locking fastener that function in combination with components and features integral with the back plate, and that the self-locking fastener and the back plate engage with each other so as to automatically lock with each other as a result of simply moving these two articles relative to each other. Method.

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