Rescue device for preventing people from falling from a height

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rescue device for preventing suicidal people or people in an emergency situation from falling from a height. The device comprises a net (2) with dimensions suitable for comfortably holding an adult person, attachment supports (3) for attaching the net (2) in order to manually hold it in an extended position, a perimeter tightening rope (4) that is connected to the edge of the net (2) and closes the net when weight falls on it, and a connection rope (50) is connected at one end to the perimeter tightening rope (4) and at the other end to a lowering securing device (5). The lowering securing device has a self-locking system connected to an anchoring means (51) that is safe for securing the tightening rope (4) and holding the net (2) with the weight of the person in it to a fixed point or element. Preferably, the net (4) has a rectangular configuration and the attachment supports (3) for attaching the net (2) consist of two, preferably extendable, tubes connected to two opposite sides of the net (2).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] RESCUE INSTRUMENT TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM FALLING INTO THE VOID

[0003] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The invention, as expressed in the title of this specification, relates to a rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in emergency situations from falling into the void, providing advantages and features, which are described in detail below.

[0005] The object of the present invention lies in an instrument for use in risk situations by suitably prepared and trained personnel of fire, rescue, emergency, etc. teams, which, essentially based on a net associated with support supports with extendable tubes, a perimeter rope that encircles the net when a weight falls on it and a descender-belay device with a self-locking system connected to a safe anchoring system that allows the person's fall to be stopped and then lowered to the ground safely, is especially designed to allow the capture of a person who jumps into the void from a high point, for example a suicide from the top of a building, or a person trapped in a burning building, serving as a means of rescue by ensuring that the person is retained in the net before they reach the ground and without suffering harm.

[0006] FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The scope of the present invention falls within the sector of the industry dedicated to the manufacture of rescue apparatus, devices, tools, artifacts and instruments, focusing particularly on the field of those intended for the rescue of people who jump into the void. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0008] As is well known, a very common form of suicide is jumping into the void from a high place, for example from the roof or balcony of a building.

[0009] Unfortunately, emergency situations are also common, for example, in a fire where people may be trapped on a balcony or rooftop with no other way out than to jump into the street to avoid being caught in the flames.

[0010] In these situations, emergency teams have some resources to prevent suicidal or at-risk individuals from injuring themselves when they fall and hit the ground.

[0011] One of these systems is the unreliable mattress. The problem is that they require quite complicated and time-consuming preparation. Equipment must be provided, transported to the location, inflated, and positioned in the correct position. However, if the person is at a very high position, the cushioning offered by this type of mattress may not be sufficient.

[0012] Thus, it would be desirable to have a rescue instrument for this type of emergency that, being easy to transport, quick to place and simple to use, provides safe resistance against the force of inertia that reaches the body of an adult person falling into the void due to gravity, ensuring their capture without suffering any damage, the objective of the present invention being the development of such an instrument.

[0013] On the other hand, and as a reference to the current state of the art, it should be noted that, at least on the part of the applicant, the existence of any other rescue instrument, or any other invention of similar application, that presents technical, structural and constitutive characteristics equal to or similar to those claimed here, is unknown. EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in emergency situations from falling into the void that the invention proposes is configured as an optimal solution to the previously stated objectives which, in turn, represents an improvement on the current state of the art, with the characterizing details that make it possible and distinguish it being conveniently included in the final claims that accompany this description.

[0015] Specifically, what the invention proposes, as previously indicated, is an instrument for use in risk situations applicable for handling by appropriately prepared and trained personnel such as firefighters, rescuers, emergency teams, etc., which is specially designed to allow the capture of a person who jumps into the void from a high point, for example a suicide from the top of a building, or a person trapped in a burning building, serving as a means of rescue by ensuring the retention of the person in the net before, after jumping and falling, they reach the ground and thus being able to save them without suffering any harm.

[0016] To this end, and more specifically, the rescue instrument object of the invention essentially comprises the following elements:

[0017] - a net, preferably rectangular in shape, and in any case of dimensions suitable for comfortably holding a person,

[0018] - net holding supports, so that it can be held in an extended position by one or two people in a lower position than the person to be rescued, for example on a lower floor, which supports are preferably made up of two tubes at the sides of the net which are preferably extendable and optionally have operating handles at their ends,

[0019] - a perimeter tightening rope that is attached to the edge of the net, for example by means of rings, and closes it forming a kind of sack when a weight falls on it, and - a safe anchoring system to fasten the assembly to some fixed point of the building, for which it comprises a connecting rope that at one end is attached to the perimeter tightening rope, optionally interposing between both an energy absorbing device to cushion the fall, and at the other to means of anchoring to some fixed point, interposing between both a securing descending device with a self-locking mechanism.

[0020] With all this, the operation or mode of use of the instrument is as follows:

[0021] First, the anchoring system is attached to some fixed element so that it is well secured.

[0022] The net is then stretched out using the support brackets under the "suicide" or person to be rescued, so that when pulled, they fall into the net.

[0023] When the person falls into the net, the rope around the perimeter of the net tightens and closes the edge of the net on itself when it is stretched by the weight of the suicide.

[0024] At the same time, the net is detached from the supports, for example by means of a system of breakable elements.

[0025] In any case, the person is trapped by the closed net and the closed net does not fall into the void because it is attached to a secure anchor by a rope that passes through the descender-belay device, which can subsequently be used to lower the person to the ground safely.

[0026] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] To complement the description being provided and in order to assist in a better understanding of the features of the invention, this specification is accompanied, as an integral part thereof, by drawings in which the following is represented for illustrative and non-limiting purposes: Figure 1.- Shows a schematic plan view of an example of the rescue instrument for preventing suicidal individuals or people in an emergency situation from falling into the void, object of the invention, showing the main parts and elements it comprises, shown in an extended position; Figure 2.- Shows an enlarged view of detail A indicated in Figure 1 and which allows the insertion of the cinching rope into the fastening rings that keep it connected to the perimeter of the net and to the extendable tubes to be appreciated; Figure 3.- Shows an enlarged view of detail B shown in Figure 1, showing the configuration and arrangement of the energy absorbing device that is attached to the connecting rope of the safe anchoring system; and Figures 4-A and 4-B.- Show separate schematic views of the representation of how to use the rescue instrument in a multi-story building, Figure 4-A showing the initial phase of placing the net below the fall path and Figure 4-B showing the phase of capturing the individual.

[0028] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0029] In view of the aforementioned figures, and in accordance with the adopted numbering, one can observe in them a non-limiting embodiment of the rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in emergency situations from falling into the void of the invention, which includes what is described in detail below.

[0030] Thus, as can be seen in said figures, the rescue instrument (1) of the invention essentially comprises:

[0031] - a net (2) of dimensions suitable for comfortably accommodating an adult person,

[0032] - some supports (3) for holding the net (2), in order to be able to hold it manually in an extended position, for example on a floor lower than the position of the person to be rescued, - a perimeter tightening rope (4) that is attached to the edge of the net (2) and closes it when a weight falls on it, in this case the weight of the suicidal or endangered person,

[0033] - a connecting rope (50) is connected at one end to the perimeter belay rope (4) and at the other end to a safety descending device (5),

[0034] - a descender-belay device with a self-locking system connected to anchoring means (51) to hold the belay rope (4) and support the net (2) with the weight of the person on it to some fixed point or element.

[0035] Preferably, the network (2) has a rectangular configuration.

[0036] Preferably, the supports (3) for holding the net (2) consist of two tubes attached to two opposite sides of the net (2).

[0037] Preferably, said tubes forming the support supports (3) are extensible, for example by means of telescopic segments (30) and, preferably, have operating handles (31) at their proximal end.

[0038] Preferably, the perimeter girth rope (4) is joined to the edge of the net (2) by means of a plurality of rings (6) in which said rope is inserted and which are integrally joined to the net, as can be seen in the detail of Figure 2.

[0039] Furthermore, preferably, the net (2) is joined to the support supports (3) by means of breakable joints (7), so that when the weight of the person closes the net (2) and the rope (4) tightens, said rings (6) separate from the supports (3).

[0040] More specifically, said descending belay device (5) is a device of the type called “GñGñ” or similar, commonly used in climbing and belaying with automatic locking capacity in the event of a fall or sudden load.

[0041] And, optionally, the connecting rope (50) is joined to the girth rope (4) of the net (2) by means of an energy absorbing device (52), schematically represented in the detail of Figure 3.

[0042] Preferably, this energy absorbing device (52) is incorporated in case the fall factor is equal to or greater than 2 or if there are doubts, or to remove the impact force from the anchoring means (51), since said device is configured as an energy dissipator between the connecting rope (50) and the tightening rope (4) of the net (2) so that the fall distance is increased, approximately by one more meter, but it would be softer.

[0043] In any case, preferably, both the connecting rope (50) and the girth rope (4) are suitably resistant ropes and approved for falls and to support the weight and work for which they are intended, such as climbing ropes.

[0044] Looking at figures 4-A and 4-B, the mode of use of the instrument (1) of the invention can be seen for capturing a suicidal or endangered person (i) who jumps into the void from a high point, placing him at a lower point, for example one floor below, held with the net (2) in an open position by one or two people (i) from the rescue team who hold him by means of the supports (3) (figure 4-A). When the suicidal or endangered person (i) falls, he is captured by the net (2) remaining suspended within it and held securely by means of the anchoring system.

[0045] Preferably, the net (2) with the girth rope (4) in the closed position and suspended from the anchoring system will have a length (L) of approximately 8 meters, a distance that must be taken into account by the rescue team when positioning themselves under the elevated point of the suicide or person in danger.

[0046] Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention, as well as the manner of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to make its explanation more extensive so that any expert in the field understands its scope and the advantages derived from it.

Claims

CLAIMS 1.- Rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in emergency situations from falling into the void, characterized by comprising: - a net (2) of dimensions suitable for comfortably accommodating an adult person, - supports (3) for holding the net (2), to be able to hold it manually in the extended position, - a perimeter girth rope (4) that is attached to the edge of the net (2) and closes it when a weight falls into it, and - a connecting rope (50) is connected at one end to the perimeter belay rope (4) and at the other end to a safety descending device (5), - a descender-belay device with a self-locking system connected to anchoring means (51) to hold the belay rope (4) and support the net (2) with the weight of the person on it to some fixed point or element. 2.- Rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in emergency situations from falling into the void, according to claim 1, characterized in that the net (2) has a rectangular configuration. 3.- Rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in an emergency situation from falling into the void, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the supports (3) for holding the net (2) consist of two tubes attached to two opposite sides of the net (2). 4.- Rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in emergency situations from falling into the void, according to claim 3, characterized in that the tubes forming the support supports (3) are extensible, by means of telescopic segments (30) 5.- Rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in an emergency situation from falling into the void, according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the tubes forming the support supports (3) have handling handles (31). 6.- Rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in an emergency situation from falling into the void, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the perimeter girdling rope (4) is joined to the edge of the net (2) by means of a plurality of rings (6) into which said rope is inserted and which are integrally joined to the net. 7.- Rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in an emergency situation from falling into the void, according to claim 6, characterized in that the net (2) is joined to the fastening supports (3) by means of breakable joints (7). 8.- Rescue instrument to prevent suicidal individuals or people in an emergency situation from falling into the void, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the joining rope (50) is joined to the girth rope (4) perimeter of the net (2) by means of an energy absorbing device (52).

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