Trauma strap packaged in a transversely-deflectable housing

Abstract

A fall-protection safety harness that includes a trauma strap packaged in a transversely-deflectable housing that is positioned within a pocket between inward and outward webbing layers of a strap of the safety harness. The housing may be transversely deflected so that the housing is at least partially out of the pocket so that an end of the trauma strap can be removed from the deflectable housing.

Description

[0001] PA102209US01

[0002] TRAUMA STRAP PACKAGED IN A TRANSVERSELY-DEFLECTABLE HOUSING

[0003] Background

[0004] Fall-protection safety harnesses are often used in environments in which persons are working at elevated heights or are otherwise at risk of falling. Such safety harnesses may include one or more trauma straps.

[0005] Summary

[0006] Herein is disclosed a fall-protection safety harness that comprises a trauma strap packaged in a transversely-deflectable housing that is positioned within a pocket between inward and outward webbing layers of a strap of the safety harness. The housing may be transversely deflected so that the housing is at least partially out of the pocket so that an end of the trauma strap can be removed from the deflectable housing. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description below. In no event, however, should this broad summary be construed to limit the claimable subject matter, whether such subject matter is presented in claims in the application as initially filed or in claims that are amended or otherwise presented in prosecution.

[0007] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Fig. 1 is a rear view in generic representation of an exemplary fall-protection safety harness.

[0009] Fig. 2 is an isolated, magnified view, generally from the same perspective as Fig. 1, of a pocket of an exemplary fall-protection safety harness, and showing an exemplary trauma strap packaged in an exemplary transversely-deflectable housing in the pocket of the harness.

[0010] Fig. 3 is a side perspective view of an exemplary trauma strap packaged in an exemplary transversely- deflectable housing in a pocket of a fall-protection harness.

[0011] Fig. 4 is a side plan view of an exemplary trauma strap packaged in an exemplary transversely- deflectable housing in a pocket of a fall-protection harness.

[0012] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary transversely-deflectable housing in a pocket of a fallprotection harness, illustrating the transverse deflectability of the housing.

[0013] Fig. 6 is a top plan view of an exemplary transversely deflectable housing in a transversely-deflected condition.

[0014] Fig. 7 is a side perspective partially-exploded view of an exemplary transversely-deflectable housing in a pocket of a fall-protection harness.

[0015] Like reference symbols in the various figures indicate like elements. Some elements may be modified by primes (‘); such indicia are typically to distinguish elements that are present as a pair, e.g. a right-side element and a left-side element. Although terms such as "top”, bottom”, “upper”, lower”, “under”, “over”, “ “up” and “down”, and “first” and “second” may be used in this disclosure, it should be understood that those terms are used in their relative sense only unless otherwise noted. The term “affixed” and like terminology denotes two (or more) items that are permanently, non-separably fixed to each other, but does not require that the items must necessarily be in direct contact with each other. The term “attached” and like terminology denotes two items that are permanently attached to each other and are in direct contact with each other at the location of their attachment.

[0016] Terms such as inward and outward are used with reference to a fall-protection safety harness as worn by a user. Inward signifies a direction generally toward the user’s body; outward signifies a generally opposite direction, away from the users body. Inward and outward directions are indicated (as “i” and “o”) in various Figures herein. Terms such as a vertical direction, upward and downward, and so on, have their customary meaning with regard to such a harness as worn by a user. Terms such as forward and rearward have their customary meaning with regard to such a harness as worn, i.e. forward is toward the user’s front and rearward is toward the user’s rear.

[0017] As used herein as a modifier to a property, attribute or relationship, the term “generally”, unless otherwise specifically defined, means that the property, attribute or relationship would be readily recognizable by a person of ordinary skill but without requiring absolute precision or a perfect match (e.g., within + / - 20 % for quantifiable properties; within + / - 20 degrees for angular orientations); the term “substantially” means to a high degree of approximation (e.g., within + / - 10% for quantifiable properties; within + / - 10 degrees for angular orientations) but again without requiring absolute precision or a perfect match. The term “essentially” means to a very high degree of approximation (e.g., within plus or minus 2 % for quantifiable properties; within + / - 5 degrees for angular orientations;) it will be understood that the phrase “at least essentially” subsumes the specific case of an “exact” match. However, even an “exact” match, or any other characterization using terms such as e.g. same, equal, identical, uniform, constant, and the like, will be understood to be within the usual tolerances or measuring error applicable to the particular circumstance rather than requiring absolute precision or a perfect match.

[0018] Detailed Description

[0019] Disclosed herein is a fall-protection safety harness 1 that comprises at least one trauma strap 200 that is packaged in a deflectable housing 100. Such trauma straps are often provided in pairs, e.g. a right trauma strap 200 and a left trauma strap 200’, in the general manner illustrated in Fig. 1. In the event of a user fall, the suspended user can deploy the trauma straps (e.g., can remove them from their packaging and unfold or unroll them) so that the user can step into the deployed trauma strap(s) to at least partially relieve pressure that certain harness straps might otherwise apply to various parts of the user’s body. In some embodiments, rightside and left-side trauma straps may be joined together to form a single, e.g. generally U-shaped, strap into which the user places both feet. Such arrangements are depicted e.g. in Fig. 10 of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024 / 0100372, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. In some embodiments, right-side and left-side trauma straps may remain separate, with the user putting one foot into a loop present at the end of each individual trauma strap. Such arrangements are depicted e.g. in Fig. 10 of U.S. Patent 8061481, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. In some embodiments a single trauma strap may be used, e.g. that comprises a connector that allows a distal end of the trauma strap to be connected to an opposing side of the harness, with the single trauma strap being sufficiently long to form a single, generally U-shaped, strap into which the user can place both feet. The arrangements disclosed herein may be used with any of these general categories of trauma strap configurations, as well as with other possible configurations.

[0020] A packaged trauma strap as disclosed herein may be used with a harness, e.g. a fall-protection safety harness 1 as shown in exemplary representation in Fig. 1. Such fall -protection safety harnesses, often referred to as full-body safety harnesses, are used in various circumstances in which persons are at elevated height or are otherwise at risk of falling. A fall-protection safety harness 1 is often configured to serve in combination with a fall -protection apparatus such as a self-retracting lifeline or horizontal lifeline, a lanyard or the like, and so on. In ordinary use, at least one such fall-protection apparatus is connected to the safety harness, e.g. to a D-ring of the harness or to a quick-connector of the harness. Fall-protection full-body safety harnesses are required to meet various standards (as promulgated e.g. by ANSI), are required by OSHA for certain types of work activities, and will be distinguished from other types of harnesses such as SCBA harnesses, climbing harnesses, and general-use harnesses such as for backpacks, hiking, and the like.

[0021] Exemplary fall-protection safety harness 1 is illustrated in Fig. 1 in rearview with the harness unfolded generally flat. Exemplary safety harness 1 comprises an interlinked combination of various straps. Such harness straps are often comprised of flat, elongate webbing, with a thickness much less than the length and width. Such webbings are often made of woven synthetic fabric such as e.g. polyamide, polyaramid (such as e.g. Kevlar), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (such as e.g. Dyneema) and the like. Such webbings and straps are typically flexible so that they can generally conform to a wearer’s body, can be passed through one or more of buckles, guides, loops and the like, and so on, but typically are not significantly extensible.

[0022] The straps and other components of exemplary harness 1 will be described. Hamess 1 is shown in rear view in Fig. 1, with the right and left sides of the harness respectively indicated by “R” and “L”. Generally herein, reference numbers with primes (e.g. 2’) indicate a “left” item that will be generally similar to (although not necessarily exactly identical to) a corresponding “right” item (e.g. 2). Various items will be described as “straps”. This terminology is used for convenience of description of elongate webbing portions that, when the harness is worn, reside on, at, or near various parts of the user’s body. It will be understood that in many embodiments such “straps” will be integral portions of an elongate length of webbing and that the exact dividing line between any particular strap and a nearest-neighbor strap to which it is integrally connected, may be somewhat arbitrary. Also, some such straps may take the form of a single layer of webbing while other straps may, in part or in full, take the form of two or more (e.g. overlapped) layers of webbing.

[0023] Proceeding in a forward direction from the user’s right shoulder, right shoulder strap 2 extends in a generally forward and downward direction to become right upper-chest strap 3, which continues generally downward along the right side of the chest of the user. In the depicted embodiment, right upper-chest strap 3 ends at a right strap adjuster 23 that can be used to adjust the length of right upper-chest strap 3 in order to comfortably fit harness 1 to the user. Returning to the user’s right shoulder and proceeding in a rearward direction, right shoulder strap 2 extends in a generally rearward and downward direction to become right upper-back strap 5, which extends diagonally downward to the user’s dorsal region 30. At dorsal region 30, right upper-back strap 5 meets its counterpart left upper-back strap 5’ and the two straps cross each other in a generally diagonal arrangement. Often, a dorsal plate 31 is present to guide the straps as they cross each other, and / or to support a dorsal D-ring 32.

[0024] At dorsal region 30, right upper-back strap 5 crosses the user’s sagittal plane and thus becomes left lower-back strap 6’ that extends diagonally downward and outward generally toward the user’s left hip. At a location that is typically generally proximate the user’s left hip, left lower-back strap 6’ intersects a strap (10712’) at a strap intersection 15 as discussed in detail below. From this location, left lower-back strap 6’ continues generally forwardly and downwardly as left frontal -thigh strap 7’, which terminates at a left buckle 21’. In many embodiments, the above-described straps may all be integral portions of a single elongate length of webbing 8 as indicated in Fig. 1.

[0025] A similar single elongate length of webbing may similarly provide (in this instance, listed in order starting from left strap adjuster 23’) left upper-chest strap 3’, left shoulder strap 2’, left upper-back strap 5’, right lower-back strap 6, and right frontal -thigh strap 7, which bears right buckle 21. In some embodiments, right upper chest-strap 3 and left upper-chest strap 3’ may respectively bear right and left sternum straps 24 and 24’, which can be buckled together to enhance the stability of the harness.

[0026] Another set of straps is present in harness 1, and will be described starting with right leg strap 11. Right leg strap 11 will emerge forwardly from the user’s pelvic area and will extend generally forwardly and upwardly so that an end portion of right leg strap 11 can be fastened to the above-described right buckle 21. The depicted arrangement provides grommets 22 for this purpose, however, grommets 22 and / or buckle 21 may be replaced with any suitable fasteners, quick-connects, and the like. In an opposing direction, right leg strap 11 emerges generally rearwardly from the user’s pelvic area and extends upward and generally sideward (away from the user’s sagittal plane) proximate the user’s buttocks to become right rear-waist strap 12. Right rear-waist strap 12 continues in this manner until it reaches the above-mentioned strap intersection 15. Intersection 15 being proximate the user’s hip, once the right rear-waist strap 12 extends forwardly past this intersection it will referred to as right lower-abdominal strap 10. Right lower-abdominal strap 10 continues generally forward and upward along the user’s lower torso to the above-mentioned right strap adjuster 23.

[0027] In some embodiments, at right strap adjuster 23, the webbing that provides right lower-abdominal strap 10 is doubled back so as to extend in the direction from which it came. Thus, in some embodiments, much of the elongate length of a lower-abdominal strap 10 and a rear-waist strap 12 will comprise two layers of webbing (e.g. an inward webbing layer 16 and an outward webbing layer 17 as discussed in detail later herein) that are in overlapping relation and are affixed to each other at one or more locations along the lower- abdominal strap 10 and the rear-waist strap 12. In some embodiments, outward webbing layer 17 of rear-waist strap 12 will continue (to the left, in the view of Fig. 1) until it diverges from inward webbing layer 16, at which point it forms a short lumbar strap 13 as evident in Fig. 1. In some embodiments, outward webbing layer 17 will continue (to the left) until it reaches left strap adjuster 23’, at which point it doubles back as an inward webbing layer 16, with the outward and inward webbing layers being in overlapping relation and being affixed to each other in the general manner described above.

[0028] From the above description, it can be appreciated that in some embodiments, a single elongate length of webbing 14 can be used to provide right leg strap 11, right rear-waist strap 12, right lower-abdominal strap 10, lumbar strap 13, left lower-abdominal strap 10’, left rear-waist strap 12’, and left leg strap 11 ’. And, in some embodiments, the rear-waist straps 12 and lower-abdominal straps 10 may comprise an inward webbing layer 16 and an outward webbing layer 17 that are in overlapping relation and are affixed together at least at some locations. Inward webbing layer 16 of single elongate length of webbing 14 may continue (downward, in the view of Fig. 1) to provide leg straps 11 and 11’, while a portion of outward webbing layer 17 provides lumber strap 13, as evident from Fig. 1.

[0029] It will thus be appreciated that in some embodiments, many or most of the straps of harness 1 can be provided by three elongate lengths of webbing (e.g., the above-described webbing 8 and its unnumbered counterpart, and webbing 14). Other, auxiliary pieces of webbing may be present, e.g. sternum straps 24 and 24’, and / or stabilizer straps 26 that stabilize the positions of inward webbing layer 16 and outward webbing layer 17 at their point of divergence, as evident in Fig. 1.

[0030] It is again emphasized that the providing of different names and numbers for different straps (e.g. lower-back strap 6 and frontal-thigh strap 7) is done for convenience of description; again, many such “straps” are integrally connected portions of an elongate webbing, the portions being described according to which of the user’s body parts the portions are proximate when the harness is worn by a user. This being the case, references to straps as present at a location at which a name change occurs (e.g. at intersection 15, where lower-back strap 6 becomes frontal-thigh strap 7) will use nomenclature such as straps 6 / 7. According to this nomenclature, right straps 6 / 7 meet right straps 10 / 12 at a right intersection 15 at which straps 6 / 7 cross straps 10 / 12 as shown in Fig. 1 (a corresponding left-side intersection is similarly present).

[0031] Intersection 15 of straps 6 / 7 and 10 / 12 is shown in more detail (from the same general perspective as in Fig. 1) in Fig. 2. (Strap 10 / 12 is omitted from Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7 so that other items may be seen more clearly.) As noted, in some embodiments, straps 10 and 12 can comprise an inward webbing layer 16 and an outward webbing layer 17. (Again, in some such embodiments, webbing layers 16 and 17 may be portions of the same single elongate webbing 8.) In some such embodiments, inward and outward webbing layers 16 and 17 may be split apart from each other at intersection 15. That is, inward webbing layer 16 and outward webbing layer 17 are not affixed to each other, over a short span that includes, and brackets, intersection 15, as evident in Fig. 2. This split-apart span (along the long axis of the straps) will be defined by the distance between affixing locations 18 and 19 at which webbing layers 16 and 17 are affixed (e.g. by stitching) to each other, again as evident in Fig. 2. In some embodiments, straps 6 and 7 may be similarly comprise an inward webbing layer 53 and an outward webbing layer 54, that may similarly split apart from each other at intersection 15, and be not affixed to each other, over a short span that includes and brackets intersection 15 and that is defined by affixing locations 57 and 58 at which webbing layers 53 and 54 are affixed to each other, e.g. by stitching, with exemplary stitching 59 being denoted in Fig. 2.

[0032] In some such embodiments, at intersection 15, inward webbing layer 16 of straps 10 / 12 may be positioned inward of inward webbing layer 53 of straps 6 / 7, with outward webbing layer 17 of straps 10 / 12 passing outward of inward webbing layer 53 of straps 6 / 7 but passing inward of outward webbing layer 54 of straps 6 / 7. In other words, outward webbing layer 17 of straps 10 / 12 may extend through the “split” between webbing layers 53 and 54 of straps 6 / 7; and, inward webbing layer 53 of straps 6 / 7 may extend through the “split” between webbing layers 16 and 17 of straps 10 / 12, all as shown in Fig. 2. Such an arrangement will be referred to as straps 6 / 7 being “intertwined” with straps 10 / 12, and will provide that at intersection 15, straps 6 / 7 and straps 10 / 12 will be held in a designated overall relationship but will still have some limited freedom of slidable movement relative to each other. This allows the harness to have enhanced adjustability so as to be fit to a particular user, in contrast to an arrangement in which straps 6 / 7 are affixed to straps 10 / 12 (e.g. by stitching) at intersection 15 so that they have no freedom of movement relative to each other at the intersection.

[0033] In some embodiments, the above-noted inward layer 53 of straps 6 / 7 may extend to buckle 21, wrap around a retaining strut of buckle 21 (e.g. to form a loop that captures a retaining strut of buckle 21), and return as outward webbing layer 54. In some such embodiments, frontal-thigh strap 7 may thus comprise two webbing layers (53 and 54) that are in overlapping relation as shown in Fig. 2. In some such embodiments, the overlapped layers 53 and 54 may be affixed to each other (e.g. by stitching) along much or all the extent of frontal -thigh strap 7. That is, additional affixing locations may be provided between buckle 21 as seen in Fig. 1, and the exemplary affixing location 58 as seen in Fig. 2.

[0034] A frontal-thigh strap 7 that comprises two overlapped layers of webbing (53 and 54) can be provided e.g. by taking an end section 56 of single elongate length of webbing 8, extending it through an aperture of buckle 21, and wrapping end section 56 of webbing 8 onto a penultimate section 55 of webbing 8 and affixing it thereto at desired affixing locations. End section 56 of webbing 8 thus provides the above-described outward webbing layer 54 and penultimate section 55 of webbing 8 thus provides the above-described inward webbing layer 53, that are present at intersection 15. Outward webbing layer 54 will be affixed to inward webbing layer 53 at least at affixing location 58, will then split apart from inward webbing layer 53 at intersection 15 as discussed above, and will then rejoin inward webbing layer 53 at affixing location 57.

[0035] In some such embodiments, outward webbing layer 54 may terminate at terminus 61 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Webbing terminus 61 (as denoted on Figs. 1 and 2) may be a first terminus of a single elongate length of webbing 8 that comprises various straps of harness 1 as discussed above. (A second, opposing terminus of the single elongate length of webbing 8 may be located at strap adjuster 23 and may be connected thereto in a manner that allows the length of chest strap 3 to be adjusted.) In such cases, much of lower-back strap 6, and all of upper-back strap 5, shoulder strap 2, chest strap 3, may be provided by a single layer of webbing (layer 53), in contrast to frontal-thigh strap 7 which comprises two overlapped layers of webbing (53 and 54). These discussions and characterizations apply to various features on the right side of harness 1 ; similar features and arrangements will be present on the harness’ left side.

[0036] The above-discussed arrangements provide a separation (i.e. a “split”) between webbing layers 53 and 54 of strap 6 / 7, generally at a location that, when harness 1 is worn by a user, is proximate a hip of the user. According to the arrangements disclosed herein, the split between webbing layers 53 and 54 can be significantly increased in the inward-outward direction so as to provide a pocket 50 between webbing layers 53 and 54 (e.g., in contrast to the very narrow space that is present in the split between webbing layers 16 and 17), as evident in Fig. 2. Pocket 50 may have an elongate length along its longitudinal axis of, e.g., from 6, 8 or 10 cm, to 16, 14 or 12 cm. Pocket 50 may have a along its inward-outward direction of e.g. at least 2, 3, 4 or 5 cm, and will typically have two opposing transverse sides that are each transversely-open.

[0037] In the exemplary arrangement depicted e.g. in Fig. 2, pocket 50 is formed by providing an excess length of outward webbing layer 54 (in comparison to inward webbing layer 53) between first and second affixing locations 57 and 58, so that webbing layer 54 can deviate outward from inward webbing layer 53 to provide pocket 50. However, pocket 50 can be provided in a variety of ways, e.g. by including an excess length of inward webbing layer 53. (Even if all the excess length is in outward webbing layer 54, inward webbing layer 53, being flexible, will not necessarily remain flat in the manner depicted in Fig. 2). Furthermore, pocket 50 need not necessarily be defined by exactly one inward webbing layer and exactly one outward webbing layer. Rather, in some embodiments, at least a portion of a pocket 50 may be defined on an inward side and / or on an outward side by a stack of e.g. two (or more) overlapping, affixed-together webbing layers.

[0038] However achieved, a pocket 50 will have a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and an inward-outward axis. The longitudinal axis (denoted as axis L in Fig. 2) will be aligned with the long axis of the strap in which the pocket is formed (in the depicted embodiment, pocket 50 is defined by webbing layers 53 and 54 of straps 6 / 7). The transverse axis (denoted as axis T in Fig. 2) will be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and will be aligned with the crossweb direction of the strap that defines the pocket. The inward-outward axis of the pocket will be generally aligned with the inward-outward axis of the strap that defines the pocket. The inwardoutward axis (which is approximately, but not exactly, in and out of plane in the view of Fig. 2) is denoted as axis i-o in Fig. 2. The elongate length of pocket 50 will typically be defined by the previously-described first and second affixing locations 57 and 58 at which webbing layers 53 and 54 are affixed to each other.

[0039] As disclosed herein, a trauma strap 200, as packaged in a housing 100 can be disposed within a pocket 50 of harness 1, as shown in exemplary embodiment in Figs. 2 and 3. Such positioning can enhance the ability of housing 100 to avoid being snagged on some item during routine worker activities, while nevertheless positioning the packaged trauma strap at a location of the harness at which the trauma strap can be easily accessed if the trauma strap needs to be deployed. As noted, in many embodiments a packaged trauma strap 200, and thus a pocket 50, may be located generally at a hip of the user, which allows the trauma strap to be easily accessed. This positioning also allows a first end 201 of the trauma strap (which will be an upper end of the trauma strap, after the trauma strap is deployed) to be affixed to strap 6 / 7, which is a convenient location for transfer, from the trauma strap to the harness, of the load that develops when a user steps into the deployed trauma strap. The above-described intertwined arrangement of strap 6 / 7 and strap 10 / 12 at intersection 15 provides that strap 10 / 12 may assist strap 6 / 7 in bearing the load that develops when a user steps into the deployed trauma strap (while nevertheless providing some freedom of adjustability during routine wearing of harness 1, as noted earlier).

[0040] As disclosed herein, trauma strap 200 may have an elongate length (of e.g. up to five feet when deployed) with a first (proximal) end 201 (indicated in general in Fig. 3) that is affixed to straps 6 / 7, and an elongate length with a second (distal) end 202. In some embodiments, second end 202 of trauma strap 200 may comprise a hook and / or a loop. In many embodiments, a fall-protection safety harness 1 may be provided with two (right and left) packaged trauma straps, respectively located proximate the right and left hips of the user. The second end of one such trauma strap may comprise a hook, and the second end of the other trauma strap may comprise a loop to which the hook can be attached to form a long, generally U-shaped structure into which the user can place both feet. In some embodiments, a trauma strap that includes a loop at its second end 202, may comprise additional loops, e.g. spaced along the elongate length of the trauma strap, so that a generally U-shaped structure of a size that is suited for a user’s particular height may be formed. Other arrangements are possible as noted earlier herein.

[0041] Whatever the particular arrangement, trauma strap 200 will be packaged in a housing 100. As evident in Fig. 3, the elongate length of the trauma strap can be compacted (e.g. folded, rolled up, etc.) so as to fit within housing 100. In some embodiments the trauma strap can be packaged in housing 100 so that the second end 202 of the trauma strap is near an opening 107 of housing 100 (or, in general, is near an openable closure of housing 100). Housing 100 will comprise an inward wall 101, an outward wall 102, and transverse sidewalls 103 and 104. Housing 100 will comprise a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and an inward-outward axis, that (when housing 100 is in its ordinary-use location within pocket 50) will respectively coincide with the above-described longitudinal, transverse, and inward-outward axes of pocket 50. Housing 100 will comprise first and second longitudinally-opposing ends 105 and 106, which, when housing 100 is in its ordinary -use location within pocket 50, will be located proximate first and second longitudinally -opposing ends 51 and 52 of pocket 50.

[0042] In many embodiments, housing 100 may be made of flexible fabric. In some embodiments, such a fabric may be formed into a more or less tubular container that provides the above-mentioned inward and outward walls, and the transverse sidewalls, of the housing. Housing 100 thus need not necessarily possess inward and outward walls and transverse sidewalls that are generally planar with relatively sharp comers therebetween in the general manner depicted in the Figures herein. Rather, at least some walls of housing 100 may exhibit a more rounded appearance. Housing 100 being made e.g. of flexible fabric, if trauma strap 200 is compacted by way of being folded into a generally rectangular stack, housing 100 may generally conform to the underlying shape of the folded trauma strap present therein.

[0043] In some embodiments, first end 105 of housing 100 may comprise a housing-affixing tab 120 (as seen most easily in Figs. 3 and 4), which serves to allow housing 100 to be affixed to strap 6 / 7. In some embodiments, housing-affixing tab 120 will comprise an inward layer 121 that is an extension of inward wall 101 of housing 100, and an outward layer 122 that is an extension of outward wall 102 of housing 100. Layers 121 and 122 collectively provide tab 120, and can extend (to the left, in Figs. 3 and 4) so that the thus-formed tab 120 can be located in the previously -described first affixing location 57 of strap 6. Specifically, layers 121 and 122 can be sandwiched in between the webbing layers 53 and 54, and all of these layers can be affixed together as a stack, e.g. by stitching. An additional “wall” of housing 100 may thus be formed by the pinched- together layers 121 and 122 of tab 120.

[0044] Trauma strap 200 in turn may comprise a trauma- strap -affixing portion 203 (which includes first end 201 of the trauma strap), as most distinctly indicated in Fig. 4, that can provide that the trauma strap is also affixed into this affixed stack of layers. Specifically, trauma strap 200 can be compacted (e.g. folded) so that trauma-strap-affixing portion 203 protrudes from the compacted trauma strap so that trauma- strap -affixing portion 203 of trauma strap 200 can be sandwiched between layers 121 and 122 of housing 100. Layers 121 and 122 of tab 120 of housing 100 in turn are sandwiched between webbing layers 53 and 54 of harness strap 6 / 7. The entire stack can be assembled, after which all of the layers are affixed together e.g. by stitching. Such arrangements securely affix trauma strap 200 to strap 6 of the harness, and also serve to hold housing 100 in place within pocket 50.

[0045] Such arrangements thus provide that trauma strap 200, as packaged in flexible housing 100, is secured in place in pocket 50 of harness 1. In some embodiments, trauma strap 200 may be pre-packaged in flexible housing 100 prior to being brought to a harness-making assembly line. In such embodiments, housing 100 may be formed, stabilized, and secured to trauma strap 200 (e.g., layers 121 and 122 of housing 100 may be at least lightly tacked to portion 203 of trauma strap 200) so that the packaged trauma strap can be handled prior to being installed in the harness. The thus-packaged trauma strap 200, within housing 100, can be positioned in the proper location between webbing layers 53 and 54, after which the above-described affixing process (which, in many embodiments, may occur via stitching) is performed to secure the trauma-strap- affixing portion 203, and the housing-affixing tab 120 of housing 100, to strap 6.

[0046] Transverse deflectability

[0047] Housing 100, with trauma strap 200 packaged therein in the general manner described above, is transversely deflectable. By this is meant that housing 100 and trauma strap 200, as installed in a pocket 50 of a harness 1, are configured so that manual pressure applied (e.g. by a user’s finger(s)) to a transverse sidewall of housing 100 (as indicated by arrow 115 of Fig. 5) causes housing 100, and trauma strap 200 resident therein, to deflect generally in a transverse direction, as indicated by arrow 116 of Figs. 5 and 6. The transverse deflection can be performed until housing 100 is at least partially out of pocket 50 as shown in Fig. 6, so that second end 203 of trauma strap can be removed from housing 100. (In deploying trauma strap 200, most of the elongate length of trauma strap 200 will be removed from housing 100, excepting a small portion that remains within housing 100.) The arrangements disclosed herein thus allow trauma strap 200, as packaged in housing 100, to remain securely within pocket 50 during ordinary worker activities, while allowing housing 100 to be quickly and easily transversely deflected so that trauma strap 200 can be deployed therefrom, if needed.

[0048] Those of ordinary skill in the art of designing and manufacturing fall-protection safety harnesses will appreciate that the above-described transversely deflectable arrangement differs from conventional packaging of trauma straps. Moreover, it leverages an unconventional mode of moving the housing, and the trauma strap packaged therein, in order to deploy the trauma strap. Ordinary artisans will appreciate that with trauma-strap- affixing portion 203 of trauma strap 200, housing-affixing tab 120 of housing 100, and webbing layers 53 and 54 of strap 6 being affixed together at affixing location 57 as shown in Fig. 5, the “natural” mode of movement of trauma strap 200, housing 100, and webbing layers 53 and 54, is pivotable movement in the direction indicated by dashed arrow 117 in Fig. 5. In other words, the easiest movement, that is inherently enabled by the geometric arrangement of the various components, will be pivotable movement in a direction that is aligned with the shortest dimension (i.e., the thickness direction) of each of the various components, and that occurs about a pivot axis that is aligned with the transverse axis of these components.

[0049] In contrast, movement of the packaged trauma strap and its housing in the transverse direction (i.e., in the general direction indicated by arrow 116) would be expected to be difficult. This is because such a movement (e.g., pivotable movement about a pivot axis 118 that is generally located at or within first affixing location 57 and that is oriented generally along the inward-outward axis of the strap) will be generally in-plane with the transverse and longitudinal axes of all of the items involved; in particular, it will, at least initially, be in-plane with the affixed portions of these items that are in affixing location 57. Indeed, if the webbings 53 and 54 of strap 6 / 7, the inward and outward walls 101 and 102 of housing 100, and the material of which trauma strap 200 was made, were to be relatively inflexible, it would be expected that there would be no ability to move the packaged trauma strap and its housing in the transverse direction at all. It is only the fact that these items have at least some flexibility, that any movement in the transverse direction can be achieved.

[0050] In prototypes of the arrangements disclosed herein, the requisite transverse movement is achieved at least in part because, at affixing location 57 and / or in areas in close proximity thereto, various components (e.g., webbing layers 53 and / or 54 of strap 6 / 7, layers 121 and / or 122 of housing-affixing tab 120 of housing 100, and / or trauma-strap-affixing portion 203 of trauma strap 200) are sufficiently flexible that they can bend, buckle, crumple, wrinkle, etc., so as to deform out of their initially -planar configuration in such manner that allows the transverse movement of the packaged trauma strap to be accomplished. Indeed, it appears that even if strap 6 / 7 is under considerable tension (e.g. when a user of the harness has fallen and is now suspended, supported by harness 1), there will still be enough freedom of transverse movement, owing to the flexibility of these various components, to allow the transverse deflection of the packaged trauma strap. (In some embodiments, a packaged trauma strap may be located on a particular harness strap, and / or on a particular location of a harness strap, so that any such tension is minimized.)

[0051] Transverse deflection is defined herein as bodily co-movement of housing 100 and trauma strap 200 packaged within. This can be contrasted to, e.g., moving one or more portions of a trauma strap container while one or more other portions of the container, and, in particular, a trauma strap that is packaged within the container, remain stationary. As such, the herein-disclosed transverse deflection will be distinguished from conventional opening of a trauma strap container by way of removing a lid of a trauma strap container, by opening a clamshell-type container, and so on. However, in some embodiments, such an opening operation might be performed after the transverse deflection is accomplished, e.g. if the transverse deflection serves to bodily move housing 100 to a position such that a closure or access point of the housing (which had, e.g., previously been blocked by a portion of a harness strap that provides the pocket in which the packaged trauma strap resides) is now accessible.

[0052] In some embodiments, the transverse deflection of housing 100 may be characterized by a transverse deflection angle, which is the angle between a centerline along the longitudinal axis of the housing, and a longitudinal centerline of the strap (e.g. strap 6 / 7) from which the housing has been deflected. In various embodiments, such an angle may be at least 10, 20 or 30 degrees; in further embodiments, such an angle may be at most 60, 50 or 40 degrees. By way of a specific example, the housing 100 as depicted in Fig. 6 has been transversely deflected to a transverse deflection angle of approximately 30 degrees. (In Fig. 6, strap 10 / 12 has been omitted so that housing 100 can be seen more easily.) In some embodiments, the packaged trauma strap may be configured so that it can be pushed (e.g. manually by a user’s fingers) in either transverse direction in order to deploy the trauma strap. However, in some embodiments, a packaged trauma strap may have a preferred direction of pushing (e.g. generally forward, from the perspective of a user of the harness.)

[0053] As noted above, in some embodiments transverse deflectability of a packaged trauma strap and its housing may be achieved even if all of the components of the trauma strap, the housing, and the harness strap in which the packaged trauma strap is installed, are non-elastic. (Non-elastic is defined herein as having an elongation at break of 20 % or less.) That is, the requisite transverse deflection may be achieved at least in part by way of such non-elastic-but-flexible components exhibiting out-of-plane bending, crumpling, etc. as described above. However, in some embodiments, at least some such components may be elastic (defined herein as having an elongation at break of greater than 20 %). For example, in some embodiments the abovedescribed housing-affixing tab 120 may be made of elastic material. This can be achieved e.g. by making the entirety of housing 100 out of an elastic fabric; or, an elastic housing-affixing tab 120 may be provided in the form of e.g. an elastic fabric layer or sleeve that is attached to a (non-elastic) fabric housing 100. In various embodiments, any such component may be made of an elastic material that exhibits an elongation at break of greater than 50, 100, 200, or 500 %. In embodiments, in which an elastic material is used, it may be possible to transversely deflect the housing to a greater transverse deflection angle, e.g. of up to 70, 80 or 90 degrees.

[0054] In some embodiments, a second harness strap may be present and may comprise a webbing layer that extends through pocket 50 of strap 6 / 7. Such an arrangement is exemplified in Fig. 2, in which harness strap 10 / 12 includes a webbing layer 17 that extends through pocket 50. The presence of such a harness strap and its webbing layer will not hinder the ability of housing 100 to transversely deflect in the general manner disclosed herein. Rather, during the transverse deflecting, the inward wall 101 of housing 100 can simply slide along the surface of webbing layer 17. Of course, with such arrangements, no portion of housing 100 (in particular, inward wall 101 thereof) will be attached or connected to webbing layer 17 in a manner that might hinder the ability of housing 100 to transversely deflect.

[0055] As alluded to above, in some embodiments a housing 100 within which a trauma strap 200 is packaged, may be a substantially or essentially closed container in which, after the packaged trauma strap is transversely deflected, a user must manipulate (open) a closure in order to access the trauma strap. In some embodiments, such a user-manipulable closure may take the form of e.g. one or more zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, snap fasteners, magnetic fasteners, and so on. Such a user-manipulable closure may be provided at any suitable location of housing 100, e.g. at or in second end 106, at or in a transverse sidewall 104, at or in an outward wall 102, etc. In many such embodiments, an additional operation (to open the closure) will be needed, after the above-described transverse deflection, in order to extract the trauma strap from the housing.

[0056] In other embodiments, no such additional operation is needed. For example, in the exemplary arrangement shown in Fig. 3, second end 106 of housing 100 comprises an opening 107. Once housing 100 is sufficiently transversely deflected (e.g. to a position similar to that shown in Fig. 6), trauma strap 200 (e.g. second end 202 thereof) can be readily accessed by the user through opening 107, without the need for opening any closure of housing 100. The exemplary depiction of Fig. 3 shows considerable space adjacent opening 107 of housing 100; in actuality, a portion of webbing 54 of strap 6 / 7 may closely abut the second end 106 of housing 100 so that opening 107 of housing 100 is at least generally protected from rain, dust, and so on. In some embodiments, housing 100 may be provided with an opening that is equipped with, e.g. a rain shield, dust cover, or the like, with the shield or cover being easily removed or otherwise shifted so that the trauma strap can be accessed through the opening. In some embodiments, such a shield or cover may be connected to a webbing layer of the strap within which the packaged trauma strap is mounted, so that when the housing is transversely deflected, the shield or cover is automatically removed from its blocking position (e.g. the shield or cover may be connected to the strap-webbing so that the shield or cover is left behind by the opening of the housing, when the housing is transversely deflected). In another variation, an opening 107 in housing 100 may not necessarily be covered, but the compacted trauma strap 200 may be in a bag or wrapping or similar enclosure in which it is enclosed prior to being inserted into housing 100. In many embodiments, any such enclosure may mainly serve to protect the compacted trauma strap from water, dust, etc., and thus the enclosure may be flimsy enough that, after the packaged trauma strap is transversely deflected, the trauma strap can be easily liberated from the enclosure.

[0057] As discussed above, first longitudinal end 105 of housing 100 will be affixed, e.g. by way of a housingaffixing tab 120, to strap 6 / 7 that defines pocket 50 in which housing 100 is disposed. First longitudinal end

[0058] 105 of housing 100 will thus remain generally in place in its affixed location at first longitudinal end 51 of pocket 50, while the rest of housing 100, in particular its second longitudinal end 106, is transversely deflected. In some embodiments, second longitudinal end 106 of housing 100 will not be affixed or otherwise connected to strap 6 / 7. However, in some embodiments, a connection of housing 100 e.g. to one or more webbing layers 53 and / or 54 of strap 6 / 7, may be provided at a location that is generally proximate second longitudinal end

[0059] 106 of housing 100. Any such connection that serves to keep housing 100 (in particular, its second end 106) in place within pocket 50 until such time as the trauma strap is to be deployed, does not necessarily have to operate exactly at the second longitudinal end 106 of housing 100. Rather, such a connection or connections may occur at any location that is “generally proximate” second end 106. By generally proximate is meant any location that is closer to second end 106 than to first end 105. In some embodiments, such a connection will be disconnectable. In particular embodiments, such a connection may be configured so that it will automatically disconnect upon the user applying manual force to a transverse sidewall of the housing. In other words, such a connection will automatically disconnect to allow the desired transverse deflection of housing 100, without the user needing to do anything other than applying manual force to a transverse sidewall of the housing.

[0060] An exemplary disconnectable connection is generally indicated (e.g. in Figs. 3-4 and 7) by reference number 130 (noting that in Fig. 7, housing 100, and portions of inward and outward webbings 53 and 54 of strap 7, are exploded apart from each other along their longitudinal axis, and strap 6 is omitted, so that the components of disconnectable connection 130 are more easily visible). In the depicted embodiment, disconnectable connection 130 comprises a first, outward connecting structure 131 that is permanently attached to outward wall 102 of housing 100, at a location generally proximate second end 106 of housing 100. Disconnectable connection 130 further comprises a first, outward complementary connecting structure 132 that is permanently attached at least to outward webbing layer 54 of strap 6 / 7. Complementary connecting structure 132 comprises an active connecting area 133 that is configured to disconnectably connect to first connecting structure 131 of housing 100. Complementary connecting structure 132 further comprises a tail section 134 that extends longitudinally away from the active connecting area 133 of structure 132, and that is affixed to at least outward webbing layer 54 of strap 6 / 7. In the depicted embodiment, disconnectable connection 130 further comprises a second connecting structure 141 that is permanently attached to inward wall 101 of housing 100, again at a location generally proximate the second end 106 of housing 100. Disconnectable connection 130 further comprises a second, inward complementary connecting structure 142 that is permanently attached at least to inward webbing layer 53 of strap 6 / 7. Complementary connecting structure 142 comprises an active connecting area 143 that is configured to disconnectably connect to second connecting structure 141 of housing 100. Complementary connecting structure 142 further comprises a tail section 144 that extends away from the active connecting area 143 of structure 142, and that is affixed to at least inward webbing layer 53 of strap 6 / 7.

[0061] The depicted exemplary arrangement thus provides a disconnectable connection 130 of housing 100 to strap 6 / 7, in the form of an outward connection and an inward connection, so that the portion of housing 100 that is generally proximate its second end 106 is held in pocket 50 by the combined effects of the outward and inward connections. In some embodiments, such disconnectable connections may be provided by hook and loop fasteners. Thus for example, outward connecting structure 131 of housing 100 might take the form of a loop layer, with the active connecting area 133 of outward complementary connecting structure 132 then taking the form of a hook layer. Similarly, inward connecting structure 141 of housing 100 might take the form of a loop layer, with the active connecting area 143 of inward complementary connecting structure 142 then taking the form of a hook layer. Conversely, one or both connecting structures of housing 100 might comprise a hook layer, with the complementary connecting structure(s) comprising a loop layer. (Whatever the specific arrangement, the term “complementary” denotes that an active connecting area of a complementary connecting structure will have whatever type of connecting arrangement (e.g. a hook layer or a loop layer) is required in order to connect to the connecting structure of the housing.)

[0062] As noted, connection 130 (e.g. as provided by an inward connection, an outward connection, or a combination of both) will be a disconnectable connection. In some embodiments, it will be an automatically disconnectable connection. By this is meant that connection is configured so that as a user applies manual pressure to a transverse sidewall of housing 100, connection 130 will automatically disconnect so that housing 100 is able to transversely deflect in the manner described earlier herein. In other words, the connecting mechanism, as achieved e.g. by the interaction of one or more pairs of hook and loop layers, is configured so that it can be disrupted, and disconnected, as the result of manual pressure applied to a transverse sidewall of the housing. By definition, such an arrangement does not require the user to manipulate the connecting structure(s) or complementary connecting structure(s) as a preliminary step (or as a concurrent step) in order for the transverse deflection to proceed. Such arrangements can enhance the security with which housing 100 is held within a pocket 50 of a harness strap, while nevertheless allowing housing 100 to be easily transversely deflected in the event that trauma strap 200 is to be deployed.

[0063] A hook or loop layer of the connecting structure, and a complementary loop or hook layer of the complementary connecting structure, will each comprise a major plane, which will typically be aligned with (parallel to) each other. When the hook layer and the loop layer are mated together to form the connection, these major planes will at least generally coincide with each other. The arrangements disclosed herein can provide that when manual force is applied to the first or second transverse sidewall of the housing to cause the desired transverse deflection of the housing, this force will may be at least initially oriented generally in-plane with the major plane of the merged hook and loop layers. It has been found that continued application of this force can cause the merged hook and loop layers to come apart from each other, even though the initial application of the force is generally in-plane (so as to initially subject the merged hook and loop layers to a shear force rather than to a peel force as is commonly used to separate hook and loop layers). It is postulated that the flexibility of the various components allows them to deform from their initial condition, in a manner that allows the hook and loop layers to be separated from each other.

[0064] An outward connecting structure 131 can be affixed to an outward wall 102 of housing 100 by any suitable mechanism. The same holds for the affixing of an inward connecting structure 141 to an inward wall 101 of housing 100. Thus for example, such a connecting may take the form of a hook or loop patch that is affixed to a housing wall by stitching, ultrasonic bonding, adhesive bonding, and so on. Similarly, a tail section of a complementary connecting structure can be affixed to an inward and / or outward webbing layer of a harness strap, by stitching, ultrasonic bonding, adhesive bonding, and so on. In some embodiments, a complementary connecting structure may not necessarily comprise a tail section by which the complementary connecting structure is bonded to a webbing layer. Rather, in some embodiments a complementary connecting structure may consist essentially of a hook or loop patch that is affixed to a webbing layer by stitching, ultrasonic bonding, adhesive bonding, and so on, at a location where it can connect to a connecting structure of housing 100.

[0065] Further variations are possible. For example, a connecting structure of housing 100 may comprise multiple discrete hook patches and / or loop patches or a mixture thereof. A complementary connecting structure will comprise suitable loop patches and / or hook patches or a mixture thereof, arranged and positioned to connect to the patches of the connecting structure of the housing. In some embodiments, mechanical connectors other than hook and loop connectors may be used. In some embodiments, such a mechanical connector may take the form of a pair of patches comprising pins or posts with enlarged (e.g. generally mushroom-shaped) heads that can reversibly interlock so that the patches can be mated together and detached from each other. Interlocking mechanical connectors of this general type are exemplified by the products available from 3M Company, St. Paul, MN, under the trade designation DUAL-LOCK. Other potentially useful mechanical connectors are disclosed in U.S. Patents 4875259, 5201101, 5344177, 5360270, and 6223401. Any such mechanical connector may be configured to automatically disconnect as the result of manual pressure applied to housing 100 to cause housing 100 to transversely deflect. Other disconnectable connection schemes may be envisioned, e.g. a set of snaps, magnets, and so on. In some embodiments, a trauma strap 200 may be provided as a pre-packaged module that includes trauma strap 200, housing 100, and some or all of the items that will provide disconnectable connection 130. Such a module can then be inserted into a pocket 50 of a harness strap and secured in place. For example, a module may be provided in the general manner described earlier herein, in which trauma strap 200 is within housing 100, with housing 100 comprising a housing-affixing tab 120, and with trauma strap 200 comprising a trauma-strap-affixing portion 203, that will allow the first end 105 of housing 100, and the first end 201 of trauma strap 200, to be affixed to webbing layers of a harness strap. In such a module, housing 100 may also have an above-described inward and / or outward connecting structure affixed thereto. Such a module may also include an above-described inward complementary connecting structure, and / or an outward complementary connecting structure. Such a complementary connecting structure will be disconnectably connected to its counterpart connecting structure.

[0066] Such a pre-made module can thus be brought to a harness assembly line and inserted into a pocket 50 of a harness. (Strictly speaking, a pocket 50 will not be fully formed until the webbing layers are affixed at first and second web-affixing locations 57 and 58. Nevertheless, for ease of description, an incipient or latent pocket-to-be-formed will generally be referred to herein as a pocket. Similarly, a harness may not be fully formed until various strap- affixing s are completed; nevertheless, for ease of description, an incipient harness- to-be, e.g. in the form of a set of partially-affixed lengths of webbing, will generally be referred to herein as a harness.) The housing-affixing tab 120 of housing 100, and the trauma- strap -affixing portion 203 of trauma strap 200, can be positioned in between inward and outward webbing layers of strap 6 / 7 at a desired first webbing-affixing location 57, and all the layers can then be affixed together. Similarly, a tail section of a complementary connecting structure (e.g., tail sections 134 and 144 of outward and inward complementary connecting structures) can be positioned between inward and outward webbing layers 53 and 54 of strap 6 / 7 at a second webbing-affixing location 58, and all the layers can then be affixed together. Such a modular approach, in which housing 100 is already equipped with one or more complementary connecting structures when brought to a harness-assembly line, can provide that minimum procedures and manipulations are required in the harness-assembly line in order to install the packaged trauma strap, its housing, and its connecting structure(s), in the harness. In many embodiments, a packaged trauma strap as installed in a harness, may be positioned and oriented so that an opening 107 (or, in general, an openable closure) of housing 100 may face generally downward and / or forward when the harness is worn by a user. This can provide that the end 203 of trauma strap can be easily accessed via opening 107 and that the elongate length of trauma strap 200 can be most easily withdrawn from housing 100 through opening 107.

[0067] Many variations are encompassed within the disclosures herein. For example, in some embodiments the second end 202 of trauma strap 200 may be equipped with a pull tab that can make it easier for a user to withdraw second end 202 of trauma strap 200 from housing 100. In a variation of such approaches, a small cord, strand or other such item may be provided, whose first end is attached to the second end 202 of trauma strap 200 and whose second end is atached to a webbing layer of the harness, e.g. at a location proximate the second end 52 of the pocket 50 in which the packaged trauma strap is located. Upon housing 100 being transversely deflected as disclosed herein, the small cord will pull second end 202 of trauma strap out of housing 100 so that second end 202 is easily graspable. Such a cord may be configured to be weak enough so that, having served its “rip cord” function, it can then be easily broken by the user in order to fully extend and deploy the trauma strap. In some embodiments, housing 120 may comprise a pull tab, a small graspable loop, or the like, which can serve as a handle by which the housing 120 can be manually transversely deflected by pulling. This could be provided either as an adjunct to, or instead of, the previously-described transverse deflection by pushing.

[0068] In another variation, a housing-affixing tab 120 of housing 100 (e.g., in the form of inward and outward fabric layers 121 and 122) need not necessarily be directly atached, or affixed, to a webbing layer (e.g. webbing layer 53 or 54) of a harness strap. It will of course be necessary for trauma strap 200 to be connected (directly or indirectly) to a webbing layer of a harness strap, since trauma strap 200, when deployed and used, must be able to transmit the load of a suspended user to the harness. However, a housing 100 need not serve such a function. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a tab 120 of housing 100 may be affixed to trauma strap 200 itself (e.g. at or very close to the previously-described trauma-strap-affixing portion 203 of the trauma strap), without tab 120 necessarily being affixed to a webbing layer of a harness strap. Housing 100 will nevertheless be held in position within pocket 50 by virtue of its first end being affixed to trauma strap 200, and will otherwise serve in the manner described herein.

[0069] In other variations, a housing-affixing tab 120 of housing 120, and / or a trauma- strap -affixing portion 203 of trauma strap 200, can be affixed to one or more harness straps by some arrangement other than by stitching. Possible arrangements include e.g. ultrasonic bonding, adhesive bonding, and so on. In some embodiments, tab 120 and / or portion 203 may be affixed to one or more harness straps by providing a loop at an end of the tab or portion to define an opening through which the remainder of the tab or portion is passed. This will form a “choker” connection of the general type disclosed e.g. in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2020 / 065457. In a variation of such approaches, an auxiliary connector may be provided that passes through an end-loop in a tab 120 and / or portion 203, with the auxiliary connector being the item that is provided with an additional end-loop through which the remainder of the auxiliary connector is passes, to form a “choker” type connection.

[0070] In still another variation, in some embodiments a connection 130 between second end 106 of housing 100, and strap 6 / 7, may not be disconnectable. However, in any such embodiment, housing 100, trauma strap 200, and the various other components will be configured so that at least a major portion of housing 100 can be transversely deflected in the manner disclosed herein, so that trauma strap 200 can be extracted from housing 100. The exemplary arrangements presented herein depict a packaged trauma strap that is disposed in a pocket 50 of a particular harness strap (i.e., in strap 6 / 7, which, according to the terminology used herein, is at the meeting -point of a lower-back strap 6 and a frontal-thigh strap 7, and is located proximate a hip of the user of the harness). Also as depicted herein, pocket 50 is located at an intersection of strap 6 / 7 with strap 10 / 12 as discussed earlier herein. Such a location may be convenient in many aspects, again as discussed earlier. However, in general, a pocket in which a packaged trauma strap can be disposed, can be provided at any location of any harness strap, as desired. For example, in some embodiments a packaged trauma strap could be installed in a pocket that is formed in a strap of the general type, orientation and location exemplified by strap 10 / 12 of Fig. 2. (In such embodiments, the roles of strap 6 / 7 and strap 10 / 12 could swap, e.g. with strap 10 / 12 having a pocket containing the packaged trauma strap and with strap 6 / 7 having a webbing layer that passes through the pocket without interfering with the ability of the packaged trauma strap to be transversely deflected.)

[0071] Also, the previous discussions herein have been focused on arrangements in which a pocket 50 is formed between at least first and second webbing layers (e.g., webbing layers 53 and 54) that are load-bearing webbing layers of the fall-protection safety harness. By load-bearing is meant that a webbing layer helps to support the load caused by the weight of a user that has experienced a fall event and is now suspended, supported by the harness. However, in some embodiments, at least one webbing layer that defines a pocket in which a packaged trauma strap is disposed, may be an ancillary webbing layer (e.g. a webbing layer that bears little or none of the load of a suspended user). Rather, in some such embodiments, the ancillary webbing layer may be present purely for the purpose of forming a pocket. Such an ancillary webbing layer might take the form of, e.g., a relatively short length of webbing that is affixed to a load-bearing webbing layer at first and second web-affixing locations, with the ancillary webbing layer having an excess length so as to provide a pocket. Such an arrangement may perform as described earlier herein, except that the ancillary webbing layer does not contribute to supporting the weight of a fallen user. Such arrangements offer further possibilities. For example, one or both ends of a pocket-defining ancillary webbing layer may be disconnectably connected to the load-bearing webbing layer (e.g. by way of hook and loop layers, by way of weak stitching, etc.) rather than being permanently affixed thereto. Such an arrangement may offer an additional, e.g. back-up, mode of operation, in which the end of the ancillary webbing layer can be disconnected from the load-bearing webbing layer if this is needed in order to more easily access the housing (whether or not the housing has been transversely deflected).

[0072] Still further, in some embodiments a housing that is installed in a pocket of a fall-protection safety harness so as to be transversely deflectable in the general manner discussed herein, does not necessarily have to be a housing for a trauma strap. Rather, such a housing may be incorporated into a pocket of a harness to provide a convenient place to store any of a variety of possible items that may need to be accessed. The exemplary harness 1 as depicted in Fig. 1 herein is but one example of a fall-protection safety harness with which the herein-disclosed arrangements may be used. The exemplary harness disclosed in Fig. 1 is of a general type exemplified by, e.g., the 3M DBI-SALA EXOFIT Plus Vest-Style Hamess, as described and depicted in the 3M DBI-SALA Fall Protection Full Line Catalogue (2022). Fall-protection safety harnesses are available in a myriad of designs and configurations (e.g. crossover-style, vest-style, constructionstyle, and so on), as presented e.g. in the 3M DBI-SALA Fall Protection Full Line Catalogue (2022). Some such harnesses may comprise, e.g., an additional frontal waist strap (not present in the harness of Fig. 1) that extends generally horizontally across the frontal waist region of the user, in the general manner exemplified by the 3M DBI-SALA EXOFIT STRATA Construction-Style Hamess, as described and depicted in the 3M DBI-SALA Fall Protection Full Line Catalogue (2022). The arrangements disclosed herein, in which a pocket is provided in a harness strap and a packaged trauma strap (or other item) is disposed in the pocket so as to be transversely deflectable, may be used with any such harness, as long as the harness does not have any component that would interfere with the transverse deflection of the packaged item.

[0073] Such harnesses may be fitted with various pads (e.g. shoulder pads, chest pad, and waist / hip pads, etc.) to enhance the comfort of the harness, as well as various buckles, latches, connectors, auto-locking quickconnectors, lanyard keepers, loops, webbing guides, tool holders, weight-distribution members, additional D- rings, and so on. Such components and exemplary arrangements of such components are not discussed in detail herein; some such components and arrangements are described in, for example, U.S. Patents 8959664, 9174073, and 10137322, and in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2022 / 0080233 and 2023 / 0320463, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. Numerous fall-protection harnesses, comprising various arrangements, features and components, are described in the 3M DBI-SALA Fall Protection Full Line Catalogue (2022).

[0074] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specific exemplary elements, structures, features, details, configurations, etc., that are disclosed herein can be modified and / or combined in numerous embodiments. All such variations and combinations are contemplated by the inventor as being within the bounds of the conceived invention, not merely those representative designs that were chosen to serve as exemplary illustrations. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the specific illustrative structures described herein, but rather extends at least to the structures described by the language of the claims, and the equivalents of those structures. Any of the elements that are positively recited in this specification as alternatives may be explicitly included in the claims or excluded from the claims, in any combination as desired. Any of the elements or combinations of elements that are recited in this specification in open-ended language (e.g., comprise and derivatives thereof), are considered to additionally be recited in closed-ended language (e.g., consist and derivatives thereof) and in partially closed-ended language (e.g., consist essentially, and derivatives thereof). Although various theories and possible mechanisms may have been discussed herein, in no event should such discussions serve to limit the claimable subject matter. To the extent that there is any conflict or discrepancy between this specification as written and the disclosure in any document that is incorporated by reference herein but to which no priority is claimed, this specification as written will control.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fall-protection safety harness comprising: a trauma strap located within a pocket of an elongate strap of the harness; wherein the pocket has an inward-outward axis, a transverse axis, and a longitudinal axis that is aligned with a long axis of the elongate harness strap, the pocket being defined by inward and outward webbing layers of the harness strap that are separated from each other in an inward-outward direction along a portion of the harness strap to form the pocket, with the inward and outward webbing layers being affixed to each other at first and second webbing-affixing locations that respectively flank first and second longitudinal ends of the pocket; wherein the trauma strap is packaged in a housing located within the pocket and comprising at least an inward wall, an outward wall, first and second transverse sidewalls, an inward-outward axis, a transverse axis, a longitudinal axis, and first and second longitudinally-opposing ends, with the deflectable housing comprising a housing-affixing tab at the first end of the deflectable housing, wherein the trauma strap comprises a first end and a second end, the first end comprising a trauma-strap-affixing portion, wherein the housing-affixing tab of the housing, and the trauma-strap-affixing portion of the trauma strap, both extend into the first webbing -affixing location at which the inward and outward webbing layers of the harness trap are permanently affixed to each other, so that at the first webbingaffixing location, the inward and outward webbing layers of the harness strap, the housing-affixing tab of the housing, and the trauma-strap-affixing portion of the trauma strap, are all affixed together, and, wherein the housing in which the trauma strap is packaged is configured to be transversely deflectable in a deflection direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the deflectable housing, the longitudinal axis of the pocket, and the long axis of the harness strap that comprises the pocket, and that is generally perpendicular to the inward-outward axis of the deflectable housing and the inward-outward axis of the pocket, so that manual force applied to the first or second transverse sidewall of the transversely-deflectable housing causes the housing to transversely deflect so that the deflectable housing is at least partially out of the pocket so that the second end of the trauma strap can be removed from the deflectable housing.

2. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 1 wherein the transversely-deflectable housing is configured to be transversely deflectable by way of pivoting about a pivot axis that is oriented generally along the inward-outward axis of the deflectable housing and of the pocket, and that that passes generally through the first web-affixing location.

3. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 2 wherein the transversely-deflectable housing is configured so that the pivoting of the housing occurs generally in a plane that includes the longitudinal axis of the pocket and of the housing and that includes the transverse axis of the pocket and of the housing.

4. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 1 wherein the housing-affixing tab of the transversely- deflectable housing comprises a two-layer structure with an inward layer that is an extension of the inward wall of the housing and with an outward layer that is an extension of the outward wall of the housing, with the trauma-strap-affixing portion of the trauma strap being sandwiched between the inward and outward layers of the housing-affixing tab of the housing and with the inward and outward layers of the housing-affixing tab of the housing being sandwiched between the inward and outward webbing layers of the harness strap, at the first webbing-affixing location.

5. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 1 wherein the inward and outward webbing layers of the harness strap, the housing-affixing tab of the transversely-deflectable housing, and the trauma-strap-affixing portion of the trauma strap, are all affixed together at the first webbing-affixing location by way of stitching that passes through the inward and outward webbing layers of the harness strap, the inward and outward layers of the housing-affixing tab of the housing, and the trauma-strap-affixing portion of the trauma strap.

6. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 1 wherein the transversely-deflectable housing is comprised of a single piece of flexible fabric that integrally includes the inward wall, the outward wall, the first and second transverse sidewalls, and the housing-affixing tab of the housing.

7. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 1 wherein the transversely-deflectable housing comprises a disconnectable connection to the harness strap at a location that is generally proximate the second end of the housing, the disconnectable connection being configured so that upon the manual force being applied to the first or second transverse sidewall of the housing, the disconnectable connection between the housing and the harness strap will disconnect to allow the housing to be transversely deflected so as to be at least partially out of the pocket.

8. The fall -protection safety harness of claim 7 wherein the disconnectable connection comprises a connecting structure that is permanently attached to the outward or inward wall of the housing and a complementary connecting structure that is respectively permanently attached to the outward or inward webbing layer of the harness strap, the connecting structure and the complementary connecting structure being configured to remain connected to each other while the housing remains within the pocket and beingconfigured to disconnect from each other upon the manual force being applied to the first or second transverse sidewall of the housing.

9. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 8 wherein the complementary connecting structure of the outward or inward webbing layer of the harness strap comprises an active connecting area that is configured to be connected to the connecting structure of the housing, with the complementary connecting structure further comprising a tail section that extends from the active connecting area into the second webbing -affixing location of the outward and inward webbing layers of the harness strap so that the tail section of the complementary connecting structure is permanently affixed to the outward and / or inward webbing layer of the harness strap.

10. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 8 wherein the disconnectable connection comprises an outward disconnectable connection comprising an outward connecting structure that is permanently attached to the outward wall of the housing and a complementary outward connecting structure that is permanently attached to the outward webbing layer of the harness strap; and, wherein the disconnectable connection comprises an inward disconnectable connection comprising an inward connecting structure that is permanently attached to the inward wall of the housing and an inward complementary connecting structure that is permanently attached to the inward webbing layer of the harness strap.

11. The fall -protection safety harness of claim 8 wherein the connecting structure comprises a hook or loop layer that is permanently affixed to the outward or inward wall of the housing and wherein the complementary connecting structure respectively comprises a complementary loop or hook layer that is permanently affixed to the outward or inward webbing layer of the harness strap.

12. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 10 wherein the hook or loop layer of the connecting structure and the complementary loop or hook layer of the complementary connecting structure, each comprise a major plane that is oriented so that manual force that is applied to the first or second transverse sidewall of the housing, will be oriented at least generally in-plane with the major plane of the hook or loop layer of the connecting structure and with the major plane of the complementary loop or hook layer of the complementary connecting structure.

13. The fall -protection safety harness of claim 1 wherein the transversely-deflectable housing is open at its second end and is configured so that the transverse deflecting of the housing causes the open second end of the housing to be outside of the pocket so that the second end of the trauma strap can be removed from the housing through the open second end of the deflectable housing.

14. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 13 with the proviso that the transverse deflecting of the housing places the second end of the trauma strap in a condition in which it can be removed from the housing without any other manipulation being required in order to place the second end of the trauma strap in the condition in which it can be removed from the housing.

15. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 1 wherein the elongate strap of the harness that comprises the pocket in which the transversely-deflectable housing is located, is located proximate a hip of a user when the harness is worn by the user, and further wherein the inward webbing layer and the outward webbing layer that form the pocket, are portions of a single elongate webbing, the inward webbing layer being provided by a penultimate section of the single elongate webbing and the outward webbing layer being provided by an end section of the single elongate webbing that is turned back on the penultimate section of the single elongate webbing, with the penultimate section of the single elongate webbing and the end section of the single elongate webbing being affixed to each other at the first and second webbing-affixing locations, and with the harness being configured so that when the harness is worn by a user, the pocket, and the transversely-deflectable housing, are located generally proximate the hip of the user.

16. The fall-protection safety harness of claim 15 wherein the harness further comprises a second elongate strap that comprises at least one webbing layer that extends through the pocket in a direction generally perpendicular to the long axis of the elongate strap that comprises the pocket, with the at least one webbing layer that extends through the pocket, being located inward of the transversely-deflectable housing.

17. A method of installing a trauma strap in a fall-protection safety harness, the method comprising: positioning a pre-packaged trauma strap between an inward webbing layer and an outward webbing layer of an elongate strap of the fall -protection safety harness, the trauma strap being pre-packaged in a housing that comprises inward and outward walls, first and second transverse sidewalls, and first and second longitudinally-opposing ends, with the housing comprising a housing-affixing tab at the first end of the deflectable housing and with the trauma strap comprising a first end that comprises a trauma-strap-affixing portion, affixing the trauma-strap affixing portion of the trauma strap, the housing-affixing tab of the first end of the housing, the inward webbing layer, and the outward webbing layer, together at a first webbing-affixing location; wherein the housing further comprises, proximate a second end of the housing, a connecting structure that is permanently attached to the outward or inward wall of the housing and a complementary connecting structure that is disconnectably pre-connected to the connecting structure and that comprises a tail section, andwherein the method of installation comprises a step of affixing the tail section of the complementary connecting structure, the inward webbing layer, and the outward webbing layer, together at a second webbingaffixing location, and wherein the affixing of the inward and outward webbing layers at the first and second webbingaffixing locations define a pocket located longitudinally between the first and second webbing-affixing locations, the packaged trauma strap being located within the pocket and being deflectable generally transversely outward from the pocket.

18. A method of removing a trauma strap from a deflectable housing of a fall-protection safety harness, the method comprising: applying manual force to a first or second transverse sidewall of the deflectable housing, the deflectable housing being located in a pocket defined between inward and outward webbing layers of a harness strap, the inward and outward webbing layers being separated from each other in an inward-outward direction along a portion of the harness strap to form the pocket, with the inward and outward webbing layers being affixed to each other at first and second webbing-affixing locations that respectively flank first and second longitudinal ends of the pocket; wherein the applying of the manual force to the first or second transverse sidewall of the deflectable housing causes at least a portion of the deflectable housing to deflect in a transverse deflection direction that is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the deflectable housing, a longitudinal axis of the pocket, and a long axis of the harness strap that comprises the pocket, and that is generally perpendicular to an inwardoutward axis of the deflectable housing and an inward-outward axis of the pocket, so that at least the portion of the deflectable housing is transversely deflected at least partially out of the pocket, and, removing a second end of the trauma strap from the deflectable housing.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein a first end of the deflectable housing is affixed to the inward and outward webbing layers at the first webbing-affixing location, and wherein the deflectable housing comprises a disconnectable connection to the harness strap at a location that is proximate a second end of the deflectable housing, the disconnectable connection being configured so that upon the manual force being applied to the first or second transverse sidewall of the deflectable housing, the disconnectable connection between the deflectable housing and the harness strap will disconnect to allow the deflectable housing to be transversely deflected by way of pivoting about a pivot axis that is oriented generally along the inward-outward axis of the deflectable housing and of the pocket and that that passes generally through the first web-affixing location.

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