Patent Grant
8438664
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rescue harness devices that are designed to be incorporated into protective coats of firefighter or other types of first responders and, more specifically, protective coats equipped with integrated rescue harness devices that when deployed, are designed to form a closed harness loop that cinches around an upper torso region under the armpits of an individual donning the protective coat, to thereby positively secure the individual and pull directly on the body.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Firefighters and other first responders to protect against heat, smoke and other harsh environmental conditions use various types of equipment. For instance, tire fighters typically wear protective, tire retardant coats and pants (turnout gear), etc. In addition, firefighters carry on their back an air tank of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) attached to a harness. While this protective gear is essential to safety, the protective equipment can make it very difficult to remove an unconscious or otherwise incapacitated firefighter from a building. Indeed, experience has shown that under various emergent circumstances, it is extremely difficult to remove a downed firefighter from a hazardous location unless some particular rescue device is employed to assist in effective and rapid removal.
Recently, consideration has been given to revise the Current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, in particular, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1971, to require that a DRD (drag rescue device) be incorporated into turnout coats of firefighters.
In general, a DRD is some form of strap or harness device that is installed in the turnout coat for the purpose of assisting in the removal of a downed firefighter by allowing other firefighters to engage the DRD and drag the downed firefighter to safety.
Various methods for implementing a standard DRD device have been proposed. For instance, some DRD designs have been proposed which are premised on the use of a SCBA harness as a removal mechanism. However, history has proven that during emergency situations, many firefighters actually remove the SCBA and are typically found unconscious without wearing the SCBA. In this regard, during an emergent situation, it can be difficult or virtually impossible for a firefighter to put the SCBA back on the fallen firefighter to thereby deploy the removal device.
Other devices and methods have been proposed for incorporating a rescue harness as part of the protective coat of firefighters. Some rescue harness designs are based on built in harness configurations where the harness straps are attached to the protective gear in such a manner that the protective gear itself is utilized to drag a person when the harness is deployed. These harness designs are not particularly effective as the protective gear is not sufficient to securely maintain an individual that is being dragged. Other harness designs that have been proposed are complex configurations that require a firefighter to manually engage many fasteners and make various adjustments, which can be burdensome. In emergent situations, a firefighter may not have the time or desire to fully or properly engage the rescue harness, rendering the harness ineffective or useless in an emergency situation. Moreover, such complex designs can be bulky and physically restrictive when donning the protective gear.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention include rescue harness devices that are incorporated into protective coats of firefighters or other types of first responders. For example, in one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a rescue harness device for use with a coat includes an elongated harness strap having a first end and a second end, and a harness handle coupled to the elongated harness strap. The rescue harness device is adapted to be incorporated inside the coat where the first and second ends of the elongated harness strap are disposed in a front region of the coat to allow an individual donning the coat to readily connect the first and second ends of the elongated harness strap and form a closed harness loop inside the coat, which encircles the upper torso region under the armpits of the individual. The rescue harness device is further adapted to be incorporated inside the coat such that the harness handle is disposed in a back region of the coat and coupled to a portion of the harness strap disposed in the back region of the coat, and such that the harness handle can be accessed through an opening formed in the exterior upper back region of the coat.
In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a coat equipped with a rescue harness device includes an outer shell, an inner shell, and an opening formed in the outer shell in an upper back region of the coat. The rescue harness device includes an elongated harness strap having a first end and a second end, wherein the elongated strap is disposed between the outer and inner shells with the first and second ends of the elongated strap disposed in a front region of the coat. A connector is included to connect the first and second ends of the harness strap, to form a closed harness loop that encircles an upper torso region under an armpit region of the coat. A harness handle is coupled to the elongated harness strap in the back region of the coat, wherein the harness handle is disposed for access through the opening formed in the outer shell in the upper back region of the coat. The rescue harness device is designed such that when deployed, the closed harness loop cinches around an upper torso region under the armpits of an individual donning the protective coat, to thereby positively secure the individual and pull directly on the body.
These and other exemplary embodiments, aspects, features and advantages, of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, that is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
In one exemplary embodiment of the invention as illustrated in
The harness strap (11) may be formed of any suitable strapping or webbing material that is rated for a desired strength and durability for the intended purposes. For example, in firefighting applications, the harness strap (11) may be a flexible, 1″˜2″ tubular webbing that is formed of non-abrading and flame-resistant material using, for example, aramid fibers such as Kevlar® and Nomex®. In other exemplary embodiment, the harness strap (11) may be formed of nylon, polyester or other materials that are suitable for the given application.
The harness handle (12) is a metallic ring element (e.g., D-ring) that includes a ring portion (12a) and strap receiving portion (12b). The ring portion (12a) provides means for engaging the harness handle (12) by hand or connecting the harness handle (12) to a safety line device or other equipment. In one embodiment of the invention, the harness strap (11) is looped through the strap receiving portion (12b) of the handle (12) such that the handle (12) is slideably engaged with the harness strap (11). In other words, the handle (12) is not fixedly attached at some point along the length of the harness strap (11) but rather the handle (12) can slide along the length of the harness strap (11) as necessary, or the harness strap (11) can readily pass through the opening (12b) as necessary. In this manner, the handle (12) does not restrict movement and positioning of the harness strap (11) when the handle (12) is in a stowed position, and allows the handle (12) to self-position at the apex of a closed harness loop formed by the harness strap (11) during deployment of the rescue harness (10) so as to self-equalize the forces in the harness strap (11) and ensure that the entire harness strap remains taut on both side of the handle (12) during deployment. In other embodiments, the handle (12) may be fixedly coupled to a point on the harness strap (11), e.g., at a midpoint between the, first and second ends (11a/11b).
The elongated strap (14) preferably includes a beaded portion (14b) having one or more beads to form a harness handle (15). The beaded portion (14b) allows for easier grip and avoids the problems associated with loop-type handles that can become tangled or caught on exterior objects during a firefighter's or first responder's use. The beads of the beaded portion (14b) are positioned such that the fire fighter(s) or first responder(s) can easily grip the handle with one or two hands to pull the downed fire fighter or first responder to safety.
A further preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the beaded handle (14b) located in the front chest region of the firefighter or first responder (not shown), wherein the beaded handle (14b) is preferably connected either adjacent to, and attached at least one point, or surrounding the connector (13), and attached at least two points.
The exemplary rescue harness devices (10) and (10′) can be readily incorporated into a protective coat in a seamless manner using exemplary methods as described herein below. In general, the exemplary rescue harness devices (10) and (10′) are adapted to be fitted on the inside of a protective coat, such that the first and second ends (11a) and (11b) of the elongated harness strap (11) are disposed in a front region of the coat to allow an individual donning the coat to readily connect the first and second ends (11a/11b) using the connector (13) to form a closed harness loop in the interior of the coat which encircles an upper chest region under the armpits of the individual. Moreover, the rescue harness devices (10) and (10′) are adapted to be fitted on the inside of a protective coat, such that the harness handles (12) or (15) are disposed in a back region of the coat, and can be accessed through an opening formed in the exterior upper back region of the coat.
For instance,
In particular,
As illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
As generally illustrated in
As depicted in
Depending on the desired application, the connecting ends (11a/11b) of the harness strap (11) may be fixedly attached, removably attached, or completely unattached to the protective coat (20). For example,
In other embodiments, the connecting ends (11a/11b) of the harness strap (11) can be fixedly or removably attached to the outer shell (21) and/or the cover flap (23) such that the first and second mating connector elements (13a/13b) are adapted to serve as a closure mechanism for closing the coat. For instance, in
Reinforcement layers (31) are preferably employed to maintain the integrity of the outer shell (21) in the regions where the slits (30) are formed. For example, the reinforcement layers (31) may comprise patches formed of strong flexible material, such as leather patches, which are stitched on the interior surface of the outer shell (21) as shown in
Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 3C′, the harness handle (12) is disposed on the exterior of the outer shell (21) in the upper back region of the coat (20) just below the neck region. A reinforced slit or aperture (32) is formed in the outer shell (21), which is designed to allow passage of the strap (11) when the harness (10) is deployed, while preventing the handle (12) from passing through to the inside of the outer shell (21). A reinforcement device (33) may be provided to maintain the integrity of the outer shell (21). For example, as noted above, the reinforcement device (33) may comprise strong flexible material such as leather that is stitched on the inside of the outer shell (21). The aperture (32) may be further reinforced with a metallic or otherwise heat resistant material around a perimeter thereof (e.g., oval ring or frame structure) as a means to withstand damage or ripping of the material due to fray and frictional forces from the strap (11) material during deployment of the harness (10).
As depicted in
Similarly, as depicted in
It is to be appreciated that the rescue harness devices (10) and (10′) are incorporated in the protective coat (20) such that when deployed, the harness straps (11) form a closed harness loop that cinches across the chest region and under the armpits and around the back region to positively secure the individual donning the coat and pull directly on the body.
When the rescue harness (10′) is deployed by pulling the harness handle (15), the elongated strap (14) extends out from the aperture (32). In this exemplary embodiment, the length of the harness strap (11) and elongated strap (14) can be designed such that when the drag harness device (10′) is deployed, the first end (14a) of the strap (14) does not extend out, from the aperture (32) at the point where the harness strap (11) is tightly secured around an individual being dragged (or lifted).
In addition,
Moreover, as depicted in
In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a readily removable fire retardant and protective flap can be located on the outer shell (21) to cover the exposed harness handle (12) when the harness is not deployed. For instance, the flap can be made of the same or similar material as the outer shell (21) and fastened in place using Velcro, for instance. A cover flap can be placed over the exposed portion of the access handle (12) or (15) to protect the handle (12) or (15) and exposed portions of the harness strap (11) from harsh environmental conditions and protect against accidental deployment and pulling of the handle (12).
Other exemplary embodiments for integrating the harness devices (10) or (10′) in the protective coat (20) will now be discussed with reference to
The inner flaps (26) include apertures (50) formed in a chest region of the coat (20). The apertures (50) allow the ends (11a/11b) of the harness strap (11) with the connectors (13a/13b) to extend from the cavity region between the outer shell (21) and inner shell (22) such that the ends (11a/11b) of the harness strap (11) with the connectors (13a/13b) are disposed inside the coat (20) near the edges (E) of the left and right chest panel regions (21a, 21b) near the front opening of the coat (20).
In one exemplary embodiment, the harness strap (11) is not fixedly attached to the coat (20). Various methods may be used to ensure that the connecting ends (11a/11b) of the strap (11) are maintained exposed in proper place in the chest region, e.g., that the ends of the strap (11) do not slip through the apertures (50) and into the inner region between the outer shell (21) and inner shell (22).
For instance, in one exemplary embodiment, the inner aperture (50) can be shaped and dimensioned relative to the connector fasteners (13a/13b) such that the fasteners (13a/13b) could not easily slip through the inner apertures (50). In one embodiment, when the inner apertures (50) are designed to prohibit passage of the fasteners (13a/13b), then one or both of the fasteners (13a or 13b) can be removably attached to the respective ends (11a, 11b) of the harness strap (11) using tri-bar-type fasteners, for example, so that the fasteners can be removed and thereby allow the strap ends (11a/11b) to pass through the apertures (50). In another exemplary embodiment, the fasteners (13a/13b) can be designed to be smaller in one dimension that the size of the apertures (50) such that the fasteners (13a/13b) can be physically manipulated through the respective apertures (50) when removing the rescue harness device (10) or (10′), but yet will not readily pass through the apertures (50) under normal usage of the coat (20).
In other exemplary embodiments of the invention, the connecting ends (11a/11b) of the harness strap (11) can be maintained in a removably fixed position using Velcro or snap button fasteners, and the like. For instance, as depicted in
In such embodiment, the fasteners (51/52) can be positioned such that the harness fasteners (13a/13b) can be engaged either with or without detaching the ends of the strap (11) from the inner flap (26). Even when the connecting ends of the strap (11) remain attached to the inner flap (26) (via fasteners (51/52) when the harness (10) is engaged (i.e. the ends (11a/11b) of the strap (11) are coupled via connector (13)), the fastener portions (51/52) can be designed to decouple from each other due to the pulling force that is exerted when the harness (10) or (10′) is deployed, thereby allowing the harness strap (11) to even more freely move and tightly cinch around the torso of the individual.
It is to be understood that the embodiments described above are merely exemplary of general inventive concepts of the invention. The manner in which the rescue harness devices (10) or (10′) can be integrated within a protective coat, can vary depending on the intended application, the construction of the coat, and other factors and considerations that one or ordinary skill in the art would readily consider. For instance, in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 3A/3B, the rescue harness is integrated such that an aperture is formed in a region of the outer shell (21) that is covered by the storm flap (23). In such instance, the aperture (30) in the shell (21) could be covered by the storm flap (23) preventing the external elements from entering through the aperture (30) into the inner space between the inner and outer shells (22) and (21) (although protective patches may be formed over the apertures (30) on the interior surface of the outer shell (21)).
In another embodiment, the fasteners (51/52) in
It is to be further understood that the exemplary drag rescue harness devices depicted in
In exemplary embodiments of the invention as described herein, the harness device (10) is integrated in a manner such that the harness device (10) operates completely or substantially independently of the protective coat and such that when deployed, the harness (10) secures/cinches the firefighter by the upper torso/shoulders and pulls directly on the body, not the protective coat. The exemplary harness frameworks provide cost effective designs that enable ease of integration with existing protective gear with minimal modification. The rescue harnesses (10) or (10′) can be integrated into a protective coat without causing discomfort to person using the protective coat. Moreover, by integrating the rescue harness (10) or (10′) inside the outer protective shell (21), the harness strap material is protected from damage that can result from exposure to the harsh elements of firefighting. Moreover, locating the harness strap (11) between the inner and outer shells (21) and (22) helps to maintain the loose strap in proper position and prevent the strap from being entangled when the coat (20) is being worn.
Moreover, in one exemplary embodiment described above, the invention provides a firefighter with preparedness just by wearing the turnout gear without the need for additional equipment. Indeed, all that is required to engage the rescue harness devices (10), (10′) is to Fasten the connectors (13a/13b), which can be performed as part of the normal procedure when donning the protective coat (20), in instances where the connectors (13a/13b) are actually used to close the coat (20).
Additionally, the rescue harness (10) or (10′) can be incorporated into various protective coats not limited to those used by fire fighters and first responders. For example, the rescue harness (10) or (10′) can be incorporated into a military coat or uniform, a child safety vest, an electrical or construction worker's vest, or a life preserver.
Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/764,209, filed Feb. 1, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/790,742, filed Apr. 8, 2006, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/438,899, filed May 22, 2006, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2979153 | Hoagland et al. | Apr 1961 | A |
| 4449253 | Hettinger | May 1984 | A |
| 4682671 | Hengstenberger et al. | Jul 1987 | A |
| 4854418 | Hengstenberger et al. | Aug 1989 | A |
| 5036548 | Grilliot et al. | Aug 1991 | A |
| 5136724 | Grilliot et al. | Aug 1992 | A |
| 5279386 | Cearley | Jan 1994 | A |
| 5289590 | Larson | Mar 1994 | A |
| 5297295 | Barbeau et al. | Mar 1994 | A |
| 5738046 | Williams et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5787500 | Lobello | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5960480 | Neustater et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5970517 | Jordan | Oct 1999 | A |
| 6035440 | Woodyard | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6101631 | Ferguson, Jr. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6105169 | Colorado | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6205584 | Yocco | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6244379 | Larson | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6256789 | Young et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6421834 | Kester | Jul 2002 | B2 |
| 6427252 | Lewis et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6490733 | Casaubon | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6658666 | Schweer | Dec 2003 | B2 |
| 6662372 | Lewis et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
| 6668386 | Vidal | Dec 2003 | B2 |
| 6698026 | Schweer | Mar 2004 | B2 |
| 6892395 | Schweer | May 2005 | B2 |
| 7779484 | Fee et al. | Aug 2010 | B2 |
| 7971273 | Grilliot et al. | Jul 2011 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110030119 A1 | Feb 2011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60764209 | Feb 2006 | US | |
| 60790742 | Apr 2006 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11438899 | May 2006 | US |
| Child | 12862495 | US |
