Patent Application
20170036046
Rescue strap assemblies, commonly referred to as pick-off straps, are widely used in the rescue industry. A typical pick-off strap is a simple 2:1 mechanical advantage system. One end of the strap is connected to an anchor (e.g., the rescuer's lifeline) and the other end of the strap is connected to the person being rescued, the victim. Pulling up on the tail of the strap draws webbing through a progress capturing buckle and transfers the victim's weight onto the rescuer's primary line so that the victim can be unhooked from her/his lifeline and lowered.
In some situations, there is a need for either a secondary system, such as a block and tackle, or a haul team to assist in raising the victim until the victim's weight has transitioned to the rescuer's line.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for an improved rescue strap assembly.
In one embodiment, a rescue strap assembly comprises a connector, an adjuster, a mechanical advantage assembly, and a strap having a first end, an intermediate portion, and a second end. The first end is operatively connected to the connector and the mechanical advantage assembly, the intermediate portion is routed through the adjuster, and the mechanical advantage assembly is configured and arranged to engage at least a portion of the intermediate portion.
In one embodiment, a rescue strap assembly comprises a connector, an adjuster, a lever member, and a strap. The connector has a first bar portion. The adjuster has a first engaging portion. The lever member has a second bar portion, a third bar portion, and a second engaging portion. The strap has a first end, an intermediate portion, and a second end. The first end is routed about a portion of the first bar portion and a portion of the second bar portion. The intermediate portion is routed about a portion of the first engaging portion, a portion of the third bar portion, and a portion of the second engaging portion.
In one embodiment, a rescue strap assembly comprises a connector, an adjuster, a ratchet device, and a strap. The connector has a first bar portion. The adjuster has a first engaging portion. The ratchet device has a second bar portion and a second engaging portion. The strap has a first end, an intermediate portion, and a second end. The first end is routed about a portion of the first bar portion and a portion of the second bar portion. The intermediate portion is routed about a portion of the first engaging portion and about a portion of the second engaging portion.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific examples in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims. It is to be understood that features of the various examples described herein may be combined, in part or whole, with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise.
Generally, the invention is an improved rescue strap assembly that incorporates a mechanical advantage device. It is recognized that many suitable types of mechanical advantage devices or assemblies could be used such as, but not limited to, levers, ratchet devices, and pulleys.
In one embodiment, the mechanical advantage device includes a lever member with a tensioner to provide additional mechanical advantage during use.
In this embodiment, referring to
The strap 101 has a first distal end 102 and a second distal end 103. The strap 101 is preferably made of webbing, but any suitable material could be used.
The connector 112 is generally a D-ring shaped connector including a first bar portion 113, a second bar portion 114, and a ring portion 116. The first bar portion 113 and the second bar portion 114 are interconnected with sides and form a first opening 115. The ring portion 116 extends outward from the second bar portion 114 and forms a second opening 117. It is recognized that any suitable connector could be used.
The lever member 119 includes a first bar portion 120, a second bar portion 121, an engaging portion 122, and a handle portion 123. The lever member 119 is further shown in
The adjuster 125 is generally rectangular and includes a first end 126, a second end 127, and an engaging portion 129. The first end 126 and the second end 127 are interconnected with sides 126a and form an opening 128. The engaging portion 129 is preferably a sliding friction bar portion that includes generally U-shaped ends configured and arranged to receive portions of the sides 126a thereby allowing it to slidably engage the sides 126a and slide within the opening 128 between the first end 126 and the second end 127. A slot 129a is formed within the opening 128 between the first end 126 and the sliding friction bar portion. A connector 130 is operatively connected to the second end 127.
To assemble the rescue strap assembly 100 in the orientation shown in
The first end 105 of the strap 101 interconnects the lever member 119 and the connector 112, which is connected to an anchor or an anchor line. The intermediate portion 106 of the strap 101 extends downward from proximate the connector 112 and is routed through the adjuster 125, which is preferably a progress capturing buckle and is connected to the victim, and then extends upward and is routed through the lever member 119. The second distal end 103 of the strap 101 forms the looped portion 107, which the user can use to take out slack in the non-load bearing portion 109 of the intermediate portion 106 of the strap 101.
In operation, the lever member 119 starts in a downward position as shown in the orientation shown in
By integrating a mechanical advantage device into the rescue strap assembly, a compact, cost-effective rescue strap assembly allows a rescuer to more easily raise a victim and get sufficient weight off the victim's lifeline to remove the lifeline from the victim. This embodiment provides a theoretical 6:1 mechanical advantage system (2:1 via the bottom buckle times 3:1 via the lever), and this eliminates the need for either a secondary system (such as a block and tackle) or a haul team to raise the victim until the victim's weight has transitioned to the rescuer's line. It also gives better control over how much and how fast the victim is raised to the rescuer who is in closest proximity to the victim.
Optionally, another embodiment is shown in
In another embodiment, referring to
In this embodiment, the rescue strap assembly 200 includes the ratchet device 219. Because the rescue strap assembly 200 is similar to the rescue strap assembly 100, only the significant differences are being described. Similar to the rescue strap assembly 100, the non-load bearing portion of the strap is routed through the ratchet device 219. The first end of the strap interconnects the connector and a first bar portion 220 of the ratchet device 219. The intermediate portion of the strap is routed through an adjuster and through a slot 222a of a second bar portion 222 of the ratchet device 219. As the handle of the ratchet device 219 is rotated, the second bar portion 222 rotates to wind any slack in the intermediate portion about the second bar portion 222.
In another embodiment, referring to
In this embodiment, the rescue strap assembly 300 includes a lever member 319. Because the rescue strap assembly 300 is similar to the rescue strap assembly 100, only the significant differences are being described. Similar to the rescue strap assembly 100, the non-load bearing portion of the strap 101′ is routed through the lever member 319. A connector 312 is operatively connected to the lever member 319 with a bar member 313 to which the first end 105′ of the strap 101′ is connected. Therefore, the first end 105′ is operatively connected to the connector 312 and the lever member 319 via the bar member 313. The connector 312 includes a ring portion 316 and an opening 317. Opposing ends 316a and 316b of the ring portion 316, which is generally U-shaped, include apertures and opposing ends 320a and 320b of the lever member 319 include apertures. The apertures of the ring portion 316 and the lever member 319 align to form a channel through which the bar member 313 extends to pivotally interconnect the ring portion 316 and the lever member 319. The intermediate portion of the strap is routed through an adjuster and through a slot 322a formed between a bar portion 321 and a sliding friction bar portion 322. The lever member 319 pivots about the bar member 313 but otherwise operates similarly to the lever member 119.
Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific examples shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific examples discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/200,847 filed Aug. 4, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62200847 | Aug 2015 | US |
