BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings merely depict exemplary embodiments of the present invention they are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope. It will be readily appreciated that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Nonetheless, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the safety and rescue carabiner holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the L-bracket and projecting foot according to the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the gripping structure according to the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the gripping structure according to the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates a safety and rescue carabiner holder 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The carabiner holder is comprised of two principle components: an L-bracket 20, and a gripping structure 40. The L-bracket is justly named as it has a long axial stem 22 with an upper end 24 and a lower end 26, and a projecting foot 30 which extends from its lower end. The configuration of the axial stem and the projecting foot define a quadrant of capture in which the carabiner is to be positioned. A carabiner can only be orientated in one position in order for the device to operate correctly, and this occurs when the spine of the carabiner contacts the axial stem, the base of the carabiner rests on the projecting foot, and the gate arm of the carabiner is facing away from the carabiner holder.
While the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 shows a projecting foot which is orientated substantially perpendicular to the axial stem, this does not preclude other embodiments in which the projecting foot assumes an angle other than 90 degrees, whether an acute angle or an obtuse angle, with the axial stem. The projecting foot may also be longer or shorter than the illustration shown in FIG. 1.
The second principle component of the present invention is the gripping structure 40. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the gripping structure is comprised of a set of separate and individual jaw arms 42, each having a rear portion 44 and a front portion 46, which are connected to the L-bracket by means of a single hinge pin 64. However, any alternative means for securing the carabiner in the quadrant of capture and for holding the gate arm in the open position is included in the scope of the present invention. For instance, the gripping structure may also be comprised of paddles or jaw arms of any shape or size which are separate from the L-bracket, or are integral with the axial stem and are cantilevered into the quadrant of capture.
The gripping structure of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is also preloaded in a closed position by way of a coil spring 60. In a neutral, non-operational state, a small gap 48 exists between the front portions 46 of the set of jaw arms 42 that is too small for a carabiner to slip between. When installing a carabiner, this gap is opened by pinching together the rear portions 44 of each jaw arm, which simultaneously compresses the coil spring and pivots the jaw arms around hinge pin 64 to widen the gap between the front portions. The carabiner can then be inserted into the gap and positioned within the quadrant of capture. When the rear portions of the jaw arms are released, the coil spring pushes the front portions closed about the carabiner. However, the coil spring is unable to completely return to its neutral position because of the thickness of the carabiner, leaving residual compression forces in the spring that continue to force the front portions of the jaw arms against the carabiner. These clamping forces serve to hold the carabiner in place against any external load which might otherwise pull the carabiner out of position, as well as any inadvertent shaking or bouncing caused by nervous, agitated or unskilled users.
While the preferred embodiment uses a coil spring in compression to establish the preload, a coil spring in tension, a metal leaf spring, an elastomeric member, or any other component which performs the same function of preloading the set of jaw arms in the closed position falls within the scope of the present invention.
Also according to the preferred embodiment, the gripping structure is angled upward with respect to the axial stem at some angle θ. The angle allows the front portion of the jaw arms to better grip and hold the gate arm of the carabiner. However, any gripping structure which holds both the spine of the carabiner and the gate arm in the open position is understood to fall with the scope of the invention, regardless of it orientation with respect to the axial stem.
The preferred embodiment also has a mounting screw 68 which is used to attach the carabiner holder to an extension pole (not shown). The mounting screw may be installed in the bottom face of the axial stem; however, it is also to be understood that any means for securing the present invention to an extension pole, whether it is a screw, a clamp, bolts, glue, etc., falls within the scope of the present invention. An insulating adaptor for high voltage tower rescue may also be attached between the carabiner holder and the extension pole.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the L-bracket 20 according to the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. Along with the features discussed above, the L-bracket in FIG. 2 includes a groove 32 in the upper face of the projecting foot 30. The shape of the groove substantially matches the rounded bottom of the carabiner and functions as a restraining structure which first aligns the carabiner in the quadrant of capture, and then prevents twisting and inadvertent dislodging of the carabiner during use. The groove is effective in preventing twisting because it is located towards the end the projecting foot, which in essence becomes a lever arm. At that distance, the small amount of force applied by the walls of the groove to the bottom of the carabiner is sufficient to keep the carabiner from spinning and falling out, even when the external loads are greater in magnitude than the forces imparted by the restraining structure. While a groove is used as the restraining structure in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, designs which employ other means on the end of the projecting foot to prevent a carabiner from twisting, such as pins, projections, magnets, or any other similar device or structure, are understood to fall within the scope of the present invention.
FIG. 2 also shows two protruding members 36, otherwise known as a hinge brackets, in the upper portion 24 of the axial stem. The hinge brackets receive the hinge pin 64 through holes 38 located in the hinge brackets, and are used to locate the set of jaw arms relative to the axial stem and to create an axis of rotation about which the set of jaw arms can pivot. While the hinge brackets of the present invention extend from the back face of the axial stem, opposite the projecting foot, a similar arrangement of hinge brackets could also be located on the front face 28 of the axial stem. In yet another embodiment, two sets of brackets using two hinge pins could extend from either side of the axial stem, ninety degrees from the quadrant of capture defined by the axial stem and the projecting foot. Moreover, it is not necessary for two hinge brackets to be used with each hinge pin, as one or three hinge brackets may create an equivalent axis or axes of rotation for the set of jaw arms.
FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the gripping structure 40 of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1. Also known as a set of jaw arms 42, the gripping structure is attached to the axial stem by way of hinge brackets 50 and holes 52 which mate with hinge pin 64 (as shown in FIG. 1) and hinge brackets 36 extending from the L-bracket (as shown in FIG. 2). The brackets and hinge pin connect to form a pivot assembly, which locates the set of jaw arms relative to the axial stem and defines as axis of rotation about which the jaw arms can pivot.
Further according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, each jaw arm 42 has a rear portion 44 and a front portion 46. A circular recess 54 can be installed in the rear portion of each jaw arm for receiving a coil spring 60. The inner face of the front portion of each jaw arm can be configured with a stepped face having a deeper portion 56 and a shallower portion 58. The deeper portion functions to surround and hold the spine of the carabiner in the quadrant of capture. The stepped face is deeper in this section because the carabiner's spine has a relatively larger diameter than the gate arm. Likewise, the shallower portion is used for holding the tip of the gate arm in the open position. The transition surface 57, which falls between the deeper portion and the shallower portion of the stepped face, is generally curved and smooth.
The front portion of the jaw arms is further illustrated in FIG. 4, where the bottom portion of the transition surface 57 between the deeper portion 56 and the shallower portion 58 can be configured with a chamfered portion 59. When properly installed within the carabiner holder of the present invention, the gate arm of the carabiner nests with the chamfered portions of the jaw arms.
Referring back to FIG. 3, the gap 48 between the two inner faces of the jaw arms 42 is sized together with the coil spring 60 so that the gripping structure 40 provides enough clamping force when the carabiner is located in the holder 10 so that the gate arm does not prematurely release nor does the carabiner inadvertently fall out during the process of hooking the carabiner into a target, even if the user fails to keep the carabiner holder steady. However, once the carabiner has been hooked into its target the clamping force is not so great that the jaw arms fail to open when the extension pole is pulled backwards.
Pulling backwards on the extension pole causes the carabiner gate arm to press against the chamfered portions, creating an applied force having a load vector with a significant outward component that counteracts the preload of the coil spring. As soon as the applied force exceeds the preload, the jaw arms begin to spread apart and gap 48 widens slightly. This allows the gate arm to snap shut and lock the carabiner in place. Continued backwards pulling forces the bottom of the carabiner to lift off the projecting foot and the spine of the carabiner to likewise slide out through the jaws, disengaging the locked carabiner from the carabiner holder entirely. As the applied force generated by a user's arms is much greater than the preload provided by the coil spring, in practice the gate arm snaps shut and the holder releases the carabiner at nearly the same instant.
It is to be understood that the above-referenced arrangements are only illustrative of the application for the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. While the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth herein.
Patent Application
20080012367
