Patent Application
20130256061
It is the object of the present invention a self-locking device for a mountaineer or a spelaeologist climbing up a rope.
Actually, such devices were born for speleology, while being effectively used also in mountaineering activities. Devices for climbing up a rope are already known and generally comprise a structure or main body comprising a housing capable of at least partially receiving a rope, so as to allow the sliding thereof, and a lever member that, by acting on the rope itself, holds it thereby locking the downward descent.
In particular, the movement during the climbing progression up a rope provides for the alternation of pushing and suspension movements (the so-called “frog” movement).
In the first movement, the user typically lifts a graspable locking device of the handle type by pushing it upwardly while simultaneously bringing his/her knees to the chest. Subsequently, he/she lift on the bracket connected with the handle, and he/she pushes him/herself upwardly, thereby bringing the ventral locking device to a higher position. This is made possible by the fact that the cam member of the device allows sliding along the rope.
Subsequently, the user hangs to the ventral locking device, thus being able to lift the handle again in order to lift again on the bracket and to continue in this manner their progression.
However, an important limitation of the known devices is due to the presence of corners and edges in contact with the rope, as illustrated, for example, in
In practice, due to the repeated use, the edge gets thinner and thinner, until it almost becomes a sharp blade. These are certainly dangerous conditions, since the rope sheath is torn and also the interior part thereof can be dangerously and progressively damaged. Furthermore, in the case of a fall (but also only with a disadvantageous angulation), even a clean cut of the rope could occur.
A dangerous situation when using the ventral locking device is represented by the oblique climbing of rope lengths, for example during pendulum movements or in particularly stretched intermediate anchorings (see
Such a situation gives rise to contingent risks, since it is possible that, during climbing, the rope tension confers an abnormal inclination to the device, so that the latter may escape from its seat and disengage from the climbing device.
The above-mentioned problems are at least partially solved by a device as defined in the appended main claim and, in its particular aspects, in the dependent claims, the definitions of which are an integral part of the present description.
In order to better understand the invention and to appreciate the advantages thereof, an embodiment will be described herein below, with reference to the appended Figures, in which:
With reference to the Figures, a device according to the invention for climbing up a rope is generally indicated with 1.
In particular, such a device 1 comprises a main body 3 having an inner face 3b which defines at least partially a sliding seat 4 for a rope 2.
More in detail, such a sliding seat 4 is at least defined at the bottom and/or laterally by the body 3 of the folded device.
A cam member 5 is further associated by a holding member 7 on the inner face 3b of the body.
In particular, said cam member 5 is capable of rotating around an axis X, and it is able to tilt from an opening position (shown for example in
According to a preferred aspect, elastic means 6 associated with the cam member 5 can be provided for the elastic return thereof from the opening position to the closure position according to the direction of the arrow in
Such elastic means 6 can be represented for example by a torsion spring, as shown in
In more detail, the cam member 5 has a shape comprising a substantially semi-circular portion with a convex profile 5d, which can comprise a friction surface 33 of the cam member 5 with the rope 2.
In accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention, such a friction surface comprises auxiliary elements for holding the rope 10, represented for example by folds. Advantageously, according to the invention, sliding means of the rope are provided, performing the double function of co-adjuvating the containment of said rope 2 inside the seat 4, and of minimizing the friction during the sliding.
In one embodiment, said sliding means 13 comprise one or more pulleys 13a, 13b, which are rotatably associated with the main body 3 of the device by connection means 14 represented, for example, by pins.
In particular, such pulleys 13a, 13b, are arranged with the longitudinal axis Z lying on a plane parallel to the plane a of major extension of the body 3 of the device and which is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the rope 2 (see
In the present description, reference is made to the embodiment in which multiple pulleys are provided, in particular two pulleys; however, the embodiment in which a single pulley or a number of pulleys of more than two is provided is intended as similarly possible.
In such a case, the pulleys will be arranged so that their longitudinal axes Z are parallel to one another.
As above mentioned, advantageously, said pulleys 13a, 13b promote the sliding of the rope in the seat 4, thus promoting the climbing operations of the mountaineer or the spelaeologist.
Furthermore, still more advantageously, they avoid that the rope may slide on potentially sharp profiles or edges.
According to an embodiment, said pulleys 13a, 13b have a concave (or saddle-shaped) profile partially receiving the rope section.
In one preferred aspect, such a profile is not symmetrical, but has a more pronounced flaring in the portion facing outwardly, i.e., opposite to the position of the cam member 5, as shown in
The sliding seat 4 therefore is delimited:
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a mechanism allowing for the complete opening of the cam member 5 and the locking thereof in the opening position (shown in
In this manner, the insertion of the rope in the seat 4 of the device is made easier.
To this aim, the cam member 5 can be associated with a fastening element 17 capable of fastening the stopping means 9.
More particularly, said fastening element 17 comprises a fastening portion 17a and a stop portion 18 substantially perpendicular to said fastening portion 17a and intended to abut against the corner of the cam member 5.
Such a fastening portion 17a is hinged, at an end, to the cam member 5 through a pin 16, while the opposite end terminates, instead, with a hooked portion 19 configured to be able to cooperate with or to be able to fasten the stopping means 9.
According to a preferred aspect, the fastening element is at least partially housed in a seat 11 obtained in the lower face 5b of the cam member 5 (therefore, facing the inner face 3b of the device body) and defined by a step profile 5d′ against which said fastening element 17 abuts.
As shown in
Therefore, in order to pass from the non-operative position to the operative position, it is necessary to tilt the fastening element 17 in the opposite direction with respect to that indicated by the arrow in
Once the fastening element 17 has been so opened, the cam member 5 can be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in
In such an open configuration, the rope can be easily inserted into the seat 4.
In a particular embodiment, it can be provided that the stop portion 18 of the fastening element 17 is so shaped as to not abut against the member 9; therefore, in such a configuration, the opening rotation of the cam member 5 is allowed to the extent where the profile 5d′ of the seat 11 abuts against the stopping means 9.
Advantageously, therefore, the stopping means 9 perform the double function of locking the complete opening of the cam member 5, by abutting against the corner 5d′, or to keep the cam member 5 completely open by virtue of the constrain to the hooked portion 19.
Furthermore, in order to allow the use of the device of the invention 1, means for the connection with the user's harness can be provided.
Preferably, such means are provided at the ends of the device.
It shall be noticed that, for speleological activities, the harness typically comprises a lower part to which the two leg loops are connected, and an upper part represented by dorsal braces connecting anteriorly. Therefore, for the connection with the harness, the body 3 of the device comprise a through hole 12a inside which a ferrule karabiner or maillon rapide 21 is inserted, which is in turn connected with to the harness (or to the lower part of a harness for speleology).
According to a preferred aspect, the device also comprises a through hole 12b for the connection thereof with the harness upper (top) portion so as to stretch it and keep it parallel to the rope, thus allowing the sliding thereof.
Preferably, the holes are flared, so that, once the ventral locking device has been connected, it arranges as parallel and adherent to the user's body as possible.
As regards the use of the device, when the mountaineer or the spelaeologist begins to go up a rope, it is necessary that the cam member is open first to allow the insertion of the rope in its sliding seat.
As described before, this is easily obtained by virtue of the possibility to fasten the cam member 5 to the stopping means 9. Subsequently, the device is connected with the harness, for example by a karabiner (or a maillon rapide) passing through the hole.
From the description set forth above of the device for a mountaineer or a spelaeologist climbing according to the present invention, the advantages that have been made compared to the already known device shall be apparent.
First, the device can be used not only in the mountaineering or speleological field, but also for all those so-called “high-altitude” activities, such as, for example in the industrial field, for repair or maintenance operations.
Furthermore, by virtue of the presence of the members holding the rope in place, the escape of the rope from the device is made still more difficult, or even impossible, thus contributing to a greater safety of the progression activity.
Still more advantageously, the device of the invention avoids that the rope contacts and slides on metal profiles or edges that, by thinning due to wear, my cause the progressive tearing of the rope.
To the above-described embodiments of the device of the invention, those skilled in the art, in order to meet contingent, specific needs, will be able to make a number of adaptations, modifications, and replacements of elements with other functionally equivalent ones, without for this departing from the scope of the claims set forth below.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI2012A000483 | Mar 2012 | IT | national |
