Fall protection device and adjustment mechanism therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207128-B2
Application number	US-201615392842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A fall protection device, including: a housing; a hub rotatable with respect to the housing; a line wrapped around the hub and configured to pay out from and retract into the housing, an engagement mechanism configured to prevent rotation of the hub and further payout of the line; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a length of the line paid out from the housing, the adjustment mechanism comprising: (i) at least one gear attached to the housing; (ii) a pivot having a track configured to interact with the at least one gear and pivot as the at least one gear rotates; and (iii) an arm configured to urge at least a portion of the engagement mechanism causing it to move into an engagement position, to thereby prevent further rotation of the hub and payout of the line from the fall protection device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fall protection device, comprising:
a housing;
a rotatable hub having a body and a central rotation axis around which the body rotates with respect to the housing;
a line wrapped around the hub and configured to pay out from and retract into the housing, the line having a first end attached to the hub and a second end having a connector attached thereto and configured for attachment to a harness of a user;
an engagement mechanism configured to prevent rotation of the hub and further payout of the line; and
an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a predetermined length of the line paid out from the housing between a maximum length and a minimum length, the adjustment mechanism comprising: (i) a central gear configured to rotate with the hub about the central rotation axis; (ii) at least one gear attached to the housing and configured to interact with the central gear; (iii) a pivot having a track configured to interact with the at least one gear as the at least one gear rotates; and (iv) an arm on the pivot configured to urge at least a portion of the engagement mechanism into an engagement position after the predetermined length of the line is paid out from the housing to thereby prevent further rotation of the hub and payout of the line from the fall protection device.

2. The fall protection device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gear comprises a first set of teeth configured to directly or indirectly interact with the central gear and a second set of teeth configured to directly or indirectly interact with the track of the pivot.

3. The fall protection device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gear comprises a plurality of interacting gears configured to reduce the revolution rate of the at least one gear with respect to the revolution rate of the central gear.

4. The fall protection device of claim 1 , wherein engagement and disengagement of the adjustment mechanism is effected through facilitating contact between the track of the pivot and the at least one gear.

5. The fall protection device of claim 1 , wherein a distance that the pivot moves into the engagement position is adjustable, thereby providing a specified length of line to be paid out prior to the arm urging at least a portion of the engagement mechanism into the engagement position.

6. The fall protection device of claim 5 , wherein the engagement position is adjusted by engaging the at least one gear with the track of the pivot at a specified point.

7. The fall protection device of claim 1 , wherein the arm of the pivot contacts at least one stud projecting from at least one component of the engagement mechanism.

8. The fall protection device of claim 1 , wherein the engagement mechanism comprises: (i) at least one sperrad attached to or integral with the housing; and (ii) at least one pawl attached to or integral with the hub and configured to contact at least a portion of the at least one sperrad, thereby preventing further rotation of the hub with respect to the housing.

9. An adjustment mechanism for adjusting a length of a line that is paid out from a fall protection device, comprising: (i) a central gear configured to rotate with a hub about a central rotation axis; (ii) at least one gear attached to a housing of the fall protection device and configured to interact with the central gear; (iii) a pivot having a track configured to interact with the at least one gear and pivot as the at least one gear rotates; and (iv) an arm configured to urge at least a portion of an engagement mechanism causing it to move into an engagement position, to thereby prevent further rotation of the hub and payout of the line from the fall protection device.

10. The adjustment mechanism of claim 9 , wherein the at least one gear comprises a first set of teeth configured to directly or indirectly interact with the central gear and a second set of teeth configured to directly or indirectly interact with the track of the pivot.

11. The adjustment mechanism of claim 9 , wherein the at least one gear comprises a plurality of interacting gears configured to reduce the revolution rate of the at least one gear with respect to the revolution rate of the central gear.

12. The adjustment mechanism of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of interacting gears comprises: (i) a first gear comprising a first set of teeth configured to interact with the central gear and a second set of teeth; and (ii) a second gear comprising a first set of teeth configured to interact with the second set of teeth of the first gear and a second set of teeth configured to interact with the track of the pivot.

13. The adjustment mechanism of claim 12 , wherein the radius of the second set of teeth of the first gear is less than the radius of the first set of teeth of the first gear, and the radius of the second set of teeth of the second gear is less than the first set of teeth of the second gear.

14. The adjustment mechanism of claim 9 , wherein the engagement mechanism comprises: (i) at least one sperrad attached to or integral with the housing; and (ii) at least one pawl attached to or integral with the hub and configured to contact at least a portion of the at least one sperrad, thereby preventing further rotation of the hub with respect to the housing.

15. The adjustment mechanism of claim 9 , wherein a distance that the pivot moves into the engagement position is adjustable.

16. The adjustment mechanism of claim 15 , wherein the engagement position is adjusted by engaging the at least one gear with the track of the pivot at a specified point.

17. The adjustment mechanism of claim 9 , further comprising a knob attached to the pivot and configured to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the at least one gear and the track of a pivot at a specified point.

18. The adjustment mechanism of claim 9 , wherein the arm of the pivot contacts at least one stud projecting from an at least one pawl.

19. A fall protection device, comprising:
a housing;
a rotatable hub having a body and a central rotation axis around which the body rotates with respect to the housing;
a line wrapped around the hub and configured to pay out from and retract into the housing, the line having a first end attached to the hub and a second end having a connector attached thereto and configured for attachment to a harness of a user;
an engagement mechanism configured to prevent rotation of the hub and further payout of the line; and
an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a predetermined length of the line paid out from the housing between a maximum length and a minimum length, the adjustment mechanism comprising: (i) at least one gear attached to the housing; (ii) a pivot having a track configured to interact with the at least one gear and pivot as the at least one gear rotates; and (iii) an arm on the pivot configured to urge at least a portion of the engagement mechanism into an engagement position after the predetermined length of the line is paid out from the housing to thereby prevent further rotation of the hub and payout of the line from the fall protection device.

20. An adjustment mechanism for adjusting a predetermined length of a line that is paid out from a fall protection device between a maximum length and a minimum length, the adjustment mechanism comprising: (i) at least one gear attached to a housing of the fall protection device; (ii) a pivot having a track configured to interact with the at least one gear and pivot as the at least one gear rotates; and (iii) an arm on the pivot

Assignees

• Msa Technology Llc

Inventors

• Hetrich Mitchell H

Classifications

• A62B1/10 Primary

  mechanically operated · CPC title

• A62B35/0093

  Fall arrest reel devices · CPC title

• A62B1/18

  Other single parts for rope lowering-devices, e.g. take-up rollers for ropes, devices for shooting ropes · CPC title

• A62B35/0043

  Lifelines, lanyards, and anchors therefore (attachments A62B35/0037) · CPC title

• A62B1/08 Primary

  with brake mechanisms for the winches or pulleys · CPC title