Fall protection shuttle apparatus and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12415101-B2
Application number	US-202217664819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2022
Priority date	May 24, 2022
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to shuttle apparatuses for fall protection and methods of using the same. In various embodiments, a shuttle apparatus comprises a shuttle housing configured for dynamic engagement relative to a guide member, a first brake assembly configured for activation during a fall instance, and a secondary brake assembly configured independent from the first brake assembly, the secondary brake assembly comprising: a secondary brake pawl configured to pivotably rotate between a disengaged position and an activated position, the secondary brake pawl configured to rotate toward the activated position during the fall instance; and a secondary brake lock arm configured to freely rotate independent of the shuttle housing such that the shuttle housing being arranged in an angled configuration causes the secondary brake lock arm to rotate to an engaged position to obstruct the secondary brake pawl from rotating, thereby preventing the secondary brake assembly from being activated.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A shuttle apparatus for fall protection, the shuttle apparatus comprising:
a shuttle housing configured for dynamic engagement relative to a guide member such that the shuttle housing is secured relative to the guide member and movable along a length of the guide member;
a first brake assembly configured to be activated during a fall instance, wherein activation of the first brake assembly causes a first braking portion to engage the guide member; and
a secondary brake assembly configured independent from the first brake assembly, the secondary brake assembly comprising:
a secondary brake pawl configured to pivotably rotate about a secondary brake pawl pivot pin between a disengaged position and an activated position, the secondary brake pawl configured to rotate toward the activated position during the fall instance; and
a secondary brake lock arm configured to freely rotate independent of the shuttle housing such that the shuttle housing being arranged in an angled configuration relative to a vertical axis causes the secondary brake lock arm to be rotated relative to the shuttle housing to an engaged position, wherein the secondary brake lock arm in the engaged position is configured to obstruct a rotation of the secondary brake pawl to prevent the secondary brake assembly from being activated during the fall instance.

2. The shuttle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary brake lock arm is configured to freely rotate about a secondary brake lock arm pivot pin disposed within the shuttle housing, and wherein the secondary brake lock arm in the engaged position obstructs a rotation of the secondary brake pawl by physically engaging the secondary brake pawl in the disengaged position to prevent the secondary brake pawl from rotating to the activated position.

3. The locking system of claim 2 , wherein the secondary brake lock arm pivot pin defines an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being defined at least substantially adjacent an upper portion of the secondary brake lock arm.

4. The locking system of claim 3 , wherein a lock arm center of gravity of the secondary brake lock arm is defined at least substantially directly below the lock arm axis of rotation.

5. The locking system of claim 2 , wherein the secondary brake pawl comprises at least one pawl lock arm interface feature configured to be engaged by the secondary brake lock arm when the secondary brake lock arm is in the engaged position, wherein the secondary brake lock arm physically engages the secondary brake pawl in the disengaged position at the one pawl lock arm interface feature to facilitate the deactivation of the secondary brake assembly.

6. The locking system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one pawl lock arm interface feature is defined along an at least substantially bottom portion of the secondary brake pawl.

7. The locking system of claim 6 , wherein the secondary brake lock arm comprises a lock arm engagement element defined at a distal end thereof, the lock arm engagement element being configured to engage the at least one pawl lock arm interface feature of the secondary brake pawl when the secondary brake lock arm is in the engaged position.

8. The locking system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one pawl lock arm interface feature are defined by a configuration that corresponds to that of the lock arm engagement element such that the at least one pawl lock arm interface feature is configured to receive at least a portion of the lock arm engagement element.

9. The locking system of claim 1 , wherein a pawl center of gravity of the secondary brake pawl is defined towards the first braking portion.

10. The shuttle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary brake assembly defines an inertial system, the secondary brake assembly being configured to be activated during the fall instance based at least in part on a variance in a gravitational force acting on the secondary brake pawl, the variance in the gravitational force being caused by the fall instance.

11. The shuttle apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the secondary brake assembly comprises a secondary brake spring configured to bias the secondary brake pawl against rotation due to gravity in an instance in which the locking system has little or no movement.

12. The shuttle apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the variance in the gravitational force caused by the fall instance is defined by a decrease in the gravitational force acting against the secondary brake spring, and wherein the secondary brake spring is calibrated to the gravitational force acting on the secondary brake pawl in a non-fall instance such that, in a fall instance, the secondary brake pawl is biased to rotate about the secondary brake pawl pivot pin toward the activated position.

13. The shuttle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary brake pawl comprises a second braking portion configured to be positioned external to the shuttle housing in the activated position, wherein activation of the first brake assembly causes the second braking portion to engage the guide member.

14. The shuttle apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the secondary brake lock arm being arranged in the engaged position to prevent the secondary brake assembly from being activated during the fall instance comprises the secondary brake lock arm retaining the second braking portion of the secondary brake pawl within an interior housing portion defined within the shuttle housing such that the secondary brake pawl does not extend through a brake engagement slot defined along a distal end of the shuttle housing.

15. The shuttle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second brake assembly is configured such that, upon the shuttle housing being rearranged from the angled configuration to a vertical configuration defined by a shuttle tilt angle that is at least substantially zero, the secondary brake lock arm is rotated relative to the shuttle housing from the engaged position to a nominal position, wherein the secondary brake lock arm in the nominal position is configured to allow the rotation of the secondary brake pawl from a disengaged position to an activated position in the fall instance.

16. The shuttle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the secondary brake lock arm being rotated relative to the shuttle housing based at least in part on the angled configuration of the shuttle housing is defined by the secondary brake lock arm at least substantially maintaining a nominal position relative to the vertical axis.

17. The shuttle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary brake assembly is configured such that, based at least in part on the angled configuration of the shuttle housing, the secondary brake lock arm is fully rotated relative to the shuttle housing from a nominal position to the engaged position before the shuttle apparatus being tilted to an increased angled configuration defined by a maximum shuttle tilt angle threshold, wherein the maximum shuttle tilt angle threshold is defined by a shuttle tilt angle value at which the secondary brake pawl initiates a rotation caused by a variance in gravitational forces resulting from the increased angled configuration.

18. The shuttle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary brake assembly is configured such that the secondary brake lock arm is arranged in the engaged position upon the angled configuration of the shuttle housing being defined by a shuttle tilt angle that is between 10 degrees and 20 degrees relative to the vertical axis.

19. The shuttle apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more guide w

Assignees

• Honeywell Safety Products Usa Inc

Inventors

• Hrouzek Jan
• Hruza Vaclav
• Koru Mehmet

Classifications

• E06C7/187

  Guiding rail · CPC title

• A62B35/04

  incorporating energy absorbing means · CPC title

• A62B35/0081 Primary

  Equipment which can travel along the length of a lifeline, e.g. travelers · CPC title

• A62B35/005

  Vertical lifelines · CPC title

• A62B35/0062 Primary

  Rail-form lifelines for permanent installation · CPC title