Dorsal wear-pad

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649515-B2
Application number	US-201414338416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Aug 5, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a dorsal wear-pad having an external, low-friction, high-wear-resistance surface, the dorsal wear-pad configured to be releasably coupled to a D-ring connection region of a fall-protection safety harness. In various embodiments, the dorsal wear-pad may project out and away from a wearer so as to prevent the D-ring from contacting a wall surface. For example, the dorsal wear-pad may have a D-ring aperture through which the D-ring may project. In some embodiments, the dorsal wear-pad may have a back shield to prevent a snap-hook connected to the D-ring from contacting a wearer's back. An exemplary embodiment may have two prominences, one on either side of the D-ring. Some exemplary dorsal wear-pads may advantageously protect both a wearer and the wearer's harness during sliding or leaning engagements with vertical surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fall-protection safety harness for promoting slidable engagement between a wearer and a wall, the fall-protection safety harness comprising:
a webbing configured to be worn by a wearer;
a D-ring having a webbing aperture and a device aperture;
a D-pad having a plurality of D-pad apertures, wherein a first portion of the webbing routes through a first subset of the plurality of D-pad apertures and then through the webbing aperture of the D-ring and then through a second subset of the plurality of D-pad apertures, and wherein a second portion of the webbing routes through a third subset of the plurality of D-pad apertures and then through the webbing aperture of the D-ring and then through a fourth subset of the plurality of D-pad apertures, wherein the first portion of the webbing crosses over the second portion of the webbing at a criss-cross point approximately where the first portion and the second portion both route through the webbing aperture of the D-ring; and
a unitary-body dorsal wear-pad comprising high-density polyethylene releasably coupled the D-pad, the dorsal wear-pad comprising:
a base having an inwardly-facing surface which inwardly faces a wearer when worn and an outwardly-facing surface which outwardly faces away from the wearer when worn, the base comprising a D-ring aperture extending through the base from the outwardly-facing surface to the inwardly-facing surface, wherein the D-ring aperture is sized to permit a D-ring to project therethrough, and sized to permit the D-ring to rotate from an upward-canted position to a downward-canted position therein, wherein the base extends when worn below the D-ring aperture and is configured to shield the wearer from a snap-hook which releasably attaches to the D-ring; and
two raised wear-bumps configured to prevent the D-ring from contacting the wall surface when the D-ring is in the downward-canted position, wherein each of the two wear-bumps has a semi-ellipsoidal region projecting from the base, each of the two wear-bumps having a major dimension along a vertical major axis, a minor dimension along a horizontal minor axis and a projecting height relative to the outwardly-facing surface of the base, wherein the major dimension of each wear-bump is substantially greater than the minor dimension, wherein the two wear-bumps are aligned horizontally such that each of the two minor axes share a common centerline, wherein the two wear-bumps have substantially equal major dimensions, substantially equal minor dimensions and substantially equal projecting heights, respectively, wherein the projecting height of each of the two wear-bumps is greater than a projecting height of a distal end of a D-ring relative to the outwardly-facing surface when the D-ring is projecting through the D-ring aperture and rotated to the downward-canted position.

2. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 1 , further comprising a dorsal comfort pad proximate to the inside surface of the dorsal wear-pad.

3. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 1 , further comprising D-pad attachment clips projecting from the inwardly-facing surface of the base and configured to releasably couple to a D-pad which is connected to a webbing of the fall-protection safety harness.

4. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 1 , wherein the base further comprises a plurality of cooling apertures extending through the base from the outwardly-facing surface to the inwardly-facing surface.

5. A unitary-body dorsal wear-pad for promoting slidable engagement of a wearer of a fall-protection safety harness and a wall surface, the dorsal wear-pad comprising:
a base having an inwardly-facing surface which inwardly faces a wearer when worn and an outwardly-facing surface which outwardly faces away from the wearer when worn, the base comprising a safety-interface-device aperture extending through the base from the outwardly-facing surface to the inwardly-facing surface, wherein the safety-interface-device aperture is sized to permit a safety interface device to project therethrough, and sized to permit the safety interface device to rotate from an upward-canted position to a downward-canted position therein, wherein the base extends below the safety-interface-device aperture when worn and is configured to shield the wearer from a lanyard connector which releasably attaches to the safety interface device; and
two raised wear-bumps configured to prevent the safety interface device from contacting the wall surface when the safety interface device is in the downward-canted position, each of the two wear-bumps having a major dimension along a vertical major axis, a minor dimension along a horizontal minor axis and a projecting height relative to the outwardly-facing surface of the base, wherein the major dimension of each wear-bump is substantially greater than the minor dimension, wherein the projecting height of each of the two wear-bumps is greater than a projecting safety-interface-device height of a distal end of a safety interface device relative to the outwardly-facing surface when the safety interface device is projecting through the safety-interface-device aperture and rotated to the downward-canted position.

6. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 5 , further comprising D-pad attachment clips projecting from the inwardly-facing surface of the base and configured to releasably couple to a D-pad, which is connected to a webbing of the fall-protection safety harness.

7. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 5 , wherein the base further comprises a plurality of cooling apertures extending through the base from the outwardly-facing surface to the inwardly-facing surface.

8. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 5 , wherein each of the two raised wear-pads has a curved outwardly-facing surface at a contact region which comprises a region wherein the projecting height is greater than a projecting height of a non-contact region.

9. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 5 , wherein the dorsal wear-pad comprises high-density polyethylene.

10. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 5 , wherein the base is substantially planar.

11. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 5 , wherein the base is curved to conform to a wearer's back.

12. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 5 , wherein the base further comprises a plurality of webbing apertures configured to receive a webbing of a fall-protection safety harness.

13. The unitary-body dorsal wear-pad of claim 5 , wherein when the dorsal wear-pad is slidably engaged with a wall surface, the dorsal wear-pad flexes such that each of the wear-bumps engages the wall surface.

14. A unitary-body dorsal wear-pad for promoting slidable engagement of a wearer of a fall-protection safety harness and a wall surface, the dorsal wear-pad comprising:
a base having an inwardly-facing surface which inwardly faces a wearer when worn and an outwardly-facing surface which outwardly faces away from the wearer when worn, the base comprising a safety-interface-device aperture extending through the base from the outwardly-facing surface to the inwardly-facing surface, wherein the safety-interface-device aperture is sized to permit a safety interface device to project therethrough, and sized to permit the safety interface device to rotate from an upward-canted position to a downward-canted position therein, wherein the base extends below the safety-interface-device aperture when worn and is configured to shield the wearer from a lanyard connector which releasably attaches to the safety interface device;
two raised wear-bumps configured to prevent the safety interface device

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Theisen Gina Marie
• Collins Dennis
• Rohlf Bradley
• Seman Michael

Classifications

• A62B35/0037 Primary

  Attachments for lifelines and lanyards (lifelines, lanyards A62B35/0043) · CPC title

• A41D13/05

  protecting only a particular body part (ear protectors A61F11/06) · CPC title

• A41D13/015

  with shock-absorbing means (A41D13/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A62B35/0025 Primary

  Details and accessories · CPC title