Component for fitting to a safety harness

Abstract

A component for fitting to a safety harness for a human user, for at least partially preventing obstruction of the femoral vein of the user. The component includes a support structure; two leg harness pads fitted to the support structure at such a distance from one another that, when the component is fitted to the safety harness, a section of the support structure arranged between the two leg harness pads, in particular a section without a leg harness pad, at least partially prevents obstruction of the femoral vein of the user, if the user has put on the safety harness; and a detachable fastening mechanism, that is fitted or can be fitted to the support structure, for detachably fastening the component to the safety harness.

Claims

1. A component for being attachable to a safety harness for a human user for at least partially keeping free the femoral vein of the user, the component comprising: a carrier structure; two leg harness pads attached to the carrier structure with such a distance to each other, that a leg harness pad-free portion of the carrier structure, which remains between the leg harness pads is configured to keep a femoral vein of the user at least partially free, in a state of the component attached to the safety harness, when the user has put on the safety harness; and a detachable fixing mechanism which is attached or attachable to the carrier structure, for detachably fixing the component to the safety harness, wherein the leg harness pads are formed wedge-shaped, such that respective front faces of the wedge-shaped leg harness pads are facing each other with the leg harness pad-free portion in between.

2. The component according to claim 1, wherein the carrier structure is a carrier band.

3. The component according to claim 1, wherein the carrier structure is made from one of a polyethylene-polypropylene mixture.

4. The component according to claim 1, wherein the carrier structure is made from a textile band.

5. The component according to claim 1, wherein the carrier structure has a first main surface at which the leg harness pads project beyond the carrier structure, and a second main surface formed opposite with respect to the first main surface, at which the detachable fixing mechanism is attached, such that, when the second main surface abuts against a leg harness of the safety harness, the leg harness is detachably fixingly enclosed by the fixing mechanism.

6. The component according claim 1, wherein at least in the leg harness pad-free portion, the carrier structure has a width in a first direction in a range between 30 mm and 60 mm.

7. The component according to claim 1, wherein the leg harness pad-free portion of the carrier structure has a width in a first direction between 40 mm and 50 mm.

8. The component according to claim 6, wherein the leg harness pad-free portion of the carrier structure has a length in a second direction between 70 mm and 90 mm.

9. The component according to claim 6, wherein the leg harness pad-free portion of the carrier structure has a length in a second direction different from the first direction in a range between 50 mm and 150 mm.

10. The component according to claim 1, wherein the carrier structure in a region of the leg harness pad-free portion, is locally narrowed in a width direction with respect to adjoining portions, at which adjoining portions the leg harness pads are attached.

11. The component according to claim 1, wherein the leg harness pads are made of an elastic material; wherein at least one of the leg harness pads is made from at least one of a gel and foam.

12. The component according to claim 1, wherein the leg harness pads are formed as a multilayered layer structure with layers which become softer as the layers are further distanced to the carrier structure.

13. The component according to claim 1, further comprising: a surrounding structure which ring-shapedly surrounds the carrier structure, and to which the leg harness pads and the fixing mechanism are fixed, wherein the surrounding structure is made of cloth.

14. The component according to claim 1, wherein a length of the component is between 20 cm and 40 cm.

15. The component according to claim 14, wherein the length of the component is between 25 cm and 35 cm.

16. The component according to claim 1, wherein the leg harness pads include an inclined surface.

17. The component according to claim 16, wherein the inclined surface has a varying gradient.

18. The component according to claim 1, wherein a flexible material in the pad free portion is softer than the material of the leg harness pads, such that the flexible material, under pressure load keeps free a recess for at least partially keeping free the femoral vein.

19. The component according to claim 1, wherein a flexible material in the pad free portion is formed such that, even without a pressure load between the leg harness pads, the component keeps free a recess for at least partially keeping free the femoral vein.

20. The component according to claim 1, wherein the detachable fixing mechanism comprises elements which cooperate for forming a detachable connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a safety harness according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a component for being attachable to a safety harness or a tether according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows another view of the component according to FIG. 2.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a yet further view of the component according to FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a component according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a component according to a yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(7) FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a component according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(8) Same or similar components in different figures are provided with the same reference numerals.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a safety harness 102 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(10) The safety harness 102 can be formed as hip harness as shown or alternatively as chest harness and hip harness for a human user 104. The safety harness 102 comprises two leg harnesses 116 for two human legs 118 of the user 104. The safety harness 102 in the shown embodiment further comprises a component 100 which is detachably attached to one of the leg harnesses 116 in the region of the pelvis of the user 104. In other words, the component 100 can be removed from the safety harness 102 or temporarily fixed to it due to its detachable fixability. The component 100 is further configured such that a user 104 can slide the component 100 along the leg harness 116, to adapt it to the anatomical proportions of the user 104 and to adjust it user definedly, respectively.

(11) Although this is not shown in the Figure, it is also possible to fix the component 100 non-detachably to the leg harness 116. This can be carried out for example by sewing, riveting or durably and non-detachably adhering, respectively. In such a case, the component 100 can firstly be provisionally detachably fixed and prefixed to the safety harness 102, respectively, by a detachable fixing mechanism 114 (for example a hook and pile fastener). Afterwards, the component 100 which is such detachably fixed to the safety harness 102 can be slid along the safety harness 102 to a desired position (which in particular shall ensure the keeping free of the femoral vein 106) for purposes of adjustment, and then be fixed durably and non-detachably (without destruction) to the safety harness 102, for example by sewing or adhering. In this way, an equipping and retrofitting of a safety harness 102 may be carried out, respectively, to equip the safety harness 102 with a protection mechanism against an undesired press shutting of the femoral vein 106 of the user 104 when wearing the safety harness 102.

(12) Both in the case of the detachably attaching, and in the case of the non-detachably fixing, the component 100 can positioned at the safety harness 102 such that at a, in the shown embodiment leg harness pad-free, portion 112 of the component 100 between two leg harness pads 110, the femoral vein 106 of the user 104 is kept free, when the user 104 has put on the safety harness. The safety harness 102 is in particular formed to maintain a blood flow through the femoral vein 106 even in the case when the user 104 has put on the safety harness 102 and even in the case when the user 104 falls into the safety harness 102.

(13) The component 100 is also formed for being attachable to the safety harness 102 for keeping free the femoral vein 106 of the user 104. The component 100 comprises a carrier structure 108 and has the two leg harness pads 110 which are attached to the carrier structure 108 in such a distance, that the leg harness pad-free portion 112 of the carrier structure 108 which remains between the both leg harness pads 110, in the state of the component 100 attached to the safety harness 102, keeps free the femoral vein 106 of the user 104, when the user 104 has put on the safety harness 102. Further, the detachable fixing mechanism 114 for detachably fixing the component 100 to the safety harness 102 is attached to the carrier structure 108.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a component 100 for being attachable to a safety harness or tether 102 (not shown in FIG. 2, for example to the safety harness 102 according to FIG. 1) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(15) The carrier structure 108 in the shown embodiment is an elastic and flexible carrier strip made of plastic, respectively, for example made of a polyethylene-polypropylene mixture. The carrier structure 108 has a first main surface 200, at which the both cushion-shaped leg harness pads 110 project beyond the carrier structure 108. At a second main surface 300 (as can be seen in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 in detail) which is facing the first main surface 200, the detachable fixing mechanism 114 (can also be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 in detail) is attached such that, when the second main surface 300 contactingly abuts against a leg harness 116 of the safety harness 102, the leg harness 116 is detachably fixingly enclosed by the fixing mechanism 114. In the present portion 112, which is leg harness pad-free, the carrier structure 108 has a width B in a range between 30 mm and 60 mm. The portion 112 of the carrier structure 108 has a length L in a distance direction between the leg harness pads 110, which is in a range between 50 mm and 150 mm. An entire length D of the component 100 (along ain a state of the component 100 mounted to the safety harness 106extension direction of the leg harness 116) is between 20 cm and 40 cm.

(16) The carrier structure 108 is locally narrowed in a region of the portion 112 (i.e. comprises a constriction) in the width direction with respect to adjoining portions, at which adjoining portions the leg harness pads 110 are attached. The both leg harness pads 110 are formed wedge-shaped (such a wedge-shape can be seen especially good in FIG. 5), such that their front faces 202 are facing each other under formation of the leg harness pad-free portion 112 in between. The both leg harness pads 110 are formed of an elastic or flexible material, here foam.

(17) The component 100 further comprises a surrounding structure 204, which ring-shapedly and fully circumferentially encloses and surrounds the carrier structure 108, and to which the both leg harness pads 110 and the fixing mechanism 114 are fixed. The surrounding structure 204 can be made of textile cloth which is sewed or adhered to the carrier structure 108 and the leg harness pads 110.

(18) FIG. 3 shows a sub-view of the component 100 according to FIG. 2, according to which the fixing mechanism 114 (however without leg harness 116 arranged between) is brought in a fastening state. When a leg harness 116 not shown in FIG. 3 is attached between the carrier structure 108 and cooperating fixing flaps 302, 304 (with hook and pile fastener function) of the fixing structure 114, and the fixing flaps 302, 304 are brought in the shown fastening state, the component 100 is detachably fixed to the safety harness 102. FIG. 4 shows another sub-view of the component 100 according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, at which the fixing flaps 302, 304 are brought into an opening state in which the component 100 can be detached and removed from the leg harness 116 not shown in FIG. 4, respectively.

(19) The fixing mechanism 114 of the component 100 comprises three pairs of fixing flaps 302, 304 in the shown example, wherein each pair of fixing flaps 302, 304 comprises fixing elements 306, 308 which cooperate for forming a detachable connection. The fixing elements 306, 308 may be formed as hook and pile fastener elements with hooks and loops, respectively.

(20) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a component 100 according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention. According to FIG. 5, also in the portion 112 a leg harness pad 500 is provided which is made of flexible material, which provides a smaller thickness, perpendicular to the extension direction of the carrier structure 108, than the both leg harness pads 110 in the region in which they adjoin the leg harness pad 500. Thereby, in the region of the leg harness pad 500, a recess 502 is formed which serves for keeping free the femoral vein. The leg harness pad 500 may be made of the same material as the leg harness pads 110. It is actually possible to integrally form the leg harness pad 500 and the leg harness pads 110, in particular of a cohering piece of foam.

(21) According to FIG. 5, the fixing mechanism 114 is formed by two pairs of cooperating hook and pile fastener elements.

(22) FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a component 100 according to a yet further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(23) In contrast to the component 100 according to FIG. 5, in the component 100 according to FIG. 6, the leg harness pad 500 formed of flexible material is formed between the leg harness pads 110, such that its height in a region directly adjoining the leg harness pads 110 is identical to the heights of the both leg harness pads 110 there, such that a mechanical continuous structure with a steady, stepless height profile is provided. Due to the fact that according to FIG. 6, the leg harness pad 500 is made of a softer material as the leg harness pads 110, which material complies already due to a low mechanical load, the leg harness pad 500 also serves for keeping free the femoral vein, in particular under mechanical load (like in the case of a drop or fall).

(24) According to FIG. 6, the fixing mechanism 114 is formed by an adhesive layer which is detachably and reversibly connectable to a leg harness 116.

(25) FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a component 100 according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(26) According to FIG. 7, the both leg harness pads 110 are formed as a multilayered layer structure, wherein their layers become softer, the more they are distanced to the carrier structure 108. In other words, a respective first layer 700 which is attached directly on the carrier structure 108, comprises a larger extension in a longitudinal direction of the carrier structure 108 and a higher hardness than a respective second layer 702, which is arranged on the respective first layer 700 and thus with a distance to the carrier structure 108. By a selection of the hardnesses and the dimensions of the single layers 700, 702, the mechanical properties of the leg harness pads 100 can be adjusted fitting to a respective application.

(27) According to FIG. 7, the fixing mechanism 114 is formed by two respectively cooperating pairs of fixing flaps 302, 304. The fixing of the fixing flaps 302, 304 to each other is carried out as in a belt.

(28) Supplementary, it should be noted that the term comprising does not exclude other elements or steps and the a or an does not exclude a plurality. Further it should be noted, that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(29) 100 component 102 safety harness or tether 104 human body 106 femoral vein (vena femoralis) 108 carrier structure 110 leg harness pad 112 leg harness pad-free portion 114 detachable fixing mechanism 116 leg harness 118 human leg 200 first main surface 202 front face 204 surrounding structure 300 second main surface 302, 304 pair of fixing flaps 306, 308 fixing elements 500 leg harness pad 502 recess 700 layer 702 layer (B) width (L) length (D) length of the component