Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SAI=ETY HAR ESS
BACKGRQ~,M...TH#NVENTION =
Fieid of the inventionn :
The invention relates generally to safety equipment for wotlcers but more
specifically
to a safety harness.
Background oat the invention :
As safety laws In the construction Industry have become more stringent over
the
years, it is now mandatory in most of north america for those working in
elevated
areas to be attached to a safety line. For that purpose vasious types of beft
and
hamesses have been developped. Generally, the belt or hamess comprises one or
more metal loops usualy referred as "0-rings" which are fixedly mounted on the
belt
or harness in the center back or on each sides. Depending upon the nature of
the
work, a safety fine can be wrapped amund a steel bearn and hooked to both side
D-
rings or else, a longer safety line can be attached to a static post or
structure inside a
building or even to another long fixed line from which several workers can be
attached
to simultaneously and whicn allows for greater mobility along the length of a
building.
In some cases, a bungee like rope can secure a worker with a limited "soft"
fall
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instead of a more traditional abruptly stopped fall which can cause bodily
injury from
the hamess itself.
Although numerous types of hamesses arbd belts have been developed, a worker
generally needs to carry yet another belt to carry tools since the harness
only serves
to hook the worker to a rope. Those hamesses which also incorporate
compartments
and attachments for hooking tools fall short when it comes to vomfort since
the weight
is either too much on the waisUine or too much on the shoutders which inhibits
am1
movements and can cause sefious back injury over time from straining to
support
sometimes very heavy equipment over long periods of time.
Because of the variety of joba suoh as window washers, telephone linemen and
high
rise building work, there is a variety of needs that need to be fulfilleed
since, for
example, telephone linemen usually have a rather static work position where
they are
leaned slightly backwards from the verticai, which is quite different from the
working
situation of a bridge worker who usually stands upright and walks about To
this day
an adequate harness developed specitcally for steel stn,dure workers working
on
towers, bridges and high rises has yet to be developed.
JlJ<M.MA _ _ QF TH INVENTIbN
It is a first object of this invenHon to provide for a hamess having a unique
weight
distribution around the waistline_
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lt is a second object of this invention to provide for a harness having
specially
contoured shoulder supports.
In order to do so, the present invention consists of a harness similar at
first glance to
other harnesses of the type but with the added feature of a conicai waistbeit
and
specially contoured shoulder pads. The conical waistbeit aflows for more
weight to be
distributed straight on top of the hip bones thus reducing the amount of
weight the
shoulders must bear. By having less weight on the shoulders, back pain is
dramatically reduoed. The contouring of the shoulder pads also allows for a
greater
freedom of movement.
There has thus been outHned, rather broadly, the more important features of
the
invention In order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be
better
understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be
better
appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be
described
hereinafter and which wiil form the subject matter of the claims appended
hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in
detail, it
is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to
the details of
construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth In the
following
description or illustrated in the drawings, The invention is capable of other
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embodiments and of being practiiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it
is to be
understood that the phraseology and terminofogy employed herein are for the
purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilied in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon
which this
disclosure is based, may readily be utifized as a basis for the designing of
other
structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the
present
invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as induding
such
equivalent oonstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and
scope of the
present invention.
These together with other objects of the irtvention, along with the various
features of
novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity
in the
claims annexed to and farming a part of this disclosure. For a better
understanding of
the invention, its operating advantages and the specitic objects attained by
its uses,
reference shouid be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in
which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
lgR1EF DES-OR1PTlON_ OF THE PREFERRF~I~J3~m~
Figs. lab Front and rear view of the invenflon in context respectivefy.
Fig. 2ab Front view wi#h close up detail respectivefy.
Figs, 3ab Perspective views favoring the front and the rear respectivefy.
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Figs. 4ab Perspective view favoring the front and crossectionasi view of the
shoulder
pad respectively.
Figs. 5abc Side view, front view and cxossectional view respectlvely.
DETAILED DESCRIPTiQN W-TNE_ PREPEREtED EMBObIME(yT
A safety hamess (10) is comprised of a pair of suspenders (12), contoured
shoulder
pads (14), a chest strap (16), leg straps (20), and a conical belt (18). In a
safety
hamess of the prior art, the suspenders (12), chest straps (16), and leg
straps (20)
along with a belt (not shown) are knowri in the art and these various
components
relate and intenaict In a fashion that also apply to how they relate in this
Invention and
which can generally be described as the pair of suspendera (12) fixedly and
perpenclicula-iy attached to the conical belt (18), and the chest strap (18)
located in
between each suspender (12) and parallel to the conical belt (18)_ Although
the prior
art may disclose shoulder pads, this invention has contoured shoulder pads
(14)
forming an integral part of the pair of suspenders (12).
Below the conical belt (18) are leg straps (20) which are fixedly attached to
the
conical belt (18) as leg straps (20) are attached to the belt of the prior
art. The conical
belt (18) is comprised of two sub belts forming an integral part oF the
conical belt (18)
and known as a lower belt (31) and an upper belt (32). The conical
configuration of
the conical belt (18) makes It rest atop the hip bones (30).A safety hamess
(10) Is
comprised of a a pair of suspenders (12), contoured shoulder pads (14), a
chest strap
(16), leg straps (20), and a conical belt (18). In a safety hamess of teh
prior art, the
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suspenders (12), chest straps (16), and leg straps (20) along with a belt (not
shown)
are known in the art and these various components relate and interact in a
fashion
that also apply to how they relate in this invention and which can generally
be
desoribed as the pair of suspenders (12) fixedly and perpendicutariy attached
to the
eonical belt (18), a chest strap (16) that is located in between each
suspender (12)
and parallel to the conical belt (18). Although the prior art may disciose
shoulder
pads, this inverwtion has contoured shoulder pads (14) 'brming an integral
part of the
pair of suspenders (12).
Below the oonical belt (18) are leg straps (20) which are fixedly attached to
the
conical belt (18) asleg straparj20) are attached to tPie belt uf tFad priw-
ar't. T'rrc Wriicai
belt (18) is comprised of two sub belts forming an integral part of the
conical belt (18)
and known as a lower belt (31) and an upper belt (32). The conical
configuration of
the conical belt (18) makes it rest atop hip bones (30).
Some workers oamplain that having too much weight on the hips causes lower
back
pain, slows blood circulation which induees numbness and too much weight on
the
shoulders impedes arm motion and causes upper back pain. To adjust the conical
shape of the belt (18), a system of a lower belt (31) and an upper belt (32)
adjusts a
top part (11) of the conical belt (18) so that it increases or decreases its
conical shape
until a just balance of support and aomfort is achieved. The shoulders pads
(14) are
specially contoured, by a foid (15), so that they are thicker towards an
outside edge
(17) than an Inside edge (19) so as to conform the the rounded shape of a
users
shoulders (21) and thus offer better weight distribufion.
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As is known in the art, The conical belt (18) is also capable of carrying a
plurality of
tools and pouches (22) according to the nature af the work done by the user.
The
conical belt also uses fo{ding (24) for additional cushioning against the hip
bones (30).
The conical belt, when laid fiat, assumes a V shape as shown in Fig,5b and has
a cut
(34) so that the front of the conical belt (18) is generally less wide than
the rest of the
conical belt (18) so as to facilitate leaning forward by the user. The V shape
is what
creates the conical shape of the conical belt (10) by making the conical belt
(10)
nartov+rer at the top part where the upper belt (32) is situated. By firstly
adjusting the
lower belt (31) for comfort around the waist and then tightening the upper
belt (32)
somewhat more, a conical shape is cr$ated. This conical shape is varied
according to
the degree at which the upper belt (32) is tightened in relation to the lower
belt (31). It
should be understood that a user can tighten the upper belt (32) first and
then the
lower belt (31) and still achieve the desired result. Also, a boss (33) on the
inside of
the conical belt (10) aligns with the backbone of a user.
Other elements used on similar types of hamesses, such as a D-ring (13)
attached to
the suspenders (12) are also present and will not be discussed since it should
be
understood that all the standard elements generally induded In hamesses of
this type
are de facto included in this safety hariless (10).
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present
invention, the same should be apparent from the above description.
Accordingly, no
further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be
provided.
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With respect to the above clescription then, it is to be realized that the
optimum
dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include
vatiations in size,
materials, shape, forrn, fimction and manner of operation, assembly and use,
are
deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the ark, and all
equivaient
relabonships to those itlustrated in the drawings and described in the
specification are
intended to be encompassed by the present invention_
'i"herefore, the foregoing is considered as iiiustr=afire only of the
principies of the
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily
occur to
those skiiled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the
exact construCtion
and operation shown and ttesc.ribed, and accordingly, all suitable
modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to, faiiing within the scope of the invenrion.
