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DE-102024120597-B4 - Dynamic safety system and safety device

DE102024120597B4DE 102024120597 B4DE102024120597 B4DE 102024120597B4DE-102024120597-B4

Abstract

Dynamic belaying system (1) for protection against falls from a height for a climbing pair (4) comprising a lead climber (VS) as the first climber to be belayed (4.1) and a second climber (NS) as the belaying second climber (4.2), - with a strap-shaped or rope-shaped support element (2) which is to be firmly connected to the lead climber (VS) for use with the belaying system (1) and is to be passed through at least one fixed belay point (5), - with a belay device (3) which is to be securely connected to the second climber (NS) and/or to a fixed anchor point (44) for use with the belay system (1), - wherein the supporting element (2) is configured such that it has a maximum elongation at break of 30%, - wherein the securing device (3) has a through-path (7) for passing the support element (2) through the securing device (3), - wherein the safety device (3) has a guide contour (10) in the passage path (7) against which the support element (2) passing through the passage path (7) rests, - wherein the safety device (3) has a pivotable clamping lever (12) which has a clamping contour (13) in the through-path (7), - wherein the clamping lever (12) is configured such that, in a fall event in which the support element (2) passes through the passage path (7), it moves the clamping contour (13) along an adjustment path (14) in the direction of the guide contour (10) adjusts and presses the support element (2) against the guide contour (10) by means of the clamping contour (13) and generates a braking force by friction that brakes the support element (2) in such a way that the support element (2) can pass through the safety device (3) in a controlled manner to extend a fall path in order to brake the fall, - wherein the locking device (3) has a stop (15) which limits the travel (14) of the clamping contour (13) in the direction of the guide contour (10) to a preset distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10), - wherein the safety device (3) is configured such that different distances (16) can be preset.

Inventors

  • Daniel Gebel

Assignees

  • EDELRID GMBH & CO. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240719

Claims (20)

  1. Dynamic belay system (1) for protection against falls from a height for a climber pair (4) comprising a lead climber (LC) as the first climber to be belayed (4.1) and a second climber (LC) as the belaying second climber (4.2), - with a strap-shaped or rope-shaped support element (2) which is to be permanently connected to the lead climber (LC) for use with the belay system (1) and which is to be passed through at least one fixed anchor point (5), - with a belay device (3) which is to be permanently connected to the second climber (LC) and/or to a fixed anchor point (44) for use with the belay system (1), - wherein the support element (2) is configured to have a maximum elongation at break of 30%, - wherein the belay device (3) has a passage path (7) for passing the support element (2) through the belay device (3), - wherein the belay device (3) has a guide contour (10) in the passage path (7) against which the support element (2) passes through the passage path (7) the support element (2) passing through, - wherein the safety device (3) has a pivotable clamping lever (12) which has a clamping contour (13) in the passage path (7), - wherein the clamping lever (12) is configured such that, in a fall in which the support element (2) passes through the passage path (7), it adjusts the clamping contour (13) along a travel path (14) in the direction of the guide contour (10) and, by means of the clamping contour (13), presses the support element (2) against the guide contour (10) and generates a braking force by friction that decelerates the support element (2), such that the support element (2) can pass through the safety device (3) in a controlled manner to extend a fall path and thus decelerate the fall, - wherein the safety device (3) has a stop (15) which limits the travel path (14) of the clamping contour (13) in the direction of the guide contour (10) to a preset distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10) is limited, - wherein the locking device (3) is configured such that different distances (16) can be preset.
  2. Security system (1) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the supporting element (2) is a textile supporting element (2).
  3. Security system (1) according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the supporting element (2) is a rope or a strap.
  4. Securing system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elongation at break of the support element (2) is less than 25%, preferably less than 20%, preferably less than 15%, preferably less than 10%, preferably less than 5%.
  5. Safety system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (3) has a pivotable control lever (17) which can be manually operated by the second climber (NS) and which is configured such that the clamping lever (12) for removing the clamping contour (13) from the guide contour (10) can be adjusted by means of the control lever (17), so that the second climber (NS) can modulate the braking force by means of the control lever (17).
  6. A locking system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking device (3) has a console (19) on which the guide contour (10) is formed and on which the clamping lever (12) is pivotably mounted about a clamping lever pivot axis (11), that the stop (15) has a stop contour (55) formed on the console (19) and a counter-stop contour (24) formed on the clamping lever (12), that for adjusting the distance (16) the stop contour (55) is configured to be adjustable with respect to the console (19) and/or the counter-stop contour (24) is configured to be adjustable with respect to the clamping lever (12).
  7. Security system (1) according to the Claims 5 and 6 , characterized in that - the control lever (17) is pivotably mounted on the clamping lever (12) about a control lever pivot axis (18) running parallel to the clamping lever pivot axis (11), - the console (19) or the clamping lever (12) has a support (20) on which the control lever (17) is supported when actuated to adjust the clamping lever (12).
  8. Security system (1) according to Claim 6 or 7 , characterized in that the clamping lever (12) or the console (19) has a connection point (21) for fixed connection to the follower (NS) which is arranged eccentrically with respect to the clamping lever pivot axis (11).
  9. Security system (1) according to one of the Claims 6 until 8 , characterized in that the guide contour (10) is formed on a guide element (22) which is attached to the console (19).
  10. Security system (1) according to Claim 9 , characterized in that the distance (16) is adjustable by replacing the guide element (22) by a The first guide element (22) with a first guide contour (10), which, when the clamping lever (12) is against the stop (15), creates a first distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the first guide contour (10), is replaced by a second guide element (22) with a second guide contour (10), which, when the clamping lever (12) is against the stop (15), creates a second distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the second guide contour (10) that differs from the first distance (16).
  11. Security system (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 , characterized in that - the clamping contour (13) is interchangeably attached to the clamping lever (12), - the distance (16) is adjustable by replacing the clamping contour (13) by replacing a first clamping contour (13), which, when the clamping lever (12) is against the stop (15), creates a first distance (16) between the first clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10), with a second clamping contour (13), which, when the clamping lever (12) is against the stop (15), creates a second distance (16) between the second clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10) that differs from the first distance (16).
  12. Security system (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 , characterized in that - the clamping lever (12) has the counter-stop contour (24) which interacts with the stop (15) to limit the travel (14) of the clamping contour (13), - the counter-stop contour (24) is interchangeably attached to the clamping lever (12), - the distance (16) is adjustable by exchanging the counter-stop contour (24) by replacing a first counter-stop contour (24), which, when the first counter-stop contour (24) is in contact with the stop (15), creates a first distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10), with a second counter-stop contour (24), which, when the second counter-stop contour (24) is in contact with the stop (15), creates a second distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10) that differs from the first distance (16).
  13. Security system (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 , characterized in that - the clamping lever (12) has a counter-stop pin (45) on which the counter-stop contour (24) is formed, which interacts with the stop (15) to limit the travel (14) of the clamping contour (13), - the counter-stop pin (45) has a pin longitudinal axis (46) extending transversely to the travel (14) and an outer contour (47) which, at least in the region of the counter-stop contour (24), is spirally shaped with respect to the pin longitudinal axis (46), such that a radial distance of the outer contour (47) from the pin longitudinal axis (46) increases in a pin circumferential direction (48) from a minimum (49) to a maximum (50) in a stepped or stepless manner, the maximum (50) being connected to the minimum (49) via a step (51), - a section facing the stop (15) the outer contour (47) forms the counter-stop contour (24), - that the counter-stop pin (45) is either rotatably arranged on the clamping lever (12) about the pin's longitudinal axis (46), so that different rotational positions can be set for the counter-stop pin (45) by turning it, or can be fixed in different rotational positions on the clamping lever (12) with respect to the pin's longitudinal axis (46), so that different rotational positions can be set for the counter-stop pin (45) by repositioning it, - that the distance (16) can be adjusted by changing the rotational position of the counter-stop pin (45), whereby a first rotational position of the counter-stop pin (45), with the counter-stop contour (24) abutting the stop (15), creates a first distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10), while a second rotational position of the counter-stop pin (45), with the counter-stop contour abutting the stop (15), creates a first distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10). (24) creates a second distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10), different from the first distance (16).
  14. Security system (1) according to Claim 13 , characterized in that - the counter-stop pin (45) on the clamping lever (12) can be fixed in several different rotational positions on the clamping lever (12) with respect to the pin longitudinal axis (46) by means of a projection-recess coupling (54), - the projection-recess coupling (54) has several recesses (52) which are formed eccentrically to the pin longitudinal axis (46) in the pin circumferential direction (48) distributed on the clamping lever (12) or on the counter-stop pin (45), - the projection-recess coupling (54) has at least one projection (53) which is formed eccentrically to the pin longitudinal axis (46) on the counter-stop pin (45) or on the clamping lever (12) such that the projection (53) engages in one of the recesses (52) to fix a rotational position of the counter-stop pin (45).
  15. Security system (1) according to one of the Claims 6 until 9 , characterized in that - the stop (15) is adjustable on the console (19), - a manually operable actuator (26) for adjusting the stop (15) to set the distance (16) is provided on the console (19).
  16. Security system (1) according to Claim 15 , characterized in that - the stop (15) is formed by a sliding element (27) which is adjustable in a guide (28) formed on the console (19), which has a threaded opening (29) with an internal thread and which interacts with the clamping lever (12) at an end section (30) projecting from the guide (28) parallel to the clamping lever pivot axis (11), - the actuator (26) has a spindle (31) which is rotatably arranged on the console (19) about a spindle axis of rotation (32) extending transversely to the clamping lever pivot axis (11), which has an external thread matching the internal thread of the threaded opening (29) and which passes through the sliding element (27) in the threaded opening (29), - the actuator (26) has a manually rotatable adjusting wheel (33) which is rotationally fixed to the spindle (31), so that the sliding element can be moved by rotating the adjusting wheel (33). (27) is adjustable along the spindle (31).
  17. Security system (1) according to Claim 16 , characterized in that the console (19) has an actuating opening (35) on an outer side (34) facing away from the clamping lever (12), in which the adjusting wheel (33) is arranged and accessible for manual actuation.
  18. Security system (1) according to Claim 16 or 17 , characterized in that - the console (19) has a control opening (36) on an outer side (34) facing away from the clamping lever (12), through which the current position of the sliding body (27) is visible, - the console (19) has a scale (37) on its outer side (34) in the area of the control opening (36) associated with the sliding body (27), on which the current position of the sliding body (27) can be read.
  19. A fall arrest device (3) for a person, - wherein the fall arrest device (3) has a passage (7) for passing a strap-shaped or rope-shaped support element (2) through the fall arrest device (3), - wherein the fall arrest device (3) is to be permanently attached to the person for use, while the support element (2) is to be permanently attached to an anchor point (5) or to another person, - wherein the fall arrest device (3) has a guide contour (10) in the passage (7) against which the support element (2) passing through the passage (7) rests, - wherein the fall arrest device (3) has a pivotable clamping lever (12) having a clamping contour (13), - wherein the clamping lever (12) is configured such that, in the event of a fall in which the support element (2) passes through the passage (7), it engages the clamping contour (13) along a travel path (14) is adjusted in the direction of the guide contour (10) and, by means of the clamping contour (13), presses the support element (2) against the guide contour (10) and generates a braking force by friction that decelerates the support element (2), such that the support element (2) can pass through the belay device (3) in a controlled manner to extend a fall path and thus decelerate the fall, - wherein the belay device (3) has a stop (15) that interacts with the clamping lever (12) and limits the adjustment travel (14) of the clamping contour (13) in the direction of the guide contour (10) to a preset distance (16) between the clamping contour (13) and the guide contour (10), - wherein the stop (15) is configured to be adjustable, such that different distances (16) can be preset by adjusting the stop (15).
  20. Safety device (3) according to Claim 19 , characterized by the distinguishing features of at least one of the Claims 5 until 18 .

Description

The present invention relates to a dynamic belay system for fall protection for a climbing pair comprising a lead climber (male/female/diverse) as the first climber (male/female/diverse) to be belayed and a second climber (male/female/diverse) as the belayer. The invention also relates to a belay device suitable for such a dynamic belay system. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of such a belay device and to a belay set comprising several belay devices and a support element. In mountaineering, occupational safety, and tactical applications by security forces, law enforcement, and military personnel, fall protection systems are used to secure individuals from falls from heights. These systems typically consist of a rope or a rope-like support element. At least two main types of fall protection systems can be distinguished: static and dynamic. In a static system, the fall of a person is abruptly stopped as soon as the support element is taut. The fall distance is limited to the distance the person travels before the support element is taut. The resulting impact force is extremely high. Static support elements, which exhibit minimal elongation under high loads, can be used in this application. In a dynamic system, the fall of a person is slowed by a braking force. Once the support element is taut, additional fall distance is provided, which can be used to decelerate the falling person more gently. Dynamic belay devices are typically used here, which stretch under heavy load and thus provide the additional fall distance. As long as the rope can be kept taut in the belay system, a fall usually only results in static forces being transmitted to the falling belay person, so a static belay system is sufficient for such cases. However, in both mountaineering and occupational safety, there are applications where the person being belayed must climb past the last fixed anchor point, meaning the rope can no longer be kept taut and a tight belay from above is no longer possible. If the lead climber falls in such a situation, there is a free fall distance and a dynamic force being transmitted to the falling belay person. Static belay systems are unable to absorb or convert the resulting kinetic energy in such a case. Therefore, strategies exist in both mountaineering and occupational safety that ensure sufficient energy absorption by the belay system in such cases. In occupational safety, shock absorbers are used in dynamic fall arrest systems. These are components of the safety system that can convert fall energy and generate additional fall distance or braking distance, thereby reducing the forces acting on the falling person. Such shock absorbers can be certified in the European Union, for example, according to the EN 355 standard. A disadvantage of using shock absorbers, however, is that their characteristic features are fixed, meaning that the fall mass, fall height, braking force, and braking distance are predetermined. The fixed braking force, in particular, poses a problem in practice, as the severity of injury from deceleration depends not on the braking force but on the deceleration, which in turn depends on the mass of the falling person. For example, if a shock absorber provides 6 kN of damping, this translates to an acceleration of 6 G for a person weighing 100 kg. This is approximately the limit that an untrained person can withstand without injury. For a person weighing 50 kg, however, the same shock absorber results in a braking acceleration of 12 G, which is regularly too much even for trained people and can lead to corresponding injuries. From the DE 10 2010 047 221 A1 A shock absorber with adjustable braking force is known, which could, in principle, solve the problem described above. However, there are currently no standards for adjustable shock absorbers in the European Union, which complicates their certification and marketing. Unlike in occupational safety, in mountaineering, a free fall into a belay system is standard practice, comparable to falling in judo. Impact force reduction is achieved here using a dynamic belay system. In a conventional dynamic belay system, the dynamic action is achieved through the use of climbing ropes characterized by high energy absorption capacity. The energy absorption capacity of a climbing rope is specified in the European standard EN 892 and verified during type testing before being placed on the market within the European Community. Climbing ropes specified according to EN 892, made of PA 6 (polyamide 6), are also used. These ropes, known as Perlon® (registered to Perlon GmbH), typically consist of a load-bearing and energy-absorbing core encased in a protective sheath. Due to the stringent requirements of EN 892, only PA 6 is currently suitable for the core of a dynamic climbing rope. However, PA 6 is a niche material among synthetic fibers, with limited applications outside of climbing ropes. Consequently, PA 6 fibers are comparatively expensive. Fur