EP2514486B1

EP2514486B1 - Arresting device for a fall protection system

Info

Publication number: EP2514486B1
Application number: EP12159166.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Miroslaw Szlachcikowski; Michael Eichwein
Original assignee: Tractel Greifzug GmbH
Current assignee: Tractel Greifzug GmbH
Priority date: 2011-04-20
Filing date: 2012-03-13
Publication date: 2015-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2032-03-13
Also published as: EP2514486A3; ES2561559T3; PT2514486E; EP2514486A2; DE102011100084A1

Description

The invention relates to an arresting device for a fall protection system, having a fall prevention shuttle accommodated displaceably on a guide rail by means of guide means, having a receiving fixture for a binding for fastening of a safety harness for a user, and having a safety catch, which is pivotable between a release position, in which the safety catch is retracted, so that the fall prevention shuttle is displaceable along the guide rail, and an arresting position on the basic element, in which the safety catch protrudes from the basic element for locking to the fall protection system, wherein the guide means comprise upper rollers which are movable by a specific amount along the fall prevention shuttle, wherein the receiving fixture is articulately connected to the safety catch and the upper rollers, wherein the safety catch is fixed to the basic element pivotably about a pivot axis by an upper front end facing the fall protection system, and has at its lower end an arresting boss, which in the arresting position protrudes in relation to the basic element in the direction of the fall protection system.
Such an arresting device is known from US 200fi10283662 A1 .
A similar arresting device is known from US 2010/032239 A1 .
In a further arresting device known from EP 1 559 448 A1 a pivotably mounted locking bolt is provided in a housing. In a locking position of the locking bolt, the housing can be locked in place in the guide rail. In the event of a first tensile loading of the locking bolt, the locking bolt is swivelled into an unlocking position, in which the housing is displaceable in the guide rail. In the event of a second, additional tensile loading of the locking bolt situated in the unlocking position, a security bolt, with which the housing can be locked in place in the guide rail, can be swivelled out.
The known locking devices are intended to ensure an effective securement of a person even in special exceptional situations, such as, for instance, where a person has lost consciousness.
The drawback of the known constructions lies in the fact that a universal coordination of the individual triggering forces of the bolts is not possible because of the different weights of the user.
An arresting device for fall protection systems has also become known through use by the Applicant, which arresting device is marketed by the Applicant under the specification AL-D. This constitutes an arresting device for a fall protection system which has a fall prevention shuttle accommodated displaceably in a guide rail by means of upper and lower rollers, having a receiving fixture for a binding for fastening of a safety harness for a user, and having a safety catch, which is pivotable between a release position, in which the safety catch is retracted, so that the fall prevention shuttle is displaceable along the guide rail, and an arresting position on the basic element, in which the safety catch protrudes from the basic element for locking to the fall protection system.
Although this arresting device reliably satisfies all the tests which are proposed under standard EN353-1 for fall protection systems and the draft of 2008 for a revision with supplementary criteria according to CNB/P/11.073, this arresting device is not suitable for climbing with a so-called back traction. When climbing in back traction, the user of the arresting device comfortably leans back in his safety harness, whereby the fall prevention shuttle is freed and can move upwards or downwards along the guide rail. The climbing or climb-down operation can then proceed in the natural manner simply by leg work.
In the previously described AL-D type arresting device, which has become known through use, no ascent with back traction is possible, but rather the arresting device must be moved upwards virtually by pulling on the fall prevention shuttle, so that the arresting bolt gradually moves upwards along the following detent elements on the guide rail.
Although this ensures a reliable securement even when a constant horizontal traction is applied to the fall prevention shuttle, the climbing operation is significantly more laborious, since this is not possible with back traction.
Against this background, the object of the invention is to define an arresting device for a fall protection system, which arresting device ensures a reliable protection against falling in all situations and can be used with back traction.
This object is achieved by an arresting device according to claim 1. The preferred embodiments are disclosed in the appending dependent claims.
In this way, the object of the invention is fully achieved.
According to the invention, the arresting device can be used if the user is strapped on with his safety harness and the arresting device is situated in the guide rail. The safety catch hereby makes its way automatically into its release position, so that the fall prevention shuttle can be moved upwards and downwards along the guide rail. The user can also lean backwards with his safety harness and thus utilize the arresting device comfortably with back traction. However, an ascent and descent is also possible without back traction.
If, on the other hand, a downward traction on the binding ensues, then the upper rollers initially move downwards on the fall prevention shuttle, whereby the safety catch makes its way automatically into its arresting position and the fall prevention shuttle locks reliably in place on the fall protection system. This too happens irrespective of whether a horizontal traction has previously been applied to the binding or not.
The inventive fall prevention shuttle meets the requirements of European standard EN 353-1, as well as the supplementary requirements from document CNB/P/11.073.
The guide means preferably comprise upper and lower rollers, by means of which the fall prevention shuttle is accommodated displaceably on the guide rail.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the safety catch is configured for locking to an arresting bar on the fall protection system.
On the fall protection system or on the guide rail there is here arranged, one after the other, a plurality of arresting bars, which can be configured, for instance, on recesses of the guide rail. As a result of the succession of arresting bars arranged one above the other, a reliable fall protection is herein ensured if the safety catch, in the arresting position, is extended from the fall prevention shuttle.
Preferably, the basic element, inclusive of the safety catch, here has a greater inertia than the upper rollers and the moving parts accommodated thereon.
It is additionally preferred that the upper rollers are mounted on roller bearings, for example ball bearings, whilst the lower rollers are preferably merely slide-mounted on bars or axles.
Thus the different motional speeds of the successive principal components of the fall prevention shuttle can be utilized. The lower inertial mass of the top part (upper rollers with binding, and parts accommodated thereon), in conjunction with the better rolling characteristics of the top part and the greater inertia of the bottom part (basic element with safety catch) result in the top part being able to move easily in the perpendicular, despite an applied back traction force via the binding. Should a downward pull be made on the binding, then the top part initially moves downwards on the basic element, whereby the safety catch makes its way into its arresting position and the fall prevention shuttle is securely detained on the next arresting bar.
According to the invention, the mobility of the upper rollers along the fall prevention shuttle is enabled in a particularly simple manner and a reliable functioning of the arresting device is ensured. The long hole can here have a vertical extent in the range of, for instance, about 5 to 15 mm, in particular about 10 mm.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the binding for fastening of the safety harness comprises an energy absorber and a carabiner hook.
Further preferably, the energy absorber is coupled via a U-shaped bracket and a pivot joint to the receiving fixture, which is connected by a pivot joint to the first and second connecting link.
As a result of this fundamentally known measure, a certain cushioning is ensured should a user fall and be captured only by the arresting device. Likewise, through the fixing of the energy absorber by a pivot joint to the receiving fixture, a certain lateral movement of a user is also enabled without resultant strains on the arresting device.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper and lower rollers of the fall prevention shuttle are respectively configured as roller pairs.
Furthermore, the upper and lower rollers are preferably configured for guidance along a guide rail with inner profile.
If the guide rail is configured with an inner profile, then a significantly lower susceptibility to dirt contamination is obtained, and greater tolerances than with other systems can be used.
In principle, the inventive arresting device can also be used, however, in conjunction with any other chosen guide rail on which the upper and lower rollers are guided. For this, an adaptation to the modified rail geometry is all that is necessary.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, on the basic element is provided at least one further roller for guidance on the guide rail. Further guide rollers, which engage in the rail slot, can also be provided in the upper and/or lower region of the arresting device, for example a further guide roller could be disposed on the second connecting link.
An optimized centring in the rail profile, such as, for example, in curved rails, can hereby be ensured.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the safety catch is of substantially triangular configuration.
In addition, on the basic element is preferably provided a slot-shaped recess, in which the safety catch at its front, upper end is pivotably held and with its lower end is pivotable between the release position, in which the arresting boss is embedded in the slot-shaped recess, and the arresting position, in which the arresting boss protrudes from the slot-shaped recess.
A compact structure of the arresting device, and a reliable attachment of the safety catch via the first and second connecting link to the upper rollers and to the receiving fixture for the binding, is hereby enabled.
According to an advantageous refinement of the invention, the safety catch is pretensioned in the direction of the arresting position.
For this purpose, at least one spring can engage, for instance, between the basic element and the safety catch, for pretensioning of the safety catch.
These measures constitute additional, not really necessary, supporting measures for a reliable functioning of the arresting device irrespective of the influence of a user, in order to ensure movement of the safety catch into the arresting position.
Even without these measures, the safety catch is pivoted automatically into its arresting position as soon as the upper rollers move downwards faster than the basic element, so that a reliable fall protection is ensured.
The above-stated features of the invention, and those which are yet to be described below, can naturally be used not only in the respectively stated combination, but also in other combinations or in isolation without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of a preferred illustrative embodiment with reference to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1: shows a partial side view of an inventive arresting device on a fall protection system, with a user who is using the arresting device as a fall protection with back traction during ascent or descent;
Fig. 2: shows an enlarged detail of a guide rail of the fall protection system on which the arresting device is deployed, wherein the guide rail is partially cut open at the side for the purpose of better recognition of the fall prevention shuttle;
Fig. 3: shows a longitudinal section through the fall prevention shuttle according to Fig. 2, on which the safety catch with the first and second connecting link for connection to the receiving fixture for the binding are discernible, wherein the representation of the further parts is dispensed with for reasons of simplification;
Fig. 4: shows a longitudinal view of the fall prevention shuttle from the side facing away from the user, wherein a region at the upper end of the safety catch is shown in partially sectioned representation;
Fig. 5: shows a view of the fall prevention shuttle according to Fig. 2 from the rear side facing away from the user, in a release position of the safety catch;
Fig. 6: shows a view according to Fig. 5, though with the safety catch in its arresting position;
Fig. 7: shows a side view of the arresting device with guide rail according to Fig. 2 in reduced representation, wherein the details A and B are shown in enlarged representation;
Fig. 8: shows a representation of the arresting device according to Fig. 7, in which the safety catch is in the arresting position, with enlarged representation of details A and B;
Fig. 9: shows a perspective view of the arresting device according to Fig. 8 from diagonally above, in the arresting position with downwardly angled-off carabiner hook; and
Fig. 10: shows a side view of the arresting device according to Fig. 9 from the front, in the arresting position with downwardly angled-off carabiner hook and with enlarged details A and B.

Fig. 1 shows a fall protection system 10 having an inventive arresting device 20. The fall protection system 10 comprises, for instance, a ladder 12 with rungs 14, to which ladder the user 16 is secured during ascent or descent with the aid of a safety harness 18 via an arresting device 20, which is displaceable in a guide rail (not discernible). The safety harness 18 is connected by an eyelet 19 to the arresting device 20 and is secured thereto by means of a carabiner hook.
The detailed structure of the arresting device 20 is now more closely explained with reference to the following Figs.2 to 10.
Fig. 2 shows an inventive arresting device 20, which is guided with a fall prevention shuttle 38, with lower rollers 42 and upper rollers 44, on a guide rail 22 forming part of the fall protection system 10 shown in Fig. 1.
The guide rail 22 extends over the full height of the fall protection system and serves, in conjunction with the arresting device 20, as fall protection for the user 16.
In the present case, the guide rail 22 is configured as an inner profile with U-shaped basic shape and two front faces 21, 27, which are angled-off inwards. Between the front faces 21, 27 remains a slot, through which the fall prevention shuttle 38 can be displaced upwards and downwards. On the rear wall of the guide rail 22 is configured a succession of recesses 24, at whose lower end is respectively provided an arresting bar 25 protruding into the interior of the guide rail 22. The fall prevention shuttle 38 is guided with its lower and upper rollers 42, 44 between the rear wall and the front faces 21, 27 of the guide rail 22. A further optional guide roller 46 at the lower end of the fall prevention shuttle 38 runs between the two front faces 21, 27.
The fall prevention shuttle 38 has a safety catch 40, which is accommodated in a pivotably movable manner thereon and which at its lower end has an arresting boss 64 (Fig. 3). In an arresting position 38' (compare Fig. 3), this arresting boss 64 protrudes in the direction of the arresting bars 25 and, in the event of a downward movement of the fall prevention shuttle 38, effects a locking at the directly following arresting bar 25.
According to Figs. 2, 3, the fall prevention shuttle 38 is articulately connected by two connecting links 48, 52 to a receiving fixture 54 of a binding 37, which can be coupled via a carabiner hook 28 to the safety harness 18 of the user 16.
The binding 37 comprises the carabiner hook 28, which is connected by an energy absorber 30 to a U-shaped bracket 32. The bracket 32 is connected by a pivot joint 34 to a U-shaped receiving fixture 54. The U-shaped receiving fixture 54 is articulately connected by a further pivot joint to the first connecting link 48 and to a second connecting link 52. The other end of the first connecting link 48 is connected to an upper rear end 60 of the safety catch 40 by a pivot joint 50. The second connecting link 52 is connected at its one end to the pivot joint 54 of the receiving fixture 36 and of the connecting link 48, and is connected at its other end to the upper rollers 44.
A further optional guide roller 47 can be disposed on the second connecting link 52 such that it runs between the two front faces 21, 27 (cf. Fig. 2).
As can be seen from Figs. 3 to 6, the fall prevention shuttle 38 has a basic element 56, which is accommodated displaceably within the cavity of the guide rail 22 by means of the lower rollers 42 and the upper rollers 44. At the upper end of the basic element 56 is provided a long hole 58, through which extends an axle 76 on which the two upper rollers 44 are mounted with the aid of ball bearings. The upper rollers 44 are held with their axle 76 within the long hole 58, such that they are displaceable, for instance, by an amount of 10 mm in the vertical direction.
As can be seen more closely from Fig. 3, within the basic element 56 beneath the long hole 58 is provided a slot-shaped recess 66, within which the roughly triangularly configured safety catch 40 is movably held. The safety catch 40 is held by an upper front end 62 pivotably about a pivot axis 74. The pivot axis 74 is realized as a rivet (Fig. 4). According to Fig. 3, the upper front end 62 of the safety catch 40 is adjoined in the downward direction by a bulge 67, in which are accommodated two compression springs 68, 70, which are supported on a spring receiving fixture 72 of the basic element 56 such that they are outwardly concealed. From this bulge 67, the safety catch 40 runs upwards once again and ends in an upper rear end 60 which is coupled by the pivot joint 50 to the first connecting link 48. As already explained, the other end of the first connecting link 48 is articulately connected to the pivot joint 54 of the receiving fixture 36 and to one end of the second connecting link 52. The other end of the second connecting link 52 forms a receiving fixture for the upper rollers 44, which are rotatably fastened thereto by means of the roller axle 76 and the two ball bearings.
The two springs 68, 70 support the pivot motion of the safety catch 40 into the arresting position 38' (cf. Figs. 3 and 4), so that this protrudes with the arresting boss 64 beyond the outer contour of the basic element 56 in the direction of the rear wall of the guide rail 22.
If, on the other hand, the two upper rollers 44 are located with their roller axle 76 at the upper end of the long hole 58 (compare Fig. 5), then, when a slight force is applied to the pivot joint 54 in a direction remote from the guide rail 22, the safety catch 40 can be pivoted inwards about its pivot axis 74 such that the arresting boss 64 is fully retracted within the slot-shaped recess 66 of the basic element 56. The very weight of the basic element 56 also pulls the safety catch 40 upwards at the upper rear end 60.
In this position, which is represented in Figs. 2, 5 and 7, the fall prevention shuttle 38 can move freely upwards or downwards within the guide rail 22. From Fig. 7, in particular through detail A, the position of the upper rollers 44 at the upper end of the long hole 58 can clearly be seen. In this position, the user 16 can move upwards or downwards on the fall protection system 10 with or without back traction.
If an even only very slight force is now applied downwards to the binding 37, as is indicated by the arrow 78 in Fig. 8, then, because of the lower inertia of the top part, i.e. the upper rollers 44 and the second connecting link 52, and the better mobility due to the mounting of the upper rollers 44 by means of ball bearings, the roller axle 76 initially moves in any event downwards within the long hole 58, whereby, through the articulated attachment of the safety catch 40, this is pivoted downwards at its upper rear end 60. The arresting boss 64 thus makes its way into the position according to Fig. 6 or 8, in which the arresting boss 64 protrudes beyond the outer contour of the basic element 56 in the direction of the arresting bars 25.
The fall prevention shuttle 38 can therefore move downwards out of this position only by a small amount until the arresting boss 64 is trapped on the following arresting bar 25 and engages in the associated recess 24.
This situation is represented in Figs. 9 and 10 with the arresting position 38' and the position 37' of the binding.
If the user 16 applies a merely slight force to the binding 37 in the downward direction, then the fall prevention shuttle 38 locks in place in the position 38' with the arresting boss 64 on the next-following arresting bar 25 on the associated recess 24, whilst the fall prevention shuttle moves downwards. The pivoting of the safety catch 40 into the arresting position is here aided by the two springs 68, 70.
The user 16 can in this case comfortably perform an ascent or descent on the fall protection system 10 according to the back traction principle and be supported with his safety harness 18 on the arresting device 20. This means that the user can climb up and down with extended legs and can at the same time lean back into the safety harness.
At places from which an ascent or descent according to the back traction principle is not possible because of the cramped spatial conditions, the user can carry out an ascent or descent without leaning outwards against the arresting device 20.
As soon as the user is strapped on with his safety harness and the arresting device is in the guide rail, the safety catch 40 makes its way automatically into its release position, so that the fall prevention shuttle 38 can move freely upwards or downwards on the guide rail 22.

Claims

An arresting device for a fall protection system (10), comprising a fall prevention shuttle (38), accommodated displaceably on a guide rail (22) by means of guide means, having a receiving fixture (36) for a binding (37) for fastening of a safety harness (18) for a user (16), and having a safety catch (40), which is pivotable between a release position, in which the safety catch (40) is retracted, so that the fall prevention shuttle (38) is displaceable along the guide rail (22), and an arresting position (38') on the basic element (56), in which the safety catch (40) protrudes from the basic element (56) for locking to the fall protection system (10), wherein the guide means comprise upper rollers (44) which are movable by a specific amount along the fall prevention shuttle (38), and wherein the receiving fixture (36) is articulately connected to the safety catch (40) and the upper rollers (44), wherein the safety catch (40) is fixed to the basic element (56) pivotably about a pivot axis (74) by an upper front end (62) facing the fall protection system, and has at its lower end an arresting boss (64), which in the arresting position (38') protrudes in relation to the basic element (56) in the direction of the fall protection system (10), characterized in that the upper rollers (44) are held movably in a long hole (58) of the basic element (56), and in that an upper, rear end (60) of the safety catch (40) facing away from the fall protection system is articulately connected to a first end of a first connecting link (48), the second end of which is engaged by the receiving fixture (36) for fastening of the safety harness (18), and the second end of which articulately engages a first end of a second connecting link (52), on the second end of which the upper rollers (44) are held, so that in the event of a downward pull on the binding (37), a movement of the upper rollers (44) downwards and a pivoting of the safety catch (40) into the arresting position (38') results.
The arresting device of claim 1, characterized in that the guide means comprises upper (44) and lower (42) rollers, by means of which the fall prevention shuttle (38) is accommodated displaceably on the guide rail (22).
The arresting device of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the safety catch (40) is configured for locking to an arresting bar (25) on the fall protection system (10).
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the basic element (56), inclusive of the safety catch (40), has a greater inertia than the upper rollers (44) and the moving parts accommodated thereon.
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper rollers (44) are mounted on roller bearings.
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the binding (37) for fastening of the safety harness (18) comprises an energy absorber (30) and a carabiner hook (28), wherein the energy absorber (30) is preferably coupled via a bracket (32) and a pivot joint (34) to the receiving fixture (36), which is connected by a pivot joint (54) to the first (48) and second (52) connecting link.
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper (44) and lower (42) rollers of the fall prevention shuttle are respectively configured as roller pairs.
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper (44) and lower (42) rollers are configured for guidance along a guide rail (22) with inner profile.
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one further roller (46) is provided on the basic element (56) for guidance on the guide rail (22), and in that preferably on the second connecting link (52) at least one further roller (47) is provided for guidance on the guide rail (22).
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety catch (40) is of substantially triangular shape.
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a slot-shaped recess (66) is preferably provided on the basic element (56), in which the safety catch (40) at its front, upper end (62) is pivotably held and is pivotable with its lower end between the release position, in which the arresting boss is embedded in the slot-shaped recess (66), and the arresting position (38'), in which the arresting boss (64) protrudes from the slot-shaped recess (66).
The arresting device of any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety catch (40) is pretensioned in the direction of the arresting position (38'), wherein preferably at least one spring (68, 70) engages between the basic element (56) and the safety catch (40), for pretensioning of the safety catch (40).