JP7733902B2 - Belt attachment device and fall arrest harness - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a belt attachment device and a fall arrest harness.

When working at heights, workers are required to wear fall arrest equipment to prevent their falls in the event of a fall. Of these, harness-type fall arrest equipment mainly consists of a harness and a lanyard. Workers attach a hook or similar device to one end of the lanyard, such as a lifeline or solid structure, and connect the other end to the harness worn around their body to prevent falls in the event of a misstep or other accident.

When putting on a harness, it is important to make sure it is fastened securely and tightly, otherwise the belt may slip up when attempting to arrest a fall, placing too much load on certain belts and making it difficult to maintain a safe posture. For this reason, it is important to properly adjust the length of the belts on each part, such as the shoulders and thighs, to fit each individual's body type.

When adjusting the length, excess belt length is generated. If excess belt length is left unbundled, it may get caught on structures or pinched between components during work. If movement is hindered by the excess belt length getting caught or pinched when moving to a different work position, the worker may be suddenly pulled backward, causing them to lose balance and step off the elevated scaffolding. For this reason, excess belt length is bundled into overlapping belts using belt loops (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (paragraph 0019, Figure 1)).

Furthermore, the wearer's movements or other factors can cause the belt to move in a direction that loosens the adjusted position. To prevent this, a belt fastener is attached near the length adjustment point (see, for example, Figure 1 of Patent Document 2). This belt fastener is made of a plate-like member and has a roughly rectangular outer shape. It has two horizontally elongated, parallel insertion holes inside, a central side located between the two insertion holes, and end sides located outside the two insertion holes, with openings of a predetermined length provided on these end sides.
In this belt fastener, the overlapped belt is passed through one opening and inserted into one insertion hole, then passed over the central edge, and then passed through the other opening and inserted into the other insertion hole.The overlapped belt is sandwiched from above and below between one end edge and the central edge, and between the central edge and the other end edge, thereby preventing the length-adjusted belt from slipping.
In this way, at the belt length adjustment point, a belt loop (loop) for bundling the belt and a belt fixing device for preventing the belt from slipping are attached.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-28435 JP 2018-140286 A

Since harnesses are designed to be worn around multiple body parts, there are multiple locations where the belt length can be adjusted. Therefore, attaching both the belt loop (strap) and the belt fastener to each adjustment location increases the number of parts and the number of work steps required when assembling the harness, leading to increased costs.
In addition, when workers put on their harnesses, they had to adjust the belt length to fit their body type in multiple places, which made putting on the harness before work time-consuming.
The object of the present invention is to provide a belt attachment device and a fall arrest harness that has a simple and compact structure and has the functions of both bundling the belt and suppressing belt slippage.

The belt attachment device of the present invention is a belt attachment device having a belt loop portion and a belt fixing portion, wherein the belt loop portion is formed in a flat cylindrical shape and has an insertion hole with a width and height sufficient to allow overlapping belts to be inserted therethrough, and the belt fixing portion has a generally rectangular outer shape and is provided with an insertion groove therein with a width and length sufficient to allow overlapping belts to be inserted therethrough, an extension portion located between the belt loop portion and the insertion groove and extending from the back side of the belt loop portion in the longitudinal direction of the belt inserted into the insertion hole, and an end edge of the insertion groove located on the opposite side from the extension portion, and wherein the end edge is provided with an opening that is open to a predetermined length and a pair of belt fixing claws that are formed to protrude in opposite directions.

In the belt attachment of the present invention, it is preferable that a bulge portion bulging toward the inside of the hole is provided on the inner wall surface of the insertion hole on the surface side of the belt loop portion.
The fall arrest harness of the present invention is characterized by including the above-described belt attachment device.

The belt attachment device of the present invention has a belt loop and a belt fixing part. The belt loop has an insertion hole large enough to allow overlapping belts to pass through, and the belt fixing part has an insertion groove, an extension, and an end edge, with an opening and a pair of belt fixing claws on the end edge. This structure provides a belt attachment device with a simple and compact structure that functions both to bundle belts and to prevent belt slippage.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the belt attachment device of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a rear view of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a bottom view of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG. 1 . 1 is a diagram showing a fall arrest harness equipped with a belt attachment device of this embodiment. 1A is a diagram showing a free state in which the belt is not fixed to the belt fixing portion, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a locked state in which the belt is fixed to the belt fixing portion, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the same along line BB. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which only one belt is inserted into the insertion groove. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the belt attachment device of the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the belt attachment of this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, FIG. 3 is a rear view thereof, FIG. 4 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 5 is a bottom view thereof, and FIG. 6 is a right side view thereof.
The material constituting the belt attachment device 10 may be a resin material, a metal material such as steel or aluminum alloy, or a rubber material. Among these, polyethylene resin or polyamide resin is preferable from the viewpoint of cost.
1 to 6, the belt attachment device 10 of this embodiment comprises a belt loop portion 12 and a belt fixing portion 14. The belt loop portion 12 is formed in a flat cylindrical shape and has an insertion hole 16. This insertion hole 16 has a width and height sufficient to allow overlapping belts to be inserted therethrough.

The belt fixing portion 14 has a generally rectangular outer shape and includes an insertion groove 18 , an extension portion 20 , and an end side 22 .
The insertion groove 18 has a width and length sufficient to allow the overlapping belts to be inserted therethrough. The insertion groove 18 is provided at a position where the width directions of the insertion groove 18 and the insertion hole 16 of the belt loop portion 12 are parallel to each other.
The extension 20 is located between the belt loop 12 and the insertion groove 18 and extends from the rear surface of the belt loop 12 in the longitudinal direction of the belt inserted through the insertion hole 16 .
The end edge 22 is the edge located on the opposite side of the extension 20 of the insertion groove 18. This end edge 22 is provided with an opening 24 that is open to a predetermined length and a pair of belt fixing claws 26. The center portion of the end edge 22 is open as the opening 24, and the remaining portion forms the pair of belt fixing claws 26.

The length of the extension portion 20 is set to make it easy to thread the belt through the opening 24. A length of 8 to 10 mm is preferable for the extension portion 20. If the length of the extension portion 20 is less than the above range, the length of the belt fixing portion 14 will be too short, making it difficult to ensure the length necessary to fold and pass the overlapping belts through. As a result, it will be difficult to thread the belt through the opening 24, which may cause the worker to have difficulty in securing the belt with anti-slip devices, resulting in a longer time required to put on the harness. On the other hand, if the length exceeds the above range, the belt located between the insertion hole 16 and the insertion groove 18 may bend and become loose, making the belt more likely to slip. Furthermore, the length of the belt fixing portion 14 will be too long, resulting in an increase in the size of the belt attachment device 10, which will lead to increased weight and costs.

When the overlapping belts are inserted into the insertion groove 18 and secured to the belt securing portion 14 in a locked state, the overlapping belts are held in place by the belt securing claws 26 to prevent them from slipping out of the insertion groove 18. The opening 24 at the end edge 22 and the pair of belt securing claws 26 are set to a length sufficient to prevent the belt from slipping out of the insertion groove 18. The length of the opening 24 is preferably set to 1/2 to 2/3 of the width of the belt. If the length of the opening 24 is less than this range, the belt securing claws 26 will be able to firmly secure the inserted belt, but the belt passage width will be too narrow, making it difficult to insert the belt into the opening 24. On the other hand, if the length of the opening 24 exceeds this range, the length of the opening 24 will be insufficient for the belt securing claws 26 to secure the belt, making the overlapping belts more likely to slip out of the insertion groove 18.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a fall arrest harness equipped with a belt attachment device of this embodiment.
As shown in Figure 7, the belt attachment devices 10 are attached to the belt length adjustment points of the fall arrest harness 30. In the fall arrest harness 30 shown in Figure 7, the belt attachment devices 10 are attached to the adjustment points of the side belts 32 and the thigh belts 34.
Hereinafter, a method of using the belt attaching device 10 will be described using an example in which the belt attaching device 10 of this embodiment is attached to an adjustment portion of the side belt 32.

FIG. 8A is a diagram showing a free state in which the belt is not fixed to the belt fixing portion, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 8A.
8(A) and 8(B), the overlapping belts 36 are not fixed to the belt fixing part 14 and are in a free state, and are used as a belt loop to bundle the side belt 32 and the belt 38 whose excess length has been generated by adjusting the belt length. The side belt 32 and the excess belt 38 generated by length adjustment are overlapped and passed through the insertion hole 16 of the belt loop part 12. As a result, the overlapping belts 36 are bundled by the belt loop part 12, and the excess belt 38 does not play. Note that in the state shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), the belt 36 is not fixed in an anti-slip manner by the belt attaching tool 10, so the belt attaching tool 10 can slide in the longitudinal direction of the belt 36, and the length of the side belt 32 can also be adjusted.

FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a locked state in which the belt is fixed to the belt fixing portion, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.
9(A) and 9(B) show the overlapped belts 36 locked to the belt fastener 14, functioning as a belt fastener to prevent slippage of the length-adjusted belt. The overlapped belts 36 are inserted through the opening 24 formed in the end edge 22 and then passed through the insertion groove 18. To pass the overlapped belts 36 through the insertion groove 18, the overlapped belts 36 are folded widthwise and inserted into the opening 24 from the belt widthwise end closest to the center, and then the overlapped belts 36 are returned to their original flat state. The belt 36 inserted through the insertion groove 18 passes through the back side of the belt fastening claw 26. The belt 36 is sandwiched between the extension 20 and the belt fastening claw 26 in the insertion groove 18, and the belt 36 is fixed to the belt fastener 14 in an anti-slip manner.
On the side opposite the end edge 22 of the insertion groove 18, the overlapping belt 36 is passed through the insertion hole 16 by the belt loop 12, and since frictional force is generated between the insertion hole 16 and the belt 36, the bundling of the belt by the belt loop 12 also contributes to a certain extent to the anti-slip fixation.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which only one belt is inserted into the insertion groove.
The insertion groove 18 is set to a length that allows the thickness of the overlapping belts 36 to pass through, so if only one belt is passed through the insertion groove 18, a gap will be created in the insertion groove 18 and it cannot be said that the anti-slip fixation is sufficient. However, since the side belt 32 is passed through the insertion groove 18, the belt attachment device 10 is positioned in a predetermined position on the side belt 32. In the state shown in Figure 10, the excess length of the belt 38 that is not passed through the insertion groove 18 can be slid longitudinally to adjust the length.

<Effects of this embodiment>
According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
The belt attachment device 10 of this embodiment has a belt loop portion 12 and a belt fixing portion 14. The belt loop portion 12 has an insertion hole 16 large enough to allow overlapping belts 36 to pass through, and the belt fixing portion 14 has an insertion groove 18, an extension portion 20, and an end edge 22, with an opening 24 and a pair of belt fixing claws 26 provided on the end edge 22. This structure provides a belt attachment device with a simple and compact structure that has both the functions of bundling belts and preventing belt slippage. Because the functions of bundling belts and preventing belt slippage are combined into a single component, use of this belt attachment device 10 reduces the number of parts and the number of work steps required during harness assembly, thereby reducing the assembly burden and leading to cost savings.
Furthermore, with the belt attachment device 10 of this embodiment, the belt 36 is simply inserted into the insertion groove 18 of the belt fixing portion 14 to prevent slippage, and therefore is easier to operate than conventional belt fasteners that clamp and hold the belt from above and below between the upper and lower end edges and center edge, respectively, and this leads to a reduction in the time it takes for the worker to put on the harness.

<Modification>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and any modifications and improvements that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.
In the above embodiment, the belt 36 is prevented from slipping by being fixed in place by the belt fixing portion 14, but this is not limiting. For example, the belt looping portion 12 may also be provided with a function for preventing belt slippage. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11, a bulge 40 bulging toward the inside of the insertion hole 16 is provided on the inner wall surface of the front side of the belt looping portion 12.
With the above-described configuration, the belt 36 is clamped at the belt fixing portion 14 by the extension portion 20 and the pair of belt fixing claws 26, and the height of the insertion hole 16 on the belt threading portion 12 side is narrowed by the bulge portion 40, making it more difficult for the belt 36 to slide, and as a result, slippage of the belt 36 can be more firmly suppressed.

The belt attachment device described above can be applied appropriately to areas where belt length adjustment is required.

10 Belt attachment tool 12 Belt loop portion 14 Belt fixing portion 16 Insertion hole 18 Insertion groove 20 Extension portion 22 End side 24 Opening 26 Belt fixing claw

Claims (3)

A belt attachment device that is attached to a length adjustment portion of a belt of a fall arrest harness and has a belt loop portion and a belt fixing portion,
The belt loop portion is formed in a flat cylindrical shape and has an insertion hole having a width and height sufficient to allow the overlapping belts to be inserted therethrough,
The belt fixing portion has a substantially rectangular outer shape,
an insertion groove provided therein and having a width and length sufficient for the overlapping belts to be inserted therethrough;
an extension portion located between the belt passing portion and the insertion groove and extending from a rear surface side of the belt passing portion in a longitudinal direction of the belt inserted into the insertion hole;
an end side located on the opposite side of the insertion groove from the extending portion,
The belt attachment tool is characterized in that the end side is provided with an opening that is open to a predetermined length and a pair of belt fixing claws that are formed to protrude in opposite directions. The belt attachment device according to claim 1, wherein a bulge that bulges inwardly of the hole is provided on the inner wall surface of the insertion hole on the surface side of the belt loop portion. A fall arrest harness equipped with the belt attachment device described in claim 1 or 2.