DE102020001031A1 - Carabiner or combination of carabiner and suspension with protection against opening of the carabiner when there is no load - Google Patents

Abstract

Summary Technical task and objective The device is intended to prevent an object (e.g. rope) from being unintentionally unhooked in the event that the part of the object inside the carabiner does not exert any significant force on the carabiner. or alpine climbing, unhook the rope from a quickdraw carabiner when the climber falls, the part of which outside of the carabiner hits or presses against the limb of the carabiner, thereby hooking itself in and thus the entire loop can slip out of the carabiner, so that the climber is no longer secured to this carabiner. At the moment, carabiners are offered with different locking systems, all of which have an unlocking mechanism that require a relatively complex operation. The aim of the invention is to provide a safety mechanism for carabiners with such a simplified operation that the carabiner suspension system can be used, for example, in a quickdraw set such as is used for climbing, thus avoiding the risk of unintentional unhooking The problem is solved by the fact that a lock secures the snap of the carabiner as long as the carabiner does not exert a significant pull on the suspension. As soon as a pull is exerted on the carabiner, the lock is released. An obvious disadvantage of this invention is that the lock is released under load. However, this disadvantage is irrelevant in all those applications in which unhooking is not possible under load, as is the case, for example, when climbing. In the case of a climbing fall, the rope is pulled completely straight before it begins to brake the climber and thus can exert a significant force on the quickdraw's karabiner. Since the rope now runs completely below the snap of the quickdraw, it can no longer press the snap from the outside. Unhooking under load is therefore not possible and thus the securing provided by the proposed invention is sufficient.

Description

Technical area

Mountaineering, backup

Comparison with the state of the art

• • Karabiner mit Schraub-Verschluss: Ein Riegel in der Form eines Zylindermantels ist um den Schnapper des Karabiners gelegter und mittels Schraubgewinde am Schnapper befestigt. Dieser Riegel kann über den geschlossenen Schnapper so hochgeschraubt werden, dass er ein Öffnen des Schnappers verhindert.
• • Karabiner mit Schiebe-Verschluss: Wie ein Karabiner mit Schraub-Verschluss, jedoch hält anstatt eines Schraub-Gewindes eine Feder den Riegel in verschlossener Position.
• • Karabiner mit Dreh-Verschluss: Wie der Karabiner mit Schiebe-Verschluss, jedoch wird die Verriegelung durch Drehen statt Schieben des Riegels erreicht. Es gibt verschiedene Varianten dieses Verschlusses, die das Drehen des Riegels verhindern, eine übliche Variante ist die, dass das Drehen erst möglich ist, wenn ein Knopf gedrückt wird (Ball-Lock)
• • Klettersteig-Karabiner: ein dem Schnapper gegenüberliegender Hebel muss gedrückt werden, um den Schnapper zu entriegeln
• • Karabiner mit zwei gegenläufigen Verschlüssen (Twin-Gate): durch zwei gegenläufig angebrachte Schnapper kann der Karabiner derart angebracht werden, dass ein Aushängen des Seils unmöglich ist.

The following solutions are currently available to secure an object (e.g. rope) hung in a carabiner from being unintentionally unhooked:

• • Carabiner with screw lock: A bolt in the form of a cylinder jacket is placed around the snapper of the carabiner and fastened to the snapper by means of a screw thread. This bolt can be screwed up over the closed catch so that it prevents the catch from opening.
• • Carabiner with slide lock: Like a carabiner with a screw lock, but instead of a screw thread, a spring holds the bolt in the locked position.
• • Carabiner with twist lock: Like the carabiner with slide lock, but the locking is achieved by turning instead of pushing the bolt. There are different variants of this lock that prevent the bolt from turning, a common variant is that turning is only possible when a button is pressed (ball lock)
• • Via ferrata carabiner: a lever opposite the catch must be pressed in order to unlock the catch
• • Carabiner with two opposing locks (twin gate): the carabiner can be attached in such a way that it is impossible to unhook the rope by means of two opposing snaps.

The disadvantage of all existing carabiner locking mechanisms is that they require a relatively complex operation. This is not a problem for applications such as attaching a belay device to the climbing harness. However, such safety mechanisms have not prevailed in quickdraws, which are attached to a wall when climbing in front and into which a rope has to be hung with one hand, because the operation is too complex and thus too time-consuming and laborious.

All existing locking mechanisms have one property in common that is irrelevant for lead climbing when rope climbing: the locking mechanism is still active when the climber's rope is already braking it. The invention dispenses with this property and thereby makes it possible to simplify operation considerably.

The invention

Object of the invention

The aim is to find a locking mechanism which is easy to use and prevents the object guided by the carabiner from being unhooked as long as the part of the object located inside the carabiner does not exert any significant force on the carabiner.

construction

The terms described for sketch (1) in the list of reference symbols are used below.

The invention consists of a carabiner with a lock described below, which can also be implemented in a suspension associated with the carabiner.

A force caused by the design of the carabiner or the suspension (e.g. spring) keeps the gate closed when there are no other forces. When installed correctly, the carabiner is hooked into the suspension so that it encompasses the upper arm of the carabiner, see sketch (2).

A latch is attached to the carabiner or the suspension, which can be moved between two positions. In one position (hereinafter referred to as 'locked') the bolt prevents the catch from opening. In the other position (hereinafter referred to as 'unlocked') the bolt does not prevent the catch from opening. A force (e.g. spring) caused by the design of the carabiner or the connection between the suspension and the carabiner ensures that the bolt assumes the 'locked' position by itself, provided that no significant force forces it out of this position, see, for example, sketches (3) and (4). Only when an external force has brought the bolt from the 'locked' position (see sketch (3)) to the 'unlocked' position (see sketch (4)) can the latch be opened by a corresponding additional external force (see Fig Sketch (5)).

• • ,verriegelt', d.h. ohne nennenswerten Zug: Skizzen (6), (13), (17) und (21)
• • entriegelt', d.h. nennenswerter Zug entriegelt den Schnapper: Skizzen (7), (14), (18) und (22)

The invention consists of the structure described so far and an unlocking mechanism which pushes the bolt from the "locked" position to the "unlocked" position when the carabiner exerts a significant pull on the suspension, see FIG

• • 'locked', ie without any significant pull: sketches (6), (13), (17) and (21)
• • unlocked ', ie a significant pull unlocks the snapper: Sketches (7), (14), (18) and (22)

Various possible examples of how the locking and unlocking mechanism can be implemented are described below:

Embodiments

All the exemplary embodiments were illustrated using a pin installed on the surface as a latch, as this is particularly suitable for presenting the facts in an understandable manner. However, another form of latch can also be chosen, such as a ring that is passed over the catch; the mechanism can also be integrated inside the carabiner, e.g. the latch could be a pin that is inserted into the catch to prevent opening.

Release lever with hinge on the side opposite the catch

In this embodiment, the latch is attached to a lever which is attached to the carabiner by a hinge, the hinge being on the side of the carabiner opposite the snapper. The lever is pressed into the "locked" position by a spring, see sketch (8), but can be opened by pressing against the lever from the inside, see sketch (9), which enables the latch to open, see sketch (10 ).

In this case, the carabiner alone corresponds to the invention, since the unlocking mechanism does not place any further requirements on the suspension.

Release lever with hinge on the catch side

In this embodiment, the latch is attached to a lever which is attached to the carabiner by a hinge, the hinge being on the same side of the carabiner as the snapper. The lever is pressed into the 'locked' position by a spring, see sketch (11), but can be opened by pressing against the lever from the inside, which enables the latch to be opened, similar to the embodiment example, the release lever with a hinge on the Snapper Opposite Side '.

In this case, too, the carabiner alone corresponds to the invention, since the unlocking mechanism does not place any further requirements on the suspension.

Slidable release lever

In this version, the bolt is attached to a lever, which is attached to the carabiner so it can be moved upwards by a rail, for example. The lever is pressed into the "locked" position by a spring or an elastically deformable material between the lever and the carabiner, see sketch (12), but can be opened by pressing the lever from the inside, which enables the snap to open Similar to the exemplary embodiment, release lever with hinge on the side opposite the snapper '.

In this case, too, the carabiner alone corresponds to the invention, since the unlocking mechanism does not place any further requirements on the suspension.

Release rope

In this embodiment, the bolt is attached to a rope, which runs approximately parallel to the upper arm of the carabiner but slightly below it through the interior of the carabiner and is fastened to the vertical arm of the carabiner. The latch is pushed into the 'locked' position by an elastic component (e.g. a spring). If there is pressure from the inside against the rope, as is the case, for example, when the carabiner is pulled against a suspension hooked into the upper arm, the rope pulls the latch into the 'unlocked' position and the latch can be opened, see sketches (13) and (14).

Lock integrated in the suspension

In this version, the bolt is integrated into the suspension. The suspension itself is designed in such a way that the bolt is brought into the 'locked' position when the carabiner is not pulled on the suspension, while a significant pull of the karabiner on the suspension brings the bolt into the 'unlocked' position, which means that the Schnappers is made possible. Sketches (21) and (22) illustrate this structure.

In this case, the invention consists of the composite carabiner suspension, since the carabiner alone does not have a lock.

Release integrated in the suspension

In this version, the latch is integrated into the carabiner, but the unlocking mechanism is integrated into the suspension. The bolt is again held in the 'locked' position by a spring or a similar mechanism until a sufficiently strong pull of the carabiner on the suspension brings the bolt into the 'unlocked' position, thereby enabling the latch to be opened. Sketches (17) and (18) illustrate this structure.

In this case, the invention consists of the composite carabiner suspension, since the carabiner alone cannot be unlocked.

Latch at the snapper end

In this version, the latch is not attached to the hinge of the catch, but to its tip. The advantage of this arrangement is that the leverage on the bolt and the catch is significantly reduced. The disadvantage is that the force for releasing the bolt has to be transmitted from the upper arm of the carabiner or from the suspension to the bolt by a mechanical component. This can be done, for example, by attaching a rope in a guide on the outer edge of the carabiner, as shown in the sketches (15), (16), (19) and (20). Here, too, there is the option of providing the release force by means of a device on the carabiner (sketches (15) and (16)) or by means of a device on the suspension (sketches (19) and (20)).

Variants of locking

A distinction can be made between two locking variants:

Manual locking

In this variant, the locking mechanism not only prevents the catch from opening if the carabiner does not exert sufficient pull on the suspension, it also prevents the catch from closing completely if there is insufficient pull. If the latch is not in the fully closed position and the bolt is in the “locked” position, the latch can still be fully opened, but not fully closed. Only when the carabiner exerts sufficient tension on the suspension that the bolt is pushed into the 'unlocked' position does the snapper of the carabiner close automatically. Sketches (23) and (24) illustrate this type of locking.

Automatic locking

In this variant, the catch always returns to the fully closed position when no force acts on it. This can be achieved in that the bolt is prevented from leaving the 'unlocked' position as long as the latch is not fully closed, or the latch automatically pushes the bolt back into the 'unlocked' position when the latch is in the fully return to closed position. Sketches (25) and (26) illustrate this type of locking.

Application examples

Quickdraws for climbing with rope

The main application for a carabiner with security against opening when there is no load are quickdraws for climbing with rope. Such a quickdraw consists essentially of two carabiners and a short sling, which is hooked into both carabiners. One of the two carabiners is used to attach the quickdraw to a hook in the climbing wall, the other is used to attach the climbing rope. The short sling takes on the role of the suspension for both carabiners, i.e. the suspension is at the bottom of the carabiner that is hooked into the hook on the wall. In this application, carabiners are usually still used, the catches of which are not secured against unintentional opening, since all currently available safety mechanisms are too complex to use for securing while climbing.

1. 1. Eine eingehängte Expressschlinge kann z.B. durch eine Schlaufe im Seil durch den Kletterer mitgezogen werden. Hierbei ist es möglich, dass der an der Wand befestigte Karabiner gedreht wird und so der Schnapper gegen den Haken gedrückt wird, an dem der Karabiner befestigt ist. Öffnet sich dadurch der Schnapper, kann sich der Haken aus dem Karabiner aushängen und die Expressschlinge hängt lose am Seil und kann den Kletterer demnach nicht mehr halten.
2. 2. Hat sich der Karabiner der Expressschlinge, in den das Seil eingehängt wurde, nach dem Einhängen so gedreht, dass der Schnapper von der Wand weg zeigt, kann das Seil beim Sturz des Kletterers gegen den Schnapper schlagen oder gedrückt werden und sich so selbst ein zweites Mal ,einhängen`. Dies kann dann dazu führen, dass das Seil durch denselben Karabiner hin- und wieder zurückgefädelt ist und sich somit unter Belastung aus dem Karabiner aushängt.

The dangers posed by these unsecured snaps are as follows:

1. 1. An attached quickdraw can be pulled along by the climber, for example through a loop in the rope. Here it is possible that the carabiner attached to the wall is rotated and the snapper is pressed against the hook to which the carabiner is attached. If this opens the snap, the hook can unhook from the carabiner and the quickdraw is hanging loosely on the rope and can no longer hold the climber.
2. 2. If the karabiner of the quickdraw in which the rope was hung has turned so that the snapper points away from the wall after hanging, the rope can hit or be pushed against the snapper when the climber falls, thereby locking itself in second time 'hang up'. This can then lead to the fact that the rope is threaded back and forth through the same carabiner and thus unhooks from the carabiner under load.

Both dangers have in common that unhooking the quickdraw from the wall or unhooking the rope from the carabiner begins before the quickdraw is loaded by catching the fall. It is therefore sufficient in both cases to use a locking mechanism which is only effective when there is no load, as this invention provides.

• Der Karabiner, der in den in der Wand befestigten Haken eingehängt werden soll, wird mit einer manuellen Verriegelung ausgestattet. Vor dem Klettern wird dieser Karabiner geöffnet und durch den Verriegelungs-Mechanismus am vollständigen Schließen gehindert.

The proposed invention solves this problem as follows:

• The carabiner, which is to be hooked into the hook attached to the wall, is equipped with a manual lock. Before climbing, this carabiner is opened and prevented from closing completely by the locking mechanism.

You can now equip the carabiner into which the rope is to be hung with a manual lock. In this case, a little pull on the quickdraw after inserting the rope is enough to lock both locks.

• Falls der Daumen derjenigen Hand, die das Seil einlegen soll, auf der Seite des Schnappers ist, fixiert der Kletterer die Expresse, indem er mit Mittel- oder Ringfinger die Expresse nach unten drückt. Dadurch wird die Expresse entriegelt und der Kletterer kann wie gewohnt das Seil mit Daumen und Zeigefinger einhängen.

Alternatively, the carabiner into which the rope is to be hung can be equipped with an automatic locking mechanism. Depending on the position of the opening of the carabiner for hanging the rope, the climber usually uses one of the following two methods to hang the rope:

• If the thumb of the hand that is to insert the rope is on the side of the snap, the climber fixes the quickdraw by pressing the quickdraw down with the middle or ring finger. This unlocks the quickdraw and the climber can hang in the rope with his thumb and forefinger as usual.

If the thumb of the hand that is to insert the rope is not on the side of the snap, the climber holds the quickdraw with his thumb and middle finger so that he pushes the rope with his index finger against the snap through the opening of the carabiner. In order to be able to open the snap, the climber only has to pull down the quickdraw, which he is holding with his thumb and middle finger, which does not represent any noticeable extra effort. The pressure exerted by the climber when hooking the rope into the corresponding carabiner also locks the carabiner that was hooked into the hook.

Fixing loads

Of course, this invention can also be used when fastening loads. Finally, the shape of the carabiner ensures that a pulling load cannot slip out of the carabiner even if it is not secured by a catch. Only if the load does not exert any force on the carabiner for a short time due to jerky movements due to inertia, the load could unhook from the carabiner. In this case, however, the proposed invention locks the catch so that it is prevented from being unhooked.

Figure list

• • Sketch (1) The various terms used in the descriptions are explained here:
  • 1. the upper arm of the carabiner
  • 2. the lower arm of the carabiner
  • 3. the vertical arm of the carabiner
  • 4. the open side of the carabiner
  • 5. the snapper
  • 6. Example of a latch
  • 7. Degree of freedom of movement of a bolt
  • 8. Hinge with torsional force in the direction of the arrow
  • 9. rectilinear forces of varying strength
  • 10. Suspension
• • sketch (2) Here a carabiner is shown hanging in its suspension. The gate opens downwards.
• • sketch (3) This shows a typical way of blocking the gate and preventing the carabiner from opening accidentally. The black arrow with ends in both directions describes the freedom of movement of the bolt. The white arrows indicate the forces that are exerted on the bolt and the catch by spring elements or similar devices.
• • sketch (4) Here it is shown how the locking of the catch is released by an external force (large white arrow) on the bolt.
• • sketch (5) Here it is shown how the carabiner can be opened by another external force (horizontal white arrow) when the catch is unlocked.
• • sketch (6) Illustration of the invention in the locked state
• • sketch (7) Illustration of the invention in the unlocked state
• • sketch (8) Variant of the locking mechanism: a lever encompassing the bolt, which is attached to the vertical arm of the carabiner by a hinge and which is pressed into the 'locked' position by an elastic component (e.g. spring on the hinge)
• • sketch (9) As sketch (8), but pushed into the 'unlocked' position by an external force
• • sketch (10) As in sketch (9), but here the catch is opened by another external force
• • sketch (11) Variant of the locking mechanism: a lever encompassing the bolt, which is attached to the carabiner on the same side of the catch and which, for example, presses down using a spring so that the catch remains locked without load
• • sketch (12) Variant of the locking mechanism: a lever encompassing the bolt, which is attached to the carabiner in such a way that it can be pushed up, and which, for example, presses down by a spring, so that the catch remains locked without load.
• • sketch (13) Variant of the locking mechanism: a rope attached to the bolt runs through the interior of the carabiner near the upper arm of the carabiner and is attached to the vertical arm. An elastic component pushes the latch into the 'locked' position.
• • sketch (14) As in sketch (13), but in the unlocked position
• • sketch (15) Variant of the locking mechanism: the latch is attached to the tip of the catch. A cable pull leads to the outside of the lower and the vertical arm of the carabiner near the upper arm. There it is passed through the interior of the carabiner and attached near the hinge of the carabiner.
• • sketch (16) As in sketch (15), but in the unlocked position: the upward pressure on the cable is passed on through the cable, so that the snapper is unlocked.
• • sketch (17) Variant of the locking mechanism: the bolt is part of the carabiner, but the mechanism for opening it is part of the suspension.
• • sketch (18)
• As in sketch (17), but in the unlocked position.
• • sketch (19) Variant of the locking mechanism: The latch is attached to the tip of the catch. A cable pulls the outside of the lower and the vertical arm of the carabiner near the upper arm, where it is attached to the suspension.
• • sketch (20) As in sketch (19), but in the unlocked position: the tension of the suspension is transferred to the rope so that the snapper is unlocked
• • sketch (21) Variant of the locking mechanism: the bolt is part of the suspension. A force, which the suspension-carabiner system itself provides, keeps the carabiner locked.
• • sketch (22) As in sketch (19), but in the unlocked position
• • sketch (23) Example of a manual lock
• • sketch (24) As in sketch (23), but in the unlocked position
• • sketch (25) Example of an automatic locking
• • sketch (26) As in sketch (25), but in the unlocked position
• • sketch (27) A carabiner with a separate interior area for suspension is shown here.
• • sketch (28)

Claims (11)

The terms used in the following are explained in the list of reference symbols in sketch (1). Main claim The invention consists of a carabiner with a snapper, on which a bolt is attached in such a way that it pushes without external force into a position in which it locks the snapper, for example by a spring, together with a device that provides the unlocking mechanism Then exerts force on the bolt when the carabiner pulls the suspension. A characteristic feature of this invention is that the lock is released either by a release mechanism attached to or close to the upper arm of the carabiner being activated by a sufficiently strong force from the inside in the direction of the upper arm of the carabiner, or by the suspension in which the upper arm of the carabiner is hooked in, and the carabiner can be pulled away from each other with sufficient force. The shape of the bolt is not a distinguishing feature. The bolt can be pin-shaped and moved in a straight line in order to move from the 'locked' position to the 'unlocked' position, see sketches (3) and (4), or it can be block-shaped and rotated, see sketches (13) and (14) or it can be ring-shaped and slid over the latch to lock it or it can be pushed into the snapper as a pin, to name just a few variants. The shape of the carabiner is also not a distinguishing feature. It can be a classic carabiner with only one interior, see sketch (2), or the suspension is permanently installed in a separate interior, see sketch (27). Subclaim, unlocking lever integrated on the upper arm of the carabiner 'In this version the bolt is attached to a lever which protrudes approximately parallel to the upper arm of the carabiner but slightly below it into the interior of the carabiner, see sketches (6) and (7). This variant includes in particular, but not exclusively, the possibility of attaching the lever to a hinge on the vertical arm of the carabiner (see sketches (8), (9) and (10)) or the lever to a hinge on the open side of the carabiner to be attached (see sketch (11)) or to attach the lever so that it can be moved upwards (see sketch (12)), for example by means of one or two rails in which the lever is attached. In this case the suspension is not part of the invention. Subclaim, unlocking rope integrated on the carabiner with a latch on the hinge of the catcher. In this version, the latch is attached to a rope near the hinge of the catcher, which is similar to Unter claim 2 runs roughly parallel to the upper arm of the carabiner but slightly below it through the interior of the carabiner and is attached to the vertical arm of the carabiner. The latch is pushed into the locked position by an elastic component (e.g. a spring). If there is pressure from the inside against the rope, as is the case, for example, when the carabiner is pulled against a suspension hooked into the upper arm, the rope pulls the latch into the 'unlocked' position and the catch can be opened, see sketches ( 13) and (14). Subclaim, unlocking rope integrated on the carabiner with a latch at the tip of the snapper. In this version, the latch is attached to the lower arm near the tip of the latch. An elastic component (e.g. a spring) pushes it into the 'locked' position. A rope or band is attached to the catch, which is guided inside the carabiner or in a guide on the outer edge of the lower and the vertical arm near the upper arm. There the rope becomes similar to Unter claim 3 passed through the inside of the carabiner and attached to the upper arm of the carabiner near the hinge of the catch, see sketch (15). If the carabiner is now attached to a suspension with the upper arm, the lock can be unlocked by pulling the carabiner on the suspension, see sketch (16). In this case the suspension is not part of the invention. Subclaim, unlocking rope with lever on the carabiner integrated with latch at the top of the snap 'As in sub claim 4 . In this version, the latch is attached to the lower arm near the tip of the catch. An elastic component (e.g. a spring) pushes it into the 'locked' position. A rope or band is attached to the catch, which is guided inside the carabiner or in a guide on the outer edge of the lower and the vertical arm near the upper arm. Here the rope is attached to a lever which, similar to dependent claim (2), generates the necessary pull on the rope or tape when pressure is applied from the inside against the lever in order to unlock the catch. In this case the suspension is not part of the invention. Subclaim 'Release mechanism integrated into the suspension' In this version the latch is attached to the carabiner with a connection to the suspension which is permanently installed in the upper arm of the carabiner. If the karabiner is not pulled against the suspension, the bolt is pushed into the locked position by an elastic component of the karabiner (e.g. spring on the bolt) and / or the suspension (e.g. elastic cushion on the contact surface on the upper arm of the karabiner). If there is a significant pull of the carabiner against the suspension, the carabiner moves a little away from the suspension, since the force of the elastic component is overcome. The bolt is thus pushed from the 'locked' position into the 'unlocked' position through the connection to the suspension, see sketches (17) and (18). In this case, the suspension is part of the invention, since without it the unlocking mechanism will not work. Subclaim, unlocking mechanism integrated into the suspension with a latch at the top of the catch 'As in sub claim 4 . In this version, the latch is attached to the lower arm near the tip of the catch. An elastic component (e.g. a spring) pushes it into the 'locked' position. A rope or band is attached to the catch, which is guided inside the carabiner or in a guide on the outer edge of the lower and the vertical arm near the suspension. There the rope becomes similar to Unter claim 6 attached to the suspension, see sketch (19). If the carabiner now creates a pull against the suspension, this is shifted away from the suspension and the cable pull unlocks the catch, see sketch (20). In this case, the suspension is part of the invention, since without it the unlocking mechanism will not work. Subclaim locking mechanism integrated into the suspension 'In this version the bolt is integrated into the suspension of the carabiner, which is permanently installed in the upper arm of the carabiner. An elastic property of the suspension or the carabiner (e.g. an elastic cushion which is installed on the contact surface of the suspension to the upper arm of the carabiner or the elasticity inherent in the material of the suspension) ensures that the carabiner is sufficiently far inward when there is no pull is pulled into the suspension so that the latch is pushed into the 'locked' position. If there is a significant pull of the carabiner against the suspension, the carabiner moves a little away from the suspension, since the force of the elastic component is overcome. The bolt integrated in the suspension is thus pushed from the 'locked' position to the 'unlocked' position, see sketches (21) and (22). In this case the suspension is part of the invention, since without it the locking mechanism will not function. Subclaim 'manual locking' All versions of this invention can be constructed in such a way that, when the latch is open, the bolt can go back so far in the direction of the 'locked' position that it prevents the latch from closing completely. As a result, the latch remains unsecured until a significant pull on the carabiner moves the latch into the 'unlocked' position and the latch can thus close completely. Only when the pull on the carabiner is ended is the carabiner locked. An example of such a device is shown in the sketches (23) and (24). All versions of this invention can be built in such a way that the latch can automatically return to the fully closed position. To do this, you prevent the bolt from being able to go back from the 'unlocked' position to the 'locked' position as long as the latch is not fully closed again, or you ensure that the latch automatically releases the bolt when it goes back into the fully closed position promoted to the 'unlocked' position. An example of such a device is shown in the sketches (25) and (26).

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