ES1222370U - DESCENSOR FOR VERTICAL SURFACES (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Descender for vertical surfaces, characterized by being constituted from a circular main piece of aluminum alloy of about 100 grams, which has two openings parallel to each other, which have a relatively elliptical shape with a narrowing in its central zone, said main piece being joined tangentially by means of two bridges of narrowing to two secondary circular pieces, the latter being of a size smaller than the first but equal to each other. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCENSOR FOR VERTICAL SURFACES OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, as indicated in the title, refers to a descender, such as those used for sports such as mountaineering or canyoning, whose characteristics make rappel descent more comfortable, agile and safe.

The object of this invention is to provide a solution hitherto unknown for several disadvantages that will be discussed later, mainly, it is intended to achieve a final result that allows an athlete to stop at a point of descent blocking with a simple turn with the descender , making this maneuver so important more quickly and safely.

The device in question provides essential characteristics of novelty and notable advantages with respect to the known means and used for the same purposes in the current state of the art.

Currently, climbing is an activity appreciated by more and more people, but due to its nature, and like all risky sports, it requires the knowledge and application of 20 specific techniques and maneuvers, as well as the use of certain equipment and materials to be able to carry it out safely and in this way enjoy this discipline. There are several branches such as hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, speleology, canyoning, etc. The common point of these and other similar activities is that for vertical descents, abseiling is usually used, which is an autonomous descent system that requires a rope, a harness and a descender as main instruments.

As far as there are different known models in the state 30 of the technique, as for example, the so-called "eight". For

block this type of descender, it is necessary to pass the rope several times behind maintaining the tension, since it could slip, and then, it must be blocked with knots a little expensive. Unlocking is also complicated.

5 Another known descender is the so-called "pirana", whose

Blocking is also done with rope steps and making knots, always maintaining tension. The simple lock of single step of rope does not allow to loosen both hands in case of necessity.

In the case of the so-called "oka" descender, the lock 10 is also carried out with rope steps maintaining tension, block knots and even inserting carabiners.

These systems, while fully fulfilling the function for which they have been foreseen, present as a fundamental problem the lack of a simpler and quicker method that allows the climber to facilitate the task of blocking the descender, without renouncing the security of a robust and reliable mechanism.

The descender that the invention proposes solves in a fully satisfactory manner the problem described above, 20 providing a series of advantageous and novel features, and without this implying any loss of its performance in other aspects.

The proposed invention aims to provide an economical, ecological, practical, simple and easy to use solution, whose effect would be a more adequate, safe and comfortable control of vertical descent, facilitating stopping maneuvers, thus avoiding possible dangers that originate from the complexity of use of current systems, while enjoying a reliable mechanism and small size and weight, very convenient to transport and use.

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The present invention has its field of application in the sector of climbing devices, and more specifically in that of descenders for abseiling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the state of the art we find some documents related to the invention in question, although none of them provides the same advantageous characteristics nor effectively solves the existing inconveniences.

Thus, in document ES 1 034 595 we find a device for descending in climbing, of the type with an "8" structure, determined by a lower circular loop that is related through a narrowing, with a loop upper for its preferred use for rappelling, essentially characterized in that the upper loop has fins that define a means of locating and guiding the rope or ropes, so that although these are not perfectly tensioned, they are prevented from leaving the housing determined by the fins making the formation of the PRUSIK knot impossible.

On the other hand, document ES 1 072 136 provides a useful descender applicable in rope descent techniques, of the type constituted from a metal piece formed by a flat body comprising several circular rings, characterized by the fact that said rings consist of a central ring and two laterals identical to each other and of slightly smaller size than the central ring, said lateral rings being arranged angularly and symmetrically equidistant from the central ring, in such a way that the union by means of an imaginary line of the central point of the circumferences that form said three rings forms a triangle

isosceles; and in which, in addition, the existence of two connecting bridges linking the central ring with each of the lateral rings, counting said connecting bridges with their respective lateral edges in concave form is contemplated.

5 In turn, document ES 2 267 699 claims that the

descender device for climbing or mountaineering, especially for securing the first or second of the rope, and for controlled descent along a single or double rope, and consisting of a metal body that has at least 10 a slit for the passage of a loop of the rope in a plane offset and parallel to the vertical median plane, characterized because it consists of:

- a retention handle that defines a first opening for hooking the first carabiner intended to pass through at least

15 said loop of the rope,

- a second suspension opening for the passage of a second carabiner in the case of securing the second of the rope,

- and of stop means placed in said slit at each side of the vertical median plane, being offset

transversally in relation to said openings for blocking the rope.

In each of these inventions we find different types of vertically descending means, however, all of them have 25 characteristics that are not far from what is already known in the state of the art, and that therefore, do not solve the problems that have been commented throughout this descriptive memory.

So we see, that until now there was no known descender that due to its novel characteristics solve the aforementioned drawbacks both in terms of documents

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cited as other traditional inventions or descenders that we find in the state of the art.

Taking into account the mentioned cases and analyzing the conjugated arguments, with the invention proposed in this document, a final result is produced in which significant differentiating aspects are provided compared to the current state of the art, and where a series is provided of advances in the elements already known with their corresponding advantages.

In particular:

- A system that provides great security to the user is achieved.

- Its small size and weight facilitate storage and transport, also avoiding unnecessary weight.

- It facilitates the descent thanks to the fact that with a 90 ° turn the lock is made, also making unlocking easier.

- The lock can be reinsured with a simple twist of rope and this allows a user to move even by removing the tension of the rope.

- Thanks to the special shape of the grooves, a twist of the strings causes them to pinch each other, and turning on the contrary, this clamping is released and the abseiling maneuver can be continued.

- It is a simple and economical product.

- It presents a comfortable use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the present invention is constituted from the following elements:

A circular main piece of aluminum alloy of about 100 grams approximately, having inside it two openings parallel to each other, which have a relatively elliptical shape with a narrowing in its central area, said main piece being tangentially joined through two bridges of narrowing to two secondary circular pieces, the latter being of a size smaller than the first but equal to each other.

Its operation is simple. In the normal position for rappelling, the rope goes through the descender and due to friction causes the descent to be smooth and cushion the load.

If we turn the descender 90 degrees counterclockwise, (the rotation is made with the help of the rope, passing it through the right circular opening and pulling upwards) the rope that comes from above, which is the one that holds the tension of the rappel, presses the other rope against the descender and leaves it blocked preventing it from happening and thus the rappel is blocked.

If the stop is going to be prolonged and we need to remove the tension of the blockade, we must carry out the over-knot by means of the circular secondary pieces and thus the descender is totally blocked and without the possibility of loosening even if the tension of the system is removed.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this specification, a drawing is attached which, by way of non-limiting example, describes a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1.- Plan view of the invention.

In these figures the following numbered elements stand out:

1. Main circular piece

2. Openings

5 3. Narrowing bridges

4. Secondary circular pieces

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION A preferred embodiment of the proposed invention is made up of the following elements: a main circular piece (1) of aluminum alloy of approximately 100 grams, which has two openings (2) inside it parallel to each other, which have a relatively elliptical shape with a narrowing in its central area, said main piece being tangentially joined through two narrowing bridges (3) to two secondary circular pieces (4), the latter being of a smaller than the first but equal to each other.

Claims (1)

8 1.- DESCENSOR FOR VERTICAL SURFACES, characterized by being constituted from a main circular piece of aluminum alloy of about 100 grams, which has two openings parallel to each other, which have a relatively elliptical shape with a narrowing in its central area, said main piece being joined tangentially by means of two bridges of narrowing to two secondary circular pieces, the latter being of a size smaller than the first but equal to each other.