GB2474484A - Emergency harness with stowed and use configurations - Google Patents

Abstract

An emergency harness comprising a first chest strap 1 configured to pass around the wearer's torso, and two second leg straps 8 configured to pass under the wearer's thighs, knees or feet, where the harness has a stowed configuration (see figure 1) with the second straps contained on or within the first strap, and an operative configuration (see figures 2, 3) where they are usable. The chest strap 1 may have padding 1, a ring-like member 5 at one end and a snap hook-like member 6 at the other end for connecting to the ring, adjustment means 4 for adjusting the overall size of the first strap and further adjustment means 2 between the two leg straps for adjusting the distance between them. The leg straps 8 may also be provided with adjustment means 9 and snap hook-like members 10 for connecting to the ring 5. The leg straps 8 may be stowed beneath releasably secured flaps or in pockets on the chest strap 1 when not in use.

Description

Emergency Harness The invention relates to an emergency harness.

Emergency harnesses for rescue or evacuation of an injured person are known. Such harnesses are used by the rescue and emergency services to support a person who is being lifted by a rope or winch etc. or stored with evacuation systems that allow a person to be lowered from an elevated level to a lower level. Such harnesses may be required to fit a wide range of sizes of person and so must be able to hold different sizes of person securely or else be highly adjustable Existing designs often seek to provide support to a range of different sized persons by providing large areas of fabric as opposed to webbing straps. Such construction means adjustment buckles cannot be fitted or have to be fitted to a strap behind the fabric which obstructs the buckle and causes confusion, such difficulties in adjustment cause a significant problem in an emergency situation particularly if the user may be panicking..When fitting existing strops to children this lack of adjustment or limited adjustment means it is also possible for the child to fall out through a loop or hole designed for an adults leg to pass through.

Alternative designs provide a number of support straps which can be fitted around the casualty to support different parts of the body. Although such designs can provide greater adjustment they are complicated and confusing in an emergency and particularly prone to tangling during storage and transportation.

The invention seeks to solve these problems by providing an emergency harness which offers a large range of adjustment but is simple to fit, particularly in an emergency situation.

According to the present invention there is provided a harness to support a person comprising a *....: plurality of strap portions, at least one strap portion passing around the torso of the wearer and at * least two strap portions for supporting a leg or foot of the wearer, at least two of said strap portions being selectively configurable between a stowed configuration, wherein said strap portions are retained substantially in or on at least one strap portion and an operative configuration wherein said strap portions may provide support for the wearer. I..

* Preferably at least one strap portion is provided with releasable connection means selectively configurable between an open configuration wherein two ends of said strap portion are spaced * and a closed configuration wherein said two ends are operatively connected. ** **

: * * Preferably at least one strap portion is provided with adjustment means.

Preferably at least one of said strap portions contains a wider section to spread the load on the user.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a rear view of the harness with the two leg straps in the stowed configuration and the torso strap connection means in open configuration.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the harness with the leg straps in the operative configuration and all releasable connection means in the open configuration.

Figure 3 is a front view of the harness with the leg straps in the operative configuration and all releasable connection means in the closed configuration A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a chest strap portion (1) fitted with padding (3). One end of chest strap (1) is provided with a ring like member (5) an opposite end being provided with a snap hook like member (6). Chest strap (1) is provided with adjustment means (4) such that its length may be varied to fit different users, additional adjustment means (2) are also provided such that the length of the padded section (3) may be varied.

The leg strap portions (8) are provided with adjustment means (9) and snap hook like members (10). Said leg strap portions may be stowed within the chest strap portion (1) or the padding (3) by a releasable flap or flaps (7). Said releasable flaps (7) may be retained over said leg strap portion (8) by releasable fastening means, such as hook and loop fastening. Said flaps (7) may be provided with a rip cord or similar means for quickly opening the flaps to release said leg straps. Further padding (11) is provided between leg strap portions (8) and chest strap portion (1) or padding (3) such that it may be stowed beneath flaps (7) when said leg strap portions (8) are in the stowed configuration.

In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the leg strap portions (8) may be retained within a pouch or pouches, pocket or pockets provided on the chest strap (1) or the padding (3) when in their stowed configuration.

When the harness is fitted to a person said chest strap (1) is passed around the torso and snap hook like member (6) connected to ring like member (5), said chest strap (1) and padding (3) may then be adjusted using adjustment means (4,2). The harness may now be used to support or suspend the wearer.

If chest strap (1) is shortened by using adjustment means (2) a loop of excess padding is formed.

Said loop is then folded flat against padding (3) so as to allow the padding (3) to lie substantially flat against the wearer. In an alternative embodiment the padding (3) may be provided in at least *....: two parts such that they may overlap when chest strap (1) is shortened using adjustment means * (2).

* , A flap (7) may be released allowing a leg strap portion (8) to be deployed and passed around the * wearers leg, the snap hook type member (10) is now connected to either the ring like member (5) * to form a fixed loop or back around said leg strap portion (8) to form a sliding loop. Said leg strap portion (8) is adjusted using adjustment means (9) and positioned under the wearers thigh, knee or foot as the location of the wearer, degree of movement required by the wearer or wearers *..: injuries dictate. If required, the remaining leg strap portion may be released and fitted to either the * same or other leg following the same procedure. Releasing, fitting and adjusting the leg strap or : * straps may be carried out with the wearer either suspended by the chest strap or supported by other means.

The harness is attached to the suspension system (rope, cable etc) via ring like member (5).

Claims (12)

1. Claims 1. A harness for supporting a person comprising at least one first strap portion for passing around the torso of the wearer, and at least two second strap portions extending from said at least one first strap portion for supporting a leg or foot of the wearer, said at least two second strap portions being selectively configurable between a stowed configuration, wherein said second strap portions are retained substantially in or on at least one first strap portion and an operative configuration wherein said second strap portions may provide support for the wearer.
2. 2. A harness according to claim 1, wherein at least one first strap portion is provided with releasable connection means selectively configurable between an open configuration wherein two ends of said strap portion are spaced and a closed configuration wherein said two ends are operatively connected.
3. 3. A harness according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one first strap portion is provided with adjustment means for adjusting the length of the at least one first strap portion.
4. 4. A harness according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said first and/or second strap portions contains at least one wider section or padding to spread the load on the wearer.
5. 5. A harness according to claim 4, wherein the wider section or each wider section is provided with adjustment means for adjusting the position of the at least one wider section on the respective strap portion.
6. 6. A harness according to claim 5, wherein the wider section comprises at least 2 parts which can overlap.
7. 7. A harness according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said second strap * * * portions, when in its stowed configuration, is located beneath a flap or within a pocket provided * : on the at least one first strap portion of the harness or on a region of padding thereon. ***
8. S 8. A harness according to claim 7, wherein said flap is provided with releasable securing means, such as hook and loop fasteners, to releasably secure said flap over said strap when in the stowed configuration.

   :. .
9. 9. A harness according to any preceding claim wherein a distal end of each second strap is * provided with a snap hook like member to allow the end of the respective strap to be connected to a region of said at least one first strap portion.
10. 10. A harness according to any preceding claim wherein an end of at least one of said first and second strap portions is provided with a ring like member.
11. 11. A harness as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each second strap portion is provided with respective adjustment means for adjusting the respective second strap portion.
12. 12. A harness substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.