Abstract:
The rescue harness is a personal use device for donning by an individual requiring escape from an elevated location in a building structure or the like. The harness includes a front latch and bracket having a removable combination glass cutter and hammer, and a removable explosive charge. A rope brake is also secured to the bracket, and a rope passes through the brake. The user of the harness removes the glass cutter and hammer combination, and scribes an opening on a glass window panel. The explosive charge is placed on the glass in the scribed area. A timer permits the user to momentarily leave the immediate vicinity. The hammer is used to break out any remaining glass shards after the explosion blows out the scribed area of glass. The user exits the structure through the hole in the panel, using the rope brake to control his or her descent.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to emergency equipment and devices, and particularly to a rescue harness providing for the escape of an individual from a high-rise structure or the like. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The extremely high cost of land in the centers of many large cities places a premium on the costs of building any form of structure in such areas. At the same time, technology has permitted the construction of ever taller buildings and structures for use as business or office buildings and living quarters (apartments and condominiums). As a result, increasingly taller building structures are being constructed in cities around the world. 
     A universal potential problem with such tall buildings is the emergency evacuation of people from such structures in the event of a fire or other emergency event. Generally, multiple elevators are provided in such tall structures, and alternative means of operating such elevators are also provided in the event of power outages on the local power grid. Nonetheless, the complete failure of elevator systems certainly occurs from time to time, even in such taller structures with various alternatives and backups. Stairways are universally provided in such structures for use when elevators are not functioning, but the evacuation of hundreds of people down dozens of flights of stairs is impracticable at best. 
     Accordingly, various personal rescue devices have been developed in the past. An example of such is found in PCT Patent Publication No. 03/055,560 published on Jul. 10, 2003 to Simon Suter, which publication describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) a personal rescue harness including a rope storage drum and automatic braking device to slow the deployment of the rope from the drum, thus slowing the descent of a person wearing the harness. Additional tools are also disclosed. 
     Thus, a rescue harness solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The rescue harness includes an adjustable diameter waist belt having a sling seat therein and shoulder straps extending therefrom. The openable front of the belt includes a bracket or latch assembly having a rope brake and various tools attached thereto. A combination hammer and glass cutting blade is removably attached to the bracket assembly, and a rope or line passes through this combination component. A small removable explosive charge with a timer delay is also provided with the bracket assembly. 
     The harness is donned by an individual who needs to escape from a location well above ground level in a building structure or the like. The combination hammer and glass cutter are removed from the bracket, and the glass cutter is used to scribe a weakening or fracture line in a glass window panel. The explosive charge is then removed from the bracket and placed on the glass panel. The timer delay permits the user to remove himself or herself from the immediate location of the explosion. The hammer may then be used to break out any remaining shards of glass, if necessary. The end of the rope is secured to or passed around some secure object, and the harness wearer exits the structure through the previously formed hole in the glass panel, controlling his or her descent with the rope brake. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a rescue harness according to the present invention, showing its use and operation. 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the rescue harness according to the present invention, illustrating various features thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed perspective view of the central latch and rope control components of the rescue harness according to the present invention, illustrating various details thereof. 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed perspective view of the central latch and rope control components of the rescue harness according to the present invention, showing the deployment of various components therefrom. 
         FIG. 5A  is a detailed elevation view in section of the rope brake component of the rescue harness according to the present invention, showing the rope brake engaged. 
         FIG. 5B  is a detailed elevation view in section of the rope brake component of the rescue harness according to the present invention, showing the rope brake released. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The rescue harness comprises a harness having a number of useful tools and equipment therewith, enabling a person to quickly don the harness and escape a high-rise structure or the like in the event of an emergency.  FIG. 1  provides an environmental perspective view of a person using the rescue harness or harness  10  to escape a burning building structure B through an escape passage P formed through a glass window W. 
       FIG. 2  provides a perspective view of the rescue harness  10  and its latch and bracket assembly  12 . The harness  10  includes an adjustable waist belt  14  having opposite first and second ends comprising latch tongues or tabs  16  and  18  that insert removably into the latch and bracket assembly  12 . The waist belt connection to either or both end latch tabs  16  and/or  18  may include conventional length adjustment means (not shown for clarity in the drawings). A sling seat  20  extends from the back of the waist belt  14  to the lower portion of the latch and bracket assembly  12 , and is adapted to pass beneath the crotch of a person wearing the harness  10 . First and second shoulder straps, respectively  22  and  24 , extend from the back to the front of the waist belt  14 , and are adapted to pass over the shoulders of the person wearing the harness  10 . The shoulder straps  22  and  24  may be elastic to preclude the need for mechanical adjustment of the length, thereby facilitating quick donning of the harness  10 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  provide detailed views of the latch and bracket assembly  12 . The latch and bracket assembly  12  includes a rear plate  26  and a front plate  28  spaced apart from and parallel to the rear plate  26 . The two plates  26  and  28  define a latch slot  30  therebetween for the removable insertion therein of the two latch tongues  16  and  18  of the belt  14 . Laterally spaced first and second bosses or lugs  32  and  34  are affixed to the front plate  28 , and extend forward therefrom. A bar  36  extends laterally between the two bosses  32  and  34 . The bar  36  has a first end  38  affixed to the first boss  32  and extending laterally outward therefrom, and an opposite second end  40  affixed to the second boss  34  and extending laterally outward therefrom. 
     The bar  36  serves as an attachment for additional components of the rescue harness  10 . A combination glass cutter and hammer assembly  42  extends removably from the first end  38  of the bar  36  beyond the first boss  32 . The glass cutter and hammer assembly  42  comprises a heavy tubular sleeve  44  having an internally threaded attachment end  46  that threads removably onto the threaded portion  48  ( FIG. 4 ) of the first end  38  of the bar  36 , and an opposite distal end  50 . A hammer head  52  extends from the side of the sleeve  44 , and a glass cutting blade  54  retractably extends from the sleeve  44  opposite the hammer head  52 . The glass cutting blade  54  is secured on a pivot pin  56  and folds or retracts downward into a guard  58  along the side of the sleeve  44  when not in use, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The blade  54  is shown extended for use in  FIG. 4  of the drawings. 
     The opposite second end  40  of the bar  36  is equipped with a removable explosive charge  60  extending laterally therefrom beyond the second boss  34 . The explosive charge  60  has an internally threaded attachment sleeve  62  that threads onto the externally threaded portion  64  ( FIG. 4 ) of the second end  40  of the bar  36 , in the manner of the attachment of the combination glass cutter and hammer assembly  42  to the first end  38  of the bar  36 . The explosive charge  60  includes some conventional form of adhesive thereon, e.g., a contact adhesive protected by a release sheet, etc., to secure the charge  60  to a panel of glass for use. A conventional timer delay is also provided to enable the user to distance himself or herself from the immediate vicinity when the explosive charge  60  is set. The timer delay may be activated by a button  66  ( FIG. 4 ) within the internally threaded attachment sleeve  62 . The button  66  is protected from accidental activation when the explosive charge  60  is threaded onto the second end  40  of the bar  36 . 
     A rope brake assembly  68  is affixed to the front plate  28  of the latch and bracket assembly  12  within the passage defined by the front plate  28 , the first and second bosses  32  and  34 , and the lateral bar  36 .  FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate the structure and operation of the rope brake  68 . The rope brake  68  includes a generally cylindrical first portion  70  having a pushbutton passage  72  disposed therein, and a pushbutton  74  (or more specifically, the shaft component of the pushbutton  74 ) slidably disposed within the pushbutton passage  72 . The pushbutton  74  shaft has an oblique slot  76  disposed therein. The lower end of the slot  76  is angled away from a second portion  80  of the brake assembly, as described further below. The distal end of a lever arm  78  engages the slot  76  and extends laterally therefrom. The lever arm  78  is affixed to the second portion  80  of the rope brake assembly  68 . The second portion  80  slidably extends laterally from the cylindrical first portion  70  and is secured thereto by the lever arm  78 . The cylindrical first portion  70  of the rope brake device  68  has a lateral extension  82 . The second portion  80  and the lateral extension  82  of the first portion  70  define a diametrically adjustable rope passage  84  therethrough. The rope passage  84  is substantially parallel to the pushbutton passage  72 . 
     The rope passage  84  normally has a relatively narrow diameter or span, as shown in  FIG. 5A . This is due to a compression spring  86  disposed in the bottom of the pushbutton passage  72 , which urges the pushbutton  74  upward within the passage  72 . This results in the distal end of the lever arm  78  riding in the lower end of the slot  76 , and being drawn to the left side of the illustration in  FIG. 5A . This draws the second portion  80  toward the first portion  70  of the brake assembly  68 , thereby narrowing the span of the rope passage  84  to grip a rope  88  therein. Each side of the rope passage  84 , i.e., the side defined by the lateral extension  82  of the first portion  70  and the opposite side defined by the laterally movable second portion  80  of the rope brake assembly  68 , has a plurality of teeth  90  disposed to grip the rope  88  securely therein when the rope passage  84  is narrowed, as shown in  FIG. 5A . 
     In  FIG. 5B , the pushbutton  74  has been pushed downward in its passage  72  against the pressure of the spring  86 . The oblique slot  76  also travels downward in the passage  72 , and the lever arm  78  remains at the same height relative to the passage  72 . This results in the lever arm  78  being pushed to the right (as seen in  FIG. 5B ) as it travels in the slot  76 , or more precisely, as the slot  76  moves to deflect the lever arm  78  to the right. The second portion  80  of the rope brake assembly  68  moves to the right as well, since it is affixed to the lever arm  78  opposite the distal end thereof that rides in the slot  76 . As the second portion  80  moves to the right, it widens the diameter or span of the rope passage  84 , thus releasing the rope  88  to pass freely therethrough. 
     The rescue harness  10  provides self-rescue from a high-rise structure or the like in the event of an emergency, generally as shown in  FIG. 1 . If a life-threatening emergency occurs and the occupants of the structure are unable to escape via the elevators and/or stairways of the building, each occupant may don one of the rescue harnesses  10 , as described further above. The rope  88  passes through the interior of the tubular sleeve  44  of the combination glass cutter and hammer device  42 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , and may be paid out by pressing the pushbutton  74  of the rope brake assembly  68 , as described further above. The occupant then attaches the free end of the rope  88  to or around a secure object (e.g., interior column, the leg of a heavy desk, etc.) using the carabineer or clip  92  extending from the end of the rope. 
     The user of the harness  10  then unscrews the combination glass cutter and hammer assembly  42  from the first end  38  of the lateral bar  36 , and extends the glass cutter blade  54  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) to scribe a circle or other closed shape on any suitable glass panel (window, etc.) for removal of the glass from that area. When the weakening scribe line has been formed, the user unscrews the explosive charge  60  from the opposite second end  40  of the lateral bar  36  and secures it to the area of glass to be removed using conventional adhesive attachment, as described further above. Once the explosive charge  60  has been set, the user activates the timer delay button  66  and removes himself or herself to a safe location before the explosive charge  60  detonates. The user may then use the hammer  52  to knock out any remaining shards of glass after the explosive charge  60  has blown out the weakened area of glass. The user then escapes through the opening in the glass window or panel and pays out the rope  88  at a reasonable rate by selectively pressing and releasing the pushbutton  74  of the brake release mechanism  68 , generally as shown in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.