Abstract:
A firefighter&#39;s mountable, releasable, rope deployment bag, comprising a bag with an opening through which a rope can be deployed, a rope stowed in the bag, with the bag removably coupled to a firefighter&#39;s personal equipment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/205,512, filed on May 19, 2001. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to a firefighter&#39;s mountable, releasable, rope deployment bag.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Firefighters frequently wear a S.C.B.A. (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) when entering buildings for search and rescue or firefighting operations.  
           [0004]    Heretofore, rope deployment bags used by firefighters for these operations were either hand carried, carried in pockets, or hung from belts by means of snap hooks or webbing loops. These methods made their use cumbersome due to the inconvenient location of the bag. In addition, some of these methods of attachment were difficult to operate in the event emergency removal of the bag became necessary. The term “rope” as used herein comprises any rope or line.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    This invention features a firefighter&#39;s mountable, releasable, rope deployment bag, comprising: a bag with an opening through which a rope can be deployed; a rope stowed in the bag; and means for removably coupling the bag to a firefighter&#39;s personal equipment. The personal equipment may comprise a S.C.B.A. apparatus that may have a harness with a strap. The means for removably coupling the bag to the equipment may comprise an attachment plate, and means for removably coupling the plate to the bag. The means for removably coupling the plate to the bag may comprise a plurality of snap members on the bag, and an equal plurality of complementary snap members on the plate. The means for removably coupling the bag to the equipment may comprise a pair of slots defined in the plate.  
           [0006]    In accordance with the present invention a S.C.B.A. mountable rope deployment bag comprises an enclosed rectangular nylon bag containing rope which is opened by pulling a web handle. This bag can be attached to or rapidly removed from the shoulder strap of a S.C.B.A. harness or the firefighter&#39;s waist belt, or another piece of the firefighter&#39;s personal equipment, by means of a separate plastic attachment plate. An internal web lanyard alerts the user to the end of a deployed rope. An alternate means of attachment to a S.C.B.A. harness waist belt is provided by a web strap. A grommet reinforced hole in the bottom of the bag provides for drainage.  
           [0007]    Objects and Advantages  
           [0008]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:  
           [0009]    (a) to provide a rope bag which will attach securely and unobtrusively to a S.C.B.A. harness;  
           [0010]    (b) to provide a rope bag which can quickly and easily be removed from a S.C.B.A. harness when necessary;  
           [0011]    (c) to provide a rope bag that allows convenient access when necessary;  
           [0012]    (d) to provide a rope bag that can rapidly be exchanged between harnesses with the use of additional attachment plates;  
           [0013]    (e) to provide a rope bag closure which reduces chance of accidental opening while remaining easy to operate;  
           [0014]    (f) to provide a rope bag which alerts the user to the end of a deployed rope;  
           [0015]    (g) to provide a rope bag with an alternate means of attachment to a S.C.B.A. harness;  
           [0016]    (h) to provide a rope bag which protects its contents from damage;  
           [0017]    (i) to provide a rope bag design which is scaleable in size to allow for variation in the contents. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1A shows a front view of a closed rope bag of the invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1B shows a rear isometric view of the closed rope bag with attachment plate of the invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2A shows the attachment plate.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2B shows a back view of the open rope bag without attachment plate.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3A shows the attachment plate installed on a S.C.B.A. shoulder strap.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3B shows a completed rope bag installation on a S.C.B.A. shoulder strap. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]    Reference Numerals in Drawings  
                                       10 rope bag   28 opening handle       12 back panel   30 drainage hole grommet       14 closure flap   32 web loop       16 closure flap snap sockets   34 web lanyard       18 closure flap snap studs   36 lower shoulder strap       20 snap socket array for attachment plate   38 upper shoulder strap       22 attachment plate snap stud array   40 adjustment buckle       24 attachment plate   42 waist belt       26 slot   44 bottom panel                  
 
         [0025]    A preferred embodiment of the mountable rope deployment bag of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1A (front view) and FIG. 1B (rear isometric view). Rope bag  10  (FIG. 1A) is comprised of a waterproof, abrasion resistant nylon fabric sewn into an enclosed rectangular shape the dimensions of which are approximately 8″ long×4″ wide×2.25″ thick. The dimensions of the bag can be varied depending on the volume of the bags contents. The entire back panel  12  (FIG. 2B) of the bag is stiffened by a sheet of high density polyethylene 0.050″ thick inserted into an internal sleeve of nylon fabric sewn into the bag. This sheet aids in maintaining the shape of the bag and provides a strong foundation for the attachment of an array of six heavy duty nickel plated snaps (all snap hardware used is of this type). Snap socket array  20  (FIG. 2B) mates with matching snap stud array  22  (FIG. 2A) on attachment plate  24  (FIG. 2A).  
         [0026]    Attachment plate  24  is comprised of a sheet of high density polyethylene 0.050″ thick the dimensions of which are approximately 7″ long×4″ wide. Two slots  26  (FIG. 2A) perpendicular to and centered on the long axis pass through the upper half of attachment plate  24 ; these slots having dimensions of approximately 2″ long×0.25″ wide and are separated by approximately 1.5″. The corners of attachment plate  24  are typically radiused to avoid snagging. A web lanyard  34  (FIG. 2B) approximately 24″ long of 1″ wide nylon web is sewn by one end to the interior of the bottom panel  44  (FIG. 1A). The unattached end is sewn into a loop of approximately 1″ diameter. As described below, the rope (not shown in the drawings for clarity purposes only) is attached to this loop. Opening handle  28  (FIG. 2B) consisting of approximately 9″ of 1″ wide nylon web is sewn at both ends to the top edge of closure flap  14  (FIG. 2B). Two closure flap snap sockets  16  (FIG. 2B) on the top edge of closure flap  14  mate with two matching closure flap snap studs  18  (FIG. 2B) mounted on the top edge of back panel  12 . Web loop  32  (FIG. 2B) consisting of approximately 7″ of 1.5″ wide nylon web is sewn by both ends to the center area of back plate  12 . A 0.25″ diameter nickel plated drainage hole grommet  30  (FIG. 1A) reinforces a drainage hole in bottom panel  44  of rope bag  10 .  
         [0027]    The manner of using the S.C.B.A. mountable rope deployment bag first begins with its attachment to the shoulder strap of a S.C.B.A. harness. Attachment plate  24  is illustrated connected to rope bag  10  in FIG. 1B. Remove attachment plate  24  from back panel  12  by pulling from one edge until snap stud array  22  disengages from snap socket array  20 . Remove lower shoulder strap  36  of the left shoulder strap of a S.C.B.A. harness from upper shoulder strap  38  by unthreading it from adjustment buckle  40 . Thread the free end of lower shoulder strap  36  through slot  26  closest to the center of attachment plate  24  starting from the side opposite the protruding snap stud array  22  and back through the upper slot. After completion of this operation, rethread lower shoulder strap  36  back through adjustment buckle  40 . FIG. 3A illustrates an attachment plate installed on the shoulder strap of a S.C.B.A. harness.  
         [0028]    To connect rope bag  10  to attachment plate  24 , orient rope bag  10  so that opening handle  28  end of the bag is closest to adjustment buckle  40 . Align snap socket array  20  on back panel  12  with snap stud array  22  on attachment plate  24  and engage all six snaps by pressing firmly on each snap until an audible “snap” sound is heard. A completed installation of a rope bag on a S.C.B.A. harness shoulder strap is illustrated in FIG. 3B. At this point the S.C.B.A. unit may be donned and used in the usual manner. To deploy a rope from the rope bag, locate opening handle  28  and pull it away from rope bag  10  causing closure flap snap studs  18  to disengage from closure flap snap sockets  16 . This action causes closure flap  14  to open, allowing access to the rope carried by the bag. An open rope bag is illustrated in FIG. 2B.  
         [0029]    In the event rapid removal of the rope bag becomes necessary, grasp rope bag  10  and pull it away from attachment plate  24  until snap stud array  22  disengages from snap socket array  20 . This action will release the rope bag from the S.C.B.A. harness.  
         [0030]    Web lanyard  34  (FIG. 2B) will alert the rope bag user to the end of a deployed rope by means of the rope end having been attached to the loop on the free end of web lanyard  34  by means of a snap link prior to packing the rope into the rope bag. An alternate means of attaching rope bag  10  to S.C.B.A. harness waist belt  42  is provided by passing waist belt  42  through web loop  32  on back panel  12 . In the event water should enter the bag, drainage is effected by a hole reinforced by drainage hole grommet  30  in bottom panel  44 .