Abstract:
A vest for retaining and organizing a safety harness. Straps of the harness are secured in harness connectors of the vest to prevent tangling of the harness and to make it easier and faster for a wearer to don the harness.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/350,577, filed Jan. 22, 2002, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to the field of safety equipment, and more particularly to a device and method for organizing and retaining a safety harness in a ready-to-wear configuration.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    Safety harnesses are used to prevent or reduce injuries resulting from falls, and to secure personnel and equipment in elevated or difficult to access positions. For example, construction workers and hunters often engage in their respective activities on raised scaffolds, tree-stands, or other elevated structures. A safety harness may be worn about the wearer&#39;s torso, and a safety line or tether secured to the harness and to a support, in order to prevent falls or to limit the distance fallen in the event a fall does occur.  
           [0006]    Many previously known safety harness devices have been found to be prone to tangling during use, storage, donning and/or removal. In particular, if a typical harness is removed and stowed for even a short time, the harness straps may become entangled with one another, requiring considerable time and effort to untangle for re-use. At best, such difficulties reduce efficiency and increase user annoyance. At worst, such difficulties may discourage the use of a safety harness, possibly leading to injury or death from a fall.  
           [0007]    Thus, it has been found that needs exist for improved safety equipment and methods for retaining a safety harness in a ready-to-use configuration, and preventing tangling of a safety harness. It is to the provision of improved safety equipment and methods meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    In an example embodiment, the present invention is a vest for preventing a safety harness from becoming a tangled mess, and for retaining a safety harness in a ready-to-use configuration during storage, transport, use and/or removal of the harness. This is particularly advantageous for hunters, construction workers, and the like, who often must put a safety harness on in the dark and/or in cold weather wearing gloves. The vest of the present invention is preferably a universal-fit piece of equipment, accommodating many or most types and brands of safety harnesses on the market. In example embodiments, the vest of the present invention is configured as a garment to be worn about the torso of a human being, and is available in different sizes for different sizes of wearers. As used herein, the term “vest” is intended to include garments with or without sleeves.  
           [0009]    Example forms of the vest are preferably designed with webbing straps or material enclosures such as button-snaps, hook-and-loop attachments, buttons, or the like at key locations on the inside. The straps or material enclosures preferably secure the safety harness to the inside of the vest in the specified wearing configuration applicable to the particular type of harness. In alternate embodiments, the harness is secured to the outside of the vest. The vest preferably includes one or more pockets on the inside of the front panels. The pockets are optionally formed from the material enclosures. A slit is preferably provided down the back of the vest to accommodate different tether placements on different types of harnesses.  
           [0010]    In one embodiment, the present invention is a vest for use in keeping a safety harness detangled. The vest preferably includes a rear panel having a plurality harness connectors spaced throughout the rear panel and having first and second sides. A first front panel is preferably connected adjacent a portion of the first side of the rear panel, the connection creating a first arm receptacle such as an arm-hole or sleeve, and the first front panel comprising a plurality of harness connectors. A second front panel is preferably connected adjacent a portion of the second side of the rear panel, the connection creating a second arm receptacle such as an arm-hole or sleeve, and the second panel comprising a plurality of harness connectors. Inserting the harness into the connectors preferably de-tangles the harness and facilitates easy use of the harness by a user that inserts his or her arms into the arm receptacles.  
           [0011]    In another embodiment, the present invention is a vest for retaining a safety harness and preventing tangling of the harness. The vest preferably includes a garment to be worn about the torso of a wearer; and at least one pair of harness connectors for securing portions of the harness to the garment.  
           [0012]    Another embodiment of the present invention is a vest for retaining a safety harness and preventing tangling of the harness. The vest preferably includes a garment to be worn about the torso of a wearer, the garment having a rear panel, first and second front panels, and at least one fastener for engaging the first front panel to the second front panel. The vest preferably also includes at least one pair of harness connectors arranged on the first and second front panels of the garment, and at least two pairs of harness connectors arranged on the rear panel of the garment. The vest preferably also includes at least one slit formed in a back portion of the garment for receiving a tether portion of the harness.  
           [0013]    In still another embodiment, the present invention is a safety harness in combination with a vest. The combination preferably includes a harness having at least one portion for securing about a wearer, and a tether for connection to an external support. The combination preferably also includes a garment to be worn about the torso of a wearer, the garment having at least one pair of harness connectors for releasably engaging the harness, and at least one opening for passing the tether of the harness therethrough.  
           [0014]    These and other features and advantages of preferred forms of the present invention are described herein with reference to the drawing figures. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 shows an inside view of a vest according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows an outside view of a vest according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawing figures, in which like reference numbers refer to like parts throughout, preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example embodiments. It is to be understood that the embodiments described and depicted herein are only selected examples of the many and various forms that the present invention may take, and that these examples are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the claimed invention. Also, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.  
         [0018]    With particular reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention will be described by way of an example embodiment. A vest  10  generally comprises a garment sized and shaped to be worn about the torso of a human wearer. The vest  10  preferably comprises a back or rear panel  12  configured to overlie the upper and/or lower back of the wearer in use, a first front panel  14  adapted to overlie at least a first portion of the chest and/or abdominal area of the wearer in use, and a second front panel  16  adapted to overlie at least a second portion of the chest and/or abdominal area of the wearer in use. The rear panel  12  and the first and second front panels  14 ,  16  are preferably fabricated from one or more flexible materials such as a natural or synthetic fabric or sheeting. The panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  are preferably separate pieces joined by stitching, adhesive, welding or bonding, or other attachment means; or alternatively are integrally formed as a single piece. A first arm receptacle  18  such as an arm-hole or sleeve is preferably positioned between the first front panel  14  and the rear panel  12 , and a second arm receptacle  19  such as an arm-hole or sleeve is preferably positioned between the second front panel  16  and the rear panel  12 .  
         [0019]    The panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  optionally may be provided with external and/or internal markings or colorings, such as for example: camouflage, blaze orange or other high-visibility colors, military or police identification, instructions for use, wearer identification, size designation, etc. In a further optional embodiment, the vest  10  is reversible, for example having camouflage on one face of the panels and blaze orange on the other face of the panels. One or more pockets are optionally provided on the interior and/or exterior faces of the vest  10 .  
         [0020]    The first and second front panels  14 ,  16  preferably incorporate one or more pairs of cooperating fasteners  20 , such as snaps, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, or the like for engaging portions of the first and second panels together to secure the vest  10  on the wearer in use. In an alternate embodiment, the fasteners  20  are double-sided, fastenable on either face of the vest  10 , allowing reversible wearing. Optionally, the vest  10  further comprises long or short sleeves to cover all or portions of the arms of the wearer in use, a collar for surrounding the wearer&#39;s neck, a hood for covering a portion of the wearer&#39;s head, a tail extension for covering the lower back and buttocks of the wearer and/or for serving as a seat, and/or other garment components. Optionally, the vest  10  further includes a seat portion, one or more pockets, and/or other components for releasable attachment to one or more of the panels  12 ,  14 ,  16 , as by snaps, buttons, hook-and-loop fastener, or the like. In further alternate embodiments, the first and second front panels  14 ,  16  are a single component or are permanently joined, and the vest  10  is generally configured as a “pull-over” garment.  
         [0021]    The vest  10  preferably comprises one or more harness connectors  40  for securing a safety harness  30 . For example, in the depicted embodiment, at least three pairs of harness connectors  40  are provided: a pair of upper-back harness connectors  40   a ; a pair of lower back harness connectors  40   b , and a pair of front harness connectors  40   c . Optionally, additional pairs of harness connectors, such as mid-back connectors  40   d , and lower-front connectors  40   e  are also provided. The harness connectors  40  are preferably positioned to engage corresponding straps or portions of a safety harness  30 , and the positions designated herein have been found to be of generally universal application for engagement of straps or portions of a wide variety of commercially available standard harness types and brands. The harness connectors  40  are preferably fabricated of a flexible material such as nylon webbing, natural or synthetic fabric or strapping, leather, or the like. The harness connectors  40  are preferably secured to the vest  10  in the desired location(s) by stitching, adhesive, welding or bonding, or other permanent attachment means. Alternatively, the harness connectors  40  are integrally formed with the vest  10 , or are secured to the vest  10  by releasable attachment means such as snaps, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, or the like. The provision of releasable attachment means advantageously permits selective re-positioning of the harness connectors on the vest, allowing the user to customize the vest to a particular harness type or to the user&#39;s preferences. The harness connectors  40  preferably each comprise means for securing a strap or other portion of the harness  30 , such as a loop, hook, pin or clip for receiving or retaining the harness portion. In embodiments comprising a loop for receiving the harness strap, the loop preferably is formed by attaching a free end of the harness connector  40  to the vest  10  and/or to a fixed portion of the harness connector as by a snap, button, hook-and-loop fastener or other releasable connection means. In alternate embodiments, the loop comprises a material enclosure or other permanently attached loop or opening, through which the strap or other harness portion is threaded. In another embodiment, the loop or opening is formed through or under a pocket formed in or attached to the vest  10 .  
         [0022]    The vest  10  preferably includes at least one slit or other opening  50  in the rear panel  12 , preferably overlying the dorsal region of the wearer&#39;s back when worn. The opening is preferably sized and positioned to permit passage of a tether strap  52  portion of the harness  30  therethrough, for connection to an external support. The opening  50  optionally includes one or more closure elements for selectively opening and closing all or portions of the opening; and/or multiple openings are provided through the vest  10  in different locations, for accomodating the tether location of different types or brands of harnesses.  
         [0023]    An example method of use of the vest  10  of the present invention preferably comprises the wearer putting on a harness  30  and adjusting the shoulder straps to fit. The vest is then pulled on over the harness. The tether strap  52  of the harness  30  is pulled through the slit  20  at the back of the vest  10 . If more than one slit location is provided, the tether is adjusted by placement through the uppermost slit location capable of comfortably accommodating the tether. The webbing straps or material enclosures of the harness connectors  40   c  are snapped at the front of the vest around the front shoulder straps of the harness. The vest is removed and laid on a flat surface. The harness connectors  40   a  and  40   b  are secured to the shoulder straps at the back of the harness  30 . The harness and vest are lifted by grasping the tether of the harness and putting the vest and attached harness onto the wearer in the manner of a typical garment. The fasteners  20 , if provided, are fastened to secure the vest  10  about the wearer&#39;s torso.  
         [0024]    While the invention has been described in its preferred forms, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many additions, modifications and deletions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.