Patent Publication Number: US-2017356131-A1

Title: Climbing rope with marked end

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to ropes, and, more particularly, to climbing ropes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Climbers depend heavily on ropes when performing several climbing tasks such as rappelling and belaying. Rappelling is a controlled descent using a rope that passes through a friction device (e.g., descender) attached to the climber. This friction device allows the climber to modulate the speed at which he descends by applying greater or lesser force on the rope below the device, or by altering the angle at which the rope exits the device. Belaying has an ascending climber (i.e., the climber “on belay”) attached to a rope that passes through an attachment device fixed in a rock and then downward to the climber&#39;s partner (i.e., “the belayer”). If the belayer keeps proper tension on the rope, the climber on belay will only fall some small distance past the attachment device if he accidentally falls. 
     Both rappelling and belaying are described in numerous publications including, for example, J. Cinnamon,  The Complete Climber&#39;s Handbook , McGraw Hill Professional, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Most modern climbing ropes are of a “kernmantle” design. A braided sheath (mantle) surrounds and protects a plurality of twisted, parallel core (kern) strands. The core typically provides about 80% of the tensile strength of the rope, while the sheath is a durable layer that protects the core and gives the rope desirable handling characteristics. The core and sheath may in some ropes be formed of nylon. 
     Unfortunately, climbing is a dangerous sport. One common form of accident occurs when a rappelling climber fails to recognize that he is nearing the end of a rope (or, when the rope is doubled, nearing the ends of the rope), and literally slides off of the rope and falls.  FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a rappelling climber  100  unaware that he is reaching the ends of a conventional rope  105  and in danger of falling off the ends. Another relatively common safety issue may occur when the balayer fails to recognize that the end of a rope is approaching and allows an end of the rope to pass by him and out of his reach. At this point, the climber on belay is no longer protected from falling. 
     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for technologies that address the above-identified issues. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention address the above-identified needs by providing ropes with end portions that differ in color and/or pattern from the remainder of the rope. These marked ends allow a climber or other user to easily recognize that he or she is nearing the ends of the rope. 
     Aspects of the invention are directed to a rope comprising a first terminus, a first end portion, and a bulk portion. The first end portion consists of a predetermined length of the rope from the first terminus, and the bulk portion is connected to the first end portion. At least one of an external coloring and an external patterning of the first end portion is different from that of the bulk portion. 
     Additional aspects of the invention are directed to a method of forming a rope. A first terminus, a first end portion, and a bulk portion are formed. The first end portion consists of a predetermined length of the rope from the first terminus, while the bulk portion is connected to the first end portion. At least one of an external coloring and an external patterning of the first end portion is different from that of the bulk portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a rappelling climber using a rope in accordance with the prior art; 
         FIGS. 2-7  show perspective views of end portions of ropes in accordance with illustrative embodiments of the invention; and 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a rope with like end portions in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will be described with reference to illustrative embodiments. For this reason, numerous modifications can be made to these embodiments and the results will still come within the scope of the invention. No limitations with respect to the specific embodiments described herein are intended or should be inferred. 
     For purposes of the present description and appended claims, an external coloring of a first element is different from that of a second element when an average human being with average eyesight would readily visually perceive a gross difference in color between the two elements while viewing the two elements side-by-side from a distance of about one meter in daylight conditions. An external patterning of a first element is different from that of a second element when an average human being with average eyesight would readily visually perceive a gross difference in patterning of the two elements while viewing the two elements side-by-side from a distance of about one meter in daylight conditions. An external coloring of a first element is the same as that of a second element when an average human being with average eyesight would visually perceive the two elements as having the same color while viewing the two elements side-by-side from a distance of about one meter in daylight conditions. Lastly, an external patterning of a first element is the same as that of a second element when an average human being with average eyesight would visually perceive the two elements as having the same patterning while viewing the two elements side-by-side from a distance of about one meter in daylight conditions. 
     Embodiments in accordance with aspects of the invention consist of ropes with end portions that have different colors and/or patterns from the remaining bulk portions of the rope. Arranged in this manner, these ropes will readily signal to a climber or other user that he or she is nearing the ends of these ropes. Rappelling and belaying accidents like those set forth in the Background Section are therefore less likely to occur when utilizing these ropes. 
     In one or more embodiments, for example, a rope comprises a first terminus, a first end portion consisting of a predetermined length of the rope from the first terminus, and a bulk portion connected to the first end portion. At least one of an external coloring and an external patterning of the first end portion is different from that of the bulk portion. Optionally, the same rope may also have a second terminus opposite the first terminus, and a second end portion consisting of a predetermined length of the rope from the second terminus. The bulk portion is also connected to the second end portion. Here too, at least one of an external coloring and an external patterning of the second end portion is different from that of the bulk portion. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the end of a rope  200  in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The rope  200  comprises a terminus  205 , an end portion  210  consisting of a predetermined length of the rope from the terminus  205 , and a bulk portion  215  attached to the end portion  210 . In this particular embodiment, the end portion  210  has a different color than the bulk portion  215 . The difference in color allows a climber using the rope  200  to easily observe that the terminus  205  of the rope  200  is quickly approaching. 
       FIGS. 3-7  show embodiments of other ropes in accordance with illustrative embodiments of the invention. A rope  300  comprises a terminus  305 , an end portion  310 , and a bulk portion  315 ; a rope  400  comprises a terminus  405 , an end portion  410 , and a bulk portion  415 ; a rope  500  comprises a terminus  505 , an end portion  510 , and a bulk portion  515 ; a rope  600  comprises a terminus  605 , an end portion  610 , and a bulk portion  615 ; and, finally, a rope  700  comprises a terminus  705 , an end portion  710 , and a bulk portion  715 . In each of the ropes  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700 , the end portions  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  are differently colored and differently patterned from their respective bulk portions  315 ,  415 ,  515 ,  615 ,  715 . 
     As suggested above, the ropes  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700  may also have second end portions that have different colors and/or patterns from their respective bulk portions  215 ,  315 ,  415 ,  515 ,  615 ,  715 . These second end portions may have the same colors and/or patterns as their respective (first) end portions  210 ,  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710 , so as to make the ropes  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700  symmetric.  FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a rope  800  with a first terminus  805 , a second terminus  810 , a first end portion  815 , a second end portion  820 , and a bulk portion  825 . The first end portion  815  and the second end portion  820  have different external colors/patterns from the bulk portion  825 . At the same time, the first end portion  815  and the second end portion  820  have the same external colors/patterns as each other. 
     Advantageously, once understood from the teachings herein, one having ordinary skill in the rope manufacturing arts will recognize how to form ropes having end portions with different colors and/or patterns from the bulk portions of those ropes. Additional details may also be gleaned from readily available publications including, for instance, H. A. McKenna et al.,  Handbook of Fibre Rope Technology , Elsevier, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. If a rope is of a kernmantle design, it may be manufactured with a braided sheath that transitions from one color/pattern to another color/pattern a predetermined length from a terminus of that rope. The length of the differently colored/patterned end portion may, in one or more embodiments stretch for about one to three meters from the terminus of the rope, although these values are merely by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     In closing, it should again be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be illustrative only. Other rope embodiments, for example, can include end portions with external appearances very different from those shown in  FIGS. 2-8 . These numerous alternative embodiments within the scope of the appended claims will be apparent to one skilled in the art. 
     Moreover, all the features disclosed herein may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purposes, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.