Patent Publication Number: US-2004056056-A1

Title: Carrying harness for carrying objects

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Technical Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention is concerned with a carrying harness for carrying objects.  
       [0003] It is known that, in order to carry unwieldy, bulky or heavy objects, shoulder straps are used. In the process, the shoulder strap is first attached to the object to be carried. The person carrying the object then squats down, places the shoulder strap over his shoulder and stands up. The length of the shoulder strap must be adjusted such that the object, when the person carrying it is standing, has a sufficient distance from the ground.  
       [0004] This entails the shortcoming that adjusting the length of the shoulder strap is usually performed with both hands and, hence, is relatively complex. Additionally, carrying objects with the aid of shoulder straps results in a load with the weight of the object on one side of the body of the carrying person.  
       OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] It is therefore the object of the invention to present a carrying harness that permits a simple adjustment of the distance of the carried object from the ground and additionally permits the most even distribution possible of the weight of the carried object on the person carrying it.  
       [0006] This object is met according to the invention with a carrying harness for carrying objects wherein the carrying harness incorporates a carrying plate that has at least one rope clamp fastened to it for the length-adjustable attachment of a carrying rope.  
       [0007] Provision may be made for the carrying harness to be designed in the style of a vest.  
       [0008] Provision is advantageously made for the carrying harness to incorporate straps.  
       [0009] Provision is additionally preferably made for the carrying harness to incorporate at least one shoulder strap and/or at least one waist strap and/or at least one pelvis strap.  
       [0010] Provision may be made for the carrying harness to have a back element on which the straps are held.  
       [0011] It is additionally preferred that the carrying plate is held on the straps.  
       [0012] Provision is advantageously made for the carrying plate to have slits for straps to be guided through and, hence, for the carrying plate to be fastened to the carrying harness.  
       [0013] In an advantageous embodiment the carrying plate is held during the carrying process in front of a waist area of a carrying person.  
       [0014] Provision may be made for the carrying plate to be curved to adapt it to the body of a carrying person.  
       [0015] Provision is additionally preferably made for the carrying plate to be composed of a reinforced plastic or metal.  
       [0016] The invention additionally provides for the at least one rope clamp to incorporate a guide yoke to guide the carrying rope.  
       [0017] Provision may be made for the rope clamp to incorporate two rotatable clamping elements with clamping teeth, between which the carrying rope can be clamped.  
       [0018] Provision is advantageously made for the spacing between the clamping teeth of the two clamping elements to decrease against the pull direction.  
       [0019] Provision is additionally preferably made for the at least one rope clamp to be U-shaped in cross section and to have two leg sections with clamping teeth to clamp in the carrying rope.  
       [0020] As a variant, the invention additionally provides for the leg sections to be connected by a yoke.  
       [0021] Provision may additionally be made for the at least one rope clamp to be held essentially vertically or horizontally or obliquely on the carrying plate when in use.  
       [0022] Provision is advantageously made for a plurality of rope clamps to be held on the carrying plate, which are oriented vertically or horizontally or obliquely in each case when in use.  
       [0023] Provision is preferably additionally made for the carrying harness to be cushioned on its supporting surfaces.  
       [0024] The ropes are advantageously disposed on a carrying net that consists of parallel longitudinal strands with interposed cross rungs, which serve as carrying webs and optionally as handle webs.  
       [0025] The net preferably incorporates only one mesh row and its longitudinal strands are twisted, knotted, or braided as ropes, like the cross rungs. The cross rungs are fixed in the longitudinal strands in each case at both ends. Crimping sleeves may be used for this purpose. However, the T-connections are preferably produced by splicing the rope strands together with the web ends in such a way that smooth regions are formed in the transitions that preclude any damage to the carrying strap.  
       [0026] The size of the net is adapted in its length to the longest object to be carried, with some extra length at the ends, and the web width is designed to securely encompass a lower object region. A length of 5 m and a web width of 20-50 cm has proven suitable for standard doors, window wings and window frames.  
       [0027] The webs are disposed continuous with a spacing of 30-50 cm. In this manner carrying webs can always be grasped by hand at the proper height for objects of differing lengths. When grasped low, the objects may be securely lifted off a transporting vehicle or inserted into a high wall opening, and when the handhold is switched to a higher position in the net, they may be transported near the ground.  
       [0028] The lower webs cross underneath the object and the longitudinal strands rest against the object on both sides; the object is precluded from sliding out.  
       [0029] The numerous webs gently rest against the object with a distributed force. A free hand of the carrying person safely guides the object, which sits approximately vertical in the net. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0030] The invention will be explained below with the aid of an embodiment, with reference made to the drawings FIG. 1 through FIG. 11, in which:  
     [0031]FIG. 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of the inventive carrying harness;  
     [0032]FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the carrying harness;  
     [0033]FIG. 3 shows a side view of the carrying harness;  
     [0034]FIG. 4 shows a top view of a rope clamp;  
     [0035]FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of the rope clamp;  
     [0036]FIG. 6 shows a top view of an additional rope clamp;  
     [0037]FIG. 7 shows an illustration of the length adjustment process for a carrying rope;  
     [0038]FIG. 8 shows an illustration of a carrying process with the aid of inventive carrying harnesses;  
     [0039]FIG. 9 shows a section of a spliced carrying net;  
     [0040]FIG. 10 shows a net section with crimping connectors;  
     [0041]FIG. 11 shows a net section with opposed web ropes. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
     [0042]FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an embodiment of the carrying harness marked in its entirety with the reference numeral  1 . The carrying harness  1  incorporates a cushioned back element  3  with two shoulder sections  3   a ,  3   b , and two side sections  3   c ,  3   d . The shoulder section  3   a  has a strap band  5   a  of a shoulder strap  5  sewn onto it. This strap band  5   a  is guided through a slit  11 . 5  of a carrying plate  13  and connected by means of a buckle  19  to a second strap band  5   b , which is sewn onto the shoulder section  3   b . A strap band  7   b  of a waist strap  7  is sewn onto the side section  3   d  of the back element  3  and guided sequentially through slits  11 . 1 - 11 . 4  of the carrying plate  13 . The strap band  7   b  is connected by means of a buckle  20  to an additional strap band  7   a  of the waist strap  7 , with the strap band  7   a  sewn onto the side section  3   c . Below the waist strap  7 , a pelvis strap  9  is held on the back element  3 . A strap band  9   b  of the pelvis strap  9  is sewn onto the side section  3   d  and a strap band  9   a  is sewn onto the side section  3   c . The two strap bands  9   a ,  9   b  are connected to one another by a buckle  18 . The buckles  18 ,  19 ,  20  are designed such that the corresponding straps  5 ,  7 ,  9  are adjustable in their lengths.  
     [0043] In other embodiments, the number of slits in the carrying plate and also the type and number of guided-through straps may vary. For example, two shoulder straps, each of which are length adjustable by means of a buckle, may be fastened to the shoulder sections of the back element and may be guided in each case through a slit in the carrying plate. The strap bands may also be connected by hooks, simple knotting, or the like, and fastened to the back element in a manner other than by sewing. For example, the strap bands may be formed in one piece with the back element. Ropes may be used in lieu of straps. Furthermore, it is also possible to have a carrying harness without padding or without a back element. In the latter case the straps or ropes are connected directly to one another in the back area of a carrying person.  
     [0044]FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show that the carrying plate  13 , which may be comprised of reinforced plastic or metal, is held by the shoulder strap  5  and waist strap  7  in front of the waist area of a carrying person  15 ,  49 . The carrying plate  13  is slightly curved to adapt to the body of the carrying person  15 ,  49  and has two openings (not shown) at which a rope clamp  21  with appropriate borings  31 ,  33  is fixed obliquely by means of screws. The rope clamp  21  may also be fixed on the carrying plate  13  by gluing, hooking in, or snapping in. Additionally, the rope clamp  21  may be pivoting or stationary when in use, or also be fixed in a different orientation, e.g., vertical or horizontal, when in use.  
     [0045] The rope clamp  21  is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. It is U-shaped in cross section and incorporates two leg sections  23  that may hold, by means of oblique clamping teeth  25 , a carrying rope  29  between the leg sections  23 . The leg sections  23  are connected to one another by a yoke  27 , which guides the carrying rope  29  and stabilizes the rope clamp  21 . The rope clamp  21  may also be formed without a yoke  27 .  
     [0046] In another embodiment, a rope clamp, which is shown in FIG. 6, may incorporate two rotatable clamping elements  35  that are held side by side on a base plate  37 . The clamping elements  35  have clamping teeth  39  that are designed such that they can hold a carrying rope  29  disposed between the clamping elements  35 . Additionally, a guide yoke  41 , through which the carrying rope  29  is guidable, may be disposed on the base plate  37 . The clamping teeth  39  are disposed on the clamping elements  35  such that the spacing between the clamping teeth  39  of the two clamping elements  35  decreases against the pull direction indicated in FIG. 6 by an arrow.  
     [0047] The carrying plate  13  may also incorporate a plurality of rope clamps with each rope clamp having any random orientation. For example, some rope clamps may be attached essentially vertically, others obliquely, and yet others horizontally when in use. The carrying plate  13  may also incorporate a plurality of openings to permit the affixing of a plurality of rope clamps in different locations and different orientations on the carrying plate  13 .  
     [0048]FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a sample embodiment of the carrying harness  1 . The shoulder strap  5  is guided over the shoulders of the carrying person  15  and the carrying plate  13  is held by the shoulder strap  5  and waist strap  7  in front of the waist area  17  of the carrying person  15 . The pelvis strap  9  is not shown here. The carrying person  15  is in a squatting position and can adjust the length of the carrying rope  29  with one hand by means of the rope clamp  21 . The carrying rope  29  in this example is connected with hooks  43  to an additional carrying device, in this case a carrying net  45 , which is intended to carry a window frame  47 . FIG. 8 shows how the window frame  47 , after the carrying person  15  has stood up, can be carried together with a second carrying person  49 .  
     [0049]FIG. 9 shows a carrying net  45  that consists of two lateral longitudinal strands  51 ,  52  and cross webs  56 ,  57 - 59 ,  60  extending in between. The mesh that is formed in this manner is approximately square. The longitudinal strands  51 ,  52  and the cross webs  56 - 60  are advantageously braided with the same strength as the ropes. The individual ends of the rope braids of the cross webs  56 - 60  are spliced between the braids of the longitudinal strands  51 ,  52  in each case, as illustrated on the cross web  57 . This results in an intimate, only slightly enlarged connection of the web  57  to the longitudinal ropes  51 ,  52 .  
     [0050] In lieu of a splicing of the web ends, other equivalent connections may also be created from the rope material without additional auxiliary means. For example, the longitudinal ropes  51 ,  52  may continue, each divided in halves, at the intersections into the webs  61 ,  62  from both sides in opposite directions, as illustrated in FIG. 11.  
     [0051]FIG. 10 shows, by way of an example, an alternate network junction design. The ends of the braids of a web rope  70  are divided into halves in each case, and these partial bundles are connected in each case in a crimping sleeve  71 ,  72  to the longitudinal strand  51 . The division into the partial bundles that are guided in opposite directions evens out the knot design. However, in a more simple design, one single crimping connector also suffices that encompasses the entire web end.  
     [0052]FIG. 8 shows a carrying net in use during the carrying of a window frame  47 . The cross webs  57 - 59  cross underneath the frame, and the longitudinal ropes  51 ,  52  rest against it from the sides. The two carrying persons  15 ,  49  can each place one hand into the handle webs  56 ,  60  that are located at an appropriate height. The bottom cross webs  57  protect  59  protect the frame  47  when it is placed onto the ground. When setting down or lifting at a raised elevation, the lower rungs  56 ,  60  are grasped.  
     [0053] List of Reference Numerals  
     [0054] 1  Carrying Harness  
     [0055] 3  Back Element  
     [0056] 3   a ,  3   b  Shoulder Section of the Back Element  
     [0057] 3   c ,  3   d  Side Section of the Back Element  
     [0058] 5  Shoulder Strap  
     [0059] 5   a ,  5   b  Strap Band of the Shoulder Strap  
     [0060] 7  Waist Strap  
     [0061] 7   a ,  7   b  Strap Band of the Waist Strap  
     [0062] 9  Pelvis Strap  
     [0063] 9   a ,  9   b  Strap Band of the-Pelvis Strap  
     [0064] 11 . 1 - 11 . 5  Slit  
     [0065] 13  Carrying Plate  
     [0066] 15 ,  49  Carrying Person  
     [0067] 15  Carrying Person  
     [0068] 17  Waist Area  
     [0069] 18  Buckle of the Pelvis Strap  
     [0070] 19  Buckle of the Shoulder Strap  
     [0071] 20  Buckle of the Waist Strap  
     [0072] 21  Rope Clamp  
     [0073] 23  Leg Section  
     [0074] 25 ,  39  Clamping Teeth  
     [0075] 27  Yoke  
     [0076] 29  Carrying Rope  
     [0077] 31 ,  33  Opening  
     [0078] 35  Clamping Element  
     [0079] 37  Base Plate  
     [0080] 41  Guide Yoke  
     [0081] 43  Hook  
     [0082] 45  Carrying Net  
     [0083] 47  Window Frame  
     [0084] 49  Carrying Person  
     [0085] 51  Longitudinal Strand  
     [0086] 52  Longitudinal Strand  
     [0087] 56  Cross Web  
     [0088] 57  Cross Web, Spliced  
     [0089] 59  Cross Web  
     [0090] 60  Cross Web  
     [0091] 61  Cross Webs, Opposed Paired Ropes  
     [0092] 62  Cross Webs, Opposed Paired Ropes  
     [0093] 70  Cross Web with Sleeve Connector  
     [0094] 71  Crimping Sleeve  
     [0095] 72  Crimping Sleeve