Patent ID: 8430206

Claim:
A fall-protection device comprising: a load-bearing housing comprised of a composite polymeric material; a rotatable drum mounted on a shaft that is load-bearingly connected to the housing; a centrifugal braking mechanism configured to limit or arrest a rotation of the drum upon rotation of the drum above a predetermined speed; a length of line with a first end attached to at least one of the rotatable drum or the shaft; and, a load-bearing anchorage plate connected to the load-bearing housing by one or two load-bearing connectors, wherein, when the device is under a load, a primary load-bearing path from the load-bearing anchorage plate, to the shaft, is through the load-bearing housing; and wherein the fall-protection device has a first anchorage end and a second opposite end that is generally opposite the first anchorage end, the shaft is positioned between the first anchorage end and the second opposite end of the device, the second end of the fall-protection device comprises an opening through which the length of line is extendable, and wherein the load-bearing anchorage plate comprises a first end and a second opposite end, the first end of the anchorage plate is positioned proximal to the first anchorage end of the fall-protection device and the second opposite end of the anchorage plate is positioned between the first anchorage end of the fall-protection device and the shaft; and the load-bearing housing is comprised of first and second complementary housing pieces with the anchorage plate sandwiched therebetween, the complementary housing pieces are mated and fastened together, at least in part by way of a fastener that is one of said one or two load-bearing connectors used to connect the anchorage plate to the housing, wherein the fastener is seated on a fastener-seating feature of the first complementary housing piece and a fastener-seating feature of the second complementary housing piece, and wherein each complementary housing piece respectively comprises at least two primary struts each of which is connected to and integrally molded with the fastener seating feature of the respective complementary housing piece, wherein the at least two primary struts of the first complementary housing piece comprise a first primary strut and a second primary strut, the first primary strut extends from the fastener-seating feature of the first complementary housing piece to a first lateral wall of the first complementary housing piece, the second primary strut extends from the fastener-seating feature of the first complementary housing piece to a second lateral wall of the first complementary housing piece, with each primary strut of the first complementary housing being connected to and integrally molded with the respective lateral wall that each primary strut of the first complement housing extends to.