Patent ID: 7992267

Claim:
A locking carabiner, comprising: a body including a leg end and an opening end, where a gap separates the leg end and the opening end; a gate having a longitudinal axis and an opening end and a hinged end joined to the leg end of the body and configured to pivot between a closed position, in which the gate spans the gap between the leg end and the opening end of the body, to an open position, in which a gap exists between the opening end of the gate and the opening end of the body; a control member pivotally connected to the leg end of the body and moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position; wherein the gate includes a hole having an opening; wherein a spring and spring pin are substantially contained within the hole; wherein the control member includes a compression surface; wherein the gate includes a load distributing member transverse the gate and adjacent the hole opening; said load distributing member having a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the gate's longitudinal axis; wherein the gate and the control member are configured so that pivoting the gate from the closed position when the control member is in the unlocked position causes insertion of the compression surface of the control member through the hole opening and the compression of the spring and spring pin against the compression surface of the control member; wherein the compression surface of the control member is configured to engage the side of the load distributing member when the control member is in the locked position, which prevents the gate from pivoting from the closed position when the control member is in the locked position.