Patent Document

GENERAL TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The invention relates to the field of attachment devices, particularly textile shackles, clasps, straps and tensioners. 
       PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    Attachment devices are known from the prior art, particularly textile shackles. 
         [0003]    Document FR 2 893 378 describes for example a textile shackle made of tubular braided rope. The shackle comprises at a first end of the rope a loop, and at a second end of the rope a ball formed from two strands of the rope and intended to be inserted into the loop so as to hold the shackle in the clamped position. This shackle applies particularly to the field of rigging. 
         [0004]    Another example of a known attachment device is described in document CH 170739. In this document, a shackle is described comprising a rope supplied with a closed loop at a junction point from which extend two elements of rope and of a pin located at the end of one of the rope elements and intended to be inserted in the loop so as to hold the shackle in the clamped position. 
         [0005]    However, with such shackles, the distance separating the two parts to be connected depends on the length of the rope and is not adjustable. Such shackles can therefore be adapted only with difficulty to varied conditions of use. 
       PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In all of the present text, what is meant by a “rope” is any long, flexible strong body and in particular, preferably but not necessarily restrictively, any rope made of natural or synthetic material made by assembling twisted or braided wires. 
         [0007]    The present invention relates to an attachment device which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art. 
         [0008]    This device comprises:
       two rope portions extending from a junction point from which a loop also extends   at least one locking element joining the rope portions at a location different from the junction point,       
 
         [0011]    said locking element being capable of being passed into the loop to close the device on itself and ensure locking. 
         [0012]    In addition, its locking element is capable of being slid along the rope portions. 
         [0013]    As will be understood easily upon reading what follows, the attachment device proposed has the advantage of being adjustable and, in addition, being inexpensive. 
     
    
     
       PRESENTATION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0014]    Other features, goals and advantages of the invention will be revealed by the description that follows, which is purely illustrative and not limiting, and which must be read with reference to the appended drawings wherein: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an attachment device according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates an attachment device according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates an attachment device according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates the formation of a simple knot by means of an attachment device according to one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b    illustrate the formation of a double knot by means of an attachment device according to one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 6 a  and 6 b    illustrate the formation of a self-locking know by means of an attachment device according to one embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Principle of the Attachment Device 
       [0021]      FIGS. 1, 2 and 3  show an attachment device  10  according to different possible embodiments. 
         [0022]    The attachment device  10  is mainly formed by a rope  11  and by an adjusting and locking element  18  mounted thereon. 
         [0023]    The rope  11  is closed on itself on one side to form a loop  12 . On the other side, beyond the junction point  13  on which the loop  12  closes, said rope  11  is extended by two rope portions  14  and  15  joined at the adjustment and locking element  18 . 
         [0024]    The adjustment and locking element  18  constitutes a locking pin which is intended to be passed into the loop  12  to close the attachment device, so as to use it as a shackle for example. 
         [0025]    To this end, this element  18  has for example a cylindrical or “dog-bone” shape and is dimensioned to lock on the loop  12  once said element  18  is passed into said loop  12  ( FIG. 4 ) and the interior of the loop thus formed by the attachment closed on itself is put under tension. 
         [0026]    The element  18  also has the peculiarity of being adjustable along the rope portions  14 ,  15 . 
         [0027]    To this end, it has two through holes  20 ,  21  respectively receiving one and the other of the two rope portions  14 ,  15 . 
         [0028]    These openings  20 ,  21  are for example parallel to one another. They are formed and dimensioned so as to allow a user to cause the element  18  to slide on the rope portions  14  and  15 . The element  18  can slide along the rope portions  14 ,  15  whether the attachment device  10  is closed on itself and under tension, or not. 
         [0029]    In this way, the closing loop of the device  10  is adjustable, and the attachment device  10  can therefore easily adapt to various conditions of use. 
       Examples of Materials—Details of Construction 
       [0030]    The rope  11  can be made of any type of material. 
         [0031]    It is for example made of a rope of hollow fibres or of vegetable fibres. This rope can also comprise metal fibres. 
         [0032]    The rope  11  can further be made of materials comprising natural or synthetic rubber, leather or plastic, or perhaps metal portions. 
         [0033]    It can have a circular section or have the shape of a ribbon. 
         [0034]    Thus the rope  11  and the rope portions  14 ,  15  can also be a strap, a cable, a belt or a tensioner, also called a “sandow.” 
         [0035]    The adjustment and locking element  18  can also be made of different types of materials, for example of wood, bamboo, aluminium, aluminium alloy, steel, stainless steel, plastic, polyester or carbon rods or battens, brass, copper, bronze, etc. 
         [0036]    It can also have different types of shape and is preferably elongated. 
         [0037]    It can for example be of circular section, other sections naturally being possible (triangular, rectangular, square, . . . ). 
         [0038]    The attachment device  10  can also comprise several adjustment and locking elements  18  mounted in series on the rope portions  14 ,  15 . 
         [0039]    Its openings  20 ,  21  are perpendicular to the main axis  19  along which it extends. The openings  20 ,  21  are preferably of a shape complementary to the rope portions  14 ,  15 . The openings  20 ,  21  have for example a circular, square, rectangular etc. section. The openings  20 ,  21  can also have a generally frusto-conical profile, so as to block the sliding of the rope portions  14 ,  15  in one direction. The dimensions of the section of the openings  20 ,  21  are preferably less than or equal to the dimensions of the section of the rope portions  14 ,  15  unloaded. What is meant by “unloaded” is an unconstrained state of the rope portions  14 ,  15 . When the rope portions  14 ,  15  have a circular section, the openings  20 ,  21  are assembled and spaced with a distance between axes less than or equal to the sum of the diameters of the rope portions  14 ,  15 , so that loads are well distributed over the rope portions  14 ,  15 . When the rope portions  14 ,  15  have the shape of a ribbon, the openings  20 ,  21  are assembled and spaced with a distance between axes greater than the sum of the thickness of the rope portions  14 ,  15 . The junction point  13  of the first loop  12  is for example formed by ropework, by splicing, by braiding, by crimping, by gluing, by welding or by cutting out etc., the loop  12  and the rope portions  14 ,  15  being formed in a single piece, by the same rope  11  or being formed by several distinct rope elements. Preferably, the first loop  12  has a diameter less than or equal to the extension of the adjustment and locking element  18 , so as to avoid the first loop  12  disengaging from the adjustment and locking element  18 . 
         [0040]    Moreover, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the attachment device  10  can comprise at the junction point  13  a junction element  16 , which provides for the closure of the loop  12  on itself and which includes an opening  17  accommodating the two rope branches joined at said junction point  13 . This junction element  16  allows sliding of the rope branches and consequently allows the adjustment of the loop  12 . The opening  17  of the junction element  16  has for example a circular section. In this case, the diameter of the opening  17  is preferably less than or equal to the sum of the diameters of the rope  11  unloaded. The rope  11  has for example at the loop  12  excess thickness configured to prevent the junction element  16  from sliding along the rope  11  until it is extracted therefrom. 
         [0041]    Also, at their end opposite to the junction point  13 , the two rope branches which constitute the portions  14  and  15  are closed one over the other, either they are in a single piece from the junction point  13  to itself as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , or they are connected at a junction zone  26 . 
         [0042]    In both cases, the loop  25  thus formed makes it possible to avoid the adjustment and locking element  18  disengaging from the rope branches and detaching itself from the attachment device  10 . The loop  25  can also be used to form particular knots. 
         [0043]    The connection at this junction zone  26  is for example carried out by sewing, by welding, by gluing by means of a sleeve of heat-shrinking material, by hot-melt, by clamping, by crimping or by ropework. 
         [0044]    The rope branches can also extend beyond this junction zone  26  and be joined a little farther, to thus form together a new loop similar to the loop  12 , thus offering several possibilities for use to a user. Assuming this for example, the attachment device  10  can then comprise several locking and adjustment elements. 
       Examples of Use 
       [0045]      FIG. 4 , already discussed, gives a first example of use of an attachment device of the type of those which were just described. 
         [0046]      FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b   , for their part, illustrate the formation of a double knot. To form this double knot, the loop  12  and the portions  14 ,  15  closed by the locking element  18  are wrapped so that the first loop  12  is passed into the loop  25 . The loop  12  is then again passed over the locking element  18 . 
         [0047]      FIGS. 6 a  and 6 b   , for their part, illustrate the formation of a self-locking knot. To form this self-locking knot, the portions  14 ,  15  closed by the locking element  18  are wrapped so that the first loop  12  is passed on the one hand between the portions  14  and  15 , then into the loop  25 . The loop  12  is then passed over the locking element  18 . Such a self-locking knot prevents any sliding of the locking element  18 , even under heavy load. 
         [0048]    In each of the examples of use described earlier, it is shear applied by the first loop  12  to the rope portions  14 ,  15  which ensures the locking of the device  10  when the device  10  is under tension. 
         [0049]    The attachment device  10  which was just described can be assembled to a friction ring, to a fixed or opening pulley, so as to form a hoist. Such a hoist can for example be used in the nautical field or the construction industry. 
         [0050]    It can in particular be used in the nautical field, for example as a shackle or as an attachment device intended to be assembled to an existing metal shackle. 
         [0051]    It can also serve as a clasp for clothing, a belt, jewelry, bags, etc. 
         [0052]    The attachment device  10  can further be used in the medical field, for example as a ligature.

Technology Category: 2