Safety harness connector assembly

• US 9,993,048 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DB Industries LLC (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: DB Industries LLC (3M Company)
• Inventors: Casebolt, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavinder, Jack W
• Application Number:
  US14/815,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/065 with strap tightening means A44B11/125 takes precedence; tighteners for securing of load on vehicles B60P7/0823; buckles attached to the end of a strap for bundling articles B65D63/16
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2584 followed by sliding in the main plane of the buckle
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2592 fastening by sliding in the main plane or a plane parallel to the main plane of the buckle A44B11/2503, A44B11/2584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 35/0025 Details and accessories

Abstract

A safety harness connector is provided, the safety harness connector includes a male buckle system and female buckle system. The male buckle system is configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one first webbing. The male buckle system further includes a male connection portion. The female buckle system is configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one second webbing. The female buckle system includes a female housing member having a receiving chamber to selectively receive the male connection portion of the male buckle system. The receiving chamber has a select receiving chamber depth. The female housing member further has a movement channel portion that is connected to the receiving channel. The movement channel portion has a movement channel depth that is greater than the receiving channel depth. At least a portion of the male connection portion of the male buckle system is positioned within the movement channel portion of the female housing member when the male buckle system is coupled to the female buckle system.

Claims

1. A safety harness connector assembly comprising:

a male buckle system configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one first webbing, the male buckle system including a male connection portion; and

a female buckle system configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one second webbing, the female buckle system including a female housing member having a receiving channel to selectively receive the male connection portion of the male buckle system, the female housing member having a front plate portion, a back plate portion and a curved end portion, the curved end portion extending between the front plate portion and the back plate portion in such a manner that at least part of the front plate portion is positioned a select spaced distance over the back plate portion to define the receiving channel, the female housing portion further including a bump out portion proximate the back plate portion and the curved end portion to form a movement channel portion, at least the front plate portion and the curved end portion including a connection cutout section to the receiving channel, the connection cutout section shaped to receive the male connection portion of the male buckle system to selectively couple the male buckle system of the female buckle system.

2. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

the connection cutout section including a mid-cutout section and opposed first and second side cutout sections that form generally a T-shaped connection cutout section; and

the male connection portion of the male buckle system being generally T-shaped including first and second holding side tabs configured and arranged to be passed through the respective first and second side cutout sections of the connection cutout sections, at least a portion of the first and second holding side tabs being configured and arranged to be received within the movement channel portion when the male buckle system is coupled to the female buckle system.

3. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one pawl pivotally coupled to the female housing member configured and arranged to selectively engage the male connection portion of the male buckle system to lock the male connection portion of the male buckle system within the female housing member of the female buckle system; and

at least one pawl biasing member positioned to assert a biasing force on the at least one pawl to engage the male connection portion of the male buckle system.

4. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

the male connection portion terminating in a retaining lip configured and arranged to be received within the mid-cutout section of the female housing member.

5. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the male buckle system and the female buckle system includes a webbing winding system configured and arranged to selectively take up slack in at least one of the first webbing and the at least one second webbing.

6. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the receiving channel has a receiving channel depth, the female housing member further having a movement channel portion that is connected to the receiving channel, the movement channel portion having a movement channel depth that is greater than the receiving channel depth, at least a portion of the male connection portion of the male buckle system positioned within the movement channel portion of the female housing member when the male buckle system is coupled to the female buckle system, the bump out portion extending beyond a plane of the back plate portion to form the movement channel depth being greater than the receiving channel depth.

7. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 6, wherein a surface of the female housing member that forms the movement channel portion is at least partially arcuate in shape.

8. A safety harness connector assembly comprising:

a male buckle system configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one first webbing, the male buckle system including a male connection portion;

a female buckle system configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one second webbing, the female buckle system including a female housing member having a receiving channel to selectively receive the male connection portion of the male buckle system; and

a pivot mounting member pivotally coupling the female housing member of the female buckle system to the at least one second webbing, the pivot mounting member having a pivot connection portion, a retaining portion, and a mid-bend portion, the pivot connection portion having a pivot mounting passage, the pivot mounting passage used to pivotally couple the pivot mounting member to the female housing member of the female buckle system, the retaining portion having a webbing slot used to couple the at least one second webbing to the female housing member of the female buckle system, and the mid-bend portion positioned between the pivot connection portion and the retaining portion to distance the female housing member of the female buckle system from the at least one second webbing.

9. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

the at least one second webbing includes a second webbing and a third webbing; and

a webbing mount member configured and arranged to be coupled to the second webbing and the third webbing, the webbing mount member further configured and arranged to be coupled to the retaining portion to the pivot mounting member.

10. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 9, the webbing mount member further comprising:

a mount plate having a first end, a second end and a mid-portion positioned between the first end and the second end, the mount plate have at least a first webbing slot proximate the first end of the mount plate and a second slot proximate the second end of the mount plate;

a mount sleeve extending from a portion of a surface of the mount plate proximate the second end of the mount plate, the mount sleeve having a sleeve opening to a sleeve cavity configured and arranged to receive the retaining portion of the pivot mounting member, the sleeve opening positioned proximate the mid-portion of the mount plate, the mount sleeve further including a sleeve cutout section to the sleeve cavity, the sleeve cutout section positioned proximate the second end of the mount plate exposing the second slot of the mount plate, wherein when the retaining portion of the pivot mounting member is within the cavity the webbing slot of the retaining portion of the pivot mounting member is aligned with the second slot of the mount plate such that the third webbing passing through the webbing slot and the second slot couples the pivot mounting member to the webbing mount member.

11. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 8, wherein at least one of the male buckle system and the female buckle system includes a webbing winding system configured and arranged to selectively take up slack in at least one of the first webbing and the at least one second webbing.

12. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 8, wherein the receiving channel has a receiving channel depth, the female housing member further having a movement channel portion that is connected to the receiving channel, the movement channel portion having a movement channel depth that is greater than the receiving channel depth, at least a portion of the male connection portion of the male buckle system positioned within the movement channel portion of the female housing member when the male buckle system is coupled to the female buckle system.

13. A safety harness connector assembly comprising:

a male buckle system configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one first webbing, the male buckle system including a male connection portion;

a female buckle system configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one second webbing, the female buckle system including a female housing member having a receiving channel to selectively receive the male connection portion of the male buckle system;

a pivot mounting member pivotally coupling the female housing member of the female buckle system to the at least one second webbing, the female housing member pivoting relative to the pivot mounting member and the at least one second webbing.

14. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

the male buckle system including a revolver portion that is configured and arranged to do at least one of taking up slack in the at least one first webbing and extending the length of the at least one first webbing.

15. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 13, wherein the pivot mounting member further includes:

a pivot connection portion having a pivot mounting passage, the pivot mounting passage used to pivotally couple the pivot mounting member to the female housing member of the female buckle system;

a retaining portion having a webbing slot used to couple the at least one second webbing to the female housing member of the female buckle system; and

a mid-bend portion positioned between the connection portion and the retaining portion to distance the female housing member of the female buckle system from the at least one second webbing.

16. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

the female housing member further having a movement channel portion that is connected to the receiving channel, the movement channel portion having a movement channel depth that is greater than a depth of the receiving channel, at least a portion of the male connection portion of the male buckle system positioned within the movement channel portion of the female housing member when the male buckle system is coupled to the female buckle system.

17. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

the female housing member having a front plate portion, a back plate portion and a curved end portion, the curved end portion extending between front plate portion and the back plate portion in such a manner that at least part of the front plate portion is positioned a select spaced distance over the back plate portion to define the receiving channel, the female housing portion further including a bump out portion proximate the back plate portion and the curved end portion to form the movement channel portion, the bump out portion extending beyond a plane of the back plate portion to form the depth of the movement channel portion greater than the receiving channel depth, at least the front plate portion and the curved end portion including a connection cutout section to the receiving channel, the connection cutout section shaped to receive the male connection portion of the male buckle system to selectively couple the male buckle system of the female buckle system.

18. A safety harness connector assembly comprising:

a male buckle system configured and arranged to be coupled to a first webbing, the male buckle system including a male connection portion, the male connection portion terminating in a bent retaining lip; and

a female buckle system configured and arranged to be coupled to at least one second webbing, the female buckle system including a female housing member having a receiving channel to selectively receive the male connection portion of the male buckle system and a connection cutout section to the receiving channel, the connection cutout section including a retaining cutout section that is defined by retaining edges, the bent retaining lip of the male connection portion of the male buckle system configured and arranged to engage the retaining edges that define the retaining cutout section of the connection cutout section when the male connection portion is received within the receiving channel of the female buckle system to prevent side rotation of the male buckle system in relation to the female buckle system; and

a pivot mounting member pivotally coupling the female housing member of the female buckle system to the at least one second webbing, the pivot mounting member having a pivot connection portion, a retaining portion, and a mid-bend portion, the pivot connection portion having a pivot mounting passage, the pivot mounting passage used to pivotally couple the pivot mounting member to the female housing member of the female buckle system, the retaining portion having a webbing slot used to couple the at least one second webbing to the female housing member of the female buckle system, and the mid-bend portion positioned between the connection portion and the retaining portion to distance the female housing member of the female buckle system from the at least one second webbing.

19. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

the receiving channel having a select receiving channel depth, the female housing member further having a movement channel portion that is connected to the receiving channel, the movement channel portion having a movement channel depth that is greater than the receiving channel depth, at least a portion of the male connection portion of the male buckle system positioned within the movement channel portion of the female housing member when the male buckle system is coupled to the female buckle system; and

a pivot mounting member pivotally coupling the female housing member of the female buckle system to the at least one second webbing.

20. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

the female housing member having a front plate portion, a back plate portion and a curved end portion, the curved end portion extending between the front plate portion and the back plate portion in such a manner that at least part of the front plate portion is positioned a select spaced distance over the back plate portion to define the receiving channel, the female housing portion further including a bump out portion proximate the back plate portion and the curved end portion to form a movement channel portion, the bump out portion extending beyond a plane of the back plate portion to form a movement channel depth being greater than a receiving channel depth, at least the front plate portion and the curved end portion including the connection cutout section to the receiving channel, the connection cutout section shaped to receive the male connection portion of the male buckle system to selectively couple the male buckle system of the female buckle system.

21. The safety harness connector assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

the male buckle system including a revolver portion that is configured and arranged to do at least one of taking up slack in the first webbing and extending the length of the first webbing.