[001] The present invention relates to connectors for attaching multiple elements to a person
wearing a safety harness. Specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus to connect
5 retractable lanyards and harness.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Lanyards are cables usually connected to a D-ring of a safety harness worn by a user for
10 protection against fall. Lanyards may be of various types depending upon utility and style
requirement. Nowadays, single/double leg retractable lanyards (SRLs) are being used with safety
harnesses. All these SRLs are light in weight and use retraction mechanism due to which only
required length is pulled out of housing, which overcomes the problem associated with
entanglement in conventional lanyards.
15
[003] Connecting these SRLs to the harness is still a challenging job. The dorsal D- ring can
typically be connected to SRLs, depending upon the types of work that needs to be performed at
height. However, other forms of fall arrest devices can also be attached to the dorsal D-ring due to
which it is not a preferable option to connect SRLs with dorsal D-ring, as D ring should always be
20 kept free for rescue operations. Moreover, if D-rings are used as connection point for SRLs then
the height of the assembly lengthens due to which the possibilities of injuries during usage or fall
increases.
[004] Alternatively, loop of the harness can also be used to connect SRLs directly. However,
25 connecting the SRLs with loop of harness is a very tedious and time-consuming process. At first,
webbing of harness is loosened; then several adjustments are required to fix the connector of SRLs
with harness loop; and at last, readjustment of the loose webbings is required to be done to achieve
snug fit of harness back. Also, various models of full body harness are not adjustable, which means
the webbings of the harness cannot be loosened to create a loop for connectors.
30
[005] USA patent US 8,276,712 B2 provides a system comprising a support including an
extending rigid member and a first attachment at a first position on the rigid member to which a
3
first self-retracting lifeline is attached. The system also includes at least a second attachment at a
second position on the rigid member to which a second self-retracing lifeline is attached. The
second housing can be movable relative to the rigid member independent of the movement of the
first housing. The system further includes a connector attached to the frame to connect the frame
5 to an article (for example, a safety harness such as a full body safety harness) worn by a user.
However, this patent is disclosing a whole system along with connector which can increase the
weight on the back of the user wearing the harness.
[006] Therefore, a key solution is required to overcome the above shortcomings associated with
10 the connection of SRLs to harness.
OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION
[007] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to connect safety
15 harness with multiple devices, particularly retractable lanyards.
[008] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to connect a
plurality of single/double leg retractable lanyards (SRLs) to the harness.
20 [009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which ensures safety
of user wearing the harness by keeping D-ring free for fall rescue operations.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
25 [0010] The present invention discloses an apparatus to connect a plurality of retractable lanyards
and harness. The apparatus used herein is an adaptor comprising a harness connector and a barrel.
The harness connector is connected with barrel at one end and with harness webbing at another
end. The barrel has an internal cavity which allows the mono/twin SRL connector(s) to slide in the
barrel to establish a removable connection with lanyards.
30
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
4
[0011] A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the
accompanying drawings, when taken in conjunction with the detailed description thereof and in
which:
5
[0012] Figure 1 illustrates the apparatus according to the present invention;
[0013] Figure 2 illustrates the side and back view of user wearing the harness having the apparatus
attached to it;
10
[0014] Figure 3 illustrates the side and back view of user wearing the harness and SRL’s attached
to it using the apparatus;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
15
[0015] The following description describes various features and functions of the disclosed system
and method with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, similar symbols identify
similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative aspects described herein are
not meant to be limiting. It may be readily understood that certain aspects of the disclosed system
20 and method can be arranged and combined in a wide variety of different configurations, all of
which are contemplated herein.
[0016] Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and
modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope
25 of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted
for clarity and conciseness.
[0017] Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used
in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and/or in combination with
30 or instead of the features of the other embodiments.
5
[0018] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the
bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used to enable a clear and consistent understanding of
the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following
description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration
5 purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention.
[0019] It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
10 [0020] It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this
specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but
does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps,
components or groups thereof.
15 [0021] In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus (100) is provided for connecting
safety harness with multiple devices, particularly retractable lanyards (306). Figure 1 illustrates
the apparatus (100) to connect retractable lanyards (306) and harness. The connecting apparatus
(100) is an adapter, having two parts: a harness connector (102) and a barrel (104) with an internal
cavity.
20
[0022] The harness connector (102) is attached with the barrel (104) at one end and with the
harness at another end. The said harness connector (102) and barrel (104) are joined together by
any means such as welding, screws or dowels. In an exemplary embodiment the harness connector
(102) may be connected to barrel (104) by using a fabrication method such as welding.
25
[0023] The harness connector (102) can be made of any strong metal including but not limited to
steel alloy, aluminum alloy, plastic or any other composite alloy. In a preferred embodiment,
harness connector (102) is made of steel alloy. The welding is suitable when a metal alloy used to
manufacture the said harness connector (102).
30
[0024] The harness connector (102) may be made in any shape such as oval, round, rectangular,
square. In an exemplary embodiment, said the harness connector (102) has oval shape.
6
[0025] Further, any manufacturing process such as sheet metal operations, bar bending
operations, forging, plastic molding or machining can be used to manufacture the said harness
connector (102). In an exemplary embodiment, the bar bending operations are used to manufacture
5 harness connector (102), in which the metal used in manufacturing process undergoes through
cutting and bending process based on the reinforcement drawings provided by structural engineers.
[0026] Further, the said harness connector (102) can be sewed or stitched with harness webbings
at dorsal attachment. The harness connector (102) is attached to the harness/webbing of the dorsal
10 attachment by sewing, stitching or pivoting. The said harness connector (102) may be installed
with dorsal D-ring (302) at any location such as above the dorsal D-ring (302), below the dorsal
D-ring (302) or attached with the dorsal D-ring (302) directly by any means. The dorsal D-ring
(302) is the main attachment point available in almost all types of harnesses to connect lanyards
(306) or lifelines. In an exemplary embodiment the said harness connector (102) is installed below
15 the dorsal D-ring (302).
[0027] Further, the barrel (104) can be made of steel alloy, aluminum alloy or any other composite
alloy. In an exemplary embodiment, the barrel (104) is made of steel alloy. The said barrel (104)
20 can be made in any shape such as cylindrical, rectangular or oval on outer side. The inner side of
the said barrel has an internal cavity preferably cylindrical in shape, which allow connector pin of
SRL connector to slide in to establish a connection of SRLs (306) with harness.
[0028] The said SRL connector (304) has a C shaped ring and a connector pin. The ends of the C
25 shaped ring has holes to hold the connector pin. The connector pin has two components; a nut and
a bolt. The width of the barrel (104) is kept proportionate to the SRL connectors (304) so that the
ends of internal cavity of barrel (104) align between the ends of C shaped ring of SRL connectors.
The bolt of said connector pin slides in through the one end of internal cavity of barrel (104) via
one end of the C shaped ring of SRL connector. Afterwards, the bolt comes out from the other end
30 of the internal cavity of barrel (104) and pass through the other end of C shaped ring of SRL
connector. The end of bolt is fastened by the nut associated with it. The C shape ring of the SRL
connector is configured to receive multiple retractable lanyards (306) especially shock absorbing
lanyards.
7
[0029] Further, said barrel (104) may also be connected directly to the dorsal D-ring (302) instead
of connecting through harness connector (102) by using any means such as welding, forging,
bolting or dowel. In an embodiment, the harness connector (102) is optionally connected dorsal
5 D-ring (302) by means including but not limited to of such as welding, forging, bolting or dowel.
[0030] Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention wherein, the apparatus/adaptor
(100) is installed below the dorsal D-ring (302) on the safety harness. The harness connector (102)
is pivotally connected by means of stitching to the harness webbings below the dorsal D- ring
10 (302) using the same hook/loop which is used to connect the D-ring (302) to harness webbings.
[0031] Figure 3 illustrate the different views of the user wearing the harness and SRL’s (306)
attached to harness using the apparatus (100) of the present invention. In one of the exemplary
embodiment, the installation of apparatus (100) below D-ring (302) along with connected SRLs
15 (306) is shown. In operations when the harness is used by users, a plurality of lanyards (306) as
shown in figure 3 needs to be connected with barrel (104) through mono/twin SRL connector
(306). In an exemplary embodiment, the SRL connector (306) PN 160 is used.
[0032] Further, the apparatus (100) can also be made as a single solid profile from any solid metal
20 or plastic composites as disclosed in various embodiments. Any process such forging, casting,
machining, stamping, molding can be used to manufacture the apparatus (100). The manufacturing
process may vary as per the properties of material used to manufacture the apparatus (100). For
example welding is suitable process is metal alloys are used to manufacture the apparatus (100)
while the molding is suitable if plastic composites are used for the manufacturing of said apparatus
25 (100).
[0033] While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more preferred
aspects, which aspects have been set forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a
complete disclosure of the invention, such aspects are merely exemplary and are not intended to
30 be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration of all aspects of the invention. The scope of
the invention, therefore, shall be defined solely by the following claims. Further, it will be apparent
8
to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing
from the spirit and the principles of the invention.

WE CLAIM:

1) An apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
harness, comprising:
5 a harness connector (102); and
a barrel (104) with an internal cavity;
wherein,
the harness connector (102) is connected to the barrel (104) at one end and with the
webbings of the safety harness at another end; and
10 the internal cavity of barrel (104) allows connector pin of SRL connector to slide
in and to connect with the plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with the barrel (104); and
wherein
the barrel(104) is optionally connected to the dorsal D-ring (302).
15 2) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
harness as claimed in claim 1, wherein the harness connector (102) and barrel (104) are
connected through any means including but not limited to welding, pivots, rivets, screws or
dowels.
20 3) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
harness as claimed in claim 1, wherein the harness connector is attached to webbings of
harness by means including but not limited to of such as sewing or stitching.
4) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
25 harness as claimed in claim 1, wherein the harness connector (102) is made of steel alloy,
aluminum alloy, plastic or any other composite alloy.
5) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
harness as claimed in claim 1, wherein the harness connector (102) is made in oval, round,
30 rectangular, square or any other shape.
10
6) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
harness as claimed in claim 1, wherein the barrel (104) is made of steel alloy, aluminum
alloy or any other composite alloy.
5 7) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
harness claimed in claim 1, wherein the barrel (104) is made in cylindrical, rectangular or
oval shape on outer side.
8) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
10 harness claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is made as single solid profile by any
means including but not limited to forging, moulding, casting, machining or stamping.
9) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
harness as claimed in claim 1, wherein said harness connector (102) is installed on dorsal
15 webbing at any location including above the dorsal D-ring (302), below the dorsal D-ring
(302) or to the dorsal D-ring (302) directly.
10) The apparatus (100) for connecting a plurality of retractable lanyards (306) with safety
harness as claimed in claim 1, wherein said harness connector (102) is optionally connected
20 dorsal D-ring (302) by means including but not limited to of such as welding, forging,
bolting or dowel.