Belay device
AssigneeLimpet Technology Limited
InventorDavid Kennedy Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A belay device for protecting a climber on a rope from a fall has a powered winding reel to which the rope is attached. A control mechanism acts to prevent slack in the rope between the climber and the winding reel and includes load sensor that which, on detecting the weight of the climber on the rope, switches the operation of the device to a fall or descent mode where the winding reel is stopped and the climber is suspended by the rope. An electronic control and diagnostic system monitors the operation of the winding reel and switches its operation to a safe, fault mode when a fault is detected.
Claims43
A belay device comprising:
- a powered winding reel;
- a climbing rope attached at one end to the winding reel and, in use of the device, to a climber a distal portion along said rope;
- and
- a control mechanism comprising load sensing means and an electronic control and diagnostic system, said control mechanism being formed and arranged so as to control the powered winding reel in a first, climbing, mode wherein the winding reel operates to prevent slack in the rope between a said climber in use of the device and said winding reel, the load sensing means is formed and arranged to detect the weight of a said climber on the rope, and to switch the operation of the winding reel to a second, fail or descent mode, wherein the winding reel is stopped and a said climber is suspended by the rope, and the electronic control and diagnostic system is formed and arranged to monitor the operation of the powered winding, reel and the control mechanism, and to switch the operation of the winding reel to a third, fault mode, wherein the winding reel is stopped, when a discrepancy in the operation of the powered winding reel and/or the control mechanism is detected.
A plurality of belay devices according to claim I wherein the winding reels are powered by a motor via a gearbox which, in use, constantly drives a shaft to which each winding reel attaches only when a clutch mechanism is activated to grip the said driven shaft.
A belay device comprising:
- a powered winding reel;
- a climbing rope attached at one end so the winding reel and, in use of the device, to a climber a distal portion along said rope:
- and
- a control mechanism comprising a load sensor and an electronic control and diagnostic system, said control mechanism being formed and arranged to operate the powered winding reel in a first, climbing mode to prevent slack in the rope between said climber in use of the device and said winding reel;
- said load sensor being responsive to the weight of said climber on the rope and providing a signal to said control mechanism when the load sensor detects the weight of said climber on the rope, the control mechanism being responsive to said signal to switch operation of the winding reel to a second, fall or descent mode in which the winding reel is stopped and said climber is suspended by the rope;
- wherein the electronic control and diagnostic system is formed and arranged to monitor the operation of the powered winding reel and the control mechanism such that when a discrepancy in the operation of the powered winding reel and/or the control mechanism is detected, the control mechanism switches operation of the winding reel to a third, fault mode in which the winding reel is stopped.
A method of securing a climber, comprising:
- attaching one end of a climbing rope to a power-driven winding reel and the other end of said rope to a climber;
- driving the powered winding reel in a first, climbing mode to prevent slack in the rope between said climber in use of the device and said winding reel;
- sensing the weight of said climber on the rope and generating a control signal;
- using said control signal to switch operation of the winding reel to a second, fall or descent mode by stopping the winding reel and suspending said climber by the rope;
- and
- monitoring the operation of the power-driven winding reel and switching operation of the winding reel to a third, fault mode in which the winding reel is stopped when a discrepancy in the operation of the powered winding reel is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.