# US 2021/0330995 A1 · Automatically braking belay device with releaser > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0330995 A1 - Document ID: US20210330995A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/858,507 - Filed: 2020-04-24 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-24 - Inventors: YOUNG CHU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210330995A1 ## CPC - A62B 1/14: with brakes sliding on the rope - A63B 29/02: Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropes; Means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons - A63B 2209/08: magnetic - A62B: DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING (valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; life-saving devices, apparatus or methods specially adapted for use in water B63C9/00; divers' equipment B63C11/00; specially adopted for use with aircraft, e.g. parachutes, ejector seats, {B64D17/00, B64D25/10}; rescue devices peculiar to mining E21F11/00) - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract An automatically braking belay device for use in belaying climber or descending with a rope, using the pull of the rope to activate braking by the roll of the cam within the frame of the device. An adaptive release lever unjam the rope to release with closing mechanism utilizing magnets for practically permanent and fail safe closure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A belay device for controlling descent of a load along a rope comprising: a base plate with an attachment hole on one end and a spacer incorporating a spindle on the other end, and a magnetized jaw near the attachment hole, a cam assembly with a magnetized jaw on one end that meets the magnetized jaw of the base plate and an integrated and proprietarily shaped cam incorporating a protrusion at the other end which part is pivotably attached on axis to the base plate near the center of the base plate, with a designated path for placing the rope in the perimeter around the cam and in a gap between the cam and the spacer such that the rope travels freely along the path when the the magnetized jaws are met and when the rope pulls at a velocity beyond the normal feeding by hand, as a result of a sudden pull of the rope surrounding the cam rotates the cam assembly following the travel of the rope overcoming the magnetic force attaching the two magnetized jaws of the base plate and the cam assembly, at the same time closing the gap between the protruded part of the cam and the spacer to cause a brake, and a lowering handle pivotably attached to the cam assembly near the magnetized jaw such that the pulling of the lowering handle separates the magnetized jaw of the cam assembly from the magnetized prom of the base plate and rotates the cam on axis widening the gap between the cam and the spacer to allow the rope to travel, a cover plate pivotably attached on one end to the base plate at the spacer's spindle such that the cover plate is movable between an open and a closed position, and an attachment hole at the other end, such that when the cover plate is in the closed position, the attachment holes of the base plate and the cover plate are substantially aligned and an operator can lock the belay device in the closed position by inserting an attachment means through the attachment holes keeping the rope within designated path among the base plate, cam assembly and the cover plate, and in the open position, the rope may be inserted or taken out of the belaying device; ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The belay device of claim 1, where the cam assembly includes an integrated and proprietarily shaped cam pivotably attached to the base plate, which freely rotates on axis when a pulling force of the rope with the friction over the circumference of the cam overcoming the force of the magnetized jaws of the base plate and the cam assembly to separate allowing the cam assembly to turn whereby the wider part of the cam's circumference along with the spacer of the base plate press the rope making its travel along the gap between the cam and the spacer impossible, creating an automatic brake. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The belay device of claim 2, wherein the base plate and the cam assembly have magnet units in the jaws to keep the cam assembly in locked position with the base plate when closed, making the farthest gap between the cam and the spacer to allow unobstructed travel of the rope through the device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The belay device of claim 2, where the magnetized jaws of the base plate and the cam assembly have magnet units with opposite polarity to keep the jaws closed when in a locked position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The belay device of claim 2, where the cam assembly has a lowering handle on the opposite side of the cam connected with a spring pin to keep the lowering handle in a tucked position when not in use. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The belay device of claim 2, where the lowering handle of the cam assembly can be pulled to rotate the cam back toward the locked position, allowing the controlled travel of the rope along the gap between the cam and the spacer of the lower plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The belay device of claim 1, where the where the cam assembly includes a proprietarily shaped cam pivotably attached to the base plate with a spring axis, which assists the cam to rotate on axis toward braking position, but remains locked with the force of the magnetized jaws of the base plate and the cam assembly, however, when a strong pulling force of the rope with the friction over the circumference of the cam overcomes the force of the magnetized jaws of the base plate and the cam assembly to separate allowing the cam assembly to turn whereby the wider part of the cam's circumference along with the spacer of the base plate press the rope making its travel along the gap between the cam and the spacer impossible, creating an automatic brake, at which point the added force of the torsion-spring on the axis of the cam assist a more controlled release of the rope as the lowering handle is pulled. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The belay device of claim 7, wherein the base plate and the cam assembly have magnet units in the jaws to keep the cam assembly in locked position with the base plate when closed, making the farthest gap between the cam and the spacer to allow unobstructed travel of the rope through the device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The belay device of claim 7, where the magnetized jaws of the base plate and the cam assembly have magnet units with opposite polarity to keep the jaws closed when in a locked position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The belay device of claim 7, where the cam assembly has a lowering handle on the opposite side of the cam connected with a spring-activated torque hinge to keep the lowering handle in a tucked position when not in use. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The belay device of claim 7, where the lowering handle of the cam assembly can be pulled to rotate the cam back toward the locked position, allowing the controlled travel of the rope along the gap between the cam and the spacer of the lower plate.