Safety carabiner

An automatically locking carabiner system comprising:

• a frame;
• a gate pivotably coupled to the frame, wherein in a closed configuration the gate and frame form a continuously enclosed inner region, and wherein in an open configuration the gate is pivotably rotated within the inner region to form an opening;
• a gate biasing system coupled to the frame and gate, biasing the gate toward the closed configuration with respect to the frame;
• and
• a gate locking system coupled to the frame and gate, wherein the gate locking system includes an engaged state and a disengaged state, and wherein the engaged state corresponds to gate and frame being locked in the closed configuration, and wherein the disengaged state corresponds to the gate being pivotably rotatable with respect to frame, and wherein the gate locking system is biased toward the engaged state, and wherein the gate locking system further includes a trigger pivotably coupled to the frame and disposed on an opposite lengthwise side of the frame from the gate with respect to the inner region, and wherein the pivotably coupled trigger is internally pivotably coupled to the frame so as to be substantially disposed within a portion of the frame in the disengaged state;
• wherein the frame further includes a gate pivot recess, and wherein the trigger further includes a trigger pivot recess, and wherein the disengaged state corresponds to the gate pivot recess being substantially aligned with the trigger pivot recess.

A method for efficiently and safely disengaging an automatic gate locking system and opening a carabiner gate on an automatically-locking carabiner system, comprising the acts of:

• providing an automatically-locking carabiner comprising a gate, a frame, an inner region defined between the gate and frame, and a trigger;
• biasing the gate toward a closed configuration with respect to the frame, independent of the trigger;
• locking the gate in the closed configuration with respect to the frame;
• applying a first force to the gate, wherein the first force is oriented substantially perpendicular to the gate and toward the inner region;
• applying a second force to the trigger, wherein the second force is oriented substantially perpendicular to the trigger and toward the inner region;
• in response to the second force, internally pivoting the trigger within the frame about a pivot point lengthwise disposed further from the inner region than a pivot point of the gate with respect to the frame;
• and
• if the first force and second force are applied simultaneously, pivoting the gate within the inner region with respect to the frame.