Description ELASTIC SAFETY ROPE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to personal protective equipment which serves as a safety device for maximally ensuring the safety of a worker in various construction and industrial fields, and more particularly, to an elastic safety rope which can prevent a worker working in a high place from falling, and/or protect the life of the worker in the event of a fall. Background Art

[2] In general, in the construction industry for constructing tall structures such as buildings, bridges, etc., in a dockyard for fabricating large ships, and on a site for conducting electrical work, such as on a telegraph pole or a steel tower, work is performed while a worker is located on a scaffold or a similar structure which is installed at a position far above the ground. When working at such a high position, in order to protect the worker from the danger of an unexpected fall, the worker must wear or prepare protective equipment, such as a safety belt or a safety harness. In this regard, rules for ensuring the performance of protective equipment and related safety regulations have been set forth in ordinances from the Ministry of Labor.

[3] The protective equipment is connected to a scaffold or a similar structure via a safety rope to prevent a worker from falling. The safety rope is generally made by twisting or weaving natural fiber or synthetic fiber. One end of the safety rope is fastened to the protective equipment for the worker by way of a carabiner, and the other end of the safety rope is fastened to the scaffold or similar structure by way of a hook.

[4] The conventional safety rope is specified by safety regulations to have a length of

1.5~3 m. Due to this fact, if a worker wears the protective equipment without connecting the safety rope to the scaffold or similar structure, while doing work, the safety rope is likely to be caught on some part thereof, impeding the work of the worker. Also, as the safety rope usually has a length of 1.5-2 m, when the worker walks, the safety rope is apt to obstruct the movement of the legs of the worker, or when the worker does the work while sitting down, the safety rope is brought into contact with the ground and foreign substances are likely to adhere to the safety rope, whereby inconvenience is caused. Further, since the safety rope is not inherently elastic, when a worker connected to the safety rope falls, shock applied to the worker by his or her weight cannot be absorbed.

[5] In order to respond to this problem, Korean Patent No. 10-626420, entitled "Safety

Belt Capable of Shock Absorption for High Place Work" (hereinafter, referred to as "prior registered patent") has been disclosed in the art, in which a safety rope has elasticity.

[6] In the safety rope according to the prior registered patent, an elastic element is disposed in a woven fabric tube. According to this, the safety rope can apply elastic force (contraction force) in the lengthwise direction thereof. When the safety rope is not used (that is, when external force is not applied to the safety rope), the safety rope is shortened in length due to the returning force of the elastic element, thereby not being troublesome to a worker due to drooping of the safety rope.

[7] However, in the prior registered patent, when the safety rope is not used, because the woven fabric tube is contracted by the returning force of the elastic element, the diameter of the safety rope increases, thus impeding the working efficiency of the worker. Also, since the length of the safety rope decreases down to about 1.5-1 m, the effectiveness of rendering convenience to the worker is doubtful. Moreover, when the woven fabric tube is contracted due to the elasticity of the elastic element, because the safety rope has a rugged configuration, an aesthetic outer appearance cannot be realized.

[8] In addition, in the prior registered patent, the contracted length of the safety rope cannot satisfy the minimum contracted length for improving the convenience of work. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[9] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an elastic safety rope which is minimized in diameter and contracted length when not in use and is significantly decreased in weight, thereby remarkably improving the working convenience of a worker.

[10] Another object of the present invention is to provide an elastic safety rope which can be easily coupled to and decoupled from a carabiner or a hook, thereby allowing the safety rope to be easily replaced. Technical Solution

[11] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elastic safety rope comprising a core element made of fiber yarn so as to be contractible; and an elastic tube placed around a circumferential outer surface of the core element in such a way as to compress the core element.

[12] According to another aspect of the present invention, the core element is made by weaving fiber yarn.

[13] According to another aspect of the present invention, the elastic tube is made by

knitting elastic yarn. [14] According to another aspect of the present invention, the core element is folded along a lengthwise direction thereof. [15] According to still another aspect of the present invention, the core element is stitched to form loops on both ends thereof. [16] According to a still further aspect of the present invention, at least one of the two ends of the core element is stitched in a twisted state to form a loop.

Advantageous Effects

[17] Thanks to the features of the present invention, when the safety rope is not in use, the diameter and the contracted length of the safety rope can be minimized, and the weight of the safety rope is significantly decreased, whereby the working convenience of a worker can be remarkably improved. [18] Also, in the present invention, since the safety rope can be easily coupled to and decoupled from a carabiner or a hook, the safety rope can be easily replaced.

Brief Description of the Drawings [19] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an elastic safety rope in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; [20] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1, illustrating the contracted state of an elastic tube and a core element of the elastic safety rope according to the present invention; [21] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1, illustrating the stretched state of the elastic tube and the core element of the elastic safety rope according to the present invention; [22] FIG. 4 is a partial broken-away plan view illustrating the contracted state of the elastic tube and the core element of the elastic safety rope, according to the present invention; [23] FIG. 5 is a partial broken-away plan view illustrating the stretched state of the elastic tube and the core element of the elastic safety rope, according to the present invention; and [24] FIG. 6 is a partial detailed perspective view illustrating one end of the safety rope according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [25] FIGs. 1 through 6 illustrate an elastic safety rope in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [26] As shown in the drawings, the eye 31 of a hook 30 and a carabiner 20 are securely connected to respective ends of a safety rope 10 according to the present invention. [27] The hook 30 is detachably fastened to a scaffold or a similar structure, and the

carabiner 20 is detachably fastened to protective equipment such as a safety belt or a safety harness, which is worn by a worker.

[28] The safety rope 10 according to the present invention includes a core element 11 and an elastic tube 12.

[29] The core element 11 can be made by weaving or knitting various kinds of synthetic resin or natural resin which can exhibit tensile strengths set forth in safety regulations. Due to this fact, the core element 11 can be stretched or contracted in the lengthwise direction thereof.

[30] Preferably, as shown in FIGs. 4 and 5, the core element 11 is made by weaving a plurality of strands of fiber yarn, by which the contractibility of the core element 11 in the lengthwise direction thereof can be improved and the core element 11 can be formed more easily.

[31] As shown in FIGs. 2 and 3, the core element 11 is fitted into the elastic tube 12 in a state in which it is folded in the lengthwise direction thereof. According to this, the core element 11 can be prevented from being entangled or snarled in the lengthwise direction thereof.

[32] As the fiber yarn which constitutes the core element 11, a high strength yarn such as an aramid yarn, a Kevlar yarn, or the like, which has a tensile strength of 22g per denier, can be used. This high strength yarn is a material which has a small thickness and a high tensile strength. Therefore, as the high strength yarn is adopted to constitute the core element 11 of the present invention, the overall diameter of the safety rope 10 can be significantly decreased.

[33] The elastic tube 12 can be made by weaving or knitting elastic yarn, such as synthetic rubber, natural rubber, and so forth, which have a predetermined degree of elasticity. Due to this fact, the elastic tube 12 can apply elastic force and returning force in the lengthwise direction thereof.

[34] Preferably, as shown in FIGs. 4 and 5, the elastic tube 12 is made by knitting elastic yarn formed of a rubber material to have a substantially '8' -shaped knitted structure, by which the elastic force and returning force of the elastic tube 12 in the lengthwise direction thereof can be significantly increased and the elastic tube 12 can be formed of elastic yarn more easily.

[35] Each end of the elastic tube 12 is stitched to the core element 11 at a position 13a which is spaced apart from each end of the core element 11 by a predetermined distance, as a result of which the core element 11 can be stretched and contracted by the elastic force of the elastic tube 12.

[36] Both ends of the core element 11 can be stitched at positions 13b to define the shape of loops 1 Ia, by which the core element 11 can be easily coupled to the hook 30 and the carabiner 20. Hence, in the present invention, if at least one of the hook 30, the

carabiner 20 and the safety rope 10 is broken and must be replaced, since easy coupling and decoupling is enabled due to the presence of the loops 11a, which are formed at both ends of the core element 11 , such partial replacement is possible. As a consequence, the present invention provides advantages in that the safety rope 10 as well as the hook 30 and/or the carabiner 20 can be reused easily.

[37] Further, in order to hide the stitched portion 13a between the elastic tube 12 and the core element 11 and the stitched portions 13b of the core element 11 for forming the loops 1 Ia, the safety rope 10 can be finished by fitting a cap 14 around the elastic tube 12 and the core element 11.

[38] The loops 11a, which are formed at both ends of the core element 11, can be coupled to the hook 30 and the carabiner 20 by way of thimbles 35. Thanks to this, wear, which might otherwise occur in the loops 1 Ia of the core element 11, can be prevented.

[39] In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, at least one of the loops 1 Ia, which are formed at both ends of the core element 11, can be stitched after being twisted at a predetermined portion l ie.

[40] By stitching the loop 1 Ia of the core element 11 after twisting it in this way, entanglement, which may occur when the loop 1 Ia of the core element 11 is coupled to the hook 30 or the carabiner 20, can be avoided, whereby wear of the core element 11 can be reduced.

[41] The operational effects of the present invention, constructed as mentioned above, will be described below in detail.

[42] In order to ensure safe working at a workplace where there is the possibility of the occurrence of a fall, the hook 30, to which one end of the safety rope 10 is coupled, is connected to a scaffold or a similar structure, and the carabiner 20, to which the other end of the safety rope 10 is coupled, is connected to protective equipment such as a safety belt or safety harness, which is worn by the worker.

[43] In this way, as the worker is connected to a scaffold or similar structure by the medium of the safety rope 10, work can be safely conducted even though there is the possibility of the occurrence of a fall.

[44] If external force is applied to the safety rope 10, that is, a worker falls in a state in which he or she is coupled to the safety rope 10, stretching force is applied to the elastic tube 12 and the core element 11 of the safety rope 10. According to this, as shown in FIGs. 3 and 5, the core element 11 and the elastic tube 12 are stretched.

[45] Meanwhile, if external force is not applied to the safety rope 10, that is, the safety rope 10 is not used, as shown in FIGs. 2 and 4, returning force is applied to the elastic tube 12, and contracts the core element 11.

[46] Therefore, since the present invention has a configuration in which the elastic tube

12 covers the circumferential outer surface of the core element 11, the overall diameter of the entire safety rope 10 can be significantly decreased, and since the maximum contraction length with respect to the maximum stretch length of the safety rope 10 can be decreased up to one third, factors which are likely to impede the work of the worker can be minimized at normal times.

[47] Moreover, in the present invention, because the elastic tube 12 is knitted to have a substantially '8'-shaped knitted structure, the contractibility of the elastic tube 12 can be maximized, and thereby, working convenience can be remarkably improved without degrading the safety of the worker.

[48] Furthermore, since the safety rope 10 according to the present invention has a structure in which the elastic tube 12 covers the outer surface of the core element 11, when work is done with the hook 30 and the carabiner 20 respectively coupled to the structure and the safety belt of the worker, a pulling sensation attributable to the safety rope 10 is minimized, and since the contraction and stretching of the safety rope 10 are gently executed, the activity range of the worker can be increased.

[49] In the conventional art, since a safety rope is stitched to a hook and/or a carabiner to have an integrated structure, when at least one of the hook, the carabiner and the safety rope is broken, partial replacement is not possible. In the safety rope according to the present invention, due to the presence of the loops 11a, which are formed at both ends of the safety rope 10, partial replacement is made possible.

[50] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.