Background Art Suspension harnesses have long been used for supporting an individual's body from an anchoring or support point. Typically, the need to support or hold a person's body in suspension occurs in situations such as where the user of the harness is involved in climbing, sky-diving, working on otherwise inaccessible areas.

Suspension harnesses are also frequently used in rescue operations where the person needs to be lifted clear of danger, as for example, where a person has fallen into a grain silo. In other situations harnesses are used to lower a person in order to to rescue another person or thing that has become stranded in an otherwise inaccessible location by dangerous conditions such as flood water or the like.

Clearly, the essential function of the suspension harness is the prevention of accidental release of the individual from the harness. The possibility of accidental release of the individual is particularly high in rescue situations, where the individual being suspended is unconscious, or in accident situations, where an individual is somehow knocked unconscious and

has then fallen off of a structure. In these situations the wearer's body is flaccid and can easily work its way through openings in the harness or cause the entire weight of the wearer to be concentrated at a single location on the body, causing injury to this area of the body.

Examples of known harnesses include the harness described in U. S. Patent No. 5,183,007 to Vincent, and U. S. Patent No. 4,273,215 to Leggett. These harnesses include straps which are used to encircle the wearer's waist area and straps which extend over the wearer's shoulders. These harnesses may be highly effective in situations where the user is unconscious. Unfortunately, however, the absence of structure which can support or restrain the user's pelvic area in the event of a fall where the wearer is falling feet first, and the harness is supported from above, limits the use of these types of harnesses to situations where there is little or no risk of having the wearer fall through the lowest waist belt of the harness.

Harness type devices which support the human body by including straps that extend below the pelvic region of the wearer include U. S. Patent No. 4,197,816 to Lusch, which supports the wearer's pelvic area, but suffers from the same limitations as devices that support only the upper body in that a person falling head first may slip through the waist belt, this time in a head first direction.

Devices that restrain or hold the upper body as well as the pelvic region are taught in U. S. Patent No.

4,632,217 to Markwell et al., U. S. Patent No. 4,712,513 to Huppertsberg, U. S. Patent No. 4,746,084 to Strong, and U. S. Patent No. Re. 35,028 to Casebolt et al. The Markwell et al. invention and the Strong invention include arrangements that allow support of the human body from the chest area or from the middle of the upper back,

but not both. Consequently, these devices are not particularly well suited for applications in fields where it is often necessary to use the harness to support an individual from the chest area or from the upper back area, depending on the task being carried out by the wearer. For example, it is often necessary to suspend an individual next to a vertical work surface. In these situations suspending the worker from the upper back region provides greater access to the work surface.

Similarly, other situations require that the worker or individual being suspended be held in a generally seated position to allow the worker to have better control of a tool or the like. Accordingly, in these situations, it is advantageous to ensure that the user is suspended from the chest area. Therefore, devices such as the device taught by Strong and the device taught by Markwell et al. have limited usefulness where there is a need for a harness that can be used to support an individual from the chest area or from the upper back area.

Another important function that should be carried out by a harness is to provide comfortable support to the user, so that the user may work for many hours at a time while suspended. Towards this end, it is important that the harness be at least somewhat self adjusting or self aligning. This means that the harness should allow the wearer to shift and distribute his body weight to a comfortable reclining position or to a comfortable slight forward incline position to accommodate his body relative to the work surface.

Thus, devices such as the harness taught in U. S.

Patent No. Re. 35,208 to Casebolt et al., which provides a harness arrangement that includes webbing arranged to retain a lanyard attachment ring at the upper middle portion of the user's back, and another ring positioned at approximately the stomach area of the wearer provide little adjustability of the harness to accommodate the

wearer during a specific task. Moreover, the strap arrangement of the Casebolt device includes a front "waist strap,"which extends from one hip, up to the lanyard ring, and down to the next hip of the wearer and a shoulder strap which extends from one hip area, across the back and over one shoulder, through the front lanyard ring, and over the other shoulder and down to the opposite hip. Thus, the safety of the configuration of the Casebolt device depends on the reliability of a single buckle or connection which holds the waist strap together near one of the hip areas. This dependence on a single strap reveals that there is a need for a harness that includes"fail safe"backup structure that will retain the user in the event of failure of one component, allowing enough time to take the wearer to a safe location.

Another known device is shown in U. S. Patent No.

4,712,513 to Huppertsberg. The Huppertsberg device includes a strap configuration that allows adjustment of the entire upper body support arrangement through a single strap or buckle location. As discussed above, the use of a configuration that relies on a single location for securement of the entire upper body support increases the risk of loss of the individual held with the harness, since loss of a single element loosens the entire upper body support structure.

Thus a review of known devices reveals that there remains a need for a support harness that allows the user to be suspended from the upper back area or the upper chest area.

Furthermore, there remains a need for a support harness which allows the user to be supported in a comfortable position for extended periods of time.

Additionally, there remains a need for a harness that when supported from the upper chest area will place the user in a generally seated position. There remains a need

for a harness that can support a user from the upper chest area and yet not expose the user to the risk of having the straps cinch down on the wearer's neck or of having the lanyard support ring strike the wearer's head or face if the lanyard is used to restrain the user from a fall.

Still further, there remains a need for a harness that does not depend on a single component for the support of a major portion of the wearer's body, and thus there remains a need for a harness that does not expose the user to the risk of catastrophic failure in the event of failure of a single component.

Disclosure of Invention It has been discovered that the problems left unanswered by known art can be solved by providing a support harness which includes: a first strap that includes a pair of ends and a connection device between the ends; a second strap that also includes a pair of ends and a connection device between the ends; and a seat strap that has two ends and an attachment between the two ends for securing the first strap and the second strap to the seat strap. The first strap is slidably connected to one end of the seat strap, and connects to the seat strap between the ends of the seat strap. The first strap then extend over the back and shoulder of the wearer, down and through a loop near the user's hip where the first strap is slidably engaged the seat strap, and back up to a position near the user's chest where the first strap attaches to the connection device between the two ends of the second strap.

The second strap follows a routing that essentially mirrors the route of the first strap. That is, the second

strap engages or connects to the seat strap between the ends of the seat strap. Then the second strap passes through a loop which provides sliding engagement of the end of the seat strap opposite to the end engaged by the first strap. The second strap then extends across the wearer's back and over the shoulder opposite to the shoulder crossed by the first strap, and then the second strap extends down and across the front of the wearer's torso where it will once again encounter a slidable engagement at the end of the seat strap opposite to the end engaged by the first strap. There the second strap will pass through a loop near the user's hip and extend up to meet and engage the connection device between the ends of the first strap.

According to a highly preferred embodiment of the invention the intersection of the first strap and the second strap across the back of the user is maintained at a desired location by extending the straps through a flexible retaining pad. The intersection of the two straps across the front of the wearer's body is maintained at a desired location by a slotted adjuster brace that cooperates with the straps and a D-ring to allow tightening and securement of the position of the intersection of the straps over the front of the wearer's body.

After crossing the front of the user's body, each of the two straps extends through a sliding or engagement connection, each connection being at or near one of the ends of the seat strap. In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention the sliding engagement or connection is provided by the use of a double slot D-ring which includes loops that allow the straps to slide through, while connecting the straps to the seat trap.

From the sliding connection, or double slot D- rings, the straps then extend up and attach to the

connection devices between the two ends of the straps. In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention these connection devices are friction buckles that allow precise adjustment of the length of the straps.

In operation, while using the disclosed harness to support a person from the D-ring at the intersection of straps across the front of the user's body, the strap arrangement of the instant invention will cause the user's body to assume a slightly reclined position. That is, the user's legs will extend slightly ahead of the torso, while the torso is supported in a slightly reclined position. This function is achieved in large part by the sliding connection of the straps to the seat strap and the crossing and connection of the straps to each other at a location between the two ends of each of the two straps. This tendency to place the body in a generally reclined position prevents injury to the user by preventing the lanyard and attachments from striking the head of the wearer on the event of a fall.

Additionally, by connecting the straps to one another one prevents the intersection from sliding up, in a rapid scissoring motion, towards the wearer's neck and causing additional injury from the straps to the wearer's neck.

Still further, the disclosed arrangement uses two independent straps to support the upper body. Each of the straps passes through the D-rings that are used to support the harness from a lanyard. Thus, the failure of one of the two straps does not eliminate the support for the upper body.

Further yet, it will become apparent that the disclosed arrangement also provides a fail safe strap arrangement that supports the upper body and cooperates with the seat strap to provide redundant load paths to support the user in the event of failure of parts of the seat strap. This arrangement prevents the loss of the wearer in through the bottom of the harness by providing

independent leg straps that grab each leg individually.

Thus, it will become apparent that the disclosed structure is capable of producing numerous new and useful results, and that the results described above are merely salient aspects and results. Therefore is should also be understood that above and other advantages and results of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, showing the contemplated novel construction, combinations and elements as herein described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it should be clearly understood that changes in the precise embodiments of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included within the scope of the claims, except insofar as they may be precluded by the prior art.

Brlef Description of Drainas The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention according to the best mode presently devised for making and using the instant invention, and in which: FIG. 1 illustrates placement of an assembled preferred embodiment over a person prior to connection and adjustment of the various components of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates basic components prior to assembly to form the disclosed invention.

FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of the intersection the first end of the straps of the harness and one of the belts of the seat strap.

FIG. 2B illustrates an embodiment of the intersection the first end of the straps of the harness and one of the belts of the seat strap.

FIG. 3 illustrates a general preferred arrangement of the straps and other components used at the intersection of the straps and the intersection of the straps and the seat strap.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the instant invention as used to support a person from a lanyard attached to the dorsal D-ring in the upper back region of the harness. A retractable lifeline has been shown attached to the dorsal D-ring by means of a clevis bracket. The retractable lifeline has been shown in an extending away from the user's body for clarity.

FIG. 5 illustrates the disclosed invention and the slightly reclined posture produced by supporting an individual from the chest area or front of the individual's body. A retractable lifeline has been shown attached to the dorsal D-ring by means of a clevis bracket. The retractable lifeline has been shown in an extending away from the user's body for clarity.

FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of the area intersection of the first strap and the second strap as these straps cross the upper back area of the wearer. The view is an enlargement of this area and in the same perspective as shown on FIG. 1.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the attachment of a clevis bracket to hold a retractable lifeline, to allow the user use the auxiliary support device as a secondary, or backup support, while moving around a work area.

FIG. 6C is an enlarged view of the area intersection of the first strap and the second strap as these straps cross the front of the wearer's torso. The view is an enlargement of this area and in the same perspective as shown in FIG. 1.

Best Mode for Carryina Out the Invention While the invention will be described and disclosed here in connection with certain preferred embodiments, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described here, but rather the invention is intended to cover all alternative embodiments and modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims included herein as well as any equivalents of the disclosed and claimed invention.

Turning now to FIG. 1,4 and 5, where a suspension harness 10 incorporating novel features taught herein has been illustrated over the outline of a person's body 12.

FIG. 1 illustrates that a highly preferred embodiment of the suspension harness 10 includes a first strap 14, a second strap 16, and a seat strap 18. As will be described in greater detail below, the first strap 14 and the second strap 16 connect to one another and to belts that are part of the seat strap 18. The entire arrangement results in a harness that provides comfortable support the body 12 while suspending the user from a lanyard 20 attached to the harness 10 at a location near the user's upper back region, as illustrated in FIG. 4, or near the user's chest area, as shown in FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be understood that the first strap 14 includes a first end 22, a second end 24, and a first means 26 for engaging a section of strap. In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the first means 26 for engaging a section of strap includes a friction buckle 28, or other device which allows connection and adjustment of the location of the connection to another section of strap. A friction buckle 28 has been selected for use in the preferred embodiment of the invention due to the ease of precise and secure

adjustment of the location of the connection with another section of strap. Preferably, the friction buckle 28 will attached to the first strap 14 at a position between the first end 22 of the first strap 14 and the second end 24 of the first strap 14.

It is preferred that the second strap 16 will be identical to the first strap 14, and, therefore, the second strap 16 will also include a first end 30, a second end 32, and a second means 34 for engaging a section of strap. The second means 34 for engaging a section of strap is, like the first means 26 for engaging a section of strap, is preferably a friction buckle 29 that is attached to the second strap 16 between its first end 30 and the second end 32. It is important to note that while in the preferred embodiment of the invention the first strap 14 and the second strap 16 are identical, it is contemplated that modifications in which these two straps are not identical could be connected as taught herein to produce the important new and useful results achievable with the instant invention without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, these variations would include variations to customize the harness for a specific task, or to accommodate the physical features of individuals, or to add features to the novel structure taught herein.

Also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that a seat strap 18 will be used with the instant invention. The preferred embodiment of the seat strap 18 to be used with the suspension harness 10 will include a first end 36 and a second end 38. The first end 36 includes a first connecting means 40 for connecting to a section of strap.

Similarly, the second end 38 of the seat strap 18 will include a second connecting means 42 for connecting to a section of strap. Although a wide variety of connecting means 40 and 42 could be used on either end of the seat strap 18, the preferred embodiment of the invention uses

loops 44 and 46 at each end of the seat strap.

Turning to FIGS. 2A and 2B, it will be understood that it is contemplated that the connecting means 40 and 42 may simply include sewn sections 40A and 42A, which are used to permanently attach the first end 36 and the second end 38 to another section of strap, such as to the first strap 14 at a location near the first end 22 of the first strap 14 and to the second strap 16 at a location near the first end 30 of the second strap 16.

In embodiments where adjustable connections are desired between the seat strap 18 and the first strap 14 and the second strap 16, which have been illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, loops 44 and 46 have been provided to allow sliding engagement with the first ends of the straps 14 and 16. Thus, in these applications, the first end 22 of the first strap 14 will be retained, in a slidable manner, against the first end 36 of the seat strap 18. Similarly, the first end 30 of the second strap 16 will be retained against, and allowed to slide or move relative to, the second end 38 of the seat strap 18.

A highly preferred embodiment of the seat strap 18 is formed from a first belt 50 and a second belt 52 joined by a joining strip 51 which provides sub-pelvic support and continuity between the first end 36 and the second end 38 of the seat strap 18. The first belt 50 and the second belt 52 include an adjusting means 48 which serves for selectively engaging the first end 22 of the first strap 14 and the first end 30 of the second strap 16. In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention the adjusting means 48 consist of a grommeted holes 53 which cooperate with buckles 54 and 56 on the first ends 22 and 30 of the first strap 14 and the second strap 16, respectively. The buckles 54 and 56 will allow the user to adjust the length of belts 50 and 52 around the legs of the wearer.

Also shown on FIGS. 1 and 3 is that attached to each

of the loops 40 and 42 of the seat strap 18 is a means 58 and 60, respectively, for providing slidable engagement of the ends 44 and 46 of the seat strap 18 with another section of strap. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means 58 and 60 for providing slidable engagement with another section of strap include D-rings 62 and 64, respectively. The D-rings 62 and 64 include a second slot 66 which accepts the straps 14 and 16 and allows slidable engagement with the straps 14 and 16.

In the assembled harness 10, shown in FIG. 1, a pair of identical straps, which as indicated above, have been labeled as the first strap 14 and the second strap 16 are connected to the seat strap 18 by extending the first ends 22 and 24 of the straps 14 and 16 through the loops 44 and 46, respectively. After engaging the first end 36 of the seat strap 18, which as illustrated is against the wearer's right hip, the first strap 14 is extended over and across the wearer's back, and over the wearer's left shoulder. From the wearer's left shoulder, the first strap 14 extends down and across the front of the wearer's torso until it meets the D-ring 58 attached to the first end 36 of the seat strap 18. The D-ring 58 allows slidable engagement of the first strap 14 with the first end 36 of the seat strap 18 and allows the first strap to swing back up the front side of the wearer's torso towards his right shoulder.

The second strap 16 follows a path that mirrors the path taken by the first strap 14. That is, the first end 30 of the second strap 16 extends through the loop 46 on the second end 38 of the seat strap 14 to establish a sliding engagement between a section of the second strap 16 near the first end 30 of the second strap 16, and the second end 38 of the seat strap 14. This allows the buckle 56 at the first end of the second strap 16 to cooperate with the belt 52 attached to the seat strap 18, between the first end 36 and the second end 38 of the

seat strap 14. As described above, the cooperation of the buckle 56 and the belt 52 serves to secure the harness 10 about the user's legs, which prevents the user from falling from the seat strap 18 and the harness 10.

From the connection with the seat strap 18, near the left hip of the wearer, the second strap 16 extends around the wearer's back, crossing the first strap 14 and extending over the wearer's right shoulder. After extending over the wearer's right shoulder, the second strap 16 extends down, across the front of the wearer's torso and passed through the D-ring 64, which serves as a means for providing slidable engagement of the second strap 16 with the seat strap 18. From the D-ring 64, the second strap extends back up over the left front area of the wearer's torso, towards the wearer's left pectoral area where the second end 32 of the second strap 16 is engaged by the friction buckle 28 on the first strap 14.

The positioning of the second strap 16 across the front of the wearer's torso allows the second end 24 of the first strap 14 to be attached to the friction buckle 29 to engage the second strap 16 to the first strap 14.

Turning once again to FIG. 1 and to FIGS. 4 and 6A, it will be understood that according to a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, a travel limiting strap 68 will be attached between the first strap 14 and the second strap 16, and used together with the first and second strap to engage a dorsal D-ring 70 which serves as an attachment point for a lanyard used to suspend or pull the individual wearing the harness. FIG. 6A illustrates the routing of the limiting strap 68, the first and second straps 14 and 16, and the use of a flexible retaining pad 72 to stabilize the intersection of the various straps and support the dorsal D-ring 70 over the wearer's back.

In FIG. 6B an embodiment of a double slotted D-ring

71 used at the back intersection of the first strap and the second strap has been illustrated. The use of the double slotted D-ring 71 allows mounting of a retractable lifeline 73 which can serve as secondary, redundant attachment support for the wearer and harness 10. The retractable lifeline 73 is shown attached to the dorsal D-ring 70 by means of a clevis bracket 85.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 6C it will be understood that the location of the intersection of the first strap 14 and the second strap 16 across the front of the wearer's body is stabilized and adjusted through the use of a slotted adjuster brace 74 which allows limited slippage of the straps relative to a front D-ring 76 which is used to support the user and harness 10 from a lanyard or the like.

Turning once again to FIGS. 1 and 3, it will be understood that in an embodiment of the invention where the ends 36 and 38 of the seat strap 18 are not fixedly attached to the first strap 14 or the second strap 16, a separator and adjuster plate 78 will preferably be installed within the loops 44 and 46. In these applications the separator and adjuster plate 78 will serve to divide the loops 44 and 46, and to limit the freedom of motion of the first ends 22 and 30 of the first and second straps 14 and 16. Of course, in applications where the ends 36 and 38 of the seat strap 18 are fixedly attached to the first strap 14 or the second strap 16, the use of the separator and adjustor plate will not be needed.

Turning now to FIG. 5, it will be understood that the structure of the disclosed invention, where the seat strap 18 is secured about the user's legs through the 50 and 52 at a location slightly below the hip joint, provides a controlled shift of the intersection of the straps through the slotted adjuster brace 74. This arrangement, together with the crossing strap

arrangement, holds and cradles the user in a comfortable, slightly reclined position while suspended from the front D-ring 76. In other words, the adjuster brace 74 and the sliding engagement provided by the D-rings 64 and 66 allow the straps 14 and 16 to shift slightly to lift the seat strap and place the user in a comfortable seated position.

Thus it can be appreciated that the above described embodiments are illustrative of just a few of the numerous variations of arrangements of the disclosed elements used to carry out the disclosed invention.

Moreover, while the invention has been particularly shown, described and illustrated in detail with reference to preferred embodiments and modifications thereof, it should be understood that the foregoing and other modifications are exemplary only, and that equivalent changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as claimed, except as precluded by the prior art.