Background

Harnesses have found varied uses, e.g., for supporting equipment such as air tanks and the like, for fall protection, and so on.

Summary

In broad summary, herein is disclosed a harness with a backframe and a strap that is removably connected to the backframe by a connection comprising an elongate guide that is borne by the backframe and a carriage that is borne by the strap. The elongate guide comprises a positioning plate that comprises at least two pairs of positioning notches; and, a retaining plate that comprises at least one pair of removal notches. These and other aspects will be apparent from the detailed description below. In no event, however, should this broad summary be construed to limit the claimable subject matter, whether such subject matter is presented in claims in the application as initially filed or in claims that are amended or otherwise presented in prosecution.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side-front perspective view of an exemplary harness as disclosed herein.

Fig. 2 is a front view of an exemplary backframe and waist strap of an exemplary harness.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the exemplary backframe and waist strap of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side-front perspective view of the exemplary backframe and waist strap of Fig. 2, with the waist strap disconnected from the backframe.

Fig. 5 is a side-rear perspective view of the exemplary backframe and waist strap of Fig. 2, with the waist strap disconnected from the backframe.

Fig. 6 is a side-front perspective view of the lower portion of the exemplary backframe of Fig. 2, showing an exemplary retaining plate and an exemplary positioning plate.

Fig. 7 is a side-front perspective view of the items of Fig. 6, with a retaining plate and positioning plate exploded away from the backframe.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the retaining plate and positioning plate of Fig. 6, with the plates stacked together as installed on the backframe.

Fig. 9 is a front perspective view of a carriage of a waist strap.

Fig. 10 is a rear perspective view of the carriage of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a top view of the carriage of Fig. 9.

Like reference numbers in the various figures indicate like elements. Some elements may be present in identical or equivalent multiples; in such cases only one or more representative elements may be designated by a reference number but it will be understood that such reference numbers apply to all such identical elements. Unless otherwise indicated, all figures and drawings are not to scale and are chosen for the purpose of illustrating different embodiments of the invention. In particular the dimensions of the various components are depicted in illustrative terms only, and no relationship between the dimensions of the various components should be inferred from the drawings, unless so indicated.

Although terms such as “first” and “second” may be used in this disclosure, it should be understood that those terms are used in their relative sense only unless otherwise noted. As used herein as a modifier to a property or attribute, the term “generally”, unless otherwise specifically defined, means that the property or attribute would be readily recognizable by a person of ordinary skill but without requiring a high degree of approximation (e.g., within +/- 20 % for quantifiable properties).

Terms of geometry and spatial relationship used herein are applied when the herein-disclosed harness and components thereof are fitted to (worn by) a user, unless otherwise noted. Specifically, the vertical axis and upward and downward directions along the vertical axis have their ordinary meaning with respect to a harness worn by an upright human. Similarly, the transverse (lateral) axis and right and left directions along the transverse axis have their usual meanings with reference to a harness worn by an upright human user. Terms such as forward and rearward are again used with respect to a harness worn by a human user, and similarly have their usual meanings. For harness components of interest in the present disclosure, which are positioned adjacent the back of a human user (e.g. the lumber and dorsal regions of the torso), forward will indicate a direction generally toward the torso of the human user; rearward will indicate a direction generally away from the torso. (Such directions may be occasionally be referred to respectively as inward and outward directions.) In various Figures, the vertical axis (v), the transverse axis (t), and/or the forward-rearward axis (f-r) are denoted for purposes of illustration. It will be understood that such terminology is used for convenience of description; such descriptions still apply when the harness is not being warn, noting that the harness may be manipulated (e.g. a waist strap may be disconnected from a backframe of the harness) while the harness is not being worn.

The term “configured to” and like terms is at least as restrictive as the term “adapted to”, and requires actual design intention to perform the specified function rather than mere capability of performing such a function. All references herein to numerical values (e.g. dimensions, ratios, and so on), unless otherwise noted, are understood to be calculable as average values derived from an appropriate number of measurements.

Detailed Description

Disclosed herein is a harness 1 configured to be worn by a human user. In embodiments of the general type depicted in Fig. 1, harness 1 is configured to support the weight of one or more cylinders 8 containing breathable gases (often referred to herein as “air tanks”), so that the harness may function as part of a so-called self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Such breathing apparatus are often used by firefighters and other persons who may enter in which the atmosphere may contain harmful gases, smoke, biohazardous agents, or other potentially hazardous airborne substances. An exemplary harness will be described herein in the particular context of use in an SCBA. However, as discussed later herein, the arrangements disclosed herein may be used with harnesses of any other type, for other purposes. As shown in Fig. 1, in one general category of use, a harness may be configured for use in an SCBA. Such a harness 1 may comprise a backframe 40 on which at least one air cylinder 8 may be mounted, a pair of shoulder straps 7 which are attached at their upper ends to backframe 40, and a waist strap 10 that is attached to a lower region 45 of backframe 40. Waist strap 10 extends away from backframe 40 in transversely opposing directions and, if desired, can be attached or otherwise connected to the lower ends of shoulder straps 7. The harness is worn by positioning backframe 40 adjacently rearward of the wearer's back with the forward side 42 of the backframe facing toward the wearer and with the rearward side 44 of the backframe 40 facing away from the wearer. The waist strap 10 is generally aligned with the wearer's lumbar, waist and/or hip regions and encircles the wearer's torso with the two free ends of the waist strap engaging with each other at the front of the wearer whilst the shoulder straps 7 are positioned over the wearer's shoulders. The two ends of the waist strap 10 may be engaged to each other by tying or by using any conventional belt-type connector, buckle or latch, and so on.

Various other ancillary items and components (e.g. one or more strap adjusters, buckles, fittings, and so on) may be present. In particular, the harness may be configured with items that allow the one or more air tanks to be securely attached to the harness. An SCBA of which the harness is a part, may further include a facemask (whether a full-face mask, a partial mask, or a helmet), and one or more of hoses, regulators, valves, and so on, that are configured to transport the breathing air from the air tank to the facemask (e.g. to a facepiece within the facemask). The harness, and in particular the backframe, may comprises various components, fittings, and so on, that will support such items and facilitate their function.

Backframe 40 of harness 1 may take any suitable form in which it is configured to reside rearward of, and adjacent to, the back of the wearer of the harness. In some embodiments, the backframe may take the form of a single, integral piece, e.g. that is molded from a suitable injection-moldable organic polymeric material. In some embodiments, the backframe may take the form of an assembly of separately-made pieces. (Even if the backframe itself is a single, integral piece, various ancillary items may be attached or otherwise connected to it.)

In the accompanying figures the backframe 40 comprises a main body 41 that takes the general form of a vertically elongate entity with an upper end portion 46 and a lower end portion 45, and which may have a length approximately equal to, or somewhat greater than or less than, the length of a conventional air cylinder. The backframe is generally platelike with a forward side 42 and with a rearward side 44, and with a forward-rearward local thickness that is typically much less than the transverse width and the vertical height of the backframe. Although being generally plate like in overall aspect, in backframe 40 may be somewhat contoured (as evident in various Figures herein) such that the plate approximately follows the curvature and contours of a human back in at least one and optionally two dimensions. Thus, all points on either the outer or inner surfaces of the backframe do not necessarily lie in a common plane.

Backframe 40 may be formed of a material (e.g. an injection-molded organic polymeric material) which is strong and lightweight. In some embodiments, backframe 40 (e.g., main body 41 thereof) may be formed of polyamide that is reinforced with glass fibers and/or carbon fibers to provide enhanced strength and thermal stability. The backframe may comprise one or more layers of resilient padding (not shown in any Figure herein) between at least a portion of the backframe and a portion of the wearer’s back. Such padding may take the form of multiple separate pads, a single relatively large pad, and so on. Particularly when the harness is configured for use by a firefighter or like individual, backframe 40 and/or any padding that is present, may be covered in a high temperature resistant and/or flame retardant material (e.g. aramid fabrics such as those available under the trade designation KEVLAR and NOMEX, cellulosic fabrics such as those available under the trade designation PROBAN, or the like). Such padding (e.g. similarly covered by high temperature resistant material) may likewise be present on the waist strap and/or the shoulder straps. The straps and/or padding may themselves be made of high-temperature resistant and/or flame-retardant materials, rather than being merely covered by such materials.

Various fabric-based items (e.g. layers of fabric, padding, and so on) may be separable from major non-fabric components of the harness (in particular the backframe), e.g. in order to separate machine- washable components (e.g. fabric-containing items such as straps, padding, and the like) from non-machine- washable items (e.g. the backframe itself, the air cylinder(s), hoses, regulators, and so on) for cleaning.

As mentioned above, when harness 1 is present as part of an SCBA, harness 1 may comprise various fittings, engaging members, fasteners, and so on, to enable this functioning. The SCBA as a whole will comprise one or more air cylinders, a facemask, and one or more of regulators, hoses, and so on, as will be well understood by those in the field. The harness and/or the SCBA may further comprise items such as one or more guards, cradles, tensioning straps, and so on. Various such items and their function are described in detail in U.S. Patent 10137319, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for this purpose.

Exemplary harness 1 as depicted in the Figures herein comprises a waist strap 10. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, waist strap 10 is attached to the forward side 42 of backframe 40 and forwardly overlies a portion of lower end 45 of backframe 40. At least the inward (body-facing) side 13 of waist strap 10 may be equipped with padding 11 at various points along the elongate extent of the waist strap; in particular, a lumbar pad 12 may be present as evident in Fig. 2. In some embodiments, waist strap 10 (e.g. padding 11 thereof) may be tapered toward the free ends of the waist strap, as evident in Figs. 2 and 3.

Waist strap 10 is removably connected to backframe 40 by a manually disconnectable connection 5. By this is meant that waist strap 10 can be disconnected from backframe 40 (so that the waist strap can be cleaned, e.g. by machine-washing, separately from the backframe) manually (by hand), without necessitating the use of any special tools (e.g. pliers, a screwdriver, etc.). Waist strap 10 is shown having been disconnected from backframe 40, in Figs. 4 and 5.

The herein-disclosed arrangements allow the manual disconnection of waist strap 10 from backframe 40 to be accomplished quickly and easily. Moreover, the herein-disclosed connection between waist strap 10 and backframe 40 allows waist strap 10 to be moved vertically up and down relative to backframe 40. This can allow the harness to be adjusted in view of the height and/or preferences of a particular user of the harness. Still further, in some embodiments the connection between waist strap 10 and backframe 40 include a rotatable connection 6 that allows waist strap 10 to be rotated relative to backframe 40.

Arrangements for achieving these various functionalities can make use of a connection 5 between backframe 40 and waist strap 10, which connection relies on an elongate guide 50 that is borne by backframe 40, and a carriage 20 that is borne by waist strap 10. Elongate guide 50 is depicted in exemplary embodiment in Fig. 4 and in magnified isolated view in Fig. 6. Elongate guide 50 comprises a long axis that is aligned with the vertical axis of backframe 40 and harness 1, and has upper and lower ends 51 and 52. Elongate guide 50 comprises a vertically-aligned elongate slot 53 that is configured to accept one or more lugs 26 of a carriage 20 thereinto. Carriage 20 is visible in Figs. 4 and 5; lugs 26 of carriage 20 are visible in the magnified isolated view of Fig. 10. In brief, lugs 26 of carriage 20 reside at least partially within elongate slot 53 of elongate guide 50 and can be slidably moved back and forth along at least a portion of the length of elongate slot 53. In the disclosed embodiment, lugs 26 are configured so that they are biased transversely-outwardly, as can be accomplished by the use of one or more biasing members 24 (e.g. springs), not visible in any Figure but indicated generally in Fig. 9. Lugs 26 can be actuated (moved) transversely inward toward each other (as indicated by arrows 27 of Fig. 10), overcoming the biasing force, by squeezing handles 22 toward each other in the manner indicated by arrows 23 of Fig. 9.

With lugs 26 having been actuated transversely inward toward each other, carriage 20 can be slidably moved vertically back and forth along elongate guide 50 as desired. When carriage 20 is moved to a location at which lugs 26 are aligned with any of several pairs of notches that are provided in elongate guide 50, various operations can be performed as discussed below. These arrangements enable the waist strap to be moved up and down to specific locations along the vertical axis of the backframe, and then held at the desired location. These arrangements also allow the waist strap to be quickly and easily disconnected from the backframe when desired.

In some embodiments an elongate guide 50 as described above may be provided by the combination of a retaining plate 60 and a positioning plate 80. In some embodiments plates 60 and 80 may be provided as an aligned stack 54 that is attached to backframe 40, as evident from Figs. 6 and 7. Retaining plate 60 comprises an elongate retaining slot 63; positioning plate 80 comprises an elongate positioning slot 83; retaining plate 60 forwardly overlies positioning plate 80 so that slots 63 and 83 are aligned with each other, and overlap each other, so as to collectively provide the above-mentioned elongate slot 53 of elongate guide 50.

With carriage 20 of waist strap 10 manually installed onto elongate guide 50 of backframe 40, opposing transversely-inward edges 64 of retaining plate 60 (which edges 64 define the transversely- outward boundaries 65 of elongate retaining slot 63) will reside within channels 28 of lugs 26 of carriage 20. (Channels 28 are evident in Fig. 10 but are most easily seen in Fig. 11.) With the lugs thus seated on edges 64 of retaining plate 60 in this manner, carriage 20 is able to slidably move along retaining plate 60 along the long axis of elongate retaining slot 63, but cannot move in any other direction. Retaining plate 60 comprises at least one pair of removal notches 66. In the depicted embodiment, the pair of notches numbered 66 is a lower pair; there is also an upper pair of removal notches, unnumbered, that is visible in Figs. 6-9. A pair of removal notches takes the form of two removal notches that are in opposed relation to each other across a vertical centerline of the elongate guide, so as to provide a locally- transversely-widened area of elongate retaining slot 63, as evident e.g. in Fig. 8. When carriage 20 is slidably moved along elongate retaining slot 63 to a position at which lugs 26 are aligned with a pair of removal notches 66, the lugs can then be transversely-inwardly actuated by squeezing handles 22 transversely inward. This can cause the lugs to move transversely inward (toward each other) so that transversely-inward edges 67 of plate 60 that define the transversely-outward boundaries 68 of the removal notches 66 of elongate retaining slot 63, no longer reside in channels 28 of lugs 26. In other words, the lugs 26 are no longer seated on the edges of retention plate 60, and carriage 20 is no longer constrained to only moving by sliding along the long axis of elongate guide 50. Thus, with carriage 20 having been positioned so that lugs 26 are aligned with a pair of removal notches 66 of retaining plate 60, and with lugs 26 having been actuated transversely-inward, carriage 20 can be moved forwardly, away from elongate guide 50. This operation causes carriage 20 to be removed from elongate guide 50 and thus causes waist strap 10 to be disconnected from, and removed from, backframe 40, e.g. to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This quick-release arrangement allows waist strap 10 to be manually removed from backframe 40 quickly and easily, without the use of any special tools.

These operations can be reversed to reattach waist strap 10 to backframe 40. That is, carriage 20 can be held forwardly of backframe 40, with lugs 26 of carriage 20 aligned with a pair of removal notches 66 of elongate retaining slot 63. Lugs 26 can then be actuated transversely-inward by squeezing handles 22, and carriage 20 can be moved rearwardly so that lugs 26 enter notches 66. The actuation can then be ceased so that lugs 26 move transversely outward under the biasing force to become seated on the edges 67 of retaining plate 60 that define the transversely-outward boundaries 68 of notches 66. With carriage 20 thus connected to the elongate guide 50, the carriage can now be slidably moved vertically along the elongate guide, e.g. to perform operations such as those described below.

The elongate retaining slot 63 of retaining plate 60, and the pair of lugs 26 of carriage 20, can be configured so that when carriage 20 is positioned so that lugs 26 are at a location along the long axis of elongate retaining slot 63 at which a pair of removal notches is not present, lugs 26 are not able to pass between transversely-inward edges 64 of portions of retaining plate 60 that define elongate retaining slot 63, regardless of whether or not lugs 26 are actuated transversely inwards towards each other. Thus, carriage 20 will remain connected to elongate guide 50 even as carriage 20 is slidably moved back and forth along elongate guide 50, unless carriage 20 is moved to a specific location comprising a pair of removal notches and lugs 26 are actuated transversely inwards to allow the disconnection of carriage 20 from elongate guide 50.

One such operation that can be performed while carriage 20 remains connected to elongate guide 50, is the positioning of carriage 20 at a desired location along the vertical length of elongate slot 53 of elongate guide 50, and the maintaining of carriage 20 at this location during use of the harness, without any further input or action being needed from the user of the harness. This can allow the position of the waist strap relative to the backframe to be chosen and maintained as desired, e.g. depending on the height and/or preferences of the wearer of the harness. That is, according to the arrangements herein, a waist strap 10 can be attached to a backframe 40 in a manner which permits the waist strap to be selectively positioned in one of several different predetermined vertical locations relative to the backframe.

To facilitate this, elongate guide 50 can comprise a positioning plate 80 in addition to the abovedescribed retaining plate 60. In the depicted embodiment (e.g. as in Figs. 6-8), positioning plate 80 rearwardly underlies retaining plate 60 in the manner described above. Positioning plate 80 comprises an upper end 81 and a lower end 82 and defines an elongate positioning slot 83, by way of transversely-inward edges 84 of plate 80 that define transversely-outward boundaries 85 of slot 83. Although elongate positioning slot 83 of positioning plate 80 and elongate retaining slot 63 of retaining plate 60 do not share the exact same boundaries, they are aligned with each other along the vertical axis of backframe 40 and overlap to such an extent to collectively provide the above-discussed elongate slot 53 of elongate guide 50.

Elongate positioning slot 83 as defined by positioning plate 80 comprises at least first and second pairs of positioning notches that are spaced along the long axis of elongate positioning slot 83. In the depicted embodiment most easily seen in Fig. 7, three pairs of positioning notches are present: a lower pair 86, a middle pair 87, and an upper pair 88. Each pair of positioning notches takes the form of two positioning notches that are in opposed relation to each other across a vertical centerline of the elongate guide so as to provide a locally-transversely-widened area of elongate positioning slot 63, as evident e.g. in Fig. 8.

The elongate positioning slot 83 of positioning plate 80, and the pair of lugs 26 of carriage 20, are configured so that when carriage 20 is positioned so that lugs 26 are at a location along the long axis of elongate positioning slot 83 at which a pair (e.g., pair 86) of positioning notches are present, lugs 26 are able to move transversely outward (under a transversely-outward biasing force provided by one or more biasing members of the carriage) so that portions of lugs 26 enter the respective positioning notches 86. This may be accomplished by discontinuing the transversely-inward actuation of the lugs by ceasing to squeeze handles 22 of carriage 20 toward each other, which will allow the lugs to move so that portions of the lugs (e.g. portions 29 as visible in Fig. 11) enter, and reside in, the respective positioning notches. The presence of these portions of the lugs in the positioning notches will prevent slidable movement of carriage 20 along the long axis of elongate guide 50 and thus will hold carriage 20 at that position along elongate guide 50. This will thus maintain waist strap 10 at a specific vertical location along backframe 40.

When it is desired to adjust the vertical position of waist strap 10 relative to backframe 40, lugs 26 can be actuated (by squeezing handles 22) to move the lugs transversely inward toward each other, to the point that portions 29 of lugs 26 no longer reside in the positioning notches and do not prevent slidable movement of carriage 20 along the long axis of elongate guide 50. Carriage 20 can then be slidably moved along the long axis of elongate guide 50, e.g. to one of the other pairs of positioning notches. The actuation of lugs 26 can then be discontinued and the lugs will, under the biasing force, become seated in this new pair of positioning notches and will hold the carriage at that position.

Figs. 6-8 depict an optional arrangement in which positioning plate 80 comprises a rearward “floor” 95 (denoted in Fig. 8). This floor can enhance the strength, and in particular the torsional rigidity, of positioning plate 80. These Figures also depict an optional arrangement in which positioning plate 80 comprises a central, vertically-oriented elongate rib 92. Such a central rib may enhance the strength of positioning plate 80 and/or it may cooperate with features of carriage 20 to maintain the alignment of carriage 20, as discussed later herein. Such a rib 92 will subdivide the above-described elongate positioning slot 83 into left and right sub-slots 93 and 94, as denoted in Figs. 7 and 8. However, notwithstanding the presence of such a rib, the thus-formed sub-slots will still be considered to collectively form an elongate positioning slot that comprises pairs of positioning notches as discussed above.

The locations of the at least one pair of removal notches, and of the at least first and second pairs of positioning notches, can be chosen to enhance the functioning of the arrangements disclosed herein. Specifically, in at least some embodiments, any pair of removal notches that is present will be spaced (along the long axis of elongate guide 50) between pairs of positioning notches. Thus, in the arrangements seen most easily in Fig. 8, lower pair of removal notches 66 is located between lowest pair of positioning notches 86 and middle pair of positioning notches 87. Similarly, the upper pair of removal notches (unnumbered, but easily visible in Fig. 8) is located between middle pair of positioning notches 87 and upper pair of positioning notches 88. This spatial separation of the removal notches from the positioning notches provides that there is no overlap between such notches, which ensures that carriage 20 will not become disconnected from elongate guide 50 when carriage 20 is “parked” at any of the positioning notch pairs 86, 87, or 88. This can be achieved by configuring the positioning plate and the retaining plate so that each positioning notch is forwardly overlaid by a portion of the retaining plate (as evident in Fig. 8), so that the lugs cannot be forwardly removed from the positioning notches. It is noted that when carriage 20 is being slidably moved from one pair of positioning notches to another pair of positioning notches, it will be merely needed to maintain rearward pressure on the carriage as the carriage passes by a pair of removal notches, to provide that carriage 20 does not become disconnected from elongate guide 50 as it passes by the pair of removal notches.

As noted above, in many embodiments an elongate guide 50 of the general type described above can be provided by the combination of a retaining plate 60 and a positioning plate 80. Such plates can form a stack 54 which is attached to backframe 40 as illustrated in Fig. 7. In some embodiments such attachment can be by way of any suitable mechanical fastener(s) such as e.g. screws, nuts, bolts, rivets, clamps, or the like. (Such ancillary items are omitted from the Figures herein in order to present other items with greater clarity; however, various orifices and the like which are configured to accept such fasteners are easily visible in various Figures herein.) In some embodiments, such attachment may be by way of ultrasonic bonding, adhesive bonding, solvent welding, and so on. Many such methods of attachment fall under the general category of “securing” the stack to backframe 40, by which is meant that the stack is attached to backframe 40 in such a way that neither plate 60 nor plate 80 can be removed manually (i.e. by the fingers of a user) from backframe 40, but rather are non-removable or can only be removed by the use of at least one tool such as e.g. a screwdriver or pliers.

As evident in Figs. 6 and 7, in some embodiments plates 60 and/or 80, and stack 54 that is collectively formed by plates 60 and 80, may be slightly curved e.g. to approximately follow the contour of the user’s lumbar region. Thus, in some embodiments elongate slot 63 of plate 60, elongate slot 83 of plate 80, and elongate slot 53 collectively formed therefrom, may exhibit an arcuate shape. Any such curvature should be sufficiently gradual that it does not interfere with the ability to slidably move carriage 20 along elongate guide 50. In various embodiments, any or all of these components may exhibit an average radius of curvature (when viewed along the transverse axis of the backframe) of at least 6, 10 or 14 cm. In further embodiments, such a radius of curvature may be at most 30, 25, or 20 cm. The radius of curvature may be relatively constant along the elongate length of the item; or it may vary along this length.

In some embodiments, retaining plate 60 may be made of a suitably stiff material, e.g. a metal such as stainless steel. Positioning plate 80 may be made of any appropriate material, e.g. an organic polymeric material such as polyamide reinforced with glass or carbon fibers. In any such embodiments, the stack may be configured so that forward major surface 69 of retaining plate 60 will face forwardly (toward waist strap 10), a portion of rearward major surface 71 of retaining plate 60 will be in contact with a portion of forward major surface 89 of positioning plate 80, and a portion of rearward major surface 91 of positioning plate 80 will be in contact with a portion of forward major surface 43 of the main body of the backframe, all as illustrated in Fig. 7. Retaining plate 60 and positioning plate 80 will be configured so that the long axis of elongate retaining slot 63 of retaining plate 60, the long axis of elongate positioning slot 83 of positioning plate 80, and the long axis of elongate slot 53 collectively formed by slots 63 and 83, will be aligned with the vertical axis of the backframe and of the harness. In some embodiments, rather than an elongate positioning slot 83 being provided by attaching a separately-made positioning plate 80 to backframe 40, the necessary features may be molded directly into backframe 40 itself. Such an arrangement will still be considered to provide an elongate guide 50 of the type disclosed herein.

Although mentioned in the above discussions, carriage 20 and its features and functions will now be discussed in further detail. Carriage 20 is attached to waist strap 10 and can be connected to elongate guide 50 so that waist strap 10 is connected to backframe 40. One exemplary configuration of a carriage 20 is depicted in Figs. 9-11. Carriage 20 comprises a forward side 21 that faces toward the body of the user of the harness, and a rearward side 25 that faces away from the body, toward backframe 40. Forward side 21 of carriage 20 comprises a pair of lugs 26 that each comprise a channel 28 (most easily seen in Fig. 11) that can be used to seat the lug onto an edge 64 of the above-described retaining plate 60. Lugs 26 are transversely-outwardly biased; rearward side 25 of carriage 20 comprises a pair of handles 22 that are movable (slidably movable, toward each other, in the depicted design) to actuate lugs 26 transversely inward in the manner described earlier herein. As seen in Figs. 10 and 11, the forward side 21 of carriage 20 may also comprise a pair of flanges 32. These flanges may establish a space therebetween within which the previously-described central rib 92 of positioning plate 80 may reside. As carriage 20 is moved along elongate guide 50, flanges 32 can slidably move along rib 92 while keeping rib 92 in place between flanges 32. This can help ensure that carriage 20 is maintained in proper alignment with the above-described elongate slots.

Various geometrical parameters of carriage 20 (in particular, of lugs 26) may be designed in concert with geometrical parameters of retaining plate 60 and positioning plate 80. For example, the width (in the forward-rearward direction, as seen in Fig. 11) of channels 28 of lugs 26 may be chosen in view of the thickness of edges 64 of retaining plate 60. That is, these dimensions may be chosen to provide that channels 28 of lugs 26 can be easily seated onto edges 64 of retaining plate 60 when carriage 20 is being installed onto elongate guide 50, but to ensure a relatively tight fit so that there is little “play” in the system. In various embodiments, the thickness of edges 64 of retaining plate 60 may be at least 60, 70 or 80 % of the width of channels 28. In further embodiments, the thickness of edges 64 of retaining plate 60 may be at most 95, 90, 85, 80, or 75 % of the width of channels 28.

Similarly, the depth (in the transverse direction, as seen in Fig. 11) of channels 28 of lugs 26, along with the amount of transverse travel that the lugs are allowed, can be chosen in view of the transverse dimensions of elongate retaining slot 63 and/or of elongate positioning slot 83. For example, this lugchannel depth and lug-travel distance can be chosen to ensure that two conditions are met. The first condition is that the lugs will remain seated on edges 64 of retaining plate 60, unless and until the carriage is aligned with a pair of removal notches 66 and the lugs are actuated transversely inward so that the lugs become unseated from edges 64. The second condition is that, upon the carriage being aligned with a pair of positioning notches, the lugs will be able to move transversely outward into the positioning notches a sufficient distance that the lugs are adequately seated in the positioning notches.

In some embodiments, waist strap 10 may be rotatably connected to carriage 20 so that strap 10 is rotatable relative to carriage 20 and thus to backframe 40 and harness 1. Any such rotation will be about an axis of rotation that is at least generally aligned with a forward-rearward axis of the harness and backframe. This rotation does not require actuation of the carriage; rather, the waist strap is capable of automatically undergoing this rotation while the harness is worn, in response to forces exerted on the strap. This rotation of the waist strap relative to the backframe can be useful to accommodate sideways and/or torsional movement of the harness as the wearer e.g. leans, bends, squats, etc., in the course of performing activities while wearing the harness. This ability of the waist strap to automatically rotate while the harness is worn is in contrast above-discussed vertical positioning of the waist strap relative to the backframe, which requires actuation of the carriage in order to slidably move the carriage and waist strap from one position to another and thus typically requires the harness to be removed in order to access the carriage to perform such actuation.

In the depicted embodiment, this freedom of rotation can be achieved by equipping waist strap 10 with an annular ring 16 as seen e.g. in Figs. 4 and 5. Annular ring 16 can be fixedly (non-rotatably) attached to strap 10 and can be rotatably mounted on the outer perimeter of carriage 20, so that annular ring 16, and thus strap 10, can rotate relative to carriage 20. In some embodiments, annular ring 16 can be installed in an opening 14 of strap 10 that is provided for the purpose of accommodating ring 16 and carriage 20. Opening 14 of strap 10 can be bounded by an annular flange (e.g. of the fabric material of strap 10) that can, for example, be captured in a space 34 between annular ring 16 and a locking ring 33, as visible in Fig. 11. Locking ring 33 and annular ring 16 can collectively pinch such a flange of strap 10 tightly, thus holding ring 16 fixedly (and, e.g. non-removably) to strap 10. Strap 10, and ring 16, can then rotate relative to carriage 20. From this discussion it will be appreciated that, strictly speaking, annular ring 16 (and locking ring 33) are not a part of carriage 20; rather, they are items that are rotatably connected to carriage 20. However, these items are shown in Figs. 9-11 along with carriage 20, for ease of depiction.

In some embodiments, such rotation of annular ring 16 (and thus strap 10) relative to carriage 20 may be limited, e.g. to an arc of rotation of plus or minus 20, 30, 40 or 50 degrees from vertical, rather than unlimited rotation being allowed. The extent of such rotation can be restricted by, for example, providing an arcuate cut-out 17 in annular ring 16, as seen most easily in Fig. 10. The limit of rotation of annular ring 16 relative to carriage 20 can be established by way of a terminal end 18 of arcuate cut-out 17 impinging on a stop feature 31 of carriage 20, again as seen most easily in Fig. 10. In some embodiments, carriage 20 may not be disconnectable from annular ring 16. Thus, when carriage 20 and strap 10 are detached from backframe 40, carriage may be washed (e.g. in a washing machine) along with strap 10. As such, carriage may be made of materials that are chosen to be compatible with machine-washing processes.

In some embodiments, annular ring 16 can be installed in a transversely-central location of strap 10, as evident in Figs. 4 and 5, thus establishing the location at which carriage 20 will be present. In some embodiments, the forward side 21 of carriage 20 may be approximately even with, or slightly recessed rearward relative to, the forward surface of the padding of strap 10. (If desired, the lumbar area of waist strap 10 may comprise a lumbar pad 12 that is rather thick, thus providing extra room for carriage 20 to be recessed into.) Mounting the carriage in a recess in this manner may minimize any chance of the carriage contacting the body of the wearer in a manner that might cause discomfort, while still allowing the carriage to be brought into contact with the above-described retaining plate so that the carriage can be connected to the retaining plate. If desired, padding may be provided that forwardly overlies the forward side 21 of carriage 20 to likewise enhance the comfort of the wearer. Such padding may be configured so that it is removable from the waist strap when the carriage is to be manipulated, and can then be reinstalled on the waist strap afterwards. In some embodiments, such padding may remain attached to the waist strap, but may be able to be temporarily moved to a position in which it does not obstruct access to the carriage.

The above discussions have concerned exemplary arrangements that allow the provision of a quickreleasing, vertically-adjustable, and optionally rotatable, connection between a backframe and a strap, in the particular context of a harness comprising a backframe and waist strap for use in e.g. supporting an air tank. However, the arrangements disclosed herein are not limited to this particular use. For example, a connection as disclosed herein may be used to connect some other strap (e.g. a shoulder strap, chest strap, or leg strap) to a backframe, or to some other rigid component of a harness. Furthermore, these arrangements are not limited to harnesses for supporting an air tank. For example, in some embodiments such a harness may be a fall-protection harness. Such a harness is used to support the body of the user e.g. in the event of a fall. Often, such a fall-protection harness may comprise a dorsal plate which may correspond approximately to the herein-described backframe. Thus, the arrangements disclosed herein may be used to connect a strap to a dorsal plate (or some other rigid component) of a fall-protection harness. Exemplary fall-protection harnesses are described e.g. in U.S. Patents 8959664 and 10137322, and in U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/793163 and in the resulting PCT application published as WO 2020/148655, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specific exemplary embodiments, elements, structures, features, details, arrangements, configurations, etc., that are disclosed herein can be modified and/or combined in numerous ways. In summary, numerous variations and combinations are contemplated as being within the bounds of the conceived invention, not merely those representative designs that were chosen to serve as exemplary illustrations. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the specific illustrative structures described herein, but rather extends at least to the structures described by the language of the claims, and the equivalents of those structures. Any of the elements that are positively recited in this specification as alternatives may be explicitly included in the claims or excluded from the claims, in any combination as desired. Any of the elements or combinations of elements that are recited in this specification in open-ended language (e.g., comprise and derivatives thereof), are considered to additionally be recited in closed-ended language (e.g., consist and derivatives thereof) and in partially closed-ended language (e.g., consist essentially, and derivatives thereof). To the extent that there is any conflict or discrepancy between this specification as written and the disclosure in any document that is incorporated by reference herein but to which no priority is claimed, this specification as written will control.