Wearable safety system for persons, with air brake unfolding itself automatically in case of danger

The invention relates to a safety device according to the preamble of independent claim 1. Protection systems protect people from injuries, for example when falling from a great height and a small height of just a few meters, from damage and injury.

In known systems for protecting people from falls from low heights, the person to be secured wears, for example, a belt to which a safety rope is attached. In many cases, these safety devices are bad or not suitable at all. The connection when working at great heights on roofs, facades and on scaffolding can be very cumbersome when using a safety rope due to the fixed connection of the safety rope to the person to be secured. There is a risk that the person to be secured gets tangled and tangled in the safety rope and falls, which puts this person in danger even more. When moving, the need to organize the safety line again and again is cumbersome and time-consuming. The awkward handling of such safety devices leads, particularly for professionals who are used to working at dangerous heights and surroundings, that the safety device that is present is not used at all, because it hinders work too much.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved safety device for people. According to the invention, this object is achieved with a safety device which has the features in the characterizing part of independent claim 1. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention.

The difference to known systems is, among other things, that it also works land-based, ie that it also offers effective protection when falling from just a few meters, eg when working directly above the ground, which means that one of a building, tower, masts, tree , from a bridge, a ladder or someone falling in the mountains can be effectively protected with the safety device. Conventional systems such as parachutes, paragliders and the like. are unable to develop over a short distance. The present invention is therefore the first land-based system that can also be used as a conventional parachute.

The safety device not only protects, like known protective devices, people who are at a great height above the ground, for example in an aircraft, but also people who are only a few meters, for example on a rise, above the ground or another landing area.

People often have to or want to expose themselves to a risk of falling for a variety of reasons, ie to find themselves in situations where a fall or fall can be dangerous and even life-threatening. Partly this is due to the job, partly this happens for example during sporting activities. The safety device according to the invention protects in particular people who use the safety device from injuries when falling over houses, rocks or other high structures, but also protects against the risk of injury with, for example, falling aircraft such as paragliders or delta gliders.

The safety device contains a combination of control electronics, airbag propellant charge and an air brake that generates lift. The air brake is advantageously designed like a parachute. The basic design of the safety device is illustrated with the following diagram.<img file="EP1101697A2_D0001.tif" />

The control electronics are connected to an acceleration sensor. This sensor measures permanently or at intervals whether the person wearing the safety device experiences an acceleration of, for example, at least about 0.9 g (g = acceleration due to gravity). This acceleration threshold can also vary depending on the speed. In this way, the threshold value can be lowered at higher speeds. This means that the electronics can continuously integrate the accelerations to speeds and integrate the speeds to distances or paths. Based on these calculated values, the system evaluates the distance covered to determine whether the person protecting the person is effectively in a threatening situation and to avoid false triggers. This travel threshold value can be fixed or variably selectable and adjustable. If the electronics of the safety device determine that the triggering conditions have been reached and that the person to be protected is effectively at risk of being damaged, the pyrotechnic explosive device, for example, is detonated electrically. This has the task of releasing gas and, for example To fill inflatable and shaping chambers or ribs of the air brake with this gas and thus to deploy the parachute-like air brake of the safety device on the one hand as quickly as possible and on the other hand to keep it stable when it collides with a building-near mast, tree or other obstacles. Previously known parachutes collapse in such a case and are therefore not suitable as a safety device in the sense of this invention, quite apart from the fact that parachutes only open after a relatively long fall distance of many meters. The parachute, ie the parachute-like air brake according to the invention in turn mitigates and brakes the fall of the person who would suffer serious or even fatal injury without the safety device in the event of a fall or fall from or over a few meters.

The safety device for people is portable and has a folded air brake. The safety device has a propellant charge which is ignited by an electrical circuit with an ignition signal. A signal from a sensor, for example an acceleration sensor of the safety device, is supplied to the electrical circuit continuously or at predetermined time intervals. The ignition signal is triggered and the propellant charge is ignited when the signal generated by and coming from the sensor is recognized by the logic of the electrical-electronic circuit as a dangerous situation which requires the activation of the safety device; if the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor reaches or exceeds a predetermined acceleration value. The propellant releases gas, with which the air brake of the safety device is deployed.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the schematic drawings, which show exemplary embodiments and details thereof. Show it:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>the side view of a safety device with a parachute as an air brake, in the folded state;</dd><dt>Fig. 2</dt><dd>the view of an open parachute from below;</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>the view of another open parachute from below, which has tear zones;</dd><dt>Fig. 4</dt><dd>in a side view the part of a section through the parachute of a safety device;</dd><dt>Fig. 5</dt><dd>in a side view in section, the edge zone through the parachute of a safety device in section;</dd></dl>

Fig. 1 shows a safety device 1 according to the invention in a schematic side view. The device is mounted on a support frame 10. The support frame 10 is advantageously shaped in such a way that it can be carried comfortably 1 without the person to be protected being obstructed or unnecessarily tired. The fall brake is a parachute 11, which is arranged folded in the container 111. The propellant charge 12 is attached close or directly to the parachute 11 in the embodiment shown and is connected directly or via a tube-like channel to the inflatable chamber or chambers. The acceleration sensor 13 outputs its measured values ​​to the electronics 14 with the logic. A battery pack 15 supplies the energy for operating the electronics 14 and for igniting the propellant charge 12. A protective film 16 protects electronics 14, sensor 13 and battery 15, but also against the propellant 12, or its effect, against the outside. The protective film 16 also protects the person wearing the safety device 1 from the action of gases flowing and acting backwards against the person.

The construction is portable, e.g. designed as a backpack. The associated carrying straps, fastenings, etc. are not shown, since this is known to the person skilled in the art anyway. The parachute, i.e. the fall arrester of the safety device, is angled slightly so that the air brake automatically moves backwards, away from the head. This ensures a safe landing in the best possible way. In addition, by deploying the air brake, a stable flight position is achieved as quickly as possible.

Unfolding the parachute should take place in the direction of the stable flight position, so that the timely opening is guaranteed even when falling from a low height. In addition, the parachute 11 is not deployed directly in the direction of the head of the person to be secured and protected. This does not endanger this person himself and the opening of the parachute 11 is also not hindered if the person falls head over heels so that the air flow of the opening parachute 11 urges it towards the head of the person. The electronics, for example, are arranged in the free space created by the angled arrangement of the folded parachute 11.

The air brake is filled with the gas released by propellant 12 and deployed. The propellant charge 12 releases sufficient energy and / or gases in a short time, for example by a chemical reaction, so that the air brake, in the example shown the parachute 11, can deploy sufficiently quickly. After the propellant charge 12 has been ignited, the air brake is moved away from the body on the one hand, and on the other hand released energy / gases release the air brake, ie the parachute 11. The protective film 16 protects the body of the wearer from injuries due to forces directed backwards towards the person or gas flows.

The intelligence of the system lies in the electronics. A 3D-G sensor, ie a sensor that measures accelerations in three directions or axes, supplies the electronics with the information required for triggering control in the form of signals.

A top view of a deployed parachute 211 is shown in FIG. 2. The entire parachute 211 is not designed as a gas chamber, but the parachute 211 has chambers which reduce the gas volume required for the deployment. The chambers are advantageously designed as different ribs 2110 which are filled with the gas from the propellant charge 12. The ribs 2110 run here as a diameter through the center of the parachute 211 shown here. The ribs 2110 can each be individually or in groups independent of one another and, for example, can each be individually constructed with valves. In the same way, the propellant can fill all the ribs 2110 with gas, or it could be inflated for groups or each individual rib or half-rib (runs over a radius) with separate propellants. The ribs could also be supplemented by concentric ring ribs (not shown). These could also be connected to the radially extending ribs 2110. The ribs 2110 mean that the shape and shape stability of the parachute 211 can be quickly achieved with a small gas volume. The parachute 211 could also have only ring ribs and, for example, a single radially extending rib 2110.

The view from below of another, unfolded parachute 311 shows the structure with outer circular ring sections which are designed as tear zones 3111 and with an inner circular surface which is designed as safety zone 312. The tear zones 3111 are intended to tear when attached to an obstacle.

Thus, these tear zones 3111 have the purpose of limiting the damage if the parachute 311 is attached to any objects, such as branches, projecting building elements, flagpoles etc., or threatens to get caught. Then the parachute should tear and not just like that, but in the tear zone 3111. In this case, if this happens, the resulting crack in the tear zone 3111 should only extend to the border of the tear zone (= predetermined breaking point), to the adjacent tear zone 3111, to the edge of the parachute 311 or to the safety zone 312. There, due to the choice of material and / or the construction of the parachute, the damaged zone of the parachute will be torn off rather than that other parts or zones of the parachute would also be impaired and damaged.

The safety zone 312 in the center of the parachute 311 is designed and constructed in such a way that it does not tear if the parachute 311 gets stuck somewhere and one or more tear zones tear, and especially not if the person to be protected hangs on the parachute. The safety zone 312 is as large as is necessary and sufficient for a largely safe flight with a safe landing with the parachute 311.

A multipoint suspension, as shown in the sectional drawing of a parachute 411 FIG. 4, can be provided for stabilizing the shape of the parachute. The lines 412 are not only led to the periphery of the parachute 411 but, for example, to several points P of the radially extending ribs 4110. In this case, one speaks of a multipoint suspension. If with a parachute, as shown in Fig. 2nd is shown, several lines are led to each rib, the opened parachute receives good dimensional stability. This is important since known parachutes inflate like sacks, but the aim here is to spread the parachute as evenly as possible due to the limited amount of substance and gas due to weight. As a result, the speed of development and the speed of the effect is increased at the same time.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a partial view of the cross section of a parachute 511 which has a wing profile 5111 in the edge zone. The edge flowing around in the fall experiences additional forces K that span the parachute, which additionally reduce the fall speed and stabilize the flight position faster than in the case of known parachutes, since the edge at the bottom is always better flowed against, i.e. experiences and generates more lift.

The operating principle of a safety device and requirements which the safety device must meet are described below.

Electronics continuously decide on the basis of the information received from the sensors whether the safety device should be triggered or not. The system is portable, works with battery power and can withstand everyday loads such as temperatures up to 100 ° C (in the sun). Incorrect triggering must be avoided at all costs.

Functional and detail requirements:

Input and output

As already indicated, tear-off contacts, acceleration sensors, position sensors, biosensors which react to changes in blood pressure and / or psychological / psychological tension are suitable as sensors, for example if the conductivity of the skin of the person threatened by the case changes. A biosensor would, for example, be in constant contact with the skin of the person to be protected.

The case of the acceleration sensor, in particular the 3-D accelerometer, is described in more detail below. The safety device further comprises a temperature sensor which monitors the temperature state of the safety device. In addition, control lights, such as green and red LEDs and beepers (acoustic warning), can inform the operator or the person to be protected about the operating status, etc. and warn them if necessary.

The safety and rescue function is triggered depending on the acceleration in such a way that the electronics continuously register and / or process the acceleration values ​​reported by the sensor. The acceleration due to gravity is usually always present. If the wearer of the safety device moves, the acceleration sensor registers an additional acceleration component, which usually does not have the same direction as the acceleration due to gravity. The signals supplied by the acceleration sensor are continuously processed and integrated in the electronics. The integration takes place as follows: Acceleration is integrated into speed and the speed is integrated into path. The acceleration is integrated as long as it is in the same direction. If the acceleration is applied to two or three axes at the same time (rotation), the rotational acceleration is subtracted from the actual (translation). Rotation and translation can be calculated and differentiated because the rotational acceleration is always on at least two axes, whereas the translation acceleration is only on one axis at the same time.

The release can be programmed to different sensitivity levels, for example<ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>very sensitive</li><li>normally sensitive</li><li>little sensitive</li></ul>

A separate parameter set can be programmed for each of the sensitivity levels, which monitors the following values:

Acceleration with at least X₁ g (g = gravitational acceleration) over a distance of Y₁ m (m = meter).

Acceleration with at least X₂ g over a distance of Y₂ m.

In the above cases, the triggering takes place as soon as this condition is fulfilled.

Acceleration takes place with at least X₃ g over a distance of Y₃m, the values ​​Y₁ and Y₂ m reduced, for example halved. (The person to be protected slides down on an incline, e.g. sloping roof, before free fall begins.)

Example values:

<tables id="tabl0001" num="0001"><table frame="all"><tgroup cols="4" colsep="1" rowsep="1"><colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="39.37mm" /><colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="39.37mm" /><colspec colnum="3" colname="col3" colwidth="39.37mm" /><colspec colnum="4" colname="col4" colwidth="39.37mm" /><thead valign="top"><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="center">Thresholds</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="center">Sensitive</entry><entry namest="col3" nameend="col3" align="center">normal</entry><entry namest="col4" nameend="col4" align="center">Insensitive</entry></row></thead><tbody valign="top"><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">X₁[G]</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="char" char=".">0.8</entry><entry namest="col3" nameend="col3" align="char" char=".">0.9</entry><entry namest="col4" nameend="col4" align="char" char=".">0.95</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Y₁[m]</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="char" char=".">1</entry><entry namest="col3" nameend="col3" align="char" char=".">1.5</entry><entry namest="col4" nameend="col4" align="char" char=".">2</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">X₂[G]</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="char" char=".">0.7</entry><entry namest="col3" nameend="col3" align="char" char=".">0.8</entry><entry namest="col4" nameend="col4" align="char" char=".">0.9</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Y₂[m]</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="char" char=".">1.5</entry><entry namest="col3" nameend="col3" align="char" char=".">2</entry><entry namest="col4" nameend="col4" align="char" char=".">2.5</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">X₃ [G]</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="char" char=".">0.1</entry><entry namest="col3" nameend="col3" align="char" char=".">0.2</entry><entry namest="col4" nameend="col4" align="char" char=".">0.3</entry></row><row rowsep="1"><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Y₃ [m]</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="char" char=".">1.6</entry><entry namest="col3" nameend="col3" align="char" char=".">2</entry><entry namest="col4" nameend="col4" align="char" char=".">2.5</entry></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>

In the following cases, the distance to be covered for triggering is increased by Z₁ m extended:<ul id="ul0002" list-style="dash" compact="compact"><li>The acceleration changes direction exactly in the opposite direction: It is then assumed that the wearer with the safety device jumped up first. The path required for the triggering is extended by the jumped distance.</li></ul>

The safety device is intended for use in a certain temperature range. The temperature limit values ​​can vary depending on the version, for example in the range of -20 ° - + 60 ° C. The user can be warned at temperatures outside this range.

Finally, the circuit can be designed so that it constantly monitors itself (function check). This can be done, for example, as follows:

All circuits are error redundant. The power supply must be monitored or provided redundantly. After switching on, all device functions are checked. When the safety device is ready for operation, a green LED is switched on. If the safety device is not ready for operation, a red LED and a beeper are activated. The circuits and the power supply are constantly checked for malfunctions and every error signal is immediately reported with light signals and / or acoustic signals. Normal voltage at current sources is acknowledged by a green LED. Undervoltage at a power source is acknowledged by a flashing LED. If the undervoltage at a source is critical, a constant red LED is switched on parallel to the flashing green LED. If there is undervoltage at several sources, there is an acoustic alarm and the electronics of the protection and of course the protection switches itself off. These are, for example, measures that can be taken into account in the safety design.