The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 29, 2013
Filed:
Oct. 12, 2010
Vincent G. Meillet, Cannes la Bocca, FR;
Joseph R. Kaiser, Cottage Grove, MN (US);
Vincent G. Meillet, Cannes la Bocca, FR;
Joseph R. Kaiser, Cottage Grove, MN (US);
B D Industries, LLC, Red Wing, MN (US);
Abstract
A braking system for a self-retracting lifeline assembly is provided. The braking system includes a housing, a ratchet cam and a clutch assembly. The housing includes sidewalls that form, at least in part, a cavity. The sidewalls of the housing terminate in a connecting surface that extends around the cavity. The sidewalls have a plurality of notches spaced along interior surfaces of the sidewalls. Each notch extends from the connecting surface a select distance in the interior surfaces of the sidewalls of the housing. The ratchet cam includes an inner edge that defines a central cam opening. The inner edge of the ratchet cam has a plurality of inward extending teeth. The ratchet cam further has an outer edge. The outer edge has a plurality of outward extending fingers. Each finger terminates in a finger tip. Each finger tip is received in an associated notch in the interior surface of the housing. The clutch assembly is operationally configured to engage at least one tooth of the plurality of inward extending teeth of the ratchet cam in response to a lifeline unwinding from the assembly at a rate greater than a predetermined maximum angular velocity.