Suspension trauma relief device
View Patent ↗A suspension trauma relief device includes a member extending from a ring to which the safety harness and lanyard are attached. The member provides a support for the wearer so that the wearer can take his/her weight off of the safety harness, and particularly the leg straps on the safety harness, to allow blood circulation and prevent suspension trauma. Preferably the member includes at least one foot support allowing at least one of the wearer's feet to be placed in the foot support to take the wearer's weight off the safety harness and avoid any constriction of the straps of the safety harness on the person's blood flow.
1. An apparatus for reducing the effect of suspension trauma to a person suspended in a safety device attached to an anchor point, the apparatus comprising:
an attachment member configured for attachment to the anchor point;
a support assembly disposed on said attachment member wherein the support assembly is configured to allow at least one of the person's feet to be placed on said support assembly to reduce any constriction of the safety device on the person's blood flow;
an adjustment member between said attachment member and said support assembly; and
a strap attached to the adjustment member and the support assembly, wherein said strap can be moved relative to said adjustment member to adjust a distance between said adjustment member and said support assembly and then said strap can be transversely gripped by opposed ridged surfaces on said adjustment member to fix the distance between said adjustment member and said support assembly to allow the person to place weight on said support assembly and reduce the person's weight on the safety device.
2. An apparatus for reducing the effect of suspension trauma to a person suspended by a safety device, the apparatus comprising:
an attachment member configured for attachment to the safety device;
a support assembly disposed on said attachment member wherein the support assembly is configured to allow at least one of the person's feet to be placed on said support assembly to reduce any constriction of the safety device on the person's blood flow;
an adjustment member between said attachment member and said support assembly;
a strap attached to the adjustment member and the support assembly, wherein said strap can be moved relative to said adjustment member such that a distance between said adjustment member and said support assembly can be adjusted; and
wherein the adjustment member comprises a wedge configured to transversely grip said strap.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said support assembly includes first and second support members connected to said adjustment member, wherein the person may place a first foot on said first support member and a second foot on said second support member.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said support assembly supports a portion of said person's body weight when said person exerts a force against said support assembly with said person's feet.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a force applied on the person by the safety device is reduced after the person exerts a force against said support assembly.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is configured to attach to the safety device at a point near a top of the safety device.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is configured to hang below the safety device.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said support assembly includes stirrups.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said adjustment member comprises a wedge configured to grip said strap.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said wedge is a one-piece wedge configured to grip said strap.
11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said support assembly includes first and second support members connected to said adjustment member, wherein the person may place a first foot on said first support member and a second foot on said second support member.
12. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said support assembly includes stirrups.
13. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said adjustment member comprises a one-piece wedge configured to grip said strap.
14. An apparatus for reducing the effect of suspension trauma to a person suspended by a safety harness, the safety harness attached to a person's torso and having a fixed length between the safety harness and a lanyard extending to an anchor point, and the person having a leg length between the person's torso and the person's feet, the apparatus comprising:
a support assembly configured for suspension from the lanyard wherein the support assembly has at least one foot support to allow at least one of the person's feet to be placed on said at least one foot support, said support assembly including a fixed length strap and an adjustable length strap, the fixed length strap having one end connected to the lanyard and another end connected to an adjustment member to connect the adjustment member to the lanyard;
said adjustable length strap attached to the adjustment member, said adjustable length strap cooperating with said adjustment member to adjust an adjustable length between the another end of the fixed length strap and said foot support; and
said adjustable length strap being movable relative to said adjustment member while being worn by the person in suspension to cause said adjustable length to be less than the fixed length plus the leg length to allow the person to place weight on the foot support to reduce constriction of the safety harness on the person's torso.
15. An apparatus for reducing the effect of suspension trauma to a person suspended by a safety harness from a lanyard, the safety harness being adapted for attachment to a person's torso and having one end attached to the lanyard by a lanyard connection, a harness length between the safety harness and lanyard connection being fixed, comprising:
a first strap having a fixed length with one end connected to an adjustment member and another end configured for attachment at a fixed length to the lanyard connection;
a support assembly having at least one foot support to allow at least one of the person's feet to be placed on said at least one foot support;
being a second strap with one end attached to the adjustment member and another end attached to the support assembly supporting the at least one foot support, said one end of the second strap cooperating with said adjustment member to adjust an adjustable support length between said adjustment member and said foot support; and
said second strap being movable relative to said adjustment member while being worn by the person in suspension to cause said adjustable support length to be adjusted while said harness length and said first strap fixed length remain fixed to allow the person to place weight on the foot support to reduce constriction of the safety harness on the person's torso.