Tandem pulley

{
  "publication_number": "US11731666B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Tandem pulley",
  "abstract": "A tandem pulley includes a support bracket having the shape of an inverted U. The support bracket defines a through hole. A pair of sheaves is arranged in line inside the support bracket. Each sheave is mounted rotating freely around a spindle fixed to the support bracket. A carabiner is fitted in the through hole. A connector is configured to connect the support bracket with the carabiner. The connector is configured in such a way as to allow rotation of the carabiner around an axis parallel to the spindles of the pair of sheaves. A spring is connected to the support bracket, the spring being arranged to exert a force on the carabiner biasing the latter to a rest position by rotation of the carabiner.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A tandem pulley comprising: a support bracket defining a through hole, a pair of sheaves arranged in line inside the support bracket, each sheave being fitted rotating freely around a spindle fixed to the support bracket, a carabiner fitted in the through hole, the carabiner being fitted rotating around an axis parallel to the spindles of the pair of sheaves, a flexible device connected to the support bracket, the flexible device being arranged to exert a force on the carabiner and to move the carabiner to a rest position by rotation of the carabiner.",
    "2. The tandem pulley according to claim 1, wherein each sheave is configured to pivot around an axis of rotation, the axes of rotation of the sheaves and the axis of rotation of the carabiner are in substantially a same plane.",
    "3. The tandem pulley according to claim 2, wherein the carabiner comprises a body defining a flat surface, the flexible device exerting a force on the flat surface to move the carabiner to the rest position.",
    "4. The tandem pulley according to claim 3, wherein the flexible device is arranged on one side of the plane, the carabiner having a movable gate arranged on an opposite side of the plane.",
    "5. The tandem pulley according to claim 1, wherein the carabiner defines a first salient area forming a first end-of-travel stop pressing on a flange of the support bracket when rotation of the carabiner takes place from the rest position in a first direction of rotation.",
    "6. The tandem pulley according to claim 5, wherein the carabiner defines a second salient area forming a second end-of-travel stop when rotation of the carabiner takes place from the rest position.",
    "7. The tandem pulley according to claim 6 wherein the first salient area and the second salient area are separated by the flat surface in the direction of rotation of the carabiner.",
    "8. The tandem pulley according to claim 7, wherein the first salient area and the second salient area collaborate with a clamp to prevent movement of the carabiner perpendicularly to a plane containing the two axes of rotation of the pair of sheaves.",
    "9. The tandem pulley according to claim 7, wherein the first salient area or the second salient area collaborates with a clamp to prevent movement of the carabiner perpendicularly to a plane containing the two axes of rotation of the pair of sheaves.",
    "10. The tandem pulley according to claim 1, wherein the flexible device applies the force on the carabiner that is greater than a weight of the support bracket.",
    "11. The tandem pulley according to claim 3 wherein the first salient area and the second salient area are separated by the flat surface in the direction of rotation of the carabiner."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The invention relates to a tandem pulley.\n\nIn a large number of fields, it is known to use a tandem pulley that has to run on a cable. For example, the tandem pulley is commonly used when setting up zip lines with a user sliding along the cable.\n\nThe tandem pulley has two rotationally mounted sheaves. The cable is fitted inside the pulley in contact with the two sheaves. The tandem pulley is provided with a carabiner for making the mechanical connection between the user suspended from the pulley and the cable that secures the pulley.\n\nIn conventional manner, on a zip line, the cable is inclined and the user makes a controlled fall when he slides along the cable. At the end of the cable, the user reaches a stopping area formed by an obstacle on the cable. The stopping area is conventionally provided with an elastically deformable damper configured to absorb a part of the energy procured by the pulley when the impact with the pulley occurs.\n\nThe pulley comes into contact with the stopping area with a velocity that may be high resulting in the stopping area being struck by the tandem pulley with an energy that is not negligible. It has been observed that when the impact takes place, the pulley can no longer move in the longitudinal direction of the cable making the pulley rear up as the user is still moving in the longitudinal direction of the cable. The pulley swivels with respect to the axis of rotation of the rear sheave, i.e. the one farther away from the stopping area, in order to attempt to continue advancing along the cable. The front sheave loses contact with the cable.",
  "cpc": [
    "B61B 12/02",
    "A63G 21/22",
    "B61B 7/00",
    "F16B 45/02",
    "F16B 45/023",
    "F16B 45/027"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A63G 21/22",
    "B61B 12/02",
    "B61B 7/00",
    "F16B 45/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Zedel SAS"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Christophe Quillard",
    "Benoît VUILLERMOZ"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-06-08",
  "publication_date": "2023-08-22",
  "grant_date": "2023-08-22",
  "priority_date": "2019-06-06",
  "application_number": "US-202016894995-A",
  "family_id": "67957091",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US4892508A",
    "EP1386814A1",
    "US6810818B2",
    "US7845467B2",
    "DE102007028119A1",
    "WO2011078460A1",
    "US20150266454A1",
    "US20180216656A1"
  ]
}