ARM STRONG LIFTING STRAPS

Abstract

A lifting harness to allow a user to lift heavy objects without using excessive force from the hands, but to allow the load to be lifted by the users legs and back. Two straps go across the users back and extend to near the fingertips of each arm. The user wraps the free ends of the straps around a load, such as handlebar handles, and grasps the strap ends, which applies friction, and then the load may be easily lifted.

Description

PRIORITY/CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/567,734, filed Dec. 7, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosed technology generally relates to lifting harnesses, and more particularly to straps for manually lifting loads.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to straps for lifting and carrying elements or objects by one or two individuals and, more particularly, to straps which transfer the load to the shoulders and back, and, more specifically to straps held in place to the load in such a way that the load can be released by a simple release of hand grip pressure.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The technology presented is a lifting harness which is made of two shoulder straps, a left shoulder strap and a right shoulder strap. Each shoulder strap has a first end and a second end. The left shoulder strap is oriented so that the first end extends from near the tip of a user's fingers on the left side, when the user is standing with his arms and hands hanging down in a relaxed position. From the position near the fingertips of the left side, the left shoulder strap goes over the top of the left shoulder across the users back and under the right arm with the second end of the left shoulder strap approximately at the user's waist to the right shoulder strap.

The right shoulder strap is configured as a mirror image of the left shoulder strap, with the first end of the right shoulder strap extending from near the user's fingertips over the user's right shoulder, across the back and under the left arm, and attached to the left shoulder strap near the user's waist on the left side. The shoulder straps are connected to each other by a left connector, which is attached to the second end of the right shoulder strap and to the left shoulder strap first end, above and near the left shoulder strap first end.

A right connector is oriented in a mirror image configuration as the left connector, attached to the second end of the left shoulder strap and to the right shoulder strap first end above and near the right shoulder strap first end. The ends of the straps which extend beyond the connectors are the free ends of the strap, and they are positioned to be wrappable around a load and held in position around the load by the user's handgrip. This is possible because when the straps are wrapped around the load, the user's handgrip applies sufficient friction to secure the free ends of the straps to the load. This would typically be in a situation such as when the load is the handles of a wheelbarrow, and sufficient friction is applied by the user's hand to enable the user to lift a load of the wheelbarrow handles primarily using his legs and back, with very little energy being applied by the hands. Other loads that may be lifted by using the frictional attachment of the shoulder strap free ends could be heavy sacks such as bags of feed, boxes or crates, baskets, or other heavy loads, especially those with lifting handles. A heavy sack such as a bag of feed can be lifted by overlapping the tacky end of the left strap over the tacky end of the right strap and vise-versa and using a single hand to maintain pressure to hold the overlap in place leaving one hand free to open and close gates and doors. The tacky surfaces prevent the ends from sliding apart. A person or patient of limited strength such that he/she cannot raise to a standing position from a sitting position without assistance can be assisted by wrapping the two strap ends around his/her back and overlapping the tacky ends then using hand pressure to hold the overlap in place with the assistant standing up and leaning back to lift the person or patient to a standing position while leaving a hand free to position a wheel chair or other chair.

A back buckle may be utilized with the straps, which connects the two straps in a position on the user's back where the straps cross.

The frictional engagement of the free ends of the straps may be enhanced. This can be achieved by applying to the free ends of the straps a compound which hardens into a rubbery, tacky surface or by attaching a portion of straps made of a different material for enhanced tackiness.

In this configuration of the device, the load can be quickly released by merely releasing the user's handgrip. In the case of a wheelbarrow the user would simply release their handgrip and the lifting strap would no longer be frictionally attached to the handles of the wheel barrow. Alternatively, other attachment means besides the free ends of the strap can be utilized for lifting specific items. For example, a buckler or hook could be attached to the free end of the straps, with the hook configured to engage a loop on the load and thus to easily lift the load using the legs and shoulders of the user, and not his handgrip.

Also disclosed is a method of forming a lifting harness, with a method being made of the following steps. The first step is to connect a second end of a second strap to a point near the first end of a first strap, leaving a free portion of the first strap for wrapping around a load and being held in place by the user's handgrip. The next step is connecting a second end of the first strap to a point near the first end of the second strap, leaving a free portion of the second strap for wrapping around a load and being held in place by the user's handgrip. The next step is to wrap the free ends of the straps around a load handle, such as wheelbarrow, and hold the straps in place by the user's handgrip. The final step is to lift the load using handgrip only for securing the free ends of the straps, not for using the hand strength to grip and lift the handles of the load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the present invention with a load.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the present invention as the user is preparing to lift the load.

FIG. 4 is a view of the present invention showing the proper placement of the lifting end within the palm of the user's hand.

FIG. 5 is a view of an assembled layout of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the present invention assembled so the user can lift a load with a single hand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Shown in FIGS. 1-6 is a preferred embodiment of the disclosed technology. Shown in FIG. 1 is a lifting harness 10 made of two straps, a left shoulder strap 12 and a right shoulder strap 14, of approximately six feet each, made from 1½ to 2 inch width webbing constructed of cotton, nylon, Dacron, polyethylene, or other suitable webbing material. Padding can be added to the straps where they cross over the shoulders. The lifting surfaces 16 and 30 at the end of the straps are preferably tacky, and can be an applied beaded material, tacky strips, soft leather, neoprene, or natural or synthetic rubber. The tacky lifting surface can be sewn on, glued on, impregnated into the webbing fibers, or spread on as a liquid and dried.

The right strap 14 has a first end 24 and a second 26, with the first end having a lifting surface 16 which may be tacky, at or below waist level with the bare webbing extending vertically through a right adjusting buckle 22 that connects to the left strap 12, continues up across the front of the right shoulder where a padding can be, crosses down the back, through a back buckle 28 between the user's shoulder blades and continues under the user's left arm to a left buckle 20 at just above the user's left waist level. The left strap 12 is the mirror image of the right strap 14. It has a first end 31 and a second end 32, with a lifting surface 30 which may be tacky at or below user waist level with the bare webbing extending vertically through an left adjusting buckle 20 that connects to the right strap 14, continues up across the front of the left shoulder where a padding can be, crosses down the back, through a back buckle 28 between the user's shoulder blades and continues under the right arm to a right buckle 22 at just above the user's right waist level.

The buckles can be tabler buckles or slide buckles made from either a metal or plastic material. Any suitable buckle or connector commonly used to connect flat webbing material can be used for these buckles or connectors.

The procedure for use begins as the user approaches the load with the tacky lifting ends facing his/her sides. The user bends his/her knees and with the elbows slightly bent, wraps the tacky lifting surface around the handles of the load to be lifted. With the lifting end squeezed against the handles, the user can straighten his/her knees lifting the load. The load will be supported by the straps where they cross over the shoulders. The arms and hands do not need to provide a lifting force. The friction of the lifting ends of the straps held around the handles of the load will temporarily affix the harness to the load. When the load needs to be released, all that is required is for the grip to be released from around the handles.

In the case of needing to lift and carry two ends of a load, such as a first aid stretcher, two individuals, each with their own lifting harness, can lift and carry their respective ends of the load.

In the case of needing to carry a load with just one arm/hand, the harness can be disassembled to make individual harnesses to loop over a shoulder opposite of the load.

FIG. 2 shows the disclosed technology on the user's back, secured by the back buckle or connector 28. The harness is properly draped over the shoulders and crisscrossing the back as viewed from the rear.

Referring now to the invention in more detail, in FIG. 2, the back strap 28 is shown connecting the straps where the straps cross on the user's back.

FIG. 3 shows the lifting surfaces 16 wrapped around 180 degrees of the handles of the load, in this case the handles of a wheelbarrow. The user loosely grips the handles to secure the tacky end of the straps to the handle, by friction.

In more detail, still referring to the invention, in FIG. 3, the load is being held by the straps with the knees bent preparing to lift the load as viewed from a front angled perspective. The straps connect to the load handles by friction, with very little pressure from the hands being used to secure the ends 16 of the straps 12 and 14.

In FIG. 4, the user's hands are gripping under the left strap 12 so that the lifting surface 30 of the left strap first end 31 is against the load.

FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the harness assembled and spread out for reference, showing the left strap 12, with a first end 30 and a second end 32, the right strap 14, with a first end 24 and second end 26, with both straps having lifting surfaces 16 and 30. The straps are connected to each other with a left buckle or connector 20 and a right buckle 22, and the back strap 28.

FIG. 6 shows the disclosed lifting harness configured for use as a single strap looped around the user's shoulder and back.

While certain exemplary embodiments are shown in the Figures and described in this disclosure, it is to be distinctly understood that the presently disclosed inventive concept(s) is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A lifting harness comprising:

a left shoulder strap with a first end and a second end, with said first end extending from a point near the tip of a user's fingers on a left side, when said user is standing with arms and hands handing down in a relaxed position, over the top of a left shoulder, and across the user's back, with said second end ending at a position approximately at the user's waist on the right side, attached to a right shoulder strap;

a right shoulder strap with a first end and a second end, with said first end extending from a point near the tip of a user's fingers on a right side, when said user is standing with arms and hands handing down in a relaxed position, over the top of a right shoulder, and across the user's back, with said second end ending at a position approximately at the user's waist on the left side, attached to a left shoulder strap;

a left connector attached to the second end of the right shoulder strap and to the left shoulder strap first end, above the left strap first end; and

a right connector attached to the second end of the left shoulder strap and to the right shoulder strap first end, above the right second strap first end; wherein

said first ends of said straps are configured to wrap around a load and be secured by friction around said load with minimal hand pressure applied, and to be released by release of the user's hand grip around the load.

2. The lifting harness of claim in which said straps further comprise a high friction portion adjacent to said first ends of said straps, to increase the frictional positioning of said strap ends by the user's hand grip.

3. The lifting harness of claim 1 in which said first strap ends are configured to wrap around a load handle, such as handles of a wheel barrow.

4. The lifting harness of claim 2 in which said high friction portions are configured for frictional engagement and contact with each other under a load such that the worker's arms can reach around to overlap said high friction ends as in around a bag of feed.

5. The lifting harness of claim 1 in which further comprises a back buckle which connects the shoulder straps over the user's back.

6. The lifting harness of claim 1 in which said left and right connectors are replaced by hook and loop fasteners.

7. The lifting harness of claim 1 in which said left and right connections are adjustable.

8. The lifting harness of claim 1 in which one of said straps and one of said connector can be formed into a shoulder loop for lifting a load by a single strap.

9. A method of forming a lifting harness comprising the steps of:

connecting a second end of a right strap to a point near a first end of a left strap, leaving a free portion of said right strap for wrapping around a load and being held in place by a user's hand grip;

connecting a second end of said left strap to a point near a second end of said right strap, leaving a free portion of said left strap for wrapping around a load and being held in place by a user's hand grip;

with said straps dimensioned to extend from a user's waist on one side of his body, to over a user's shoulder, and across his back, and to said point near the first end of the opposite strap

wrapping said free ends of said straps around a load handle, and holding in place by the user's hand grip from each hand.