Patents by Inventor Stephen D. Shaver
Stephen D. Shaver has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 12350528Abstract: A fall-protection apparatus comprising at least one connector that comprises a resonant-frequency-shifting inductive sensing unit that is configured to detect whether the connector appears to be connected to a first item and is further configured to detect whether the connector appears to be connected to a second, different item.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2020Date of Patent: July 8, 2025Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Jonathan J. Lepp, Scott E. Brigham, Nathan W. Safe, Stephen D. Shaver
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Patent number: 12350529Abstract: A fall-protection safety harness including left and right shoulder straps and a waist strap, and a dorsal plate mounted on the left and right shoulder straps at a dorsal crossing point. A dorsal brace for use with such a harness, the brace comprising a self-locking fastener at the upper end of the dorsal brace. The fastener is fastenable, and self-locking, to the dorsal plate, and a lower end of the dorsal brace is connectable to the waist strap. Methods of equipping a safety harness with the dorsal brace.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2020Date of Patent: July 8, 2025Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Christopher S. McLeod, Nathan W. Safe, David A. Schlangen, Stephen D. Shaver
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Patent number: 12274899Abstract: A safety harness including first and second shoulder straps and a waist strap and a rigid dorsal force-transfer member with an upper end that is removably connected to the first and second shoulder straps at a dorsal crossing point of the first and second shoulder straps and with a lower end that is removably connected to a dorsal portion of the waist strap. Methods of removably equipping a safety harness with a rigid dorsal force-transfer member, and of removing a rigid dorsal force-transfer member from a safety harness.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2020Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Nathan W. Safe, Stephen D. Shaver
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Patent number: 12246199Abstract: The present disclosure provides a fall protection system. The fall protection system includes a lanyard defining a first end, a second end, and a third end. The lanyard includes a one-piece webbing including a first portion including the first end and a second portion including the second end. The second portion is continuous with the first portion at the third end. The lanyard further includes a main connected portion connecting the first portion to the second portion proximal to the third end. The fall protection system further includes a truss extending between the first portion and the second portion and connected to each of the first portion and the second portion. The truss is disposed proximal to the main connected portion, such that the main connected portion is disposed between the third end and the truss.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2023Date of Patent: March 11, 2025Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Kevin M. Thurk, Christopher S. McLeod, Nathan W. Safe, Stephen D. Shaver, Jared Hines, Steven McPherson
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Publication number: 20250058154Abstract: A fall-protection system including a harness and a fall-protection apparatus with a lifeline bearing a connector configured to be connected to the harness; and, a fall-protection monitoring system with a base unit and with at least one sensor module configured to sense a condition of the connector and to communicate a signal indicative of the condition of the connector to the base unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2024Publication date: February 20, 2025Inventors: Lauren K. Carlson, Scott E. Brigham, Christopher W. Coyle, Heidi Lopez-Hidalgo, Jonathan J. Lepp, Stephen D. Shaver, Jeffrey T. Keacher
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Patent number: 12179046Abstract: A fall-protection system including a harness and a fall-protection apparatus with a lifeline bearing a connector configured to be connected to the harness; and, a fall-protection monitoring system with a base unit and with at least one sensor module configured to sense a condition of the connector and to communicate a signal indicative of the condition of the connector to the base unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2023Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Lauren K. Carlson, Scott E. Brigham, Christopher W. Coyle, Heidi Lopez-Hidalgo, Jonathan J. Lepp, Stephen D. Shaver, Jeffrey T. Keacher
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Publication number: 20240100372Abstract: There is provided a suspension trauma relief strap assembly for use in a fall protection harness comprising: a first housing integrally mounted within one side of the fall protection harness and configured to hold a strap, where the strap has a first end and a second end, and where the first end is operably connected to the first housing and the second end includes a connector; and a connection mechanism disposed on a second side of the fall protection harness, where the connection mechanism is configured to connect with the connector to form a connection assembly. There is also provided fall protection harnesses including these suspension trauma relief strap assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2020Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Nathan W. Safe, Stephen D. Shaver, Christopher S. McLeod
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Publication number: 20240033546Abstract: A fall-protection system including a harness and a fall-protection apparatus with a lifeline bearing a connector configured to be connected to the harness; and, a fall-protection monitoring system with a base unit and with at least one sensor module configured to sense a condition of the connector and to communicate a signal indicative of the condition of the connector to the base unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: Lauren K. Carlson, Scott E. Brigham, Christopher W. Coyle, Heidi Lopez-Hidalgo, Jonathan J. Lepp, Stephen D. Shaver, Jeffrey T. Keacher
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Patent number: 11819714Abstract: A fall-protection system including a harness and a fall-protection apparatus with a lifeline bearing a connector configured to be connected to the harness; and, a fall-protection monitoring system with a base unit and with at least one sensor module configured to sense a condition of the connector and to communicate a signal indicative of the condition of the connector to the base unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2023Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Lauren K. Carlson, Scott E. Brigham, Christopher W. Coyle, Heidi Lopez-Hidalgo, Jonathan J. Lepp, Stephen D. Shaver, Jeffrey T. Keacher
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Publication number: 20230347190Abstract: The present disclosure provides a fall protection system. The fall protection system includes a lanyard defining a first end, a second end, and a third end. The lanyard includes a one-piece webbing including a first portion including the first end and a second portion including the second end. The second portion is continuous with the first portion at the third end. The lanyard further includes a main connected portion connecting the first portion to the second portion proximal to the third end. The fall protection system further includes a truss extending between the first portion and the second portion and connected to each of the first portion and the second portion. The truss is disposed proximal to the main connected portion, such that the main connected portion is disposed between the third end and the truss.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Kevin M. Thurk, Christopher S. McLeod, Nathan W. Safe, Stephen D. Shaver, Jared Hines, Steven McPherson
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Publication number: 20230320463Abstract: A fall-protection safety harness with first and second ventral straps and with a ventral buckle that is at least generally aligned with a sagittal plane of the user. At the sagittal buckle, a section of the first ventral strap is in overlapping relation with a section of the second ventral strap.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2021Publication date: October 12, 2023Inventors: Michael T. Weiss, Stephen D. Shaver, Nathan W. Safe
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Publication number: 20230302309Abstract: A fall-protection safety harness with first and second ventral straps and with a ventral buckle that is at least generally aligned with a sagittal plane of the user, wherein the ventral buckle comprises first and second buckle portions mounted on the first and second ventral straps, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2021Publication date: September 28, 2023Inventors: Michael T. Weiss, Nathan W. Safe, Stephen D. Shaver
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Publication number: 20230218934Abstract: A fall-protection system including a harness and a fall-protection apparatus with a lifeline bearing a connector configured to be connected to the harness; and, a fall-protection monitoring system with a base unit and with at least one sensor module configured to sense a condition of the connector and to communicate a signal indicative of the condition of the connector to the base unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: Lauren K. Carlson, Scott E. Brigham, Christopher W. Coyle, Heidi Lopez-Hidalgo, Jonathan J. Lepp, Stephen D. Shaver, Jeffrey T. Keacher
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Patent number: 11633632Abstract: A fall-protection system including a harness and a fall-protection apparatus with a lifeline bearing a connector configured to be connected to the harness; and, a fall-protection monitoring system with a base unit and with at least one sensor module configured to sense a condition of the connector and to communicate a signal indicative of the condition of the connector to the base unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2020Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Lauren K. Carlson, Scott E. Brigham, Christopher W. Coyle, Heidi A. Lopez-Hidalgo, Jonathan J. Lepp, Stephen D. Shaver, Jeffrey T. Keacher
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Publication number: 20220355134Abstract: A fall-protection safety harness including left and right shoulder straps and a waist strap, and a dorsal plate mounted on the left and right shoulder straps at a dorsal crossing point. A dorsal brace for use with such a harness, the brace comprising a self-locking fastener at the upper end of the dorsal brace. The fastener is fastenable, and self-locking, to the dorsal plate, and a lower end of the dorsal brace is connectable to the waist strap. Methods of equipping a safety harness with the dorsal brace.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2020Publication date: November 10, 2022Inventors: Christopher S. McLeod, Nathan W. Safe, David A. Schlangen, Stephen D. Shaver
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Publication number: 20220266075Abstract: A fall-protection apparatus comprising at least one connector that comprises a resonant-frequency-shifting inductive sensing unit that is configured to detect whether the connector appears to be connected to a first item and is further configured to detect whether the connector appears to be connected to a second, different item.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2020Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Jonathan J. Lepp, Scott E. Brigham, Nathan W. Safe, Stephen D. Shaver
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Publication number: 20220134149Abstract: A fall-protection system including a harness and a fall-protection apparatus with a lifeline bearing a connector configured to be connected to the harness; and, a fall-protection monitoring system with a base unit and with at least one sensor module configured to sense a condition of the connector and to communicate a signal indicative of the condition of the connector to the base unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2020Publication date: May 5, 2022Inventors: Lauren K. Carlson, Scott E. Brigham, Christopher W. Coyle, Heidi A. Lopez-Hidalgo, Jonathan J. Lepp, Stephen D. Shaver, Jeffrey T. Keacher
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Publication number: 20220080233Abstract: A safety harness including first and second shoulder straps and a waist strap and a rigid dorsal force-transfer member with an upper end that is removably connected to the first and second shoulder straps at a dorsal crossing point of the first and second shoulder straps and with a lower end that is removably connected to a dorsal portion of the waist strap. Methods of removably equipping a safety harness with a rigid dorsal force-transfer member, and of removing a rigid dorsal force-transfer member from a safety harness.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2020Publication date: March 17, 2022Inventors: Nathan W. SAFE, Stephen D. Shaver
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Publication number: 20210346739Abstract: A fall-protection assembly comprising a lanyard and a rigid fastener that are connected to each other by a soft, endless connector that is non-removably connected to the lanyard and that is removably connected to the rigid fastener.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2019Publication date: November 11, 2021Inventors: Stephen D. Shaver, Nathan W. Safe, Peter L. Olson
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Publication number: 20200206549Abstract: A connector for coupling fall arresting devices to a safety harness. The connector includes a ring that encircles a space configured to receive at least one strap of the safety harness, a first connector member configured to receive a first fall arresting device, and a second connector member configured to receive a second fall arresting device. The ring includes a lateral member, a first side member coupled to a first end of the lateral member, and a second side member coupled to a second end of the lateral member that is opposite the first end. The first connector member is integrally formed with the lateral member, first side member, and second side member.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2018Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Stephen D. Shaver, Judd J. Perner