Karabiner

Abstract

A karabiner including a generally C-shaped body having opposed free ends with a gap therebetween and a gate for closing the gap through constraint. The gate is formed of a wire member located on one free end of the body and includes a shaped free end. The other free end of the body is configured to receive the shaped free end of the gate, and includes a shape that corresponds substantially with the shape of the shaped end of the gate. In one embodiment, the loop is oriented substantially transversely to the plane of the karabiner body, and in another embodiment, the second free end of the body includes a recessed seat. A locking means on the gate or karabiner body is also disclosed.

1 . A karabiner comprising: 
 a generally C-shaped body having opposed free ends with a gap therebetween; and    a gate for closing the gap such that it is constrained to close the gap;    wherein the gate is formed of a wire member located on one free end of the body, the gate being in the form of a loop oriented substantially transversely to a plane, in which the karabiner body lies, and having a shaped free end,    wherein the other free end of the body has a slot for receiving the shaped free end of the gate and shaped to correspond substantially with the shape of the shaped end of the gate.    
   
   
       2 . The karabiner of  claim 1 , wherein the slot has a peg therein over which the loop locates.  
   
   
       3 . The karabiner of  claim 2 , wherein the peg has a surface adapted to engage the gate end, the surface being in a plane substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the gate.  
   
   
       4 . The karabiner of  claim 3 , wherein the free ends of the body are adapted to be drawn inwards and to cause the surface to slope upwards in the direction of the opening of the gate when loads are applied to opposite ends of the karabiner body.  
   
   
       5 . The karabiner of  claim 1 , wherein the gate is formed by a wire that is bent and has each free end further bent inwards towards the other to locate in a different hole on opposite sides of the free end of the body, one hole spaced above the other hole.  
   
   
       6 . The karabiner of  claim 1 , wherein the gate is shaped by one of folding and bending the wire to form a shaped end at a free end.  
   
   
       7 . The karabiner of  claim 6 , wherein the end of the gate is bent over sideways.  
   
   
       8 . The karabiner of  claim 1 , wherein the loop at the end of the gate is enlarged.  
   
   
       9 . The karabiner of  claim 1 , wherein, from the free end of the body, the slot includes a first narrow part to accommodate the wire gate and leading to a wider second part to accommodate the shaped end of the gate.  
   
   
       10 . The karabiner of  claim 9 , wherein a ledge is provided between the wide and narrow parts of the slot.  
   
   
       11 . The karabiner of  claim 10 , wherein the ledge is in a plane substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the gate.  
   
   
       12 . The karabiner of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the gate and the free end of the body carries additional locking means for use when the gate is closed.  
   
   
       13 . The karabiner of  claim 12 , wherein a thimble is provided on the gate that can be moved up the gate to overlap at least partially the free end of the body.  
   
   
       14 . The karabiner of  claim 13 , wherein an outwardly screw-threaded sleeve is provided on the gate and an internally screw-threaded thimble is provided on the sleeve.  
   
   
       15 . The karabiner of  claim 12 , wherein a locking ring is mounted rotatably on the free end of the body, the ring having a slot therein, whereby in one position the gate can pass through the slot of the ring for its shaped end to locate in the slot of the free end of the body, and by rotating the ring, the slot therein is no longer accessible to the gate.  
   
   
       16 . The karabiner of  claim 12 , wherein the gate is provided with a slidable locking member.  
   
   
       17 . The karabiner of  claim 16 , wherein the locking member is slidable upwards when the gate is closed, the locking member having a finger that extends over the opposite side of the body to that of the slot opening to prevent the gate from being pushed open.  
   
   
       18 . The karabiner of  claim 12 , further comprising a locking pin that is insertable through the free end of the body of the karabiner and one of into and through the end of the gate to prevent it from being pushed open.  
   
   
       19 . The karabiner of  claim 18 , wherein the locking pin is on at least one of a flexible and spring-biased tab attached to the gate.  
   
   
       20 . The karabiner of  claim 18 , wherein the pin is rotatably mounted in the slot of the free end of the body between a first position, wherein a lip on the end of the pin can pass through a loop of the wire gate, and a second position, wherein the lip retains the loop of the gate in the slot.  
   
   
       21 . The karabiner of  claim 1 , wherein the slot of the free end of the body faces inwards towards the body of the karabiner.  
   
   
       22 . The karabiner of  claim 1 , wherein the slot is on the side of the free end of the body.  
   
   
       23 . A karabiner comprising: 
 a generally C-shaped body having opposed free ends with a gap therebetween; and    a gate for closing the gap such that it is constrained to close the gap;    wherein the gate is formed of a wire member located on one free end of the body, the gate being in the form of a loop having a shaped free end; and    wherein the other free end of the body has a recessed seat for receiving the shaped free end of the gate and shaped to correspond substantially with the shaped end of the gate.    
   
   
       24 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein the recessed seat is in a substantially horseshoe shape.  
   
   
       25 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein the recessed seat is at least partially bounded by at least one wall, such that when the gate is in a closed position and the shaped free end of the loop is contacting the recessed seat, the at least one wall protects at least an end portion of the shaped free end of the loop from contact.  
   
   
       26 . The karabiner of  claim 25 , wherein the contact of the at least one wall protects the end portion of the shaped free end of the loop from is at least one of rope contact, line contact, impact, substantially sideward impact and outward object impact.  
   
   
       27 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein the free end of the body having the recessed seat further comprises: 
 an outer wall configured to at least partially bound an outer side of an end portion of the loop when the gate is in a closed position and the shaped free end of the loop is contacting the recessed seat; and    an inner wall configured to at least partially bound an inner side of the end portion of the loop when the gate is in a closed position and the shaped free end of the loop is contacting the recessed seat.    
   
   
       28 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein the free end of the body having the recessed seat includes at least one outer wall positioned substantially adjacent the recessed seat and configured to at least partially shroud an end portion of the loop when the gate is in a closed position and the shaped free end of the loop is contacting the recessed seat.  
   
   
       29 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein the free end of the body having the recessed seat includes at least one inner wall positioned substantially adjacent the recessed seat and configured to receive the shaped free end of the loop thereover, such that the when the gate is in a closed position and the shaped free end of the loop is contacting the recessed seat, the shaped free end of the loop at least partially surrounds the inner wall.  
   
   
       30 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein the recessed seat includes a shaped groove at a base portion thereof, the shaped groove shaped to correspond substantially to an end portion of the shaped free end of the loop.  
   
   
       31 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein the free end of the body having the recessed seat comprises at least one outer wall, such that when the gate is in a closed position and the shaped free end of the loop is contacting the recessed seat, the at least one wall protects at least an end portion of the shaped free end of the loop from contact.  
   
   
       32 . The karabiner of  claim 31 , wherein the contact of the at least one outer wall protects the end portion of the shaped free end of the loop from is at least one of rope contact, line contact, impact, substantially sideward impact and outward object impact.  
   
   
       33 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein the free end of the body having the recessed seat includes at least one wall at least partially surrounding the recessed seat, such that recessed seat is at least partially bounded and in a substantially horseshoe shape.  
   
   
       34 . The karabiner of  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the gate and the free end of the body carries additional locking means for use when the gate is closed.  
   
   
       35 . The karabiner of  claim 34 , wherein a thimble is provided on the gate that can be moved up the gate to overlap at least partially the free end of the body.  
   
   
       36 . The karabiner of  claim 35 , wherein an outwardly screw-threaded sleeve is provided on the gate and an internally screw-threaded thimble is provided on the sleeve.  
   
   
       37 . The karabiner of  claim 34 , wherein a locking ring is mounted rotatably on the free end of the body, the ring having a slot therein, whereby in one position the gate can pass through the slot of the ring for its shaped end to locate in the slot of the free end of the body, and then by rotating the ring, the slot therein is no longer accessible to the gate.  
   
   
       38 . The karabiner of  claim 34 , wherein the gate is provided with a slideable locking member.  
   
   
       39 . The karabiner of  claim 38 , wherein the locking member is slideable upwards when the gate is closed, the locking member having a finger that extends over the opposite side of the body to that of the slot opening to prevent the gate from being pushed open.  
   
   
       40 . The karabiner of  claim 34 , further comprising a locking pin that is insertable through the free end of the body of the karabiner and one of into and through the end of the gate to prevent it from being pushed open.  
   
   
       41 . The karabiner of  claim 40 , wherein the locking pin is on at least one of a flexible and spring-biased tab attached to the gate.  
   
   
       42 . The karabiner of  claim 40 , wherein the pin is rotatably mounted in the slot of the free end of the body between a first position, wherein a lip on the end of the pin can pass through a loop of the wire gate, and a second position, wherein the lip retains the loop of the gate in the slot.