Wearable inflating system and apparatus for automatically arresting falls through gaps in structures, and method of use

Abstract

An inflatable fall arrest and fall protection safety system generally having one or more inflatable apparatus attached to a belt or other suitable wearable support structure that can be worn by a user. When the user falls, one or more directional inertia activated inflation devices trigger one or more inflators to inflate the one or more inflatable apparatus such that they protect the falling user in the given situation. The inflatable fall arrest and fall protection safety system can be used for work that is performed at dangerous heights, for example pipe rack or scaffolding construction, as well as to protect people who are prone to falling, or any situation in which protection from falling could be desired.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inflatable personal fall protection apparatus for arresting downward motion during a fall by wedging a wearer of the inflatable personal fall protection apparatus between elevated structures, said inflatable personal fall protection apparatus comprising:
 a harness comprising:
 at least one shoulder strap, at least one crotch strap, or a combination thereof; 
   a support structure mechanically engaged with the harness, said support structure comprising:
 an elongate member comprising two ends and an elastic portion; 
   an inflatable apparatus comprising:
   an outer containment comprising a low-elasticity flexible material defining an undivided inner space and a tubular shape, said outer containment being transitionable from a first unexpanded configuration to a second expanded configuration, in the second expanded configuration the outer containment being expanded from the first unexpanded configuration to a dimensionally stable configuration having substantially fixed interior volume defined by the undivided inner space, the outer containment forming a toroidal shape when expanded to said substantially fixed interior volume;   a plurality of bladders comprising an elastic material configured to receive a volume of pressurized gas, said plurality of bladders being transitionable from a first un-inflated configuration to a second inflated configuration, and wherein said plurality of bladders are distributed throughout the undivided inner space, whereby transition of the plurality of bladders to the second inflated configuration causes the outer containment to transition to the second expanded configuration;   
 an activation circuit system comprising:
 at least one inflator in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of bladders, wherein said at least one inflator is configured to transfer a volume of pressurized gas to at least one of the plurality of bladders; 
 an accelerometer for detecting aspects of motion; 
 a processor for evaluating said aspects of motion and for controlling the inflation activation mechanism system; 
 a power source for providing electrical power to the activation circuit system; and 
 an electrical connection between at least the accelerometer, the processor, the power source, the at least one inflator, and combinations thereof, wherein the electrical connection is configured to cause the at least one inflator to transfer said volume of pressurized gas into at least one of the plurality of bladders in response to a signal from the processor; 
 
   wherein the outer containment is caused to expand to the dimensionally stable configuration upon inflation of the plurality of bladders by the inflation system.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein after the outer containment expands to said substantially fixed interior volume increased pressure does not substantially increase said substantially fixed interior volume of the outer containment until a yield point of the low-elasticity flexible material is reached. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said low-elasticity flexible material is puncture-resistant. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the outer containment, the plurality of bladders, and combinations thereof is in a rolled condition, a folded condition, and combinations thereof when the plurality of bladders are in the first un-inflated configuration and the outer containment is in the first unexpanded configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a valve positioned between at least one of the plurality of bladders and the at least one inflator, said valve configured to prevent the pressurized gas from returning to the at least one inflator after being transferred to at least one of the plurality of bladders. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a transponder connected to at least a portion of the activation circuit system, wherein the transponder is configured to communicate information from the inflatable personal fall protection apparatus to a remote location. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one inflator comprises at least one inflator selected from the group consisting of:
 a compressed gas inflator;   an inflator comprising a plurality of compounds, wherein said plurality of compounds, when mixed, generate gas; or   a solid-propellant inflator.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover removably securable to the support structure at at least one point along the length of the support structure, whereby the cover may envelop a portion of the outer containment, wherein the cover detaches from the support structure upon transition of the outer containment from the first unexpanded configuration to the second expanded configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising the at least one inflator configured to cause inflation of the plurality of bladders first from a predetermined rear position in progression to at last a predetermined front position. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein hosing defining a flowpath between at least one of the at least one inflator and at least one of the plurality of bladders enables at least one of the plurality of bladders to move within the undivided inner space. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein inflation of a plurality of remaining inflated bladders is sufficient to maintain the outer containment in the dimensionally stable configuration in the event of the failure of one or more of the plurality of bladders. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the outer containment comprises a toroid with an outer diameter of between 12 inches and 60 inches, inclusive, when the outer containment is in the second expanded configuration. 
     
     
         13 . An inflatable personal fall protection apparatus for arresting downward motion during a fall by wedging a wearer of the apparatus between elevated structures, said inflatable personal fall protection apparatus comprising:
 a harness comprising:
 at least one shoulder strap, at least one crotch strap, or a combination thereof; 
 an elongate member mechanically engaging the harness, said elongate member having a length, said elongate member comprising:
 an elastic portion extending along the length of the elongate member; 
 two ends; and 
 an attachment located at the two ends, said attachment configured to allow the two ends to be releasably coupled together; 
 
   an inflatable apparatus comprising:
   an outer containment mechanically engaged with the elongate member along the length of the elongate member, said outer containment comprising a low-elasticity, flexible material defining an undivided inner space, said outer containment expandable to a dimensionally stable configuration having substantially fixed interior volume, wherein when expanded to said substantially fixed interior volume the outer containment comprises a toroidal shape; and   at least one bladder comprising an elastic material configured to receive a volume of pressurized gas, said at least one bladder retained inside of said undivided inner space, and whereby receipt of the volume of pressurized gas causes the at least one bladder to inflate, thereby causing the outer containment to expand to the substantially fixed interior volume ; and   
   an activation circuit system comprising:
 at least one inflator in fluid communication with at least one of the at least one bladder; 
 an accelerometer for detecting aspects of motion; 
 a processor for evaluating said aspects of motion and for controlling the activation circuit system; 
 a power source for providing electrical power to the activation circuit system; and 
 an electrical connection between at least the accelerometer, the processor, the power source, the at least one inflator and combinations thereof, wherein said electrical connection is configured to cause at the at least one inflator to transfer a volume of pressurized gas to the at least one bladder in response to a signal from the processor; 
   wherein the outer containment is caused to expand to the dimensionally stable configuration upon inflation of the plurality of bladders by the inflation system.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the outer containment, the at least one bladder, and combinations thereof is in a rolled condition, a folded condition and combinations thereof when the at least one bladder is in an un-inflated configuration and the outer containment is in an unexpanded configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein after the outer containment expands to said substantially fixed interior volume increased pressure does not substantially increase said substantially fixed interior volume of said outer containment until a yield point of said low-elasticity flexible material is reached. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a cover removably securable to the elongate member at at least one point along the length of the elongate member, wherein said cover detaches from the elongate member when the outer containment is expanded to said substantially fixed interior volume. 
     
     
         17 . A method for arresting a fall of a person using an inflatable personal fall protection apparatus, the method comprising:
 monitoring, via at least one sensor, aspects of motion of the inflatable personal fall protection apparatus;   transmitting information signals corresponding to the aspects of motion from the at least one sensor to a processor;   determining, via the processor, if the information signals corresponding to the aspects of motion represent aspects of motion exceeding predetermined thresholds;   transmitting an activation signal, from the processor to at least one inflator and a transponder responsive to a positive determining, activating the at least one inflator responsive to receipt of the activation signal;   activating the transponder responsive to receipt of the activation signal;   inflating a plurality of bladders with a volume of pressurized gas responsive to the activation of the at least one inflator;   expanding an outer containment responsive to the inflating of a plurality of bladders;   wedging the expanded outer containment into a gap between structures;   suspending the apparatus above an unarrested falling point due to the wedging of the expanded outer containment; and   transmitting, via the transponder, a broadcast signal to a remote device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the broadcast signal comprises information related to the location of the inflatable personal fall protection apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of activating the at least one inflator responsive to the receipt of the activation signal comprises the activating a plurality of inflators, and wherein the activating a plurality of inflators occurs in stages according to a predetermined inflation sequence. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the steps of:
 receiving the broadcast signal at a remote device; and 
 assisting the person using the inflatable personal fall protection apparatus from their suspended position.