| 摘要 |
A fall protection lanyard apparatus for use in transferring loads in an elevated environment is disclosed. The fall protection lanyard may be connected to a load and used to safely transfer a human or nonhuman load in an elevated environment, such as from an airborne rotorcraft to an adjacent structure while providing fall protection for the load and emergency release capabilities for the aircraft. The lanyard apparatus provides total fall protection for the load throughout the transfer process without restricting or otherwise limiting available emergency flight options/maneuvers by incorporating an emergency release that automatically activates on demand. In a preferred embodiment, the fall protection lanyard apparatus includes first and second load-bearing lanyards, each terminating in a free end incorporating a hook or carabiner. The competing concerns of fall protection (for the load) and on-demand emergency release (for the aircraft) are each enabled by providing the first lanyard with a quick release mechanism and the second lanyard with a limited slip mechanism. Each lanyard is preferably attached to a common point, such as a load bearing steel O-ring, which in turn is attached to a safety harness which secures the load. The first lanyard incorporates a quick-release mechanism, which, upon activation, results in the separation of the hook and free end portion thereof. The second lanyard incorporates a mechanism for activating the quick-release upon application of a predetermined force thereon. The lanyard apparatus provides total fall protection during the transfer of a load to a structure in any elevated environment while providing an on-demand quick-release in emergency situations.
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