WO2017171559A1

WO2017171559A1 - Safety device for equestrian obstacles

Info

Publication number: WO2017171559A1
Application number: PCT/NO2017/050078
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bendik BØ
Original assignee: Inventu As
Priority date: 2016-03-30
Filing date: 2017-03-30
Publication date: 2017-10-05
Also published as: NO20160502A1; NO341432B1

Abstract

A safety device comprising two plates (1,2) that may slide against each other in a pivoting movement about a pivoting axis (5) and wherein the safety device comprises a regulating breaking device (6) for the rotational movement between the plates (1,2), placed on an obstacle carrier (7) for equestrian sports for holding the obstacle (4) and being activated by being affected by forces directed at an angle toward the obstacle from above, may prevent accidents and injuries from happening within equestrian sports by allowing the obstacle to be knocked down by such an application of force as well.

Description

SAFETY DEVICE FOR EQUESTRIAN OBSTACLES

Ambit of the Invention The present invention concerns a safety device for obstacles in equestrian sports wherein said safety device comprises at least two plates 1,2, called the forward plate 1 and the rear plate 2, that may slide against each other, wherein one of the plates called the forward plate 1 comprises at least one holder 3 for carrying a jump obstacle such as a horizontal bar 4, and where between the forward plate 1 and the rear plate 2 is located a pivot axis 5 for the forward plate 1 against the rear plate 2 for mutual rotation between the plates 1,2, and where there between the plates 1,2 is present at least one device 6 that may reduce the rotational movement between the plates 1,2 and wherein the rear plate 2 comprises devices 17 for securing the safety device to a vertical pole 7.

The present invention concerns a safety device for hurdles and obstacles in equestrian sports, the safety device comprising at least two plates that may slide against each other, wherein one of the plates, called the forward plate, comprises at least one rest for holding a hurdle, bar or obstacle, and wherein, below this rest, there is located a pivot axis for both plates for mutual rotation between the plates, and where, between the plates, is located at least one device that is able to break the rotational movement between the plates, and wherein the second plate, called the rear plate, comprises devices for securing the safety device to a stand for a hurdle or obstacle.

Background for the Invention

Within jump and hurdle equestrian sports, obstacles are used over which the competing horses are to jump. Normally such obstacles include two stands being placed facing each other across a point in the obstacle course, and where across said stands runs a jump bar such as an elevated bar over which the competing horses are to jump without knocking down the bar. Conventionally such jumping obstacles are held in a rigid holder located on each pole wherein the jumping bar is resting loosely in the relevant holder inside a locator being weakly curved upwards and being open at its top so that the jump obstacle may be torn down from the holders by an upward or mainly horizontal force dislocating the bar from its position in the holder and possibly knocking it down. However, since the holders are rigid, they are not equipped to liberate the obstacle unhindered if they are exerted forces attacking directly or at a skewed angle from above. Such an attack angle may arise if the front legs of the horse have cleared the obstacle/bar, but where the jump is too short so that the rear legs of the horse are hooked by the upper part of the obstacle/bar on the way down in the jump. It has also happened that the horse has jumped too short and landed atop the obstacle. In such cases the attack angle on the obstacle/bar is less skewed, i.e. the attack angle against the obstacle is less horizontally directed, but the attack force still has a component in the forward direction because the horse is moving forward in the jump so that the obstacle rarely is loaded directly and vertically from above. The consequence of using rigid holders has thus been that it is possible for a horse to stumble in the obstacle and fall and possibly throw off the rider. Such a stumbling in the middle of a jump is dangerous because the horse may become injured, the rider may become injured and/or the jumping obstacle including the holding poles may be torn down since the obstacles in such situations are not torn down in the intended way by the obstacles not being flipped out of their resting places in the holders.

Consequently there exists a need for a safety device for such holders, wherein the safety device also is activated by forces acting skewed from above or from the side (with "skewed from above" is meant a vertical downwards acting force that does not attack directly vertically on the obstacle, but that has a vertical force component as well). General Disclosure of the Invention

The device according to the present invention will be disclosed infra in greater detail with reference to the accompanying figure showing a construction of an embodiment of a safety device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows the location of an embodiment of a safety device according to the invention placed in a holder.

Fig. 2 shows in cross section an embodiment of a mechanical break device postponing the activation of the safety device according to the invention.

The safety device according to the invention comprises at least two plates 1,2 that may slide against each other, wherein one of the plates 1, called the forward plate, comprises at least one socket 3 for a vault obstacle 4, and wherein beneath this socket 3 there is located a pivot axis 5 for both the plates 1,2 for reciprocal rotation between the plates 1,2 and wherein between the plates 1,2 there is located at least one device 6 that may break the rotational movement between the plates 1,2, and wherein the second plate, called the rear plate 2, comprises devices for securing the safety device to an obstacle pole 7.

In the depicted embodiment of a safety device according to the invention the device 6 which breaks the sliding movement between the plates 1,2, also called a break device, comprises a holder 9 for a ball 10. The ball 10 runs internally inside the holder 9 and is loaded internally inside the holder 9 by a spring 11, the ball 10 protruding from the rear surface of the forward plate 1 and cooperating with a socket 12 in the rear plate so that the plates 1,2 are maintained in a mutual secure position when the ball 10 in the forward plate 1 rests in its socket 12 in the rear plate 2, but wherein the plates 1,2 will rotate mutually about the rotation axis 5 when the pressing force on the ball 10 from the spring 11 is overloaded.

The rotation axis 5 is located below and at a distance from the holder 3, the location of the rotation axis 5 influencing how easy it is to rotate the plates against each other at a fixed load on the breaking device 6. The breaking device 6 may be located beneath, above or inside the rotation axis 5, but must lie beneath the holder 3 for the obstacle 4 since the safety device is to be activated when it is subjected to a skewed downwards directed force. In a possible embodiment of the mechanical breaking device 6, the holder 9 may be equipped with external threads 13. Above the holder 9 in this embodiment of the breaking device 6, there is located a sheath 14 that comprises internally a piston 15 abutting the spring 11 and that may cooperate at its other end with the top of the sheath 14. The sheath 14 is internally equipped with threads cooperating with the external threads 13 in the ball holder 9. By rotating the sheath 14 the sheath 14 may be forwarded inwards towards the forwards plate 1 thereby to compress the spring 11 and increase the load on the ball 10 so that this is pressed more firmly against the socket 12 in the rear plate 2, or the sheath 14 may be rotated so that the sheath 14 moves outwards and thereby lessens the tightening of the spring 11 against the ball 10. In this way the activating force of the safety device according to the invention may be regulated. The adjustment of the breaking device 6 may be done stepwise or continuously and optionally by arranging symbols on or in connection with the breaking device for indicating the degree of tightening on the breaking device 6.

However, it is not necessary for the functioning of the safety device according to the invention to provide such an adjustment possibility in the breaking device for the safety device according to the invention to work; even if it is preferred that such an adjustment device is present. Since the weight of a horse and rider and the force being exerted on the obstacle 4 to a certain extent may vary, inter alia depending on the type of horse, the combined weight of horse and rider, the affecting angle for activating the safety device according to the invention (it is preferred that the safety device according to the invention is not to become activated at a "normal" flipping of the obstacle 4 at the action of a force from below or horizontally as explained supra) etc., it is advantageous that the activating force for the safety device according to the invention is adjustable so that it may be used under different conditions such as during amateur competitions, for learning purposes, during international equestrian showjumping competitions, etc. wherein the activating force for the safety device according to the invention has to be different depending on the conditions under which it is used. It is thus preferred that the activating force for the safety device preferably lies within the interval 0.001 - 1000 Newton, more preferred 0.001 - 500 Newton, e.g. within 0.001 - 100 Newton, 0.001 - 70 Newton, 0.001 - 50 Newton, 0.001 - 5 Newton, even if the upper and lower limits do not represent any absolute limits since the activating force is to be determined by the person skilled in the art, such as a judge or trainer in equestrian sports.

The activating/breaking device 6 in the safety device according to the invention may be equipped with indications for the activating strength for the activation of the activation/breaking device 6 based on the regulation of the tightening sheath 16 or based on the current being fed through possible electromagnets or based on the breaking strength of possible breaking pegs. If safety devices are used without any adjustment possibilities, safety devices may be produced and sold with a set activation strength, but where the activation strength may vary from device to device so that safety devices are sold which are adjusted to fit the relevant use area without adjustment possibilities. For this reason the safety device according to the invention may be equipped with permanent magnets as a breaking device if it is desired to use magnetism as a breaking opportunity. In such an embodiment, one or more magnets above, about or under the pivot axis 5 may be included in the safety device according to the invention, where the plates 1,2 are kept in their starting position for bearing the obstacle 4 in the holder or carrier 3 by the magnets being placed with their north poles facing the south poles adjacent each other in the rear surface of the forward plate 1 and the forward surface of the rear plate 2. The same goes for the embodiments using electromagnets.

It is possible to equip the safety device according to the invention with one or a number of equal or different activating/breaking devices 6.

Since the rear plate 2 is secured to the stand 7 via the security devices 8, the forward plate 1 will, at such an effect as explained supra, rotate about the pivoting axis 5 and ensure that the obstacle 4 falls out of the socket 3. The possibility for the obstacle 4 to be pressed against the socket 3 is in this way avoided when the force on the obstacle 7 is larger than the breaking force exerted on the rotation preventer 6.

The rotation preventing device 6 is, in the embodiment explained supra, disclosed as a spring-loaded ball 10 protruding from the rear surface in the forward plate 1, and which cooperates with a dent 12 in the forward surface of the rear plate 2. However, it is not necessary for the rotation preventer to work in this way. It is also possible e.g. to prevent the plates 1,2 from rotating freely about the pivoting axis 5 by equipping the plates 1,2 with reciprocally-acting magnets or

electromagnets for preventing the rotation between the plates 1,2 until the magnetic force is overcome. In a simple alternative embodiment, the rotational preventing device may be a breaking peg that is broken or cut when loaded past its breaking strength. In such an embodiment the rotation-preventing device 6 may be comprised of a hole running reciprocally through the plates 1,2 and where the breaking peg is placed inside this hole.

In yet another embodiment, the rotation-preventing device 6 may be located in the rotation axis itself and then optionally with corresponding devices as explained supra (ball/socket, magnets/electromagnet, breaking pegs) so that the releasing device for the safety device according to the invention may then be adjusted directly through the devices inside or about the pivot axis 5. However, it is preferred that the rotation-preventing device is comprised of a separate device outside the rotation axis 5 because this makes it easier to structure the rotation- hampering device 6 as a load-adjustable device wherein the activation force may be adjusted and selected while the construction of the safety device according to the invention may be made simpler to produce and maintain. As an example, in the embodiment using a mechanically functioning rotation- preventing device 6 as disclosed supra, the spring 11 and the rotation-preventing device are loosened or tightened for adjusting the force whereby the plates 1,2 are allowed to slide against each other. This may be done by equipping the holder for the ball inside the rotation preventer with threads 9,16 that may bring the tightening sheath 14 closer to the holder 9 for the ball 10 and thus tighten the spring 11 inside the rotation preventer 6. In the embodiment wherein the rotation preventer uses electromagnets, the holding force in the rotation preventer may be adjusted by e.g. increasing or decreasing the amperage through the electromagnets. In the embodiment wherein the rotation preventer comprises a breaking peg, the adjustment of the holding force in the rotation preventer may be adjusted by changing the diameter and/or material of the breaking peg(s).

If the rotation preventer is placed inside the pivoting axis 5, the activating force may be adjusted by e.g. structuring the rotation axis 5 as a cone equipped with an opposite coning sheath wherein the rotational resistance may be adjusted by pressing these cones against each other, either stepwise or by the inner surface of the cones being equipped with spring-loaded balls/ball bearings cooperating with dents in the reciprocal coning surface as explained supra, or smoothly by increasing or reducing the friction resistance between the coning surfaces by equipping the pivoting axis 5 with a tightening device.

The rear plate 2 carries on its backside facing the stand 7 mounted conventional securing devices 8 for securing the safety device according to the invention to the stand or pole 7. The rotation preventer has been called "preventer" but an equally appropriate name might be "activator", because when the safety device according to the invention is to be activated, i.e. from which load the plates 1,2 are to be activated for sliding in a rotating manner against each other about the pivoting axis 5 for liberating the obstacle 4 lying in the socket 3. It is disclosed supra that the safety device according to the invention comprises an activator, but it is also possible to equip the safety device according to the invention with more than one activator, even if it is preferred that the safety device only has one activator. The horse jumping obstacle 4 may be any horse jumping obstacle that is used within such sports. The obstacle may be comprised by a bar or a larger obstacle such as a wall or several logs being stacked on top of or above each other. In such cases there may be used a safety device according to the invention for the entire obstacle or for the parts of the obstacle that are carried by the stand or pole 7. It is preferred that a safety device according to the invention is placed on each of the stands 7 for at least securing the uppermost obstacle 4 in an obstacle assembly to the stands 7. It is also preferred that the safety devices according to the invention are used in pairs, one on each stand 7 holding the obstacle 4 in place, even if it is possible to use safety devices according to the invention separately and to mix different embodiments of the safety device by using different embodiments on opposite stands 7.

The materials that may be used in the safety device according to the invention may be selected by the person skilled in the art. However, the materials being used have to withstand the relevant loads that the safety device may be subjected to. Since a horse and rider e.g. may weigh about 700 kg (depending on horse and rider) and that it is advantageous that the safety device according to the invention does not require too much space, it is preferred to use metal such as steel in the device or alternatively or additionally hard plastic that may withstand the relevant loads.

The securing devices 8 between the stand 7 and the rear plate 2 of the safety device according to the invention may be of a conventional type, e.g. protruding knobs with tracks cooperating with coned openings in the stand 7 for securing the rear plate 2 of the safety device according to the invention in a loose manner to the stand 7. Such coning openings in the stand 7 are located at different heights for determining the height above the ground of the obstacle 4 over which the horse is to jump.

EXAMPLES Example 1 This example concerns the embodiment that is depicted in Figure 1. In this embodiment both plates 1,2 are equally large. The function of the safety device according to the invention is, however, not dependent on the size of the plates 1,2 being equal as long as the plates 1,2 comprise the structures that have been explained supra (obstacle holder 4, pivot axis 5, possible breaking device 6, securing structure(s) 8). The material of the plates 1,2 is in this example steel, and the size of the plates is: height 20 cm, width 10 cm and thickness 5 mm. The breaking/activation device 6 comprises a single device as explained in connection with Figure 2. The holder 3 for obstacles 4 is comprised by a plate protruding horizontally from the forward plate 1, wherein the holder 3 has dimensions: width 5 cm, protruding length 5 cm, edges with upright angle 20° and with a height above the horizontal surface of 0.5 cm. The pivoting axis 5 is comprised of a steel peg running from the rear surface of the forward plate 1 through a corresponding hole in the rear plate 2. The diameter for the pivoting peg 5 is 1 cm. The location of the pivoting axis 5 is 5 cm below the obstacle holder 3 and the location of the breaking device 6 is 5 cm below the pivoting axis 5. The activation force for the safety device according to this example lies in the interval 0.01 - 5 Newton, and the breaking device 6 is stepwise adjustable within this interval with adjustment steps of 0.01 g per step. The rear plate 2 in this example is equipped with conventionally-structured securing devices to be fastened to a stand 7 wherein the securing device is present in the elongation of the obstacle holder 3 on the backside of the rear plate 2. This securing device is also of steel.

Claims

Patent Claims

1. Safety device for obstacles in equestrian sports,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that the safety device comprises at least two plates (1,2), called the forward plate (1) and the rear plate (2), wherein said plates (1,2) may side against each other and wherein one of the plates called the forward plate (1) comprises at least one socket (3) for the placement of an obstacle (4), and wherein between the forward plate (1) and the rear plate (2) is located a pivot axis (5) for the forward plate (1) towards the rear plate (2) for mutual rotation between the plates (1,2), and wherein between the plates is present at least one device (65) that may break the rotational movement between the plates (1,2), and wherein the second plate (2), called the rear plate, comprises structures (17) for securing the safety device to a horse jumping hurdle stand or pole (7). 2. Safety device according to claim 1,

c h a ra cte rized i n that the device(s) (6) for breaking the rotational movement between the plates (1,

2) is of a mechanical type and/or of a magnetic type.

3. Safety device according to claim 1 or 2,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that at least one of the devices (6) for breaking the rotational movement between the plates (1,2) comprises a hollow cylinder (9) running through one of the plates (1,2), there being located inside said cylinder (9) a spring-loaded ball (10), the plate (1,2) facing the ball (10) being supplied with a socket (12) wherein the ball (10) may rest.

4. Safety device according to claim 3,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that the spring load against the ball (10) may be regulated in such a way that the pressure being exerted from the ball (10) on the facing plate (1,2) may be increased or decreased.

5. Safety device according to claims 1 -4,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that the device for breaking the rotational movement between the plates (1,2) comprises at least two magnets whereof their

magnetically opposite poles are located opposite each other on the forward (1) and rear plate (2) respectively.

6. Safety device according to claim 5,

c h a ra cte r i z e d i n that at least one of the magnets is a permanent magnet.

7. Safety device according to claim 5 or 6,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that at least one of the magnets is an electromagnet.

8. Safety device according to claim 7,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that the magnetic obstacle against the movement between the plates (1,2) may be adjusted by regulating the amperage running through the coil(s) of the at least one electromagnet.

9. Safety device according to any of the claims 1 - 8,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that the device (6) for breaking the rotational movement between the plates (1,2) is at least one breakable peg.

10. Safety device according to any of the preceding claims,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that the device (6) for breaking the rotational movement between the plates (1,2) is located in the pivot axis (5) between the plates (1,2).

11. Safety device according to any of the preceding claims,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that the activating force of the breaking device (6) is within the interval 0.001 - 1000 Newton, more preferred 0.001 - 500 Newton, e.g. between 0.001 - 100 Newton, 0.001 - 70 Newton, 0.001 - 50 Newton, 0.001 - 5 Newton.

12. Safety device according to any of the preceding claims,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that at least some of the parts of the safety device are made of steel.

13. Safety device according to any of the preceding claims,

c h a ra cte ri zed i n that at least some of the parts of the safety device are made of hard plastic.