Patent Application
20070000964
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to load bearing garments, and is concerned in particular with an accessory for detachably connecting a web-belt to a backpack or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art The web-belt owes its popularity to its convenience and comfort across a wide variety of uses. Examples range from day hikers toting personal items, policemen with their duty belts carrying pistols, radios and the like, through to soldiers' combat gear.
As detailed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,321,959B1 and 6,079,602, wearing a light web-belt interferes with the use of the more substantial waist-belts used by field backpacks to distribute heavy pack loads onto the wearer's hips. To carry a waist-belt equipped field pack, the user must first remove his or her web-belt to make room about the waist; the contents of the web-belt must then be transferred to the pack's waist-belt or be relocated to a less convenient location.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a stable, reliable, durable, quick and easy means of attaching and detaching a web-belt to a pack. The invention allows the web-belt to be usable without the backpack and the backpack to be useable without the web-belt. When the web-belt is installed on the backpack, it assists with the support and stabilization of the backpack on the wearer's back.
In accordance with the present invention, an accessory for detachably connecting a web-belt to a backpack comprises a unitary element including a base panel joined respectively at first and second fold lines to bottom and top panels, with the top panel in turn being joined at a third fold line to a flap, and with all fold lines being parallel. The base panel has a back surface adapted to be secured to the backpack, and a front surface configured and dimensioned to lie along a back side of the web-belt.
The bottom panel is foldable at the first fold line to a position overlying a front surface of the web-belt, the top panel is foldable at the second fold line to overlie the thus folded bottom panel, and the flap is foldable at the third fold line to underlie a rear surface of the base panel. The thus folded flap is detachably secured to the rear surface of the base panel by a Velcro-type fastener or the like.
These and other features and advantages will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
With reference initially to
With further reference to
The base panel 18 has a back surface adapted by means of straps 32 or the like for attachment to the frame 14 of the backpack 12. The front surface of the base panel is configured and dimensioned to lie along the back side of a midsection 34 of the web-belt 16.
As can best be seen in
Preferably, reinforcing sheets 42 are sandwiched between the front and back fabric layers 36, 38 in one or more of the panels 18, 24 and 26. The reinforcing sheets may typically comprise a resilient pliable plastic such as polypropylene or the like.
The top panel 26 is additionally provided with padding 44 sandwiched between the back fabric layer 38 and an additional fabric layer 46 stitched thereto at 48.
The mating components 50a, 50b of a Velcro fastener are secured respectively to the flap 30 and to the back side of the base panel 18. The straps 32 are stitched to the back side of base panel 18. While Velcro is the preferred fastener, other fastening means, including for example snap fasteners, may be employed.
In use, and as shown in
As a first step, as shown in
In light of the foregoing, it will now be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the accessory of the present invention affords a number of significant advantages. For example, the accessory stays where it is needed, on the backpack. Prior art removable waist-belts have integrated padded center-sections located at the base of wearer's back. When the waist-belt is detached from the backpack, the center back pad goes with it, leaving the backpack without a lower back pad. Should the need arise for the backpack to be carried without the waist-belt installed, there is no longer a pad to cushion the wearer's back against the weight of the backpack.
The conventional waist-belt's integrated center-back pad can also prove to be a liability when the waist-belt is used alone since it adds weight, limits heat dissipation, and can be cumbersome to some activities such as driving. Additionally, the center-back pad is of little or no benefit on waist-belts, since they are designed to carry loads primarily on the pelvis, rather than the lower back.
Layering the flexible plastic reinforcing sheets 42 embedded in the accessory panels 18, 24, 26, in combination with a similar reinforcing sheet in the midsection 34 of the web-belt serves to stabilize the belt when it is joined to the accessory while still allowing the web-belt curve around the wearer's waist for comfort.
The thin flexible 18, 24, 26 panels of the accessory and the midsection 34 of the web-belt when stacked one on top of the other, resist distortion on the axis of the load (parallel to the wearer's spine) because loading on this axis is across the width of the reinforcing sheets 42 where they have their greatest cross section and therefore, resistance to flexing. However, the reinforcing sheets remain easily flexible about the wearer's waist on an axis perpendicular to the direction of load because the thinnest cross sections are loaded.
The fabric hinges provide a simple, durable, and inexpensive way of joining the accessory panels together.
The hinges also provide strain relief to facilitate the transfer of load between the accessory and the web-belt. The hinge 22 between the base panel 18 and the top panel 26 captures the upper edge of the belt midsection 34 and restrains it from driving upward when the backpack is being supported by the web-belt. The hinge 20 between the base panel 18 and the bottom panel 24 captures the lower edge of the belt midsection and restrains it from moving downwardly.
The hinges keep the reinforcing sheets 42 aligned to maintain the structural integrity of the accessory/web-belt assembly.
By wrapping around the upper edge of the bottom panel 18 and the upper edge of the mid-section 34 of the web-belt, the top panel hinge 22 forces both into alignment and tensions them against the hinge 20 between the base panel 18 and the bottom panel 24. Likewise, the bottom panel hinge 20 forces the lower edge of the belt midsection 34 into alignment with the bottom panel 24 and tensions both the belt midsection and the bottom panel against the top panel hinge 22.
Interleaving the panels 18, 24, 26 and securing them with the flap 30 further stabilizes the belt/accessory assembly. In order for the assembly to maintain its structural integrity, the hinges must remain under tension to keep the reinforcing sheets 42 of the panels and the midsection 34 of the belt in alignment. While the backpack with the installed web-belt is being worn, the midsection 34 of the belt is compressed between the wearer's back, the top panel 26, bottom panel 24 and base panel 18. This contributes to the stability of the assembly. However, if the top panel 26 is lifted or pushed upwardly during use, the top panel hinge 22 could loosen tension and compromise the integrity of the assembly. This is avoided by the flap hinge 28 which wraps over the hinge 20 between the base panel 18 and bottom panel 24 and tucks under the base panel 18 where it is anchored with the Velcro fastener. Because the flap 30 is strain relieved over the hinge 20 between the bottom panel 24 and base panel 18 and attached to the underside of the base panel, it is not directly subjected to forces that could pry the flap upward and loosen the assembly. Additionally, the flap anchoring point on the underside of base panel is protected from inadvertent release.
