BACKGROUND
Backpacks are often used by persons engaging in activities such as hiking, biking, walking, camping, moving between classes, etc. Different configurations of backpacks are available for different activities, such as hiking or biking versus attending classes. Backpacks may be used to store various objects depending upon the use or activity of a user of the backpack. For example, for hiking or biking, backpacks are available for storing a hydration bladder that may hold water and may have a tube connected on one end to a reservoir of the bladder. A user can create suction on a mouthpiece disposed at an opposite end of the tube to draw water (or other liquid) from the reservoir through a valve of the mouthpiece. Thus, volume of contents of the backpack may change over time.
SUMMARY
An example backpack includes: a body including a front panel and a rear panel; a shoulder strap attached to the body and having an adjustable length; and a retention mechanism attached to the body and movable between a first position and a second position, in the first position the retention mechanism being disposed to define a compartment to hold an object and to inhibit first motion of the object toward a bottom of the backpack, to inhibit second motion of the object toward a right side of the backpack, to inhibit third motion of the object toward a left side of the backpack, and to inhibit fourth motion of the object away from the rear panel over a length of the retention mechanism, in the second position the retention mechanism providing an opening to the compartment, the opening extending a majority of the length of the retention mechanism.
Implementations of such a backpack may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, the retention mechanism comprises at least one flap pivotally connected to a base portion of the retention mechanism or to the rear panel. In another example implementation, the opening extends over 80% of the length of the retention mechanism. In another example implementation, the retention mechanism is movable to a plurality of first positions to define a plurality of compartments of different volumes. In another example implementation, the retention mechanism includes an adjustable stabilizer to bias the retention mechanism against the object at each of the plurality of first positions. In another example implementation, the retention mechanism includes a sheet of an elastic fabric. In another example implementation, the retention mechanism includes a retention strap and a securing device configured to slidably receive, and selectively secure, the retention strap with a selected length of the retention strap between the securing device and a securing point laterally-disposed from the securing device relative to the body. In another example implementation, the retention mechanism is sized to receive and retain a liquid-holding bladder containing at least 1 liter of water. In another example implementation, the retention mechanism is configured to be at least partially see through to permit viewing of the object while the object is retained by the retention mechanism.
Another example backpack includes: a body including a front panel and a rear panel; a shoulder strap attached to the body, proximate to a top of the body, and having an adjustable length; and a bladder retention mechanism attached to the body and including: a retaining member disposed, shaped, and attached to the body to provide a chamber to receive at least a lower portion of a liquid-containing bladder; and an adjustable stabilizer disposed and configured to bias the liquid-containing bladder toward the rear panel with the liquid-containing bladder received by the retaining member; wherein the bladder retention mechanism is configured to provide the chamber with different volumes to bias the liquid-containing bladder toward the rear panel with the bladder occupying different volumes.
Implementations of such a backpack may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, the adjustable stabilizer includes at least one adjustable-length band. In another example implementation, the at least one adjustable-length band is attached to the body closer to the top of the body than a top of the retaining member. In another example implementation, the retaining member has a length and is configured to overlap the body along the length of the retaining member, and wherein the at least one adjustable-length band is attached to the body to overlap the retaining member transverse to a length of the body. In another example implementation, the at least one adjustable-length band includes a plurality of adjustable-length straps.
Another example backpack includes: a body including a front panel and a rear panel; a shoulder strap attached to the body, the shoulder strap being adjustable to bias the front panel against a back of a user; a first side bladder flap including a first connector, the first side bladder flap attached to the rear panel along a first length that is displaced from a vertical centerline of the rear panel, the first side bladder flap being movable between a first closed position extending toward the vertical centerline of the rear panel and a first open position extending away from the vertical centerline of the rear panel; a second side bladder flap including a second connector, the second side bladder flap attached to the rear panel along a second length that is displaced from the vertical centerline of the rear panel on an opposite side of the vertical centerline of the rear panel from the first length, the second side bladder flap being movable between a second closed position extending toward the vertical centerline of the rear panel and a second open position extending away from the vertical centerline of the rear panel; and a bottom bladder flap attached to the rear panel along a third length, the bottom bladder flap being movable between a third closed position extending toward a top of the body from the third length and a third open position extending away from the top of the body from the third length; where the bottom bladder flap includes a third connector and a fourth connector configured and disposed to releasably connect to the first connector and the second connector, respectively, with the first side bladder flap disposed in the first closed position, the second side bladder flap disposed in the second closed position, and the bottom bladder flap disposed in the third closed position.
Implementations of such a backpack may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, the first connector and the third connector include a first hook-and-loop fastener and the second connector and the fourth connector comprise a second hook-and-loop fastener. In another example implementation, the backpack includes a handle attached to the bottom bladder flap at an opposite end of the bottom bladder flap from the third length. In another example implementation, the bottom bladder flap provides a see-through section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a backpack.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG. 1 with an upper pouch pivoted away from a body of the backpack.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG. 2 with a bottom portion of a retention mechanism opened.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG. 3 with side portions of the retention mechanism opened and a hydration bladder rested on the backpack.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG. 4 with the side portions of the retention mechanism folded upon the hydration bladder.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG. 5 with the bottom portion of the retention mechanism folded upon the side portions of the retention mechanism.
FIG. 7 is a simplified plan-view diagram of an alternative retention mechanism and a rear panel of a backpack.
FIG. 8 is a simplified plan-view diagram of another alternative retention mechanism, and a rear panel of a backpack, retaining a hydration bladder.
FIG. 9 is a simplified plan-view diagram of another alternative retention mechanism, and a rear panel of a backpack, retaining a hydration bladder.
FIG. 10 is a simplified plan-view diagram of another alternative retention mechanism, and a rear panel of a backpack, retaining a hydration bladder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Techniques are discussed herein for retaining a hydration bladder by a backpack. A retention mechanism may be provided that may provide an adjustable stabilizer for retaining one or more objects such as a hydration bladder. The retention mechanism may retain and stabilize the object(s) and help stabilize the object(s), including for different sizes of objects. For example, a retention mechanism of a backpack has three flaps for retaining a bladder. Two side flaps are attached near left and right sides of a rear panel of the backpack and a bottom flap is attached to the rear panel across a portion of a width of the rear panel below the side flaps. The side flaps may be pivoted toward each other to overlie the rear panel. The bottom flap may be pivoted to overlie the rear panel with the bottom flap overlapping a respective portion of each of the side flaps. The side flaps and the bottom flap include connectors for releasably attaching the side flaps to the bottom flap. For example, each of the side flaps may include a strip of a hook-and-loop fastener portion and the bottom flap may include one or more strips of a mating hook-and-loop fastener portion to form hook-and-loop fasteners with the hook-and-loop fastener portions of the side flaps. These are examples, and other example configurations may be used, many (though not all) of which are discussed below. For example, one or more of the side flaps and/or the bottom flap may include multiple regions of hook-and-loop fastener material. Still other example are possible and within the scope of the disclosure and claims.
Items and/or techniques described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as other capabilities not mentioned. Access to a hydration bladder and/or other object(s) retained by a backpack may be improved. Different sizes of objects such as hydration bladders may be accommodated by a backpack. A bladder may continue to be snugly retained by a backpack as the bladder is drained. Movement of a bladder relative to a backpack as the bladder is drained may be reduced compared to prior backpacks. Determining status of an object held by a backpack may be facilitated, e.g., determining a liquid level of a bladder may be easier than with previous bladder-holding backpacks. Other capabilities may be provided and not every implementation according to the disclosure must provide any, let alone all, of the capabilities discussed.
Referring to FIG. 1, a backpack 10 includes a body 12, shoulder straps 20, 21, an upper pouch 14, and a lower pouch 16. The backpack 10 is configured to be worn by a user with the body 12 against the user's back, the user's arms extended between the shoulder straps 20, 21 and the body 12, and the shoulder straps 20, 21 disposed against the user's shoulders supporting the weight of the backpack 10 and contents of the backpack 10. The shoulder straps 20, 21 are attached to the body 12 proximate to (e.g., within 10% or 20% of) a top 40 of the body 12 such that, in use, the backpack 10 will be oriented essentially vertically, with the top 40 of the backpack 10 disposed at about a height of the user's shoulders or neck, and a bottom 42 of the backpack 10 disposed lower relative to the user's body, perhaps near the middle of the user's back or near a lower back of the user. For example, a length 44 of the backpack 10 in the position shown in FIG. 1 may be about 18 inches (about 46 cm).
The shoulder straps 20, 21 are configured to adjustably mount the backpack 10 on the user. The shoulder straps 20, 21 comprise upper sections 22, 23 connected (e.g., sewn) to an upper portion 24 of the body 12 and lower sections 26, 27 connected (e.g. sewn) to a lower portion 25 of the body 12. The upper sections 22, 23 of the shoulder straps 20, 21 may include mesh and/or padding and have widths (e.g., a width 29, shown in FIG. 5, of the upper section 23) sized to distribute weight over shoulders of a user of the backpack 10 such that the backpack 10 is comfortable while retaining one or more items of significant weight. For example, the widths of the upper sections 22, 23 may be at least about two inches (about 5 cm), e.g., about 2.5 inches (about 6.3 cm) or more. The upper sections 22, 23 of the shoulder straps 20, 21 are attached to connectors 30, 31, and the lower sections 26, 27 of the shoulder straps 20, 21 comprise flexible straps 32, 33, e.g., woven nylon straps, that can be slidably received by the connectors 30, 31 of the upper sections 22, 23 of the shoulder straps 20, 21, respectively. Lengths of the shoulder straps 20, 21 may be adjusted, e.g., by tilting the connectors 30, 31 and pulling the mesh straps perpendicularly to lengths of the connectors 30, 31 to achieve a desired length. The connectors 30, 31 inhibit movement of the straps 32, 33 in response to the straps 32, 33 being pulled parallel to lengths of the connectors 30, 31. The lengths of the shoulder straps 20, 21 may be adjusted to bias the body 12 (e.g., a front panel 13 of the body 12) against the user of the backpack 10. While two shoulder straps 20, 21 are shown, this is only an example, and other configurations are possible, e.g., with a single shoulder strap, e.g., that extends from an upper portion of a backpack on one lateral side of the backpack to a lower portion of the backpack on an opposite lateral side of the backpack.
The pouches 14, 16 provide compartments for storing items and the pouch 14 may be used to retain items between the pouch 14 and the body 12. The pouch 14 includes connectors 51, 52, 53 attached to an outer surface 54 of the pouch 14. Retaining straps 55, 56, 57 are connected to the body and are slidably received by connectors 61, 62, 63 that are sized and shaped to mate with the connectors 51-53, to be releasably received by the connectors 51-53. Thus, the connectors 61-63 may be detached from the connectors 51-53, the pouch 14 pivoted away from the body 12 about a hinge 15 (e.g., see FIG. 2), an item (not shown) such as a coat, a helmet, etc., disposed overlying the body 12, the pouch 14 moved over the item, the straps 55-57 slid within the connectors 61-63 as appropriate, the connectors 61-63 connected to the connectors 51-53, and the straps 55-57 slid within the connectors 61-63 to bias the pouch 14 against the item. The pouch 14 and the body 12 thus retain the item by the backpack 10, with the item possibly being external to the backpack 10 in that the item may not be disposed within any pouch or container of the backpack 10. The hinge 15 hingedly connects the body and the pouch 14, allowing pivoting motion of the body 12 and the pouch 14 relative to each other.
Referring also to FIGS. 2-6, the backpack 10 includes a retention mechanism 110 connected to the body 12. The retention mechanism 110 is configured to retain one or more objects. The discussion herein uses the example of retention of a bladder 150 (e.g., see FIGS. 4-6), and thus refers to the retention mechanism 110 as a bladder retention mechanism, but the discussion herein is not limited to retaining a bladder, and the retention mechanism 110 may retain one or more objects in addition to or in instead of a bladder. The bladder retention mechanism 110 provides an openable pouch for holding the bladder 150, e.g., for holding liquids such as water, a sports drink, etc. Numerous configurations of bladder retention mechanisms may be used to retain the bladder 150 by the backpack 10. In this example, the bladder retention mechanism 110 includes side flaps 120, 130, and a bottom flap 140 that are openable such that an enclosed compartment 112 provided by the bladder retention mechanism 110 with the flaps 120, 130, 140 in closed positions, directly connected to each other, is absent when the flaps 120, 130, 140 are in open positions, not directly connected to each other. The enclosed compartment 112 may vary in size depending upon the amount of overlap of the flaps 120, 130, 140. The bladder retention mechanism 110, e.g., the flaps 120, 130, 140 may be movable to multiple positions (e.g., relationships of the flaps 120, 130, 140 to each other) to define the compartment 112 with different sizes, e.g., of different volumes. The bladder retention mechanism 110 may be biased against the bladder 150 at each of the different volumes, e.g., to help retain and stabilize the bladder 150 (e.g., to inhibit movement of the bladder 150). As the bladder 150 may contain water or other liquid(s), the bladder 150 may be relatively heavy and thus it may be desirable to keep the bladder 150 centered laterally relative to the backpack 10, e.g., to keep the weight of the backpack 10 and backpack contents evenly distributed on shoulders of a user. The bladder retention mechanism 110 may help stabilize the bladder 150 to keep the bladder centered relative to the backpack 10 even as the bladder 150 changes size, e.g., occupying less volume as liquid is removed from the bladder 150.
The bladder retention mechanism 110 is configured (sized, shaped, and disposed) to adapt to and retain different sizes of hydration bladders, at different levels of fullness, e.g., against the body 12 and/or to inhibit movement of the bladder 150 relative to the backpack 10, and/or to inhibit separation of the bladder 150 from the backpack 10 (e.g., to inhibit the bladder 150 from falling downward and/or sideways away from the backpack 10. For example, the bladder retention mechanism may be sized and shaped to receive and retain the bladder 150, with the bladder 150 potentially being of various sizes (e.g., configured to contain up to 2 liters of water or more). The bladder 150 may change size during use, e.g., as liquid is drawn from a reservoir of the bladder 150. The bladder retention mechanism 110 may inhibit lateral motion of the bladder 150 in lateral directions 151, 152 (FIG. 6) toward lateral sides (e.g., a left side and a right side of the backpack 10, respectively), in a direction 153 toward the bottom 42 of the backpack 10, and in a direction 154 away from the backpack 10, e.g., away from a rear panel 72 (FIG. 3) of the body 12 of the backpack 10. The pouch 14, e.g., when disposed as shown in FIG. 1 (and restrained such as by connection of the connectors 53, 63), may inhibit motion in a direction 155 toward a top of the backpack 10 away from the bladder retention mechanism 110. The bladder retention mechanism 110 may provide an adjustable stabilizer to stabilize contents (such as a bladder) retained by the bladder retention mechanism 110. For example, the side flaps 120, 130 and the bottom flap 140 are configured to connect to each other with different relationships between the side flaps 120, 130 and the bottom flap 140, e.g., due to different sizes of bladders being disposed between the bladder retention mechanism 110 and the rear panel and/or with bladders at different fill levels being so disposed. For example, referring in particular to FIG. 3, a width 80 of an upper portion 73 of the rear panel 72 may be about 8.6 inches (about 21.8 cm) and a width 82 of a lower portion 74 of the rear panel may be about 7 inches (about 17.8 cm). Widths 122, 132 of upper ends of the side flaps 120, 130, respectively, may be about 4.1 inches (10.4 cm) and widths 123, 133 of lower ends of the side flaps 120, 130 may be about 3.3 inches (about 8.4 cm), such that when the side flaps 120, 130 are moved to closed positions overlying as much of the rear panel 72 as possible, the side flaps 120, 130 are separated from each other by about 0.4 inches (about 1.0 cm) over the lengths of the side flaps 120, 130. Lengths 125, 135 (FIG. 4) of the side flaps 120, 130 may be about 8.5 inches (about 21.6 cm), and a length 145 (FIG. 6) of the bottom flap 140 may be about 10 inches (about 25.4 cm). The lengths 125, 135 of the side flaps 120, 130 may vary over the widths of the side flaps 120, 130, e.g., being longer at proximal edges 126, 136 where the side flaps 120, 130 are attached to the body 12 and shorter away from the body 12, e.g., at distal edges 127, 137 of the side flaps 120, 130. The bottom flap 140 is attached at a bottom 160 (FIG. 4) of the bottom flap 140 to the rear panel 72 closer to the bottom 42 of the backpack 10 than bottom ends of the side flaps 120, 130, but other configurations may have the bottom flap 140 attached to the rear panel 72 at about the same distance from the bottom 42 as bottom ends of the side flaps 120, 130 or even closer to the top 40 of the backpack 10 than the bottom ends of the side flaps 120, 130. The connection of the bottom flap 140 to the rear panel 72 provides a lower boundary to inhibit the bladder 150 from slipping out of the backpack 10, particularly when the bottom flap 140 is connected to the side flaps 120, 130 (e.g., as discussed below). The dimensions and configurations discussed are examples only, and other dimensions and/or configurations may be used. For example, the side flaps 120, 130 may overlap with each other in the closed positions to accommodate larger bladders. Still other examples are possible, e.g., as discussed herein or otherwise.
As shown in FIG. 3, the side flaps 120, 130 include connectors 124, 134 and the bottom flap 140 includes mating connectors 141, 142. The connectors 124, 134 and the mating connectors 141, 142 are configured to attach to each other and to be detached from each other. In this example, the connectors 124, 134 are strips of hooks and the connectors 141, 142 are strips of loops such that the connectors 124, 141 comprise a hook-and-loop fastener and the connectors 134, 142 comprise another hook-and-loop fastener. Alternatively, the connectors 124, 134 could be strips of loops and the connectors 141, 142 strips of hooks, or one of the connectors 124, 134 could be a strip of hooks and the other a strip of loops, and one of the connectors 141, 142 could be a strip of loops and the other a strip of hooks to mate with, and attach to, the corresponding connectors 124, 134. The connectors 124, 134 may be, for example, about 2 inches (about 5 cm) wide and extend approximately the lengths 125, 135 of the side flaps 120, 130 (e.g., about 8 inches (about 20.3 cm) at the edges 127, 137 (FIG. 4) and about 8.7 inches (about 22.1 cm) at edges 128, 138). While the connectors 124, 134 may extend the entire lengths 125, 135 of the side flaps 120, 130 at inner edges, the connectors 124, 134 could cover a smaller area, e.g., extending less than the entire lengths 125, 135 (e.g., being smaller in dimension along lengths and/or widths of the side flaps 120, 130), etc. The connectors 141, 142 are sized and disposed to overlap, at least partially, with the connectors 124, 134 with the side flaps 120, 130 and the bottom flap 140 all in closed positions, e.g., as shown in FIG. 2. For example, the connectors 141, 142 may have widths 147 (FIG. 3) about 2 inches (about 5 cm) and lengths 146 (FIG. 2) of about 9 inches (about 22.9 cm). The bottom flap 140 may overlap at least 30% (e.g., 50% or more, or 75% or more) of widths of the side flaps 120, 130 with the bottom flap 140 and the side flaps 120, 130 in the closed positions, e.g., without a bladder contained by the flaps 120, 130, 140 against the rear panel 72. Bladders of different sizes or even the same bladder with different amounts of liquid contained in the bladder may be snugly held by the flaps 120, 130, 140 against the rear panel 72 by adjusting the amount that the bottom flap 140 overlaps the side flaps 120, 130 and connecting the connectors 141, 142 and the connectors 124, 134. For example, with the flaps 120, 130, 140 in the closed position (i.e., a fully closed arrangement), a width of the connected flaps 120, 130, 140 is about a width 139 of the bottom flap 140, e.g., about 5 inches (about 12.7 cm). With the flaps 120, 130, 140 in a fully expanded arrangement (overlapping just enough to be securely connected to each other), e.g., overlapping about 0.4 inches (about 1 cm), the width of the connected flaps 120, 130, 140 is nearly the sum of the widths of the flaps 120, 130, 140, e.g., about 12.4 inches (about 31.5 cm) at a top (upper end) of the connected flaps 120, 130, 140, and about 10.8 inches (about 27.5 cm) at a bottom (lower end) of the connected flaps 120, 130, 140. Thus, a width of the connected flaps 120, 130, 140 may expand by about 250% and may be secured at a desired fixed width between the fully closed and fully expanded arrangements.
The bottom flap 140 includes a handle 144 attached to a top end of the bottom flap 140. The handle 144 can be pulled to separate the connectors 124, 134 of the side flaps 120, 130 from the connectors 141, 142 of the bottom flap 140. Pulling the handle 144 may simultaneously separate the connector 141 from the connector 124 and the connector 142 from the connector 134. In this example, the handle 144 is a woven nylon strap, but other forms of handles, e.g., hard plastic (e.g., Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)), may be used.
The side flaps 120, 130 and the bottom flap 140 may be made of flexible materials to adapt to different sizes of bladders to help retain the bladder 150. For example, the flaps 120, 130, 140 may be made of nylon sheets with flexible strips of hook-and-loop fasteners for the connectors 124, 134, 141, 142. Alternatively, one or more of the flaps 120, 130, 140 may comprise an expandable material such as woven elastic fiber such as Spandex (also known as Lycra® or elastane).
The backpack 10, and/or other configurations of backpacks, may include numerous other features. For example, referring in particular to FIG. 3, a pocket may be provided by the rear panel 72 and a remaining portion of the body 12. A flap 17 may be releasably connected to the rear panel 72, e.g., with a hook-and-loop fastener 19, to provide access to the pocket and to close the pocket to retain one or more items within the pocket. The hook-and-loop fastener 19 is an example, and other fastening mechanisms, e.g., a zipper, may be used.
Numerous alternative configurations of adjustable retention mechanisms may be used as part of a backpack, e.g., in conjunction with a body of a backpack. Such alternative configurations may be used with backpacks of different configurations, e.g., the backpack 10 with the pouch 14 and the pouch 16, or other configurations of backpacks (whether discussed herein or not). One or more of these alternative adjustable retention mechanisms may provide adjustable-size pockets for receiving and stabilizing one or more objects, in particular a hydration bladder. One or more of these mechanisms can provide easy access to a compartment provided by the retention mechanism to facilitate insertion of an object into the compartment and/or removal of an object from the compartment. For example, a retention mechanism with fewer than three flaps may be used that connect to each other and/or to the rear panel (e.g., to one or more mating connectors on the rear panel). Still further examples of retention mechanisms may be used, some of which are discussed below.
Referring to FIG. 7, a retention mechanism 210 for a backpack includes a flexible sheet 212 that includes an openable flap 214. The flexible sheet 212 may be attached to a body 213 of a backpack (e.g., the body 12 of the backpack 10) and may provide an adjustable stabilizer. The flexible sheet 212 (including the openable flap 214) may, for example, comprise an expandable material such as woven elastic fiber such as Spandex®. The openable flap 214 may be connected to a remainder of the flexible sheet 212 by a zipper 216 or other reusable connector. The flap 214 may extend from an upper end 220 of the retention mechanism 210 over half a length 230 of the flexible sheet 212 toward a lower end 222 of the retention mechanism 210. For example, the flap 214 may extend over 70%, or over 80%, or over 90%, etc. of the length 230 of the flexible sheet 212 to provide selectable access to a compartment defined between the flexible sheet 212 and the body 213 (e.g., a rear panel) of a backpack with the flexible sheet 212 attached to the backpack. The length 230 of the flexible sheet 212 may, for example, be between about 7 inches (about 17.8 cm) and about 12 inches (about 30.5 cm), e.g., about 9 inches (about 22.9 cm). The material of the flexible sheet 212 may help adjust to different sizes of objects and help stabilize the objects in the compartment, i.e., relative to the body 213 of the backpack. Edges 241, 242, 243 of the flexible sheet 212 may be connected to the body 213 of the backpack. The edges 241-243 may be fixedly attached (e.g., sewn) or detachably attached (e.g., snapped, attached with hook-and-loop connectors, strapped, zipped, etc.) to the body 213 of the backpack.
Referring to FIG. 8, a retention mechanism 310 for a backpack includes a flexible retaining sheet 320 and an adjustable band 360 and may provide an adjustable stabilizer. The retaining sheet 320 may be fixedly attached (e.g., sewn) to or detachably attached (e.g., buttoned, zipped, connected by hook-and-loop fasteners, strapped, etc.) to a rear panel 340 of the backpack along a bottom edge 322 of the retaining sheet 320. A lower portion 324 of the retaining sheet 320 may be fixedly attached (e.g., sewn) to or detachably attached (e.g., buttoned, zipped, connected by hook-and-loop fasteners, strapped, etc.) to the rear panel 340 of the backpack along lower portions of side edge 321, 323 of the retaining sheet 320. The lower portion 324 may help retain a bottom of the bladder 150 (or other object(s)). Having the lower portion 324 fixedly attached to the rear panel 340 may help ensure retention of the bladder 150 and/or other object(s) by the retention mechanism 310. The lower portion 324 may comprise between about 10% and about 40% (e.g., about a third) of a length 350 of the retaining sheet 320. The length 350 of the retaining sheet 320 may, for example, be between about 7 inches (about 17.8 cm) and about 12 inches (about 30.5 cm), e.g., about 9 inches (about 22.9 cm). An upper portion 325 of the retaining sheet 320 may be detachably attached (e.g., buttoned, zipped, connected by hook-and-loop fasteners, strapped, etc.) to the rear panel 340 of the backpack along upper portions (above the lower portions) of side edges 321, 323 of the retaining sheet 320, which may facilitate insertion of, or removal of, or access to one or more objects retained by or to be retained by the retaining sheet 320. The entire edges 321, 323 of the retaining sheet 320 may be detachably attached to the rear panel 340, such that the retaining sheet 320 may be a flap, hinged to the rear panel, that can be fully opened to eliminate a compartment between the retaining sheet 320 and the rear panel 340. The adjustable band 360 is attached (e.g., fixedly attached) to the rear panel 340 in a midsection 370 of the retaining sheet 320 (e.g., that extends from about 20% to about 80% of the length 350 of the retaining sheet 320). The adjustable band 360 may comprise, for example, two strap sections 361, 362 of flexible material (e.g., woven nylon) and a securing device, here a buckle 363. The strap sections 361, 362 may be attached (e.g., sewn) to the rear panel 340 at respective securing points 365, 366. The securing points 365, 366 may be locations where the strap sections 361, 362 are attached (e.g., stitched) to the rear panel 340, or may be locations of other securing devices (e.g., slidably) securing the strap sections 361, 362 to the rear panel 340. The buckle 363 may be attached (e.g., fixedly attached) to the section 361 and sized and shaped to slidably receive the section 362 so that an overall length of the adjustable band 360 may be changed, and to selectively secure the section 362 (e.g., grip the section 362 with friction) to resist sliding of the section 362 due to pulling the section 362 away from the section 361. While only one adjustable band 360 is shown in FIG. 8, more than one adjustable band may be provided (e.g., as shown in FIG. 9). Other forms of adjustable bands may be used. For example, an elastic cord (e.g., a bungee cord) may be used that stretches to accommodate different sizes of retained objects while biasing the object(s) toward the rear panel 340. Further, other configurations of the retention mechanism 310 may be used. For example, the upper portion of the retaining sheet 320 may not be used. As another example, some or all of a top edge 330 of the retaining sheet 320 may be detachably attached (e.g., buttoned, zipped, connected by hook-and-loop fasteners, strapped, etc.) to the rear panel 340 of the backpack. In such case, a gap may be provided to allow a tube of the bladder 150 to pass through the gap. Similarly, all or a portion of a sheet in other retention mechanisms may be detachably attached to a rear panel of the backpack, e.g., to further retain an object such as the bladder.
Referring to FIG. 9, a retention mechanism 410 for a backpack includes a retaining member, here a retaining sheet 420, and adjustable bands 430, 440 and may provide an adjustable stabilizer. Edges 421, 422, 423 of the retaining sheet 420 may be fixedly attached (e.g., sewn) to or detachably attached (e.g., buttoned, zipped, connected by hook-and-loop fasteners, strapped, etc.) to a rear panel 450 of the backpack. The retaining sheet 420 in conjunction with the rear panel 450 provides a pocket 425 for receiving and retaining a lower portion of the bladder 150 and/or for receiving and retaining one or more other objects. Having the retaining sheet 420 fixedly attached to the rear panel 450 may help ensure retention (of at least a bottom portion) of the bladder 150 and/or other object(s) by the retention mechanism 410. The retaining sheet 420 may have a length 426 between about 1 inch (about 2.5 cm) and about 4 inches (about 10.1 cm), e.g., about 3 inches (about 7.6 cm) and a width 427 of between about 4 inches (about 10.1 cm) and about 7 inches (about 17.8 cm). These length and width dimensions provided here (and other length and width dimensions of various items elsewhere in the disclosure) are, however, examples and other dimensions may be used. The retaining sheet 420 is shown as a uniform sheet, but other configurations are possible such as a mesh with large openings, e.g., (about 0.25 inches or more (about 0.6 cm or more)). The adjustable bands 430, 440 may be adjustable straps connected by buckles as with the adjustable band 360 discussed above. The adjustable bands 430, 440 may alternatively be elastic cords or other forms of adjustable bands that can have variable lengths to bias different sizes of objects toward the rear panel 450. The adjustable bands 430, 440 may be attached (e.g., fixedly attached such as sewn) at securing points 431, 432, 441, 442 to the rear panel 450 near lateral edges 451, 452 of the rear panel 450 in a midsection 460 of the rear panel 450. With the adjustable bands 430, 440 disposed in the midsection 460, the bands 430, 440 may be biased against portions of the bladder 150 displaced over a significant length of the bladder 150 to help retain and stabilize the bladder 150, while also permitting access to the bladder 150 (while retained by the retention mechanism 410) and easy insertion of the bladder 150 into, or removal of the bladder 150 from, the pocket 425.
Numerous other configurations of retention mechanisms and backpacks may be used. For example, retention mechanisms (e.g., as discussed above as well as other retention mechanisms) may provide visibility of one or more items being retained, with the retention mechanism being at least partially see-through. For example, referring to FIG. 10, a retention mechanism 510 may provide a see-through section 530. A retention sheet 520 attached to a backpack body 540 may, for example, define a cutout to provide the see-through section 530 through which the bladder 150 and/or other retained item may be viewed, e.g., to determine an amount of liquid remaining in the bladder. As another example, the see-through section 530 may be a transparent material portion (e.g., transparent plastic) of the retention sheet 520. As another example, the retention sheet 520 may comprise a mesh, e.g., a netting, with a coarse enough mesh to permit viewing of the bladder 150 and/or other retained item to be viewed while being retained. The mesh may extend over the see-through section 530, or may extend over all or nearly all of the retention sheet 520. The see-through section 530 shown is centrally located in the retention sheet 520. The see-through section 530 shown is an example, and see-through sections of other relative sizes, other shapes, and/or other relative locations may be provided. Mesh retainers may be used in other retention mechanisms to make the retention mechanisms at least partially see-through. For example, the flexible sheet 212 and/or the retaining sheet 320 may comprise mesh over at least respective portions of the sheets 212, 320 to permit viewing of retained items. As another example, the bottom flap 140 of the retention mechanism 110 may provide at least a see-through section 149 (FIG. 2), e.g., comprising a transparent material such as clear plastic or comprising a mesh, to permit viewing of the bladder 150 while the retention mechanism 110 is closed, retaining the bladder 150. The see-through section 149 extends along a portion of the length 145 of the bottom flap 140 and is disposed in a middle of the width 139 of the bottom flap 140, e.g., to facilitate viewing of the bladder 150 between the side flaps 120, 130. The see-through section 149 extends proximate to (e.g., to within an inch of) the bottom 160 of the bottom flap 140 to facilitate viewing of the bladder 150 with the pouch 14 secured to the body 12 of the backpack 10, e.g., with the connectors 53, 63 connected to each other.
Other Considerations
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Also, as used herein, “or” as used in a list of items (possibly prefaced by “at least one of” or prefaced by “one or more of”) indicates a disjunctive list such that, for example, a list of “at least one of A, B, or C,” or a list of “one or more of A, B, or C” or a list of “A or B or C” means A, or B, or C, or AB (A and B), or AC (A and C), or BC (B and C), or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or combinations with more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.).
The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined in a similar manner.
“About” and/or “approximately” and/or “substantially” as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as an amount, a temporal duration, an attribute (such as a frequency or size), or the like, encompasses (in addition to any variation specified) variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5%, or +0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, or other implementations described herein.
Specific details are given in the description to provide a thorough understanding of example configurations (including implementations). However, configurations may be practiced without these specific details. This description provides example configurations only, and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configurations of the claims. Rather, the preceding description of the configurations provides a description for implementing described techniques. Various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements.
Having described several example configurations, various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used. For example, the above elements may be components of a larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the invention. Accordingly, the above description does not bound the scope of the claims.
Patent Application
20210401153
