Claims
- 1. A shoulder carrier comprising:a container into which items to be carried can be placed, the container having a back and a bottom; only a single shoulder strap having opposite ends attached to the container; and a lumbar support constructed and arranged to bear on a wearer's hip or lumbar region to transfer weight in the container to the hip or lumbar region, the lumbar support projecting from the back of the container and having a convex portion approximating a shape of a partial cylinder having a longitudinal axis and extending at least in part across an upper portion of the back of the container so the longitudinal axis generally extends toward the opposite ends of the shoulder strap.
- 2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the container is formed from a flexible fabric.
- 3. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the single shoulder strap includes a shoulder pad.
- 4. The carrier of claim 3, wherein the shoulder pad includes a fluid-filled bladder.
- 5. The carrier of claim 4, wherein the shoulder pad is freely slidable along the shoulder strap.
- 6. The carrier of claim 5, wherein the fluid-filled bladder is removable from a shoulder pad outer covering.
- 7. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the shoulder strap includes at least one adjuster to adjust the length of the shoulder strap.
- 8. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising:two guides attached to a back portion of the container; and wherein opposite ends of the shoulder strap pass through the guides respectively and are attached to the container.
- 9. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the guides are attached to the back portion above the lumbar support.
- 10. The container of claim 8, wherein the guides comprise webbing strips that are attached to the back portion.
- 11. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the guides are attached to the back portion near a top of the container and the shoulder strap ends are attached to the back portion near a bottom of the container.
- 12. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the opposite ends of the shoulder strap pass through the guides, over the lumbar support and are attached to the container below the lumbar support.
- 13. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the lumbar support comprises:a fluid-filled bladder.
- 14. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the lumbar support is attached to a back portion of the container near a top of the container.
- 15. The carrier of claim 14, wherein the lumbar support extends across a top of the back portion of the container.
- 16. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising:a waist belt to fasten around a wearer's body.
- 17. A shoulder carrier comprising:a container in which to carry at least one item, the container having a back and a bottom; at least two guides attached to the container; at least one shoulder strap having an end that extends through a guide and is attached near the bottom of the container; and a lumbar support mounted to the back of the container at least in part in a region substantially bounded by the guides and the bottom of the container.
- 18. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the container is formed from a flexible fabric.
- 19. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the at least one shoulder strap includes a shoulder pad.
- 20. The carrier of claim 19, wherein the shoulder pad includes a fluid-filled bladder.
- 21. The carrier of claim 20, wherein the shoulder pad is freely slidable along the shoulder strap.
- 22. The carrier of claims 21, wherein the fluid-filled bladder is removable from a shoulder pad outer covering.
- 23. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the at least one shoulder strap includes at least one adjuster to adjust the length of the shoulder strap.
- 24. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the guides are attached to a back portion of the container above the lumbar support.
- 25. The container of claim 24, wherein the guides comprise webbing strips that are attached to the back portion.
- 26. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the lumbar support is mounted near the bottom of the container, and the guides are attached to the back of the container above the lumbar support.
- 27. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the end of the at least one shoulder strap extending through a guide passes over the lumbar support and is attached to the container below the lumbar support.
- 28. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the lumbar support comprises:a fluid-filled bladder.
- 29. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the lumbar support is attached to a back portion of the container near a top of the container.
- 30. The carrier of claim 29, wherein the lumbar support extends across a top of the back portion of the container.
- 31. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the lumbar support has an approximately cylindrical shape.
- 32. The carrier of claim 17, further comprising:a waist belt to fasten around a wearer's body.
- 33. A backpack comprising:a container in which to carry at least one item; at least two guides attached to the container; two shoulder straps each having a lower end that extends through a guide and is attached near a bottom of the container; two shoulder pads each attached to a shoulder strap and including a fluid-filled bladder; and a lumbar support positioned substantially between the guides and a position where the shoulder strap lower ends are attached to the container, the lumbar support including a fluid-filled bladder.
- 34. The backpack of claim 33, further comprising a loop attached near a top of the container, each of the shoulder straps having an upper end that is slidably attached to the loop.
- 35. The carrier of claim 17, comprising:two shoulder straps each having a lower end that extends through a guide and is attached near a bottom of the container; and two shoulder pads each attached to a respective shoulder strap and including a fluid-filled bladder.
- 36. The carrier of claim 35, further comprising a loop attached near a top of the container, each of the shoulder straps having an upper end that is slidably attached to the loop.
- 37. A shoulder carrier, comprising:a container having a back and a bottom, the container arranged to receive items to be cared; a lumbar support, mounted to the back of the container, constructed and arranged to bear on a wearer's hip or lumbar region to transfer weight in the container to the hip or lumbar region of a wearer; at least one guide attached to the container above the lumbar support; and a shoulder strap having opposite ends attached to the container, at least one of the ends passing trough a respective guide and attached near the bottom of the container.
- 38. The shoulder carrier of claim 37, wherein the lumbar support includes an air-filled bladder that supports the lumbar support to approximate the shape of a partial cylinder.
- 39. The shoulder carrier of claim 38, wherein the lumbar support extends horizontally across the back near the bottom of the container.
- 40. The shoulder carrier of claim 37, comprising only a single shoulder strap.
- 41. shoulder carrier comprising:a container into which items to be cared can be placed, the container having a back and a bottom; a shoulder strap having opposite ends attached to the container; a shoulder pad mounted to the shoulder strap having an air-filled bladder; and a lumbar support including an air-filled bladder constructed and arranged to bear on a wearer's hip or lumbar region to transfer weight in the container to the hip or lumbar region, the lumbar support having a convex portion projecting from the back of the container and extending horizontally across the back of the container, the lumbar support substantially separating the container from contact with the wearer when the shoulder carrier is worn.
- 42. The shoulder carrier of claim 41, wherein the lumbar support includes an air-filled bladder that supports the convex portion to approximate the shape of a partial cylinder.
- 43. The shoulder carrier of claim 41, wherein the convex portion extends horizontally in an upper portion of the back of the container.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/434,633, filed Nov. 5, 1999, now abandoned which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/078,462, filed May 14, 1998 now abandoned Application Ser. No. 09/434,633 and Application Ser. No. 09/078,462 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
US Referenced Citations (79)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
219874 |
Dec 1923 |
GB |
WO9428756 |
Dec 1994 |
WO |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
09/434633 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/562361 |
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US |
Parent |
09/078462 |
May 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/434633 |
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US |