The invention relates to shoulder carriers having a lumbar support.
Shoulder carriers, such as backpacks, golf bags, garment bags, mail-carrier bags, etc., are widely used and are available in a variety of different special-use and general purpose configurations. For example, backpacks are available for carrying small children, for carrying relatively large amounts of weight for extended hiking or cold-weather travel, for carrying schoolbooks, etc. Several such examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,679,108; 3,902,640; 4,384,602; 5,526,969; 5,529,229; and 5,547,461.
Shoulder carriers typically require most of the weight of the carrier to be borne on the shoulders of the wearer. This weight distribution causes the wearer to not stand with proper posture (i.e., straight), and thus can lead to back injuries, muscles strains or other problems. In addition, overloading of the wearer's shoulders can itself cause injuries, such as strain of the trapezius muscle, pinching of nerves near the spine, etc.
Some shoulder carriers, such as technical backpacks used for multi-day hiking trips disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,461, use a hip belt to transfer weight of the carrier to the hips or lumbar region of a wearer's back, thereby decreasing the amount of weight on the wearer's shoulders. However, such solutions require a hip belt that is tightened around the wearer's hips for the weight transfer to be effective. Without the hip belt, no weight transfer to the hips or lumbar region would occur.
The invention provides a shoulder carrier having at least one shoulder strap and a lumbar support connected to a container. In one aspect of the invention, weight of items in the container, as well as of the carrier itself, can be borne on a wearer's shoulders as well as on the hip or lumbar region of the wearer's back without using a hip belt. Weight of the carrier is transferred to the wearer's hip or lumbar region, at least in part, by the lumbar support. Weight transfer is achieved by the lumbar support resting on the wearer's hip or lumbar region using the unique features of the invention, thus transferring weight away from the shoulder and making the carrier seem lighter to the wearer. Weight transfer may be enhanced by the way in which a shoulder strap is attached to the carrier container. As used herein, the term shoulder carrier refers to any device for carrying weight that includes at least one shoulder strap to transfer weight of a carrier to a shoulder of the wearer. Examples of a shoulder carrier are a garment bag, mail-carrier bag, golf bag, backpack, briefcase, etc. The term lumbar support refers to a resilient portion of the shoulder carrier that can be used to contact and transfer weight of the carrier to a wearer's lumbar region of the back or hips. Thus, the term lumbar support does not preclude an arrangement in which weight of the shoulder carrier is transferred only to a wearer's hip, and not the lumbar region of the wearer's back.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder carrier is a single strap carrying bag with a lumbar support. Thus, unlike conventional bags having only a single shoulder strap, the single strap shoulder carrier according to this aspect of the invention allows weight of the bag to be transferred to a wearer's hip or lumbar region of the back in addition to the wearer's shoulder.
In one aspect of the invention, a shoulder carrier includes a container having a top, a bottom and a rear into which items to be carried can be placed. Only a single shoulder strap has a top end attached near the top of the container and a bottom end attached near the bottom of the container. The single shoulder strap extends along a midline of the container. A shoulder pad is mounted to the single shoulder strap, and a lumbar support is attached to the rear of the container that bears on a wearer's hip or lumbar region to transfer weight in the container to the hip or lumbar region. The lumbar support has a fluid-filled bladder, and a portion that projects from the rear of the container and extends across the rear of the container.
In another aspect of the invention, a shoulder carrier includes a container having a top, a bottom and a rear into which items to be carried can be placed. Only a single shoulder strap having opposite ends is attached to the container. A shoulder pad is mounted to the single shoulder strap and has a fluid-filled bladder. A lumbar support is attached to the rear of the container that bears 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 fluid-filled bladder, and having a portion that projects from the rear of the container and extends across the bottom of the container.
In one aspect of the invention, the lumbar support includes an inflatable bladder.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder carrier can include a waist strap to help maintain proper positioning of the carrier on the wearer's body. The waist strap need not be intended to help transfer weight to a wearer's hip, but rather serve only to keep the lumbar support in contact with the wearer.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder strap passes through a guide attached to the container near a top of the lumbar support, extends below the lumbar support adjacent the container, and is attached near a bottom of the container. The guide can be positioned on a back portion of the container nearest the wearer, or be positioned on a side portion of the container. Similarly, the strap can be attached to the container on a back portion of the container nearest the wearer or along a side portion of the container. The portion of the shoulder strap that extends between the guide and where the strap is attached to the container can extend over the lumbar support or along a side of the lumbar support. The portion of the strap between the guide and where the strap is attached to the container may not be attached to the container or the lumbar support. Attaching a shoulder strap according to this aspect of the invention may enhance weight transfer to the wearer's hip or lumbar region of the back.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder strap includes a pad to more comfortably and resiliently distribute force of the shoulder strap to the wearer's shoulder. The pad can include an inflatable bladder and may have several compartments having a roughly rectangular pillow shape, e.g., to facilitate bending of the strap to conform to a wearer's shoulder without kinking.
In one aspect of the invention, a shoulder strap pad is slidably attached to the shoulder strap.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder carrier includes a shoulder pad that is slidably attached to the shoulder strap and has a fluid-filled bladder. The lumbar support also includes a fluid-filled bladder. The shoulder strap passes through a guide attached to the container near an upper portion of the lumbar support and extends down to a lower portion of the container where the strap is attached. A waist belt can also be included to keep the shoulder carrier in a desired position relative to the wearer, but not necessarily for transferring weight of the carrier to the wearer's hip or back.
The invention also provides a method for positioning a shoulder carrier on a wearer. A shoulder carrier having at least one strap, and no hip belt that is intended to to carry weight on the hips of a wearer, is positioned so that a lumbar support of the carrier contacts a lumbar area or hip area of the wearer. Other portions of the carrier, except for the at least one shoulder strap, need not contact any portion of the wearer. By properly positioning the shoulder carrier, weight of the carrier is transferred to the lumbar area or hip without using a hip belt.
In one aspect of the invention, a length of the at least one shoulder strap is adjusted to properly position the lumbar support on the wearer.
In one aspect of the invention, an air pressure in the lumbar support is adjusted to provide varying weight transfer and comfort characteristics.
In one aspect of the invention, a waist strap is attached around the wearer to keep the shoulder carrier in a desired position on the wearer.
Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent and/or obvious from the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.
The invention is described with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:
Aspects of the invention are described below with reference to various embodiments, such as: a general purpose single strap carrier, a garment bag and a backpack. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these three embodiments. For example, the invention could be used with golf bags, mail-carrier bags, baby carriers, etc. Therefore, the term shoulder carrier refers to any apparatus used to carry weight in which at least some of the weight is supported by a wearer's shoulder.
The shoulder carrier 1 also includes a shoulder strap 12 that is attached to the container 11 and transfers some of the weight in the container 11 to a shoulder of the wearer. The strap 12 is preferably made of a flexible material, such as leather or a polymer fabric and has a width of one inch or more to help distribute weight more evenly on the wearer's shoulder. However, the shoulder strap 12 could be made of any desired material and in any width or cross section provided that the shoulder strap 12 can provide desired weight supporting characteristics. The shoulder strap 12 can be made to resist stretching or other lengthening of the shoulder strap 12 in response to static or dynamic loads on the strap 12. Alternately, the strap 12 could include elements or be made of a material that stretches when the strap 12 is subjected to static or dynamic loads. Stretching of the strap 12 or elements within the strap 12 could reduce dynamic loads on a wearer's shoulder such as when the wearer runs while wearing the shoulder carrier 1. The shoulder strap 12 can also include a length adjusting element so that the length of the strap 12 can be adjusted as is well-known in the art. Although the shoulder strap 12 is shown in
A pad 13 is also preferably included and positioned between the strap 12 and the wearer's shoulder. The pad 13 can be made of any type of material to distribute the force of the strap 12 on the wearer's shoulder. For example, the pad 13 could include a resilient foam element or a fluid-filled bladder. For example, the fluid-filled bladder could be filled with air and/or a gel, and the bladder may optionally be compartmented. The pad 13 may also include other optional features. For example, the pad 13 may be attached to the shoulder strap so that the pad 13 slides freely along the strap 12. Thus, once the pad 13 is in place on a wearer's shoulder, the pad 13 can stay in place when the container 11 is moved, e.g., from a wearer's hip to the wearer's back. This feature can reduce or eliminate abrasion of the strap 12 on the wearer's shoulder as the container 11 moves. In addition, the pad 13 could function to reduce dynamic loads on the wearer's shoulder. For example, a fluid-filled bladder could dynamically compress and expand as dynamic loads are placed on the strap 12. This action of the bladder can absorb some of the dynamic energy like a shock absorber and increase the wearer's comfort.
The shoulder carrier 1 also includes a lumbar support 14 positioned between the wearer's hip and the container 11 as shown in FIG. 1. The lumbar support 14 may contribute enormously to the comfort of the wearer in a variety of ways. For example, the support 14 may transfer some of the weight of the shoulder carrier 1 to the hip or lumbar region of the wearer's back. Therefore, not all of the weight of the carrier 1 is borne on the shoulder of the wearer. The support 14 transfers weight of the carrier 1 by contacting, or resting on, a portion of the wearer's hip or back that curves outward. Therefore, the hip or back of the wearer exerts a force F on the support 14 that is directed somewhat upward at an angle from the horizontal, as shown in
Conventional shoulder bags, such as that shown in
The lumbar support 14 may provide additional advantages. For example, the support 14 may separate the container 11 from the wearer so that the container 11 can be held somewhat away from the wearer. When the wearer moves, since the container 11 is positioned away from the wearer, the container 11 can be prevented from contacting the wearer, such as the wearer's lower hip or leg area. The lumbar support 14 may also prevent movement of the container 11 relative to the wearer as the wearer moves because the support 14 can deform to the contour of the wearer's hip, enabling the lumbar support 14 to contact a broad area of the hip. This broad area of contact can enhance the amount of weight supported by the wearer's hip as well prevent sway or other movement of the container 11 as the wearer moves.
The lumbar support 14 can be made of or include various materials. For example, the lumbar support 14 can be made of or include a resilient foam or a fluid-filled bladder. Preferably, the support 14 includes a fluid-filled bladder that is inflated with air. Since the support 14 can be inflated with air, the support 14 can be filled with varying amounts of air depending on the application. One or more valves can be provided to adjust the amount of air in the bladder. For example, women tend to have a broader hip area than men and therefore require somewhat higher inflation of the bladder.
The shoulder strap 12 includes an optional adjuster for adjusting the length of the strap 12. Such adjusters 20 are well known in the art and can include friction-type adjusters, buckles, hook-and-loop connectors (VELCRO™), etc. The manner in which the shoulder strap 12 is attached to the container 11 as shown in
The shoulder strap 12 can also include a pad 13 as discussed above. The pad 13 can be fixed to the strap 12 or attached so that the pad 13 can slide along the strap 12. The pad 13 can include a fluid-filled bladder, such as an air bladder, a resilient foam member and/or other shock absorbing or force distributing element.
In this embodiment, the lumbar support 14 preferably extends along a top of the back portion 111, but may be positioned at any suitable location, e.g., near the bottom of the container 11. In the example shown in
The lumbar support 14 need not be formed in the back portion 111, but instead could be removably attached to the back portion 111. For example, the lumbar support 14 could be attached to the back portion 111 by hook-and-loop fasteners, by a zipper fastener, etc. Thus, the lumbar support 14 could be removed if desired, e.g., to allow the shoulder carrier 1 to be placed in a relatively small space, such as an airplane overhead bin, or to allow exchanging of differently sized lumbar supports 14.
The shoulder carrier 1 can also include an optional waist belt 17. In contrast to hip belts used in technical backpacks to transfer weight of a carrier to the wearer's hips, the waist belt 17 can be used to hold the container 11 and lumbar support 14 in place relative to the wearer. By keeping the lumbar support 14 in contact with a wearer's hips or lumbar region, weight of the shoulder carrier 1 can be more properly supported. The waist belt 17 can include any type of removable fastener for attaching the waist belt 17 around the wearer and for adjusting the length of the waist belt 17. Thus, the waist belt 17 can include buckles, snap connections, hook-and-loop fasteners, D-ring buckles, etc.
The bladder 34 can be made from a thermoplastic material. (e.g., two heat sealed or otherwise welded sheets of plastic material), and can be elastic. Each of the pillow-shaped compartments can have a height d of approximately ¾-2 inches, a length 1 of approximately 3 inches and a width w of approximately 1-2 inches. It should be understood that the bladder 34 shown in
The compartments in the bladder 34 help the pad 13 to conform to a wearer's shoulder without buckling. For example,
The backpack in this illustrative embodiment has a pair of shoulder straps 12 that are attached at a top of the container 11. Opposite ends of the straps 12 pass through guides 15 attached to the container 11, over a lumbar support 14 and are fixed to the container 11 at attachment points 16 near a bottom of the lumbar support 14. As in the shoulder carrier 1 shown in
The pads 13 may be formed as shown in
The lumbar support 14 may include a pouch that is formed in the container 11 and into which a support bladder 19 or other resilient material is inserted. The support bladder 19 could be inserted into the pouch through an access 18. Alternately, the lumbar support 14 need not be formed as part of the container 11. Instead, the lumbar support 14 could be removably attached to the container 11, e.g., by hook-and-loop fastening devices. Another possibility is that the lumbar support 14 could be held in place by the shoulder straps 12 that pass through the loops 15 over the support 14 and are attached to the container 11. In addition, as mentioned above, the lumbar support 14 could include multiple components, e.g., multiple air bladders, that together extend across the rear of the backpack or otherwise form the lumbar support 14.
The shoulder strap attachment configuration shown in
As with other embodiments of the shoulder carrier 1, the shoulder straps 12 should be properly adjusted so that optimum weight distribution characteristics can be achieved. That is, as shown in
An added benefit of the backpack arrangement shown in
It has also been found that the preferred backpack configuration shown in
Although the invention is described in connection with the embodiments above, various alterations, modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to be limiting.
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/562,361 filed May 1, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,105, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/434,633, filed Nov. 5, 1999 now ABN, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/078,462, filed May 14, 1998 now ABN. Application Ser. Nos. 09/562,361, 09/434,633 and 09/078,462 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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