Backpacks have existed for several centuries, and they are ubiquitous today. Backpacks, over the course of history, have been called by a number of different names including the aforementioned backpack, but also rucksack, knapsack, sack, or even simply bag.
Originally, backpacks were little more than a sack having a plurality of loops, typically leather, through which a person's arms would fit such that the sack would be suspended by the straps and against the person's back. The sack may have a flap or be cinched to allow the sack to be open and closed.
Modern backpacks are very sophisticated as compared to the original backpacks described above. Modern backpacks are typically made from technical fabrics making them abrasion and water resistant as well as comfortable as the backpack can be padded where it contacts a body. Modern backpacks also are balanced and shaped to carry weight proportionally on the person to minimize stresses and the like. Still other features of modern backpacks include multiple and specially designed pockets and pouches for items, such as, for example, iPads, mobile phones, MP3 players, laptop computers, other handheld electronics, and the like. Backpacks may include wire channels or harnesses to allow wires to be routed through the backpack for earphones and power cords. In some cases, the backpack may have a frame or the like.
With the improvements in modern backpacks, backpacks have even replaced the briefcase for many people in the workforce. In other words, backpacks are used in personal and professional settings in the United States and throughout the world. However, despite the improvements, backpacks still suffer drawbacks and may be improved. For example, backpacks typically have loose straps that require adjustment to be worn comfortably. Additionally, the backpack may be unsecured across the front of the person or, at best, be secured by a chest strap and snap buckle, which may further inhibit the comfortable wearing of the backpack.
Against this background, it is desirous to develop improved backpacks.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary, and the foregoing Background, is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one aspect, the technology of the present application comprises a backpack having a plurality of formable straps. A subset or all of the formable straps are releasably coupled to a single harness that allows for quick release and buckling.
In another aspect, the technology of the present application has a plurality of padded frame arms and a plurality of straps. The plurality of padded frame arms are pliable, such that they may bend with the application of force, and may be foldable. The padded frame arms being pliable allow the padded frame arms to be formed and shaped to match the anatomy of the wearer to facilitate comfortable wear.
The pliable padded frame arms, in at least one embodiment, may be retractable or foldable from a wear configuration to a storage configuration to facilitate storage of the backpack. The padded frame arms may, in this instance, fold over on themselves, pivot to a storage position, retract, or telescope into or onto themselves.
These and other aspects of the present system and method will be apparent after consideration of the Detailed Description and Figures herein.
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the technology of the present application, including the preferred embodiment, are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.
Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the technology of the present application. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. Moreover, the technology of the present application will be described with relation to exemplary embodiments. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Additionally, unless specifically identified otherwise, all embodiments described herein should be considered exemplary.
With reference now to
The storage section 102 includes at least one, and typically a plurality of, pocket area 104 to store items for transport. The pocket area 104 may be selectively opened and closed by a zipper 106 in some cases or, in other cases, the pocket area 104 may be closable by a flap 108. The flap 108 may be secured by fasteners 110, such as, for example, a hook and loop fastener, snaps, or buckles. Zipper 106 also may be replaced by other equivalent means for closure, such as, for example, snaps, buckles, hook and loop material, zip locks, ties, etc.
The harness section 120 includes a plurality of padded frame arms 122, with a corresponding plurality of straps 124 connectable to a buckle 126, which is a single action buckle as will be explained further below. The plurality of padded frame arms 122 extend from the storage section 102 over pressure points on the body of the backpack wearer, such as, for example, over the shoulders or around the waist generally to the front torso area of a wearer. A hand grip strap 128 may extend from the left to the right side of the harness 120 to facilitate hand carrying of the backpack 100. The padded frame arms 122 may comprise a fabric layer over foam padding wrapped about metallic or composite pliable frame arms or simply a fabric layer over the metallic or composite pliable frame arms.
The harness portion 120 includes the plurality of padded frame arms 122. A single padded frame arm 300 is shown in
The padded frame arm 300 further includes a pliable frame member 320, which may be a single piece or a plurality of pieces coupled together as shown, which pieces are coupled using a plurality fasteners such as for example, bolts and washers, rivets, welds, adhesives, or the like. The pliable frame member 320 may be bent or shaped by the application of force, but generally maintains its shape under conventional loads associated with using the backpack. The force to bend pliable frame member 320 preferrably is no more than typical hand pressure that can be applied by the average person. Such metals include, without limitation, aluminum, nickel alloys, steels, carbon fiber, other composites, and the like. In operation, the pliable frame arm 300 having the pliable frame member 320 may be shaped or conformed to the anatomy of the person wearing the backpack such that the plurality of padded frame arms 122 along with the storage portion 102 of the backpack 100 form a cavity 322 (
As mentioned earlier, the plurality of padded frame arms 122 each comprise one or more pliable frame members 320 to facilitate shaping the backpack 100 to fit a particular body. The frame of the backpack 100 also may include, as mentioned above, mechanisms to allow the frame arms 122 to fold or retract. With specific reference to
Each of the plurality of padded frame arms 122 has a proximal end 130 and a distal end 132. The proximal end 130 is connected to the storage portion 102 and the distal end 132 is opposite the proximal end 130. A plurality of straps 124 are coupled to the distal ends 132. Typically there is one strap for each of the plurality of padded frame arms 122. The plurality of straps 124 are fixedly coupled, such as by a stitch, to the distal end 132 of each of the plurality of padded frame arms 122 and extend from the distal end 132 to a fixture 134, which will be explained further below. In the present exemplary embodiment, each of the fixtures 134 are removably coupled to the buckle 126; although, in alternative embodiments, one or more of the straps could terminate at the buckle 126 rather than the fixture 134. One or more of the straps has an adjustable length, which provides an adjustable length strap as is generally known in the art and will not be further explained herein except as necessary.
With reference now to
The base 502 of the fixture 134 comprises a slot 524. The slot 524 defines a line X that is oblique to a transverse axis Y of the male protrusion 504. The slot 524 for each fastener is coupled to the plurality of straps 124 such that the strap extends from the distal end 132 to the fixture 134. The slot 524 is angled or arranged such that the strap 124, extending between the padded frame arm and the buckle, does not twist and is flat against the torso of the person wearing the backpack. The angle may be between about 5 and 45 degrees, but is preferably between about 10 to 20 degrees. In the exemplary embodiment, the angle is approximately 16 degrees. In this specific context, approximately 16 degrees means within a manufacturing tolerance.
The buckle 126 will now be explained in detail with reference to
The cover 604 includes a plurality of bulges 606 aligned with the fixtures 134. The bulges 606 are aligned with the male protrusion 504 and provide an opening 608 to the interior 610 defined by the bulges 606. The flexible tab 518 (as shown in
The base plate 602 is coupled to the cover 604. The coupling could be via screws, as shown, a snap fitting, a friction fitting, a taper lock, or a threaded connection. The base plate 602 includes a plurality of lock bores 612 and a lock screw 614. Although all the fixtures 134 may be releasably coupled to the buckle 126, the lock screw 614 inhibits one or more fixture 134 from being releasably coupled to the buckle 126. This inhibits inadvertently misplacing or losing the buckle 126 if all the fixtures 134 are released. Alternative to the lock bores 612 and the lock screw 614, one fixture 134 may be permanently fixed to the buckle. Plugs 616 or caps 618 may be placed in the lock bores 612 not being used by the lock screw 614.
The cover 604 also includes a bore 620, shown located generally at a geometric center C of the buckle 126. A spring loaded release button 622 is aligned with the bore 620 and actuatable by a wearer of the backpack or other person as will be explained further below.
With reference to the top plan view of the buckle 126, shown in
As best seen in
Additional details of the buckle 126 are further provided by the exploded views of the buckle 126 shown in
As can be appreciated with reference to the figures, the first time backpack 100 is worn by an individual, the plurality of padded frame arms 122, which include the pliable frame member 320, are formed to conform to the person. In other words, the pliable shoulder arms 1302, 1304 and the pliable waist arms 1306, 1308 are bent for comfort of the wearer. The fixtures 134 are then coupled to the buckle 126 by inserting the male protrusion 504 into the female socket 601. The flexible tab 518 is deflected downward by the cover 604 to allow the male protrusion 504 to move into the female socket 601. Once the flexible tab 518 is inserted beyond the latch plate 1012, the flexible tab 518 returns to or at least towards its non-deflected position such that the lock surface 520 and the latch plate 1012 are engaged. This may be accompanied by an audible click or the like. Three or four fixtures 134 are connected. Three, if one of the fixtures is prelocked to the buckle using the lock screw 614 or a permanent coupling of the fixture and the buckle. If four fixtures 134 are inserted, optionally, the lock screw 614 may be threaded into the lock bore 612.
To individually release fixtures 134 from buckle 126, the individual release button 1010 associated with that fixture 134 is depressed. The depression causes the individual release button 1010 (or a descending rib 1110) to engage the top surface of the flexible tab 518 and deflects it downward until the lock surface 520 disengages with the latch plate 1012. The flexible tab 518 is biased upwards such that the force of the flexible tab 518 trying to return to the un-deflected position tends to push the fixture radially outward such that the male protrusion tends to leave the female socket when disengaged.
To simultaneously release multiple fixtures 134, the spring loaded release button 622 is depressed. All of the interconnected individual release arms 1008 move in conjunction with the depression of the spring loaded release button 622. The descending ribs 1110, for example, engage the plurality of flexible tabs 518 to allow release. For the simultaneous release, if the lock screw 614 is in place, one of the plurality of individual release arms 1008 will not move on depression of the spring loaded release button 622.
Although the technology has been described in language that is specific to certain structures, materials, and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures, materials, and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions, such as those expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, etc. used in the specification (other than the claims) are understood as modified in all instances by the term “approximately.” At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter recited in the specification or claims which is modified by the term “approximately” should at least be construed in light of the number of recited significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or any and all individual values subsumed therein. For example, a stated range of 1 to 10 should be considered to include and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or individual values that are between and/or inclusive of the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less (e.g., 5.5 to 10, 2.34 to 3.56, and so forth) or any values from 1 to 10 (e.g., 3, 5.8, 9.9994, and so forth).
The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/903,277, filed Nov. 12, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as if set out in full.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61903277 | Nov 2013 | US |