Patent Application
20240138550
This apparatus relates to a wearable device that assists in carrying objects. Specifically, heavy objects that can be strenuous to carry.
There are a variety of existing devices that can be used to assist people in carrying objects. The features of these devices differ based on the specific intended purpose. These devices may be tailored to accommodate different types of objects such as large objects, heavy objects, or fragile objects. These devices may also be designed to accommodate other needs such as size, comfortability, and ease-of-use. Additionally, these devices may be designed with the landscape or terrain the user must traverse as well as the distance the user must travel while using the device.
Embodiments of the present disclosure include an apparatus for aiding in carrying objects comprising a lower portion comprising a garment attachment and an upper portion comprising a protrusion.
The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure.
The drawings included in the present disclosure are incorporated into, and form part of, the specification. They illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, along with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. The drawings are only illustrative of certain embodiments and do not limit the disclosure.
While the embodiments described herein are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the particular embodiments described are not to be taken in a limiting sense. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Embodiments of the present disclosure seek to allow the user to carry heavy or large objects with greater ease than they would otherwise be able to without said device. Many existing devices used for the purpose of carrying or transporting objects are uncomfortable to wear, cumbersome to attach and remove, heavy, or large and therefore difficult to store. Many existing devices restrict the user's movement and can get in the way of the user performing other tasks. Some of these devices attach by wrapping around the user's waist.
While the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such applications, various aspects of the disclosure may be appreciated through a discussion of various examples using this context.
In some embodiments, the apparatus can be easily attached and removed from the user's garment belt. In some embodiments, the user attaches the device to a garment belt by positioning their garment belt between the outermost arm 5 and the innermost arm 6. In this orientation, the outermost surface of the innermost arm is positioned against the user's hip. In some embodiments, when the device is in use and an object is positioned on the apparatus, the user may be able to use just one arm to carry the device.
In other embodiments, the device may be attached to other straps or articles of clothing, such as a direct application to a pants waist.
Embodiments of the present disclosure include features to stabilize an object resting on the protrusion 1 of the apparatus; these features may include concave section 4, a knob 3, and protrusion 1. In some embodiments the surface of the apparatus may be slanted so as to keep the object from slipping off of the device away from the user's body. In some embodiments, the surface of the apparatus may be textured. In some embodiments the texture of the surface of the device may be ridged with teeth-like wedges 2 that function as a high coefficient of friction surface to avoid slippage of the object being carried. In some embodiments, the teeth-like wedges 2 may have a slightly different surface configuration for providing proper grip and friction. For example, a cross-hatched surface, an adhesive-enhanced surface, a tread-like surface with various patterns and ridge depths, etc. In yet other embodiments, the surface with the teeth-like wedges 2 may be detachable, and a set of similar, yet distinct, gripping surfaces may be attached in its place. In this way, the teeth-like wedges 2 may be configured in a way that is optimal for whatever task or burden (e.g., package) the user is facing. In yet a further embodiment, the surface of the apparatus may be ferromagnetic to provide a degree of magnetic stabilizing force for metal objects and/or a metal or magnetic attachment to an object to be carried using the apparatus.
The apparatus may include a knob 3 located at the outermost point of the surface of the protrusion to assist in keeping an object from falling off the edge of the surface of the protrusion of the apparatus. The knob 3 is a small protrusion at the edge of the surface of the protrusion 1. The knob 3 stabilizes the carried object on the protrusion by providing another point of contact between the apparatus and the object being carried. The knob 3 may be made of the same material as the device or a different material (e.g., a titanium alloy, stainless steel, plastic composite, etc.). The knob 3 may be a variety of shapes. For example, the knob may be rounded, rectangular, triangular, or in the shape of a hook.
Additionally, the apparatus has a concave section 4 at the base of the surface closest to the user as an additional feature to keep the carried object secure on the device. This concave section 4 aids in keeping the carried object secure by catching the carried object if it slides toward the user. The innermost arm 6 of the apparatus is longer than the outermost arm 5 to maximize comfort and keep the device in the desired position.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may be made, if desired, using 3D printing. In other embodiments, the device may be made via injection molding. In yet other embodiments, the apparatus may be made via metal casting, metal forging, or metal stamping.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may be made of a polymer or non-polymer material. In some embodiments the device may be made of a material suitable for injection molding. In other embodiments, the device may be made of metal. In other embodiments, the apparatus may be made of plastics. In some embodiments the apparatus may be made of material suitable for 3D printing such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polylactic acid, polyethylene terephthalate glycol, nylon, thermoplastic polyurethane, or other resins or composites. In yet other embodiments, the device may be made of stiff nylon webbing.
When in use, embodiments of the present disclosure removes some strain on the user's back from carrying heavy objects by redistributing some of the weight of the package away from the user's back and arms and towards the user's hips and legs.
In some embodiments, the garment attachment of the apparatus may include a notch in the one or more arms that form around the user's garment belt or other appropriate strap or garment. In some embodiments the device may include mechanical means to keep the device in the desired location by allowing the arms of the device to adjust and tighten around the user's belt. These mechanical means may include a clamping device that clamps the belt between the arms of the device and includes means for keeping the arms pressed together with the belt between them. In other embodiments, a carabiner style clip may be implemented in place of, or in addition to, a clamp. In yet further embodiments, such clip and/or clamp may include a breakaway mechanism to prevent user injury when a dangerously heavy object is applied to the apparatus.
A protrusion 1 connects two spaced arms 7 as shown in
In some embodiments, the protrusion 1 may be slanted in that it is continuously sloping at an angle greater than ninety degrees in relation to the innermost arm 6. The protrusion also has teeth-like wedges 2. There is a knob 3 located at the outermost point of the protrusion 1. In some embodiments there may be a concave indentation 4 at the innermost section of the protrusion 1. In yet other embodiments, a series of knobs 3 may line the outermost edge of protrusion 1.
In some embodiments, as in
In some embodiments, the innermost arm 6 may be cushioned on its outermost surface to provide increased comfort to the user. The innermost arm 6 may be cushioned with foam, fabric, leather, rubber, neoprene, or any type of soft material suitable for this purpose.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63420094 | Oct 2022 | US |
