CARRIER FRAME FOR BACK LOAD
A carrier frame is for a back load having an extended resilient element that extends in a closed loop and crosses itself in such a way that it forms a shoulder element, an anchor element and a hip element between the crossings. Segments of the element can be moved in relation to each other. The shoulder element has a shoulder fastening for shoulder straps, the anchor element is adapted for support of the back load, and the hip element has a hip fastening for a hip belt. The load is resiliently suspended in the carrier frame, which gives possibility of damping. The back load may be a pack bag in a rucksack, a child seat or another pack.
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1. Technical Field
The invention regards a carrier frame for back load, e.g. a rucksack, a child seat or another pack.
2. Background Art
Traditionally, a rigid frame provided with shoulder straps has been used to fasten and distribute load on a user's back. A first example is a traditional rucksack where the load is located in a pack bag which is fastened to the frame and turned away from the back of the user. In this case, the frame also reinforces the pack bag in which the load is to be placed. It is known to fasten other load in addition to or instead of a sack to such a frame, e.g. skis, gas cylinders for breathing, a child seat or other rigid objects. Such carrier frames may be provided with a hip belt to distribute a load better between shoulders and hips. The frame is then fastened as close as possible to the user's back to distribute the load in the best possible manner. Thereby, the user's movements are at the same time hindered by the rigid frame, and the user gets reduced comfort and efficiency.
More advanced carrier frames have links and flexible elements. These provide an improved comfort, but with an associated larger complexity and cost. Further, the number of degrees of freedom often limited due to the material, so that sections may be bent in one direction but not lateral to this direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,314 discloses a carrier device that moves the load towards the user's center of gravity to make it possible to carry heavier loads more comfortable with less power consumption. In use, the carrier device transmit load to the user through a breast strap and a hip strap over a helically shaped frame element, where two elements run along the user's back and cross each other one or several times. This provides a built-in shock damping and flexibility. Additionally, the carrier device has its own adjustable shock absorbing mechanism. The carrier device gives the user better freedom of motion and eliminates compression forces under shoulders, because the shoulder straps are missing or are merely used to hold the load close to the user's back without transmitting the weight from the load. The device is adjustable to fit different breast sizes and may be used for different purposes, e.g. as a tour sack, for a child seat, a military pack, a fireman's pack, etc.
US 2010/0176171 A1 discloses a utility pack with a flexible frame system wherein several flexible frame members engage guides in the pack body to provide the pack with an extended and resilient structure. The frame members may form one or several crossings. In some embodiments there is a floating coupling between the shoulder harness and the pack body to enhance freedom of motion of the wearer. Embodiments may also include flexible frame members directly coupled to a waist harness to shift pack loads to the wearer's waist and hips. The document also describes a flexible rod having an outer and inner element which gives items structure, durability, flexibility and resiliency.
The problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a carrier frame that gives improved load capacity and carrying comfort compared to the prior art, while retaining the benefits from prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the invention the problem is solved with a carrier frame for a back load, where the carrier frame is composed of at least one extended and resilient element and comprises at least one crossing where the elements in the carrier frame are moveable in relation to each other. The carrier frame is characterized in that the at least one resilient element is one continuous element that extends in a closed loop and crosses itself in such a way that it forms a shoulder element between an upper frame end and a first crossing, an anchor element between the first crossing and a second crossing, and a hip element between the second crossing and a lower frame end. The shoulder element has a fastener for shoulder straps, the anchor element is adapted for support of the back load, and the hip element has fastening for a hip belt.
In other words, the resilient element defines a carrier frame formed as a series of loops where each loop is defined such that the resilient element crosses itself. The loops are forming a shoulder element which in use transmits forces from the carrier frame to the user's shoulders and upper back portion by means of shoulder straps, an anchor element for anchoring of load where the forces are transmitted from the load to the carrier frame and a hip element which transmits load to the user's hips and/or lower back portion by means of a hip belt.
The solution enables the hips and shoulders to move freely and independently of each other and also independent of the load, which may be e.g. a pack bag. Additionally, the structure allows an axial twisting of the backbone. This enhances freedom of motion while the pack load is kept stable on the back of the wearer during use. The load is resiliently suspended in the carrier frame, and the solution also gives possibility of damping.
The resilient element may be a hollow pipe to save weight, and the ends of the element may be connected by inserting them into separate ends of a sleeve at the upper frame end.
Alternatively, the resilient element may be assembled from a plurality of shorter elements that can be released from each other so that the carrier frame can be disassembled when not in use.
If desired, the frame may be divided in several loops to further enhance the carrying comfort and/or the loading capacity.
In a further aspect the invention relates to a carrier system having such a carrier frame. In the carrier system the shoulder element is located in an upper fastening firmly connected to the shoulder straps, the hip element is located in a lower fastening firmly connected to the hip belt, and an anchor fastening is firmly connected to the back load and adapted to transmit forces from the load to the anchor element.
The upper fastening, the lower fastening and the anchor fastening are preferably pockets of textile, and brackets may be instead of or additionally to the pockets for storing the back load on the anchor element.
The invention will be further described in the following by means of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The common principle of the embodiments is that a continuous elongated resilient element 12 is configured as a series of loops, where the loops are separated from each other by the resilient element crossing over in the manner of the crossing in the digit 8. A loop defines the shoulder element 20 between an upper frame end and a first crossing. A second loop defines the anchor element 30, and a third loop defines the hip element 40 in a similar manner. Further crossings may form a fourth and subsequent loops, e.g. one or more comfort elements 50 as shown in the
Preferably, the resilient element 12 is a hollow pipe or a solid metal string, e.g. a steel string. Weight, strength and price decide the specific choice. Plastic or fibre composites may also be used, but many such non-metallic materials break easily when overloaded, and then form sharp edges that can wear unnecessarily on a textile pocket or harm the user. The carrier frame also loses much of its function if the resilient element breaks.
The back load is mainly supported on the anchor element 30 through pockets 72 and 74 affixed to the pack bag 101 and disposed around the anchor element 30. This means that most of the weight from the load is transmitted to the carrier frame through the anchor element 30. The carrier frame 10 is resilient and damps relative motion between the anchor element 30, the shoulder element 20 and the hip element 40. The three elements 20, 30 and 40 can further be twisted in relation to each other about a vertical axis which runs substantially along the user's backbone and separately laterally about horisontal axes as described in greater detail below. The earner frame also enables the user to move hips and shoulders freely and independently of each other and also independently of the back load, which in this example is the pack bag 101. Additionally, the structure allows an axial twisting of the backbone. This gives a better freedom of motion than other known structures.
The freedoms of motion are to a great extent provided in that sections of the resilient element 12 are slipping over each other in a crossing. In a preferred embodiment the sections of the resilient element 12 are slipping against each other when the frame is twisted, compressed or stretched. In the alternative embodiment in
If the load, e.g. a pack bag, is fastened tight to the shoulder element 20, anchor element 30 and hip element 40, the elements are connected through the load so that it is no longer possible to move shoulders and hips without the load being drawn with. To achieve the requested freedom of motion the load therefore must substantially be absorbed by the anchor element, whereas the connection between load and the shoulder and hip elements is made looser, e.g. in that a strap or a piece of textile holds the load near the shoulder element without absorbing load. Simultaneously, the shoulder straps and the hip belt hold the shoulder and hip elements, respectively, near the user's body so that the load is absorbed by the anchor element and distributed on the user's shoulders and hips through the carrier frame. Thereby any combination of the freedoms of motion described above is maintained.
Comfort depends of resilience and damping, and without any form of damping the load could start a vibration. An anchor fastening in the form of a textile pocket 70, 72, 74 as described in connection with
Corresponding textile pockets 60 and 80 may be located correspondingly tight around the shoulders and hip elements and thereby restrict how much the shoulder and hip elements may be deformed by ordinary use. The textile pockets 60 and 80 may still give the desired freedoms of motion in that the resilient element 12 is moveable in the crossings. The pockets 60 and 80 are preferably fastened in the load to stabilize it and give the user a feeling of stability. The fastenings between the pockets 60, 80 and the load are not absorbing load and may therefore allow wanted deflections up and down, lateral etc., as shown in the
Damping may also be obtained by alternative damping elements, such as a shock absorber cylinder 33, for example disposed lateral to the longitudinal direction of the carrier frame as shown in
The carrier frame also provides a possibility of attachment to the rucksack in that the anchor element is attached to an anchor fastening performed as a first 72 and a second 74 anchor fastening pockets located in the openings, facing each other and with an opening sufficiently wide to let the carrier frame slip into the pockets, cf.
The invention is described with a rucksack as example. It may also be used as a general fastening frame for child seat, a military pack etc., as described in the introduction.
Even if the invention is mainly described for use on human beings, the same principles also apply to animals for pack and as saddle, especially where the back is vulnerable or in another way must be protected against overloading.
Claims
1. A carrier frame for a back load comprising: wherein the at least one element is one continuous element that extends in a closed loop and crosses itself in such a way that it forms a shoulder element between an upper frame end and a first crossing, an anchor element between the first crossing and a second crossing, and a hip element between the second crossing and a lower frame end, the shoulder element has an upper fastening for shoulder straps, the anchor element is adapted for support of the back load, and the hip element has a lower fastening for a hip belt.
- at least one extended and resilient element which comprises at least one crossing where the at least one element in the carrier frame are moveable relative to each other,
2. The carrier frame according to claim 1, wherein the element is a hollow pipe.
3. The carrier frame according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the element are put into a sleeve at the upper frame end.
4. The carrier frame according to claim 1, wherein the resilient element comprises a number of shorter elements, where the ends of the shorter elements are put removably into sleeves, whereby the carrier frame can be assembled and disassembled.
5. The carrier frame according to claim 1, wherein a first section of element has an arc which is bigger than the cross section at least at one crossing, whereby a section of the element is free to move in the arcs in the at least one crossing.
6. The carrier frame according to claim 1, comprising additional crossings, whereby at least one comfort element is formed.
7. The carrier frame according to claim 1, wherein the anchor element comprises a crossing and thereby is divided into sub elements.
8. The carrier frame according to claim 1, wherein the anchor element comprises a damping element.
9. A carrying system having a carrier frame according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder element is located in an upper fastening firmly connected to the shoulder straps, the hip element is located in a lower fastening firmly connected to the hip belt, and an anchor fastening is firmly connected to the back load and adapted to transmit forces from the load to the anchor element.
10. The carrying system according to claim 9, wherein the upper fastening, the lower fastening and the anchor fastening are pockets of textile.
11. The carrying system according to claim 9, wherein the anchor fastening comprises two pockets.
12. The carrying system according to claim 9, wherein the back load is fastened to the anchor element with brackets.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 2, 2012
Publication Date: Mar 6, 2014
Applicant: BERGANS FRITID AS (Hokksund)
Inventor: Johannes Flem (Hokksund)
Application Number: 14/002,869
International Classification: A45F 3/08 (20060101);