Contoured Bag Strap

A shoulder strap for carrying a bag such as a golf bag consists of a central portion formed into a substantially V-shaped shoulder pad with end portions formed into substantially inverted V-shaped panels. The ergonomic shape of the multiple V-shaped shoulder pad moves the line of action of the shoulder strap closer to the center line of a person's body. The shoulder pad may also include a plurality of elongate bearing pads that vary in height to accommodate the slope of a person's shoulder for greater comfort.

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Description
BACKGROUND

This invention relates in general to sport and utility bags and, in particular, to shoulder straps for carrying sport and utility bags such as golf bags.

Participants in the sport of golf often use golf bags to carry golf clubs, golf balls, tees and other equipment on the golf course. So-called cart bags are large, heavy bags designed to carry a full set of golf clubs plus accessories and even refreshments. As the name implies, cart bags are intended to ride on a golf cart rather than being carried from hole to hole. So-called carry bags, on the other hand, are relatively lightweight to facilitate the golfer carrying the bag and its contents for the entire round of golf. In spite of this, a fully loaded carry bag can still weigh twenty to thirty pounds or more. Consequently, a golf bag with an ergonomically designed strap would be of benefit.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a golf bag strap incorporating features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the golf bag strap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the golf bag strap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the golf bag strap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the golf bag strap of FIG. 3 taken along line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the golf bag strap of FIG. 4 taken along line 6-6; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of the golf bag strap of FIG. 1.

 DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of a shoulder strap 10 incorporating features of the present invention in position on the shoulder of a person. Shoulder strap 10 comprises a shoulder pad 12 attached at its respective ends 14, 16 to a pair of straps 18, 20 which in turn are attached to a golf bag 22. Golf bag 22 may be of any known type but preferably comprises a carry bag, and the straps 18, 20 may be of any known material and construction, e.g., synthetic webbing conventionally used in golf bag straps.

Throughout the description and the claims, the terms “upper” and “lower” are used with reference to the vertically upward and vertically downward directions of shoulder strap 10 in use as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The term “inner” means in a direction adjacent the user's neck and the term “outer” means in a direction adjacent the user's arm. These terms are used as a matter of convenience to establish a frame of reference for describing the relative positions of the various components of the illustrative embodiment of the shoulder strap disclosed herein and are not intended to be limiting.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, which are top and bottom views of the shoulder strap 10 of FIG. 1, shoulder strap 10 includes the shoulder pad 12 which has a flexible backing member 24 consisting of a central portion 26, a first end portion 28, and a second end portion 30. Central portion 26 is formed substantially in the shape of a “V” with a first arm 32 having a longitudinal axis 34 that diverges at an obtuse angle from a longitudinal axis 38 of second arm 40 with both axes 34, 38 meeting at a central vertex 36. The first and second arms 32, 40 of central portion 26 have inner edges 42 and 44 that form a substantially continuous concave inner edge. The outer edges 46 and 48 of first and second arms 32, 40 slope gradually towards each other then stop abruptly at apexes 50 and 52 which are separated by a shoulder bone cutout 54 comprising a substantially concave outward edge.

First end portion 28 has a longitudinal axis 56 that diverges from longitudinal axis 34 of first arm 32 at an obtuse angle. Similarly, second end portion 30 has a longitudinal axis 58 that diverges from longitudinal axis 38 of second arm 40 at an obtuse angle. First end portion 28 and first arm 32 form a panel having a generally inverted “V” profile. Similarly, second end portion 30 and second arm 40 form a panel having a generally inverted V-shaped profile. These inverted V-shaped profiles complement the generally upright V-shaped profile of central portion 26. This ergonomic shape shifts the line of action F1 of the bag straps 18, 20 closer to the center line C of a person's body for greater comfort. With a conventional shoulder pad, the straps 18, would have a line of action F2.

Outer edges 60 and 62 of first and second end portions 28, 30 blend smoothly into the generally concave outer edge of first and second arms 32, 40. The inner edge 64 of first end portion 28 converges with the inner edge 42 of first arm 32 to form an apex 66 separating inner edge 64 of first end portion 28 from the substantially continuous concave inner edge formed by inner edges 42 and 44. Similarly, the inner edge 68 of second end portion 30 converges with inner edge 44 of second arm 40 at an apex 70, which separates inner edge 68 from the continuous concave inner edge formed by inner edges 42 and 44. Since flexible backing member 24 is intended to support the weight of the bag 22, it is therefore preferably made of a high-strength fabric, such as ballistic nylon, aramid or similar high-strength fabrics and is preferably of multi-layer construction enabling flexible backing member 24 to be stitched to bag straps 18 and 20 while concealing the terminus of bag straps 18 and 20.

With particular reference to FIGS. 3-5, shoulder strap pad 12 includes a plurality of elongate bearing pads 72, 74, 76 stitched to flexible backing member 24 and arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 78 of shoulder strap 12. Elongate bearing pad 72 is bent slightly concave inward while elongate bearing pad 76 is bent slightly concave outward, thus the convex surfaces of elongate bearing pad 72 and 76 are facing each other. Elongate bearing pad 74 is essentially straight. As shown in FIG. 5, elongate bearing pads 72, 74 and 76 each have a thickness “t1,” “t2” and “t3,” respectively. The thickness t1 is greater than the thickness t2 and the thickness t2 is greater than the thickness t3. All of the thicknesses, t1, t2 and t3, are greater than the thickness “w” of flexible backing member 24 and therefore stand proud of (i.e. extend beyond) both the top surface 78 and the bottom surface 80 of flexible backing member 24.

Preferably elongate bearing pads 72, 74 and 76 are formed of a medium density polyurethane elastomer, but may be formed of any suitably resistant elastomeric material. The tapered and curved arrangement of bearing members 72, 74 and 76 allows the shoulder strap pad 12 to take up the user's shoulder slope and prevent the shoulder strap 10 from sliding off the user's shoulder, while the shoulder cutout 54 prevents the shoulder pad 12 from pressing against the top of the user's shoulder. Slots 82 and 84 formed in flexible backing member 24 allow elongate bearing pads 72, 74 and 76 to flex independently, thus allowing shoulder strap pad 12 to conform to the movements of a person.

Chest and back pads 86 and 88 are attached to the bottom surface 80 of flexible backing member 24 and space flexible backing member 24 away from the person's chest and back. The chest and back pads 86, 88 reduce chafing of the shoulder pad 12 against the person, help secure the shoulder pad 12 by fixing the two points to keep the strap 10 from sliding horizontally off the person's shoulder and allow an air space between the strap 10 and the person's body for cooler comfort. Preferably chest pad 86 and back pad 88 are formed of a low durometer closed-cell polyurethane or similar material used for soft padding, and are generally rectangular in shape with a large central recess 90 for added comfort.

With reference to FIG. 7, in an alternative embodiment, elongate bearing pad 72 is stitched to flexible backing member 24 so that it is in tension while elongate bearing pad 76 is stitched to flexible backing member 24 so that it is in compression. This arrangement causes elongate bearing pad 76 to bow upward. This causes central portion 26 of shoulder pad 12 to assume a roughly conical shape more nearly matched to the slope of the user's shoulder.

Although certain illustrative embodiments and methods have been disclosed herein, it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations in modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, although the illustration embodiment includes three elongate bearing pad members, more or less than three bearing pad members are considered within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention should be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law.

Claims

1. A shoulder strap for carrying a bag comprising:

a shoulder pad including a flexible backing member having a first end portion, a second end portion and a central portion disposed between said first and second end portions, said central portion being adapted to conform to a person's shoulders, said central portion having a top surface, a bottom surface and a thickness;
a first elongate bearing pad having a length dimension and a thickness greater than the thickness of the central portion of said flexible backing member, said first elongate bearing pad being attached to the central portion of said flexible backing member along a longitudinal direction, said first elongate bearing pad standing proud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member; and
a second elongate bearing pad having a length dimension and a thickness greater than the thickness of the central portion of said flexible backing member, said second elongate bearing pad being attached to the central portion of said flexible backing member substantially parallel to said first elongate bearing pad, said second elongate bearing pad also standing proud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member, the length dimension of said first elongate bearing pad being greater than the length dimension of said second elongate bearing pad and the thickness dimension of said first elongate bearing pad also being greater than the thickness dimension of said second elongate bearing pad.

2. The shoulder strap of claim 1, wherein said shoulder pad further comprises a plurality of longitudinal slots formed in the central portion of said flexible backing member proximal said first and second elongate bearing pads.

3. The shoulder strap of claim 2, wherein said plurality of longitudinal slots are disposed between said first and second elongate bearing pads.

4. The shoulder strap of claim 1, wherein said first and second elongate bearing pads are attached to said flexible backing member so that said first elongate bearing pad is in tension and said second elongate bearing pad is in compression.

5. The shoulder strap of claim 1, further comprising a third elongate bearing pad having a length dimension and a thickness greater than the thickness of the central portion of said flexible backing member, said third elongate bearing pad being attached to the central portion of said flexible backing between and being arranged substantially parallel to said first and second elongate bearing pads, said third elongate bearing pad also standing proud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member, the length dimension of said third elongate bearing pad being intermediate the length dimensions of said first and second elongate bearing pads and the thickness dimension of said third elongate bearing pad being intermediate the thickness dimensions of said first and second elongate bearing pads.

6. The shoulder strap of claim 1, further comprising:

a chest pad attached to the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member proximal the first end portion of said flexible backing member; and
a back pad attached to the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member proximal the second end portion of said flexible backing member.

7. The shoulder strap of claim 1, wherein said first and second elongate bearing pads are arcuate in shape with the proximal edges of said first and second elongate bearing pads being convex facing toward each other and the distal edges of said first and second elongate bearing pads being concave facing away from each other.

8. The shoulder strap of claim 1, wherein the central portion of said flexible backing member comprises a substantially V-shaped panel having first and second arms each having a longitudinal axis with the longitudinal axes of said first and second arms diverging from a central apex at an obtuse angle.

9. The shoulder strap of claim 8, wherein said first and second arms have inner edges that form a substantially continuous concave inner edge.

10. The shoulder strap of claim 8, wherein said first and second arms each have an outer edge that includes an apex, the apex of said first arm being separated from the apex of said second arm by a substantially concave outer edge.

11. The shoulder strap of claim 8, wherein said first end portion and said first arm comprise a substantially V-shaped panel wherein said first end portion diverges from said first arm portion at an obtuse angle.

12. The shoulder strap of claim 11, wherein said second end portion and said second arm comprise a substantially V-shaped panel wherein said second end portion diverges from said second arm portion at an obtuse angle.

13. A shoulder strap for carrying a bag comprising:

a shoulder pad including a flexible backing member having a first end portion, a second end portion and a central portion disposed between said first and second end portions, said central portion having a top surface, a bottom surface and a thickness, said central portion further including a substantially V-shaped panel having first and second arms having longitudinal axes diverging from a central apex at an obtuse angle, said first and second arms having inner edges that form a substantially continuous concave inner edge, said first and second arms further having outer edges each including an apex, the apex of said first arm being separated from the apex of said second arm by a substantially concave outer edge forming a shoulder bone cutout;
said first end portion and said first arm also comprising a substantially V-shaped panel wherein a longitudinal axis of said first end portion diverges from the longitudinal axis of said first arm at an obtuse angle, said first end portion having an inner edge that meets the inner edge of said first arm at an apex adjacent a first end of said substantially continuous concave inner edge; and
said second end portion and second arm also comprising a substantially V-shaped panel wherein said a longitudinal axis of said second end portion diverges from the longitudinal axis of said second arm at an obtuse angle, said second end portion having an inner edge that meets the inner edge of said second arm at an apex adjacent a second end of said substantially continuous concave inner edge.

14. The shoulder strap of claim 13, further comprising:

a first elongate bearing pad having a length dimension and a thickness greater than the thickness of the central portion of said flexible backing member, said first elongate bearing pad being attached to the central portion of said flexible backing member along a longitudinal direction, said first elongate bearing pad standing proud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member; and
a second elongate bearing pad having a length dimension and a thickness greater than the thickness of the central portion of said flexible backing member, said second elongate bearing pad being attached to the central portion of said flexible backing member substantially parallel to said first elongate bearing pad, said second elongate bearing pad also standing proud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member, the length dimension of said first elongate bearing pad being greater than the length dimension of said second elongate bearing pad, the thickness dimension of said first elongate bearing pad also being greater than the thickness dimension of said second elongate bearing pad.

15. The shoulder strap of claim 14, wherein said shoulder pad further comprises a plurality of longitudinal slots formed in the central portion of said flexible backing member proximal said first and second elongate bearing pads.

16. The shoulder strap of claim 15, wherein said plurality of longitudinal slots are disposed between said first and second elongate bearing pads.

17. The shoulder strap of claim 14, wherein said first and second elongate bearing pads are attached to said flexible backing member so that said first elongate bearing pad is in tension and said second elongate bearing pad is in compression.

18. The shoulder strap of claim 15, wherein said first and second elongate bearing pads are attached to said flexible backing member so that said first elongate bearing pad member is in tension and said second elongate bearing pad member is in compression.

19. The shoulder strap of claim 13, further comprising:

a chest pad attached to the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member proximal the first end portion of said flexible backing member; and
a back pad attached to the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member proximal the second end portion of said flexible backing member.

20. A shoulder strap for carrying a bag comprising:

a shoulder pad including a flexible backing member having a first end portion, a second end portion and a central portion disposed between said first and second end portions, said central portion being adapted to conform to a person's shoulders, said central portion having a top surface, a bottom surface and a thickness, said central portion comprising a substantially V-shaped panel having first and second arms diverging from a central point at an obtuse angle, said first and second arms having inner edges that form a substantially continuous concave inner edge and said first and second arms further having outer edges each including an apex, the apex of said first arm being separated from the apex of said second arm by a substantially concave outer edge;
a first elongate bearing pad having a length dimension and a thickness greater than the thickness of the central portion of said flexible backing member, said first elongate bearing pad being attached to the central portion of said flexible backing member along a longitudinal direction, said first elongate bearing pad standing proud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member;
a second elongate bearing pad having a length dimension and a thickness greater than the thickness of the central portion of said flexible backing member, said second elongate bearing pad being attached to the central portion of said flexible backing member substantially parallel to said first elongate bearing pad, said second elongate bearing pad also standing proud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member, the length dimension of said first elongate bearing pad being greater than the length dimension of said second elongate bearing pad, the thickness dimension of said first elongate bearing pad also being greater than the thickness dimension of said second elongate bearing pad; and
a third elongate bearing pad having a length dimension and a thickness greater than the thickness of said flexible backing member, said third elongate bearing pad being attached to the central portion of said flexible backing between and substantially parallel to said first and second elongate bearing pads, said third elongate bearing pad also standing proud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the central portion of said flexible backing member, the length dimension of said third elongate bearing pad being intermediate the length dimensions of said first and second elongate bearing pads and the thickness dimension of said third elongate bearing pad being intermediate the thickness dimensions of said first and second elongate bearing pads.

21. A shoulder strap for carrying a bag comprising:

a shoulder pad adapted to conform to a person's shoulders;
a first elongate bearing pad attached to said shoulder pad along a longitudinal direction, said first elongate bearing pad standing proud of a bottom surface of said shoulder pad; and
a second elongate bearing pad attached to said shoulder pad and arranged substantially parallel to said first elongate bearing pad, said second elongate bearing pad also standing proud of the bottom surface of said shoulder pad, said first elongate bearing pad being longer and thicker than said second elongate bearing pad so that said shoulder pad conforms to a person's shoulders without sliding off.

22. The shoulder strap of claim 21, wherein said shoulder pad includes a plurality of slots disposed between said first and second elongate bearing pads in order to allow said shoulder pad to flex.

23. The shoulder strap of claim 22, further comprising a third elongate bearing pad attached to said shoulder pad intermediate said first and second elongate bearing pads and arranged substantially parallel to said first and second elongate bearing pads, said third elongate bearing pad also standing proud of the bottom surface of said shoulder pad, said third elongate bearing pad being longer and thicker than said second elongate bearing pad but shorter and thinner than said first elongate bearing pad.

24. A shoulder strap for carrying a bag comprising:

a shoulder pad having first and second arms with longitudinal axes diverging from a central apex at an obtuse angle, said first and second arms having inner edges that form a substantially concave inner edge, said first and second arms further having outer edges each including an apex with the apex of said first arm being separated from the apex of said second arm by a substantially concave outer edge forming a shoulder bone cutout;
a first end portion of said shoulder strap having a longitudinal axis that diverges from the longitudinal axis of said first arm at an obtuse angle, said first end portion having an inner edge that meets the inner edge of said first arm at an apex adjacent a first end of said substantially concave inner edge; and
a second end portion of said shoulder strap having a longitudinal axis that diverges from the longitudinal axis of said second arm at an obtuse angle, said second end portion having an inner edge that meets the inner edge of said second arm at an apex adjacent a second end of said substantially concave inner edge.

25. The shoulder strap of claim 24, further comprising:

a chest pad attached to a bottom surface of said shoulder pad proximal the first end portion of said shoulder pad; and
a back pad attached to the bottom surface of said shoulder pad proximal the second end portion of said shoulder pad.

26. The shoulder strap of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of elongate bearing pads attached to said shoulder pad along a longitudinal direction and arranged substantially parallel to each other.

27. The shoulder strap of claim 26, wherein said elongate bearing pads vary in length and thickness.

28. The shoulder strap of claim 27, wherein said elongate bearing pads stand proud of a bottom surface of said shoulder pad.

29. The shoulder strap of claim 28, wherein said plurality of elongate bearing pads comprises first, second and third elongate bearing pads.

30. The shoulder strap of claim 29, wherein said first elongate bearing pad is longer and thicker than said second elongate bearing pad and wherein said third elongate bearing pad is longer and thicker than said second elongate bearing pad but shorter and thinner than said first elongate bearing pad so that said shoulder pad conforms to a person's shoulders.

Patent History
Publication number: 20080314942
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 21, 2007
Publication Date: Dec 25, 2008
Applicant: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation (Phoenix, AZ)
Inventor: Gary Tuerschmann (Phoenix, AZ)
Application Number: 11/766,579
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Flaccid Attaching Means Looped Around Neck Or Crossing Shoulder (224/257)
International Classification: A45F 3/14 (20060101);