HARNESS WITH OUTER FLAP
A waist-encircling harness for holding removable objects is provided. The harness includes a substantially elongated main body having a mid-section with first and second junction ends. A first end section extends from the first junction end of the mid-section, the first end section having a first free end, and a second end section extends from the second junction end of the mid-section, the second end section having a second free end. The first free end and the second free end are removably attachable to each other. The harness further includes an outer flap member having an outer surface with receptacles for retaining the removable objects. The outer flap member includes a junction end flexibly attached to the second junction end of the mid-section, and a free end extending substantially along a length of the elongated main body. The free end of the outer flap member is removably attached to the first end section of the substantially elongated main body.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/946,593, filed Jun. 27, 2007, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference as if fully set forth herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to generally the field of paintball sport equipment, and in particular, to a harness system for carrying paintballs which allows for quick and efficient access to the paintball pods and paintballs stored thereon, without sacrificing the comfort or mobility of the user.
BACKGROUNDPaintball is a popular action sport generally involving two teams. The object of the game is for either of the teams to capture the opposing team's flag while at the same time eliminating as many of the opposing team's players as possible. Players (also referred to herein as “users”) on each team are armed with paintball markers that shoot spherical gelatin capsules filled with liquid paint or dye commonly referred to as paintballs. These projectiles are stored in paintball loaders, which sit atop the markers and feed the paintballs into the marker. During play of the sport, the players on each team advance towards the opposing team's base in hopes of stealing the opposing team's flag, without being eliminated from the war game. A player is eliminated from the game when the player is hit by a paintball fired from an opposing player's marker. When the paintball hits a player it usually ruptures leaving a “splat” of paint.
Paintball has experienced tremendous growth in technological advancements over the past several years. With the advent of semi-, and fully-automatic markers, firing rates have dramatically increased. As a result, more sophisticated paintball loaders were needed to deliver paintballs at higher feed rates than the original gravity assisted loaders could provide. As a standard paintball loader holds only about 200 paintballs, these new high-speed marker and loader combinations are capable of emptying a full loader in as little as 1 minute of sustained firing. As a result, players must often carry a supplemental supply of paintballs with them during a game from which to refill their loader on the playing field.
In order to accomplish this, harnesses or packs are often utilized by players to hold “pods” (containers filled with paintballs, generally tubular containers with removable lids) full of extra paintballs, and/or other equipment, such as a remotely-located compressed gas tank to power the marker or cleaning devices, such as squeegees. These arrangements provide players with a portable supply of paintballs and other equipment without the need to drastically increase the capacity, and therefore the size, of the loader.
Conventional harnesses consist of a waist-encircling belt or strap with hoops or other compartments designed to retain paintball carrying pods, compressed gas tanks, or other equipment. These conventional harnesses or packs must typically be removed by the player to access the equipment held by the harness, for instance, to reload their marker with the paintball-filled pods. Alternatively, a player may perform a difficult, ungainly, and often time consuming reach around to the rear of the pack to remove the pods or reload the pods into the harness, or have another person remove the pods or reload the pods for them. In the fast-paced sport of paintball, these awkward reloading procedures are extremely inconvenient and time-consuming. Moreover, they often require a player to turn his back and lose site of the playing field, a position that can prove costly in the fast-paced game.
In order to eliminate some of these risks, some harnesses orient the pod-holding compartments on the side of a player, rather than on the player's back. These arrangements eliminate the need for the player to reach completely around to access the paintball pods. However, they impact a player's mobility on the field, as the side positioning often interferes with the movement of a player's arms, as well as their ability to position their bodies, for example, while lying on the ground to obtain an advantageous firing position, or evading incoming fire from an opposing team. For these reasons, a rearward positioning of the storage compartments is preferred.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a harness that allows for quick and easy loading and reloading of pods, while maintaining the mobility of the user. In addition there remains a need for a harness that is comfortable and easy to put on and remove from a player's body.
SUMMARYThe present invention provides a waist-encircling harness for holding removable objects, preferably, paintball holding pods. The harness includes a substantially elongated main body having a mid-section with first and second junction ends. A first end section extends from the first junction end of the mid-section, the first end section having a first free end. A second end section extends from the second junction end of the mid-section, the second end section having a second free end. The first free end and the second free end are adapted to be removably attachable to each other. The harness further includes an outer flap member having an outer surface and an inner surface configured to be removably attachable to at least a portion of the mid-section. The outer flap member has at least one receptacle for retaining the at least one paintball sport item on the harness, a junction end hingedly attached to the second junction end of the mid-section, and a free end extending substantially along a length of the elongated main body. The free end of the outer flap member configured to be removably attachable to the first end section of the main body.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the midsection further includes padding arranged between the compartment and the portion configured positioned to abut a user's back when worn on the body.
The compartment and receptacles are preferably comprised of flexible elastic, or other suitable expanding materials, in order to accept multiple sizes and configurations of equipment, preferably paintball pods, to be stored therein. The compartments can be lined with a friction enhancing material, such as rubber, to facilitate the securing of the equipment in the receptacle. Various retaining rings, tethers, or other securing means can be attached to the compartment or receptacles, in order to facilitate holding paintball-filled pods, squeegees, or any other equipment needed on the playing field.
The outer flap member may also comprise reinforcing ribs or bars, configured to maintain the structural integrity and supporting function of the compartment and receptacles when the harness is loaded.
The present invention further provides a method for loading and unloading removable objects retained in an outer flap member of a waist-encircling harness. A free end of the outer flap member is detached from an attachment area of the harness. The outer flap member is pivoted away from the attachment area. The removable objects are then accessed. Once the objects have been reinserted, the outer flap member is then reattached by securing the free end of the outer flap to the attachment area of the harness.
The invention shall now be better described with reference to some embodiments thereof, illustrated merely as a non-limiting example in the attached drawings, wherein:
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not considered limiting. Words such as “front,” “back,” “top,” and “bottom” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Similarly, the terms “right,” “left,” “top,” “bottom,” “forward,” and “rearward” are from the perspective of a user wearing a harness. Rear or rearward means toward the back-side of the user and forward means toward the front-side of the user. This terminology includes the words specifically noted above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Additionally, the terms “a” and “one” are defined as including one or more of the referenced item unless specifically noted. The phrase “at least one of” followed by a list of two or more items, such as A, B, or C, means any individual one of A, B, or C, as well as any combination thereof.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the figures where like numerals represent like elements throughout.
Referring generally to
The first free end 22 and the second free end 26 are removably attachable to each other through the use of, for example, hook and loop fasteners 28. However, it is envisioned that any suitable means, such as snaps or buckles, can be utilized to attach the free ends 22, 26 without departing from the scope of the present invention. The hook and loop fasteners 28 are provided along substantially the entire length of the first and second end sections 20, 24, allowing attachment of the first and second free ends 22, 26 in practically any location along their length. The harness 10 may be constructed from a lightweight, durable material such as, for example, dobby nylon, or KEVLAR™, however, any fabric or elastic material, such as neoprene or materials incorporating neoprene, nylon or lycra, may be used, and the harness 10 is not limited to any particular material. The general elastic nature of the harness ensures a snug fit to the user, limiting slipping without compromising mobility. Moreover, the harness, or portions therefore, are preferably comprised of a breathable, mesh material, adding additional comfort to the user while keeping the weight of the harness as low as possible.
As is shown in greater detail in
A securing strap 37 may be pivotally attached adjacent the junction end 36 and the second end 18. The securing strap 37 preferably includes hook and loop type fastening material to attach the strap 37 along its length to the second end section 24. The securing strap 37 provides several functional benefits including aiding in tightening the harness 10 around a user's body without the need to undo or otherwise decouple the first and second ends 22, 26, as well as providing an additional way to secure equipment and other items to the harness 10. Included on the securing strap 37 are various additional hook and loop fastening portions 39 which can be used to aid in securing the harness to the player, or for securing additional equipment to the harness 10.
It is appreciated that both the securing end 38 and securing strap 37 may function to aid in tightening the harness 10 about a user's body, as each is removably attached to the body, i.e., the first end section 20 and second end section 24 of the harness respectively, as described. Each of the securing end 38 and securing strap 37 can be pulled and attached to the first end section 20 and second end section 24 of the harness respectively at various points along the lengths of the harness, creating various options for attachment and tightening. It is further appreciated that the securing end 38 and securing strap 37 may be provided with at least one or various engaging elements adapted to removably engage the first and second end sections 20, 24, including, but not limited to, hook-and-loop fastening material.
At least a portion of the inner surface 40 of the outer flap member 30 is removably securable to at least a portion of the outer surface 42 of the mid-section 14 of the substantially elongated main body 12, through the use of, for example, hook-and-loop fasteners 44. Such a configuration secures the outer flap member 30 to the mid-section 14 to eliminate bouncing of the pods 2 when the player is running with a full harness 10, yet allows for a quick release of the outer flap member 30 from the mid-section 14 and easy access to the receptacles 34 of the outer flap member 30. One or several rows of material 44 adapted for hook-and-loop fastening of the inner surface 40 of the outer flap member 30 to the outer surface 42 of the mid-section 14 may be provided, creating a greater surface area attaching the outer flap member 30 to the mid-section 14. The outer flap member 30 therefore creates a paintball pod carrying area that is removably attached to the mid-section 14.
As shown in
The receptacles 34 are preferably adapted to frictionally hold and grip the pods 2, and hold them in place in the outer flap member 30 on the harness 10 until needed by a user. The receptacles 34 may be formed as pockets, loops, receivers, holders, or any type of receiver capable of holding a paintball pod 2 in place on the harness. The receptacles 34 can be lined with a friction enhancing material, for example a rubber, to aid in securing of the pods 2 in the receptacles 34. As shown in
Referring generally to
When the outer flap member 30 is in a secured position, as illustrated in
As can be seen from the Figures, the outer flap member 30 provides and acts as a moveable and/or pivotable and/or hinged portion of the harness 10 that holds, for example, paintball pods 2, and allows a player access to pods 2 held on their back, without removing the harness 10. This outer flap member 30, which houses all of the pods 2 or empty receptacles 34 that must be filled by pods, can be swung around a user's body without the need for removing the complete harness 10 from a user's body. The use and operation of the harness 10 is described in further detail below.
The operation of the harness when worn by a player is illustrated in
It should be noted that throughout the steps of detaching the outer flap member 30, reloading or otherwise accessing the receptacles 38, and reattaching the outer flap member 30, the harness 10 has remained securely attached to the player's body by the primary harness ends 20 and 24. This configuration eliminates the disadvantages of having to remove the harness in order to access its contents.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described which should be considered as merely exemplary. Further modifications and extensions of the present invention may be developed and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A harness for holding at least one paintball sport item about a person's body, the harness comprising:
- a substantially elongated main body comprising: a mid-section having first and second junction ends, a first end section extending from the first junction end of the mid-section, the first end section having a first free end, and a second end section extending from the second junction end of the mid-section, the second end section having a second free end, the first free end and the second free end adapted to be removably attachable to each other; and,
- an outer flap member having an outer surface and an inner surface configured to be removably attachable to at least a portion of the mid-section, comprising: at least one receptacle for retaining the at least one paintball sport item on the harness, a junction end hingedly attached to the second junction end of the mid-section, and, a free end extending substantially along a length of the elongated main body, the free end of the outer flap member configured to be removably attachable to the first end section of the main body.
2. The harness of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the outer flap member is removably securable to an outer surface of the mid-section of the substantially elongated main body.
3. The harness of claim 2, further comprising hook and loop fasteners for removably securing the inner surface of the flap to the outer surface of the mid-section of the substantially elongated main body.
4. The harness of claim 1, further comprising hook and loop fasteners for removably attaching the free end of the outer flap to the second end section of the substantially elongated main body.
5. The harness of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the outer flap member comprises a substantially elastic material.
6. The harness of claim 1, wherein the at least one paintball sport item is a paintball pod.
7. A method for loading and unloading at least one paintball sport item retained in an outer flap member of the harness of claim 1, the method comprising:
- detaching a free end of the outer flap member from an attachment area of the harness;
- pivoting the outer flap member away from the attachment area;
- accessing the removable objects;
- pivoting the outer flap toward the attachment area; and
- attaching the free end of the outer flap member to the attachment area of the harness.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 27, 2008
Publication Date: May 7, 2009
Applicant: KEE ACTION SPORTS I LLC (SEWELL, NJ)
Inventors: Travis Lemanski (Ladera Ranch, CA), Brandon Lambertson (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)
Application Number: 12/163,789
International Classification: F42B 39/08 (20060101);