Diving equipment pack
A scuba gear travel bag, possessing an expandable compartment, wherein the means for expanding said compartment utilizes a zipper, having a two piece zipper tape, with separable and engagable male and female profile elements. The zipper initiates at a location on the travel bag, at or near a central point of expansion, in the expansion dimension, and spirals around the circumference of the bag, expanding generally outwardly away from the central point of expansion in a mirror image configuration. It also possesses a removable, self-storage subunit with a support template for an integrated diver's buoyancy compensator, wherein the buoyancy compensator possesses a zipper fastening means for fully engaging or disengaging the compensator from the travel bag.
The modern scuba diving enthusiasts have expanded the places for unique diving experiences to include caves that have, over time, filled with water or were carved from the surrounding terrain by underground rivers. Traveling to these unique and inaccessible places is made more difficult because there are no diving gear carriers that are specifically designed to be both lightweight and compact. It is common for divers to utilize a variety of bulky and oversized duffel bags to store and transport the necessary diving equipment. Often times large duffel bags employed to carry the variety of diving components (swim fins, buoyancy devices, goggles, snorkel, etc.) are conducive for travel to the above identified locations. In many circumstances the duffel bag type of carrier is inconvenient or inappropriate for the scuba diver's travel needs. First, the duffel bag type carrier is generally a large, single compartment bag. The bag is not designed for, nor does it specifically accommodate, diving equipment. The present invention is an improvement over the duffel bag type carriers commonly employed in the art by incorporating features specifically configured to accommodate diving equipment.
Reference will now be made to the drawings, in which similar elements in different drawings bear the same reference numerals. For the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such terms as “front”, “back”, “right”, “left”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like are words of descriptive convenience to provide relative orientation and are not to be construed as limiting terms.
One configuration of the present invention reduces the weight and bulk of scuba diving gear, to make travel and handling easier.
One configuration comprises a buoyancy compensator system, possessing a support template that is design to removably attach to a travel bag. With this configuration one can save on weight and bulk. The back bag may have a variety of configurations as would be readily known in the art. The bag size is designed to meet carry on luggage limits of most airlines.
This size limitation still allows enough space for appropriate sized standard recreational dive equipment and a few personal items. The travel bag can be made expandable to provide enough room to accommodate a dive tank. This expanded configuration would also allow more room for personal items and would be useful for cave diving. Because the bag may be checked during airline flights, a cover for the harness straps is incorporated to protect the harness from damage.
Referring to
To expand the storage compartment volume in a selected dimension, a first zipper 145 is fastened to the carrier bag external surface 132 in a spiral configuration such that it travels around the circumference of the storage compartment 105. The zipper configuration is shown to spiral in the latitudinal (horizontal) direction in
The first zipper 145 possesses a first positionable slide 145a cooperatively contacting an interlocking first two-piece zipper tape 146. The two-piece zipper tape 146 forms an upper zipper tape 146a and a lower zipper tape 146b. The two zipper tapes (146a and 146b) are configured to spiral around the external surface 130 of the storage compartment in a widening mirror image of separation. The two pieces (146a and 146b) incorporate male and female profile elements which are separate 147 and engaged 148 as is well known in the art. The separable and engagable function allows the compartment to expand or contract the volume of the storage compartment respectively as the zipper slide 145a travels from the fully engaged zipper tape configuration to the fully disengaged position.
Referring to
The second zipper 158 comprises male and female profile elements which are separable and engagable as is well known in the art. The second zipper 158 also comprises a second positionable slide 158a and a second two-piece zipper tape 159. The second two-piece zipper tape 159 possesses a first piece, mounting zipper tape 159a, and a second piece, fastening zipper tape 159b. The mounting zipper tape 159a is fastened to the plurality of side panels 120, the top 125, and the back 115 panels in a configuration that cooperates with the support template 152. The fastening zipper tape 159b is fastened at or near the perimeter 152c of the support template 152. Further, the fastening zipper tape 159b is oriented to the front face 152a. The second slide 158a is the means by which the two zipper tape pieces 159a and 159b are engaged or separated as is well known in the art.
It is also anticipated the configuration may utilize a variety of fastening components such as belts, clips, and latches to attain the same fastening capability as performed by the zipper fastener.
The support template 152 has a front face 152a. A plurality of fastening systems may be utilized to removably fasten diving gear to the support template 152. The diving gear may include such items as air tanks and air bladders. As shown in
As seen in
The third zipper 210 comprises male and female profile elements which are separable and engagable as is well known in the art. Referring to
The secondary zipper tape 215b is fastened at or near the perimeter 190c oriented toward the back face 190b. The four zipper slides 210a, 210b, 210c, and 210d are configured in opposing pairs. Slides 210a and 210b form the first pair. Slides 210c and 210d form the second pair. As seen at a first zipper engaged configuration 220, the slides 210a and 210b are configured such that the male and female profile elements are fully engaged for the sub-segment 220 of zipper tape 215 that resides between slides 210a and 210b. Similarly, as seen at a second zipper engage configuration 225, the slides 210c and 210d are configured such that the male and female profile elements are fully engaged for the sub-segment 225 of zipper tape 215 that resides between slides 210c and 210d.
The resulting slide configuration, as seen in
This functional configuration provides utility in at least two scenarios. The first scenario is during a dive. The support template is fully disengaged from the carrier bag 100. When the cover panel 190 is in the folded position and proximate to the back face 152c, a diver may strap on the exposed shoulder harness 181 and waist belt 185 with the cover panel 190 positioned between the diver's back and the front face 152b of the support template 152.
Portaging is another scenario where the functional configuration is useful. The support template 152 is fully engaged with the carrier bag 100. When the cover panel 190 is in the folded position and proximate to the back face 152c, the wearer may strap on the exposed shoulder harness 181 and waist belt 185 with the cover panel 190 positioned between the person's back and the front face 152b of the support template 152 and utilize the system in a backpack fashion.
Claims
1. A buoyancy compensator harness system comprising: a support template defining a front face, a back face, and a perimeter; further comprising a shoulder harness comprising a plurality of shoulder straps and a waist belt fixedly attached to said back face, and one or more zipper fasteners, fastened at or near and contiguous with the support template perimeter.
2. The buoyancy compensator harness system of claim 1, further comprising a shoulder strap cover panel reversibly fastened to said support template.
3. The buoyancy compensator harness system of claim 2 comprising a zipper with a plurality of positionable zipper slides reversibly fastening said cover panel to said support template.
4. A scuba gear travel bag, comprising: a generally rectangular storage compartment, having a plurality of wall components, defining an internal space and an external surface, the wall components are generally contiguous and form a front panel, a back panel, a plurality of side panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel, wherein the front, back, and side panels cooperatively engage a zipper comprising: a zipper slide cooperatively contacting interlocking teeth on a two-piece zipper tape, the two-piece zipper tape forming an upper zipper tape piece and a lower zipper tape piece, said pieces incorporating male and female profile elements which are separable and engagable; wherein the zipper tape initiates at a position in a selected expansion dimension, the zipper upper tape and lower tape pieces are configured to spiral around the external surface of the bag in a widening mirror image configuration from the point of initiation.
5. A scuba gear carrier bag of claim 4 comprising: a support template defining a front face, a back face, and a perimeter; further comprising a shoulder harness comprising a plurality of shoulder straps and a waist belt fixedly attached to said back face, and one or more zipper fasteners, fastened at or near and contiguous with the support template perimeter.
6. A scuba gear carrier bag of claim 5 comprising: a shoulder strap cover panel reversibly fastened to said support template.
7. A scuba gear carrier bag of claim 6 comprising: a zipper with a plurality of positionable zipper slides reversibly fastening said cover panel to said support template.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 31, 2009
Publication Date: Sep 30, 2010
Inventor: Frank Vock (Windom)
Application Number: 12/384,082
International Classification: A45F 3/04 (20060101); A45F 3/14 (20060101);