BACKPACK SUSPENSION SYSTEM
A suspension system for a backpack includes a rocker arm pivotally connected to the backpack. A first hip stay has a first end connected to a first end of the rocker arm and a second end opposite the first end. A second hip stay has a first end connected to a second end of the rocker arm and a second end opposite the first end. A waist belt is attached to the second end of the first hip stay and to the second end of the second hip stay. The first and second hip stays distribute the load of the backpack between a wearer's left and right hips. A backpack incorporating the suspension system is also disclosed.
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This application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 11/019,220 filed Dec. 23, 2004, which is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 10/798,561 filed Mar. 12, 2004, which in turn claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/454,356 filed Mar. 14, 2003 under 35 U.S.C. §119(e). The entire contents of these applications are expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to backpacks and other load carrying systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to backpacks and load carrying systems that dynamically distribute the load to a wearer's body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONBackpacks are commonly used in recreational activities, such as hiking, climbing and skiing, to carry clothing, food, water, shelter, equipment and various other items. Backpacks are also used in everyday activities to carry items such as books, files and computers. Conventional backpacks typically employ a shoulder harness that extends over one or both of the wearer's shoulders in conjunction with a waist belt that wraps around the wearer's waist. The shoulder harness and waist belt allow the load of the backpack (and its contents) to be distributed over both the wearer's shoulders and waist.
Various movements of the backpack wearer may cause the load of the backpack to undesirably shift to one side of the body or the other. For example, rocking of the wearer's hips during walking or hiking (as a result of the wearer's natural gait) may cause the backpack and/or the load to shift with respect to the wearer's body, undesirably emphasizing the load on one of the hips, and/or on one or both of the shoulders. This shifting is often emphasized in situations where the wearer is traveling uphill, downhill, or across off-camber, rough and/or uneven terrain.
Numerous backpack suspension systems have been developed to reduce the shifting of the load on the wearer's body. For example, backpacks have been developed with semi-rigid frames that flex along with the wearer's body to reduce the shifting of the load. In addition, backpacks have been developed with pivoting hip belts that pivot to compensate for movement of the wearer's hips relative to the rest of their body. These packs, however, fail to adequately compensate for the shifting of the load. Therefore, there remains a need in the art for a backpack suspension system that evenly distributes the backpack's load over the wearer's body throughout various movements and shifting of the body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a suspension system for a backpack, including a rocker arm pivotally connected to the backpack, a first hip stay having a first end connected to a first end of the rocker arm and a second end opposite the first end, and a second hip stay having a first end connected to a second end of the rocker arm and a second end opposite the first end. The first end of the first hip stay may be flexibly or substantially rigidly connected to the first end of the rocker arm, and the first end of the second hip stay may be similarly connected to the second end of the rocker aim. A waist belt is attached to the second ends of the first and second hip stays. The load of the backpack and its contents may be dynamically transferred from the backpack to the waist belt through the first and second hip stays. The first end of the first hip stay may be flexibly connected to the first end of the rocker arm by a first resilient member, and the first end of the second hip stay may be flexibly connected to the second end of the rocker arm by a second resilient member. The second ends of the hip stays may attach to the waist belt at points that are substantially adjacent opposite sides of a wearer's hips. As a result, the backpack may present a downward force on the wearer that is concentrated within a central region of the wearer's skeletal frame.
The suspension system may further comprise a mounting plate to which the rocker ami is pivotally connected. A tail stay may extend from the mounting plate to the waist belt intermediate the first hip stay and the second hip stay, and serve to stabilize movement between the backpack and the waist belt.
The backpack may include a shoulder harness that is spaced a vertical distance from the waist belt, wherein the first and second hip stays allow the vertical distance between the shoulder harness and the waist belt to increase or decrease to compensate for changes in length of the wearer's spine during bending movements.
The present invention is also directed to a backpack incorporating the suspension system.
The detailed description will be better understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters represent like elements, as follows:
Referring to
As shown in
As also shown in
Referring to
Suspension system 20 also includes a rocker arm 36 that is pivotally connected to the mounting plate 28 and pivots about pivot axis P. A bolt 38 extends through aligned bores in mounting plate 28 and rocker arm 36, along pivot axis P, and results in the pivoting connection between these two parts. Suitable materials for the rocker arm 36 include, for example, nylon, reinforced nylon, polyacetal, sheet molding compounds, bulk molding compounds, composites, and metals.
To smoothen the pivoting action between mounting plate 28 and rocker arm 36, the rocker arm 36 may have a bearing 40 (such as a cartridge-type ball bearing) surrounding the bolt 38, as shown in
Still referring to
First and second back stays 64, 66 may be connected to the mounting plate 28, as shown in
Suitable materials for the first and second hip stays 50, 52, back stays 64, 66 and tail stay 68 may include, for example, composites such as fiberglass, carbon fiber or other reinforcing fibers along with epoxies, acrylics and nylons, as well as metals such as aluminum and titanium, although other materials may be used instead.
Referring back to
Still referring to
Referring to
The slidable connection of the first and second hip stays 50, 52 and the tail stay 68 with the waist belt 24 allows the backpack to increase or decrease in length to accommodate the effective lengthening of the spine (and torso) that occurs during bending movements (e.g., the effective length of the wearer's spine increases as the wearer bends over forward). That is, the first and second hip stays 50, 52 and the tail stay 68 can slide with respect to the pockets 80, 82, 86 to allow the vertical distance Y (represented in
Referring to
While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various additions, modifications and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description.
Claims
1-26. (canceled)
27. A backpack comprising:
- a pack bag for carrying a load;
- a rocker arm pivotally coupled to the pack bag, the rocker arm having a first end and a second end;
- a first hip stay having a first end flexibly associated with the first end of the rocker arm and a second end opposite the first end;
- a second hip stay having a first end flexibly associated with the second end of the rocker arm and a second end opposite the first end; and
- a waist belt coupled to the first and second hip stays proximate the second ends thereof;
- wherein the rocker arm pivots about a fixed pivot point; and
- wherein the waist belt is slidably movable with respect to the hip stays.
28. The backpack of claim 27, wherein the first end of the first hip stay is flexibly associated with the first end of the rocker arm by a first resilient member, and the first end of the second hip stay is flexibly associated with the second end of the rocker arm by a second resilient member.
29. The backpack of claim 27, wherein:
- the second end of the first hip stay is attached to the waist belt at a first point; and
- the second end of the second hip stay is attached to the waist belt at a second point;
- wherein the first and second points are disposed to be substantially adjacent a wearer's hips.
30. The backpack of claim 27, further comprising a mounting plate to which the rocker arm is coupled.
31. The backpack of claim 30, further comprising a tail stay extending from the mounting plate to the waist belt intermediate the first hip stay and the second hip stay.
32. The backpack of claim 31, further comprising a shoulder harness coupled to the pack bag and spaced from the waist belt.
33. The backpack of claim 31, wherein the tail stay is slidably associated with the waist belt.
34. The backpack of claim 30, further comprising a back pad coupled to the pack bag, wherein the mounting plate is disposed between the pack bag and back pad.
35. The backpack of claim 27, further comprising a back pad, wherein vertical distance of the back pad with respect to the waist belt is adjustable.
36. The backpack of claim 27, wherein the fixed pivot point is disposed intermediate the first and second ends of the rocker arm.
37. The backpack of claim 27, wherein the first and second hip stays are each independently connected to the rocker arm.
38. The backpack of claim 27, wherein the waist belt defines a first pocket for receiving the second end of the first hip stay and a second pocket for receiving the second end of the second hip stay.
39. The backpack of claim 38, wherein the second end of the first hip stay is permitted to slide through the first pocket and the second end of the second hip stay is permitted to slide through the second pocket.
40. A backpack comprising:
- a pack bag for carrying a load;
- a shoulder harness;
- a waist belt; and
- a suspension system associated with the waist belt, the suspension system comprising a fixed pivot point for governing movement of the waist belt with respect to the pack bag and a hip stay member slidably associated with the waist belt;
- wherein the hip stay member is flexibly coupled to the fixed pivot point with a resilient portion and pivotable with respect to the pivot point.
41. The backpack of claim 40, wherein the resilient portion is integrally formed with the hip stay member.
42. The backpack of claim 40, wherein the resilient portion comprises a separate resilient member coupled to the hip stay member.
43. The backpack of claim 40, wherein the hip stay member comprises an arcuate portion.
44. The backpack of claim 40, further comprising a back pad, wherein vertical distance of the back pad with respect to the waist belt is adjustable.
45. The backpack of claim 40, further comprising a mounting plate to which the suspension system is coupled.
46. The backpack of claim 45, further comprising a back pad coupled to the pack bag, wherein the mounting plate is disposed between the pack bag and the back pad and wherein vertical distance of the back pad with respect to the waist belt is adjustable.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 11, 2010
Publication Date: Jan 20, 2011
Applicant:
Inventor: Lawrence Carter Reid (Gibsons)
Application Number: 12/704,494
International Classification: A45F 3/04 (20060101); A45F 3/08 (20060101);