Backpack

Abstract

A backpack has a system for anchoring the upper ends of shoulder straps that can be changed from a lower anchoring point to a higher anchoring point and vice-versa. The system comprises a fixed cross-bar attached to the backpack and a moveable cross-bar to which the upper ends of the shoulder straps are attached and that rotates with respect to the fixed cross-bar.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This non-provisional application claims benefit and priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/682,133, filed on Jun. 7, 2018 and titled “BACKPACK,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of the invention is that of backpacks.

BACKGROUND ART

Backpacks have shoulder straps attached to a pack. The pack is worn on the back of the bearer and the shoulder straps pass over the shoulders of the bearer. An upper end of each shoulder strap usually is attached to or adjacent an upper end of the body-contacting wall or back side of the pack and a lower end of each shoulder strap usually is attached to or adjacent a lower end of the body-contacting or back side of the pack. Frequently, and particularly for backpacks intended to carry heavier loads, a belt is also attached to the pack in the vicinity of the lower end of the body-contacting or back side of the pack. The pack then will be supported by a combination of the shoulder straps and the belt.

The shoulder straps may be fixedly attached to or adjacent the upper end of the body-contacting wall or back side of the pack. A fixed attachment will not permit any adjustment to the location of that attachment after the backpack is made. However, bearers have variable torso heights. They will find that the positions of attachment of the upper ends of the shoulder straps that are satisfactory for one person may not be comfortable for another person. This is the case even when the length of the shoulder straps is adjustable, as they usually are. For this reason backpacks have been supplied with systems for adjustment of the positions of attachment of the upper ends of the shoulder straps to the pack.

These systems include providing an anchor plate that is attached to a rail mounted on the back side of the pack and may be slid up or down the rail and then fixed into position, such as by a screw, see, e.g., WO2016207896, use of hook and loop patches to adjust the position of attachment, and ladders of webbing straps on the back side of the pack to which straps or connectors at the upper ends of the shoulder straps are selectively attached. Pack with external frames may have two or more horizontal rails that may be selected for attachment.

Backpacks with entrances or openings in the back side of the backpack recently have been introduced. An example is MindShift Gear LLC's Backlight® backpack that has such an opening to access the compartment of the Backlight® backpack by keeping the backpack's waist belt fastened around the bearer's waist, shrugging the bearer's arms out of the shoulder straps, and rotating the backpack to the front of the bearer. The back side of the backpack then will be exposed to the bearer. The bearer opens a zipper in the back side of the backpack by pulling on a zipper pull. This will release a door formed in the back side of the backpack in order for the door to be rotated away from the back side of the backpack. This will expose an opening in the back side of the backpack whereby the bearer may reach into the compartment of the backpack in order to access gear stored in the compartment or return gear to the compartment.

The upper ends of the shoulder straps preferably should be attached above any opening in the back side of the backpack, at least because attaching the upper ends of the shoulder straps to a door will result in stress on the zipper that fastens the free sides of the door to the edges of the opening when the backpack is worn and carrying a heavy load. In addition, the attachment of the upper ends of the shoulder straps to the door would tend to interfere with the use of the door to access articles in the inner compartment of the backpack. The provision of an opening in the back side of the backpack will limit the vertical area available on the backpack for attachment of the upper ends of the shoulder straps to the backpack. The vertical area available for locating systems for adjustment of the positions of attachment of the upper ends of the shoulder straps to the pack will be limited.

A system for adjustment of the positions of attachment of the upper ends of the shoulder straps to the pack that occupies a limited vertical space on the back side of the backpack would be useful when the backpack has an opening in its back side. Such a system also would be useful whether or not the backpack has an opening in its backside.

Such a system for adjustment of the positions of attachment of the upper ends of the shoulder straps to the pack should provide solid anchoring of the upper ends of the shoulder straps while allowing ready adjustment of the height of the anchors. The bearer preferably should be able to adjust the positions of attachment of the upper ends of the shoulder straps to the pack without the use of tools.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A backpack according to the invention has right and left shoulder straps and a body-contacting wall and comprising an anchoring system for an upper end of the right shoulder strap and an upper end of the left shoulder strap. Preferably, the anchoring system comprises a moveable cross-bar, the upper ends of the right and left shoulder straps being connected at an edge of the moveable cross-bar, a fixed cross-bar connected to the body-contacting wall, the movable cross-bar being detachably connected to the fixed cross-bar, wherein the moveable cross-bar may be rotated between an upper configuration in which the upper ends of the shoulder straps are at an upper edge of the fixed cross-bar and a lower configuration in which the upper ends of the shoulder straps are at a lower edge of the fixed cross-bar. The backpack may further comprise mating hook and loop strips attached to surfaces of the fixed cross-bar and the moveable cross-bar for detachable connection of the fixed cross-bar to the moveable cross-bar.

A preferred embodiment of the backpack according to claim 1 provides a moveable cross-bar that comprises first and second cross-bar members joined by a hinge, the upper ends of the shoulder straps being attached to one of the first and second cross-bar members along an edge of the one of the first and second cross-bar members opposed to and spaced from the hinge, wherein the first and second cross-bar members may be folded along the hinge and disposed on either side of the fixed cross-bar whereby when the hinge is below the fixed cross-bar the upper ends of the shoulder straps are positioned at the upper edge of the fixed cross-bar and when the hinge is above the fixed cross-bar the upper ends of the shoulder straps are positioned at the lower edge of the fixed cross-bar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a back perspective view of a portion of a preferred embodiment of a backpack according to the invention with the upper ends of the shoulder straps in a first or high position;

FIG. 2 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 with the shoulder straps raised away from the body-contacting side of the backpack to expose a flap or door that secures a rear entrance to a compartment in the backpack;

FIG. 3 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 with the flap or door that secures the rear entrance rotated down to access the compartment of the backpack;

FIG. 4 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 with the flap or door of a rear entrance rotated down to access the interior compartment of the backpack and a padded insert is being removed through the rear entrance;

FIG. 5 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 showing a first step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position;

FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 showing a second step in the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position;

FIG. 7 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 showing the beginning of the third step in the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position;

FIG. 8 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 showing the completion of the third step in the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position;

FIG. 9 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 showing the beginning of the fourth step in the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position;

FIG. 10 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 showing the fifth step in the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position;

FIG. 11 is a back perspective view of the backpack of FIG. 1 showing the sixth step in the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position;

FIG. 12 is a back perspective view of a portion of a preferred embodiment of a backpack according to the invention with the upper ends of the shoulder straps in the second or low position;

FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the backpack of FIG. 2 taken along the plane 13-13 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 14 is a is a partial cross-sectional view of the backpack of FIG. 5 taken along the plane 14-14 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 15 is a is a partial cross-sectional view of the backpack of FIG. 6 taken along the plane 15-15 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 16 is a is a partial cross-sectional view of the backpack of FIG. 8 taken along the plane 16-16 in FIG. 8;

FIG. 17 is a is a partial cross-sectional view of the backpack of FIG. 9 taken along the plane 17-17 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 18 is a is a partial cross-sectional view of the backpack of FIG. 10 taken along the plane 18-18 in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 19 is a is a partial cross-sectional view of the backpack of FIG. 11 taken along the plane 19-19 in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows the upper portion of a backpack 1 according to the invention. The backpack 1 has a body 1A comprising a body-contacting wall or back side 2 and a top 3. The body 1A is attached to a right shoulder strap 10 and a left shoulder strap 20 in the manner described at more length below. (The terms “right” and “left” refer to the perspective of a person wearing the pack on his or her back. The “right” shoulder strap fits over the person's right shoulder.) The right shoulder strap 10 has an upper end 11 and the left shoulder strap 20 has an upper end 21. The upper ends 11 and 21 are secured to the anchor system 30 that is connected to the body-contacting wall 2 below the top 3. The anchor system 30 permits the upper ends 11 and 21 to move between the first or high position shown in FIG. 1 to the second or low position shown in FIG. 12.

The shoulder straps 10 and 20 are provided with the right and left load-lifter strap systems 12 and 22, respectively. The right load-lifter strap system 12 connects the right shoulder strap 10 to the backpack 1 at a location above the anchor system 30 and the left load-lifter strap system 22 connects the left shoulder strap 20 to the backpack 1 at a location above the anchor system 30. The load-lifter strap systems 12 and 22 comprise a short strap 13 or 23, respectively, attached at one end to the backpack 1 above the anchor system 30 and at the other end to the center bar of a slider buckle 14 or 24, respectively. The long straps 15 or 25, respectively, are attached at one end to the associated shoulder strap and fed through the slots of the slider buckle 14 or 24.

The load-lifter systems 12 and 22 may be conventional in design. Their purpose is to draw the load of the backpack 1 closer to the bearer's shoulders and take some of the weight of the backpack 1 from the waist belt (not shown) of the backpack 1 or, in reverse, to release some of the load of the backpack 1 from the bearer's shoulders and put more of the weight of the backpack 1 on the waist belt. The load-lifter systems 12 and 22 may be included or omitted according to the intended purpose of the backpack 2. A backpack that is designed to carry lighter loads may omit load-lifter systems.

The long strap 15 or 25 of each of the load-lifter systems 12 and 22 may be detached from the slider buckle 14 or 24 by sliding it back out of the slots of the slider buckle 14 or 24. This may be useful when changing the position of the upper ends 11 and 21 with respect to the anchor system 30 from the first or high position shown in FIG. 1 to the second or low position shown in FIG. 12 but should not be necessary if the load-lifter systems 12 and 22 are lengthened by sliding the long straps 15 or 25 through the buckles 14 or 24 in order to permit the manipulation of the anchor system 30 as further described below.

Starting with FIG. 2, and ending with FIG. 11, the drawings omit the load-lifter systems 12 and 22 in order to simplify the drawings illustrating how the anchor system 30 is manipulated to change the position of the upper ends 11 and 21 of the shoulder straps 10 and 20 from the first or high position shown in FIG. 1 to the second or low position shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 2 shows the backpack 1 with the shoulder straps 10 and 20 displaced upwardly. In addition, portions of the shoulder straps 10 and 20 are not shown, starting with FIG. 1 and ending with FIG. 12, in order to further simplify the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows the rear entrance flap or door 4 that is a portion of the back-contacting wall 2 hinged at hinge line 6 to the rest of the back-contacting wall 2 so the rear entrance door 4 may be rotated downwardly, as shown in FIG. 3, to expose an opening 5 leading into a compartment 7 of the backpack 1. A zipper 8 secures the rear entrance door 4 to the rest of the back-contacting wall 2, other than at the hinge line 6, in order to close the opening 5. The hinge line 6 preferably is at the bottom edge of the door 4 so that the bearer of the backpack 1 may rotate the door 4 downwardly after detaching the shoulder straps 10 and 20 from the shoulders of the bearer, leaving a waist belt (not shown) secured around the bearer's waist, and rotating the backpack 1 around the waist of the bearer in order for the backpack to be at the front or anterior side of the bearer. By rotating the door 4 downwardly as described, the bearer may more easily access gear in the compartment 7. Alternatively, when the bearer is not wearing the backpack 1 at all, the door 4 preferably should rotate downwardly about the hinge line 6 so that the door 4 is out of the way and will not tend to inadvertently rotate over the opening 5.

Opening the rear entrance door 4 exposes a padded insert 9 contained in the compartment 7. The padded insert 9 is a container useful for receiving and protecting gear such as photographic apparatus. FIG. 4 shows how the padded insert 9 may be removed from the compartment 7 through the opening 5 created when the rear entrance door 4 is rotated down. The padded insert 9 is not necessary to the invention and may be included or omitted as desired, in which case gear may be stored directly in the compartment 7.

FIGS. 5-11 show steps of the process for changing the position of the upper ends 11 and 21 with respect to the anchor system 30 from the first or high position shown in FIG. 1 to the second or low position shown in FIG. 12. Referring to the cross-sectional views 13-19 in sequence with the corresponding ones of FIG. 5-11 will be helpful.

The anchor system 30 provides a moveable cross-bar 31 to which the upper ends 11 and 21 of the shoulder straps 10 and 20 are attached along an edge of the moveable cross-bar 31. (See, e.g., FIGS. 8 and 16.) The moveable cross-bar 31 may be attached to a fixed cross-bar 35 attached to the backpack 1. The attachment comes in one of two configurations. The upper ends 11 and 21 of the shoulder straps 10 and 20 are higher in one configuration than in the other. Separating the moveable cross-bar 31 from the fixed cross-bar 35, rotating the moveable cross-bar 31, and reattaching the moveable cross-bar 31 to the fixed cross-bar 35 will change the configuration. Preferably this is accomplished without the use of any tools. Also and preferably the connection of the moveable cross-bar 31 to the fixed cross-bar 35 should be secure so that the upper ends 11 and 21 of the shoulder straps 10 and 20 do not become inadvertently separated from the backpack 1.

The movable cross-bar 31 comprises two cross-bar members 32 and 33 that are attached to each other by the hinge 34. The upper ends 11 and 21 of the shoulder straps 10 and 20, respectively, are attached to an edge of the cross-bar member 32 spaced from and opposed to the hinge 34. The upper ends 11 and 21 of the shoulder straps 10 and 20, respectively, are spaced horizontally along the cross-bar member 32. (Horizontally refers to the direction taken by the cross-bars 32 and 33 when the backpack 1 is vertically aligned by standing the backpack 1 on its bottom and the shoulder straps 10 and 20 are attached to the body-contacting wall 2 by the anchor system 30 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 12.)

The anchor system 30 also comprises a fixed cross-bar 35 with an upper edge 35A and a lower edge 35B. (See FIG. 9.) The fixed cross-bar 35 has a right end 36 and a left end 37 that are connected to the body-contacting wall 2. (See FIG. 3.) The fixed cross-bar 35 has an exterior side (see FIGS. 7-10) and an interior side opposed to the exterior surface. The fixed cross-bar 35 is positioned horizontally above the rear entrance door or flap 4 and attached at either of its ends 36 and 37 to the body-contacting wall 2. The portion of the fixed cross-bar 35 that is between the ends 36 and 37 is not attached to the body-contacting wall 2 or any other part of the backpack 1. This configuration creates a slot 38 defined between the body-contacting wall 2 and the fixed cross-bar 35 (see, e.g., FIGS. 16 and 17). The interior side of the fixed cross-bar 35 faces the body-contacting wall 2 across the slot 38.

The anchor system 30 further comprises an upper tab 39 and a lower tab 40 attached to the body-contacting wall 2 below and above, respectively, the fixed cross-bar 35. The purpose of the tabs 39 and 40 is to prevent the inadvertent disconnection of the cross-bar members 32 and 33 from the fixed cross-bar 35.

The components of the anchor system preferably may be made of fabric sleeves. The cross-bar members 32 and 33, and the fixed cross bar 35 preferably are stiffened with polyethylene (PE) board or the like 41 within the fabric sleeves (reference number 41 will refer to PE board or the like whenever it is present in a component of the anchor system 30).

The exterior surfaces of the elements of the anchor system 30 are provided with hook or loop material for detachable connection to various other elements of the anchor system 30. Preferably, both sides of the fixed cross-bar 35 are covered with hook material 42 and both sides of each of the first and second cross-bar members 32 and 33 are covered with loop material 43. The upper tab 39 preferably will have hook material 42 on its side that will contact the lower tab 40. The lower tab 40 preferably will have hook material 42 on its side that contacts either of the first cross-bar member 32 or the second cross-bar member 33 and loop material 43 on its side that will contact the upper tab 39. (Reference number 42 will refer to hook material whenever it is present in a component of the anchor system 30 and reference number 43 will refer to loop material whenever it is present in a component of the anchor system 30.)

The anchor system 30 may be constructed so that loop material 43 may be substituted for hook material 42 and vice-versa. However, the choices of hook or loop material for the various components of the anchor system 30 stated in the immediately preceding paragraph are preferred because the result will be that the bearer will contact yielding loop material rather than the scratchy hook material when the bearer is wearing the backpack 1.

FIG. 5 shows the effect of a first step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position. In FIG. 5 the tabs 39 and 40 are separated from each other and hinged away from the cross-bar 33. The tab 39 overlaps the lower tab 40 in the configuration shown in FIGS. 1-4. The sectional view of FIG. 14 shows the separation and rotation of the tabs 39 and 40 using curved arrows in phantom line.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the cross-bar member 33 and the fixed cross-bar 35 are detachably connected to each other thanks to the hook material 42 and the loop material 43 on their surfaces. FIG. 6 depicts the second step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position by showing how the cross-bar member 33 is rotated down and away from the fixed cross-bar 35. The cross-bar member 33 will extend below the fixed cross-bar 35 as a result of this rotation and the cross-bar members 32 and 33 will lie in the same plane as a result.

The sectional view of FIG. 14 depicts two stages (in hidden line) of the rotation of the cross-bar member 33 as part of the second step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position. The lower of the stages is the position below the fixed cross-bar 35. FIG. 15 shows a sectional view of the anchor system 30 as it appears in FIG. 6 with the cross-bar members 32 and 32 lying in the same plane, the cross-bar member 32 being attached to and behind the fixed cross-bar 35 in the slot 38 between the fixed cross-bar 35 and the body-contacting wall 2. (The lower tab 40 is omitted from FIG. 15 in order to simplify the drawing but in actuality the lower tab 40 is between the body-contacting wall 2 and the cross-bar 33.)

FIG. 7 shows the third step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position. In the third step the movable cross-bar 31 is being separated from the fixed cross-bar 35. The cross-bar member 32 originally is attached to the fixed cross-bar 35 by mating hook material 42 and loop material 43 attached to their contacting surfaces. The hook material 42 and loop material 43 must be detached from each other in order for the cross-bar member 32 to be separated from the fixed cross-bar 35. This can be accomplished by running a hand or at least the fingers between the cross-bar member 32 and the fixed cross-bar 35 in order to detach the hooks from the loops of the hook material 42 and loop material 43 on each of the cross-bar member 32 and the fixed cross-bar 35 while at the same time pulling up on the movable cross-bar 31.

FIG. 16 shows the separation of the movable cross-bar 31 from the fixed cross-bar 35 in sectional view using an arrow in phantom line to indicate the direction of movement. A phantom line arrow in FIG. 7 shows the same motion of the movable cross-bar 31.

FIG. 8 shows the completion of the third step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position. The moveable cross-bar 31 is now separated from and above the fixed cross-bar 35. FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the positioning of the moveable cross-bar 31 and the fixed cross-bar 35 in FIG. 8. (Although the tabs 39 and 40 are shown in solid line at 45 degree angles with respect to the body-contacting wall 2, the tabs 39 and 40 will rotate closer to the body-contacting wall 2, as shown in hidden line, in order to permit the passage of the moveable cross-bar 31.)

After reaching the configuration of the anchor system 30 shown in FIGS. 8 and 16, the anchor system 30 will be ready to transition to the configuration in which the upper ends 11 and 21 of the shoulder straps 10 and 20 will be in a second or lower position. This position will be lower by about the width of the fixed cross-bar 35.

FIG. 9 shows the fourth step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position. The moveable cross-bar 31 is inverted by 180 degrees so the moveable cross-bar 33 is now uppermost, as seen in FIG. 9 and depicted in the sectional view of FIG. 17. The moveable cross-bar 31 is then inserted upwardly into the slot 38 between the body-contacting wall 2 and the fixed cross-bar 35. The moveable cross-bar 31's direction of movement is indicated by phantom line arrows in FIGS. 9 and 17.

In the fourth step the moveable cross-bar 31 is inserted upwardly into the space between the body-contacting wall 2 and the fixed cross-bar 35. The cross-bar 33 will be above the fixed cross-bar 35 and the cross-bar 32 will be in the slot 38 and thus behind and adjacent to the fixed cross-bar 35. (“Front” and “rear” refer to the perception of a person viewing the backpack while facing the body-contacting wall 2.) Hook and loop strips 42 and 43 on the cross-bar member 32 and the fixed cross-bar 35 then are permitted to contact each other in order for the cross-bar member 32 to fasten to the fixed cross-bar 35.

FIG. 10 shows the fifth step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position. The cross-bar member 33 is rotated by 180 degrees about the hinge 34 to that the cross-bar member 33 is in front of and adjacent to the fixed cross-bar 35. Hook and loop strips 42 and 43 on the cross-bar member 33 and the fixed cross-bar 35 then are permitted to contact each other in order for the cross-bar member 33 to fasten to the fixed cross-bar 35.

FIG. 11 shows the sixth step of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position. In the sixth step the tabs 39 and 40 are rotated to secure them to the cross-bar member 32. The upper tab 39 will overlap the lower tab 40 as in the earlier configuration shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 13.

FIG. 12 shows the completion of the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position. The load lifter systems 12 and 22 are reattached to the shoulder straps 10 and 20, assuming these components had been disconnected. If not disconnected, FIG. 12 shows the shoulder straps 10 and 20 of the backpack 1 in the second or low position with the load lifter systems 12 and 22 included and not omitted to simplify the drawings.

The position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps 10 and 20 of the backpack 1 may changed from the second or low position to the first or high position by reversing the steps one through six described above.

The invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the upper and lower tabs 39 and 40 may be omitted and thus the first step in the process of changing the position of the upper ends of the shoulder straps from the first or high position to a second or low position will be omitted. The upper and lower tabs 39 and 40 provide extra security for the attachment of the movable cross bar 31 to the fixed cross bar 35 by preventing unwanted detachment of those components from each other.

Claims

1. A backpack having right and left shoulder straps and a body-contacting wall and comprising an anchoring system for an upper end of the right shoulder strap and an upper end of the left shoulder strap, the anchoring system comprising:

a moveable cross-bar, the upper ends of the right and left shoulder straps being connected to the moveable cross-bar,

a fixed cross-bar having an exterior side and an interior side, an upper edge and a lower edge, and right and left ends, the right and left ends of the fixed cross-bar being connected to the body-contacting wall,

the movable cross-bar being detachably connected to the fixed cross-bar,

wherein the moveable cross-bar may be rotated between an upper configuration and a lower configuration, the upper ends of the shoulder straps being higher in the upper configuration and lower in the lower configuration.

2. The backpack according to claim 1 wherein the upper ends of the right and left shoulder straps are connected to an edge of the moveable cross-bar.

3. The backpack according to claim 1 wherein the moveable cross-bar may be rotated between an upper configuration in which the upper ends of the shoulder straps are adjacent the upper edge of the fixed cross-bar and a lower configuration in which the upper ends of the shoulder straps are adjacent the lower edge of the fixed cross-bar.

4. The backpack according to claim 1 further comprising mating hook and loop strips attached to surfaces of the fixed cross-bar and the moveable cross-bar for detachable connection of the fixed cross-bar to the moveable cross-bar.

5. The backpack according to claim 1 in which the moveable cross-bar comprises first and second cross-bar members joined by a hinge, the upper ends of the shoulder straps being attached to an edge of the first cross-bar member opposed to and spaced from the hinge, and the fixed cross-bar not connected to the body-contacting wall between the right and left ends of the fixed cross-bar, wherein the first and second cross-bar members may be folded along the hinge and disposed on the exterior and interior sides of the fixed cross-bar whereby when the hinge is below the fixed cross-bar the upper ends of the shoulder straps are positioned at the upper edge of the fixed cross-bar and when the hinge is above the fixed cross-bar the upper ends of the shoulder straps are positioned at the lower edge of the fixed cross-bar.

6. The backpack according to claim 5 further comprising mating hook or loop strips attached to the sides of the fixed cross-bar and loop or hook strips to the exterior and interior sides of the first and second cross-bar members for detachable connection of the fixed cross-bar to the moveable cross-bar.

7. The backpack according to claim 6 further comprising a first tab connected to the body-contacting wall at one of a location above or below the fixed cross-bar wherein the first tab comprises loop or hook strips disposed to detachably connect the tab to the moveable cross-bar when the moveable cross-bar is attached to the fixed cross-bar.

8. The backpack according to claim 7 further comprising a second tab connected to the body-contacting wall at one of below or above the fixed cross-bar and on an opposite side of the fixed cross-bar wherein the first and second tabs comprise loop or hook strips disposed to detachably connect the tabs to each other over the moveable cross-bar and the fixed cross-bar when the moveable cross-bar is connected to the fixed cross-bar.

9. The backpack according to claim 1 wherein an opening is defined in the body-contacting wall for access to a compartment in the backpack and a door with a zipper that connects the door to the body-contacting wall is provided for covering the opening in the body-contacting wall when the zipper is closed and exposing the opening in the body-contacting wall when the zipper is opened and wherein the fixed cross-bar is connected to the body-contacting wall above the opening in the body-contacting wall.

10. The backpack according to claim 9 wherein the door is hingeably attached at an edge of the door to the body-contacting wall and the door is connected at other edges by the zipper to the body-contacting wall.

11. The backpack according to claim 10 wherein the edge of the door that is hingeably connected to the body-contacting wall is a bottom edge of the door whereby the door rotates downwardly when the zipper is opened and the other edges of the door are not connected to the body-contacting wall.

12. A method of anchoring the upper ends of shoulder straps attached to a backpack, comprising:

providing a backpack having right and left shoulder straps and a body-contacting wall and an anchoring system for an upper end of the right shoulder strap and an upper end of the left shoulder strap, the anchoring system comprising a moveable cross-bar, the upper ends of the right and left shoulder straps being connected to the moveable cross-bar, a fixed cross-bar having an exterior side and an interior side and right and left ends, the right and left ends of the fixed cross-bar being connected to the body-contacting wall,

connecting the movable cross-bar to the fixed cross-bar in one of an upper configuration and a lower configuration, the upper ends of the shoulder straps being higher in the upper configuration and lower in a lower configuration.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

detaching the moveable cross-bar from the fixed cross-bar,

rotating the moveable cross-bar from the upper configuration to the lower configuration, and

attaching the moveable cross-bar to the fixed cross-bar.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

detaching the moveable cross-bar from the fixed cross-bar,

rotating the moveable cross-bar from the lower configuration to the upper configuration, and

attaching the moveable cross-bar to the fixed cross-bar.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing a first tab attached to the body-contacting wall adjacent to the fixed cross-bar, and

attaching the tab to the moveable cross-bar when the moveable cross-bar is connected to the fixed cross-bar.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the tab is attached to the body-contacting wall adjacent and above the fixed cross-bar and further comprising:

providing a second tab attached to the body-contacting wall adjacent and below the fixed cross-bar, and

attaching the second tab to the movable cross-bar.

17. A method of anchoring the upper ends of shoulder straps attached to a backpack, comprising:

providing a backpack having right and left shoulder straps and a body-contacting wall and an anchoring system for an upper end of the right shoulder strap and an upper end of the left shoulder strap, the anchoring system comprising a moveable cross-bar, the moveable cross-bar having a lengthwise hinge line defined therein and separating the moveable cross-bar into a first moveable cross-bar member and a second moveable cross-bar member, the upper ends of the right and left shoulder straps being connected to an edge of the first moveable cross-bar member opposed to the hinge line, a fixed cross-bar having an interior side, an exterior side, an upper edge, a lower edge, and right and left ends, the fixed cross-bar being attached at the right and left ends to the body-contacting wall and not connected to the body-contacting wall between the right and left ends of the fixed cross-bar, wherein the first and second cross-bar members may be folded along the hinge and disposed on either side of the fixed cross-bar, mating hook or loop strips attached to the sides of the fixed cross-bar and loop or hook strips to the sides of the first and second cross-bar members for detachable connection of the fixed cross-bar to the moveable cross-bar,

inserting the moveable cross-bar between the fixed cross-bar and the body-contacting wall until the first moveable cross-bar member is adjacent the interior side of the fixed cross-bar and detachably attached to the interior side of the fixed cross-bar member by the hook or loop strips attached to the fixed cross-bar and the loop or hook strips attached to the first moveable cross-bar member, and

folding the second moveable cross-bar member along the hinge line and around the fixed cross-bar member whereby the second moveable cross-bar member is detachably attached to the exterior side of the fixed cross-bar member by the hook or loop strips attached to the fixed cross-bar and the loop or hook strips attached to the second moveable cross-bar member.

18. The method of anchoring the upper ends of shoulder straps attached to a backpack according to claim 17 wherein the moveable cross-bar member is inserted between the fixed cross-bar and the body-contacting wall from below whereby the hinge line is above the fixed cross-bar and the upper ends of the shoulder straps are positioned at the lower edge of the fixed cross-bar.

19. The method of anchoring the upper ends of shoulder straps attached to a backpack according to claim 17 wherein the moveable cross-bar member is inserted between the fixed cross-bar and the body-contacting wall from above whereby the hinge line is below the fixed cross-bar and the upper ends of the shoulder straps are positioned at the upper edge of the fixed cross-bar.

20. The method of anchoring the upper ends of shoulder straps attached to a backpack according to claim 17 further comprising:

providing a tab attached to the body-contacting wall adjacent the fixed cross-bar, the tab having a hook or loop strip attached to one side of the tab,

folding the tab over the moveable cross-bar, and

contacting the hook or loop strip attached to one side of the tab to the loop or hook strips attached to the moveable cross-bar.