Backpack with reflective fabric material

Abstract

A backpack that includes reflective fabric that is incorporated into the outer shell of the backpack. When viewed during daylight, the reflective fabric does not appear to be reflective, but instead has the look and feel of conventional backpack fabric. However, when a light is pointed at the backpack when it is dark, the reflective fabric reflects the light. In this manner, use of reflective fabric in a backpack permits the backpack to have reflective safety features, yet the backpack is attractive during the day. The backpack may also include lightning-weave fabric and meteor-weave fabric.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A backpack comprising: 
 a harness;    an outer shell attached to the shoulder harness and comprising: 
 a reflective fabric.  
   
     
     
         2 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective fabric comprises a reflective yarn.  
     
     
         3 . The backpack of  claim 2 , wherein the reflective yarn is woven into a base.  
     
     
         4 . The backpack of  claim 3 , wherein the base comprises black yarn.  
     
     
         5 . The backpack of  claim 4 , wherein the black yarn comprise polyester.  
     
     
         6 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective fabric comprises: 
 a reflective yarn; and    a nonreflective yarn, offset from the reflective yarn.    
     
     
         7 . The backpack of  claim 6 , wherein the reflective fabric comprises a checkerboard pattern, and wherein the reflective yarn and the nonreflective yarn are woven into the checkerboard pattern, with the nonreflective yarn being in a first set of squares in the checkerboard pattern, and the reflective yarn being in a second set of the checkerboard pattern.  
     
     
         8 . The backpack of  claim 7 , wherein the reflective yarn is woven into a base in the second set of squares.  
     
     
         9 . The backpack of  claim 8 , wherein the base comprises black yarn.  
     
     
         10 . The backpack of  claim 9 , wherein the black yarn comprises polyester.  
     
     
         11 . The backpack of  claim 7 , wherein the nonreflective yarn and the reflective yarn are woven into a warp yarn base, and wherein the nonreflective yarn extends out of and over the warp yarn base substantially the length of one of the squares of the first set of squares.  
     
     
         12 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein the nonreflective yarn comprises black yarn.  
     
     
         13 . The backpack of  claim 12 , wherein the black yarn comprises nylon.  
     
     
         14 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein the nonreflective yarn comprises nylon.  
     
     
         15 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective fabric comprises a warp yarn comprising nonreflective material and a first weft yarn comprising reflective yarn.  
     
     
         16 . The backpack of  claim 15 , wherein the reflective fabric further comprises a second weft yarn comprising nonreflective material.  
     
     
         17 . The backpack of  claim 17 , wherein the reflective fabric further comprises a third weft yarn comprising a glossy surface.  
     
     
         18 . The backpack of  claim 17 , wherein the third weft yarn comprises nylon.  
     
     
         19 . The backpack of  claim 17 , wherein the second weft yarn and the warp yarn comprise a base for the reflective fabric, and wherein the reflective fabric comprises a checkerboard pattern, and wherein the reflective yarn and the nonreflective yarn are woven into the checkerboard pattern, with the nonreflective yarn being in a first set of squares in the checkerboard pattern, and the reflective yarn being in a second set of the checkerboard pattern.  
     
     
         20 . The backpack of  claim 19 , wherein the nonreflective yarn and the reflective yarn are woven into the warp yarn base, and wherein the nonreflective yarn extends out of and over the warp yarn base substantially the length of one of the squares of the first set of squares.  
     
     
         21 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell further comprises lightning-weave fabric.  
     
     
         22 . The backpack of  claim 21 , wherein the outer shell further comprises meteor-weave fabric.  
     
     
         23 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell further comprises meteor-weave fabric.  
     
     
         24 . A backpack comprising: 
 a harness;    an outer shell attached to the shoulder harness and comprising: 
 lightning-weave fabric.  
   
     
     
         25 . The backpack of  claim 24 , wherein the lightningweave fabric comprises a diagonal pattern of yarns that is staggered so that, a first number of yarns in which a first length of the yarns forms a portion of the pattern, and a second, adjacent number of yarns having a second, smaller length of the yarns that forms a part of the pattern, and wherein the pattern is repeated over the fabric, so that there are alternating diagonal sections having the first length followed by the second length.  
     
     
         26 . A backpack comprising: 
 a harness;    an outer shell attached to the shoulder harness and comprising: 
 meteor-weave fabric.