Backpack and components therefor

Abstract

A backpack having a shoulder harness ( 14 ) and a hip harness ( 20 ). The shoulder harness preferably consists of a pair of padded shoulder strap assemblies ( 14 a and 14 b ) that have elongate pockets ( 27 ) sewn into their outer linings into which contour plates ( 26 ) are fitted to control the lateral curvature of the straps. The plates are selected to have the stiffness and shape to suit the chest and shoulder shape of the individual user. The hip harness ( 20 ) is preferably divided into independent left and right halves ( 20 a and 20 b ) that are each pivotally attached to a frame element within the front lower portion of the pack. While the hip harness may be unitary, or the two halves may be more or less tightly coupled together, pivotal attachment of the back of the harness to the pack is highly desirable.

1 . A backpack having a lumbar portion that is opposed to the lumbar region of the user's back when the pack is worn, the backpack including: 
 a shoulder harness adapted to transfer some weight of the backpack to the shoulders of the user when the backpack is worn,    a hip harness adapted to encircle the waist of the user and to transfer some of weight of the backpack to the gluteal muscles and hips of the user when the backpack is worn,    a primary frame element located within said lumbar portion, and    pivot joint means securing the hip harness to the frame element to enable lateral pivoting movement of the hip harness with respect to the frame element and to the remainder of the backpack.    
   
   
       2 . A backpack according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 said hip harness comprises: 
 a left segment having a rear portion located between the lumbar region of the user's back and said frame element when the pack is worn,  
 a right segment having a rear portion located between the lumbar region of the user's back and said frame element when the pack is worn, and  
   said pivot joint means secures said rear portions of said left and right segment to the primary frame element to enable independent lateral pivoting movement of each segment with respect to the frame element.    
   
   
       3 . A backpack according to  claim 2  wherein: 
 said rear portion of the said left segment is located to the left of the spine of a user wearing the backpack,    said rear portion of the said right segment is located to the right of the spine of a user wearing the backpack,    said pivotal joint means comprises:    a left pivot joint securing the rear portion of the left segment to the frame element for pivotal movement about a left pivot axis, and    a right pivot joint securing the rear portion of the right segment to the frame element for pivotal movement about a right pivot axis, and wherein    said left pivot axis is spaced horizontally from said right pivot axis, and    said left and right segments of the hip harness are capable of independent pivotal movement about their respective pivot axes.    
   
   
       4 . A backpack according to  claim 3  wherein, when the back pack is worn by an upright user: 
 said rear portion of the left hip segment is adapted for location over at least portion of the user's left gluteus maximus muscle, and    said rear portion of the right hip segment is adapted for location over at least portion of the user's right gluteus maximus muscle.    
   
   
       5 . A backpack according to  claim 3  wherein: 
 the left segment of the hip harness includes an elongate flexible and substantially inextensible left hip-plate, said left hip-plate having a rear portion that is attached by said left pivot joint to the frame element and said left hip-plate having a front portion,    the right segment of the hip harness includes an elongate flexible and substantially inextensible right hip-plate, said right hip-plate having a rear portion that is attached by said right pivot joint to the frame element and said right hip-plate having a front portion, and    and the hip harness includes buckle means adapted to connect said front portion of said left hip-plate to said front portion of said right hip-plate across the abdomen of a user wearing the backpack.    
   
   
       6 . A backpack according to  claim 5  wherein: 
 said rear portion the left hip-plate is coupled to said rear portion of the right hip-plate by stabilizer strap means located below the level of said left and said right pivot joints,    said stabilizer strap means is operable to limit the degree to which the front portions of the left and right hip-plates can be jointly raised, and    said stabilizer strap means includes a releasable buckle so that, upon release of said releasable buckle the degree to which the front portions of the left and right hip-plates can be raise is not limited by the stabilizer strap means.    
   
   
       7 . A backpack according to  claim 5  wherein: 
 a left stabilizer strap having a front end and a rear end is attached by said front end to the front portion the left hip-plate,    left attachment means for the rear end of said left stabilizer strap is provided on the left side of the load bag at a level below said left pivot joint, so that by attaching the rear end of the left stabilizer strap to the said left attachment means and by adjusting the length the left stabilizer strap, the degree to which the front portion of the left hip-plate can be raised is limited by the left stabilizer strap,    a right stabilizer strap having a front end and a rear end is attached by said front end to the front portion the right hip-plate,    right attachment means for the rear end of said right stabilizer strap is provided on the rigtht side of the load bag at a level below said right pivot joint, so that by attaching the rear end of the right stabilizer strap to the said right attachment means and by adjusting the length the right stabilizer strap, the degree to which the front portion of the right hip-plate can be raised is limited by the right stabilizer strap.    
   
   
       8 . A backpack according to  claim 5  wherein: 
 a left padded boot is fitted around the rear portion of the left hip-plate so that said boot is interposed between the rear portion of the left hip-plate and the user when the backpack is worn, said rear portion of the left hip-plate and said left padded boot comprising said the rear portion of the left hip-segment, and    a right padded boot is fitted around the rear portion of the right hip-plate so that said right padded boot is interposed between the rear portion of the right hip-plate and the user when the backpack is worn, said rear portion of the right hip-plate and said right padded boot comprising said the rear portion of the right hip-segment,    
   
   
       9 . A backpack according to  claim 3  wherein: 
 said left and right hip-segments can each be pivoted to a substantially vertical position when the backpack is upright but is not being worn, and    a zip-around cover is removably incorporated in the backpack and adapted to be withdrawn over said segments when each is pivoted to said vertical position and zipped therearound to enclose the entire hip harness between the cover and the body of the backpack.    
   
   
       10 . A backpack according to  claim 5  wherein: 
 the left pivot joint comprises a left eyelet fitted into said left hip-plate and a left screw that passes through said left eyelet and enters said frame element,    the right pivot joint comprises a right eyelet fitted into said right hip-plate and a right screw that passes through said right eyelet and enters said frame element, and    said left and right screws are arranged so as to extend generally horizontally in a front-to-back direction when the backpack is worn by an upright user.    
   
   
       11 . A backpack according to  claim 5  wherein: 
 the backpack includes a load bag having a front face that is opposed to the back of a user when the pack is worn,    the shoulder harness includes left and right shoulder strap assemblies supported from respective anchor buckles attached to said front face near the respective shoulder of the user, when the backpack is worn,    said primary frame element comprises a substantially inextensible laterally extending plate located within or against said front face of the load bag, and    there is at least one secondary frame element comprising a vertically extending substantially inextensible plate located within or against the front face of the load bag, said secondary frame element or frame elements mechanically connecting said primary frame element to said anchor points for said shoulder strap assemblies.    
   
   
       12 . A backpack according to  claim 11  wherein: 
 there are two second secondary elongate frame elements comprising a left secondary frame element having an upper end and a lower end and a right secondary frame element having an upper and a lower end,    the lower end of said left secondary frame element is attached to said left pivot joint,    the lower end of said right secondary frame element is attached to said right pivot joint,    the upper end of said left secondary frame element is attached to one of said anchor buckles, and    the upper end of said right secondary frame element is attached to the other one of said anchor buckles.    
   
   
       13 . A backpack according to  claim 3  wherein said shoulder harness comprises: 
 flexible left and right shoulder strap assemblies, each assembly including an elongate portion that extends from the respective shoulder and over the respective pectoral area of a user wearing the pack,    an elongate pocket is formed in said elongate portion of each shoulder strap,    an elongate contour plate is fitted into each of said pockets, said contour plate being longitudinally flexible but laterally stiff, and    the lateral shape of said portion of each shoulder strap assembly is at least partially determined by the shape of said contour plates fitted in the respective one of said pockets.    
   
   
       14 . A backpack comprising: 
 flexible left and right shoulder strap assemblies, each assembly including an elongate portion that extends from the respective shoulder and over the respective pectoral area of a user wearing the pack,    an elongate pocket is formed in said portion of each shoulder strap assembly,    an elongate contour plate is fitted into each of said pockets, said contour plate being longitudinally flexible but laterally stiff, and wherein    the lateral shape of each of said portions of the shoulder strap assemblies is at least partially determined by the lateral shape of the respective contour plates fitted in the respective pockets of the shoulder strap assembly.    
   
   
       15 . A backpack according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 at least one of said plates is formed from stitchable sheet plastic that is at least one millimeter thick and can be readily flexed in directions orthogonal to the plane of the plate while being stiff and resistant to bending in the plane of the plate, said at least one plate having a peripheral edge,    said peripheral edge is covered by a cloth edging stitched thereto, thereby mitigating the danger of wear to other components of the backpack caused by rubbing against said peripheral edge.