Personal Load-Bearing System

Abstract

The invention provides a personally-worn load-bearing system for carrying weights adjacent to the back and front of a user, comprising front and back load-supporting panels wherein the front and back panels are secured to each other via interconnecting shoulder straps to form a garment, characterized in that the system further comprises a load-bearing weight-distribution waist belt and at least one first front weight-transferring frame element interconnecting the front load-supporting panel and the waist belt and at least one second back weight-transferring frame element interconnecting the back load-supporting panel and the waist belt, wherein the at least one first front weight-transferring frame element and the at least one back weight-transferring frame element transfer at least a major portion of the weight of the front load-supporting panel and the weight of the back load-supporting panel to the load-bearing weight-distribution waist belt.

1 . A personally-worn load-bearing system for carrying weights adjacent to the back and front of a user, comprising front and back load-supporting panels wherein said front and back panels are secured to each other via interconnecting shoulder straps to form a garment, characterized in that said system further comprises a load-bearing weight-distribution waist belt and at least one first front weight-transferring frame element interconnecting said front load-supporting panel and said waist belt and at least one second back weight-transferring frame element interconnecting said back load-supporting panel and said waist belt, wherein said at least one first front weight-transferring frame element and said at least one back weight-transferring frame element transfer at least a major portion of the weight of said front load-supporting panel and the weight of said back load-supporting panel to said load-bearing weight-distribution waist belt.  
   
   
       2 . A personally worn load-bearing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said weight-transferring frame elements are at least partially rigid.  
   
   
       3 . A personally-worn load-bearing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said weight-transferring frame elements are flexible.  
   
   
       4 . A personally-worn load-bearing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said front load-supporting panel is attached to at least one frame element which in turn is connected to said waist belt by at least two spaced-apart frame element segments.  
   
   
       5 . A personally-worn load-bearing system according to  claim 4 , wherein said two spaced-apart frame element segments are attached to side segments of said load-bearing weight-distribution waist belt.  
   
   
       6 . A personally-worn load-bearing system according to  claim 4 , wherein said two spaced-apart frame element segments are positioned along opposite ends of a single partially-rigid frame element.  
   
   
       7 . A personally-worn load-bearing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said back load-supporting panel is attached to at least one frame element which in turn is connected to said waist belt by at least two spaced-apart frame element segments.  
   
   
       8 . A personally-worn load-bearing system according to  claim 7 , wherein in said two spaced-apart frame element segments are attached to back segments of said load-bearing weight-distribution waist belt.  
   
   
       9 . A personally-worn load-bearing system according to  claim 6 , wherein said two spaced-apart frame element segments are positioned along opposite ends of a single partially-rigid frame element.  
   
   
       10 . A personally-worn load-bearing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance between a point of connection of a frame element to the waist belt and the load-supporting panel to which said frame element is attached, is adjustable, so that each panel can be adjusted within the system to match the specific height of the user.