Rucksacks

Abstract

A rucksack comprises a load-carrying bag ( 3 ) having a rear wall ( 5 ), and a harness ( 15 ) arranged to permit the load-carrying bag to be carried by a user with the rear wall adjacent the back of the user. The rear wall includes a plurality of projecting padded panels ( 19 ). The rucksack further includes a chassis ( 21 ) shaped such that in use each padded panel contacts the back of the user. The rucksack may alternatively, or additionally, include a pair of attachment ( 37 ) members on opposed sides of the rucksack, which are connected together through or adjacent the rear wall.

1 . A rucksack comprising a load-carrying bag having a rear wall, and a harness arranged in use to permit the load-carrying bag to be carried by a user with the rear wall adjacent the back of the user, wherein the rear wall comprises a plurality of projecting padded panels, and the rucksack further comprises a chassis shaped such that in use each of the padded panels contacts the back of the user. 
     
     
         2 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the chassis of the rucksack is substantially S-shaped in longitudinal cross-section. 
     
     
         3 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the chassis of the rucksack comprises a flexible panel, the flexible panel may be substantially the same size as the rear wall of the rucksack, and the panel may be removable from the rucksack. 
     
     
         4 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the chassis is integral with the rear wall of the rucksack. 
     
     
         7 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the chassis is formed from polycarbonate, and the chassis may be between approximately 1 mm and 30 mm thick. 
     
     
         8 . A rucksack in accordance with any  claim 1 , wherein the chassis comprises a reinforcing member extending longitudinally, wherein the reinforcing member is less flexible than the remainder of the chassis, wherein the reinforcing member may extend along the centre of the chassis, wherein the reinforcing member may be substantially rigid, and may be a steel strip, the reinforcing member may remove some of the flexibility from the chassis in the locality in which it is located, the chassis may be able to twist and flex about the reinforcing member, but is substantially unable to bend or fold across the reinforcing member, and the reinforcing member may serve to hold the chassis in an S-shaped curve in longitudinal cross-section. 
     
     
         9 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the padded panels are separated by substantially unpadded regions, and the unpadded regions may be arranged to collapse, compress, bend or stretch such that adjacent padded panels can move relative to one another, and the unpadded regions may be provided in the area of the rear wall that is likely to be required to bend the most. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the unpadded regions provide channels through which air flows, cooling a user's back, the substantially unpadded regions may be between 10 and 100 mm wide, and may be between 20 and 50 mm wide. 
     
     
         14 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein there are six padded panels, the panels are provided in a two-by-three arrangement, distributed with three panels on either side of a central channel, providing two top, two centre and two bottom panels, and the panels may be arranged to spread the weight of a load within the rucksack over the user's back, because each of the six panels will transfer a portion of the weight to the back. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the padded panels are between 10 and 60 mm thick, and may be between 20 and 50 mm thick. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the lower panels adjacent the base of the rucksack comprise thicker padding than the upper panels. 
     
     
         21 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the chassis is substantially rectangular in plan view. 
     
     
         51 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the chassis of the rucksack is located adjacent the rear wall, the chassis may be located in a pocket provided in the rear wall, and the pocket may be located so that in use, the chassis extends from in the region of the user's C7 (lower cervical) vertebra to the iliac line (the line across the back extending between the iliac crests on the hips). 
     
     
         52 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the chassis is shaped to follow a similar curve to the human spine, wherein an upper region of the chassis may follow a substantially kyphotic curve to correspond with the curve of a rucksack user's thoracic spine, and the lower region of the chassis may follow a substantially lordotic curve to follow the lumbar spine. 
     
     
         53 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the panels comprise three-layer foam, having a soft upper layer for contacting the user's back and a firmer lower layer to provide additional support. 
     
     
         54 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the padded panels move with the chassis, such that the weight in the rucksack remains distributed on the user's back in a substantially continuous way whilst the user's spine twists or flexes. 
     
     
         55 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the unpadded regions of the rucksack are more flexible than the padded panels, such that the unpadded regions are able to bend, guided by the curve of the chassis, to allow two adjacent padded panels to be positioned in different orientations. 
     
     
         56 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein an active cooling system, such as a thermoelectric cooling system, is provided in or adjacent the unpadded regions. 
     
     
         57 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the top two padded panels are located so as to substantially rest on, and transfer weight to, the trapezius and the upper part of the latissimus dorsi muscles of a rucksack user, the bottom two padded panels may be located so as to substantially rest on, and transfer weight to, an upper part of the user's gluteus maximus, and the centre two padded panels may rest substantially on the central, thoracic, region of the back, including the erector spinae muscles. 
     
     
         58 . A rucksack in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the two-by-three arrangement of panels mimics the natural shape of the human back, and the distribution of the panels in three rows of two may provide a central channel which lies over the spine when the rucksack is in use, avoiding pressure being applied directly onto the vertebrae of the spine.