Rapidly deployable protective backpack caddy

Abstract

A backpack provides a protective utility vestment including a panel of armor material fully stored beneath the openable cover an anterior chamber within the backpack, obscuring its existence. A pair of hand-graspable pull-tabs connected to opposite lateral sides of the vestment allow rapid deployment of the vestment over the user's head and into position on the user's chest. The pull-tabs can be obscured on the shoulder supports of the backpack until used. Decoy bands on the shoulder supports can further enhance the obscuring effect. The pull-tabs can secure to the hip support pads to further secure the vestment on the user's chest. A bottom deployed utility caddy can be stowed within a hidden medial compartment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An improved backpack comprises:
 a posterior enclosure;   a pair of shoulder supports connected to said posterior enclosure;   a compartment contained within said posterior enclosure;   said compartment having a bottom aperture;   a caddy removably contained within said compartment;   said caddy having a bottom spine obstructing said aperture; and,   a handle structure secured to said bottom spine.   
     
     
         2 . The backpack of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 an openable flap extending over said handle and said aperture.   
     
     
         3 . The backpack of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 a disuniformly shaped item secured to an inner surface of said spine.   
     
     
         4 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein said caddy comprises a folding utility case comprising:
 a pair of opposable panels hingedly joined to said spine;   wherein said opposable panels and said spine have inner surfaces lined by a layer of fabric fastener; and,   a plurality of carried items, wherein each of said carried items has an exposed surface supporting patches of fabric fastener matable to said layer of fabric fastener;   whereby each of said carried items can be organized and secured to said inner surfaces.   
     
     
         5 . The backpack of  claim 4 , wherein said folding utility case comprises:
 a pair of notches extend inwardly along a folding axis of said caddy toward opposite ends of said spine; and,   a pair of forceably releasable buckles extending into said notches releasably securing said caddy to said backpack.   
     
     
         6 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein said compartment is lined with a hollow sleeve having a low friction inner surface contacting said caddy. 
     
     
         7 . The backpack of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 a vestment comprising a first armor panel; and,   an anterior chamber shaped to fully contain said vestment, said chamber having a top opening dimensioned to allow said vestment to pass fully therethrough.   
     
     
         8 . The backpack of  claim 7 , wherein said vestment comprises a weapon holster. 
     
     
         9 . The backpack of  claim 7 , which further comprises a pair belts wherein each of said belts has a first end fastened to said backpack, and a second end forming a loop secured to said vestment. 
     
     
         10 . The backpack of  claim 7 , wherein said anterior chamber comprises a septum separating said anterior chamber into a front pocket and a back pocket; said front pocket releasably containing a second armor panel. 
     
     
         11 . The backpack of  claim 7 , which further comprises:
 a pair of laterally spaced apart belts connecting said vestment to said backpack at a location inside said anterior chamber;   a pliable cover releasably covering said top opening of said anterior chamber;   a pair of laterally spaced apart, pliable pull-tabs;   wherein each pull-tab comprises:
 a first end, a medial portion, and a second end; 
 wherein said first end is connected to said vestment; 
 wherein said second end is free; 
 wherein said medial portion is releasably and obscurably secured to one or the other of said shoulder supports. 
   
     
     
         12 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein said pliable cover releasably seals against a lip bordering said top opening of said chamber; and, wherein said pull-tabs extend through apertures in a seal between said pliable cover and said lip. 
     
     
         13 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein each of said pull-tabs further comprises:
 a graspable grip formed onto said second end; and wherein said graspable grip is free from attachment to said one or the other of said shoulder supports.   
     
     
         14 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein said medial portion of said pull-tab is carried within a longitudinal channel in said one or the other of said shoulder supports; and wherein said channel is releasably covered by at least one obscuring flap of material. 
     
     
         15 . The backpack of  claim 11 , which further comprises a pair of decoy bands extending longitudinally along exposed outer surfaces of said shoulder supports, wherein said decoy bands are shaped, dimensioned and oriented to mimic an extension of said pull-tabs along said shoulder supports. 
     
     
         16 . The method of deploying a utility caddy from a backpack comprises:
 selecting a backpack including a posterior enclosure have a releasably closable anterior chamber shaped and dimensioned to fully and obscurably enclose a deployable protective utility vestment attached to said backpack;   further selecting said backpack to have a compartment within said posterior enclosure fully and obscurably containing a deployable utility caddy;   extracting said caddy from said compartment;   wherein said extracting comprises:
 flipping open a flap covering a bottom aperture of said compartment; 
 grasping a handle on a bottom spine of said caddy obstructing said bottom aperture; and, 
 pulling said handle downwardly. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said extracting further comprises:
 forceably releasing buckles extending into notches in said bottom spine.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said extracting further comprises:
 sliding said caddy along a low-friction guide sleeve lining said compartment.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said method further comprises:
 pulling said vestment from a top opening in said releasably closable anterior chamber into a position wherein said vestment has been drawn over a users head and secured to said users chest.   
     
     
         20 . The combination of a backpack having a deployable protective utility vestment and a removable caddy,
 wherein said backpack comprises:
 a compartment having a bottom aperture; 
 said compartment being shaped and dimensioned to contain said caddy; 
   wherein said caddy comprises:
 a bottom spine obstructing said aperture; and, 
 a handle structure secured to said bottom spine.