Customizable ergonomic load-carrying vest-pack

Abstract

A customizable ergonomic load-carrying vest-pack for goods of a person, including an adjustable belt system with an adjustable-length belt configured to encircle the waist of the person and a pair of adjustable shoulder supports. A middle portion of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports is spaced apart and adjustably joined together by a substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap that selectively secures the middle portion together and is selectively vertically adjustable in pre-defined vertical slots. An angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap connects with the left side or the right side of the adjustable belt system and is selectively horizontally adjustable in pre-defined horizontal slots located in the adjustable belt system. Collectively adjusting each of the adjustable-length belt, the substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap and each angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap enables a customized fit for the vest-pack to the person.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A customizable ergonomic load-carrying vest-pack for goods of a person having a neck, shoulders, a chest, a back and a waist, the vest-pack comprising:
 an adjustable belt system configured to encircle the waist of the person, the adjustable belt system including a left side, a right side and a center portion located between the left side and the right side;   the center portion of the adjustable belt system connected to a torso area extending from the waist of the back of the person up to the shoulders of the person;   an adjustable-length belt located within at least the center portion of the adjustable belt system and including a manually releasable locking clip selectively securing belt ends together;   a pair of adjustable shoulder supports, each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports including a top end, a bottom end, and a middle portion located between the top end and the bottom end;   the top end of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports connected to a top end of the torso area and configured to rest on the shoulders of the person on either side of the neck of the person, the middle portion configured to extend down over the chest of the person, and the bottom end configured to extend toward the waist of the person and be spaced from the adjustable belt system;   the middle portion of one of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports being spaced apart from the middle portion of another of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports on opposite sides of the chest of the person and adjustably joined together by at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap, and the middle portion of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports having a width greater than a width of the top end and the bottom end of the each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports;   the at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap: (i) including a manually releasable locking clip to selectively secure the chest strap between the middle portion of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports, and (ii) being manually selectively vertically adjustable in pre-defined vertical slots;   the bottom end of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports including an angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap: (i) configured to connect with the left side or the right side of the adjustable belt system, and (ii) being manually selectively horizontally adjustable in pre-defined horizontal slots located in the adjustable belt system; and,   wherein collectively adjusting each of the adjustable-length belt, the at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap and each angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap enables a customized fit for the vest-pack to the person.   
     
     
         2 . The vest-pack of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable belt is manually selectively located in one of at least two pre-defined horizontal tunnels located in the center portion of the adjustable belt system and adjacent to an inner surface of the adjustable belt system. 
     
     
         3 . The vest-pack of  claim 2 , wherein the at least two pre-defined horizontal tunnels are located substantially only in the center portion of the adjustable belt system and the adjustable belt is movably secured to the left side and the right side of the adjustable belt system by at least one belt loop connected with the inner surface of the adjustable belt system. 
     
     
         4 . The vest-pack of  claim 1 , further comprising an ergonomic gusset connected between the torso area and the center portion of the adjustable belt system, the ergonomic gusset: (i) formed at an angle relative to a horizontal orientation of the adjustable belt system, and (ii) including a stretch material to enable the ergonomic gusset to expand and contract in response to forces exerted upon the adjustable belt system, the torso area and the pair of adjustable shoulder supports. 
     
     
         5 . The vest-pack of  claim 4 , wherein the angle relative to the horizontal orientation of the adjustable belt system is in the range of 10 degrees to 80 degrees above horizontal. 
     
     
         6 . The vest-pack of  claim 4 , wherein the ergonomic gusset is substantially located in between the left side and the right side of the adjustable belt system. 
     
     
         7 . The vest-pack of  claim 1 , further comprising a cargo bag connected with the adjustable belt system and substantially superimposed over a length and a width of the adjustable belt system. 
     
     
         8 . The vest-pack of  claim 7 , wherein the cargo bag includes an outer wall separate from the adjustable belt system, a bottom-side gusset connected between the adjustable belt system and the outer wall of the cargo bag, and the outer wall is configured for movement toward and away from the adjustable belt system to selectively form a containment area to receive the goods and retain the goods in the vest-pack. 
     
     
         9 . The vest-pack of  claim 8 , wherein the bottom-side gusset is connected with bottom and side edges of the adjustable belt system and with bottom and side edges of the outer wall of the cargo bag. 
     
     
         10 . The vest-pack of  claim 8 , wherein the cargo bag shares a common wall with the adjustable belt system. 
     
     
         11 . The vest-pack of  claim 8 , wherein when the cargo bag is in a collapsed position: (i) the bottom-side gusset is folded upon itself and located between the adjustable belt system and the outer wall of the cargo bag, and (ii) the containment area has a W-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         12 . The vest-pack of  claim 11 , further comprising a stretchy member connected between the outer wall and the adjustable belt system to urge the cargo bag into the collapsed position. 
     
     
         13 . The vest-pack of  claim 12 , wherein the stretchy member is connected with a side edge of the outer wall and an adjacent side edge of the adjustable belt system. 
     
     
         14 . The vest-pack of  claim 11 , further comprising a clip connected between the outer wall and the adjustable belt system to urge the cargo bag into the collapsed position. 
     
     
         15 . The vest-pack of  claim 14 , wherein the clip is manually selectively horizontally adjustable in pre-defined horizontal slots located in the adjustable belt system and corresponding with pre-defined horizontal slots located in the outer wall. 
     
     
         16 . The vest-pack of  claim 8 , wherein when the cargo bag is in a fully expanded position: (i) the bottom-side gusset is fully extended and located between the adjustable belt system and the outer wall of the cargo bag, and (ii) the containment area has a U-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         17 . The vest-pack of  claim 8 , wherein the outer wall of the cargo bag includes an adjustable-length cargo bag strap connected with opposite side edges of the outer wall. 
     
     
         18 . The vest-pack of  claim 17 , wherein the adjustable belt system includes a loop connected therewith adjacent to the adjustable-length cargo bag strap and the cargo bag strap passes through the loop. 
     
     
         19 . The vest-pack of  claim 17 , wherein the adjustable-length cargo bag strap includes a manually releasable locking clip to selectively secure opposite ends of the adjustable-length cargo bag strap together. 
     
     
         20 . The vest-pack of  claim 19 , wherein when opposite ends of the adjustable-length cargo bag strap are secured together the adjustable-length cargo bag strap can be adjusted to urge the cargo bag from a fully expanded position to a collapsed position and anywhere in between these two positions. 
     
     
         21 . The vest-pack of  claim 20 , wherein the adjustable belt system includes a loop connected therewith adjacent to the adjustable-length cargo bag strap and the cargo bag strap passes through the loop. 
     
     
         22 . The vest-pack of  claim 8 , further comprising an ergonomic gusset connected between the torso area and the center portion of the adjustable belt system, the ergonomic gusset: (i) formed at an angle relative to a horizontal orientation of the adjustable belt system, (ii) including a stretch material to enable the ergonomic gusset to expand and contract in response to forces exerted upon the adjustable belt system, the torso area and the pair of adjustable shoulder supports, and (iii) located in the outer wall of the torso area and the cargo bag. 
     
     
         23 . The vest-pack of  claim 1 , wherein the torso area includes an inner wall and an outer wall, and the inner wall is separate and distinct from the outer wall except at an upper end of the inner and outer walls where the inner wall is connected to the outer wall. 
     
     
         24 . The vest-pack of  claim 1 , wherein the angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap in the pre-defined horizontal slots located in the adjustable belt system are located in a front half of the person when the vest-pack is on the person in the customized fit to the person. 
     
     
         25 . A customizable ergonomic load-carrying vest-pack for goods of a person having a neck, shoulders, a chest, a back and a waist, the vest-pack comprising:
 an adjustable belt system configured to encircle the waist of the person, the adjustable belt system including a left side, a right side and a center portion located between the left side and the right side;   the center portion of the adjustable belt system connected to a torso area extending from the waist of the back of the person up to the shoulders of the person;   an adjustable-length belt located within at least the center portion of the adjustable belt system and including a manually releasable locking clip selectively securing belt ends together;   a pair of adjustable shoulder supports, each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports including a top end, a bottom end, and a middle portion located between the top end and the bottom end;   the top end of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports connected to a top end of the torso area and configured to rest on the shoulders of the person on either side of the neck of the person, the middle portion configured to extend down over the chest of the person, and the bottom end configured to extend toward the waist of the person and be spaced from the adjustable belt system;   the middle portion of one of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports being spaced apart from the middle portion of another of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports on opposite sides of the chest of the person and adjustably joined together by at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap, and the middle portion of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports having a width greater than a width of the top end and the bottom end of the each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports;   the at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap: (i) including a manually releasable locking clip to selectively secure the chest strap between the middle portion of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports, and (ii) being manually selectively vertically adjustable in pre-defined vertical slots;   the bottom end of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports including an angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap: (i) configured to connect with the left side or the right side of the adjustable belt system, and (ii) being manually selectively horizontally adjustable in pre-defined horizontal slots located in the adjustable belt system;   an ergonomic gusset connected between the torso area and the center portion of the adjustable belt system, the ergonomic gusset: (i) formed at an angle relative to a horizontal orientation of the adjustable belt system, and (ii) including a stretch material to enable the ergonomic gusset to expand and contract in response to forces exerted upon the adjustable belt system, the torso area and the pair of adjustable shoulder supports;   a cargo bag connected with the adjustable belt system and substantially superimposed over a length and a width of the adjustable belt system; and, wherein collectively adjusting each of the adjustable-length belt, the at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap and each angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap enables a customized fit for the vest-pack to the person.   
     
     
         26 . A customizable ergonomic load-carrying vest-pack for goods of a person having a neck, shoulders, a chest, a back and a waist, the vest-pack comprising:
 an adjustable belt system configured to encircle the waist of the person, the adjustable belt system including a left side, a right side and a center portion located between the left side and the right side;   the center portion of the adjustable belt system connected to a torso area extending from the waist of the back of the person up to the shoulders of the person;   an adjustable-length belt located within at least the center portion of the adjustable belt system and including a manually releasable locking clip selectively securing belt ends together;   a pair of adjustable shoulder supports, each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports including a top end, a bottom end, and a middle portion located between the top end and the bottom end;   the top end of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports connected to a top end of the torso area and configured to rest on the shoulders of the person on either side of the neck of the person, the middle portion configured to extend down over the chest of the person, and the bottom end configured to extend toward the waist of the person and be spaced from the adjustable belt system;   the middle portion of one of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports being spaced apart from the middle portion of another of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports on opposite sides of the chest of the person and adjustably joined together by at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap, and the middle portion of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports having a width greater than a width of the top end and the bottom end of the each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports;   the at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap: (i) including a manually releasable locking clip to selectively secure the chest strap between the middle portion of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports, and (ii) being manually selectively vertically adjustable in pre-defined vertical slots;   the bottom end of each of the pair of adjustable shoulder supports including an angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap: (i) configured to connect with the left side or the right side of the adjustable belt system, and (ii) being manually selectively horizontally adjustable in pre-defined horizontal slots located in the adjustable belt system;   a cargo bag connected with the adjustable belt system and substantially superimposed over a length and a width of the adjustable belt system, wherein the cargo bag includes an outer wall separate from the adjustable belt system, a bottom-side gusset connected between the adjustable belt system and the outer wall of the cargo bag, the outer wall is configured for movement toward and away from the adjustable belt system to selectively form a containment area to receive the goods and retain the goods in the vest-pack, and the outer wall of the cargo bag includes an adjustable-length cargo bag strap connected with opposite side edges of the outer wall; and,   wherein collectively adjusting each of the adjustable-length belt, the at least one substantially horizontal adjustable-length chest strap and each angularly extending adjustable-length shoulder strap enables a customized fit for the vest-pack to the person.