Abstract:
A backpack for carrying elongated equipment includes a storage compartment with an internal structural frame. Multiple straps or bands from the storage compartment provide shoulder and waist straps or bands for mounting the backpack to an individual and upper and lower restraining bands secure the elongated equipment to the rear of the backpack. The upper and lower bands extend rearward, such that a pair of upper restraining bands secure an upper portion of the elongated equipment to an upper portion of the backpack and a pair of lower restraining bands secure a lower portion of the elongated equipment to a lower portion of the backpack. The upper and lower restraining bands are secured to, or pass through, the structural frame and strap openings within the wall of the storage compartment. The restraining bands are preferably secured to the frame to prevent sideways motion of the elongated equipment.

Description:
[0001]    Benefit is claimed of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/576,925 filed Dec. 16, 2011. 
     
    
       [0002]    Described herein is a back pack for use in securing and carrying elongated devices and in particular, sports equipment such as skis, snow boards, surfboards and other similarly shaped devices. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Sports equipment users often must carry a specific piece of equipment for an intended activity along with numerous other items such as special clothing, safety gear, etc as well as personal items and other equipment for use at the site of the activity. Further, it is often necessary that these items be carried a considerable distance over difficult terrain not readily accessible by a motor vehicle. For example, skiers or snow boarders often must carry extra clothing for cold weather or outfits to change into after skiing. Besides carrying one or more surf boards, surfers typically carry a wet suit as well as other paraphernalia for use on the beach before and after a surfing session. Because skis and surfboards may be cumbersome to carry along with all the other desired equipment there is a need for a convenient carrying apparatus that will allow the skis, snowboards, surfboards or other similar shaped equipment to be readily carried by a single individual along with all of the other desired items. Described herein is a backpack which addresses all of these needs. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Described herein is a carrier configured for strapping to an individual&#39;s back specifically designed for carrying elongated articles such as surfboards, snow boards, skis, etc. In a preferred embodiment the carrier is a back pack with shoulder, chest and waist straps for securing the back pack to an individual Included therein are non-slip straps which are attached to a structural frame located within the carrier for securing the elongated item to the carrier and structure on or in the lower rear portion of the carrier to properly elevate and angle the elongated item so it does interfere with the individual walking or climbing while carrying the elongated item, such as by contacting the rear of the individual&#39;s legs or the back portion of the individual&#39;s head. The non-slip straps pass through the wall of the back pack and slots through the frame or retainers attached to the frame so as to prevent vertical movement of the straps while at the same time maintaining the elongated item in its preferred vertical carrying orientation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of a back pack incorporating features of the invention carried on the back of an individual with a surf board mounted to that back pack. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the back pack shown in  FIG. 1  prior to placement on an individual. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a second view of the back pack of  FIG. 2  with a portion thereof shown in its rolled and unrolled orientations. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the back pack shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a second view of the back pack as shown in  FIG. 4  shown partially opened to display inner structures. 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  shows a frame structure and straps which are part of the support structure for the back pack of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the back pack of  FIG. 2  showing an unzipped and expanded rear portion and the elongated item. 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  is an expanded perspective side view of the back pack as shown in  FIGS. 1-7 , described herein and incorporating features of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 9  is a first view of and inflatable cushion for positioning within the back pack for positioning the elongated item. 
           [0014]      FIG. 10  is a side perspective view of the inflatable cushion shown in  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of an elongated sport item carrier  100 , also referred to herein as a back pack or merely as a carrier, incorporating features of the invention secured to the back of a person and configured for mounting the elongated sporting device  101  in a vertical orientation for portaging. The carrier  100  solves the problems associated with carrying elongated items such as sports equipment and, in a preferred embodiment, water sport boards as well as other elongated items over long distances and rugged terrain. The carrier is also well suited for carrying other items such as, but not limited to, skis, ski poles, snow boards, rifles, archery equipment, elongated hard sided cases of for the elongated items as well as other personal items. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that utility is not limited to sports equipment and is particularly useful for carrying a wide variety of elongated articles with a width as wide as the shoulder width of an individual wearing the carrier  100 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a typical example item being carried with the pack  100 . As shown the elongated item is a sporting item  101  of an elongated shape mounted to the carrier. The thickness and width can vary. In this instance the sporting item  101  is a surf board. Because the length of the item  101  being carried can vary, its position on the carrier  100  determines its positioning in regards to the head and legs, that positioning selected to assure comfortable and proper mounting so the elongated item  101  does not contact the head or legs while the individual is walking and the item is being transported. Besides positioning the lower end of the elongated item  101  above the ground and away from the legs, the degree of angle at which it is mounted can also be adjusted by addition of an angle support and/or the inclusion of personal items (i.e., clothing, wetsuits, or towels) inserted into a pocket  115  in the bottom portion of the carrier  100 , as best shown in  FIG. 7 . Alternatively, as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 ,  9  and  10  the pocket  115  can include or be adapted to receive an inflatable structure, described below, for positioning the elongated item  101 . 
         [0017]    The carrier  100  includes a compartment  300  for storage and portability of personal items.  FIG. 3  shows the compartment  300  in both its open (unrolled) configuration and a closed (rolled) configuration  201 , shown as dotted lines in  FIG. 3 . Nylon pull tabs  302  attached to the front and rear portions of the compartment  300  are provided for ease of opening the storage compartment  300 . Velcro® closures  304  attached to the upper edges of the front and rear portions of the compartment  300  insure extra security in the closure of the bag. Snap buttons  305  keep the closed bag in a streamlined position (as shown by the dotted lines on  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0018]    A rubberized carrying handle  200  is attached to the compartment  300  (best shown in the folded configuration in  FIG. 3 ), Preferably, the carrier  100  has a rubberized backing  202  for durability and to provide an additional gripping surface to aid in holding the elongated item  101 . A pair of upper and lower straps  204 ,  206 , preferably about 2″ wide and coated with a non-skid material, are stitched onto a rubberized backing  202  for added holding and to prevent slippage of the elongated item  101 . Upper and lower non-skid coated adjustable mounting straps  118 ,  122 , preferably 2″ wide, are used to secure the elongated item  101  to the carrier  100 . The straps  118 ,  122  are threaded through spring loaded cam-buckles  116 ,  120 . The upper and lower spring-loaded cam-buckles  116 ,  120 , which are readily adjustable, are provided for so that when the mounting straps are wrapped around and/or over the elongated object  101 , the elongated item  101  is securely retained on the carrier  100  between the upper and lower non-skid coated adjustable mounting straps  118 ,  122  and the non-skid upper and lower straps  204 ,  206 . Rectangular neoprene backing  117 ,  121  (preferably ¼″ thick) is applied to the rear surface of the upper and lower spring-loaded cam-buckles  116 ,  120  to protect the surface of the elongated sport items  101  from being scratched by the rear surface of the buckles. Upper and lower non-skid coated strap keepers  213 ,  214  are provided to restrain excess strap material and streamline the assembly. 
         [0019]    As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the carrier  100  has a pair of padded shoulder straps  102 A,  102 B for securing the elongated sport item  101  over the an individual&#39;s shoulders and against the back of a wearer in a vertical orientation. The shoulder straps  102 A,  102 B extend down to double adjust side quick release buckles  106 A,  106 B, for ease of adjustment, securing fit, mounting and removal from the wearer&#39;s body. They quickly attach to and release from the left and right sides of the padded cummerbund  107 A,  107 B. The left and right side double adjust side release buckles  106 A,  106 B (preferably 1″ wide) are threaded with nylon webbing  112 A,  112 B as well as Velcro pull strap adjustment keepers ( 213 ,  214 ) for lengthening or shortening excess shoulder straps once secured. The exterior of the shoulder straps  102 A,  102 B have nylon webbing utility loops  105  stitched in for accommodating the attachment of carabineers or clips for easy attachment of additional utility items. A set of double adjust side release sternum strap buckles  104 A,  104 B is incorporated to pull the shoulder straps inward towards each other over the wearers chest for a more secured fit and comfort while wearing the carrier  100 . One of the sternum strap buckles  104 A is a male double adjust side quick release sternum buckle which works in combination with the other sternum strap buckles  104 B which is a mating female double adjust side quick release sternum buckle. A Velcro® pull strap adjustment keeper  103  is added to the right side for securing the excess length of the sternum strap. 
         [0020]    Two halves of a padded cummerbund  107 A,  107 B in combination with proper placement of the shoulder straps  102 A,  102 B increase the comfort and stability of the pack when properly secured. Attached to the cummerbund, on the right side towards the rear portion of the cummerbund  107 B, is a mesh drink bottle holder  208  located for easy access to and insertion of a beverage container (not shown). On the forward portion of both the left and right cummerbund portions  107 A,  107 B are zippered utility pockets  108 A,  108 B stitched in for secure holding of personal items such as keys, surfboard wax and the like. Stitched on top of the zippered utility pockets  108 A,  108 B are expandable Velcro utility pocket  110 A,  110 B which are also designed to hold any personal items for easy and quick access. The left forward portion of the cummerbund  107 A has a male double adjust side release cummerbund buckle  210  (1.5″) which works in combination with a mating female double adjust side release cummerbund buckle  211  to attach and secure the left and right sides  107 A,  107 B of the cummerbund together. The left male and right female buckles  210 ,  211  are attached by nylon webbing (1.5″) with Velcro® pull strap adjustment for securing the length of the cummerbund pull straps  209 ,  212 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the interior portion  400  of the carrier  100 , which rests against the wearers back, is constructed of padded material with extra padding located in the lower portion for increased lumbar support. The padding is covered with a breathable mesh cover for increased comfort and allows for airing out and drying of a foam padding core. 
         [0022]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  show the internal construction of the carrier  100 . A zippered opening  404  allows easy access to the support frame  402  and support frame pass throughs  403 A,  403 B (openings in the frame  402  for receiving the upper and lower mounting straps  118 ,  122 ). The support frame  402  can comprise, but is not limited, to aluminum and/or carbon fiber composite materials to provide the structural component of the elongated sport item carrier  100 . To secure the support frame  402  to the interior of the carrier  100  a pair of upper loops or tabs  500 A,  500 B and a pair of lower loops or tabs  502 A,  502 B, are mounted respectively to upper and lower internal portions of the carrier. In  FIG. 5 , they are shown attached to the front internal surface. They can, alternatively, be attached to the rear internal surface. These loops or tabs are configured to go around respective portions of the frame  402  to hold it in position in the carrier  100 . Preferably, the loops or tabs include Velcro® fasteners for securing the frame  402 . The upper and lower adjustable mounting straps  118 ,  122  are feed through a first set of bag body slots  405 A,  405 B, through the respective upper or lower support frame pass throughs  403 A,  403 B and then through a second set of bag body slots  405 A and  405 B to the exterior of the carrier  100 . This arrangement maintains support of the elongated item and distributes the weight of the elongated sport item throughout the bag. It also prevents the adjustable mounting straps  118 ,  122  from moving vertically once the elongated item  101  is secured by the adjustable mounting straps  118 ,  122  and, as a result maintains stability of the secured elongated item  101  during portage. This arrangement also allows the adjustable mounting straps  118 ,  122  to be readily changed should they become damaged in use. The lower portion of the support frame  402  is designed to mold to the wearers natural lumbar contours of the lower back giving secure fit and extra added support while being worn for extended periods of time. 
         [0023]    While the upper or lower support frame pass throughs  403 A,  403 B are a preferred arrangements, other structures may be used such as retainers attached to the exterior of the frame for receiving the straps  118 ,  122 . Alternatively the mounting straps  118 ,  122  can be riveted or otherwise secured directly to the frame. As a further alternative, each strap may be provided as separate left and right straps secured to the frame. 
         [0024]      FIG. 7  also shows a baffled relief zippered pocket  115  for accommodating items in the carrier  100  and for placement of an angled support or other items to change the degree of canter of the mounted item  101 . The pocket  115  is also designed with a breathable mesh material to allow wet items to drain, breath and dry more rapidly. As shown in dotted lines in  FIG. 7 , an inflatable cushion  900  can be placed in the pocket  115  and retained in position by Velcro® fasteners  904 A,  904 B which adhere to mating Velcro® fasteners on the interior wall of the pocket. Secured to the wall of the inflatable cushion  900  is a filling tube  902 , which includes a valve or other closure (not shown) to maintain the cushion in an inflated state. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the filling tube  902  can extend through the wall of the pocket  115  so that the cushion can be inflated once the carrier  100  is placed on to the individual. In a preferred mode the elongated item  101  is mounted to the carrier  100  either before or after the carrier is secured on the individual&#39;s back and then, using the filling tube  902 , the cushion is inflated, thus expanding the pocket  115  and, in turn changing the angle of the elongated item  101  in relationship to the individuals back, thus moving the lower end of the elongated item  101  away from contact with the rear of the users legs. 
         [0025]    The combination of the various straps, buckles and adjustment mechanisms as described above, along with the inflatable cushion, in combination with the frame and the preferred manner of mounting the frame in and to the carrier results in a comfortable and stable structure for carrying elongated items. The various pockets, enclosures, attachments and accessories also described add convenience in its use. As a result the arrangements of components set forth herein, when taken in combination, provide a synergistic relationship and thus a unique product which is more than merely an assembly of disparate pieces which individually may have been shown in back packs or carriers in the past.