Adjustable body pack

A carrying system which may be utilized for carrying video cameras, photography cameras and accessories, medical supplies, tools or recreational equipment therefor comprising two adjustable compartment bags that are each supported by an adjustable shoulder strap and an adjustable waist belt that when worn over the upper body provide a comfortable, balanced and accessible carrying system. Alternatively, both compartment bags may be re-configured and locked together to form a single shoulder bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of Invention 
This invention relates to devices used for carrying a large amount of 
equipment on a person's body, referring to backpacks, fanny packs and 
shoulder bags with multiple storage areas that are mounted or strapped 
onto or over the body. This invention provides the comfort and stability 
of a backpack the easy accessibility of a fanny pack, and increased 
flexibility with the way it is configured. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The United States Patent specification No. 4,884,731 discloses a backpack 
providing a pair of detachable auxiliary side packs. Each of the auxiliary 
side packs is connected to the main pack by multiple pairs of fasteners, 
and one fastener of each pair is connected to the main pack by adjustable 
strap. The adjustable straps can be tightened to adjust the capacity of 
the auxiliary packs. The drawback to this devices is that it must be 
removed from the wearer's back to access items. 
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,423 discloses a carrying system which may be 
utilized for carrying video cameras and accessories therefor comprises a 
main case and a plurality of accessory cases which interlock for carrying 
as a single unit. The main case includes clasp for releasably engaging 
linking straps which are provided on the accessory case for locking the 
accessory case to the main case. The accessory case is provided with, in 
addition to the linking straps, clasp like those on the main case so that 
a plurality of accessory cases may be joined together. Further, slots are 
provided on a portion on the accessory case such that free ends of the 
linking straps may be retained when the accessory case is carried alone, 
and so that the accessory case may be looped through the belt, or shoulder 
strap of a user for convenient carrying. The drawback to this carrying 
system is that it rests the weight of its contents on one side of the 
body, and is not easily accessible. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore a principal object of the ADJUSTABLE BODY K to provide a 
carrying system for a variety of items by means of a comfortable wearing 
method that allows easy accessibility. This invention combines the 
advantages of a backpack with a fanny pack while allowing the wearer easy 
access to the pack's compartment bags without removing the carrying 
system, and provides flexibility in how the pack arrangement is 
configured. Furthermore, when this invention is used in its fullest 
capacity, the wearer is able to adjust how the weight is sustained and 
maintain better balance and freedom of movement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, particularly to FIG. 1, the carrying system 
of the invention is comprised of a pair of compartment bags 1. Each 
compartment bag is provided with a belt loop or channel opening 2 located 
on the rear side. An approximate two-inch webbing waist belt 3 is fed 
through the compartment bag belt loops 2 which provide additional carrying 
support to the compartment bags 1 while enabling the carrier to freely 
slide and position the compartment bags 1 around the waist from front to 
back. 
The webbing waist belt 3 is assembled closed with a male and female design 
acetal side release buckle 4 like those sold under the trademark ITW NEXUS 
and the webbing waist belt 3 is adjustable with two-inch acetal standard 
triglides 5 like those also sold under the trademark ITW NEXUS. 
An approximate two-inch webbing is used to provide a shoulder strap 6 for 
each compartment bag 1 and are attached via a two-inch acetal standard 
triglide 7. The webbing shoulder straps are secured and are adjusted using 
acetal wide-mouth triglides 8 like those sold under the trademark ITW 
NEXUS. An approximate two-inch webbing 9 is sewn directly and vertically 
to both ends on the rear side of each compartment bag 1 to attach acetal 
standard triglides 7, and as illustrated, to attach the looped ends of the 
webbing shoulder straps 6 to the compartment bag 1. 
An approximate one-inch webbing 10 is sewn directly and horizontally at the 
top of both sides of each compartment bag 1 to attach an approximate 
one-inch female or male standard side release buckle component 11, like 
those sold under the trademark ITW NEXUS, as indicated. The standard side 
release buckle components 11 are used to fasten and lock the rear ends of 
both compartment bags 1 together as illustrated in FIG. 2, forming a 
single shoulder bag carrying device. 
Referring again to FIG. 1, each compartment bag 1 and its waist belt loop 
is constructed of durable natural or synthetic cloth. Both compartment 
bags 1 are of narrow rectangular shape with side pockets 12 attached to 
each side with flaps that close using hook and loop material as like that 
sold under the trademark VELCRO. Each bag's main compartment lid is 
provided with an interlocking snap hook and tri-ring assembly 13 to secure 
closure of the main compartment. A set of button snaps 14 are provided to 
position partitions inside each compartment bag 1. Referring now to FIG. 
6, inside each compartment bag 1, a compartment partition 14a is secured 
in place by pressing a female button snap component 14b located at each 
top end of the compartment partition, onto a selected male button snap 
component 14c. Male button snap components 14c are provided along the top 
rear and front sides of both compartment bags 1 as indicated and are 
affixed with button snap rivets 14d. Hook and loop material may also be 
provided to position the compartment partitions 14a inside the compartment 
bags 1 in lieu of or addition to button snaps 14. 
Referring again to FIG. 1, an adjustable upper back flexible binding 15 is 
provided to position the adjustable webbing shoulder straps together at a 
point on the wearer's back just below the base of the neck when the 
carrying device is worn over the body. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, the illustration shows the rear view of the 
adjustable upper back flexible binding and its components. The upper back 
flexible binding 15 is a thick, durable natural or synthetic cloth that 
wraps around each webbing shoulder strap 6. Both end flaps of the upper 
back flexible binding 15 are closed by connecting the female button snap 
component 15a with the male button snap component 15b, and firmly pressed 
together. Both end flaps of the upper back flexible binding 15 are 
provided with top and bottom button snaps 15c. 
Only one side of the upper back flexible binding 15 (illustrated as the 
right side in FIG. 3) is provided with hook and loop material (VELCRO) 15d 
and to one shoulder strap 15e (also illustrated as the right shoulder 
strap 6 in FIG. 3) to secure and adjust the position of the upper back 
flexible binding. The other side of the upper back flexible binding 
(illustrated as the left side in FIG. 3) is simply wrapped around the 
other shoulder strap 6 (illustrated as the left shoulder strap in FIG. 3) 
providing a channel for the shoulder strap 6 to slide through and/or 
allowing the upper back flexible binding 15 to slide up or down the the 
free shoulder strap. 
The configuration of the adjustable upper back flexible binding 15 in FIG. 
3 provides the carrying system with the ability to adjust the position of 
each compartment bag 1 independently around the wearer's waist without 
jamming the shoulder straps 6, while still maintaining the position of 
both shoulder straps together at the wearer's upper back. The angle of the 
fold on the end flaps of the upper back flexible binding 15 direct the 
shoulder straps from the center of the wearer's back out over the 
shoulders respectively. 
Referring again to FIG. 2, when the carrying system is configured together 
into a single shoulder bag, the upper back flexible binding 15 easily 
folds at the center between the left and right end flaps allowing the 
shoulder straps 6 to position under and over each other forming a single 
shoulder strap. Furthermore, the carrying system's webbing waist belt 3 
conveniently folds between the rear sides of the locked compartment bags. 
It is only necessary to lock the compartment bags together at the top as 
illustrated with the approximate one-inch side-release buckle assembly 11, 
for the weight of objects carried inside the compartment bags 1 will hold 
the bottom of each compartment bag 1 together naturally. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, the carrying system may omit the use of the 
adjustable upper back flexible binding 15 and use the optional shoulder 
strap support vest 16. The shoulder strap support vest 16 is constructed 
of light-weight natural or synthetic cloth and is provided with shoulder 
strap channels 17 that guide each adjustable webbing shoulder strap 6 over 
the wearer's shoulders and to the wearer's upper back. Referring now to 
FIG. 5, the rear view of the shoulder strap support vest 16, shoulder 
strap channel port openings under the breast 25 and port openings out over 
the upper back 24, guide the webbing shoulder straps through the shoulder 
strap channels 17. Cloth bias tape 18 is provided to seal the seam of the 
inner and outer layers of the shoulder strap support vest 16 and the port 
openings 24 and 25 of the shoulder strap channels 17. 
Referring again to FIG. 4, the shoulder strap channels 17 are provided to 
position the shoulder straps 6 around the wearer's body while permitting 
the shoulder straps 6 to move freely within the shoulder strap support 
vest 16. As the position of each compartment bag 1 is changed around the 
webbing waist belt 3, the shoulder straps 6 are free to adjust within the 
shoulder strap channels 17, thereby eliminating any restriction of 
compartment bag 1 adjustment. 
To further attach the shoulder strap support vest to the carrying system, 
the approximate two-inch tail strap 19 (referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5) is 
wrapped around the webbing waist belt and adjusted and secured with a 
two-inch standard triglide 22. Approximate three-quarter-inch webbing 
straps 20 are sewn into the front left and right bottom sides of the 
shoulder strap support vest, wrapped around the webbing waist belt, 
adjusted and secured with three-quarter-inch triglides 21, like those sold 
under the trademark ITW NEXUS. A standard open garment zipper 23 is 
provided at the front of the shoulder strap support vest to join the left 
and right sides. Pockets 26 may also be provided to both front sides of 
the shoulder strap support vest 16 to furnish additional carrying space. 
While the present invention has been disclosed in terms of the preferred 
embodiment in order to facilitate better understanding thereof, it should 
be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in various ways without 
departing from the principal of the invention. For example, alternative 
compartment bag shapes and sizes may be employed to facilitate needs for 
carrying different types or differing amounts of equipment. Though the 
preferred embodiment discloses the use of acetal side-release buckles, 
triglides, hook and loop material, zippers, other such closing means may 
also be advantageously utilized. Furthermore, the adjustable shoulder 
straps may be attached at the sides rather than the rear of each 
compartment bag. Therefore, the invention should be understood to include 
all possible embodiments and modifications to the shown embodiments which 
can be embodied without departing from the principals of the invention as 
set forth in the appended claims.