Harness for shoulder supported bag

The present invention relates to a waist bag and supporting harness comprising a pelvic belt, a diagonal shoulder strap, shoulder pad means, and underarm strap suitable for attaching to a conventional mail bag or similar bag. The harness restrains movement of the bag while in use, and inhibits posture deformation of the user. The harness of the present invention partially redistributes the load of such a bag or device, by providing a pelvic belt to take most of the weight of the bag, and reducing the weight supported by the shoulder strap. As well, the pelvic belt enhances the stability of a user's center of gravity by retaining the bag in a substantially constant position relative to the user's body while performing mobile duties. A shoulder pad and strap are restrained by an underarm strap to reduce stress in the neck muscles by preventing the pad and a strap from rising up on to the sensitive and vulnerable areas of the lower neck. The bag is provided with a plurality of horizontal belt receiving loops to selectively retain the pelvic belt and position the bag properly relative to the body height of the individual user.

The present invention relates to a waist bag and supporting harness 
intended to reduce the detrimental effects of carrying an eccentric load. 
Waist bags, such as conventional mail-carrier's bags, newspaper delivery 
bags and cone-picking bags have a shoulder strap traversing diagonally 
across the users' body from one shoulder to the bag carried at waist level 
on the opposite hip of the user. The weight of such a bag imposes an 
unbalanced load upon the user, as the bag is carried to one side only. 
Generally, the effort required to carry such an unbalanced load increases 
the further the bag is located from the user's body. An unrestrained bag 
can swing like a pendulum away from user's body, thereby imposing 
increasingly unbalanced stresses on the carrier's neck and spine. When a 
normal healthy lumbar spine is subjected to traumatic postural and 
occupational stress, such as induced by the eccentric load of a 
mail-carrier's waist bag, asymmetrical muscle function develops if this 
state is allowed to maintain itself over a period of time. Further, the 
mechanics of the spine become altered, which over an extended period of 
time result in mechanical aberrations which ultimately cause tissue damage 
and permanent disability. 
Commonly among mail carriers and persons utilizing similar bags, the two 
chief areas of physical complaint and injury are the shoulders and back. 
This is due to the asymmetry of the load bearing and its effects upon the 
spine and shoulders. The spine is forced to adopt a compensatory postural 
alignment which involves unbalanced use of back muscles and asymmetrical 
stress on some spinal and pelvic joints and on the hips. This asymmetry is 
constantly amplified while a user is walking, thereby generating 
exaggerated stresses on the pain sensitive tissues of the spine, pelvis 
and hips. My investigations have disclosed 70% of all letter carriers 
investigated suffer from lower back pain, displaying signs and symptoms of 
mechanical low back disorder, primarily involving the sacro-iliac 
mechanism. 
Additionally, the shoulder strap of conventional bags such as mail bags 
tends to ride up on a user's lower neck, as a result of the location of 
the eccentric load carried on the opposite side of the body. Consequently, 
there exists direct compression by the shoulder strap on the shoulder and 
lower neck (trapezius) muscles of the user. These muscles respond with 
excess contraction in order to dissipate such compression. A chronic state 
of stress to the shoulder muscles eventually results in dysfunction and 
symptomatology. My investigations have disclosed that 77% of letter 
carriers experience pain in the neck and mid-spine region. 
The discomfort, pain and temporary or permanent injury resulting from use 
of such conventional bags is serious and costly in terms of the time-off 
of injured workers. It has been noted that postal workers are injured 
twice as much as any other work force with consequent increased costs 
resulting from the lost man-hours. 
Use of the harness of the present invention reduces or eliminates sprains 
and strain incurred by letter carriers and workers performing similar 
tasks. The present invention provides a waist bag and supporting harness 
adapted to be worn by a user, comprising an adjustable shoulder strap and 
adjustable pelvic belt cooperating with the bag, and an adjustable 
underarm strap. The bag is supported by the pelvic belt by means of a 
multiple belt loop system integral with the face of the bag adjacent the 
user's hip. The harness restrains movement of the bag while in use and 
inhibits postural deformation of the user by partially redistributing the 
load so that the pelvic belt carries most of the weight of the bag, rather 
than the weight being transmitted to the shoulder strap. As well, the 
pelvic belt enhances the stability of the user's centre of gravity by 
retaining the bag in substantially constant position relative to the 
user's body while performing mobile duties. Furthermore, the shoulder 
strap and shoulder pad may be restrained by an underarm strap which 
prevents the pad and strap from riding up on the sensitive and vulnerable 
areas of the lower neck. 
The bag and harness system disclosed herein reduces bio-mechanical stress, 
improves the user's stability, produces an increase of comfort during use 
and decreases the incidence of shoulder and back complaints. Postural 
distortion and stress are significantly reduced when compared with the use 
of conventional bags. The shoulder pad and underarm strap combine to 
reduce compression strain and enhance the stability of the bag on the 
shoulder, thereby reducing the need for unconscious muscle effort. The 
pelvic belt produces a more balanced position, reduces walking stresses on 
the low back, and reduces the muscular effort needed by the pelvic and hip 
muscles while walking.

The harness of the invention is used with a bag 1 generally located at the 
waist or hip level of a user, which bag is supported by a diagonal 
shoulder strap 2. In mail bags commonly used, as may be seen in FIG. 4 the 
shoulder strap is adjustable in length through a slip buckle 3, and has 
snap hooks 4 at each end thereof which fasten to D-rings 5 on the bag 1. 
The harness of the invention is attached to such a bag and shoulder strap 
and comprises a shoulder pad 6 which is attached at the shoulder portion 
of strap 2 so as to be interposed between the underside of strap 2 and a 
user's shoulder. As may best be seen in FIG. 3, pad 6 may be a flattened 
tube or sheath having inner surface 7 and outer surface 8. Desirably the 
pad is made of heavy weather-resistant canvas with an interior resilient 
pading such as foam rubber, also of a weather-resistant nature. In such an 
embodiment, the shoulder strap 2 would be inserted through the pad 6 until 
the pad is located at approximately mid-longitudinal point of the shoulder 
strap. Clearly, many other forms of shoulder pads are possible which may 
be attached to the shoulder strap, for instance, by snaps, tying or 
Velcro.RTM. fasteners. The shoulder pad 6 has a D-ring 9 attached at each 
longitudinal end. 
An underarm strap 10 may be passed under the user's arm and attached to the 
D-rings 9 of the shoulder pad 6 by means of spring clips 11 located at 
each end of the strap 10, as may be seen in FIG. 5. Strap 10 is adjustable 
in length, which adjustment may be accomplished by means of a buckle type 
fastener associated with one of the spring clips. Alternatively strap 10 
may be a composite strap formed of two individual portions adjustably held 
in face to face contact by opposed Velcro.RTM. fasteners 12 or similar 
type of fastener. 
The underarm strap 10 restrains the shoulder pad 6 from riding up on to the 
neck, and prevents excessive pressure on the pain-sensitive nerves and 
muscles of the lower neck. 
As may be seen from FIGS. 2 and 6, pelvic belt 13 fastens to the face 14 of 
bag 1 by means of a multiple belt loop system. A vertical web 15 of 
material is attached at its upper and lower extremities to face 14 of the 
bag. Additional intermediate points of attachment are made between the web 
15 and the face 14 whereby several horizontal passages or loops are 
affected, as represented by passage 16 defined by the inner face of web 
15, the face 14 of the bag, and intermediate horizontal rows of stitching 
17 and 18. FIG. 2 illustrates a multiple belt loop system having three 
horizontal passages and illustrates pelvic belt 13 passed through selected 
passage 16. 
In order to ensure a snug fit of pelvic belt 13 around the body of the 
user, and thereby to restrain movement of the waist bag, belt 13 is 
provided with a slide buckle 19 to permit adjustment for various waist 
sizes. The belt 13 may then be fastened by a standard buckle connection, 
or as may be seen in FIG. 6, a further adjustable fastening may be 
provided whereby opposed Velcro.RTM. fastener sections 20 and 21 are 
provided at the terminal sections of the belt whereby face to face contact 
of the Velcro.RTM. fasteners permits fastening of the belt. 
The provision of the adjustable multiple belt loop attachment means of web 
15 and belt 13 permits the bag to be worn at a height selected by the user 
to provide greatest comfort and restraint while the pelvic belt 13 is 
still securely fastened about the user's hips. By this aspect of the 
invention the utility and advantages of the bag and harness are available 
to typical users without significant height limitations. 
The design of the multiple belt loop attachment means is of considerable 
advantage in practice when compared with existing bags held by D-rings at 
opposing ends of the bag. D-rings and similar means at the opposing ends 
of the bag produce a drawstring effect, and actually tend to keep the bag 
closed. On the other hand, the multiple belt loop system assists the user 
in reaching the contents of the bag because the bag tends to open 
naturally as a result of the central attachment location. This is an 
important factor for users who may open such a bag up to 300 times per 
day. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, I have utilized a web 15 of 
approximately 6 inches in width, and located the web centrally on the bag 
face 14 approximately 51/2 inches from each end. 
As may be seen in FIG. 2, in use, the bag and harness is worn with the 
shoulder strap 2 and underarm strap 10 on either the left or right 
shoulder, depending upon the preference of the carrier, with the shoulder 
pad 6 interposed between the shoulder strap 2 and the shoulder of the 
user. The shoulder restraining strap 10 passes under the associated arm of 
the carrier and is snugly attached by spring clips 11 to the D-rings 9 of 
the shoulder pad 6. The shoulder strap 2 diagonally traverses the chest 
and the back of the user to attach to the bag by means of snap hooks 4 and 
D-rings 5. The pelvic belt 13 is attached to the face 14 of bag 1 by the 
multiple belt loop system of web 15. It is then tightened snugly by means 
of slide-buckle 19 and Velcro.RTM. fasteners 20 and 21. 
It is essential for the low pelvic belt to be worn snugly so that the large 
muscles of the pelvis and legs assume more responsibility for the work 
load. The bone structure of the legs and pelvis is larger and more 
conducive to support of a heavy weight than the delicate structure of the 
neck and shoulder. The pelvic belt, in addition to preventing sideways 
motion of the bag, substantially supports the load of the bag and thereby 
redistributes load from the shoulder and neck muscles to the large muscles 
of the pelvis and legs. 
Although the use of the harness has been illustrated with reference to a 
bag such as a mail-carrier's bag, it will be appreciated that other types 
of bags imposing an unbalanced load on the user can be adapted for the 
attachment of the harness. Also, minor changes in the fastening means can 
be made without departing from the invention. Bags may also be made which 
include the harness as original equipment.