Abstract:
A backpack with an adjustable lumbar support belt, having a front panel, a bottom panel, and a top panel which define an interior capable of containing various items which create a load weighty. The front panel has a front panel extension which extends below the bottom surface of the pack. The lumbar support belt having a pair of lumbar belt straps which attach around the waist and a lumbar support body which is positioned against front panel extension and immediately below the bottom surface of the pack for supporting a portion of the weight of the pack upon the waist and hips.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a backpack with adjustable lumbar support belt. More particularly, the invention relates to a backpack which includes a detachable and adjustable lumbar support belt which helps distribute the weight of the backpack on the wearer, away from the back of the wearer. 
     When full, a typical backpack can present a significant weight load upon the wearer. Unfortunately traditional backpacks place the majority of the weight on the shoulders and on the middle or lower back. A “soft” backpack will actually press downward and inward against the middle or lower back in a very painful and even harmful way. Hiking backpacks provide a framework which at least attempts to distribute the weight along the back. However typical backpacks provide very little support to the lower back. Accordingly the lower back suffers great strain when a person is toting around a backpack filled with heavy objects. 
     When wearing a conventional backpack, all weight supported by the upper body is typically compressed along the vertebral column, and the largest amount of pressure and chance of injury is ordinarily placed on the lumbar region of the spine since it is the last mobile segment of vertebrae in the human body (Lumbar 1-5). Excess stress on this region frequently results in misalignments which is responsible for many weight bearing spinal injuries. 
     What is needed is a backpack that will evenly distribute its weight load so that the strain on the lower back is not nearly as great. 
     Our previous U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,131,199 and Des. 426,051 disclose a combination vest and backpack which provides support to the lower back with a lumbar support. However in the realm of the traditional backpack there still exists a need for a system which effectively supports the lower back while redistributing the weight of the pack in a healthier manner. 
     Others have proposed systems which seek to provide alternatives to the conventional backpack. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,707 to Parker et al. discloses a utility vest with an integrally carried pack. U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,802 to Puco et al. discloses a vest backpack including a hood and a “mack”. U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,143 to Buxton discloses a vest pack with back and neck supports. U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,579 to Baclawski discloses a backpack with integral vest. U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,409 to Test discloses a sportsman&#39;s vest for supporting a variety of articles used by shooters. 
     While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to produce a backpack which is well supported on the body so as to distribute weight in a healthier and more effective manner. Accordingly, the backpack distributes weight around the waist and hips using a lumbar support belt. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a backpack which allows the lumbar support to be adjusted so that it effectively provides a shelf which directly supports the pack and accommodates wearers of different sizes, and different degrees of loading of the pack. Accordingly, a front panel extension extends below the bottom surface of the pack, and the lumbar support is selectively mateable with the front panel extension at various vertical positions thereon to engage and support the bottom surface of the pack to support the weight thereof. 
     The invention is a backpack with an adjustable lumbar support belt, having a front panel, a bottom panel, and a top panel which define an interior capable of containing various items which create a load weight. The front panel has a front panel extension which extends below the bottom surface of the pack. The lumbar support belt has a pair of lumbar belt straps which attach around the waist and a lumbar support body which is positioned against front panel extension and immediately below the bottom surface of the pack for supporting a portion of the weight of the pack upon the waist and hips. 
    
    
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the claims. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows. 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a person wearing the backpack according to the present invention, wherein the shoulder straps extend over the wearer&#39;s shoulders, and the lumbar support belt extends around the user&#39;s waist. 
     FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view, showing the backpack being worn, wherein the lumbar support belt is mated with the front panel extension to fix the position of the lumbar support belt which is supporting the pack. 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the backpack, wherein the lumbar support belt has been removed from the front panel extension and has been inverted to reveal fastener material for mating with the front panel extension. 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the backpack, wherein the lumbar support belt is about to be attached to the front panel extension. 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the backpack, wherein the lumbar support belt has been attached to the front panel extension, and is providing a shelf which is supporting the pack. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a person  10 , having a pair of arms  12 , a pair of shoulders  14 , a front  15 , and a waist  16 . A backpack, designated throughout the following discussion generally by reference numeral  20 , is being worn by the person  10 . Most of the backpack  20  is extending behind the person. However, shoulder straps  22  are seen extending under the arms  12  and over the shoulders  14 , and a lumbar support belt  24  is seen extending around the waist  16 . The lumbar support belt  24  has a pair of lumbar support belt straps  26  which are shown joined with a coupler  28  having coupler halves  28 A and  28 B. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the backpack  20  being worn by the person  10 , showing the back  18  of the person. The backpack  20  includes a pack  30  which generally provides a hollow vessel for carrying various objects in one or mote pockets. Such objects contribute to a “weight of the pack”. Such pockets are accessible through pocket openings  32 , which may be configured in ways so numerous that such is beyond the scope of the present discussion. However, preferably the pack is configured so that larger and heavier objects are stored in pockets closer to the body of the wearer to lessen the rearward “torquing” of the backpack. 
     The pack  30  has a bottom surface  30 B, and a front panel extension  34  which extends below the bottom surface  30 B. According to the present invention, the lumbar support belt  24  has a lumbar body  25  which is attached to the front panel extension  34  and sits immediately below the bottom surface  30 B of the pack  30 , providing a “shelf” which supports the weight of the pack  30 . As the lumbar support belt  24  continues around the waist  16  of the person  10  and is mated securely as shown in FIG. 1, at least a portion of the weight of the pack is effectively redistributed around the waist  16  and is thereby supported upon the hips rather than the back. 
     In FIG. 3, the lumbar body  25  has been removed from the front panel extension  34  and the lumbar support belt  24  has been inverted. In particular, the lumbar body  25  has an inner surface  40  having a lumbar fastener patch  42  made of fastener material. The lumbar fastener patch  42  on the inner surface  40  of the lumbar body  25  has a lumbar fastener patch height  42 A. 
     Also illustrated in FIG. 3, the front panel extension  34  has an extension fastener patch  46  having an extension fastener patch height  46 A. The lumbar fastener patch  42  is made of material which is compatible with and thus selectively mateable with the extension fastener patch  46 . The extension fastener patch height  46 A is greater than the lumbar fastener patch  42  so that the lumbar body  25  is vertically positionable along the front panel extension  34  for adjusting the vertical position of the lumbar body  25  on the front panel extension  34 . 
     In a similar regard, the lumbar body  25  has a lumbar body height  25 H. The front panel extension  34  has a front panel extension height  34 H which is defined as a vertical distance the front panel extension  34  extends below the pack bottom  30 B. To facilitate further vertical adjustability of the lumbar support belt  24 , the front panel extension height  34 H is significantly greater than the lumbar body height  25 H. 
     Also seen in FIG. 3, the lumbar support belt straps  26  are essentially coextensive with the inner surface  40  of the lumbar body  25  and extend from opposite sides thereof. The coupler halves are each located on one of the lumbar support belt straps  26  at an opposite end thereof from the lumbar body  25 . Accordingly, when the coupler halves  28 A and  28 B are joined, a closed loop is formed with the lumbar support belt straps  26  and the lumbar body  25 . Of course, the lumbar support belt straps  26  may be adjustable in length in a conventional manner. 
     In FIG. 4, the lumbar support belt  24  is about to be positioned upon the front panel extension  34 . In FIG. 4, further details regarding the backpack  20  are detailed. In particular, the backpack  20  has a front panel  33  from which the pack  30  essentially projects rearward. The front panel  33  has a front surface  33 F which normally contacts and extends vertically along the back  18  of the person  10  wearing the backpack  20 . Unconventionally, the front panel  33  extends below the bottom surface  30 B of the pack  30 , which allows for the attachment of the lumbar support belt  24 . The front panel extension  34  may simply be a continuance of the front panel  33 , such that the same piece of fabric (canvas, vinyl, etc.) that defines the hollow interior of the pack  30  is simply continued below the bottom surface  30 B of the pack  30  to facilitate the attachment of the lumbar support belt  24 . The front panel extension  34  has a front panel extension front surface  34 F which is continuous with the front panel front surface  33 F. For attaching the lumbar support belt  24 , the front panel extension  34  has a front panel extension posterior surface  34 P, opposite from the front panel extension front surface  34 F which has the extension fastener patch  46 . 
     Also in FIG. 4, the shoulder straps  22  generally extend from the pack  30 , wherein the pack has a top  30 T opposite from the bottom  30 B, and the shoulder straps  22  each extend from near the top  30 T of the pack  30  and are reattached toward the bottom  30 B to form a loop through which the arms of the person are inserted. The shoulder straps  22  may also be made adjustable in length in a conventional fashion. 
     Now referring to FIG. 5, the lumbar body  25  has been affixed to the posterior surface  34 P of the front panel extension  34 , by attaching the lumbar fastener patch  42  to the extension fastener patch  46 . The lumbar body  25  has been suitably positioned so that it is creating a weight-bearing shelf beneath the bottom surface  30 B of the pack  30  to help support the weight of the pack  30 . As the relative vertical position of the lumbar body  25  with respect to the pack  30  is fixed by virtue of the connection between the lumbar body  25  to the front panel extension  34 , the weight of the pack is communicated to the lumbar support belt  24 . Accordingly, when the lumbar support belt  24  is properly attached around the waist of the wearer as shown in FIG.  1  and FIG. 2, the weight of the pack is partially redistributed to the waist and hips of the wearer, and directed away from the lower back. Weight supported and redistributed by the lumbar support belt  24  also partially relieves the shoulders of its burden—which would otherwise often translate into further stress to the back. 
     In addition to allowing the lumbar body  25  to be positioned where it most effectively supports the pack  30 , the extension fastener patch  46  allows the lumbar body  25  to be positioned according to the size of the particular person wearing the backpack  20 . In particular, it is preferable that the lumbar support is positioned over the lumbar region of the vertebral column—the lower back, along the spine, below the ribcage, and where the spine connects to the hips. Accordingly, once the lumbar support belt  24  is secured around the waist  16 , a force is created along the lumbar region of the spine that is able to create better support for the vertical alignment and compression of the lower spinal vertebrae. As all weight on the body is typically compressed along the vertebral column, and the largest amount of pressure and chance of injury is ordinarily placed on the lumbar region of the spine since it is the last mobile segment of vertebrae in the human body (Lumbar  1 — 5 ), the lumbar support helps alleviate stress on this region. By relieving some of this stress, the lumbar support belt creates additional support to avoid misalignments responsible for many weight bearing spinal injuries. 
     In addition, beyond redistributing the weight of the pack, the lumbar body  25  provides actual “lumbar support” to the lower back. In this regard the lumbar support belt  24 , when properly attached provides significant comfort, weight distribution, and safety advantages. 
     In conclusion, herein is presented a system for providing a backpack which allows a load weight within its pack to be effectively redistributed upon a wearer by using a lumbar support belt worn around the waist which attaches to the pack to act as a shelf for the pack and thereby take a significant load off of the shoulders and lower back. In this regard, the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, these drawings and the foregoing description are illustrative only of the inventive concept. Numerous variations are possible while adhering to the principles of the present invention. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present invention.