Abstract:
A backpack shell construction having a stiff back panel supporting storage compartments projecting outwardly therefrom and carried on the user&#39;s back by a pair of shoulder straps and further secured to the user by a waist strap, to which shell a pair of tandem collapsible boot shelves or platforms are integrated at lower corner portions and an outer ski carrier and helmet mounting panel is hingedly attached to the front face of the backpack shell.

Description:
The present invention relates to backpack constructions especially configured to carry ski boots and snow skis by a skier/hiker. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The state of the backpack art is well-developed and includes teachings of various sizes, shapes, and carrying strap configurations to accommodate specific loading situations and particular equipment to be transported including sporting goods and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,708 is directed to an arrangement for carrying bulky, heavy footwear such as ice skates and ski boots. U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,883 is directed to a fanny-pack with a shoulder harness allowing a skier to carry skis on the body. U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,159 is directed to a combination skis and boot bag suitable for hand carriage as a piece of luggage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,201 shows a backpack with a headgear mounting flap. Quick-release buckle hardware for usage in backpacks is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,027,481 and 5,309,610. 
     Despite the many developments in backpacks, there remains a need for an efficient carrier of skis, boots and other ski clothing or ski equipment, including helmets, which backpack is lightweight, easy to pack and unpack, and comfortable to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     A new and improved backpack is provided which essentially includes a basic backpack shell construction, one having a stiff back panel supporting storage compartments projecting outwardly therefrom and carried on the user&#39;s back by a pair of shoulder straps and further secured to the user by a waist strap, to which basic shell a pair of tandem collapsible boot shelves or platforms are integrated at lower corner portions and an outer ski carrier and helmet mounting panel is hingedly attached to the front face of the basic backpack shell. 
     Specifically, the boot platforms are formed by a hinged, deployable boot wing panel which folds out from the shell to deploy a gusset extending between the shell and the boot wing panel. Fastening straps sewn to the inner surfaces of the boot wing panels include quick-release buckles which engage mating quick-release anchors on the shell to hold ski boots securely in place against the shell on the platforms. Advantageously, waterproof bonnets secured to the wing panels are provided to cover the open tops of the ski boots. 
     The auxiliary panel is specially configured to support and to secure a pair of skis with binders between the backpack shell and the inner surfaces of the auxiliary panel while permitting the lower extremities of the skis to project downwardly through an opening in the panel. 
     The outer surface of the auxiliary panel has a specially configured cushioned support system with an adjustable, bungee cord-tensioned stash panel for securing a hard ski helmet or other equipment/clothing to the front of the backpack. 
     For a more complete description of the invention and a better appreciation of its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings along with the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the new and improved backpack of the present invention in a closed condition without skis and ski boots loaded thereon; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the new backpack with skis, ski boots and a ski helmet loaded thereon; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the ski boot platform deployed to receive a ski boot; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the new ski backpack with the auxiliary ski-securing panel unfolded to permit loading of skis; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the new backpack with skis loaded thereon prior to closing the auxiliary front panel; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the backpack with the skis loaded thereon and the auxiliary front panel secured with skis projecting beyond the uppermost and lowermost portions of the new backpack. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The new backpack  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , has a reinforced, stiffened back panel  11  which is a single, large, full height-full width panel defining the overall profile of the backpack and having an upper horizontal edge  12 , side edges  13  and a lowermost edge (not visible in  FIG. 1 ). 
     A pair of spaced shoulder straps  14  are secured symmetrically at the upper and lower sides of the rear panel  11  for carrying the backpack on the shoulders of a user in known and conventional fashion. A simple handle  15  is secured at the upper portions of the rear panel for lifting and carrying the backpack as hand luggage. A bottom wall panel  17  extends from the rear wall  11  to the front of the backpack  10  and has an upwardly extending lip  18  to which a zip-opening, lower stash pouch  49  is integrally connected. A generally U-shaped side wall panel  20  having a top wall  21  and side walls  22  extends from the edges of the bottom panel  17  upwardly and around and back downwardly to the edges of the bottom panel  17  to establish the sides of the backpack. An interior full-depth wall (not shown) extends for the full depth of the backpack and together with the bottom wall  17 , the side walls  22 , top wall  21  and rear wall  11  defines a major stowage compartment of the backpack which stowage compartment is indicated by numeral  30 . This major stowage compartment  30  is accessed through a zipper closure  31  which extends along the top edge of the backpack and down one vertical side thereof. If desired, the inner surfaces of the major stowage compartment  30  may be provided with additional pockets and/or holding straps as desired or deemed necessary to secure equipment of a skier/hiker. An upper stash pouch  38  with a central zipper  39  for access is sewn to the top wall  21  as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 . 
     A minor stowage compartment  32  is formed adjacent and integrally with the major stowage compartment  30  by a front wall  33  which extends upwardly from the stash pouch  18  and is sewn along its side edges  36  and upper edge  37  to a circumscribing wall  34 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The minor stowage compartment  32  is accessed by a U-shaped zipper  35  which divides the wall  34  and provides access to the minor stowage compartment  32 . As described thus far, it will be appreciated that the overall shell of the backpack  10  is of generally conventional construction having stowage compartments formed by a supporting back panel  11 , a bottom panel  17 , side panels  21 ,  22 ,  34  and front panel  33 . 
     In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a new and improved backpack construction is established for carrying both snow skis and ski boots as well as a rigid ski helmet (or other equipment/clothing) by the provision of special deployable ski boot platforms  71  stored in boot platform pouches  50  and an auxiliary front or ski harness panel  51 . The lower edge  52  of the ski harness panel  51  is sewn to and hinged along the lower edge of the front backpack panel  33 . In accordance with the invention, the panel  51  has an elongated U-shaped port  53  formed at the bottom thereof. The width “W” of the port is slightly greater than the back-to-back thickness of a sandwiched pair of skis “S” to be carried but substantially less than the dimensions of ski bindings “B” mounted on the skis. The edges of the open port  53  are reinforced by welting  54  sewn along the edges thereof. The upper edge of the ski harness panel is concave in shape terminating at oblique edge portions  55  to which quick-release hardware sockets  56  are securely mounted. The locking sockets are adapted to engage mating quick-release locking hardware blades  57  attached adjacent the rear top edges of the backpack by adjustable length straps  57   a.    
     All of the quick-release hardware shown and described herein is of the type having one piece molded male members with fingers engaging a hollow female socket. The male members have a central elongate guide  100  and twin compressible, resilient fingers  86  ( FIG. 3 ) projecting from a body portion usually including a locking bar in a slot through which a web strap may be threaded. The effective length of the web strap may be adjusted in known manner such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,610, incorporated herein by reference. The fingers of the male member are quickly engageable or releasable by from a one-piece molded plastic mating socket having slots for engaging and holding the ends of the fingers. This hardware is well-known to the art and need not be described in additional detail. Hereinafter, reference will be made to quick-release buckles or hardware. 
     The ski harness panel  51  is divided into an upper section  58  and a lower section  59  along a flexible hinge seam  60 . Advantageously, the upper portion  58  is made of two comparatively flexible fabric layers, front face  102  and rear face  102   a , sewn together about the periphery  102   b . A grommet  110  is secured to reinforce an opening at the top of panel  58  while a grommet  111  is secured in an opening at the bottom of the panel, both providing access between the layers  102 ,  102   a.    
     The lower portion  59  containing the ski port  53  is made of comparatively more rigid, non-elastic material which may be appropriately stiffened or reinforced. In accordance with the invention, the entire panel  51  may be hinged along the hinge line  52  in the manner shown in  FIG. 4  to prepare the backpack for loading of the skis. The front panel  33  of the backpack contains or otherwise mounts at its upper portions an adjustable ski securing strap  61  with hooked and looped fastening tape (“Velcro”) portions  61   a ,  61   b  and a tightening buckle  62  which are mounted to the front panel by an appropriate triangular clip  63  and mounting strip  64 . 
     Cushioning pads  65  of elastomeric foam material are sewn into or otherwise incorporated with the front panel  33  for both engaging the carried skis and providing protection to the contents of the minor stowage compartment  32 . 
     As an important part of the invention, ski boots may be carried externally of the shell of the backpack as shown in  FIG. 2  by deploying a ski boot support system shown in  FIG. 3  comprised of a ski boot platform  71  in the nature of a gusset sewn on its inner end to the bottom of the backpack shell along a seam  72  and sewn on its opposite side along a seam  73  to the outer wall of a ski boot pouch panel  74 . The pouch panel  74  is generally pyramidal or three-dimensional in shape and is connected by a zipper  75  to an inner boot pouch wall  76 . The pouch panel  74  includes a lowermost portion  74   a  which is deployable in the horizontal plane of the gusset  71  (to support the heel of a ski boot) and a vertical wall portion  74   b  (to engage the back of the ski boot). A reinforcing corner piece  74   c  of durable fabric is sewn to the rear lower portion of the pouch panel  74 . 
     A fabric layer  77  overlays the panel  76  to form a flat sleeve  78  therebetween in which a flexible, waterproof ski boot bonnet  79  is stored. The bonnet  79  is in the nature of a flexible shower cap having an elastic band  80  at its bottom which may be expanded to stretch over the open top of the ski boot as will be explained hereinafter. The ski boot bonnet  79  is permanently attached to the panel  76  by an elastic cord  81  to prevent its being separated and lost. Under normal circumstances, when the ski boots are not being carried, the bonnet  79  is merely folded and inserted in the sleeve  78  as will be understood. 
     The ski boot support system further includes fastening straps  82 ,  83  which are sewn to the pouch panel  74  and include male quick-release hardware members  85 ,  86  at their free ends. The effective lengths of the straps  82 ,  83  can be adjusted by lengthening or shortening them effectively through bars in the bodies of the quick-release locking members  85 ,  86  in known fashion. The quick-release locking members  85 ,  86  when deployed are adapted to be connected to mating socket hardware  87 ,  88 , respectively, which are mounted at lower portions of the backpack adjacent the boot panel  74 . A mirror image deployable boot support system is formed on the opposite side of the backpack for mounting the second ski boot of the user as will be understood. 
     Adjacent the lowermost portions of the back panel are wings  100  (only one of which is shown) which mount waist belts  101  which extend forwardly from the wings  100  and include quick-release hardware at the free end thereof (not shown). The waist belts  101  may be cinched at the waist portions of the wearer to further secure the backpack to the user after the shoulder straps have been put on the user and the load carried. The waist belts  101  are of generally conventional construction as are the shoulder straps and provide the means by which the entire backpack  10  is secured to the skier carrying the load of the backpack  10 . 
     The face  102  along with the upper portion  58  of the ski harness panel  51  forms yet another equipment pocket  104  which may be accessed by a circumscribing zipper  105 . 
     As a further feature of the invention, the front face  102  of the auxiliary panel  51  mounts in adjustable spaced relation thereto a cushioned stash panel  103  which is tethered to the ski harness panel  51  by a unique bungee cord arrangement. A locking buckle  120  is secured hingedly to the upper portions of the stash panel by a sewn tab  121 . A grommet  112  is mounted on an anchor strap  122  sewn in slightly spaced relation to the face of the panel  103  by lines of stitching  123 ,  124 , the stitching  124  also securing a circumscribing welting  125 . 
     The bungee arrangement is formed by a closed or “endless” elastomeric bungee cord loop  131  extending from a hardware tab  130  through a first cord guide  132  on fabric web tab  133  sewn to lower corner of the panel  102  then through cord lock  134  having spring-loaded cord clamp  135 . From the lock  134 , the cord  131  continues through the grommet  112  then back down and through the grommet  111  entering the space between the layers  102 ,  102   a . The cord continues upwardly and back out from between the layers  102 ,  102   a  through the grommet  110  and goes through a sewn loop  136  formed at the upper end of a web tab  137  having a male locking buckle  138  secured to its lower end through a separate sewn loop  139 . 
     The cord  131  after passing through the loop  136  is threaded back through the grommet  110  and extends downwardly between the layers  102 ,  102   a  and out through the grommet  111 . From there, the cord  131  continues behind the strap  122  and back out through the grommet  112  and through the cord lock  134  from where it extends through a second cord guide  140  and back into the hardware tab  130  forming the bungee loop. 
     With the hardware  138 ,  120  connected, the stash panel  103  is floatingly spaced from the front panel  102  by the endless bungee loop  131 , the tension of which can be readily adjusted by increasing or decreasing the size of the loop by pulling on the tab  130  after releasing the cord clamp  135  and then reclamping the cord at a desired size as will be described hereafter with regard to securing a helmet to the backpack shell by sandwiching it between the stash panel  103  and front panel  102 . 
     In use, all the backpack stowage compartments and stash pouches of the backpack shell may be loaded with ski gear through the zippered access thereto as will be readily understood. After the gear is loaded, snow skis, ski boots, and a hard helmet may be simply and quickly loaded, in accordance with the principles of the invention, as follows. 
     Ski boots may be externally secured on each side of the bottom of the gear-loaded backpack by unzipping the zipper  75  and pulling the boot pouch panel  74  outwardly away from the backpack shell. In so doing, the gusset platform  71 , advantageously formed of two panels  71   a ,  71   b  joined by a welt  72   c , is deployed between the walls  74 ,  76 . Drainage ports  91  are formed in the gusset. The pouch panel portions  74 ,  74   a ,  74   b , along with the gusset platform  71 , and panel  76  form a frontwardly open boot pouch. A ski boot can then be supported in the boot pouch with its heel on the platform  71  and portion  74   a  and its ankle portions between the panels  74 ,  76  with the back of the boot against portion  74   b . The boot may then be firmly secured in place by straps  82 ,  83 , whose length may be adjusted by the openings  85   a ,  86   a  in the buckle hardware  85 ,  86 . The buckles  85 ,  86  are locked to mating hardware sockets  87 ,  88  on the backpack shell ( FIG. 2 ). 
     Thus, it will be appreciated that the bulky and heavy ski boots may be carried externally of the internally stowed gear which is especially important when the boots may be dirty and damp from snow and/or perspiration after usage. To keep the tops of the stowed boots closed and safe from the elements during transport, the bonnet  79  may be removed from storage and placed over the boot tops and held lightly by the elastic band  80 . The tether  81  keeps the bonnet from being lost. 
     To load a pair of skis to the backpack shell, the auxiliary panel  59  is folded outwardly exposing the front panel  33  and the securing strap  61 . The bottom portion of skis are projected through the port  53  with the bindings “B” prevented from passing through the port  53  and advantageously supported by the reinforced or stiffened panel portion  59  when the auxiliary panel is folded upwardly and toward the front panel  33  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The upper portions of the skis are locked against the panel  33  and the cushioned portions  65  by tightening the straps  61  around the skis and beneath the bindings “B.” 
     To secure the skis in place, the auxiliary panel is buckled tightly at its upper ends through hardware  56  to mating hardware  57  on adjustable length straps  57   a . The entire packed shell as well as the mounted skis are further secured and tightened by adjustable compression straps  150 ,  152 , having a locking buckle which mates with complementary hardware  152  on web  153  extending from the back panel  11 . 
     With the boots and skis loaded onto the backpack through the new and improved construction, a ski helmet or other gear may be mounted on the auxiliary panel itself by clamping the helmet or other gear between the stash panel  103  and the front face  102  of the auxiliary ski-securing panel. The panel  103  is flexible enough to conform generally to the contours of a helmet or other rigid gear and the tension by which the panel  103  is urged toward the face  102  may be adjusted by variations in the effective length of the bungee cord  131 . The cord itself in its exposed lower portions between the cord lock  122  and cord guides  132 ,  140  provides additional support. The quick release and/or quick reloading of gear may be effected by the uncoupling or recoupling of the quick release hardware  120 ,  138 . 
     It will be appreciated that the new and improved ski gear backpack provides effective and efficient attachment of skis, boots, and helmets or other bulky gear to a backpack shell. The new construction permits quick and easy loading and unloading of the equipment required for skiing. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the specific form of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.