Abstract:
Disclosed is a backpack having a plurality of stabilizing handles. The handles are of fixed dimension and are distributed around the outside of a main compartment of the backpack to provide a number of places for a caregiver to grip when assisting a wearer of the backpack walk. A rear side of the main compartment may have a four handles, a front side of the backpack may have 6 handles, and side panels of the backpack may have 4 handles. A lead may optionally be attached to the D-ring on the rear side of the backpack. Providing numerous grip handles around the backpack enhances the ability of the caregiver to provide spotting support, without stigmatizing the user from the use of a harness or other such assistive device.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION 
     This patent claims priority from provisional patent application No. 62/058,250 filed Oct. 1, 2014, titled BACKPACK WITH STABILIZING HANDLES. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application relates to a backpack to be worn by a person and, in particular, to a stabilizing backpack typically worn by children who have trouble with balance. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There are a myriad of products intended to protect young children from the everyday dangers as the child grows and explores their new world. Car seats protect them from physical harm while riding in a car and sunshades shield their eyes and skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. High chairs secure them at the dinner table, and barriers keep them from falling down stairs and out of beds. As toddlers begins to walk, climb, and explore, the risk of injury from falling and wondering off also increases. 
     Parents and care providers typically attempt to assist the toddler with these activities and protect them from the inherent dangers of growing up and various attempts have been made in the past to provide a safety and support harness for children. Other solutions include the use of a baby walker, safety vest, or similar garments. These solutions can limit the toddler&#39;s sense of independence and can impede the natural development of balance and strength. Harnesses which only secure to a child in limited areas can lead to the toddler escaping and elongated support straps and handles can create hazards if not constantly controlled by the caregiver. 
     Not just toddlers but older children with balance and gait issues have a need for assistance in this manner. Abnormal gaits in children include a stepping gait often arising from peripheral neuropathies, spina bifida and polio, a spastic gait associated diplegic and quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and ‘clumsy gait’ which is a term used when there are problems with motor co-ordination, occurring with mild cerebral palsy, cerebellar ataxia, lower motor neuron disorders, inflammatory arthritis or myopathies. Physical and Occupational Therapists as well as families with a disabled child desire a simple device that can be used to assist them in assisting those in their care to walk. In the past trainers have mainly used their hands to hold the trainee around the waist or torso, but this involves bending over or stooping which places the trainer in a weakened position and prone to injury. Some trainers use various types of infant walkers, which may reduce the load they need to support but provides little other assistance. Many harnesses have been devised by others not only for such therapeutic purposes but also for teaching such recreational abilities as skiing and skating. Full body harnesses exist in the marketplace for various purposes such as rock climbing and hang gliding, but these are not well suited to everyday moving about. 
     Attempts to address these problems have existed for many years, including the following U.S. patents and publications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,749,999; 1,193,374; 4,537,154; 4,840,144; 4,981,110; 5,435,272; 6,125,792; 6,338,699; 6,968,809; 7,267,080; 7,341,025; 8,147,252; 8,336,503; 2008/0078335. Most solutions provide harnesses, typically with a large handle at the top or in the back, while some also have leads, legs straps or crotch straps. 
     While these devices fulfill their particular objectives, each suffers from one or more disadvantages, most notably the attendant stigma or indignity associated with wearing a device that is clearly intended as a walking aid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application discloses a backpack having a plurality of stabilizing handles. The handles are of fixed dimension and are distributed around the outside of a main compartment of the backpack to provide a number of places for a caregiver to grip when assisting a wearer of the backpack walk. A rear side of the main compartment may have a four handles, a front side of the backpack may have 6 handles, and side panels of the backpack may have 4 handles. An adjustable length lead is attached to a D-ring at the top of handle ( 40 ). A lead may optionally be attached to the same D-ring on the rear side of the backpack. Providing numerous grip handles around the backpack enhances the ability of the caregiver to provide spotting support, without stigmatizing the user from the use of a harness or other such assistive device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rear face of an exemplary stabilizing backpack of the present application illustrating a number of handles which can be grasped by caregivers; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the stabilizing backpack illustrating a number of handles which can be grasped by caregivers; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the rear of the stabilizing backpack showing how a caregiver grasps the rear central handle; 
         FIG. 4  is another rear perspective view of the stabilizing backpack showing how a caregiver grasps the rear adjustable length lead, as well as a front handle attached to one of the shoulder straps of the backpack; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are partial rear perspective views of the stabilizing backpack showing how a caregiver grasps several lower rear handles; 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  are partial front perspective views showing how a caregiver grasps several upper front and top handles; 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  are partial front perspective views showing how a caregiver grasps several lower front handles; and 
         FIGS. 11 and 12  are front views of the stabilizing backpack showing two additional front lower handles attached to a waist belt, and how a caregiver might grasp the handles. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present application provides a backpack having a plurality of stabilizing handles thereon. For the purpose of the present application, a “handle” is different than a more generic strap of a backpack, in the sense that a “handle” defines a fixed loop of material. That is, although a number of the stabilizing handles described herein may be made of strap material, the fact that they define a fixed loop having a constant loop dimension distinguishes them from straps in general. Everyone understands that backpacks often have a number of different straps, most of which are adjustable. A “handle” in the context of the present invention is not adjustable. That is not to say that the backpack described herein cannot have adjustable straps, which can also be grasped by a caregiver to stabilize the wearer of the backpack, but these are not strictly “handles” as defined herein. 
     Fabrics for backpacks are numerous, and the present application covers any variety. For example, the oldest backpacks were cotton canvas waterproofed with a heavy wax coating. Most modern backpacks are a combination of synthetic materials to improve the strength and water resistance of the canvas fabric. For example, many backpacks are made of Polyurethane coated Cordura® Nylon, Kodra Nylon, or other Nylon fabrics. Furthermore, leather or other reinforcing material can be added as panels to backpacks, and of course certain components of backpacks include cushioning material, such as polyester fill, or reinforcing panels and the like. The present application is intended to cover backpacks of all types and materials. The handles described above may be formed by any of the components of the backpack, as long as the handle has a fixed size, as mentioned. For example, dangling nylon straps can be sewn into loops to form the handles, or a single nylon strap can be sewn on either end to a cushioned shoulder strap so as to form a loop. Those of skill in the art will understand that fixed loops of flexible material can be formed in a variety of ways. 
     The handles described herein are intended to be grasped by caregivers of the wearer of the backpack, which caregivers are typically full-grown adults. Therefore, the dimension of the fixed loop handles must be at least as large as the average palm of an adult; the conventional manner of grasping a loop-type handle being to stick the four fingers through the loop with the thumb outside. Consequently, the dimensions of an oval-shaped fixed loop handle should be at least 4 inches in a long dimension and 0.75 inches across, and more particularly between about 4-6 inches in the long dimension and between about 0.75-1.5 inches across. 
     An important aspect of the present application is the sheer number of handles provided around the stabilizing backpack. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilizing backpack of the present application has at least 9 handles distributed around the front, back, top, and sides. In this way, a caregiver can easily grasp one of the multiple handles if necessary to prevent the wearer of the backpack from falling. Optionally, a lead may be attached to the D-ring on the rear of the backpack to provide a means to maintain continual contact with the backpack without necessarily affecting the balance of the wearer. In a particularly preferable embodiment, the stabilizing backpack has 2 large upper handles on either lateral side, at least 3 handles on the rear face of the backpack, and at least 4 handles on the front face of the backpack. The directions front and rear are relative to the wearer when the backpack is on his or her back. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rear face and  FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of an exemplary stabilizing backpack  20  of the present application illustrating a number of handles which can be grasped by caregiver. The rear view illustrates a primary zipper  22  surrounding a rear panel  23  that is used to provide access to an inner cavity (not shown) of a main compartment  24  of the backpack  20 . The zipper  22  typically extends from one lower side up around the top rear corner of the main compartment  24  to another lower side. A pouch  26  is provided on the lower rear side of the backpack accessed by a secondary zipper  28 . 
     The front face of the backpack  20  includes a pair of shoulder straps  30 , which are typically padded with some type of filler. The shoulder straps  30  are sewn at an upper end to two laterally spaced apart locations on an upper front corner  31  of the main compartment  24 . Lower ends of the shoulder straps  30  are secured to a lower front corner  32  of the main compartment  24  using flexible straps  33  that pass through an adjustable buckle  34 . 
     Up to now, the basic structural components of the backpack has been described, and are fairly conventional. Of course, the present concept of multiple stabilizing handles can be applied to any type of backpack available. The provision of the plurality of handles on a backpack are intended to provide the wearer with some sort of camouflage as to the function of the handles, or in general conceal the stabilizing nature of the backpack. Ordinary backpacks often have a couple handles, such as at the top center, and sometimes straps that resemble handles, so the present backpack blends in quite easily. However, the professional trained at chaperoning individuals prone to falling or otherwise losing their balance will recognize the enhanced safety features incorporated into this design. 
     With reference again to  FIG. 1 , the rear face of the backpack  20  includes a central vertical handle  40  formed by a strap that is secured both at the top and bottom of the rear panel  23 .  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the rear of the stabilizing backpack showing how a caregiver grasps the rear central vertical handle  40 . A pair of lower rear handles  42  are provided by loops of strap material eventually secured to a horizontal seam  43  at the junction between the rear panel  23  and the pouch  26 . These two rear handles  42  are laterally spaced from one another so as to be respectively toward the left and right sides of the rear of the backpack  20 , and maybe detachable through the use of strap buckles  44 . Preferably, a reinforcing strap  46  extends downward from the upper end of each of the rear handles  42  and is secured to a bottom panel (not shown) of the backpack  20 , as best seen in  FIG. 5 . Another lower rear handle  50  is provided by a strap of material sewn between the two vertical reinforcing straps  46 .  FIGS. 5 and 6  show how a caregiver grasps the central rear handle  50  and the two lateral rear handles  42 . 
     An adjustable rear lead  54  terminating in a lead handle  56  is affixed to a D-ring at the top of the backpack  20 . As mentioned above, the provision of a lead  54  is optional because it may defeat the purpose of concealing the stabilizing nature of the backpack  22  the untrained eye. However, the backpack  20  is particularly useful for very small children who are just learning to walk or may also have gait problems, and attaching an even longer lead than is shown for such children is a fairly common sight.  FIG. 4  shows how a caregiver grasps the affixed rear lead handle  56 . 
     To summarize, the rear of the backpack  20  has the central vertical handle  40 , the two lower lateral handles  42 , the lower central horizontal handle  50 , and the lead  54  with its handle  56 , for a total of 5 handles on the rear. It should be understood that even more handles could be added to the various sides of the backpack, although the practical maximum occurs when the handles interfere with each other. 
     With reference again to  FIG. 1 , the backpack  20  has two upper handles  60  that are associated with the left and right sides. Each handle  60  is secured to a top area of a central panel  62  forming the roof of the main compartment  24 . The lower end of each handle  60  attaches to a midpoint of the central panel  62  on the left and right sides of the backpack. The two upper handles  60  are preferably made of reinforced straps, such as a double layer of strap material sewn together. These handles are intended to be the primary grasping points for the caregiver, as the wearer of the backpack is often shorter than the caregiver and they will typically be walking side by side.  FIG. 7  shows how a caregiver grasps primary upper handles  60 . In addition to the upper handles  60 , a pair of side handles  64  are provided on the left and right sides of the main compartment  24 . These side handles  64  are preferably formed of horizontal straps of material sewn on either end at front and rear corners of the main compartment  24 . There are thus 4 total handles on the lateral and upper sides of the backpack  22 . 
     With reference again to  FIG. 2 , a number of handles that are provided on the front side of the backpack  20  will be described. First of all, each of the shoulder straps  30  is provided with two vertically-oriented handles  70 ,  72 . Upper vertical handles  70  comprised strap material that is sewn at an upper front corner  31  of the main compartment  24 , and again approximately midway down the corresponding shoulder strap  30 . Lower vertical handles  72  comprised strap material that is sewn at the midpoint of each shoulder strap  30 , and again near the lower end of the respective shoulder strap. Indeed, the upper and lower vertical handles  70 ,  72  may be formed by a single strap of material that is sewn at three places along the respective shoulder strap  30 .  FIGS. 4 and 8  how a caregiver grasps the upper vertical handles  70 , while  FIG. 9  illustrates a person grasping the lower vertical handles  72 . 
     Each of the shoulder straps  30  desirably comprises a reinforced or padded portion  74  that terminates near a lower end of the backpack  20 , and the adjustable strap  33  then connects the lower end of the padded portion  74  to the lower front corner  32  of the main panel  24 . The ladder-lock buckle  34  is typically provided for adjustment of the length of the shoulder strap  30  so as to adjust for different sized users. A pair of lower front handles  80  attaches to the lower end of each of the shoulder straps  30 .  FIG. 10  shows a caregiver grasping both of the lower front handles  80 . As mentioned, the handles  80  are fixed in dimension, preferably by sewing a loop in a length of strap material. The strap material then passes through the ladder-lock buckle  34  and extends to the lower front corner  32  and attaches thereto. The front of the backpack  20  thus has the upper and lower vertical handles  70 ,  72 , and the lower front handles  80 , for a total of 6 handles. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the backpack  20 , the shoulder straps  30  are held together laterally by a central horizontal sternum strap  82 . This type of strap  82  is fairly common, but it should be noted that it can also be used as a handle. In addition to the sternum strap  82 , a pair of underarm security straps  84  extend from a midpoint of each of the shoulder straps  30  to a side panel of the backpack. The underarm security straps  84  are preferably adjustable in length, though they also may be used as handles in a pinch. The underarm straps are important because they help prevent the backpack from laterally sliding off the user when they stumble. In one embodiment, underarm handles  86  are provided on the underarm security straps  84 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , such that the front of the backpack has 8 total handles. 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  are front views of an alternative stabilizing backpack  20  showing two additional front lower handles  90  attached to a waist belt  92 . Waist belts are common in some backpacks to provide additional abdominal or lumbar support, and typically include two relatively wide padded straps from each front side connected in the middle with a buckle  94  or the equivalent.  FIG. 12  shows how a caregiver might grasp the handles  90 , so as to stabilize a wearer of the backpack who loses his/her balance backwards. In the illustrated embodiment there is one handle  90  sewn to each strap of the waist belt  92 . The lower front handles  80  and underarm security straps  84 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , are omitted for clarity, but if they were present there would now be a total of 10 handles on the front of the backpack. 
     As mentioned above, the stabilizing backpack of the present application has at least 9 handles distributed around the front, back, top, and sides. That is, there are at least 2 large upper handles on either lateral side, at least 3 handles on the rear face of the backpack, and at least 4 handles on the front face of the backpack. However, with the addition of the other handle embodiments, for example the side handles  64  or the underarm security straps  84  there may be at least 11 of the fixed dimension handles. In one embodiment, with all of the straps mentioned, there are 16 of the fixed dimension handles. 
     Closing Comments 
     As used herein, “plurality” means two or more. As used herein, a “set” of items may include one or more of such items. As used herein, whether in the written description or the claims, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “carrying”, “having”, “containing”, “involving”, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”, respectively, are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims. Use of ordinal terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements. As used herein, “and/or” means that the listed items are alternatives, but the alternatives also include any combination of the listed items.