Patent Publication Number: US-2006000858-A1

Title: Non-slip shoulder pad and strap

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to shoulder straps for carrying items such as bags, and more particularly to a non-slip shoulder pad incorporated into a carrying strap utilized on bags.  
     DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART  
      Carrying heavy bags has always been wearisome to the user. When a user has to carry such a bag and walk for some distance, such as when carrying a golf bag while walking a golf course, having a gripping handle or shoulder strap facilitates carrying. Although golf bags are typically provided with carrying handles for use over short distances, a shoulder strap provides more convenience and comfort for carrying such bags over longer distances.  
      However, when the bags are relatively heavy, one of the problems encountered is the strap pad tends to slip off the shoulder as the user walks or otherwise moves. Further, such straps can dig into the shoulder and cause discomfort.  
      Various attempts have been made in the prior art to provide padded straps or comfortable straps for use on golf bags. The materials and designs of such prior art devices include foam pads, fur liners, cushioned straps and other devices aimed at increasing the user&#39;s comfort and the strap&#39;s effectiveness at staying in place on the user&#39;s shoulder. Unfortunately, attempts to increase comfort often decrease the stability of the shoulder strap on the user&#39;s shoulder. The movement of the bag and carrier strap often results in an increased incidence of the strap slipping off the shoulder, causing potential damage and discomfort to the user.  
      For example, Levine (U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,904) discloses a strap for a shoulder bag including both comfort padding and non-slip materials. McClees et al. of U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,768 also addresses this problem. Additionally, Reimers (U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,044) discloses a non-slip carry strap that secures on the human shoulder. None of the above referenced prior art devices have adequately solved the user&#39;s difficulties, as such devices still tend to slip and cause discomfort to the users.  
      Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive slip preventing shoulder strap that is more effective at holding a heavy bag or other load securely on a user&#39;s shoulder while walking, yet provides less discomfort to the user. Such a needed device would be inexpensive to manufacture, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to attach to existing bag straps. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Because of the unsatisfactory nature of the current covers, pads, and increased-friction attachments, the development of such an advanced non-slip shoulder strap is needed. Accordingly, it is the first object of the present invention to provide a carrying strap for a shoulder bag that provides maximum comfort to the user&#39;s shoulder. It is the second object of the present invention to provide a shoulder strap that minimizes slippage along a user&#39;s shoulder during movement, such as when the user is walking, regardless of clothing material, while being easily removed or attached to the strap if desired. It is the third object of the present invention to provide a device with an aesthetically pleasing, visually attractive appearance. It is the forth object of the present invention to provide a long lasting and durable non-slip surface to the shoulder engaging portion of a shoulder strap.  
      The present invention is a non-slip pad for attaching to a shoulder strap of a bag, such as a golf bag. The pad comprises an elongated generally flat base having a non-slip pattern formed into a front side thereof. The non-slip pattern comprises a plurality of ridges each having either a triangular cross-section or a trapezoidal cross-section. The non-slip pad is generally rectangular in shape, but may preferably have rounded corners.  
      An elongated generally flat rectangular strap holder is attached to the backside of the base and slidably holds the shoulder strap between the strap holder and the base. As Such, the non-slip pad may be slidably adjusted with respect to the shoulder strap for optimal comfort and carrying ease of the user.  
      This invention is intended to minimize the relative lateral slippage between the bag strap and user&#39;s shoulder, even when the user&#39;s walking or other movements cause the user&#39;s shoulder to dip slightly. The ridges are preferably comprised of a high-friction soft rubber, soft plastic, fabric material, or other high-friction material that does not cause discomfort when resting with some force on the user&#39;s shoulder.  
      The invention is adapted for utilization with any of a wide variety of bags and is intended to provide comfort to the user&#39;s shoulder in carrying such bag over a long distance. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art in view of the description of the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and the industrial applicability of the preferred embodiment as described herein and as illustrated in the several figures of the drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is bottom plan view of the invention, illustrating a pattern of parallel ridges formed in a non-slip shoulder pad of the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the invention, illustrating a strap holding means of the non-slip pad;  
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4A  a is a cross-sectional view of ridges of the invention, illustrating ridges with triangular cross-sections;  
       FIG. 4B  a is a cross-sectional view of ridges of the invention, illustrating ridges with scalene right angle triangular cross-sections;  
       FIG. 4C  a is a cross-sectional view of ridges of the invention, illustrating ridges with obtuse-angled triangular cross-sections;  
       FIG. 4D  a is a cross-sectional view of ridges of the invention, illustrating ridges with trapezoidal cross-sections; and  
       FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the invention shown in use on a user&#39;s shoulder and attached to a bag.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      The present invention is a non-slip pad  10  for attaching to a shoulder strap  20  ( FIG. 1 ), such as those formed from a generally flat nylon material. The pad  10  comprises an elongated generally flat base  30  having a non-slip pattern  40  formed into a front side  34  thereof. The non-slip pattern  40  comprises a plurality of ridges  50  each having either a triangular cross-section  70  or a trapezoidal cross-section  80  (FIGS.  4 A-D). The non-slip pad  10  is generally rectangular in shape, but may preferably have rounded corners ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ).  
      An elongated generally flat rectangular strap holder  60  is attached at each of a longer side  62  thereof proximate to a longer side  32  of a back side  36  of the base  30  ( FIG. 2 ). The strap holder  60  slidably holds the shoulder strap  20  between the strap holder  60  and the base  30 . As such, the non-slip pad  10  may be slidably adjusted with respect to the shoulder strap  20  for optimal comfort and carrying ease of the user. The strap holder  60  may be made from an elastic sheet material such that the ends of the strap  20 , even if same include relatively large rings, hooks, or other attachment means  18 , may still pass between the pad  10  and the strap holder  60  by expanding the strap holder  60 . A strap holder  60  made from an elastic material has the further advantage of holding the pad  10  in place along the strap  20  by spring force, yet not in a permanent fashion so that the pad  10  may be easily adjusted along the strap  20  manually.  
      In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the strap holder  60  comprises a plurality of elastic belt-loop like sections (not shown), thereby reducing the amount of material necessary for manufacturing the strap holder  60 . However, such an embodiment requires additional assembly labor, as a plurality of the belt-loop like sections must be attached to the backside  36  of the base  30 .  
      The triangular cross-section  70  of the parallel ridges  50  may be of an isocoles triangular cross section ( FIG. 4A ), a scalene right angle triangle  72  ( FIG. 4B ), an obtuse-angled triangle  74  ( FIG. 4C ), or a trapezoidal shape  80  ( FIG. 4D ), or a combination of any or all of these shapes. Further, the generally parallel ridges  50  are arranged in the same axis as the shoulder strap  20 , such that the ridges  50  will engage the user&#39;s shoulder  13  across the shoulder  13  to prevent lateral slippage of the non-slip pad  10  with the shoulder  13 . This invention is intended to minimize the relative lateral slippage between the bag strap  20  and user&#39;s shoulder  13 , even when the user&#39;s walking or other movements cause the user&#39;s shoulder  13  to dip slightly. The ridges  50  are preferably comprised of a high-friction soft rubber, soft plastic, fabric material, or other high-friction material that does not cause discomfort when resting with some force oil the user&#39;s shoulder  13 . The ridges  50  may be formed integral to the pad  10 , or attached thereto in ways known and common in the art, such as with adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, or fabric stitching, or the like. As such, the ridges frictionally hold the non-slip pad  10  to the shoulder  13 , even when the forces of gravity tend to pull the non-slip pad  10  away from the user. The pad  10  maybe made of a soft rubber material, a cushioned fabric material, or the like, provided that the strap holder  60  and the ridges  50  may be easily and permanently attached thereto.  
      The invention is adapted for utilization with any of a wide variety of bags  12  ( FIG. 5 ) and is intended to provide comfort to the user&#39;s shoulder  13  in carrying such bag  12  over a long distance. In one embodiment of the invention, the strap  20  is included in a combination non-slip strap  15 , both ends of which are connected to bag attachment means  18 , such as bag yokes or the like ( FIG. 5 ). The attachment means  18  may also be accomplished utilizing reinforcing patches and heavy stitching, metal clips, or the like (not shown). In such an embodiment, the strap holder  60  may be made from a non-elastic fabric, rubber, or plastic material, and may also be formed integral with the pad  10 . As such, the attachment means  18  permanently retain the non-slip pad  10  on the strap  20 .  
      Although the present invention has been described above in terms of specific materials, it is understood that various other materials and various dimensions may be substituted without departing from the efficacy of the invention. Furthermore, although the preferred embodiment has been described with respect to a non-slip pad  10  for attachment to a shoulder strap  20 , it is understood that the principles of the present invention are equally applicable for a wide variety of other applications. Thus, while a shoulder strap  20  for a golf bag  12  has been particularly illustrated, clearly such a device could be fashioned for use with shoulder straps  20  for such other applications as ski bags and tennis bags, and other applications where it is desirable to utilize a cushioned non-slip strap  20  in conjunction with normally slippery surfaces such as clothing materials.