Abstract:
A load-carrying system for a backpack, and a backpack including such load-carrying system. The load-carrying system includes an improved structure, particularly for use during the practice of various sports, more particularly for gliding sports, such as snowboarding, skiing, and in-line skating. The invention includes an improved backpack and load-carrying system adapted to be held in place in order to prevent any interference with the user&#39;s ride.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to backpacks and to the load carrying system or harness thereof. 
     2. Description of Background and Relevant Information 
     Backpacks fall into two main categories, these being soft or formless packs, and those having a frame. 
     One important criterion with either type of pack is that the pack is comfortable to carry, especially when the pack is fully laden, and it is therefore important that the pack adapts itself to the shape of the back of the user. 
     Another important aspect is that the backpack does not prevent freedom of movements of the shoulders and/or hips of the user. This aspect is particularly important for backpacks used during the practice of a gliding sport, such as snowboarding, in-line skating, skiing, etc., especially during riding. 
     For example during the practice of snowboarding, extreme body motions such as bending, contorting, and twisting of the upper body occur during riding downhill. 
     It is therefore important that the backpack does not prevent or hinder these motions in order not to impede the ride. 
     Some solutions have already been proposed to solve the problem of free movement, particularly for the shoulders. 
     For example the document GB 2130481 describes a load-carrying system, wherein the shoulder straps have their lower ends interconnected by a strap which is slidingly coupled to either the frame of the pack or to the body of the pack. 
     Other documents describe a similar construction with a sliding strap. However, in all these embodiments the strap must stay flat during sliding, which is difficult especially when extreme motions of the body of the user occur. Therefore, these systems do not function very properly due to the limited ability of the strap to slide in all positions. 
     Others documents, especially relating to frame packs, disclose a pivotal interconnection between the shoulder straps and the frame and/or between the belt or hip strap and the frame. 
     However such frame packs are heavy, cumbersome and not at all adapted to a ride with extreme body motions such as in snowboarding. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved backpack structure. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide an improved backpack, especially adapted to the practice of a gliding sport such as snowboarding, wherein extreme body motions like bending, contorting, and twisting of the upper body occur. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved backpack and load-carrying system adapted to hold the package in place in order to prevent any interference of loads with the ride. 
     With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination, arrangement of parts and method substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiments of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included within the scope of the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the description that follows, with reference to the annexed drawings showing, by way of non-limiting examples, how the invention can be embodied, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a backpack incorporating a load-carrying system according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the backpack, showing the load-carrying system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of a backpack showing a load-carrying system according to a second embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is front elevation view a load carrying system according to a third embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With initial reference to FIG. 1, the backpack  10  generally comprises a pack body  20  for receiving the loads and a load-carrying system  30  attached to the pack body and arranged to be positioned on the user&#39;s torso. 
     The load-carrying system  30  comprises a back panel  40  which is secured to the pack body  20 , in a manner known per se, a shoulder harness assembly  50  and a hip or waist harness assembly  60 . 
     The hip harness assembly  60  comprises two belt elements  61 , which can be secured around the hip/waist of the user via adjustable fastening mechanism  62 . 
     Each belt element  61  is attached to the back panel  40  via a first connecting device. 
     The insert  70  of the first connecting device includes an elastic insert stitched between each of the belt elements  61  and the back panel  40 . 
     The insert  70  of the first connecting device is preferably made of an elastic material, such as a neoprene fabric, stitched via seams  71  to the back panel  40  and to the belt element  61 . In the preferred embodiment, the neoprene fabric used is a closed cell neoprene of at least 2 millimeters thickness such as used in wet suits. 
     Preferably, each insert  70  has a triangular or semi-circular shape, in order to define at its apex  72  a rotation point in relation to which the insert  70  can stretch elastically in a generally longitudinal direction, corresponding to the edge  73  opposite to its apex  72 , in relation to the respective belt element  61 , in order to enable a rotational movement (see arrow R in FIG. 2) of the respective belt elements  61  in relation to the back panel  40 . 
     Thus, a pivotal connection is produced between each belt element  61  and the back panel  40 . 
     The same construction also applies to the connection between the shoulder harness assembly  50  and the back panel  40 . 
     The shoulder harness assembly  50  comprises two shoulder straps  51  which are fixed at their upper end  52 , to the top extremity  41  of the back panel  40  via a second connecting device, and are fixed at their lower end  53  to the bottom extremity of the back panel  40 . 
     As with the first connecting device, which included an insert  70 , the second connecting device includes an elastic insert  80  stitched between each of the shoulder straps  51  and the back panel  40 . Each elastic insert  80  is preferably made of an elastic material, such as a neoprene fabric stitched via seams  81  to the backpack  40  and to the shoulder straps  51 . 
     Preferably, each insert  80  of the second connecting device has a triangular or semi-circular shape in order to define at its apex  82  a rotation point, in relation to which the insert  80  can stretch elastically in a generally longitudinal direction corresponding to its edge  83  opposite to the apex  82 . Thus, a pivotal or rotational connection (see arrow R in FIG. 2) of each shoulder strap  51  in relation to the back panel is produced. 
     The pivotal connection of each shoulder and hip harness system to the back panel allows a particularly good adaptation of the back pack to the movements of the body and torso during the practice of gliding sports, such as snowboarding, wherein extreme body motions like bending, contorting, and twisting of the upper body occur. 
     Additional structural arrangements are provided to further increase the ability of the backpack to follow the body motions. 
     First, each insert  70 ,  80  can be part of a single elastic panel  90 . See FIGS. 3 and 4, for example. 
     The elastic panel  90  extends from the top extremity  41  of the back panel to the bottom extremity  42  thereof. 
     It is stitched to the extremities by seams  91 ,  92 . 
     The elastic panel  90  is further slidably mounted within a vertical channel  43  of back panel  40  defined by a vertical stitching  44 , thus the elastic panel  90  can further stretch to follow bending movements of the torso and provide a “free floating” effect. 
     As will be easily understood, the rotational movement by stretching of neoprene inserts  70 ,  80  is limited by the elongation limit of the material constituting such inserts. However other structural arrangements can be used to further limit the rotational or the floating effect and/or adapt it to the user&#39;s preference, 
     Such arrangements are provided, for example, by load lift straps  55 ,  65  (see FIG. 1) which connect the top and bottom of the pack body  20 , respectively, to the harness assembly  50  and the hip harness assembly  60 . Such lift straps  55 ,  65  are known per se and are conventionally used to distribute and adjust the load of the pack body  20  to the load carrying system and are therefore not described in detail hereafter. 
     The load lift straps  55 ,  65  can be used to define a rotational center different from the ones of apex  72 ,  82 ; they can also be used to limit the pivotal movement generated by the elastic inserts  70 ,  80 . 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a gripper material  100  such as rubber is provided on the internal face at the extremity of each shoulder strap  51  and belt element  61 , in order to reduce shifting or slipping of the shoulder strap  51  and belt element  61  in relation to the user and thus allow an optimum adaptation of the backpack to the movements of the user. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 3 and 4, other embodiments of the invention are shown, wherein similar elements are designated by the same numeral references. 
     The main difference between the backpack  10  of FIG.  3  and the backpack  10  of FIGS. 1 and 2 lies in the emplacement of each elastic insert  70 ,  80 . Whereas in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the edge  73 ,  83  of each insert  70 ,  80  is situated toward the lateral side of each connection back panel  40 /shoulder strap  51  or belt element  61 , in the embodiment of FIG. 3 the edges  73 ,  83  are placed, on the contrary, on a medial side of each connection of the back panel  40  shoulder strap  51  or belt element  61 . Consequently, the apex  72 ,  82  of each insert is placed opposite in the vertical direction, although the rotational movement R is substantially the same. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 4, elastic inserts  70  are only provided at the interconnection zone between the hip harness assembly  60  and the back panel  40 . 
     These inserts  70  have a semi-circular shape and are further limited on one side by a strip of material  63  extending from the belt element  61  which defines the apex  72 . As the strip of material  63  is substantially non-extensible, it defines the rotation center for the elastic insert  70 . 
     Furthermore, two internal sheet stiffeners  45  are provided laterally on each side of the back panel  40  to provide transverse rigidity, while allowing flexibility in the longitudinal directions. 
     Such stiffeners are made of a supple, non-extensible material, such as a sheet of PE (polyethylene) in order to provide the aforementioned transverse rigidity. This last embodiment is more particularly adapted to snowboard riding, as hip movements in this type of sport are particularly important. 
     However, all combinations of the above described embodiments can be considered in order to provide for a better adaptation of the backpack to the type of ride. 
     As can be appreciated from the foregoing, the present invention provides for a load-carrying system and associated backpack which allows a maximum range of hip and shoulder motion, and comfort to a user while maintaining and/or enhancing stability of the pack body while in use. 
     The invention is not limited to the use in snowboarding, but can be applied to all sports requiring motions of the body.