Patent ID: 6966606

Claim:
An assembly comprising; a substantially rigid frame; a carrier mounted to said frame, said carrier having a relaxed state and an expanded state, said carrier being mounted to said frame in said expanded state; a load bearing fabric interconnected with said carrier, said fabric having a relaxed state and a stretched state and being interconnected with said carrier such that movement of said carrier from said relaxed state into said expanded state moves said fabric from said relaxed state into said stretched state, said fabric being mounted to said carrier prior to attachment of said carrier to said frame while said carrier is in said relaxed state and said fabric is in said relaxed state, whereby said fabric is in said stretched state when said carrier is mounted to said frame, wherein said carrier is expanded primarily by stretching said carrier in a longitudinal direction, and wherein said carrier is mounted to said fabric by molding said carrier in place on said fabric such that said carrier and said fabric are intimately interconnected.