US20160000211A1

US20160000211A1 - Piggyback carrying system with closable circular webbed harness

Info

Publication number: US20160000211A1
Application number: US14/791,402
Authority: US
Inventors: Marc C. Reyes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-07-05
Filing date: 2015-07-03
Publication date: 2016-01-07

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a piggyback carrying system is disclosed including a closable circular webbed harness and a plurality of fasteners. The closable circular webbed harness can selectively secure an article to a carrying device. The closable circular webbed harness includes a web matrix of straps with couplers that couple together to form closed loops that are joined together and spaced apart around the article. The plurality of fasteners couple the harness to the carrying device. The size of the closed loops are adjustable to adapt to the size of the article, such as may be the case with different articles of clothing. Advertising or accessories, such as one or more collectable pins, may be coupled to the harness.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional United States (U.S.) patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/021,129 filed on Jul. 5, 2014 by Marc C. Reyes entitled CLOSABLE CIRCULAR WEBBED HARNESS & COLLECTABLE PINS PIGGY-BACK CARRYING KIT, pending.

FIELD

The embodiments of the invention generally relate to carrying harnesses that couple to carrying devices.

BACKGROUND

When a person carries a carrying device (e.g., a backpack or daypack), an article of clothing (e.g., a sweatshirt) is often taken with them. The article of clothing may be held in a hand to be ready to wear. Alternatively, the article of clothing may be stuffed into the carrying device.
Stuffing the article of clothing into the carrying device takes-up space that could otherwise be used for other articles such as books, computer, lunch, etc. Moreover, the article of clothing is not as readily available to wear when stuffed into the carrying device.
If the article is held in hand, instead of stuffed into the carrying device, it deters a person from performing other manual activities with at least one of their hands.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The embodiments of the invention are summarized by the claims that follow below.
Briefly, the embodiments of the invention seek to free up a user's hand from hand carrying an article, such as such as sweatshirts, sweaters, garments, other apparel, towels, small blankets or school projects, for example, to keep readily available while using a carrying device. The embodiments of the invention provide a closable circular webbed harness as part of a piggyback carrying system that attaches to a carrying device, such as bags, suitcases, backpacks, carts, strollers or purses. The closable circular webbed harness of the piggy-back carrying system also allows displaying advertising and can receive accessories, such as collectable pins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a piggyback carrying system, including a closable circular webbed harness for attaching to a carrying device (e.g., a backpack).

FIG. 2A illustrates a top view of the closable circular webbed harness with attaching couplers in a non-engaged state.

FIG. 2B illustrates a magnified view of the closable circular webbed harness, with pivoting rivets attached to mounting straps, to facilitate connections to shoulder straps or poles of a carrying device.

FIG. 2C illustrates a side view of the closable circular webbed harness with attaching couplers in an engaged state to form pairs of closed loops and with extended parallel straps for receiving accessories such as collectable pins.

FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of an alternate embodiment of the closable circular webbed harness with attaching couplers in an engaged state.

FIG. 3B illustrates a side view of the closable circular webbed harness shown in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C illustrates a magnified view of the closable circular webbed harness shown in FIG. 3A illustrating a pass-through adjustability of a strap through an attachment coupler to adjust a size of a closed loop in the harness.

FIG. 3D illustrates a magnified view of female attaching couplers mounted to ends of the parallel straps of the closable circular webbed harness.

FIG. 3E illustrates a magnified view of male attachment couplers with ends adjustably mounted to the parallel straps near—the opposing end thereof.

FIG. 4A illustrates another embodiment of the closable circular webbed harness that includes two additional attaching couplers to provide two closable loops for expanded carrying capacity.

FIG. 4B illustrates a side view of attaching couplers in an engaged state for the closable circular webbed harness.

FIG. 4C illustrates a magnified top view of the closable circular webbed harness with parallel straps extended out with heavy duty male and female attaching couplers disengaged.

FIG. 4D illustrates a side view of the closable circular webbed harness with a first set of attachment couplers in an open or disengaged state near one end of the parallel straps and a second set of attachment couplers in a closed or engaged state near an opposite end.

FIG. 4E illustrates the closable circular webbed harness with attachment couplers in an engaged state.

FIG. 5 illustrates the closable circular webbed harness mounted to carry device with an attachment loop being prepared for attachment to a shoulder strap of the carrying device.

FIG. 6A illustrates a view of a main strap of the closable circular webbed harness being attached to the carrying device.

FIG. 6B illustrates a detailed view a fastener used to secure the closable circular webbed harness to the carrying device.

FIG. 6C illustrates an exploded view of the attachment process for mating the closable circular webbed harness to the carrying device using the fastener shown in FIG. 6B.

FIG. 7 illustrates the closable circular webbed harness accessorized with collectable pins and attached to the carrying device with an article (e.g., a sweatshirt) securely fastened to it.

FIG. 8 illustrates attaching straps of the closable circular webbed harness in an open state prior to mounting to a pole of a telescoping handle of a roller carrying device.

FIG. 9 illustrates the closable circular webbed harness coupled to the roller carrying device by the pair of attaching straps.

FIG. 10 illustrates the closable circular webbed harness decorated with collectable pins and attached to the roller carrying device with an article (e.g., a sweatshirt) securely fastened thereto.

FIG. 11 illustrates a plurality of collectable pins with a variety of decorative images.

FIG. 12A illustrates a back side view of a collectable pin with a slide-on mounting clip.

FIG. 12B illustrates a back side view of a collectable pin with an alternate mounting means for securing the collectable pin to the closable circular webbed harness.

FIG. 13 illustrates a magnified view of a strap of the closable circular webbed harness with a slotted hole ready to receive slide on mounting clip of the slip-on collectable pin shown in FIG. 12A.

FIG. 14 illustrates a magnified view of the back side of a strap of the closable circular webbed harness with the slip-on collectible pin fully inserted into the slotted hole.

FIG. 15 illustrates a view of piggyback carrying system, including a closable circular webbed harness, collectable pins, mounting hardware, mounting instructions and retail packaging.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding. However, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances well known methods, procedures, components, and hardware have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments of the invention.
A reference is often made to parallel and perpendicular herein to generally describe the position of straps with respect to each other in the structure of a closable circular webbed harness. The straps are flexible and can be stretched out or collapsed together. The straps may be substantially parallel and substantially perpendicular when stretched out and flattened but not fully parallel (e.g., lines that extend to infinity and never cross) and fully perpendicular (e.g., exactly a ninety degree angle) in the mathematical sense of the terms. During the coupling of straps together in forming the closable circular webbed harness, the perpendicular straps will not be at an exact ninety degree angle. Nor will the parallel straps be mathematically parallel after the formation of the closable circular webbed harness.
The embodiments of the invention include a method, apparatus and system for a piggyback carrying system. The piggyback carrying system can be used by a wide variety of users, such as campers, hikers, athletes, travelers, vacationers, students, and backpackers, for example. The piggyback carrying system includes a closable circular webbed harness that couples to a carrying device. The closable circular webbed harness of the piggyback carrying system can be conveniently attached to a wide variety of carrying devices, such as bags (e.g., duffle bags, flight bags, diaper bags), suitcases, backpacks (e.g., day packs, overnight backpacks, rolling backpacks), strollers (e.g., baby strollers), and carts, for example.
The closable circular webbed harness can be used to conveniently secure articles (such as sweatshirts, sweaters, other apparels, garments, towels, or small blankets) onto virtually any type of carrying device (bags, duffle bags, suitcases, backpacks, strollers, carts, etc.).
Accessories can be included in the piggyback carrying kit and system. The closable circular webbed harness also provides a place to display collectable pins for example. Accordingly, the piggyback carrying system may include collectable pins that may be coupled to the closable circular webbed harness of the piggyback carrying kit. A wide variety of collectable pins can be used on the harness straps.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a piggyback carrying system is shown, including a closable circular webbed harness 110. The piggyback carrying system can include accessories such as an assortment of collectable pins 116. The harness 110 can be mounted to a carrying device 102 (e.g., a backpack) with fasteners (e.g., see FIGS. 6A-6C). The carrying device typically has a closable carrying bag or sack with a closable opening. The closable opening may be closable by a zipper, draw string, or closable flap. The carrying device has a back side and a front side with a fabric material surface usually. The carrying device may include a pair of shoulder straps coupled to the back side. Alternatively, a carrying device may include a shoulder strap coupled between left and right sides or a pair of handles coupled between front and back sides. In any case, the closable circular webbed harness 110 mounts to one or more material surfaces on one or more sides of the bag forming the carrying device.
The harness 110 has a plurality of straps coupled together to form a web. The straps of the harness may be coupled together by overlapping portions and fastening the overlapping portions together. The overlapping portions may be fastened together by stitching, adhesive, and/or a fastener.
The plurality of straps of the harness 110 includes a pair of parallel straps with a first set of couplers. With the first set of couplers, a portion of the pair of parallel straps can wrap around a first article to form a first pair of closed loops to secure the first article in the harness. The pair of parallel straps may have a second set of couplers. With the second set of couplers, another portion of the pair of parallel straps can wrap around a second article to form a second pair of closed loops to secure the second article in the harness.
The harness 110, in some embodiments, further has another two straps each of which can wrap around forming a loop or circle to securely attach the harness 110 to the shoulder straps or other elements of the carrying device 102.
The collectable pins 116 may be coupled to straps of the harness 110. A pair of straps may be longer and have a tail to provide an area where to couple the pins to the straps. The tail of the longer straps may have slots strategically cut into them to accommodate mounting clips of collectable pins with slip on retainer clips.
The straps of the harness may be constructed of various martials including, but not limited to, nylon, polypropylene, fabric, silk, leather or plastic. The harness may be secured to the carrying device 102 by different types of fasteners, such as rivets, studs or pins.
The carrying device 102 may be constructed of various martials including, but not limited to, nylon, polypropylene, fabric, silk, leather or plastic with a surface area for attaching the harness.
Various embodiments of the closable circular webbed harness 110 and collectable pins 116 of the piggyback carrying system are described herein. FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate a first embodiment of a closeable circular webbed harness 110A. FIGS. 3A-3F illustrate another embodiment of a closeable circular webbed harness 110B. FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate another embodiment of a closeable circular webbed harness 110C. FIG. 12A illustrates a first embodiment of a collectable pin and FIG. 12B illustrates a second embodiment of a collectable pin. FIG. 11 illustrates how different diagrams of advertising or decorations can be implemented with different pins.
Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2C, details of a first embodiment of a closeable circular webbed harness 110A are now described. The harness 110A includes two parallel straps 214,226; a bridge strap 220; a main strap 222; and a breakaway strap 228. The two parallel straps 214,226 are coupled together near the top by a bridge strap 220, near a mid point by a main strap 222, and near the bottom by a breakaway strap 228 or a fixed strap (e.g., see the fixed strap 328 in FIGS. 3A-3B). Opposing ends of the bridge strap 220 and the main strap 222 are permanently secured to the parallel straps 214,226, respectively, to couple the parallel straps together. The webbed combination of the bridge strap 220, the main strap 222, and the parallel straps generally forms a storage area (or stowage area) in the closeable circular webbed harness 110A.
While the parallel straps 214,226 are used to lash, stow or store an article, they are also used to secure the harness 110A onto the top of a carrying device (e.g., see carrying device 102,810 in FIGS. 1 and 10), at joints where the respective ends of the main strap 222 are fastened to the parallel straps. The main strap 222 can further be used to secure the harness 110A onto the top of a carrying device.
The bridge strap 220 when wrapped over onto an article is fairly visible. Accordingly, the bridge strap 220 can be used to display advertising, such as a product logo for example, or ownership of the carrying device, such as a name tag.
The breakaway strap 228 is for lengthy parallel straps 214,226 that could pose a hazard to children with small sized heads. One end of the breakaway strap 228 is fastened securely to one of the parallel straps, strap 226. The opposite end of the breakaway strap 228, a releasable end, is releasably fastened to the other parallel strap, strap 214, to release if pressure is applied to prevent the child hazard. The releasable end of the breakaway strap 228 can be releasably fastened to the strap 214 by hook and loop connectors (e.g., VELCRO hook/loop fabric fasteners) or by snap connectors, thereby allowing for quick detachment with minimal force.
The harness 110A may further have two mounting straps 213,215 coupled to the parallel straps 214,226. As shown in FIG. 2A, between the bridge strap 220 and the main strap 222, the mounting straps 213,215 are pivotally coupled near the top of the respective parallel straps 214,226 by a fastener, such as a pivotable rivets 230,232 and an extension strap 252. The mounting straps 213,215 are further used to securely attach the harness 110A to the carrying device 102. Each mounting strap 213,215 has a female coupler 224 and a male coupler 218 that when coupled together around the straps of the carrying device (or around tubes of a tubular extension handle 820 on carrying device 810 as shown in FIG. 8) provides for the secure attachment of the harness 110A to the carrying device 102,810.
To form circular loops to secure an article, each of the parallel straps 214,226 has a female coupler 212 attached at a fixed point near an end thereof. Each of the parallel straps 214,226 further has a male coupler 216 with an adjustable attachment point capable of being positioned along the length of the parallel straps 214,226 to adjust a size of the circular loop around the article. With an article placed near the main strap 222 and/or the bridge strap 220, the parallel straps 214,216 may wrap over the article and the male couplers 216 may be clipped into the female couplers 212 to secure the article in the harness 110A and to the carrying device.
Once the article is inserted into the storage area and the coupling of the female couplers 212 with the male couplers 216 is successful, then tension in the parallel straps 214,226 can be adjusted to the size of the article. The tension in the parallel straps is set by adjusting the attachment point of the respective male couplers 216 to each of the parallel straps 214,226. The male couplers are slid along the parallel strap, up or down, to adjust their attachment point to the size of the article so that it can be a securely held in the storage area.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the female coupler 212 attached at a fixed point and the male coupler 216 at an adjustable attachment point, are open and not coupled together in a non-engaged state. In this state, the closable circular webbed harness 110A is ready to receive an article in the storage area of the harness, such as a sweatshirt, for storage.
Referring now to FIG. 2B, a magnified view of a portion of the closable circular webbed harness 110A is shown. The closable circular webbed harness 110A may optionally include two mounting straps 213,215 to further secure the harness to a carrying device. Each of the mounting straps 213,215 are coupled to the parallel straps 214,216 of the harness 110A by an extension strap 252 and pivotal rivets 230,232. The two mounting straps 213,215 can pivot and adjust to different angles with the parallel straps 214,216 so that the mounting straps can couple to poles, handles, straps, etc. of different carrying devices 102,810.
Also detailed just below the bridge strap 220 are the coupled straps 242 used for forming a loop or circle to secure an article to the harness 110A.
Referring now to FIG. 2C, a detailed picture of the harness 110A positioned to provide a cross-sectional view of the coupled straps 242, used for forming a loop or circle to secure an article to the harness 110A, mounted to the parallel straps 214, 226. The parallel straps 214, 226 are joined together by the bridge strap 220, the main strap 222 and the breakaway strap 228.
Also shown in FIG. 2C are the mounting straps 213,215 that form a closed loop to secure the harness 110A to the carrying devices 102,810.
Referring now to FIG. 3A-3F, an alternate embodiment of a closeable circular webbed harness 110B is shown with parallel straps 227,229 of a differing length (e.g., shorter) than that of the closeable circular webbed harness 110A. Further, the closeable circular webbed harness 110B may not include the mounting straps 213,215, and the pair of coupled straps 252. Moreover, a second bridge strap 328 is used in the harness 110B instead of the breakaway strap 228 of harness 110A shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. The pair of coupled straps 242, used for forming a loop or circle to secure an article to the harness 110A in FIG. 2A, are instead merged to be a part of the parallel straps 227,229.
Ends of the parallel straps 227,229 are coupled to female couplers 212. Each parallel strap is inserted into an opening in the coupler 212 wrapped back around a bar and coupled onto itself. The female couplers 212 are pivotally coupled to the ends of the parallel straps 227,229. Adjustable male couplers 216 are adjustably coupled to each of the parallel straps 227,229 opposite the female couplers. Each parallel strap is inserted into a first opening in the coupler 216, wrapped over an adjacent bar, and inserted back through a second opening in the coupler. The adjustable male couplers 216 are slidingly coupled to the straps so they can slide along the strap to adjust the size of the closed circular loops about an article.
The parallel straps 227, 229 are coupled together by the first bridge strap 220, the main strap 222, and the second bridge strap 328. With a shorter length of parallel straps 227,229; the need for a breakaway strap is eliminated. If longer straps are desired, a pair of male and female couplers may be introduced with a strap extension coupled to one type of coupler and the other type of coupler coupled to the end of the parallel straps. In this manner, the strap extension can be used to optionally extend the length of the parallel straps 227,229 to add accessories to the harness, such as the collectable pins 116.
Referring now to FIG. 3B, a side view of the harness 110B is shown. When the pair of female couplers 212 are releasably coupled to the pair of male couplers 216, a pair of closed loops 262A-262B are formed by a portion of the parallel straps 227,229. The closed loops 262A-262B are adjustable in size to provide an adjustable storage capacity to store an article. The pair of closed loops 262A-262B are spaced apart and coupled together by the first bridge strap 220 and the main strap 222. An article is secured in the harness by the pair of closed loops 262A-262B.
Tails of the parallel straps 227,229 are coupled together by the second bridge strap 328 being coupled near ends of the straps. The second bridge strap 328 can be lifted up and grasped by a user's hand, providing a handle from which the closeable circular webbed harness 110, an article in the harness, and the carrying device to which is coupled can be carried.
Referring now to FIG. 3C, a magnified view of the harness 110B is shown illustrating the adjustable feature of the male couplers 216. Each male coupler 216 includes a first opening 380A, a second opening 380B and an adjacent bar 382 between them. Each parallel strap 227,229 is inserted into the first opening 380A in the respective coupler 216, wrapped over the adjacent bar 382, and inserted back through the second opening 380B. The parallel strap 227,229 in the coupler 216 can be slacked away from the adjacent bar 382 as shown in FIG. 3C and slid up or down along the strap to adjust the size of the closed loop about an article. The adjustable feature of the male couplers 216 allows for the proper tensioning of the parallel straps and closed loops around an article to secure it to the harness 110B.
The male coupler 216 includes a single catch 384 with a single press release button to disengage from the female coupler 212. The female coupler 212 includes an opening 386 to receive the catch 384 to engage the male coupler 216 and releasable couple them together. The single catch and press release is simple for children to use.
A more secure heavier duty male and female couplers may be used to provide a more secure coupling (see FIGS. 4A-4B and couplers 218,224). The male coupler may have a double catch with a pair of buttons. The female coupler may have a pair of openings to receive the pair of catches. The pair of buttons are squeezed together to remove the pair of catches from the pair of openings to release the male coupler from the female coupler.
As shown in FIG. 3C, the bridge strap 220 may include advertising affixed to one side, such as a company logo and web site URL address.
Referring now to FIG. 3D, a magnified view of the female couplers 212 coupled to ends of the parallel straps 227,229 of the harness 110B is shown. Each female coupler 212 includes a side opening 370 to receive the male coupler. Each female coupler 212 includes a top opening 372 to receive the catch of the male coupler. Each female coupler 212 includes an opening 374 to receive the end of the strap and a bar 376 about which the strap can wrap back so that it can be fastened back onto itself. Each female coupler 212 is pivotally coupled to the respective parallel straps 227,229 at a fixed point. The parallel straps 227, 229 are coupled together by the bridge strap 220.
Referring now to FIG. 3E, a magnified view of the male couplers 216 adjustably coupled to the parallel straps 227,229 of the harness 110B is shown. Each male coupler 216 includes a tongue 388 to be inserted into the side opening of the female coupler. The tongue 388 of each male coupler 216 includes a catch 384 and a button 386 to release the catch. The parallel straps 227, 229 are coupled together by the second bridge strap 328.
FIGS. 2A-2C and FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate harnesses 110A,110B with one set of pairs of male and female couplers forming a signal storage area with one pair of joined loops in a portion of the parallel straps. A second storage area may be formed by another portion of the parallel straps 227,229 with another set of male and female couplers.
Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4E, elements of a harness 110C, another embodiment of the harness 110 of the piggyback carrying system, are shown. The harness 110C includes straps 220,222,227,229,328 coupled together as shown and previously described with regards to the harness 110B. The parallel straps 227, 229 are joined together by the first bridge strap 220, the main strap 222, and the second bridge strap 328.
The harness 110C includes a pair of male couplers 216 and a pair of female couplers 212 coupled to regions of the pair of parallel straps 227,229 as shown and described herein. The harness 110C further includes a pair of male couplers 218 and a pair of female couplers 224 coupled to other regions of the parallel straps 227,229.
The couplers 212,216 when joined together with a first portion of the parallel straps 227,229, form the first pair of joined storage loops for the first storage area. The first storage area securely attaches a first article to the harness 110C. The couplers 218,224 when joined together with a second portion of the parallel straps 227,229, form a second pair of joined storage loops for a second storage area. This expands the carrying capacity of the harness to have two storage loops or storage circles. The second storage area securely attaches a second article to the harness 110C.
The pair of attaching couplers 218,224 may be heavier duty male and female couplers having a two point catch/release for carrying a heavier second article than a single point catch/release of the pair of male and female attaching couplers 212,216. Alternatively, the pair of attaching couplers 212,216 may also be heavier duty male and female couplers having a two point catch/release.
In FIG. 4B, a side view of the harness 110C is shown forming a pair of joined closed loops 462A-462B for storage. The joined closed loops 462A-462B are coupled together by the second bridge strap 328 coupled to a lower portion of the parallel straps 227,229.
Referring now to FIG. 4C, a magnified view of the lower portion of the harness 110C is shown. A pair of male couplers 218 and a pair of female couplers 224 are coupled to the parallel straps 227,229 respectively. The pair of male couplers 218 may be pivotally coupled to ends of the parallel straps 227,229 at a fixed position. The pair of female couplers 224 may be adjustably coupled to the parallel straps 227,229. In this case, the pair of female couplers 224 may be moved up or down along the straps to adjust the size of the closed loops to the article.
Alternatively, the pair of female couplers 224 can be pivotally coupled to the parallel straps 227,229 in a fixed position, such as their ends. The pair of male couplers 218 in this case can be adjustably coupled to the parallel straps 227,229 to move along the strap to adjust the size of the closed loops to the article.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 4C and 4D. In accordance with some embodiments, the pair of male couplers 218 are heavy duty couplers with each having a pair of side catches 418A-418B and a center tongue 419. The pair of female couplers 224 are heavy duty couplers with each having a pair of side openings 420A-420B and a center slot 421. The pair of side openings 420A-420B receive the pair of pair of side catches 418A-418B. The center slot 421 receives the center tongue 419 to guide the male coupler 218 into a front opening of the female coupler 224. The means for attaching the couplers 218, 224 may be similar to the means for attaching the couplers 212,216 for the same gender or the opposite means with respect to gender.
In FIG. 4B, the pair of male couplers 218 and the pair of female couplers 224 are coupled together in an engaged state to form the pair of joined closed loops 462A-462B. In FIG. 4D, the pair of male couplers 218 and the pair of female couplers 224 are not coupled together and are in a disengaged state.
Referring now to FIG. 4E, a magnified top view of the closable circular web harness 110C is shown. Each parallel strap 227,229 has its male couplers 218 and female couplers 224 coupled together to form the joined closed loops 462A-462B. The joined closed loops 462A-462B provide a second storage area to securely attach an article to the harness 110C. The joined closed loops 262A-262B are joined together by the second bridge strap 328.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the harness 110 is being affixed to the carrying device 102. The male coupler 218 and the female coupler 224 at opposing ends of an attachment strap 213 are being positioned to encircle the shoulder strap 540 of carrying device 102. Once the male coupler 218 and the female coupler 224 are coupled together with the strap 213 around the shoulder strap 540, the harness 110 can be more securely coupled to the carrying device 102.
Each attaching strap 213 is riveted to the harness 110 with a mounting rivet 232. The harness 110 is may be further attached to the carrying device 102 by a plurality of anchoring rivets 622. The plurality of anchoring rivets 622 pass through one or more layers of fabric or material of both the harness 110 and the carrying device 102. The plurality of anchoring rivets 622 are secured with a retaining device on the inner side of the carrying device 102.
The parallel straps 214,226 are joined together by the bridge strap 220, the main strap 222 and the second bridge strap 328. Mounted to parallel straps 214,226 are collectible pins 116.
Referring now to FIG. 6A, a magnified view of the harness 110 being affixed to the carrying device 102 with anchoring rivets 622 is shown. A pair of anchoring rivets 622 are shown already installed coupling the harness 110 to the carrying device 102. A third anchoring rivet 622 may be installed through the main strap 328 and into the carrying device 102 as indicated by the dashed reference line.
Different types of rivets may be used to attach the harness 110 to the carrying device. Furthermore, alternate devices and methods of attaching the harness 110 to the carrying device may be used including snaps, metal or plastic clamps, hook and loop closures, or string. The alternate means of attachment may allow for the harness to be periodically removed from and re-attached to the carrying device 102,810 or other carrying devices.
Referring now to FIG. 6B, an exploded view of a rivet subassembly 600 to attach the harness 110 to the carrying device 102,810 is shown. The rivet subassembly 600 includes an anchoring rivet 622, one or more washers 618, and a fastener 610 to couple to the shaft of the anchoring rivet. The anchoring rivet, washers, and fastener may be formed of nylon, plastic, or metal.
The anchoring rivet 622 includes a base 641, a tapered shaft 642, and a pointed tip 644. The pointed tip 644 may be conical shaped. The shaft 642 may have a larger diameter where it couples to the base 641 and then tapers down to a narrower diameter where it couples to the tip 644. The tapering of the shaft 642 forms a skirt 643 at the bottom of the tip 644. The skirt 643 may be used to secure the rivet 622 to the fastener 610. The base 641 has a sufficient diameter to encompass sufficient area of material of the harness and the carrying device to avoid the harness from being pulled away from the carrying device.
The fastener 610 includes a base 651, with a ring sidewall 652 and an expandable locking collar 640 coupled to the base. In the center of the expandable locking collar 640 and the fastener is a circular opening 643 to accept the tip and shaft of the rivet 622. The ring sidewall 652 and expandable locking collar 640 are concentric to a center axis through the opening 653.
The expandable locking collar 640 has three slits that allow it to expand to an oversize diameter such as found with at the skirt 643 of the tip 644 of the rivet. The diameter of the base 651 of the fastener 610 encompasses sufficient area of material of the harness and the carrying device to deter the harness and rivet 622 from being pulled out of the carrying device. One or more reinforcing washers 618 may be used to take up slack between the base of the rivet 622 and base 651 of the fastener 610 due to variations in thickness of material and the number of layers of the material.
Referring now to FIGS. 6B-6C, there are a number of ways to couple the harness 110 to a carrying device 102,810. FIG. 6C shows an exploded cutaway view of an exemplary mating process for joining the harness 110 to the carrying device 102, 810 using the anchoring rivet 622, one or more reinforcing washers, and the fastener 610.
One method of coupling the harness 110 onto the carrying device 102,810 consists of using a self piloting rivet 622 with a very sharp pointed tip 644 that can penetrate through fabric or material of the harness 110 and the carrying device 102,810 on its own.
With the rivet self piloted through the material of the harness 110 and carrying device 102, a washer 618 is then placed over the pointed tip 644 of the rivet 622. The fastener 610 with the expandable locking collar 640 can then pressed over the pointed tip 644 of rivet 622. As the fastener 610 is pressed onto the pointed tip 644, the expanding collar 644 expands as the diameter of the tip increases up to the skirt. After the end of the collar passes the skirt 643 of the tip, the expandable collar then flexes back to a smaller diameter around the tapered shaft 642. The skirt 643 deters the expandable collar 644 from expanding again and keeps the fastener 610 and the rivet 622 engaged together with the material of the harness 110 and carrying device 102 sandwiched between the bases 641,651. One or more reinforcing washers 618 may also be sandwiched between the bases 641,651 to take up slack when the fastener and rivet are coupled together.
An alternate method to penetrate the fabric would be to use a sharp tool or punch to provide pilot holes 614,624 in the fabric or material of the harness 110 and the carrying device 102. In this case, the pointed tip 644 of the rivet 622 may be blunt and incapable of self-piloting. In which case, the pointed tip 644 of the rivet 622 is then aligned with the pilot hole 624 in the harness material and pushed through so its shaft is into the harness 110. A first washer 618 may or may not be inserted over the tip 644 and onto the shaft of the rivet 622.
The pointed tip 644 of the rivet 622 is then aligned with the pilot hole 614 in the material of the carrying device 102,810. The pointed tip 644 and shaft of the rivet are then inserted through the pilot hole 614 in the material of the carrying device 102.
With the pointed tip extending beyond an inner surface of the material in the carrying device, a reinforcing washer 618 is inserted over the pointed tip 644 and onto the shaft of the rivet 622. The rivet 622 now has its shaft inserted through the material of the harness 110 and the carrying device and through the openings in one or more washers and is ready for the fastener 610 to hold it all together.
Next, the fastener 610 with the expandable locking collar 640 is pressed onto and over the pointed tip 644 of rivet to engage the shaft 642 of the anchoring rivet 622. This couples the rivet 622 and the fastener 610 together to secure the harness 110 onto the carrying device 102, 810.
A third method to attach the harness 110 onto the carrying device 102, 810 is to use safety pins to secure the harness 110 onto the carrying device 102, 810. A fourth method is to use the attachment straps 213,215 as is shown in FIGS. 2A-2B and 8-9.
Referring now to FIG. 7, a harness 110 is shown mounted to the carrying device 102. Various embodiments of the harness 110 are described with reference to FIGS. 2A-4D that may be mounted to a carrying device. An article 750 is stored in the storage area of the harness 110. The male couplers 216 and female couplers 212 are coupled together to securely fasten the article 750 in the pair of joined closed loops. The collectable pins 116A-116F, collectively referred to as pins 116, are mounted to the parallel straps 214,226 of the harness 110.
While the parallel straps 214,226 have been described receiving the collectable pins 116 other straps of the harness may be used or added to the harness to receive the collectable pins. Additionally, other types of fasteners, such as loop and/or hook fabric fasteners (e.g., VELCRO hook/loop fabric fasteners), may be attached to different parts of the harness 110 to allow for the attachment of items such as key chains or other accessories.
Referring now to FIG. 8, a connection strap 213, with a female coupler 224 and a male coupler 218, are being prepared to attach the harness 110 to the carrying device 810. The connection strap 213 is attached to the strap 214 of harness 110 with a rivet 232.
Once both connection straps are coupled around the tubes 821 of a tubular extension handle 820, the harness 110 is securely attached to the carrying device 810.
The strap 214 has a female coupler 212 attached to one end and a male coupler 216, using the adjustable attachment points, to attach at the opposite end. When coupled together they form the loop or circle for the storage of the article.
Referring now to FIG. 9, a harness 110 is coupled to the carrying device 810. This The mounting straps 213,215 are secured around the tubes 821 of the tubular extension handle 820. The female couplers 212 are attached near the top end of the parallel straps 214,226. The male couplers 216, being adjustable, are adjustably coupled near a mid-section of the parallel straps 214,226. The parallel straps 214, 226 are joined together as shown by the bridge strap 220 and the main strap 222 ready to receive an article. Collectable pins 116A-116D are periodically attached along the length of the parallel straps 214, 226.
Referring now to FIG. 10, a view of a harness 110 mounted to a carrying device 810 with a tubular extension handle 820 is shown. An article 750 is stowed in the storage area of the joined closed loops of the harness so that it is also coupled to the carrying device 810. A plurality of collectable pins 116A-116F are coupled to the parallel straps 214 226 of the harness 110.
Referring now to FIG. 11, various images may be affixed to the front of a collectable pin such as shown by the differing background colors and phrases in each of the plurality of the collectable pins 116A-116F.
The base of the collectable pin 116 may be made of a circular material with or without a circular ridge along its edge like an edge of a bottle cap or a flattened bottle cap.
Other types of collectable pins may be used with the harness 110. For example, lapel pins that consist of a sharp pointed shaft may be used. A rubber or a metal clutch may be used to secure the lapel pins onto the harness 110.
Referring now to FIG. 12A, a back side of a base 118 of the collectable pin 116 is shown. The collectable pin 116 includes a or spring clip or retainer clip 117 having an s-shape coupled to the back side of the base 118. The retainer clip 117 slides into slots (see slots 1320 in FIG. 13) in the straps of the harness 110. The slots may strategically located along the length of the straps so as to avoid interference with the adjustability of the male or female couplers that form the circular loops.
The retainer clip 117 may have a knurled rough surface on its inner surface, outer surface, or both to prevent the pin 116 from slipping off or out of slots in the straps of the harness 110. The retainer clip 117 may be made from a variety of materials, such as metals, plastic, fiberglass or a combination of materials (composite) and in a variety of sizes. The collectable pin retainer clip 117 may be wider or narrower, like a pen clip, to accommodate different sized slots and widths of straps in the harness. The retainer clip 117 may be welded or glued with an appropriate adhesive to the back side of the base 1118. The retainer clip 117 may or may not be spring loaded.
The collectable pins 116 are made of, but not limited to metal or plastic or a combination of materials. The collectable pins 116 may have a picture or image coupled to a front side of the base 118 as is shown in FIG. 11. The picture or image may be a variety of pictures or images representing a wide range of themes, topics or characters.
The collectable pin 116 with the retainer clip 117 has no sharp points that can potentially scratch someone. They also do not have a butterfly closure or any small pieces that might inadvertently be swallowed. The collectable pin 116 with the retainer clip 117 can be attached to a strap at a slot in a similar way that a pen may be attached to shirt pocket.
Referring now to FIG. 12B, an alternate collectable pin 116 is shown having a pin fastening device. The collectable pin 116 in this case includes a straight pin 119 coupled to the base 118 and a butterfly closure 121. The butterfly closure 121 includes a pair of opposing squeeze buttons to open and close a catch around the straight pin 119.
To mount the alternate collectable pin, the straight pin 119 is inserted into and through a strap of the harness. The pair of opposing squeeze buttons of the butterfly closure 121 are squeezed together. The opening in the butterfly closure 121 is aligned with and placed over the pin 119. The butterfly closure 121 is then pressed into a backside of the strap and the pair of opposing squeeze buttons are released.
Referring now to FIG. 13, a magnified view of a collectable pin 116 and a front side of a strap 214 of the harness 110 is shown. The strap 214 includes a slot 1320 strategically cut into the strap 214. The slot 1320 is provided to receive a collectable pin 116 with a slide in retainer clip 117. The retainer clip 117 can clamp onto the strap 214 and provides a friction surface to deter its removal from the slot 1320. Similar slots may be provided in other areas and other straps of the harness. Collectable pins 116 with a pin fastening device may be attached onto portions of a strap of the harness 110 without the need for a slot 1320.
Referring now to FIG. 14, the strap 214 is twisted to show how a pin 116 with a slide in clip mounts into the slot 1320. The retainer clip 117 on the back 118 of the collectable pin 116 is shown passing through the slot 1320 in the strap 214.
Referring now to FIG. 15, a retail piggyback carrying kit 1500 is shown. The piggyback carrying kit 1500 includes the harness 110, a plurality of reinforcement/spacer washers 618, a plurality of collar fasteners 610, and a plurality of anchoring rivets 622. The collectable pin 116 is attached to the top of the cover page 1512. The assembly instructions 1514 are printed on the reverse side of the cover page 1512. The components of the piggyback carrying system and instructions are packaged for sale in an envelope 1516.
To make the piggyback carrying kit 1500 more appealing to younger users, the harness 110 may be decorated with unique designs and motifs. Some example may be animals, where the straps are fashioned with synthetic fur and claws or warriors, where weapons clamp to the strap. Other examples may include fantasy characters, super heroes or sport themes.
To add yet another appealing element for the younger users, the harness 110 includes a battery powered LED electronic device that momentarily lights up in one or more different areas of the harness 110 when attached. A momentary on switch is included to control the lights and conserve battery power. The momentary on switch may be incorporated into the male/female couplers. In response to both male/female couplers being coupled together, the lights may momentary turn on to indicate to the user that the article is secured in the harness. An on-off switch can be further included in the system to fully cut off the battery from the LED light source.
A speaker and a battery powered sound generator may also be included as part of the harness 110 to generate sounds or sound effects. A momentary on switch is included in the system to control the sounds generated by the sound generator and conserve battery power. The momentary on switch may be incorporated into the male/female couplers. In response to both male/female couplers being coupled together, the sound generator may momentary turn on generating sounds or sound effects to indicate to the user that the article is secured in the harness. An on-off switch can be further included in the system to fully cut off the battery from the sound generator.
While this specification includes many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations of the disclosure. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple implementations, separately or in sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variations of a sub-combination. Accordingly, the claimed invention is limited only by the claims that have issue below.

Claims

1. A piggyback carrying system comprising:

a closable circular webbed harness to selectively secure an article to a carrying device, the closable circular webbed harness including

a plurality of straps including a pair of parallel straps and a plurality of bridge straps coupled between the pair of parallel straps, and

a first pair of male couplers and a first pair of female couplers respectively coupled to the pair of parallel straps, wherein the first pair of male couplers to couple to the first pair of female couplers to selectively close together and form a first pair of closed loops that are joined together and spaced apart around the article; and

a plurality of fasteners to couple the closable circular webbed harness to the carrying device.

2. The piggyback carrying system of claim 1, wherein

the first pair of female couplers are fastened to the pair of parallel straps in a fixed position; and

the first pair of male couplers are adjustably coupled to the pair of parallel straps to adjust their position and adjust a size of the pair of joined loops to the size of the article.

3. The piggyback carrying system of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more collectable pins to couple to one or more of the plurality of straps of the closable circular webbed harness.

4. The piggyback carrying system of claim 3, wherein

each of the one or more collectable pins includes a straight pin coupled to a base and a butterfly closure to couple to the straight pin.

5-8. (canceled)

9. The piggyback carrying system of claim 3, wherein

each of the one or more of the collectable pins includes a picture with a theme.

10. The piggyback carrying system of claim 1, wherein

the carrying device is a nylon carrying device, a polypropylene carrying device, a fabric carrying device, leather carrying device, or a plastic carrying device.

11. The piggyback carrying system of claim 1, wherein

the straps are nylon straps, polypropylene straps, fabric straps, leather straps, or plastic straps.

12. The piggyback carrying system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fasteners is a plurality of rivets.

13. The piggyback carrying system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fasteners includes

a first mounting strap and a second mounting strap respectively pivotally coupled to the pair of parallel straps, each of the first mounting strap and the second mounting strap including male and female couplers;

wherein the first mounting strap to pivot, wrap and couple around a first shoulder strap or a first tube of the carrying device;

wherein the second mounting strap to pivot, wrap and couple around a second shoulder strap or a second tube of the carrying device.

14. The piggyback carrying system of claim 1, wherein the closable circular webbed harness further includes

a second pair of male couplers and a second pair of female couplers respectively coupled to the pair of parallel straps spaced apart the first pair of male couplers and the first pair of female couplers,

wherein the second pair of male couplers to couple to the second pair of female couplers to selectively close together and form a second pair of closed loops that are joined together and spaced apart around the article.

15. A closable circular webbed harness to selectively secure one or two articles to a carrying device, the closable circular webbed harness comprising:

a web matrix of a plurality of straps to receive and wrap around a first article;

a first pair of coupling devices coupled to a first pair of ends of the web matrix;

a second pair of coupling devices adjustably coupled to the web matrix opposite the first pair of first coupling devices;

wherein the first pair of coupling devices to couple to the second pair of coupling devices to selectively form a first pair of spaced apart closed loops around the first article.

16. The closable circular webbed harness of claim 15, wherein the web matrix of the plurality of straps receives and wraps around a second article, and the closable circular webbed harness further comprises:

a third pair of coupling devices coupled to a second pair of ends of the web matrix opposite the first pair of ends;

a fourth pair of coupling devices adjustably coupled to the web matrix opposite the third pair of coupling devices;

wherein the third pair of coupling devices to couple to the fourth pair of coupling devices to selectively form a second pair of spaced apart closed loops around the second article.

17. The closable circular webbed harness of claim 15, wherein

the second pair of coupling devices to adjust a circumference of the first pair of spaced apart closed loops around the first article.

18. The closable circular webbed harness of claim 16, wherein

the second pair of coupling devices to adjust a circumference of the first pair of spaced apart closed loops around the first article; and

the fourth pair of coupling devices to adjust a circumference of the second pair of spaced apart closed loops around the second article.

19. (canceled)

20. The closable circular webbed harness of claim 15, wherein

the web matrix of the plurality of straps includes a breakaway bridge strap releasably coupling a pair of tails of parallel straps together,

one of the pair of tails includes a male joinable fabric mesh, and

the other one of the pair of tails includes a female joinable fabric mesh to releasably couple to the male joinable fabric,

wherein the pair of tails are selectively decoupled by a force.

21. The closable circular webbed Harness of claim 15, wherein

the plurality of straps forming the web matrix are a nylon material, a polypropylene material, a fabric material, a leather material, or a plastic material.

22-28. (canceled)

29. A carrying device comprising:

a backpack having a closable carrying bag with pair of shoulder straps coupled to a back side of the bag and a material surface on a front side of the bag;

a closable circular webbed harness to selectively secure an article to the backpack, the closable circular webbed harness including

a plurality of fasteners coupled to the closable circular webbed harness and the material surface on the front side of the backpack to mount and retain the closable circular webbed harness and the backpack coupled together.

30. The carrying device of claim 29, wherein

the plurality of fasteners are a plurality of self-piloting rivets with a plurality of locking collars coupled to the plurality of shafts of the plurality of self-piloting rivets.

31. The carrying device of claim 29, wherein

the material surface of the backpack has a first plurality of pilot holes,

one or more of the straps of the closable circular webbed harness have a second plurality of pilot holes;

the plurality of fasteners are a plurality of non-self-piloting rivets with a plurality of shafts inserted into the first and second plurality of pilot holes, and a plurality of locking collars coupled to the plurality of shafts of the plurality of self-piloting rivets.