AU7886798A - A pack - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

FOR .A STANDARD PAi'NT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: LEE STYLIANOU Actual Inventor: Lee STYLIANOU Address of Service: -BALDWIN SHELSTON

WATERS

60 MARGARET

STREET

SYDNEY NSW 2000 Invention Title: POSTURE PAC .K Details of Associated Provisional Application No. P08473 datad 7 August 1997 The following statement is a full description of this inventio;, Including the best method of performing it known to us:- -2- This invention relates generally to packs, ruck sacks and the like, of the type adapted to be carried by the wearer.

Many types of bags/packs exist which enable people to transport articles. Various pack designs are well known to those skilled in the art, and so will not be described in detail. Most, however, are designed with little or no attention to ergonomics. For example, prior art packs have been proven to substantially contribute to poor posture.

While not quite a panacea, good posture can cure much that ails the human body, from headaches and shoulder tension, to hip and knee discomfort, to lower back pain. Good posture requires maintaining the natural curve of the spine. Too much or too little curvature in the lower back can place undue stress on the disks and vertebrae, setting the stage for muscle strains, ligament sprains or disk injuries.

When discussing good posture, one must first start with the spine, the series of bones and disks which support and protect the delicate spinal cord and the thirty one pairs of spinal nerves. Ordinary activity such as breathing and twisting affect the spine and the ribs where they attach to the spine. Due to the constant stresses and forces exerted in this area, the spine was designed to be structurally strong and yet very flexible. The spine is what gives the human structure support, strength and agility. If poor posture exists, one usually finds the problem originating in the spine.

j] The spinal nerves branching off the spinal cord exit the spine through the vertebral foramina, or nerve holes, in order to travel to all parts of the body. Poor posture can cause pressure on or irritation of these spinal nerves, resulting in dysfunction to the 1 tissues those nerves were meant to serve. Poor posture can also restrict or alter the normal position of the rib cage since the rib heads attach directly to the spine. This can S* cause the lungs to funimcon improperly, as well as causing excess stress and pressure on JU ~1PIorgans and tissues in the chest and abdomen. Because all of these conditions can cause dysfunction and stresses throughout the body, poor posture can develop into a serious health threat. Furthermore, poor posture leads to faulty body mechanics, which is the body's natural response to the stresses of gravity. The fact that humans walk upright puts tremendous gravitational stress on the framework of a normal human body the stress on a body out of alignment can be devastating to the body's health.

The muscles which attach to the bones are also affected as they are unable to work as efficiently and will fatigue quicker. This will cause muscle weakness. Muscles that are no longer in their usual position may also tighten. All of these factors can lead to pain and degenerative problems over a period of time.

Therefore posture can be defined as the position of the parts of the body in relation to each other. Good posture is achieved when the ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle are in a straight line with one another. A properly stacked spinal column more evenly distributes the compressive forces over the surface of the disks and venebral bodies. As the invertebral disks tend to dry out and degenerate with age, the benefits of good posture become clearer. When the body is positioned correctly there is minimal strain on the muscles, ligaments, bones, and joints, internal organs are not compressed, blood vessels are not pressed, and nerves are not irritated. This allows the body to function at its peak.

Prior art packs are adapted to be carried on the wearer's back. It has been found through extensive investigation that this type of pack tends to accentuate poor posture.

The back (spine) is forced to bend forward, the shoulders are displaced in a forward and upward position, and consequently, the head and neck are poked forward. This inefficient and poor posture leads to the problems discussed above.

-4- It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

Accordingly, the invention provides a pack having one or more compartments and adapted to be positioned to the front of a user; said pack including one or more support handles adapted for minimising any upward displacement of the shoulders and forwvard positioning of the head and neck when gripped manually by the user, thereby minimising adverse postural effects.

In one preferred form of the invention, the support handles comprise two separate handles, one for the right hand and one for the left hand, which are grasped to support the weight of the pack and minimise any upward displacement of the shoulders and forward positioning of the head and neck.

SIn another preferred form of the invention, the support handles may comprise a singular support handle which would be located along the front lower surface of the pack, so as to cover generally the same location as the two separate support handles, and be of sufficient length to be grasped by both hands to support the weight of the pack and minimise any upward displacement of the shoulders and forward positioning of the head and neck.

The pack, alor, i 'he support straps and handles may be made of a suitable material such as nylon, or vinyl.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. I, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 showvs one embodiment of a posture pack device according to the invention; ___~_~NI-I~U~IIIIQ l ti. ^CIII-~ FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the application of such a posture pack device on a user.

Referring to FIG. 1 it can be seen that the pack according to this invention comprises main compartment 1 which on its upper section 2 has zip 3. Zip 3 opens and closes main compartment 1. Side pockets 4 and 5 are attached to sides 6 and 7 of the main compartment 1, respectively. The side pockets 4 and 5 are opened and closed by zips 8 and 9, respectively. The front compartment 10 is attached to the front section 11 of the main compartment 1. The front compartment 10 is opened and closed using zip 12. The left support handle 13 and the right support handle 14 are located at the bottom 10 of front section 11.

FIG. 2 shows the inside of front section 11 of the main compartment 1. Here pocket 15 is attached at 16, 17 and 18. At the top of pocket 15, zip 19, for opening and closing pocket 15, is located.

S- FIG. 3 shows the outside of back section 20 of the main compartment 1. Attached at 21, 22 and 23 of the outside of bck section 20 is compartment 24. The left support strap 29, which passes over the left shoulder is fixed at 30 and 31, and is adjustable using press-release buckle 32. Whilst, similarly the right support strap 25, which passes over the right shoulder is fixed at 26 and 27, and is adjustable using press-release buckle 28.

It can be separated from its bottom section 33 using buckle 28. The reason for this being the ease of placing on the posture pack: The posture pack is placed on by first placing the right hand, then the rest of the arm followed by the head, between the left support strap 29 and the outside of back section 20 of the main component 1. The right support strap is then placed over the right shoulder and secured using finding 28 to the bottom i -6portion 33 of the right support strap 25. The left and right hands grasp left support handle 13 and right support handle 14, respectively, to farther support the pack.

FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the posture pack device in operation. It can be seen that person 40 is wearing a posture pack on the front of their body. The weight of the posture pack being supported via the support straps by the back portion of the right shoulder complex 41 and the left shoulder complex 42 and by the back 43 of person To further assist in the maintaining of good posture, a waist strap 44 can be added. In a preferred form the waist strap can include an adjustable press-release buckle (not "shown). The support straps also allow the wearer manually to support part or all of the S. 10 weight of the pack from below if desired, thereby avoiding overloading the shoulder straps, and minimising shoulder and neck strain.

As the neck and arms are related anatomically, it is common for pain in the arms and hands to stem from problems in the neck. Neck and arm strain can be prevented by keeping the head and neck in proper alignment. The slight inward curve of the neck balances the head on the spine. Holding the head forward disturbs this balance, straining thejoints and muscles of the neck and upper back. The neck flexes as the head moves forward in front of the plumb line (the line created by drawing a line between the ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle). The upper neck must then extend to keep the eyes level.

The full weight of the head is then carried by the neck and upper back. This posture also causes compression of the nerves and blood vessels as they exit the neck, leading to symptoms in the arms and hands.

SAdvantageously, the positioning of the pack across the front torso of the wearer, and the manual engagement of the support handles, provides support for the arms, .allowing the shoulders to relax, thus reducing upper body muscle tension and ^i -7maintaining correct posture and body alignment. This in turn enables the user more effectively to support the pack especially when carrying a heavy load, decreasing the stress on the shoulders and spine. This mechanism also acts to minimise the overworking of any particular muscle group and significantly reduce muscular tension in the upper body. It also eliminates poor upper body biomechanics; that is, shoulders raised and poked forward, and head and neck protraction (poked forward and anterior cranial rotation). Excessive levels of muscular tension qualify as a physiological penalty, as can lead to muscular pain and fatigue and perhaps ultimately to bone and joint disease. In other words, excessive local muscle tension leads to pain, fatigue, injury and disease.

SIn summary, by the use of the posture pack in this fashion the back is held in a more upright position, the shoulders are not displaced forward and upward and the head and neck are not poked forward. This more ideal positioning will allow a pack to be .placed more comfcrtably and more centrally balanced on the human body, to decrease tension and complaints. Accordingly, the invention represents a significant improvement over the prior art.

It will be realised that the pack device according to the invention is not restricted to the form of two separate support handles shown in the example, but may use a single support handle which is grasped by both hands to support the weight of the pack and minimise any upward displacement of the shoulders and forward positioning of the head and neck.

The posture pack may take on other variations including size, shape, covers for the support handles and other arrangements for the compartments.

s -8- Although, the invention has been described with reference to a specific example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

Itea r -r 7n*

Claims (9)

1. 2. A pack according to claim 1, wherein said pack includes a plurality of shoulder straps. I
2. 3. A pack according to claim 2, wherein said shoulder straps each extend between a first and second end of a compartment. 10 4. A pack according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said pack further includes a plurality of detachable compartments. A pack according to any one of the preceding claims, including two separate support handles, one for the right hand and one for the left hand.
3. 6. A pack according to any one of claims I to 4, including a singular support handle located along the front surface of the pack, and of sufficient length to be grasped by both hands of the user.
4. 7. A pack according to claims 2 or 3, wherein a left or right shoulder strap is fixed at both ends and adjustable in length.
5. 8. A pack according to claims 2, 3 or 7 wherein said shoulder strap includes connectable upper and lower sections.
6. 9. A pack according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said pack further includes a waist strap. A pack according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said support handles are wrist straps. s i i L
7. 12- A pack according to claim 4, wherein said compartments are attached by opposing 0zippers.
8. 13. A pack according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one compartment includes a removable water-proof lining.
9. 14. A pack according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one ebd n of the invention shown in the accompanyin dan STUART M. SMII TH tFellow Idnstitute of Patent Attoneys of Austra -of BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS of BALDWIN SHSTON WAERS .1