GB2413948A

GB2413948A - Rucksack with back ventilation system

Info

Publication number: GB2413948A
Application number: GB0410436A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martyn Hurn
Original assignee: Lowe Alpine Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Lowe Alpine Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2004-05-11
Filing date: 2004-05-11
Publication date: 2005-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 2024-05-11
Also published as: GB0410436D0; GB2413948B

Abstract

According to the present invention there is provided a rucksack 1 with a back ventilation system 11 comprising: a bag 3, having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls; a shoulder harness 2, including a pair of shoulder carrier straps connected at their upper ends to an upper part of the rear wall of the rucksack; a rigid frame 8, shaped substantially in the form of an inverted U, attached to the rear wall of the bag, the frame having a horizontal portion and two substantially vertical branches, the vertical branches being bent so as to provide the rear wall of the bag with a substantially concave profile; a pair of scapular pads 10, arranged on the upper part of the rear wall of the bag; and a pair of lumbar pads 2, arranged on a lower part of the rear wall of the bag; such that when the rucksack is carried by a user by means of the shoulder harness, the scapular pads contact the shoulder blades of the user and the lumbar pads contact a lumbar region of the user's back and an air space is created between the concave rear wall of the bag and the back of the user. Vertical air channels 15, 19 are created between the respective upper and lower pads.

Description

24 1 3948

RUCKSACK WITH BACK VENTILATION SYSTEM

Field of the Invention

This invention concerns a rucksack with a back ventilation system, which allows s air circulate freely between the rucksack and a user's back. The term "rucksack" as used throughout the description and claims is intended to include backpacks and other bags carried on the shoulder by means of a shoulder harness.

Backeround to the Invention in A typical conventional rucksack comprises a load-carrying bag having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls. A carrying harness is attached to the rear wall of the rucksack. Typically the shoulder harness comprises a pair of shoulder straps which arc attached at the their upper ends to the rear wall of the rucksack.

Typically, the rucksack is provided with a waist belt which is also attached to the.....

rear wall of the rucksack at a lower part thereof. The waist belt is intended to fit around.

the waist of a person carrying the rucksack and is intended to rest on the hips of the user. The lower ends of the shoulder straps are attached to the lower corners of the rear .

wall of the rucksack or to the waist belt by adjustable straps. . 2(' In an early rucksack design, the load-carrying bag simply hung from the, . shoulders of the user, and the greater part of the load was distributed onto the shoulders of the user. This causes excessive tiredness and fatigue in the shoulder muscles and it is difficult to carry heavy loads for long periods. It is now known that it is desirable to 2s transfer the load from the shoulders to the lumbar region of the spine and onto hips. It is also desirable to stabilise the load within the rucksack and reduce swaying of the load as swaying can be disconcerting and dangerous to the user when climbing on steep ground or when running. Further, the centre of gravity of the load should be brought close to that of the user for improved stability.

Current solutions to the above mentioned problems include rucksacks which incorporate metal, plastic or glass fibre frames. The frames serve to transfer a portion of the load from the shoulders to the hips and also flex to absorb jolts. In order to bring the centre of gravity closer to that of the user, rucksacks are now manufactured to conform closely to the contours of the user's back by use of a thermoformed panel. To reduce swaying, rucksacks are provided with compression straps or specially designed *lames, such as that described in WO 97/42851.

In rucksacks that include the above features, the load tends to be carried very close to the user's back. When the load is carried by the user as he walks, the proximity betwocn the user's back and the rear wall of the rucksack results in a build up of perspiration on the user's back. This can be unpleasant and uncomfortable for the user.

to Frequently, the user's back is left wet when the rucksack is removed, exposing him to the possibility of chilling. It is therefore desirable to provide a rucksack which maintains the ability to transfer the load from the shoulders to the hips and to stabilise the rucksack to prevent swaying, but which also allows for ventilation of the user's back. 5. a

A number of systems have been developed to allow air to circulate between a. . rucksack and a user's back, such as that described in European Patent No. 0158154.

The rucksack includes a stiff frame that holds the rear wall of the rucksack in a curved .

shape, such that it is concave away from the user's back in use. A fine mesh layer is . then attached to the back of the rucksack so that it lies flat against the user's back in use. ....

Air is thus allowed to circulate in the volume enclosed by the mesh. This solution has. . the disadvantage of a loss of volume in the bag and also provides inadequate ventilation of the lower back.

as Another system is described in United States Patent No. 5,823,414. This system includes an inverted U-shaped frame with bent branches, which maintains the rear wall of the rucksack in a curved form. The system further includes a pair of inverted V shaped elements, one branch of each element interacting with the rear wall of the rucksack, and the other branch of each element interacting with a waist strap. The V shaped elements thus provide a space between the bottom of the rear wall of the rucksack and the rear face of the waist strap, thus ventilating the lower back. A disadvantage of this system lies in the use of the V-shaped elements. In use, these V shaped elements sit between the user's lower back and the rear wall of the rucksack. As the user walks with the pack on his back, the V-shaped elements may flex and cause the load to bounce towards and away from the user's hips. This de-stabilises the load carried by the user and reintroduces load swaying.

s Obiect of the Invention An object of the invention is to provide a rucksack which overcomes the problems of the prior art. A particular object is to provide a ventilation system for a rucksack which reduces the problem of sweating and which can be used in conjunction with systems which direct the load in the rucksack to the user's hips and stabilise the it) load to prevent swaying.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a rucksack with a back ventilation system comprising: a bag, having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls; Is a shoulder harness, including a pair of shoulder carrier straps connected at their upper . ends to an upper part of the rear wall of the rucksack; a rigid frame, shaped substantially.. . in the form of an inverted U. attached to the rear wall of the bag, the frame having a horizontal portion and two substantially vertical branches, the vertical branches being: bent so as to provide the rear wall of the bag with a substantially concave profile; a pair . : of scapular pads, arranged on the upper part of the rear wall of the bag; and a pair of..

lumbar pads, arranged on a lower part of the rear wall of the bag; such that when the. . rucksack is carried by a user by means of the shoulder harness, the scapular pads contact the shoulder blades of the user and the lumbar pads contact a lumbar region of the user's back and an air space is created between the concave rear wall of the bag and the back 2s of the user.

An advantage of this arrangement is that there is no contact between the middle of the user's back and the rear wall of the rucksack. Air is thus permitted to circulate freely between the user's back and the rucksack, thereby preventing perspiration from gathering on the user's back. Furthermore, although an air space is provided between the rucksack and the user, the frame gives the bag a curved shape that conforms closely to the shape of the user's back. The centre of gravity of the rucksack is therefore close to that of the user, giving the rucksack added stability. The rucksack of the present invention is also compatible with known rucksack systems which improve stability and reduce swaying.

Advantageously, the air space is vented by a pair of lateral air passages on either side of the user's back.

Preferably, an upper vertical air channel is created between the scapular pads.

Optionally, the scapular pads are arranged separately and in substantially horizontal alignment on the upper part of the rear wall of the rucksack. Preferably, a lower vertical lo air channel is created between the lumbar pads. The lumbar pads are desirably arranged separately and in substantially horizontal alignment on the lower part of the rear wall of the rucksack. The vertical air channels created between each set of pads allow for vertical movement of air along the user's back, thereby providing a chimney effect or updraught.

5.... :.

The rucksack may further comprise a waist belt suitable for transferring the. , weight of a load carried in the bag to the user's hips, wherein the waist belt is attached to the lower part of the rear wall of the rucksack in substantially horizontal alignment : .e with the lumbar pads. The lumbar pads thus assist in transferring the load from the . .. : shoulders to the hips. ....

Ideally, the frame is formed from aluminium. In a preferred embodiment, the frame is at least partially encased in a sleeve attached to the rear wall of the rucksack.

2s Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the back wall of a rucksack according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section along line X-X of Figure 1, showing the rucksack in use; Figure 3 is a rear view of a rucksack according to the present invention; 3( Figure 4 is a perspective view of a frame member; Figure 5 is a rear view of a second embodiment of a rucksack of the invention; and Figure is a side view of the rucksack of Figure S in use.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Referring to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, a rucksack according to the present invention is shown. The rucksack I comprises a bag 2 having a front wall 3, a rear wall 4, two side walls 5 and a shoulder harness 7, including a pair of shoulder carrier straps 9 s connected at their upper ends to an upper part 11 of the rear wall 4 of the rucksack 1.

The rucksack further comprises a waist belt 32, which is intended to be fastened around the waist of a user in order to transfer a substantial portion of the weight of the load to be carried to the user's hips.

0 The rucksack includes a rigid frame member 6 as shown in Figure 4. The frame member is shaped substantially in the form of an inverted U. having a horizontal portion and two substantially vertical elongate portions 8. The elongate portions 8 are bent slightly away from the vertical to give the frame member 6 a curved shape. In the present embodiments, the radius of curvature is approximately 700 mm. The horizontal Is portion 3() and the elongate portions 8 of the frame 6 are attached to the rear wall 4 of.

. :...DTD: the rucksack by means of a plurality of sleeves 36. As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the..

curved elongate portions 8 of the frame member 6 provide the rear wall of the bag with a substantially concave profile. .e

As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5, the rucksack further includes a pair of scapular....

pads lO arranged on an upper part 11 of the rear wall 4 of the bag 2 and a pair of lumbar.

pads 12 arranged on a lower part 13 of the rear wall 4. As shown in Figures 2 and 6, when the rucksack I is carried by a user by means of the shoulder harness 7, the scapular pads l O contact the shoulder blades 14 of the user and the lumbar pads 12 2s contact a lumbar region 16 of the user's back 17 and an air space 18 is created between the concave rear wall 4 of the bag and the back 217 of the user. The air space 18 is vented by lateral air passages or openings 34 on each side.

The scapular pads 10 are arranged separately and in substantially horizontal alignment on the upper part 11 of the rear wall 4 of the rucksack such that an upper, substantially vertical air channel 15 is created between the scapular pads. The lumbar pads 12 are arranged separately and in substantially horizontal alignment on a lower part of the rear wall 4 of the rucksack such that a lower, substantially vertical air channel 19 is created between the lumbar pads. The air channels 15 and 19 communicate with the airspace 18. In addition to the ventilation effect provided by the central air space and lateral air passages, the upper and lower air channels 15, 19 created between the sets of pads l(), 12 allow for vertical movement of air along the user's back.

As can be seen from the drawings, there is no contact between the middle of the user's back l 7 and the rear wall 4 of the rucksack. Air is thus permitted to circulate freely between the user's back and the rucksack, thereby preventing perspiration from gathering on the user's back. Furthermore, the upper and lower air channels 15, 19 created between the sets of pads 10, 12 allow for vertical movement of air along the user's back, thereby providing a chimney effect or updraught.

As mentioned above, the rucksack 1 further comprises a waist belt 32 suitable for transferring the weight of a load carried in the bag 2 to the user's hips, wherein the waist belt 32 is attached to the lower part 13 of the rear wall 4 of the rucksack in . substantially horizontal alignment with the lumbar pads 12. The lumbar pads 12 are. . . thus employed to assist in transferring the load from the shoulders to the hips. . .

The embodiment of the rucksack shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.. : 2 further includes a shoulder harness adjustment system. The system includes a central....

web 3X which travels behind the pads of the ventilation system and is bifurcated to form. . a pair of side webs which are in turn connected to the shoulder straps. The system is described in full in a co-pending patent application filed concurrently herewith.

2.s The words "comprises/comprising" and the words "having/including" when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

Claims

Claims I. A rucksack with a back ventilation system comprising: a bag,

having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls; a shoulder harness, including a pair of shoulder carrier straps connected at their upper ends to an upper part of the rear wall of the rucksack; a rigid frame, shaped substantially in the form of an inverted U. attached to the rear wall of the bag, the frame having a horizontal portion and two substantially vertical branches, the vertical branches being bent so as to provide the rear wall of the bag with to a substantially concave profile; a pair of scapular pads, arranged on the upper part of the rear wall of the bag; and a pair of lumbar pads, arranged on a lower part of the rear wall of the bag; such that when the rucksack is carried by a user by means of the shoulder harness, the scapular pads contact the shoulder blades of the user and the lumbar pads contact a Is lumbar region of the user's back and an air space is created between the concave rear.....

wall of the bag and the back of the user. ...

2. A rucksack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air space is vented by a pair of lateral : air passages on either side of the user's back.

20....

3. A rucksack as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein an upper vertical air channel. . is created between the scapular pads.

4. A rucksack as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the scapular pads are arranged separately and in substantially horizontal alignment on the upper part of the rear wall of the rucksack.

5. A rucksack as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a lower vertical air channel is created between the lumbar pads.

6. A rucksack as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lumbar pads are arranged separately and in substantially horizontal alignment on the lower part of the rear wall of the rucksack.

7. A rucksack as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a waist belt suitable for transferring the weight of a load carried in the bag to the user's hips, wherein the waist belt is attached to the lower part of the rear wall of the rucksack in s substantially horizontal alignment with the lumbar pads.

8. A rucksack as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the frame is formed from aluminium.

- 9. A rucksack as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the frame is at least partially encased in a sleeve attached to the rear wall of the rucksack.

10. A rucksack as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the frame is substantially of the shape shown in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

15.... . 11. A rucksack substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as.. . . illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

2) ....