GB2427816A

GB2427816A - Anti-slip unit for shoulder strap

Info

Publication number: GB2427816A
Application number: GB0513770A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tien-Lai Lin
Original assignee: Case Pax International Co Ltd
Current assignee: Case Pax International Co Ltd
Priority date: 2005-07-05
Filing date: 2005-07-05
Publication date: 2007-01-10
Also published as: GB0513770D0

Abstract

A shoulder strap includes a strap unit 21 and an anti-slip unit 22. The anti-slip unit includes a sleeve portion 221, through which the strap unit is extended, and a bendable wing portion 222 outwardly extending from one side of the sleeve portion. The wing portion increases the bearing and contact area of the shoulder strap with a user's shoulder to produce good anti-slip effect. Alternatively it may be folded over the sleeve portion and secured. The outer edge of the strap is thereby raised to inhibit slipping.

Description

SHOULDER STRAP

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shoulder strap, and more particularly to a shoulder strap with an anti-slip unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Please refer to Figs. 1 and 2, in which a conventional shoulder strap 11 having an anti-slip member put thereon is shown. When the shoulder strap 11 is in use, the anti-slip member 12 works to prevent the shoulder strap 11 from slipping down the user's shoulder.

The anti-slip member is generally made of a soft material with elasticity, and is slidable relative to the shoulder strap 11. When the user moves with a heavy load connected to the shoulder strap 11, the shoulder strap 11 tends to deform and laterally slide outward in the anti-slip member 12, as shown in Fig. 2. When the shoulder strap 11 slides down a shoulder, particularly a slanting shoulder, it generates a relatively small downward component but a considerably large outward component. While the anti-slip member 12 provides an increased frictional force for the shoulder strap 11, the increased frictional force is still small due to the small downward component. In other words, it is still possible the shoulder strap 11 slips down the user's shoulder when it is in use.

Taiwanese New Utility Model Patent Published under No. M260147 and entitled "Back Anti-slip Pad" discloses an anti-slip pad fixed to a rear side of a backpack and an inner side of shoulder straps thereof. The antislip pads fixed to the inner side of the shoulder straps deform in contacting with different areas of human body soas to increase their bearing and contacting area with the human body and resistance to move. However, it is found the anti-slip pads fixed to the shoulder straps of the backpack only provides an increased frictional force without producing significant effect in increasing the bearing and contacting area of the shoulder straps with the user's shoulders. Therefore, the shoulder straps still tend to slip off the user's shoulders.

Some disadvantages of the conventional shoulder strap are as follows: (1) The bearing and contacting area of the shoulder strap does not significantly increase.

(2) The conventional shoulder strap produces a relatively small downward component but a considerably large outward component which possibly results in slip down the user's shoulder.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved shoulder strap which eliminates one or more disadvantages of the conventional shoulder straps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary preferred object of the present invention is to provide a shoulder strap that has increased bearing and contact area with a user's shoulder.

Another preferred object of the present invention is to provide a shoulder strap that produces increased downward component.

A further preferred object of the present invention is to provide a shoulder strap that produces increased frictional force.

A still further preferred object of the present invention is to provide a shoulder strap that does not easily slip down a user's slanting shoulder.

A still further preferred object of the present invention is to provide a shoulder strap that could be folded for easy storage.

Preferably to achieve one or more of the above and other objects, the shoulder strap according to the present invention includes a strap unit and an anti-slip unit.

The anti-slip unit includes a sleeve portion and a wing portion; and the strap unit is extended through and fitted in the sleeve portion of the anti-slip unit.

Further preferred features of the present invention are set out in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the

following detailed description of the preferred

embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional shoulder strap with an anti-slip member; Fig. 2 shows the shoulder strap of Fig. 1 in use; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a shoulder strap with an anti-slip unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 shows the shoulder strap of Fig. 3 in use; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a shoulder strap with an anti-slip unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 shows the shoulder strap of Fig. 5 in use; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a shoulder strap with an anti-slip unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to Fig. 3 that is a perspective view of a shoulder strap according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the shoulder strap includes a strap unit 21 and an anti-slip unit 22. The anti-slip unit 22 is provided at an inner side with an anti-slip pad 223, and includes a sleeve portion 221 and a wing portion 222. The strap unit 21 is provided at two opposite ends with a connector 224 each, such as a spring catch, so that a user may connect the shoulder strap at two ends to a load.

A cushion pad (not shown) may be provided between the sleeve portion 221 of the anti-slip unit 22 and the strap unit 21 to reduce the force acted on the user's shoulder at the instant the strap unit 21 is connected to a load, so that the user's shoulder is well protected against the discomfort of supporting the shoulder strap and the load long.

Please refer to Fig. 4. To use the shoulder strap of the present invention, the strap unit 21 is extended through and fitted in the sleeve portion 221 of the anti-slip unit 22. The strap unit 21 with a load connected thereto is supported on the user's shoulder with the wing portion 222 of the anti-slip unit 22 located at an outer side of the user's shoulder. As having been mentioned earlier, when the strap unit 21 is hung on a user's slanting shoulder and tends to slip down therefrom, there is produced a relatively small downward component but considerably large outward component. At this point, the wing portion 222 of the antislip unit 22 located at the outer side of the user's shoulder is in the direction of the outward component and generates a resistance to the outward component and increases an overall frictional force of the antislip unit 22 at the instant the anti-slip unit 22 is going to slip outward, preventing the anti-slip unit 22 from slipping off the user's shoulder.

Please refer to Fig. 5, in which a shoulder strap according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown, the shoulder strap of the second embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first embodiment, except that a loop tape 222a of a hook and loop fastener tape is provided on the wing portion 222 of the anti-slip unit 22, and a hook tape 221a of the hook and loop fastener tape is provided on the sleeve portion 221 of the anti-slip unit 22 corresponding to the loop tape 222a.

Fig. 6 shows the use of the shoulder strap of the second embodiment. As shown, the wing portion 222 with the loop tape 222a is bent toward the sleeve portion 221 of the anti-slip unit 22. The strap unit 21 having a load connected thereto is supported on the user's shoulder with the wing portion 222 of the anti-slip unit 22 located at an outer side of the shoulder. Since the anti-slip unit 22 has an outer edge 222b longer than an inner edge 221b thereof, the outer edge 222b would have a bending larger than that of the inner edge 221b when the anti-slip unit 22 is bent over the strap unit 21.

As a result, the outer edge 222b of the anti-slip unit 22 has a thickness larger than that of the inner edge 221b.

Again, the strap unit 21 is extended through and fitted in the sleeve portion 221 of the anti-slip unit 22. The strap unit 21 with a load connected thereto is supported on the user's shoulder with the wing portion 222 of the anti-slip unit 22 located at an outer side of the shoulder.

With the outer edge 222b of the anti-slip unit 22 being thicker than the inner edge 221b, the strap unit 21 hung on a slanting shoulder produces an increased downward component and a reduced outward component to thereby increase an overall frictional force of the strap unit 21, preventing the same from slipping down the user's shoulder.

Fig. 7 shows a shoulder strap according to a third embodiment of the present invention The third embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first and the second embodiment, except that two portions 211 of the strap unit 21 separately extended from two ends of the sleeve portion 221 of the anti-slip unit 22 could be folded toward the sleeve portion 221 and held thereto by the hook tape 221a and the loop tape 222a on the anti-slip unit 22, enabling the shoulder strap to be conveniently stored.

Preferably the shoulder straps of embodiments of the present invention offers the following advantages over

those of the prior art:

1. The wing portion of the anti-slip unit of the shoulder strap of the embodiment of the present invention is extended in the direction of an outward component of the strap unit, and gives the shoulder strap an increased bearing and contact area with a user's shoulder.

2.The loop tape of the hook and loop fastener tape on the wing portion of the anti-slip unit is turned toward the sleeve portion to connect to the hook tape of the hook and loop fastener tape, causing the anti-slip unit bent over the strap unit to have an outer edge higher than an inner edge thereof, resulting in increased downward component and frictional force of the shoulder strap.

3. The two opposite end portions of the strap unit can be folded toward the sleeve portion of the anti-slip unit and held thereto to allow convenient storage of the shoulder strap.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A shoulder strap comprising a strap unit and an anti-slip unit;

said anti-slip unit further comprising a sleeve portionandawingportion, and said strap unit being extended through and fitted in said sleeve portion of said anti-slip unit.
2. The shoulder strap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wing portion of said anti-slip unit is provided at one side with a loop tape of a hook and loop fastener tape, and said sleeve portion of said anti-slip unit is provided at one side with a hook tape of the hook and loop fastener tape corresponding to said loop tape, such that when said loop tape is turned toward said sleeve portion to connect to said hook tape, and said antislip unit is bent over said strap unit, said anti-slip unit is caused to have an outer edge higher than an inner edge thereof.
3. The shoulder strap as claimed in claim2, wherein said strap unit has two opposite end portions extended from two ends of said sleeve portion of said anti-slip unit, and said two extended portions of said strap unit could be folded toward said sleeve portion of the anti-slip unit and held thereto by said hook tape and said loop tape of said hook and loop fastener tape that have been connected to each other.
4. The shoulder strap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said anti-slip unit is provided with an anti-slip pad.
5. The shoulder strap as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims, wherein said anti-slip unit is provided with a cushion pad.
6. The shoulder strap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said strap unit is provided at two opposite ends with a connector each for connecting to a load.
7. A shoulder strap substantially as any one herein described with reference to, or as illustrated in, Figures 3 to 7.