JP2003535636A - Backpack - Google Patents

Abstract

The backpack (1) comprises a flexible front-facing back panel (9) intended to face the back of the carrier and a trough or cup-shaped rigid shell means (2). Have. Shell means (2) is attached to said back panel (9) along its edge (10) and extends rearward from said back panel (9), whereby said shell means (2) and said back panel ( 9) surrounds the compartment (4) and has a front wall formed by said back panel (9). The shell means (2) forms along its edge (10) a support surface (11) facing the back panel (9). This support surface comprises at least two support areas (12) arranged on both sides of said compartment (4).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] and back panel flexible forward which is intended to face the back of the field bearer of the invention, a rigid shell means, the back panel with attached to said rear panel along its edge A shell means extending rearwardly from the back means, wherein the shell means and the back panel surround a compartment and the front wall of the compartment is formed by the back panel.

BACKGROUND Conventional backpack invention generally includes a sack made of flexible material, and a front facing bearer, a front side thereof is provided with or is flexible or frames. Such backpacks are suitable for carrying flexible, sturdy objects such as clothes, but not for carrying fragile objects such as books, files and laptop computers.

There are also backpacks with a rigid container for holding different items. If the backpack is made as a rigid container, for example made of plastic,
Comfort issues arise. It is not comfortable to carry a rigid container directly against a person's back. Therefore, when using rigid containers, one is forced to use more or less cumbersome additional structures to reduce such comfort issues.

WO 98/30126 discloses a backpack of the type described above which has a flexible back panel such that in combination with a rigid shell constitutes the bottom and wall of the backpack. The shell also forms an S-shaped curve at the lower edge to provide support for the back curve. The shell has side edges that extend forward and are connected to the back panel by a fabric portion. The connection is made by screws passing through a plurality of openings along the side edges. The backpack is constructed so that the forward-extending edges (these are located on either side of the back when the carrier is carried) are deflected outwardly by the pressure on the shell so that the back is not hurt. . The backpack is adapted to be closed by a flexible cover which extends over the opening in the upper part.

This type of backpack has proved to be particularly suitable for the transport of fragile objects, due to its flexible back panel and rigid shell combination, while at the same time providing a high degree of safety to the carrier of the backpack. Is known to bring.
This type of backpack is intended to be oriented especially for backpacks having dimensions of width 30 cm and height 48 cm or more.

One disadvantage of the backpack described in WO 98/30126 is that it requires a particularly expensive means on the production tool in order to make the opening for the fastening means. Much more manual work is required to assemble the shell and back panel using the fastening means.

The rapid advances in the electronics industry have resulted in more and more handheld devices, such as handheld computers that have dimensions between laptop computers and cell phones. Therefore, there is a need for effective bags, cases, etc. for smaller and more fragile objects of this type.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved bag and case of smaller size suitable for carrying handheld devices and other smaller and more fragile objects. Is.

A particular object of the invention is that the bag or case should provide a high degree of safety and comfort for the carrier.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved backpack over previously known structures with rigid shells.

[0011] Summary These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, first, the rear panel flexible forward it facing the back of bearer is contemplated, there rigid shell means And shell means attached to the back panel along the edge thereof and extending rearward from the back panel, the shell means and the back panel enclosing a compartment, and a front portion of the compartment. A wall is achieved by a backpack formed by the back panel. The backpack is characterized by shell means forming along its edges a support surface facing the back panel, the support surface comprising at least two support areas arranged on opposite sides of the compartment. It is characterized by

By the present invention, a novel bag or case intended to be carried on the back, suitable for carrying smaller objects, will be achieved. Carrying on the back is a comfortable way to carry different types of objects, so that the solution of the invention with a bag having the form of a backpack for the safe carrying of smaller and fragile objects is , Bring many benefits.

Thus, according to the invention, the support surface, together with the back panel, is arranged to provide a distributed pressure over the back of the carrier when the backpack is carried, and in particular:
For example, it is configured to disperse the pressure applied to the shell from behind and the load from impact when it falls. At the same time, the rigid shell provides very good protection against the objects carried in the backpack.

The support surface is further divided into at least two support areas arranged on either side of the compartment, so that the load on the backpack and its carrier's back is balanced. The two support areas so arranged can also distribute the load over a larger area of the carrier's back. Furthermore, the support areas so arranged can achieve a structure in which all loads from the shell means on the back of the carrier are transmitted through these support areas. This prevents any sharp edges from exerting pressure on the carrier's back. Regardless of the body size of the carrier, not only good safety for the carrier but also high comfort is achieved. Therefore, this backpack is suitable not only for children but also for adults.

The support surface facing the back panel also provides a suitable surface for the connection and sealing between the shell means and the back panel. A particular advantage of this is that the shell means can easily be provided with suitable attachments for the fastening means, for example openings, during the formation of the shell means, for example by pressing or injection molding. Such an attachment can be provided within the shell means in the range of the working direction of the forming tool. Therefore, the formation of the shell means and the attachment is
It can be achieved in a single shared process. Advantageously, the fastening means can be aligned in the same direction and mounted in the same direction, so that the assembly can also be carried out automatically.

In a preferred embodiment said support surface extends along the entire edge of said shell means. Thereby, the support surface provides a large contact surface facing the rear panel, so as to ensure extremely high transport comfort and safety.

It is particularly preferred that the support surface is formed by outwardly extending flange means. This results in a support surface with some flexibility due to the thin material thickness. At the same time, the material consumption in the manufacturing process is reduced. Further, for example, a simple manufacturing can be performed at the time of press working or injection molding.

Preferably said shell means has a trough shape or cup shape which leads to a large edge which may provide a support area. Furthermore, the shell means may be formed as a single piece or may consist of several segments joined together.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention said shell means is
Hinged to the back panel on a first side of the compartment. Thereby, the backpack is intended to be opened on the second, opposite side of the compartment by pivoting the shell means away from the back panel.
Rotating around the hinge in this manner provides an opening function that allows a relatively large opening even with limited outer dimensions.

It is particularly preferred that the backpack is opened at the upper edge of the shell means by arranging the hinge at the lower edge of the shell means. This provides good access to the backpack and allows it to be opened and closed when the backpack is in the orientation intended for transport.

More advantageously, limiting means are provided for limiting the maximum opening angle between the shell means and the back panel.

Side wall means are provided in the lower portion of the backpack, the side wall means extending between the shell means and the back panel and opening the side wall of the compartment when the backpack is in the open state. It is particularly preferable to configure. The sidewalls also provide a maximum open upper limit setting for the backpack.

The side wall means are preferably constructed of flexible side parts which are supple but not elastic. This allows the side wall means to be easily folded when the backpack is closed, while at the same time keeping the maximum open limit of the backpack fixed. In another embodiment, an edge at the top of the shell means is provided with a shelter portion which is arranged to extend forward outside the edge portion of the back panel. However, the extension of the rain shield is smaller than the edge thickness of the back panel. As a result, the shelter flange does not form any edge, for example cutting into the carrier's back due to the pressure that may be exerted on the shell means from behind when falling.

By way of example, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show presently preferred embodiments.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a backpack 1 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. For easy understanding of the invention, all directions mentioned are relative to how the backpack is carried on the back. Therefore, the backward direction is the direction away from the back.

The backpack 1 shown closed in FIG. 1 comprises two main parts, a so-called trough or cup-shaped shell means 2 and a back panel 9 better shown in FIG. ing. The shell means 2 and the back panel 9 surround the closed compartment 4 as shown in the closed state.

The shell means 2 forms a rear wall 5, a side wall 6, a bottom 7 and an upper side 8 of the backpack 1. The rear panel 9 also faces the carrier and constitutes the front wall of the compartment.

The shell means 2 has a smooth shape with a radius that describes a large arc. This means that there are no sharp transitions between the different faces forming the walls 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the shell. Of course, in alternative embodiments, the shell means 2 may be provided with other shapes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the shell means 2 is provided with a support surface 11 along its edge 10 on the side facing the carrier via the rear panel. This support surface 11
Can be arranged along the entire edge 10 of the shell means 2 or along a part thereof. The support surface 11 comprises several areas 12, which in the preferred embodiment are joined together to form a continuous support surface.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the support surface may be divided into areas that are separate from each other. With regard to such division of the support surface, separate support areas are arranged on either side of the shell means 2, thereby forming at least two spaced support areas 12 for the carrier's back via the rear panel 9. It is important that you can. It is particularly preferred that the support areas are arranged symmetrically so that they form supports in the edge areas which are separated by a maximum distance from one another. It is more preferred to provide the support surface with a large area in order to obtain a good carrying comfort and a high load absorption, for example for a high safety against the pressure exerted towards the backpack during a fall.

The support surface 11 in the preferred embodiment is formed by an outwardly extending flange 13 which constitutes the surface facing the rear panel 9 and extends along the entire edge 10 of the shell means 2. It The flange 13 has a number of preformed openings 16 along its bottom 14 and longitudinal sides 15. These openings 16 are intended to be used as tack holes when assembling the backpack 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flange 13 further has a rain shelter (droplet protection) extending forward.
A flange 17 is provided. This shelter flange 17 extends along the entire upper edge 18 of the shell means 2 and also extends a certain distance downwards along the longitudinal side 19 of the shell means 2, where it is slanted smoothly. .

Referring again to FIG. The shell means 2 comprises an upper part 20 and a lower part 2 as a whole.
It has a shape that can be divided into 1. The width of the shell means 2 between the support regions 12 arranged on both sides of the compartment 4 is larger in the lower part 21 than in the upper part 20. This allows the backpack to be fit between the shoulders of the carrier in an appropriate manner, while at the same time lowering the back edge 43 (
The support area in FIGS. 2 and 4) can be placed far away from the spine,
Is guaranteed.

The design of the shell means 2 is chosen so that it can be formed in a single step, for example by injection molding or conventional pressing. All angles in the shell means 2 allow escape from the tool. Furthermore, all the openings 16 of the support surface 11 are designed such that their center lines coincide with the pressing direction.
The shell means 2 is preferably designed as a single piece, but can also be made up of a number of individual pieces which together form a rigid shell means 2.

Suitable materials for the shell means 2 are plastics and metals. The shell means 2 is
It must be rigid, i.e. able to withstand a corresponding external force without solving its shape.

Hereinafter, FIG. 4 will be referred to. The back panel 9 is made of a flexible (flexible) material that is supple and flexible without any inherent ability to restore its original shape. Therefore, this back panel requires different material properties and thus different material choices than were required in the shell means. The back panel 9 is padded over its entire surface and, in the example shown, has three comfort areas (comf).
ort areas) 22.

Each comfort zone 22 comprises an additional pad plate, for example of polyethylene or EVA foam. The pad plates have outer and inner fabrics,
It is held in place by a seam 24 arranged around the plate 23. Alternatively, the rear panel 9 can also be provided with a single pad plate, which (if necessary) penetrates through the seam.
can be subdivided into sub-regions. The back panel 9 is generally adapted to exhibit greater suppleness along the seam (so that it acts as an axis of fold).

The arrangement and shape as shown and described above provide a back panel 9 for comfortably accommodating the carrier's back along with the rigid shell means 2. Due to the padding on the back panel 9, the carrier does not feel uncomfortable from any hard or sharp objects when carrying the backpack 1. Such a type of backpack is also essentially such that, in a preferred manner, the carrier's back provides an essentially flat front wall to the compartment 4 in use despite constant curvature. It utilizes the fact that it has a flat surface.

As shown in FIG. 3, the back panel 9 is attached to two wedge-shaped side wall means 25. These side wall means 25 are used to attach the back panel 9 to the shell means 2 as will be explained in more detail below. The back panel 9 and the side wall means 25 together form the rear part 3.

The two wedge-shaped side wall means 25 have their vertices 27 pointing downwards,
It is arranged on each side of the edge portion 26 of the rear panel 9.

The side parts 28 belonging to the side wall means 25 facing away from the rear panel 9 are connected to each other by a wall 29 of soft, flexible material. This wall 29, together with the side wall means 25 and the back panel 9, forms a pocket 30 in the backpack 1. The wall 29 also forms a damping means for reducing noise due to rattling or contact with the shell means 2 from the contents of the backpack 1. At the side portion 28, a joining flap 31 is arranged. These flaps 31 are the side wall means 25.
And faces the side away from the back panel 9 at the wall 29. The joint flap 31 is preformed with an opening 32 having a position corresponding to the position of the opening 16 in the flange 13 of the shell means 2. These openings 16 and 32
Is used when the backpack 1 is assembled by rivet driving, screwing, or the like.

With reference to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the shell means 2 is directly connected with the rear panel 9 along its lower edge 43. Such attachment acts as a hinge due to the flexibility of the back panel 9. As shown in FIG. 2, when the backpack 1 is opened, the shell means 2 rotates about the hinge with respect to the back panel 9. Such an attachment also provides an abutment surface 33 of the backpack 1 on the carrier's back. In order to achieve a permanent attachment between the two parts 2, 3 it is preferable to make the connection by means of rivets or other fastening means. The tacks are mounted in the openings 16 in the flange 13 which form the bearing surface.

From FIG. 2 it can be seen that the backpack is opened by moving the upper edge of the shell means 2 from the rear part 3 and closed in a corresponding manner by moving those edges together. Is clear. Thereby, convenient access to the internal space (compartment) 4 is achieved.

As can further be seen in FIG. 2, the longitudinal edge 19 of the shell means 2 and the rear panel 9 are joined by an intermediate wedge-shaped side wall means 25 (described above in connection with FIG. 3). Each side wall means 25 comprises a downward wedge-shaped flexible side portion 34 made of fabric or some other flexible material which is supple but not elastic. Each side portion 34 is fixedly mounted on its side facing the rear panel 9 to a longitudinal side 35 of the rear panel 9 and at the side 28 facing away from the rear panel 9 a shell. It is rigidly attached to the longitudinal side 19 of the means 2. The attachment of the lateral portion 34 along the longitudinal side 19 is preferably done by means of rivets, although other joining methods are possible. The side facing the back panel 9 is preferably sewn to the back panel 9.

The maximum opening of the backpack 1 is limited by the width of the side portion 34. As a result, the side portion 34 forms a limiting means for limiting the maximum opening angle in the open state. Access to the open backpack 1 is limited by the height of the side portion 34. The height of the side portions 34 should normally be greater than half the height of the shell means 2 as there is a risk of the objects rolling out when the backpack is opened.

In other embodiments, the backpack 1 may be provided with other types of separate limiting means not shown. Thereby, the limiting means is the side wall means 2
Instead of 5, or together with the side wall means 25, the maximum opening of the backpack 1 can be adjusted. Other types of sidewall means may be used in other embodiments.

It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that in the open state the upper edge 18 of the shell means 2 is not connected to the rear panel 9.

From FIG. 1 it can be seen that in the open state the shell means 2 is pressed against the rear panel 9. As a result, the support surface 13 formed by the flange of the shell means 2 comprises the longitudinal side portions 19, 35, the shell means 2 and the rear panel 9.
Forming a seal along the upper edge of the. To improve this seal, the support surface 11 may be provided with a sealing rim, for example glued or nailed to the shell means 2. Furthermore, rigidity enhancing means may be provided at the upper edge of the rear panel 9.

When the backpack is closed, the shelter flange 17 will provide additional protection against liquids trying to penetrate between the shell means 2 and the back panel 9.

The width of the rain protection flange 17 has a critical dimension so as not to cut into the back and thereby not to reduce the comfort of transportation. The maximum forward width of this flange 17 should be smaller than the thickness of the rear panel 9 in the region in which the rain protection flange 17 extends. In the closed state of the backpack, the leading edge of the rain shield flange 17 should be no closer to the back of the carrier than the back panel 9 in any position. Otherwise, it could lead to a risk of injury from the rearward pressure on the shell means 2 if, for example, the carrier falls.

Locking the backpack 1 in its closed state is achieved by one or several locking means arranged on either the shell means 2 or the back panel 9. This locking means is preferably located at the upper edge of the backpack,
Various forms (not shown) are possible.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the backpack 1 is provided with a harness (back strap) 39 by a conventional method. The strap upper end 36 of this harness 39
Is connected to the upper front edge 40 of the rear panel 9 and its strap lower end 37 is connected to the lower front edge 41 of the rear panel 9. Harness 39 may be of the conventional type in which each strap passes over one shoulder, but one strap may be formed to pass diagonally over the chest. Further, in the upper edge portion of the rear portion 3, the suspension ring 42 may be arranged between the backpack belts (harnesses).

The backpack having the structure according to the present invention has a width of 30 cm.
In the following, it is particularly suitable when the height is 40 cm or less. As the width dimension increases,
There is a risk that the supporting surface and its supporting area may lose its function, since it may extend beyond the carrier's back. This reduces transport comfort and the potential for injury to the carrier in the event of a possible fall.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Figure 1]   The perspective view which shows the backpack in the closed state from the back.

[Fig. 2]   The side view in the opened state of the backpack shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the backpack shown in FIG. 1 in a state in which it is divided into a separate back panel and a separate shell means.

[Figure 4]   The front perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG.

[Figure 5]   The front perspective view of a shell means.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, I T, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE, TR), OA (BF , BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, G M, KE, LS, MW, MZ, SD, SL, SZ, TZ , UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AG, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, B Z, CA, CH, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE , DK, DM, DZ, EC, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, I N, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC , LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MZ, NO, NZ, P L, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK , SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A flexible forward facing back panel (9) intended to face the back of a carrier, and a rigid shell means (2) along said edge (10) said back surface. A shell means (2) attached to the panel (9) and extending rearward from the back panel (9); and the shell means (2) and the back panel (9) surrounding a compartment (4). Together, the front wall of this compartment is formed by the back panel (9), the shell means (2) along the edge (10) of the back panel (9).
A support surface (11) facing the front surface, which support surface (11) comprises at least two support areas (12) arranged on either side of the compartment (4). Backpack (1). 2. Backpack (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said support surface (11) extends along the entire edge of said shell means. 3. A backpack (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support surface is formed by outwardly extending flange means (13). 4. The shell means (2) has an upper part (20) and a lower part (21), the width between two support regions arranged on opposite sides of the compartment (4) being equal to The backpack (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lower part (21) is larger than the upper part (20). 5. The backpack (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the shell means (2) has a trough shape. 6. The shell means (2) has at its edge (10) the first of the compartments (4).
Hinged to the back panel (9) on the side of the backpack (1), the backpack (1) being separated by pivoting the shell means (2) about the hinge away from the back panel (9). 6. Opening on the opposite side of the chamber (4) from the other side.
The backpack (1) according to any one of 1. 7. The backpack is arranged to be opened at the upper edge (18) of the shell means by arranging the hinge at the lower edge (43) of the shell means. The backpack (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that. 8. A limiting means (34) for limiting the maximum opening angle between the shell means (2) and the back panel (9) is provided. The backpack (1) according to item 7. 9. Side wall means (25) is provided at the bottom of the backpack, the side wall means (25) extending midway between the shell means (2) and the back panel (9) and the back wall means (25). A backpack (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it forms the side wall of the compartment (4) when the pack (1) is in the open state. 10. The side wall means (28) extends only midway between the shell means (2) and the back panel (9) in the lower portion (21) of the backpack. Item 9. The backpack (1) according to Item 9. 11. An edge (10) on the upper part (20) of the shell means comprises a rain shield (17) which extends forward from the support surface (11) and which forms the back panel (17). By having an extension less than the thickness of 9), the forwardly extending rain shelter portion (17) is configured to extend forwardly outside the edge (26) of the back panel. Item 1. The backpack (1) according to any one of items 1 to 10. 12. A flexible forward facing back panel (9) intended to face the back of a carrier and a rigid shell means (2) along said edge (10) said back surface. A shell means (2) attached to the panel (9) and extending rearward from the back panel (9); and the shell means (2) and the back panel (9) surrounding a compartment (4). Together, the front wall of this compartment is formed by the back panel (9), the shell means (2) has a trough shape and a support surface (11) along its edge (10). The supporting surface is formed by flange means (13) extending outwardly around the entire edge (10) of the shell means, the shell means (2) having an upper part (20) and a lower part (21). With
Its width at the position of said rear panel (9) is larger in said lower portion (21) than in said upper portion (20), said shell means (2) at said lower edge (43) said rear panel (9)
Hinged to the backpack so that the backpack has the upper edge (18) of the shell means (2).
), The side wall is formed in the opened state of the backpack and the shell means (
In order to limit the maximum opening angle between 2) and the back panel (9), in the lower part (21) of the backpack, intermediate the shell means (2) and the back panel (3), wedge-shaped. Flexible side wall means (25) are provided, the edge (10) in the upper part (20) of the shell means is provided with the support surface (11).
From the front edge of the back panel outside the edge (26) of the back panel (17) having a lesser extension than the thickness of the back panel (9). A backpack (1), characterized in that it extends forward.