US20080121674A1

US20080121674A1 - Three-dimensional ventilating pad for backpack

Info

Publication number: US20080121674A1
Application number: US11/563,698
Authority: US
Inventors: Fu-Yuan Yang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-11-28
Filing date: 2006-11-28
Publication date: 2008-05-29

Abstract

The pad is made of a soft and flexible foam material and has an ergonomic design with a upper pad member and a lower pad member, both bulging towards the user's back. Both the upper and lower pad members contain a number of linear channels running straight across the pad members. When the user carries the backpack on the back, the pad members are expanded and compressed as the backpack rises and falls as the user walks or moves. As such, the backpack functions like a pump that continuously drives out humid air from the sweat of the user's back and draws in dry air, both through the linear channels.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to rucksacks or backpacks, and more particularly to a three-dimensional pad of the backpacks interfacing with the user's back that provides enhanced ventilation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Conventionally, a rucksack or a backpack has a fixedly shaped back side to conform to the curvature of a user's back or a soft and flexible back side to provide more comfort in carrying the backpack.
However, when the backpack is carried for an extended period of time, the sweat from the user's back usually soaks the back side of the backpack, sometimes damaging the carried objects or creating smelly odor. Even though some of the backpacks have the back side made of a foam material, the ventilation is still far less satisfactory as the backpack is continuously in close contact with the user's back, especially when heavy object are carried in the backpack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore provides a three-dimensional pad for backpacks for enhanced ventilation.
the pad is made of a soft and flexible foam material and has an ergonomic design with an upper pad member and a lower pad member, both bulging towards the user's back. The upper and lower pad members jointly conform to the curvature of the user's back. Both the upper and lower pad members contain a number of linear channels running straight across the pad members.
When the user carries the backpack on the back, the pad members are expanded and compressed as the backpack rises and falls as the user walks or moves. As such, the backpack functions like a pump that continuously drives out humid air from the sweat of the user's back and draws in dry air, both through the linear channels.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawing identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram showing a pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the pad of FIG. 1 when viewing directly towards the pad.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram showing the pad of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the pad of FIG. 1 when viewing directly from the bottom.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing how air flow into and out of the ventilation holes and the linear channels of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective diagram showing the pad of FIG. 1 attached to the back side of a backpack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, a pad 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to cover substantially the entire back side of a backpack (or a rucksack or other similar pack) 10 and, therefore, functions as a buffer between the user's back and the backpack 10. The pad 1 is integrally formed from a soft and flexible foam material.
As further illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pad 1 contains a border area 13 for sewing the pad 1 onto the backpack 10. Within the border area 13, the pad 1 has an ergonomic design with an upper pad number 11 and a lower pad member 12, both bulging towards the user's back. The upper and lower pad members 11 and 12 jointly conform to the curvature of the user's back and therefor the upper pad number 11 has a smaller thickness and the lower pad member 12 has a larger thickness.
Both the upper and lower pad members 11 and 12 contain a number of linear channels 2 running straight across the pad members 11 and 12. The linear channels 2 can be regularly layout in a mesh as shown in the drawings or they can form any appropriate pattern. Some of the linear channels 2 are directly accessible from the circumference of the pad members 11 and 12. For some other linear channels 2, as shown in FIG. 4, a number of ventilation holes 3 are provided along the circumference of the pad members 11 and 12 to allow air to flow through the channels 2.
When the user carries the backpack 10 on the back, the backpack 10 would rise and fall relatively to the user's back as the user walks or moves. Since the pad 1 is made of a soft and flexible material, the pad members 11 and 12 are expanded and compressed as the backpack 10 rises and falls. As such, with the help of the pad 1, the backpack 10 functions like a pump that continuously drives out humid air from the sweat of the user's back and draws in dry air, both through the linear channels 2 and the ventilation holes 3. In other words, continuous air flow is produced through the user's back via the channels 2 and the ventilation holes 3 as the pad members 11 and 12 are released and squeezed, as shown in FIG. 5.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pad attached to the back side of a backpack, comprising:

an upper pad member bulging outward away from said backpack;

a lower pad member bulging outward away from said backpack and having a larger thickness than that of said upper member;

a plurality of linear channels running across said upper and lower pad members;

wherein said upper and lower pad members are made of a soft and flexible foam material and jointly conform to the curvature of a user's back; and said linear channels are accessible to air external to said upper and lower pads from the circumference of said pad members.

2. The pad according to claim 1, wherein said linear channels are arranged in a mesh.