WO1998020772A9

WO1998020772A9 - Belt assembly to support and release a backpack

Info

Publication number: WO1998020772A9
Application number: PCT/US1997/021188
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1997-11-13
Publication date: 1998-08-27

Abstract

A socket/probe assembly for a backpack secured to a waist belt (10). The socket (60) is secured to the waist belt. The probe (120) extends from the lower end of the backpack. A guide member (74) on the socket locates the probe in the socket. Catch surfaces (130) in the socket engage and secure the probe. To disengage the backpack from the waist belt, the backpack is allowed to rotated rearwardly. The probe rotates out if the socket exceeds a critical angle allowing the probe to release from the catch surfaces.

Description

Title

Belt Assembly to Support and Release a Backpack

Field of the Invention

A belt assembly to support and release a backpack.

Background and Brief Summary of the Invention

Combat soldiers typically wear a heavy web-belt to carry often used items such as water-bottles, ammunition, and side- arms. The civilian equivalent to this is the "fanny-pack" popular with day hikers. Both soldiers and hikers, however, have difficulty wearing these light pack-belts when also wearing a heavy field backpack. Large load bearing backpacks use a substantial waist-belt to distribute the heavy load of the pack from the lower-back out over the wearer's hips. This waist-belt interferes with the pack-belt if both are worn at the same time. At best, it is inconvenient to move items from the light pack-belt to the heavy waist-belt or vise versa depending on the moment's need. Combat soldiers and serious mountain climbers have the added concern of being able to quickly drop their large backpacks if suddenly threatened by enemy fire or natural dangers such as avalanches. If essentials such as ammunition and survival gear are on the backpack waist-belt they would be lost just when most needed.

Broadly the invention comprises waist-belts equipped with a socketed insert which can connect to backpack frames having a mating probe configuration. Alternatively, the waist-belt can be used by itself to carry lighter loads by removing the belt insert. While wearing the waist-belt, the user may shoulder a backpack and easily connect it to his/her waist- belt by inserting the backpack frame's probe into the socket. When the waist-belt and backpack probe are locked together by the inventive system and the waist-belt is supporting the backpack, the system enhances comfort by allowing the backpack to pivot fore and aft in relation to the waist-belt as the wearer walks or flexes at the torso. In the preferred embodiment, to ease balancing the load, the system allows limited side-to-side motion. While being worn, the backpack can be rapidly detached from the waist-belt by either releasing the webbing quick release buckles or by slipping off the backpack's shoulder straps and allowing the pack frame to rotate backwardly in the belt insert's socket. Once the pack frame exceeds a critical backward angle, the probe disengages from the insert and the backpack separates from the waist-belt. The wearer is freed from the backpack, but retains the waist-belt and its attached gear.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. la is a front view of a prior art waist belt having Velcro® pads secured thereto;

Fig. lb is a top view of Fig. la; Fig. 2a is a front view of a fabric sleeve; Fig. 2b is a side view of Fig. 2a;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a belt insert/socket assembly embodying the invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 3 taken along lines 4-4; Fig. 5 is a top view of Fig. 3 without the socket assembly;

Fig. 6 is a back perspective view of the socket assembly; Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of the socket assembly; Fig. 8a is a front view of a probe embodying the invention;

Fig. 8b is a top view of Fig. 8a; Fig. 8c is a right side view of Fig. 8a; Fig. 9 is a front view of a probe assembly and the socket assembly;

Figs. 10a, 10b, 10c and lOd illustrate the release of the probe assembly from the socket assembly from a fully seated condition; and

Figs. 11a, lib, lie and lid illustrate a release of the probe assembly from the socket assembly from a non-fully seated condition. Description of the Preferred Embodiment ( s )

Referring to Figs, la and lb, a prior art waist belt is shown generally at 10. It has been modified by the addition of Velcro pads 12 to the outer portion of the enlarged section of the waist belt. The waist belt 10 also shows the prior art straps 14 and buckles 16.

Referring to Figs. 2a and 2b, a fabric sleeve 18 (only right side sleeve shown) has a Velcro pad 20 secured to its inner surface. The sleeve is also characterized by an opening 22 therethrough.

Referring to Fig. 3, 4 and 5 a molded belt insert 30 is shown together with a socket assembly 60. The insert 30 comprises a backplate 32 from which laterally extend chiral wings 34 which wings 34 are adapted to be received in the fabric sleeves 18. The backplate 32 is characterized by a pair of saw-toothed tracks 36a and 36b, each of which track 36 has a central slot 38a and 38b. The tracks 36 extend from the backplate 32. Formed at the upper and lower edges of the backplate 32 are lips 38 and 40 respectively which extend from the backplate 32. The backplate 32 also comprises pairs of spaced apart holes 44a and 44b. A central rib 44 extends from the backplate 32 and rib 44 together with the opposed lips 38 and 40 defines rectangular recesses 46 and 48 which receive the socket assembly 60 as will be described. The wings 34 are further characterized by paired slots 50a and 50b; and 52a and 52b (52b not shown) through which paired slots the waist belt is threaded.

Referring to Fig. 6, the socket assembly 60 has a back plate 62 which is characterized by a pair of saw-toothed tracks 64a and 64b such that the socket assembly 60 mates and locks with the tracks 36a and 36b in the insert 30.

The backplate 62 is further characterized by an aperture 66 whose perimeter is defined by walls 68a, 68b, 68c and 68d. The upper and lower walls 68a and 68c are characterized by notches 70a and 70b respectively. The backplate 62 has tapped holes 72a and 72b formed therein. Formed integrally with the top of the backplate 62 is a roof-like guide plate 74 having a notch 75 which aligns with the notches 70a and 70b and a ridge piece 77, the roofs 79a and 79b slope downwardly and outwardly.

Referring to Fig. 3, when assembled, the socket assembly 60 is joined by fasteners to the insert 30. The fasteners pass through the slots 38 in the insert 30 and are received in tapped holes 72 in the socket assembly 60. The slots 38 provide the capability of verticle adjustment of the socket assembly 60 on the insert 30. The rib 44 of the insert 30 seats in the notches 70a and 70 of the socket assembly 60 and the walls 68 of the socket assembly 60 seat in the recesses 46 and 48 of the insert 30.

Referring to Fig. 7, the socket assembly 60 comprises a floor 76. Centrally disposed on the floor is a U-shaped fork 78 secured to the floor by a flexible wall 80. The fork 78 at its upper edges has opposed chamfered walls 82a and 82b and sloped outer walls 84a and 84b terminating in catch tabs 86a and 86b. Also extending from the floor in parallel relationship are two stops 88a and 88b which limit the lateral flexibility of the fork 78. The socket assembly 60 comprises two opposed chiral sleeves 90a and 90b. The sleeves being mirror images of one another, only one will be described in detail. The sleeve 90a comprises a back wall 92a having a chamfered upper edge 94a, a concave floor 96a and a stepped surface 98a. A side wall 100a extends forwardly from the backplate 62. A locating wall 102a extends from the leading edge of the wall 100a and is parallel to the back wall 92a. The arm 102a is characterized by chamfered surface 104a which is opposed to the chamfered surface 94a of the back wall 92a. The back wall 92a, side wall 100a and arm 102 define an opening 106a. The arm 102a, the wall 100a and stepped surface 98a define an opening 108a.

Referring to Fig. 8a, a probe embodying the invention which depends from a prior art pack frame (not shown) is shown generally at 120 and is designed to mate with the socket assembly 60. The probe 120 includes a backplate 122. The probe 120 is substantially U-shaped and each side is a mirror image of the other side. Accordingly, only one side will be described in detail. The probe comprises an inner cylinder 124a adapted to be received on the floor 76 of the socket assembly 60. Extending laterally outward from the inner cylinder 124a is a second smaller dimensioned cylinder 126a stepped with reference to the cylinder 124a. A flat fin 128a extends upwardly from the sleeve 126a. The cylinder 126a and the fin 128a do not tightly engage the socket but do provide stabilization of the probe 120 in the socket 60.

Referring to Fig. 8b, a catch surface 130a extends inwardly and slightly upward along the bottom edge of the back plate 122. Sloped locating surfaces 132a join the catch surfaces 130a to the sleeve 124a.

To secure a pack frame to the socket assembly 60, referring to Figs. 9 and 10a, as the probe 120 slides into the socket assembly 60, the guide plate 74 directs the cylinders 126 on the probe 100 into the openings 106. The tines of the fork 78 deflect inwardly when engaged by the locating surfaces 132. With continued downward pressure, the catch surfaces 130 slide by and then engage the catch tabs 86 and lock the probe 120 to the socket 60. The tines in the non-engaged state are splayed or biased outwardly to provide a preload to the tines. When the probe 120 is slid down into the socket 60 and locked in place, the tines remain under outward lateral tension. This feature provides better performance when there is a lateral loading on the backpack.

Referring to Fig. 10a, when the probe 120 is fully seated or locked into position in the socket 60 the fins 128 are opposed to the arms 102 and therefore the probe 120 remains secured in the socket 60. The probe 120 cannot exit vertically because of the catch tabs 86/catch surfaces 130. The cylinders 126 are seated on the curved surface 96.

Referring to Figs. 10b, 10c and lOd, when the probe 120 (pack frame) rotates backwards the catch surfaces 130 on the probe 120 rotate out from under the catch tabs 86 on the fork 78. The fins 128 rotate rearwardly and under the arms 102 allowing the probe to dislodge with the cylinders 126 disengaging from the probe 100. Matching radii on the mating surfaces of the catch tabs 86, the catch surfaces 130, the cylinders 126 and the floors 96 allow the probe 120 to pivαt forward and backward in the socket but not side to side.. This feature steadies the backpack yet provides a range of movement forward and backward. The design of the preferred embodiment of the invention allows the pack frame to disengage from the socket assembly 60 when the rearward angular displacement from vertical exceeds about 20°. Conversely the pack frame can rotate forwardly in the socket assembly 20°. Other design angles are well within the scope of the art. The degree of rotation shown in Fig. 10 is exaggerated for purposes of clarity.

Referring to Figs. 11a - lid, it is important to note if the probe 100 is not fully seated in the socket 60, that is the catch surfaces 86 and catch tabs 110 are not engaged so that basically the probe 100 simply sits on top of the fork 78, the backpack will still release. In this situation, if it is desired to release the backpack, the fins 108 will engage the opposed surface of the arms 102 and ride over the arms 102 to allow the probe or backpack to disengage from the socket.

The foregoing description has been limited to a specific embodiment of the invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations and modifications can be made to the invention, with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the invention. Therefore, it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I now claim is:

Claims

1. A quick release assembly for releasing a backpack from a waistbelt which comprises: a socket assembly secured to the waistbelt; a probe secured to the backpack and adapted to releasably engage the socket assembly, the probe having an insert adapted for mating engagement with the socket assembly, said insert characterized by laterally disposed catch surfaces and the insert being configured for rotatable movement in the socket assembly between an engaged position and a release position; the socket assembly having a recess and means for engaging the catch surfaces of the depending portion of the probe; and means for releasing the probe from the socket assembly when the angular displacement of the probe from the socket assembly exceeds a predetermined design angle.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the base of the recess is concave and the leading edge of the probe insert is convex.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the means for engaging the catch surfaces of the probe insert comprises locking tabs secured in the recess.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the recess is defined by a pair of opposed sleeves.

5. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the radii of the convex and concave surfaces are matched and the surfaces of the locking tabs and the catch surfaces of the probe insert are matched to facilitate the quick release of the backpack from the socket assembly.