WO2004107906A2

WO2004107906A2 - Backpacks

Info

Publication number: WO2004107906A2
Application number: PCT/GB2004/002382
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lucy Abigail Porter
Original assignee: Royal College Of Art
Priority date: 2003-06-05
Filing date: 2004-06-04
Publication date: 2004-12-16
Also published as: GB0312951D0; WO2004107906A3

Abstract

A backpack is described that comprises: a body (10) containing at least one compartment for holding articles; a zip fastener (20) for opening and closing the at least one compartment and having a first and a second end and at least one slider that is movable along the fastener such that the backpack can be closed by moving the or at least one slider to the first end; and at least two straps (28, 32, 34) for allowing a user to support the backpack. The first end of the zip fastener is located in one of the at least two straps (i.e. the shoulder straps or the waistband (32, 34) so that it is difficult for a thief to open the zip while the backpack is being wom without the user noticing. Pockets may be provided in the waistband that can be opened and closed by the user while wearing the backpack by moving one or more zip, sliders. (22a-d). The bottom end of the shoulder straps (28) can be supported on a slide (not shown) to increase the size of the arm opening while putting the backpack on.

Description

BACKPACKS

Technical Field The present invention relates to backpacks having one or more shoulder straps for carrying the backpack on the user's shoulders; such backpacks are known by many names , e.g. rucksacks, backpacks, daypacks, etc., and will be referred to generically herein simply as "backpacks".

Background Art

Backpacks of current design often have a cavity or compartment that can be opened or closed by a zip fastener having a slider that can be pulled along the length of a row of teeth to open the zip fastener and so provide access to the cavity or compartment. Some backpacks have two sliders which each work in the opposite direction, that is to say when one of the sliders is pulled in one direction along the zip fastener teeth, it opens the backpack and when the other slider is pulled in the same direction, it closes the zip fastener. This allows the backpack to be opened between the sliders for access to the compartments without having to open the full extent of the zip fastener. In the known arrangement, the zip fastener between the respective ends of the rows of teeth and the adjacent slider is closed.

Backpacks are also known having waistbands that can be fastened around the user's waist to help support the backpack. The waistband is usually formed in two parts, each part being attached to opposed sides of the backpack; a buckle is provided at the free ends of the two waistband parts for securing the waistband parts together around the user's waist. It is also known that individual pockets can be included within the waistband.

Backpacks of the above known design have several disadvantages. Firstly, the backpack, when worn on the user's shoulders, can be opened without the user noticing since the sliders are out of sight of the user behind his/her back (this is especially the case when the user wears the rucksack on both shoulders). This allows theft from the contents of the backpack without the knowledge of the user, particularly in crowded areas such as public transport.

A further disadvantage of the known backpack design is that it is difficult for the user to gain access to the contents without taking the backpack off. Even when the backpack is removed from the user's shoulders, articles at the side of the backpack are often quite difficult to access without fully opening the zip fastener.

A yet further disadvantage of known backpacks is the difficulty of putting them on since the shoulder straps generally lie flat against the rest of the backpack, necessitating considerable flexing of the user's shoulders in order to put the backpack on; this can be awkward when the contents of the backpack are heavy.

FR 2700447 discloses a handbag with a handle; the bag can be closed by a zip fastener that extends into the handle so that the slider of the fastener can be grasped by person the carrying the bag, thereby reducing the risk of theft from the bag. In a backpack, there is no handle to grasp.

Disclosure of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a backpack for holding articles, the backpack comprising: a body containing at least one compartment for holding the articles; a zip fastener for opening and closing at least one compartment and having a first and a second end and at least one slider that is movable along the fastener such that the backpack can be closed by moving the or at least one slider to the first end; and at least one strap for allowing a user to support the backpack; wherein the first end of the zip fastener is located in the strap and preferably also the second end of the fastener is located in the same or a different strap. Such an arrangement places the ends of the zip fastener at the side or the front of a user wearing the backpack, or at least nearer the front of the wearer, who can then more easily detect someone trying to unzip the backpack. The backpack may include two straps in the form of shoulder straps, e.g. a rucksack or backpack, and the first end of the zip fastener is located in one of the shoulder straps and a second end of the zip fastener is located in the other shoulder strap. Alternatively, the strap in which one or both ends of the zip is located may form a waistband. In a further embodiment, the bag has a single shoulder strap extending diagonally across the wearer's chest and the first end of the zip fastener is located in the shoulder strap and preferably the second end of the fastener is located in the opposite end of the shoulder strap.

The strap may include pockets, e.g. in shoulder strap(s) or a waistband, that can be opened and closed by the said zip fastener.

A yoke may be provided as part of a strap for connecting the strap to the body of the backpack and the first end (and possibly also the second end) of the fastener may be provided in such a yoke.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a backpack for holding articles, the backpack comprising: a body containing at least one compartment for holding the articles; a waistband having at least one pocket therein; a zip fastener for opening and closing the or at least one compartment and having a first and a second end and at least one slider that is movable along the fastener to open and close the compartment; wherein the zip fastener extends along the waistband and wherein the same slider can open and close the said at least one compartment and the at least one waistband pockets.

The waistband preferably includes two parts, which are preferably secured on opposed sides of the backpack body, and a buckle for connecting the two waistband parts together around a user's waist, wherein at least one pocket is formed in each of the two parts and the first end of the zip fastener is located in one of the waistband parts and the second end of the zip fastener is located in the other of the waistband parts, whereby the same zip can open and close the compartment and the at least one pocket in each of the waistband parts.

The zip fastener preferably includes an even number of sliders, e.g. four, and the part of the zip fastener between (a) the first end and the next adjacent slider and (b) the second end and the next adjacent slider is open, whereby the compartment can be closed by moving at least one slider to the first end of the zip fastener and moving at least one slider to the second end. At the same time, the fastener can be opened at the first and second ends by moving the sliders away from their respective ends.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a backpack for holding articles, the backpack comprising: a body containing at least one compartment for holding the articles; a pair of shoulder straps for carrying the bag, each strap having an upper end and a lower end; and a two-part waistband for fastening around the user's waist and a buckle for connecting the two waistband parts together, wherein the lower end of each shoulder strap is slidably anchored on the waistband whereby the lower end of each shoulder strap can slide along the waistband. Such an arrangement facilitates the putting on and the taking off of the bag.

Advantageously, the lower end of each shoulder strap is slidably anchored on the waistband by means of a slide that extends in a direction away from the buckle and downwardly, whereby the straps are tightened when the lower ends of the straps are moved along the slide away from the buckle and loosened when moved towards the buckle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

There will now be described, by way of example only, three embodiments of the present invention, which will be described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment, viewed from the back Figure 2 is a perspective view from the back and one side of a second embodiment of a backpack of the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the backpack of Figure 2 but viewed from the front; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view, taken from the front of a third embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Refeπing initially to Figure 1, there is shown a backpack, which is generally made of flexible material, for example woven nylon. However, other materials can be used and at least part of the backpack can be made of stiff or even rigid material. However, in the embodiment shown, the bags are made from nylon fabric which is stitched together along the seams.

The backpack shown in Figure 1 has a main body 8 containing one or more compartments and fomied by a back panel 10, a one-piece side and top panel 12, a front panel 13 (not visible) and a bottom panel (not visible). The various panels are connected along seams 14, 16 and 18, for example by stitching.

Many other configurations of panels in the backpack are obviously possible.

A zip fastener 20 is secured, e.g. by stitching, in the side/top panel 12 and includes two sliders 22a and 22b. The zip fastener 20 extends symmetrically around the top and side of the backpack; the two ends of the fastener extend in a forwardly direction and end in a yoke 24 which is either attached to the main backpack compartment by a row of stitching 26 or the yoke 24 could be integral with the material of the side/top panel 12. It will be appreciated that the yoke 24 is merely a flap that is not intended to hold articles; it could be formed by a double thickness of material and, if integral with the side panel 12, could be in direct communication with the compartment within the backpack. However, it can best be thought of as being part of the shoulder straps 28. The extension of the zip fastener onto the yoke 24 means that the end of the zip fastener is at the side of the wearer and accordingly is much harder to open by a potential thief without the wearer noticing. Indeed, the wearer can rest his/her hand on the end of the zip fastener to prevent it being opened by a potential thief.

Turning now to Figures 2 and 3, which show the front and rear view of a second embodiment of a backpack. The same numbers will be used in Figures 2 and 3 as were used in Figure 1 to refer to the corresponding parts.

The backpack of Figures 2 and 3 differs from that of Figure 1 in that it includes a waistband 30 secured to the main backpack body 8 or it may be integral with the side/top panel 12 of the compartment. The waistband 30 is made up of two halves 32, 34 attached to the opposed sides of the body 8 and a buckle 36 that can be fastened to secure the waistband around the waist of a user. The waistband 30 includes pockets for storing articles. These pockets are separate from the main backpack compartment(s) although it is not necessary to provide a physical barrier, e.g. a line of stitching, between the pockets of the waistband and the main compartment.

As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the zip fastener 20 extends from the end of one of the waistband halves 32, 34 to the end of the other waistband half 32, 34. However if the pockets stop short of the end of the waistband, it is only necessary for the zip to extend to open the pocket. In addition to the security aspect by extending the end of the fastener to the side of the user discussed above in connection with Figure 1 , the extension of the zip fastener 20 to the ends of the waistband halves 32, 34 means that ready access can be had to the contents of the pockets within the waistband.

The zip fastener 20 includes four fasteners 22a to 22d, which operate in alternate directions, that is to say, when moved towards the end of waistband half 32, sliders 22a and 22c close the fastener while sliders 22b and 22d open the fastener. When moved towards the end of the other waistband half 34, sliders 22a and 22c open the fastener and sliders 22b and 22d close the fastener. The arrangement of four sliders is especially beneficial in that it allows the end sliders 22a and 22d to be slid away from the buckle 36 to open the pockets of the waistband 30 and so allow easy access to both of the pockets without taking the backpack off the user's back. However, it is not just the end zip sliders (22 a and d) that might be used to access the pockets without taking the backpack off the user's back. Which slider is used depends upon the arrangement of sliders when access is required. For example, if the rucksack is worn with the sliders in the arrangement as in Fig 3, then to access the pockets while the backpack is worn, sliders 22 d and c could be used. If instead, there were three zip sliders at the end of waistband half 34 and one slider at the end of waistband half 32, then to access the pockets, sliders 22 a and b would be used. Whereas if the rucksack was worn with only one slider at each end of the two waistbands and the other two zip sliders were somewhere in the middle of the zip fastener (not so good for security, but an option), then sliders 22 a and d would be used to access the pockets while wearing the bag. With the arrangement of four sliders described above, the fastener will always be closed when there are three sliders at one end and one at the other, while the fastener will always be open if there are two sliders at each end or four sliders at one end and none at the other. Thus, it is feasible, with this arrangement, to always have one slider at each end of the waistband halves 32, 34 when the fastener is closed so that the fastener can be opened from either end. Finally, the advantage of having four fasteners is that the back compartment can be opened while the pockets in the waistband halves

32, 34 can remain closed. Similar advantages can be obtained with any even number of sliders when the slider adjacent to the end of the fastener tends to open the fastener when moved away from the end it is adjacent to.

As can be seen from Figure 3, the backpack includes a pair of shoulder straps 28 having an upper half 38 attached to the top of the backpack and a lower half 40 attached to the bottom of the backpack, inside the waistband, i.e. the waistband fits round the lower section of the straps. Alternatively the straps might be attached so that they lie outside of the waistband or they may be attached to the body of the backpack at a level above that of the waistband. A buckle 42 is secured to the top half of the strap and the bottom half is threaded through the buckle and the free end 44 is pulled through to provide the desired length of shoulder strap 28. The loose end 44 will, however, flap around and can get in the way. A solution to this problem is described below.

Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of a backpack in accordance with the present invention. The backpack of Figure 4 is identical to that of Figures 2 and 3 except for the arrangement of connecting the shoulder straps 28 and the arrangement for tightening the shoulder straps, as will now be described. On the inside of the waistband 30, a track 45 is provided, which starts off, at the buckle end, near the top edge of the waistband and, as it passes towards the rear of the waistband, extends towards the lower edge of the waistband, as shown in connection with waistband half

34 in Figure 4. A similar arrangement is provided on waistband half 32, although it is not visible in Figure 4. A slider 46 can slide along the track 45. The slider 46 also includes some means for attaching the shoulder straps to the track, e.g. a loop section, through which the strap can be passed, the function of which will become clear from the discussion below; the shoulder straps 28 are secured at the top of the backpack and pass through the loop of the slider 46 and terminate in a free end 47 having a further loop 48 that passes around the middle section of the shoulder straps 28. The length of the shoulder straps 48 can therefore be adjusted by pulling the free ends 47 upwards to cause the loops 48 to slide over the middle section of the shoulder straps. Because the loops 48 are fomied at the ends 47 of the shoulder straps 28, there is no loose end to flap about, as is the case with the loose end 44 shown in Figure 3. The free end 47 of the shoulder straps 28 shown in Figure 4 can be secured, if necessary, by a suitable fastening such as a loop-and-hook fastening, e.g. Velcro (Velcro is a trade mark). The loop section of the slider 46 is preferably such as to prevent the strap from being pulled through the loop when under tension so as to prevent the length of the shoulder straps extending by accident simply due to the weight in the rucksack; this could be a conventional buckle arrangement where the strap is fed through one or more openings and tightens itself on the loop/buckle when the shoulder strap is in tension.

The arrangement of the track 45 and the slider 46 means that the slider can be moved forwards towards the buckle end to open a large opening 50 through which the user can insert his/her arms to put the backpack on, as can be seen in the right-hand part of Figure 4, coπ-esponding to the left-hand part of the backpack, when worn. The shoulder straps 28 can then be moved backwards along the track 45 to a position that is more comfortable for the wearer, as can be seen in the left-hand part of Figure 4, coπ-esponding to the right-hand part of the backpack, when worn. The downward sloping nature of the track 45 towards the rear of the waistband 30 means that, as the slider moves towards the rear of the track, the shoulder straps are tightened. Conversely, when the straps are moved forwards along the track 45, the shoulder straps 28 are loosened, thereby making the taking off and putting on of the backpack easier.

Although Figure 4 shows the track 45 attached to the outside of the waistband 30, it could equally be attached to the outside.

The track 45 may be one half of a zip fastener and the slider 46 may be a standard zip fastener slider. Alternatively, other arrangements can be provided. It is preferred that the slider 46 can move rearwardly more easily than forwardly so that the shoulder straps 28 do not become loosened in use.

Claims

1. A backpack for holding articles, the backpack comprising: a body containing at least one compartment for holding the articles; a zip fastener for opening and closing at least one compartment and having a first and a second end and at least one slider that is movable along the fastener such that the backpack can be closed by moving the or at least one slider to the first end; and at least one strap for allowing a user to support the bag; wherein the first end of the zip fastener is located in the at least one strap.

2. A backpack as claimed in claim 1, which includes two straps in the form of shoulder straps and the first end of the zip fastener is located in one of the shoulder straps.

3. A backpack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second end of the zip fastener is located in the other shoulder strap.

4. A backpack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the strap fom s a waistband.

5. A backpack as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one strap include at least one pocket that can be opened and closed by the said zip fastener.

6. A backpack as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one strap includes a yoke by which the strap is attached to the body of the bag and the first end of the zip fastener is located in the yoke.

7. A backpack for holding articles, the backpack comprising: a body containing at least one compartment for holding the articles; a waistband having at least one pocket therein; a zip fastener for opening and closing the or at least one compartment and having a first and a second end and at least one slider that is movable along the fastener to open and close the compartment; wherein the zip fastener extends along the waistband and wherein the same slider can open and close the said at least one compartment and the at least one waistband pockets.

8. A backpack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the waistband includes two parts and a buckle for connecting the two waistband parts together around the user's waist, wherein at least one pocket is fomied in each of the two parts and the first end of the zip fastener is located in one of the waistband parts and the second end of the zip fastener is located in the other of the waistband parts, whereby the same zip can open and close the compartment and the at least one pocket in each of the waistband parts.

9. A backpack as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the zip fastener includes an even number of sliders and the part of the zip fastener between the first end and the next adjacent slider is open, whereby the compartment can be closed by moving at least one slider to the first end of the zip fastener and moving at least one slider to the second end.

10. A backpack as claimed in claim 9, wherein the zip fastener includes four sliders.

11. A backpack for holding articles, the backpack comprising: a body containing at least one compartment for holding the articles; a pair of shoulder straps for carrying the bag, each strap having an upper end and a lower end; and a two part waistband and a buckle for connecting the two waistband parts together around a user's waist, wherein the lower end of each shoulder strap is slidably anchored on the waistband whereby the lower end of each shoulder strap can slide along the waistband.

12. A backpack as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the lower end of each shoulder strap is slidably anchored on the waistband by means of a slide that extends in a direction away from the buckle and downwardly, whereby the straps are tightened when the lower ends of the straps are moved along the slide away from the buckle and loosened when moved towards the buckle.