GB2208790A - Holder assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

For mounting, for example, on the outside of a rucksack (5) to facilitate access to and withdrawal of an article, such as an ice axe (56, 54) or a water bottle, a holder, e.g. holster (18, 10, Fig 2) is mounted on a base member (12) by means of a runner (32) which is slidable along guide means, e.g. slotted channel (30), provided on said base member. Fastening means (42, 46, 48) secure the holster relative to the base member, but when this is released, the holster can be slid and pivoted relative to the base member, e.g. by being pivotally (34) mounted on the runner. Rucksack straps 58 passes through tunnels (40, Fig 2) on the rear of base member (12). <IMAGE>

Description

=-OLDER ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a holder assembly which is particularly applicable to the mounting of auxiliary items, such as ice axes or water bottles, on the exterior of rucksacks, but is not specifically limited thereto.

Hitherto, mountaineering ecuipment, such as an ice axe, has simply been secured to the outside of a rucksack by means of straps. In most cases it is not possiele for a user to reach the equipment or release it for use when the rucksack is on his back. Even in those cases where the ecuipment is within reach its release may prove troublesome, requiring certain manipulative skill. Moreover, there is always a risk that it will be dropped and this is especially serious where the user is in the process of climbing a difficult rock face.

It is an object of the invention to provide a holder assembly which can be mounted on the outside of a rucksack and which will facilitate ready access to articles held thereby and withdrawal of articles therefrom in a secure manner.

With this object in view, the invention proposes a holder assembly comprising a base member providing guide means, a holder mounted upon the base member by means of a runner which is slidable along said guide means, and fastening means whereby the holder is securable relative to the base member, the holder being both slidable and swivelable relative to the base member upon release of the fastening means.

Preferably the holder is pivotally connected to the runner.

Preferably the fastening means is in the form of a pair of interengaging ridges or a complementary ridge and recess, one of which is provided on a flexible tongue and the other of which is provided inside an envelope - like element into which the tongue is insertable.

The holder itself preferably has a closure flap at one end, which closure flap may conveniently be securable by catch means of similar form to the aforesaid fastening means.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.l is a front view illustrating a practical embodiment of the holder assembly of the invention with an ice axe in position therein, Fig.2 is a side eleva,-on corresponding to Fig.l; rig.3 is a cross-section along the line III-III of Fig.l; Fig.4 is a front view illustrating the holder assembly of Fi;;.l with the fastening means released and the holder raised relative to the base member, Fig.5 is a view similar to Fig.4 showing the holder additionally swivelled relative to the base member, and Fig.6 is a schematic side view illustrating the holder assembly of Figs. 1 to 5 in use on a rucksack.

With reference to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the holder assembly of the invention comprises what may be referred to as an ice axe holster 10 mounted on a base plate 12. The holster 10 is secured to the base plate 12 by fastening means 14, but when the latter is released it is both slidable and swivellable relative to the base plate 12* The holster 10 itself consists of a piece of plastics or leather or other suitable tough yet flexible material, which is formed into an elongate tube 16 and attached to an elongate backing strip 24, for example by adhesive. A piece of material extends beyond one end of the tube 16 (the lower end in Figs. 1 and 2) as a closure flap 18 which loops over and is fastened to the opposing edge section of the tube 16 by catch means 20.

In this particular embodiment, the catch means 20 comprises two moulded plastics elements 22, 26 which have complementary interengaging means and are fastened respectively to the edge of the flap 18 and the edge of the tube 16.

The element 22 on the flap 18 is formed with a flexible cut out tongue 28, whilst the element 26 on the tube 16 is in the form of an envelope into which the fixed end of the tongue 28 is insertable. Both the tongue 28 and the inner surface of the envelope 26 are formed with ridges with inclined surfaces which slide up over each other and then interengage as the tongue 28 is inserted into the envelope 26. The tongue 28 can be readily removed from the envelope 26 simply by beingpressedto disengage its ridge from behind the ridge inside the envelope 26.

The base plate 12 is in the form of an elongate rail provided with guide means in the form of a slotted channel 30, i.e. a channel having a T-shaped cross-section, as indicated in Fig.3. The backing strip 24 of the holster 10 is connected by means of a pivot pin or screw or the like 34, to a runner 32 which is slidably accommodated in the channel 30.At one end of the base plate 12 (the upper ecd in Figs. 1 and 2), the channel 30 is blocked off, whilst at the other end it is overlain by part of the fastening means 14. Thus, the runner 32 cannot be removed from the channel 30. Httac--ment strips 36, 38 are fixed to the surface of the base plate 12 at the opposite side thereof to the cuide means (channel 3n) and provide transverse tunnels 4v throuch which straps may be inserted to fasten the base plate 12 to a rucksack or other article.

The fastening means 1 is similar in form to the cat means 20 comprising two moulded plastics elements 42, 46, which have complementary interengaging means and are fastened respectively to the end of the backing strip 2 adjacent the closure flap 18 and to the base plate 12. The element 42 on the backing strip 12 is formed with a flexible cut out tongue 48, whilst the element on the base plate 12 is in the form of an envelope into which the fixed end of the tongue 48 is insertable.The tongue 48 is formed with a ridge 44 (see Fig. 4) which is engageable into a complementary recess on the inner surface of the envelope 46. however, the tongue 48 can be readily removed from the envelope 46 simply by beingpressedto disengage the ridge 44 from the recess in the inner surface of the envelope 46.

Witch the fastening means 14 disengaged, the holster 10 can be moved longitudinally of the base plate 12, away from the envelope 46, by the sliding of the runner 32 (on which the backing strip 24 is mounted) along the channel 3C, as indicated in Fig. Moreover, once the tongue a8 is lifted completely free of the envelope 46, the bolster 10 is swivelable relative to the runner 32 and the base plate 12 upon the pivot pin 34, as indicated in Fig.5.

Referring to Fig.6, the holster assembly, in use, is attached to one side panel of a rucksack 50 by straps 58, extending through the tunnels 40 of the attacnznent strips 36, 38 on the base plate 12. The base plate 12 is disposed generally vertically, with the fastening means 1 at its lower end. In its rest position, the holster 10 overlies the base plate 12 with the closure flaps 18 directed dozmwardly and the fastening means 14 immediately below the closure flap, as in Fig.l. An ice axe 52 is accommodated in the holster tube 16, in the manner illustrated, with its shaft 54 having been inserted upwardly into the tube 16 and its head 56 retained by the closure flap 18 with the respective points projecting therefrom at opposing sides.

T/rnen the rucksack 50 is mounted on a user's back and the user wishes to take hold of the ice axe 52, he reaches to the side of the rucksack, releases the fastening means 14 (by depressing the tongue 48) and slides the holster 10 slightly upwards relative to the base plate 12 to lift the tongue 48 free of the other part 46 of the fastening means.

This corresponds to the position shojn in Fig.4. The holster 10 can then be swiveled relative to the base plate 12 so that the closure flap 18 at the lower end thereof is inclined forwards towards the front of the user's body.

As this is done, the runner 32 will probably slide right down the channel 30 to the position shosm in Fig.6 without any additional manipulation being required by the user.

All he then needs to do is oten the flap 18 (by depressing the tongue 28 and pulling it free of the other part 26 of the catch means 20) and take hold of the axe handle 54 as it slides out of the tube 16. Replacement of the axe 52 is accomplished by reversing tis sequence of operations, namely inserting the axe handle 54 into the tube 16, closing the flap, pushing the holster 10 upwards while also swivelling it into alignment with the base plate 12 and then allowing it to fall so that the fastening means 14 re-engages.

The swivelling of the holster 10 relative to the base plate 12 enables the axe 52 to be withdrarn therefrom at a location which is convenient for the user, where the user can look and see what he is doing, if need be, and where he can take a firm grip on the axe with little danger of dropping it.

It should be understood that the foregoing is intended to be illustrative and not limitative of the scope of the invention. The holder assembly could be adapted to other purposes than fastening ice axes to rucksacks, for example it could be shaped to hold a water bottle which might be fastened onto a frame member of a cycle. In this respect, the shape of the holster will obviously be adapted to the article which it is to be accommodated therein. The fastening means and the catch means may also vary in form and the holster does not necessarily have to have a closure flap at its lower end or adjacent the fastening means.

Claims (10)

1. A holder assembly comprising a base member providing guide means, a holder mounted upon the base member by means of a runner which is slidable along said guide means, and fastening means whereby the holder is securable relative to the base member, the holder being both slidable and swivel able relative to the base member upon release of the fastening means.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holder is pivotally connected to the runner.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the fastening means is in the form of a pair of interengaging ridges or a complementary ridge and recess, one of which is provided on a flexible tongue and the other of which is provided inside an envelope-like element into which the tongue is insertable.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the holder has a closure flap at one end.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the closure flap is disposed adjacent to the fastening means for securement of the holder to the base member.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the closure flap is securable by catch means in the form of a pair of interengaging ridges or a complementary ridge and recess, one of which is provided on a flexible tongue and the other of which is provided inside an envelope-like element into which the tongue is insertable.

7. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the holder is generally tubular in form.

8. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the guide means is in the form of a slotted channel, i.e. a channel of T-shaped cross-section, in which the runner is slidably accommodated.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the channel is closed at each end to prevent removal of the runner.

10. A holder assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.