MXPA99006302A - Backpack - Google Patents

Abstract

A backpack has a casing (2) surrounding a space (26), and carrying straps (4) connected to the casing (2). The casing(2) comprises a front wall (30), which is intended to be facing the back of a carrier and comprises a flexible wall directly adjoining the space (26). The casing (2) also comprises a dimensionally stable shell means (50) extending from the front wall, which together with the front wall (30) surrounds the space (26).

Description

BACKPACK FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a backpack as mentioned later in the preamble of appended claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Typically, conventional backpacks have a bag made of flexible material and comprise a front end facing a carrier, said end being smooth or including a frame. These backpacks are suitable for carrying soft and durable objects, such as clothing, but are less suitable for many other fragile and difficult to handle objects, such as papers, books, clipboards, laptops and cameras. There are specific problems when the use of the backpack is related to various activities in which there is a risk that the backpack will be hit. Also, there are backpacks that include a container of stable size to hold various objects; When the backpack is manufactured as a stable-sized container, for example made of plastic, problems of comfort arise, since it is uncomfortable to carry a hard container in direct contact with the back. There have been several attempts to solve this problem.

The patent of E.U.A. 3,902,640 describes a backpack that is entirely made of semi-rigid material. To carry it easily, * a curved profile has been given to the front end of the backpack to adapt it to some degree to the back of a carrier; however, not even this construction achieves a backpack that is particularly comfortable to carry, especially for individuals whose body shape does not correspond to the way in which the backpack was adapted. The patent of E.U.A. 3,679,108 discloses a rigid box-shaped backpack, having an inflatable air cushion for contacting the back of the carrier, whereby a moldable surface is formed on the carrier, but the box-shaped backpack becomes stifling and It is just comfortable to charge it for a long time. In addition, the construction shown presents a clear risk that the carrier will be injured with the sharp corners and the edges of the backpack in the form of a box, for example in the case of a fall. Swedish patent 503,777 discloses a portable storage device with a stable size container and a separate harness with a rear piece of stable size forming a surface for the carrier in front of the container. This construction also becomes cumbersome and difficult to adapt to carriers of various body shapes and creates the risk of the carrier being injured, for example in the case of a fall.

These last two constructions have the disadvantage that they are difficult to carry with a heavy load, since the center of gravity ends very low and far from the back of the carrier. Carrying objects on your back is ergonomically correct, relatively comfortable and less tiring than carrying objects in another way; therefore, there is a need for an improved type of backpack that is easy to handle and that, in addition, allows to load objects that in many occasions are inadequate to carry them in the existing types of backpacks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a backpack which is an improvement of the already known constructions described above. In this regard, the particular object is to provide a backpack that is suitable for loading fragile objects and which at the same time is comfortable and easy to handle. The invention has already achieved those and other objects, as can be seen in the following description, by means of a backpack which is of the type described in the introduction and which also has the features mentioned in the specific part of claim 1. In this way, the backpack according to the invention has a cover that surrounds a space.

The cover has a flexible front wall that directly connects the space and is made to look towards the back of a carrier; In this way, a backpack is provided that is comfortable to carry because the front wall can adapt to the shape of the back of the wearer, and also, thanks to the absence of stable size panels that look towards the back of the carrier , it is light and easy to handle and carry. The cover has a shell of stable size extending from the front wall. In this way, a space that retains the shape and volume is extended regardless of whether there is an object placed in space or not. In this regard, there is a possibility that the carrier may store fragile objects, as well as carry those objects safely and comfortably. By making the end of the cover flexible and directed to the back and by making the rest of the walls rigid to define space, the fact that the back of the wearer constitutes a flat surface in essence, and therefore It only has small curvatures and there is little action with the front walls when loading it. At the same time, the flexible wall allows a simple formation according to the back of the carrier, which results in an easy way to load it. In connection with the invention, a flexible wall refers to a collapsible wall that does not have a rigidity or total capacity per se to maintain a certain shape when it comes into contact with an external force. In connection with the invention, a shell means of stable size refers to a shell means capable of preserving the given shape, despite coming into contact with an external force of a certain type. Preferred embodiments of the invention are mentioned in the claims. In a preferred embodiment, a lower portion of the front wall is attached to a lower portion of the shell means. Given the fact that the connection between the rigid shell means and the flexible front wall is arranged through a portion, i.e., an extension with a certain area, in the lower area of the cover and not through an edge , it is avoided that the uncomfortable and dangerous edges hurt the back of the carrier in the area where the horizontal action force between the backpack and the carrier is greater. In this regard, a particular preferred feature is that the lower portion of the shell means, which portion is attached to the front wall, includes a support surface disposed across the front wall to rest on the carrier. In a particular preferred embodiment, the lower portion of the shell means, the portion of which is attached to the front wall, has a portion curved rearwardly below the supporting surface. In this way, a good adaptation to the shape and the lower part of the back in different people is achieved, while the lower edge of the shell means moves away from the wearer, thus avoiding the risk of injuries from blows .

In a particular preferred embodiment, the shell means is attached to other parts of the backpack and can be disassembled; in this way, the backpack can be divided into a rigid part and a flexible part. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, it comprises a backpack with a cover having a soft or flexible part and a rigid or hard part; the rigid part comprises a shell means in which the descending, retracted and lateral directions define a space in the backpack; and the soft part comprises a front wall of the space, which at the same time forms a rear panel that faces the back of a carrier, and has straps for loading attached thereto. The shell means is attached directly to the lower portion of the front wall; in addition, the shell means has upper front portions that are attached to the front wall, either directly thereto or through portions of the wall relative to the soft part, which form part of the side walls of the space. It is of paramount importance for the invention that the shell means be considerably stiffer than the front wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS By way of example, the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a backpack in accordance with the invention with an oblique view from behind. Figure 2 shows a rucksack in accordance with figure 1 with an oblique view from the front. Figure 3 shows the backpack according to Figure 1 in an open position. Figure 4 shows the backpack according to Figure 1 in an expanded position. Figure 5 shows the backpack according to Figure 1 in an open and expanded position. Figure 6 shows the backpack disassembled in accordance with figure 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALID Figures 1 and 2 show a rucksack 1 according to the invention in a front view and a rear view, respectively. Regarding the invention, the different reference instructions refer to the backpack, since it is made to align when loaded on the back. The backpack 1 comprises a cover 2 and straps for loading 4 attached thereto. The cover 2 defines a space 26 (see Figure 3) and comprises a front wall in the form of a flexible rear panel 30 facing the carrier and a self-supporting shield means of stable size 50 and is attached to the rear panel 30. The means of shell 50 is formed of a single piece of a material of stable size, for example metal, injection molded plastic or a fiber reinforced plastic material, and can be said to include three portions of essential walls, namely a wall portion rear 51 and two opposite side wall portions 52. The rear wall portion 51 has an S-shaped longitudinal section and thus defines a space in the upper portion 53 of the shell means 50 and forms a slightly rounded portion that goes on the carrier in the lower part 54 of the shell means 50. The lower portion 54 of the shell means 50 comprises a support surface 55 for a carrier, as well as a backward curved portion 56 below the support surface 55. The lower portion 54 is corrugated to achieve greater strength. To the front, the portion of the rear wall 51 joins the portions of the side walls 52, which instead end in a forward-facing edge and have a slightly concave shape 57 (see Figure 6) adjacent to the upper area. of the portion of the wall 51 and in a hardened ridge through the portion of the wall 51 in the lower area 54 thereof. A major advantage of the open design of the shell means of edges and smooth corners, illustrated in the embodiment, is that this can be done in a single step, for example by injection molding.

The rear panel 30, which is foldable but does not extend, includes 4 portions, a lower lumbar portion 31, two shoulder portions 32, 33 juxtaposed above it, as well as an upper portion 34. Those four portions include a padded panel each, for example of polyethylene with a thickness of approximately 15 mm. The cushioned panels, each of which is foldable, are held in place by internal and external textile materials and seams 37 disposed between the panels. The back panel 30 may also include a single cushioned panel portioned by seams. Thanks to the mattress on the back panel, no hard or angular object in space will cause discomfort when the backpack is loaded. In general, the rear panel 30 shows greater ability to fold along the lines (seams 37) where the portions 31, 32, 33 are joined; in the middle, the lumbar portion 31 extends partly upwards between the shoulder portions, 32, 33. In addition, the lumbar portion 31 is attached to the lower portion 54 of the shell means 50 with the help of screws 41 and nuts to form a support surface for the carrier. The screws 41 are sunk in the mattress of the lumbar portion 31 and in the rear (outside) of the shell means 50, and extend in respective corrugated portions so as not to disturb one of the ends. On the sides 7, the shoulder portions 32, 33 are attached to the shell means 50 with the aid of attachment means 11, as will be described in more detail below. By means of the assembly and configuration shown and described above, a rear panel 30 is achieved which in coaction with the rigid shell means 50 comfortably molds to the back of the wearer. The upper ends of the belts 4 for loading are attached to the upper area of a respective shoulder portion 32, 33 while the lower ends are attached to the outer edges of the lumbar portion 31 of the rear panel 30 adjacent to the lower portion 54 of the half shell 50. The lumbar portion 31 has an outward curve to somehow form projections 36 adjacent to the attachment point of the straps 4 to hold the lower ends of the straps 4 laterally outward, and thus achieve an adjustment comfortable on the carrier. Also, there is a handle for loading it 5 between the upper attachment points of the straps 4. The backpack 1 has a flexible cover 16 made of fabric that through a leading edge joins the rear panel 30 and that in a closed position ( Figures 1 and 2) covers an upper opening between the rear panel 30 and the upper edge of the shell means 50. Figure 3 shows the backpack 1 with the cover 16 open. Through the circumference 17 of the lid 16 there is a cord 18 which passes through a channel of the lid 16 and extends out of the channel through a hole in the rear portion of the lid 16. By means of the cord 18, which can be elastic , the size of the circumference of the lid 16 can be reduced in varying levels by removing the cord 18 from the channel at different distances; of course, the cord 18 does not have to extend over the entire circumference of the lid 16, but only by a portion thereof. A conventional locking means (not shown) may be placed around the cord outside the lid to prevent it from retracting into the channel, thereby increasing the size of the circumference of the lid when in the extended position. In the upper part, the shell means 50 has an upper portion with retracted or outward curve 15, ending in an upper edge 14. The curved edge 14 has two purposes; first, lid 16 can be closed by pulling it towards the upper portion with retracted curve of the shell means 50, after which the cord 18 is tied and fixed, when it is outside, either by the lock means previously described or by means of the lock that is in the shell means, in this Handle shaped case 20; and secondly, because the curved upper portion 15 and the retracted upper edge 14 prevent the carrier from being injured with the edge of the rigid shell means 50, for example in the case of a fall while skiing or riding a bicycle. Figures 4 and 5 show the backpack 1 in an expanded state with the lid closed and open, respectively. As described above, the rear panel 30 is attached to the shell means 50 by a lower portion in common and by a joining means 1 1 arranged on the sides. Each of these joining means 11 includes a belt means 13 which also appears in figures 1-3 and which includes a belt 23 and a buckle-shaped securing means 24. With the aid of these belt means 13, it is possible, above and at a distance from the lower portion 54 of the shell means 50, to adjust the distance between the rear panel 30 and the shell means 50. In addition to the belt means 13, each attachment means 11 includes a cuneiform portion that It has a tapered shape as it descends 12 made of fabric or some other flexible material. By means of the leading edge, the cuneiform portion 12 is fixedly attached to the rear panel 30 and through the rear edge portion 12a (see figure 6) is removably attached to the shell means 50 at the front edge 57 thereof. with the help of screws 40 and nuts or other suitable means. The rear edge portion 12a of the cuneiform portion 12 has a sealing material 12b (see Figure 6) at the end facing the shell means 50 and has a rigid band 12c on the outside; consequently, a tight connection is formed between the cuneiform portion 12 and the shell means 50. When the belt means 13 is adjusted to the maximum distance between the shell means 50 and the rear panel 30, the cuneiform portion forms the walls front side of the space 26. Despite being flexible, but not extensible, the cuneiform portion 12 will extend between the rear panel 30 and the shell means 50 when the backpack is sufficiently filled. Preferably, the backpack according to the embodiment has a bottom (not shown) with a cuneiform cross section to be placed at the bottom of the space 26 and thereby form a flat surface at the bottom. Preferably, the bottom is made of foam plastic and is disassembled to allow a greater volume in the space if necessary. In an alternative embodiment (not illustrated), the bottom may include a panel that is hinged to the inside of the front wall, for example 15 mm of polyethylene, and that rests on a supporting edge inside the shell means for form a flat surface in the background. Figure 6 shows the backpack with the shell means 50 separated from the back panel 30 with the related parts 4, 12, 16. Therefore, the backpack can be divided into a flexible part and a hard or rigid part. In this way, for example, it is possible to wash those flexible parts that in addition to the mattress include cloth; In addition, it is possible to change the rigid part if it is deformed, for example in an accident. Therefore, by means of the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, a backpack is provided which has numerous advantages and new features compared to previous known constructions. Therefore, it is possible to simply add various insurance means in the rigid shell means to allow the transportation of various objects out of the backpack. In this regard, the lower concave portion 54 of the rear (outside) of the shell means 50 is particularly suitable for holding objects, such as a sleeping bag. Another main advantage of the backpack is that, thanks to the form of the shell means, it distributes the center of gravity of a load in the backpack in the upper part near and above the carrier.

Claims (10)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A backpack comprising a cover (2) having a front wall (30), which is made to face towards the back of the wearer, and has portions of walls (50) extending rearwardly from the front wall (30) , which together with the front wall (30) surround a space 26; and includes straps for loading (4), which are attached to the cover 2, characterized in that the front wall 30 is a flexible wall that directly joins the space (26) and the portions of the walls of the cover (2) that extend from the front wall (30) include a stable-sized shell means (50) extending from the front wall.

2. A backpack according to claim 1, further characterized in that the side edges 7 of the front wall (30) are attached to a portion (53) of the shell means (50), and a lower portion (31) of the front wall (30) is attached to the lower portion (54) of the shell means (50).

3. A rucksack in accordance with claim 2, further characterized in that the lower portion 54 of the shell means (50), which portion is attached to the front wall (30) includes a support surface 55 that is disposed across the front wall. the front wall (30) to rest on the carrier.

4. - A backpack according to claim 3, further characterized in that the lower portion (54) of the shell means (50), which portion is attached to the front wall (30), has a backward curved portion 56 below the surface 55.

5. A backpack according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the front edges (6) of the shell means (50) are attached to the side edges (7) of the front wall (30) with the help of a joining means (11), which allows adjustment of the size of the space (26) by changing the interrelation between the front wall (30) and the shell means (50).

6. A backpack according to claim 5, further characterized in that the attachment means (11) include a cuneiform portion tapered as it descends (12), made of flexible material.

7. A rucksack according to claim 5 or 6, further characterized in that the attachment means (11) include a means of belts (13), which on and at a distance from the lower portion (54) of the shell means ( 50), allows the adjustment of the distance between the front wall 30 and the shell means (50).

8. A backpack according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the shell means (50) has an upper edge (14) which is arranged on an upper portion curved outwardly (15).

9. - A backpack according to claim 8, further characterized in that the flexible cover (16) extends rearwardly from the upper portion of the front wall (30), and the size of at least one circumference portion (17) of the lid (16) that can be changed, and the lid (16) that can be joined to the shell means (50) by coercion between the outwardly curved portion (15) and the circumferential size that can be changed.

10. A backpack according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the front wall (30) is padded. 1. A backpack according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the shell means (50) is in one piece. 12. A backpack according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the shell means (50) is attached to other parts of the backpack and is removable, preferably, the backpack can be divided into a rigid part and a part flexible.