Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Article held by receiver
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2002-04-02
Vidovich, Gregory M. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Article held by receiver
C224S625000, C224S628000, C224S642000, C224S660000, C224S662000, C602S019000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06364186
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for aiding in weight distribution and support of back borne loads, and more particularly to adding internal, load bearing support to the spine and shoulders through application of abdominal wall pressure, to the external load support provided by a hip belt and backpack load carrier.
2. Background Art
Man's skeletal and muscle structure, upright carriage, and bipedal mode of locomotion, whether walking or running, requires a large degree of freedom of shoulder, back, arm and hip movement to facilitate a coordinated gait and maintain balance. This is particularly true for traveling a significant distance and for traversing other than a level surface. A healthy person is generally capable of lifting and transporting in his or her arms roughly up to about one half of his or her own weight for short distances.
It is common knowledge that the load bearing capacity of a person can be greatly enhanced by placing the load on their back, and more specifically, by the use of a backpack load carrier. A backpack can be minimally described as a container or load of any sort that is equipped with straps by which it can be attached to a person's back. The straps may be attached to the load or pack by only one end, being then disposed over one or both shoulders and grasped and held at the user's chest.
More commonly, in order to keep the hands and arms free for coordinated walking motion and other uses, the other end of the strap or straps are attached at a lower point on the load as a shoulder strap, so as to distribute the pack load between the two attach points. Where there are two straps, the upper and lower attach points are likely to be spaced apart, equal distance from the centerline of the load or pack. The length of the two straps are typically adjusted to about the same, depending on the user's normal posture and carriage, so that the pack is more or less laterally centered on the back.
Backpacks are common gear for hikers, in particular. They are used to carry equipment and food for the hiker on trips extending from short day trips through a city park to rigorous overnight trips through remote wilderness areas where the right equipment can be vital to the hiker's survival. The longer and more remote the route of the trek and the more rigorous the terrain, the more important it is for the backpack to be as comfortable as possible for the hiker.
A common, secondary source of support for the weight of a shoulder strap backpack is the additional use of a hip belt, to which the backpack is also attached. The hip belt, utilized in conjunction with the shoulder straps to shift part of the load directly to the hips or pelvic region, decreases the weight bearing directly on the shoulders and skeletal spine.
This mode of augmented support of the back borne load is commonly accomplished by suspending the backpack on the hiker's back with two padded shoulder straps and using an adjustable hip belt which encircles the hiker's pelvis and is joined in the front of the hiker's abdomen with a belt buckle; the shoulder straps and hip belt being attached to the backpack. The hip belt serves to transfer a portion of the weight of the backpack to the pelvis of the hiker, while the shoulder straps both bear weight and secure the load to the hiker's back. In so doing, much of the weight of the backpack is now supported by the pelvis of the hiker through the external attachment of the backpack to the hip belt, rather than by the hiker's skeletal spine.
However, for the hip belt to transfer the weight effectively from the backpack to the pelvis, the hip belt must be worn snugly around the user, necessarily impinging on the hiker's pelvis. For this reason, the strap or web portion of the hip belt covering the hips, is often made somewhat wider than a common trouser belt, typically two or three inches wide in order to distribute the weight bearing on the pelvic region. Adding some width to the hip belt alleviates the problem to some extent, but does not completely prevent the hip belt from impinging on the pelvis. Making the web or strap portion of the belt much wider than two or three inches restricts the hikers maneuverability and reduces the belt's utility.
However, extra width in the web section of the belt does nothing to prevent a hard belt buckle on what is typically a narrower front section of the belt, from pressing into the abdomen. Buckle padding, where provided, is generally soft and flexible and only slightly oversize compared to the buckle. This relieves only the sharpness or hard edges of the buckle hardware. Loosening or opening the belt in an effort to decrease discomfort from either or both of the impinging buckle in the abdomen or the rubbing and riding web section of the belt on the hips, results in more or all of the load being carried by the shoulder straps, placing the load back onto the spine and defeating the benefit of the hip belt.
Pads are often added to the back and sides of the hip belt to further reduce the pressure around the pelvis. Some pads extend from the back of the hiker, around to the hiker's Anterior/Superior Iliac Spines (ASIS) of the pelvis. The ASIS form the bony landmarks in the front of the pelvis on either side of the abdomen. If the pads extend much past the ASIS, the hip belt becomes difficult to adjust and may not be able to be properly tightened around the hiker's pelvis.
Beyond the mere discomfort and superficial sore spots associated with inadequate designs and ill-fitted or improperly rigged packs with hip belts, there is the potential for causing serious injury to a healthy person bearing even a moderate load over extended distances, due to fatigue in compensating for the load and balance. The problems are amplified for persons of limited physical capacity or with pre-existing health problems affecting their load carrying capacity.
There is another class of belt type devices, not related to backpacks, used in industries and occupations where heavy front lifting is encountered, and for related athletic activities such as weight lifting. These stand-alone corsets or back braces are generally characterized as being a girth strap or belt system configured for providing broad area backside or lumbar support, and are intended to prevent or reduce the likelihood of injury to back muscles when front lifting moderate to heavy loads as in picking up and moving boxes with one's arms.
There is yet another class of belt type devices, not related to backpacks, used by the medical community in the treatment of abdominal conditions where additional support is deemed useful, such as in the containment or prevention of a possible abdominal rupture or hernia. The devices are variously known as abdominal support belts, corsets, or trusses. An abdominal support belt is minimally described as a girth strap of sufficient width or with a padded element for providing broad area support and inward pressure on the abdominal wall.
Patents and published materials on all of these arts are numerous. Patents that may provide the reader with additional context for understanding the disclosure that follows, include: Farris U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,293, issued Oct. 14, 1997, disclosing a backpack with a lumbar support and a rain hood, and claiming a “waist belt . . . to help support the backpack.”; Hittenberge's U.S. Pat. No. 1,619,513; issued Mar. 1, 1927, for an abdominal support belt system with an abdominal pad that is pressed into place with encircling spring members; and Cidissen's U.S. Pat. No. 2,449,641, issued Sept. 21, 1948, for an abdominal support belt system for preventing abdominal rupture, featuring a wide belt and a lower-extending abdominal pad.
Publications that provide useful background for understanding the biomechanics of the human form factor as applied to lifting and load bearing. The article, Role of the Trunk in Stability of the Spine, by Morris, Lucas and Bressler, published in the Journal
Cummings Scott D.
Gilmour David P.
Kois William Edward
Asmys Scott J.
Brevard Maerena W.
Maine Vernon C.
Outdoor Medical Research LLC
Vidovich Gregory M.
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