Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Article held by receiver
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-07
2001-01-30
Vidovich, Gregory M. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Article held by receiver
C224S628000, C224S631000, C224S644000, C224S645000, C224S153000, C224S578000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179187
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to utility bags, and more specifically to knapsacks, also called backpacks which are engineered for carrying relatively heavy loads on the back of the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The ability of hikers, mountaineers, or other outdoors enthusiasts to carry heavy loads in their knapsacks with relative ease depends in great part upon the placement of the burden or load in relation to the body and its distribution over the shoulders, hips and lumbar area of the user. In theory, the most efficient load placement would be immediately above the human body center of gravity, i.e., the center of the pelvis. Moreover, in order to minimize pressure against the body tissues, the load-bearing area of the knapsack should be spread widely over the contacting area of the body. Knapsacks of the prior art have addressed the latter issue by securing the lower part of the knapsack to a relatively wide belt that spreads the load around the waist. A specimen of this type of knapsack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,759 Dreissigacker et al. The former issue of weight distribution has been addressed by providing shallow, but very high, knapsacks which distribute the weight over relatively small horizontal footprint and not too far from the spine. Examples of those narrow knapsacks are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,740 Carlson, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,159 Gregory. Tall knapsacks are rather unwieldy and impractical. Each item of their contents must be packed on top or below another. In order to remove an item near the bottom of the bag, every other item above it has to be taken out. Another disadvantage associated with tall knapsacks, is that they shift the center of gravity of the combined body and bag quite high which may cause the user to lose his balance when leaning forward, backward or sideways.
The instant invention results from a methodical attempt to resolve the above disadvantages of the knapsacks of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal and secondary objects of this invention are to provide a knapsack or backpack that can carry a heavy load with minimal discomfort and improved stability, allowing the user a large freedom of movement and the ability to lean in any direction without loss of balance. It is also an object of this invention to provide a knapsack or backpack with broad dimensions and easy access for stowing and retrieving items therein.
These and other valuable objects are achieved by a knapsack whose main structural element is a dorsal plate contoured to the lumbar area of the body, and is equipped with a strapping assembly which allows the wearer to shift the load within an expandable envelope toward the dorsal plate, and corollarily toward the body center of gravity. The strapping assembly comprises sets of strings which are adjustably laced between the dorsal plate and the back panel of the bag.
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Knight Steven F.
Lemire Mark L.
Buchaca John D.
Charmasson Henri J. A.
Vidovich Gregory M.
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