Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Flaccid attaching means looped around neck or crossing shoulder
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-11-27
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Flaccid attaching means looped around neck or crossing shoulder
C224S271000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321959
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
A socket assembly to support and release a backpack.
2. Discussion of the Relevant Art
Combat soldiers typically wear a light web-belt to carry often used items such as water-bottles, ammunition, and side-arms. The civilian equivalent to this is the “fanny-pack” popular with day hikers. Both soldiers and hikers, however, have difficulty wearing these light web belts when also wearing a heavy field backpack. Large load bearing backpacks use a substantial waist-belt to distribute the heavy load of the pack from the shoulders out over the wearer's hips. This waist-belt interferes with the web belt if both are worn at the same time. At best, it is inconvenient to move items from the light web belt to the heavy waist belt or visa versa depending on the moment's need. Combat soldiers and serious mountain climbers have the added concern of being able to quickly drop their large backpacks if suddenly threatened by enemy fire or natural dangers such as avalanches. If essentials such as ammunition and survival gear are on the backpack waist-belt they would be lost just when most needed.
The parent application addressed the problem of quick removal of a backpack from a waist belt. That disclosure teaches a backpack frame with a depending probe. The waist belt carried a socket. The socket extends outwardly from the belt approximately 2 inches. After donning the backpack the probe seats in the socket. If the backpack must be quickly disengaged, the straps holding the backpack to the soldiers body are released, the backpack rotates rearwardly and disengages. In field conditions, it was found that donning of the backpack was not as quickly effected as desired. The weight distribution of the backpack across the waist belt was not completely uniform and in some instances, the lateral movement of the backpack in the socket was a little loose.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The catch/hook (socket) assembly described herein facilitates donning of the backpack, improves the load distribution on the waist belt and improves the lateral stability of the backpack/waist belt.
Broadly the invention comprises a waist belt equipped with a catch assembly secured to a belt insert. A mounting hook assembly is secured to a backpack frame. While wearing the waist belt, the user may shoulder a backpack and easily connect it to his/her waist-belt by inserting the backpack frame's hook assembly into the catch assembly.
When the waist-belt and backpack are locked together by the inventive system and the waist-belt is supporting the backpack, the system enhances comfort by allowing the backpack to pivot fore and aft in relation to the waist-belt as the wearer walks or flexes at the torso. While being worn, the backpack can be rapidly detached from the waist-belt by either releasing quick release buckles on shoulder straps or by slipping off the backpack's shoulder straps and allowing the backpack frame to rotate backwardly in the belt insert's catch assembly. Once the pack frame exceeds a critical backward angle, the hook assembly disengages from the catch assembly and the backpack separates from the waist-belt. The wearer is freed from the backpack, but retains the waist-belt and its attached gear.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a low profile quick release assembly for securing and releasing a backpack frame from a waist belt. A catch assembly is secured to the waist belt. The catch assembly has opposed surfaces extending downwardly and terminating in a retaining notch. A pivot radius is formed in the notch. Also, catch slots are formed in the assembly.
A hook assembly is secured to a backpack frame. The assembly has a hook extending inwardly toward the catch assembly and a depending tongue. The hook and tongue defining guide surfaces, said surfaces extending upwardly and terminating in a retaining radius. The assembly has at least one flexible finger having a catch surface.
When the assemblies are engaged, the retaining radius seats on the pivot radius in contacting engagement. The catch surfaces engage the catch slots. When the rearward angular backpack (hook) assembly exceeds a predetermined angle with reference to vertical, the assemblies disengage releasing the backpack.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, catch cups are secured to the belt insert laterally on either side of the catch assembly. Bumpers are secured to the backpack frame laterally on either side of the hook assembly. When the assemblies are engaged, the bumpers seat in the cups both to enhance the lateral stability of the backpack frame and to distribute the weight of the backpack across the belt insert.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5004135 (1991-04-01), Dufournet et al.
patent: 5604958 (1997-02-01), Anscher
patent: 5620120 (1997-04-01), Tien
patent: 5622296 (1997-04-01), Pirhonen et al.
patent: 5729869 (1998-03-01), Anscher
patent: 5823414 (1998-10-01), Gal et al.
patent: 5850954 (1998-12-01), Joo
patent: 5850996 (1998-12-01), Liang
patent: 6006969 (1999-12-01), Kim
patent: 6079602 (2000-06-01), Howell
patent: 6098858 (2000-08-01), Laugesen
patent: 6161741 (2000-12-01), French
Down East, Inc.
Garbe Stephen P.
Samuels Gauthier & Stevens
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