U.S. patent application number 09/745306 was filed with the patent office on 2003-03-27 for child's knapsack harness and method of use therefor.
Invention is credited to Painter, Brita L..
Application Number | 20030057246 09/745306 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23362927 |
Filed Date | 2003-03-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030057246 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Painter, Brita L. |
March 27, 2003 |
Child's knapsack harness and method of use therefor
Abstract
A modular child's harness and knapsack is disclosed having a
waist belt, two shoulder straps, and gear that attaches to the
waist belt and shoulder straps. The lower ends of the shoulder
straps are foldable so that they may be folded up for use by a
smaller child, and later unfolded as the child grows taller.
Inventors: |
Painter, Brita L.; (San
Rafael, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GARY CARY WARE & FREIDENRICH LLP
1755 EMBARCADERO ROAD
PALO ALTO
CA
94303-3340
US
|
Family ID: |
23362927 |
Appl. No.: |
09/745306 |
Filed: |
December 22, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09745306 |
Dec 22, 2000 |
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09347246 |
Jul 2, 1999 |
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6179175 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/637 ;
224/259; 224/582; 224/583 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 3/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/637 ;
224/259; 224/582; 224/583 |
International
Class: |
A45F 003/04; A45F
004/00; A45C 015/00 |
Claims
What is claimed as the invention is:
1. A frameless knapsack harness for a child comprising: a waist
belt for encircling a child's waist; two shoulder straps each
having a distal end, a proximal end portion, and a middle portion
therebetween, the distal end being connected to the proximal end
portion such that the shoulder strap forms a circular loop for
loosely encircling one of a child's shoulders; two waist belt
loops, each loop located on the proximal end portion of one of the
shoulder straps for slidably receiving the waist belt to adjustably
attach the shoulder strap to the waist belt at a rearward position
thereof; and two hinge portions, each hinge portion located across
one of the shoulder straps between the proximal end portion and an
adjacent intermediate portion, the hinge portion permitting the
proximal end portion to be folded up and secured against the
adjacent intermediate portion in a retracted position such that the
waist belt and waist belt loop reside higher on the shoulder strap
than when not in the retracted position, thereby allowing a single
knapsack harness to properly fit a smaller child with the proximal
end portion in the retracted position and continue to properly fit
when the child grows and the proximal end portion is extended into
a nonretracted position.
2. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 1 wherein the
proximal end portions and the adjacent intermediate portions of the
shoulder straps are padded.
3. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 1 wherein each
of the two shoulder straps further comprises a main strap and a
connecting strap adjustably connected end to end, the main strap
having the proximal end portion, the waist band loop, the hinge
portion, the adjacent intermediate portion, and the middle portion,
the connecting strap having the distal end, the main strap being
padded along substantially its entire length.
4. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 1 further
comprising a third and fourth waist belt loop each located on one
of the distal ends of the shoulder straps for receiving the waist
belt therethrough.
5. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 1 wherein the
proximal end portion of each shoulder strap has the waist band loop
facing away from the child and a predetermined amount of padding
between the waist band loop and the child when the proximal end
portion is in the non-retracted position.
6. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 5 wherein the
proximal end portion of each shoulder strap has the waist band loop
facing the child and the same predetermined amount of padding
between the waist band loop and the child when the proximal end
portion is in the retracted position.
7. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 1 wherein the
proximal end portion of each shoulder strap folds outward and
upward against the adjacent intermediate portion.
8. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 1 further
comprising a plurality of attachment fittings located along the
shoulder straps for attaching gear onto the harness such that the
gear releasably spans between the two shoulder straps.
9. A method of enlarging a knapsack harness for a child comprising
the steps of: releasing a J-shaped folded rear lower end on two
shoulder straps, the lower ends carrying a waist belt spanning
therebetween; and pivoting the rearward lower ends down so that
they extend straight, thereby lowering the height of the waist belt
relative to the shoulder straps.
10. A frameless knapsack harness for a child comprising: a waist
belt for encircling a child's waist; two shoulder straps each
having a distal end, a proximal end portion, and a middle portion
therebetween, the distal end being connected to the proximal end
portion such that the shoulder strap forms a circular loop for
loosely encircling one of a child's shoulders; two waist belt
loops, each loop located on the proximal end portion of one of the
shoulder straps for slidably receiving the waist belt to adjustably
attach the shoulder strap to the waist belt at a rearward position
thereof; a plurality of attachment fittings located along an outer
rear portion of each of the shoulder straps for attaching gear onto
the harness such that the gear releasably spans between the two
shoulder straps with nothing permanently spanning therebetween and
such that any rigidity that the knapsack harness has is provided by
the attached gear, thereby providing a lightweight knapsack and
allowing the amount of gear attached to the harness to increase as
the child grows.
11. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 10, wherein the
plurality of attachment fittings are oblong plastic rings for
receiving straps to secure the gear.
12. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 10, further
comprising a bag for spanning between the two shoulder straps and
removably attaching to four of the attachment fittings.
13. A frameless knapsack harness according to claim 12, wherein the
bag includes a removable carry strap for use when the bag is
removed from the harness.
14. A knapsack for a child comprising: a pack bag for containing
belongings of the child, the pack bag having a top surface, a front
surface, and two opposite lateral surfaces; a handle permanently
attached to the top surface for carrying the pack bag; two shoulder
strap connectors each located on an opposite lateral surface; a
removable shoulder strap having two ends each for attaching to one
of the shoulder strap connectors, the shoulder strap for
alternately carrying the pack bag; two knapsack harness connectors
located on the front surface of the pack bag for attaching to a
child's knapsack harness, thereby allowing the pack bag to be
alternately carried by the handle, the shoulder strap, or a
knapsack harness.
15. A knapsack according to claim 14 comprising exactly four
knapsack harness connectors each located adjacent to a corner of
the front surface.
16. A knapsack for a child comprising: two shoulder straps each
having a distal end, a proximal end portion, and a middle portion
therebetween, the distal end being connected to the proximal end
portion such that the shoulder strap forms a circular loop for
loosely encircling one of a child's shoulders; a pack bag removably
attached to and spanning between the middle portions of the
shoulder straps; and two hinge portions, each hinge portion located
across one of the shoulder straps between the proximal end portion
and an adjacent intermediate portion, the hinge portion permitting
the proximal end portion to be folded up and secured against the
adjacent intermediate portion in a retracted position to shorten
the shoulder strap, thereby allowing a single knapsack harness to
properly fit a smaller child with the proximal end portion in the
retracted position and continue to properly fit when the child
grows and the proximal end portion is extended into a non-retracted
position.
17. A knapsack according to claim 16 further comprising a plurality
of attachment fittings longitudinally spaced along the middle
portions of the shoulder straps for removably attaching the pack
bag, the plurality of attachment fittings allowing the pack bag to
be alternately attached to the shoulders straps in a plurality of
positions.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a knapsack
harness, and more particularly to a modular child's harness with
adjustment features that allow the harness to be continued to be
used as a child grows.
[0003] 2. Discussion of the Prior Art
[0004] Many different types of backpacks, daypacks, knapsacks,
bookbags, and waistpacks exist for camping, hiking, sports,
recreation, travel, and other needs. Most are specifically designed
for adults, and some are designed for children. Although prior art
packs for children typically have adjustments to allow them to fit
a range of children, they are optimized for a particular size child
and designed for a specific activity. One pack may be appropriate
for camping, another for picnicking, another for hiking, another
for school and sports, etc. This requires that several packs be
purchased for a child, and as the child grows, larger equipment
must be purchased.
[0005] What is needed and not provided by the prior art is a simple
child's pack that can grow with the child, and be adapted for many
different uses over the course of many years.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is a modular pack system that can be
configured for many different uses, and can expand as a child grows
larger and participates in more activities.
[0007] In its simplest form, a pack system constructed according to
the present invention starts with a simple waist belt and a clip
attached to a loop for sliding onto the belt. The clip can be used
to attach a favorite toy or other object to the child's belt. The
belt is adjustable and releases with a plastic buckle.
[0008] Other small items can be attached to the belt, such as a
water bottle pouch (first small capacity, then large.) A small
pouch can later be added to the belt to hold a snack, sunglasses or
other small items. A larger pouch can be added by itself or in
conjunction with the previous items to hold such things as a camera
or jacket.
[0009] To the same waist belt a pair of shoulder straps can be
added to provide the next modular platform. In the preferred
embodiment plastic loops are arranged along the outside of the back
of the shoulder straps for attaching gear such as a ground cloth,
sleeping pad, sleeping bag, bag for food & clothes, fishing
pole, tent, etc. These items can be added one by one to the
shoulder strap and waist belt combination as the child is able to
carry more. In this way a child can begin to participate at an
early age in an activity such as backpacking. As the child
progresses, new components can be added and/or subtracted without
having to purchase the entire pack at the outset or having to
repurchase entirely new gear at every stage of development.
[0010] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the
disclosed pack system is modular as described above.
[0011] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
rearward lower ends of the shoulder straps are provided with a
hingable section adjacent to where the shoulder straps slidably
attach to the waist belt. The end portion is initially folded up
and secured in a retracted, J-shaped position when the child is
small. After the child has grown, the end portion is released and
extended, thereby expanding the distance between the waist belt and
the attachment points on the shoulder straps. This allows the same
harness to be used and fit properly over the course of many more
years.
[0012] In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a
pack bag is provided that may be alternately carried by a handle, a
single shoulder strap, or attached to the knapsack harness
system.
[0013] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the
rigidity of the knapsack is provided mainly by the attached gear
rather than by the shoulder straps, waist belt, or a frame. This
allows the knapsack to be extremely lightweight, a feature
particularly important for smaller children.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view showing a pack apparatus
constructed according to the present invention for a small child
and having a sleeping bag and snack pouch.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view similar to FIG. 1 for a
small child and having a sleeping bag, pad and water bottle.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view similar to FIG. 1 for a
large child and having a backpack bag, sleeping bag and pad.
[0017] FIG. 4A is a front perspective view showing a waist
belt.
[0018] FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a clasp for attaching
to the waist belt.
[0019] FIG. 5A is an upper front perspective view showing a pack
harness constructed according to the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 5B is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the detail
of a chest strap connection.
[0021] FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5C-5C in
FIG. 5A.
[0022] FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5D-5D in
FIG. 5A.
[0023] FIG. 6A is a lower rear perspective view showing a pack
harness constructed according to the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 6B is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the detail
of an attachment loop connection.
[0025] FIG. 7A is a side elevation view showing a pack harness
constructed according to the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 7B is a fragmentary side elevation view showing a
shoulder strap with its proximal end portion in a retracted
position.
[0027] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a pack bag,
shoulder belt, and water bottle.
[0028] FIG. 9 is a front perspective view showing a configuration
with shoulder straps, pack bag, and no waist belt.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, a pack system 10 constructed according
to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. Pack
system 10 is highly modular, and can be assembled in a variety of
configurations. The simplest configuration for a small child starts
with a waist belt 12, shown by itself in FIG. 4A. Single items can
be added to waist belt 12 using clip 14 which is attached to belt
12 with hook and loop type fastener 16, as shown in FIG. 4B. As
shown in FIG. 1, items such as a snack pouch 18 can be attached by
sliding over belt 12.
[0030] When the child has grown some, shoulder straps 20 and 22 can
be added to belt 12 to allow more gear, such as sleeping bag 24, to
be attached to the modular harness system. Shoulder straps 20 and
22 include attachment loops 26 so that straps 28 can be used to
attach a variety of gear to shoulder straps 20 and 22. Preferably,
attachment loops 26 are provided every 2 inches so that attached
items can be adjusted (raised or lowered) or re-positioned for best
fit and most comfort. Attaching gear to shoulder straps 20 and 22
provides rigidity to pack 10, as there is no frame or pack bag
built in. Releasable chest straps 30 and 32 span across the front
of shoulder straps 20 and 22 to provide further positioning
thereof. Chest straps 30 and 32 are slidable along shoulder straps
20 and 22.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 2, a larger pack 10' can be configured by
adding sleeping pad 34 to shoulder straps 20 and 22, and adding
water bottle 36 to waist belt 12.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 3, an even larger pack 10" can be
configured by adding pack bag 38. Pack bag 38 has two upper
attachment fittings 40 (shown in FIG. 6B) and two lower releasible
clips 42 (shown in FIG. 8) that mate with attachment loops 26 and
adjacent webbing 60, respectively, to attach bag 38 to shoulder
straps 20 and 22. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, shoulder
straps 20 and 22 are lengthened for a larger child by unfolding and
extending the lower portions of shoulder straps 20 and 22, as will
be more fully described below. In all of the configurations, it is
preferable to locate the heaviest items as low as possible on
shoulder straps 20 and 22.
[0033] Referring again to FIG. 4A, waist belt 12 is shown. Mating
halves 44 and 46 of a plastic buckle are provided on opposite ends
of waist belt 12 to allow belt 12 to be releasible and fully
adjustable over a wide range of children's waist sizes. Preferably,
a second layer of webbing 48 is sewn to waist belt 12 in the rear
region thereof to provide extra rigidity there.
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 5A and 6A, detailed views of the harness
are shown. Shoulder straps 20' and 22' each include a main padded
portion 50 and 52, respectively, and a lower connecting portion 54
and 56, respectively. The upper ends of connecting portion 54 and
56 are adjustably connected to main padded portions 50 and 52 by
plastic buckles 58. Buckles 58 are permanently attached to webbing
60, which runs along the outer length of padded portions 50 and 52
and secures attachment loops 26 thereto.
[0035] The lower ends of connecting portions 54 and 56 have loops
61 that are permanently connected to fabric loops 62, which in turn
are sewn into the bottom portions of main padded portions 50 and
52. Preferably, loops 61 slidably receive waist belt 12 and are
maintained just to the outside of waist belt loops 68 by fabric
loops 62.
[0036] The lower ends 64 and 66 of main padded portions 50 and 52,
respectively, are provided with waist belt loops 68 for slidably
receiving waist belt 12. Although not required, hook and loop type
fastening elements (not shown) can be employed within loops 68
and/or on waist belt 12 to prevent the lower ends 64 and 66 of
shoulder straps 20 and 22 from sliding once properly positioned on
waist belt 12.
[0037] Hinge portions 70 are provided horizontally across main
padded portions 50 and 52 just above waist belt loops 68. Hinge
portions 70 are preferably created by removing padding along this
line or compressing the padding with stitching. Hinge portions 70
allow lower ends 64 and 66 to be folded up against adjacent
portions 72 and 74, respectively, to shorten main padded portions
50 and 52, as will be further described below.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 5B, a detailed view of the connection
between chest strap 32 and shoulder strap 22 is shown (main padded
portion 52 of shoulder strap 22 is removed for clarity.) Cross
buckle 76 is slidably captivated by shoulder strap webbing 60.
Chest strap 32 is wrapped around main padded portion 52, stitched
to itself to form a loop therearound, and is also slidably
captivated by cross buckle 76 at a right angle to webbing 60. Chest
strap 32 may slide up and down main padded portion 52 for
adjustment when being worn, but is prevented from sliding too
easily by the friction therebetween. Opposite chest strap 30 is
connected to shoulder strap 20 in a similar fashion.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 5C, a cross-section of the front of main
padded portion 52 is shown, taken along line 5C-5C in FIG. 5A.
Preferably, main padded portion 52 is constructed by surrounding
closed cell foam padding 78 with fabric 80, such as nylon.
Preferably a layer of heavy nylon webbing ("scuba webbing") 81 is
located between padding 78 and fabric tube 80 to provide more
structure and durability to padded portion 52. Webbing 60 is
attached to the outside by stitching through both sides of main
padded portion 52. The front of main padded portion 50 is
constructed in the same manner.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 5D, a cross-section of the rear of main
padded portion 52 is shown, taken along line 5D-5D in FIG. 5A.
Preferably, an extra layer of webbing 82 is provided between
webbing 60 and fabric 82, having a width in between that of webbing
60 and main padded portion 52. The extra layer of fabric 82
provides a more solid and stronger surface on the rear of shoulder
straps 20 and 22 where attachment loops 26 are connected. The rear
of main padded portion 50 is constructed in the same manner.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 6B, attachment loops 26 are connected to
main padded portions SO and 52 by loops 83 formed in webbing 60 and
secured by stitching 85. Because of the orientation of loops 83, an
excessive load is not put on stitching 85 from the weight of the
attached gear, making for a strong attachment point for the gear.
Lower clips 42 on bag 38 can attach to webbing 60 at loops 83 or in
between the stitching of adjacent loops 83 through gaps 87.
[0042] Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the folding feature of
shoulder straps 20 and 22 will be described (for simplicity, only
shoulder strap 20 is shown and described, although shoulder strap
22 is constructed and functions in the same manner.) As previously
described above, a hinged portion 70 is provided between the lower
end 64 of shoulder strap 20 and adjacent portion 72. Hinged portion
70 allows lower end 64 to be folded up from the extended position
shown in FIG. 7A to a retracted position as shown in FIG. 7B. In
the retracted position, lower end 64 preferably lies flat against
the outside of adjacent portion 72. Lower end 64 has an attachment
loop 26 that can be fastened to an adjacent attachment loop 26 with
a short fastening strap 84 to hold lower end 64 in the retracted
position against adjacent portion 72. Fastening strap is preferably
made of hook and loop type fastening material.
[0043] The inventive pack harness system is initially used for a
small child with the lower ends 64 in the retracted position shown
in FIG. 7B and the lower connecting portions 54 and 56 of shoulder
straps 20 and 22 tightened up at buckles 58. As the child grows,
connecting portions 54 and 56 are gradually loosened at buckles 58
to make shoulder straps 20 and 22 longer. Eventually, fastening
straps 84 are released and the lower ends 64 and 66 of shoulder
straps 20 and 22 are extended into the non-retracted position shown
in FIG. 7A to fit the larger child. At this time, waist belt 12 can
be rotated with respect to waist belt loops 68 so that waist belt
buckle member 44 and 46 remain in the proper orientation. It will
be noted that the same amount of padding exists between waist belt
12 and the child regardless of whether lower ends 64 and 66 are in
the retracted or non-retracted positions.
[0044] In the preferred embodiment, two different size harnesses
are used to cover the range of children between toddler and
teenager. With the smaller harness, the main padded portions 50 and
52 of the shoulder straps 20 and 22 are approximately 24.5 inches
long, and with the larger harness they are approximately 32.5
inches long. The lower ends 64 and 66 of both harnesses are
approximately 3.5 inches long. The padded portions 50 and 52 of
both harnesses are about 2.25 inches wide and 0.63 inches
thick.
[0045] Referring to FIG. 8, a detailed view of pack bag 38 is
shown. In the preferred embodiment, pack bag 38 includes a main
compartment and a side compartment each closed by conventional
zippers 86. Bag 38 is provided with a handle 88 on top for carrying
bag 38 by hand when it is removed from the pack harness. A
removable shoulder strap 90 may be attached to bag 38 to carry just
bag 38 over one shoulder. Strap 90 is connected to loops 92 on
opposite sides of bag 38 using releasible clips 94, or other
suitable connection device such as clips with swivels. Strap 90 can
also be used with water bottle carrier 36 in a similar manner.
[0046] Pack bag 38 is connected to back pack 10" (as shown in FIGS.
3 and 7A) by two plastic fittings 40 and two releasible clips 42.
Plastic fittings 40 are slid into attachment loops 26 and then
rotated so they anchor in place, as shown in FIG. 6B. Each clip 42
fastens around webbing 60 at the base of an attachment loop 26. In
this way, bag 38 is attached to pack 10" at four points. Bag 38 can
alternately be used with pack 10", separately with shoulder strap
90, or carried by handle 88.
[0047] Pack bag 38 is also provided with laterally spaced tie down
pads 96, two on the top and two on the bottom. Tie down pads 96 can
be used in conjunction with attachment straps 28 to attach
additional gear to bag 38, or further secure the gear that is
attached to shoulder straps 20 and 22. Preferably, compression
straps (shown in FIG. 3) are also provided across the outside of
bag 38 over the side compartment to attach additional items if
desired and hold internal contents in place.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 9, another configuration of the inventive
harness system is shown. Shoulder straps 20 and 22 may be used with
pack bag 38 and without a waist belt, much like a traditional book
bag. For illustration purposes only, left shoulder strap 20 is
shown with its lower end 64 folded up and secured against adjacent
portion 72 for use by a smaller child, while the right shoulder
strap 22 is shown with its lower end 66 in the extended position
for a larger child.
[0049] Pack bag 38 provides lateral stability to shoulder straps 20
and 22 when connected therewith. Because bag 38 is removable and
reconnectable in a plurality of locations as described above, bag
38 can always be located in an optimal position, even after the
child has grown. For example, after lower ends 64 and 66 are
extended, bag 38 can be placed in a lower position to keep the
weight of the pack as low as possible.
[0050] When no waist belt is used, loops 61 at the bottom of
connecting straps 54 and 56 are anchored to the lower ends 64 and
66 of padded portions 50 and 52 solely by loops 62.
[0051] The above descriptions and drawings are for illustrative
purposes only. It is to be understood that the present invention is
not limited to the sole embodiments described above and illustrated
herein, but encompasses any and all variations falling within the
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *