U.S. patent application number 11/563698 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-29 for three-dimensional ventilating pad for backpack.
Invention is credited to Fu-Yuan Yang.
Application Number | 20080121674 11/563698 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39462603 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080121674 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yang; Fu-Yuan |
May 29, 2008 |
THREE-DIMENSIONAL VENTILATING PAD FOR BACKPACK
Abstract
The pad is made of a soft and flexible foam material and has an
ergonomic design with a upper pad member and a lower pad member,
both bulging towards the user's back. Both the upper and lower pad
members contain a number of linear channels running straight across
the pad members. When the user carries the backpack on the back,
the pad members are expanded and compressed as the backpack rises
and falls as the user walks or moves. As such, the backpack
functions like a pump that continuously drives out humid air from
the sweat of the user's back and draws in dry air, both through the
linear channels.
Inventors: |
Yang; Fu-Yuan; (Taipei City,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEONG C LEI
PMB # 1008, 1867 YGNACIO VALLEY ROAD
WALNUT CREEK
CA
94598
US
|
Family ID: |
39462603 |
Appl. No.: |
11/563698 |
Filed: |
November 28, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/644 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 2003/125 20130101;
A45F 3/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/644 |
International
Class: |
A45F 3/04 20060101
A45F003/04 |
Claims
1. A pad attached to the back side of a backpack, comprising: an
upper pad member bulging outward away from said backpack; a lower
pad member bulging outward away from said backpack and having a
larger thickness than that of said upper member; a plurality of
linear channels running across said upper and lower pad members;
wherein said upper and lower pad members are made of a soft and
flexible foam material and jointly conform to the curvature of a
user's back; and said linear channels are accessible to air
external to said upper and lower pads from the circumference of
said pad members.
2. The pad according to claim 1, wherein said linear channels are
arranged in a mesh.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to rucksacks or
backpacks, and more particularly to a three-dimensional pad of the
backpacks interfacing with the user's back that provides enhanced
ventilation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] Conventionally, a rucksack or a backpack has a fixedly
shaped back side to conform to the curvature of a user's back or a
soft and flexible back side to provide more comfort in carrying the
backpack.
[0003] However, when the backpack is carried for an extended period
of time, the sweat from the user's back usually soaks the back side
of the backpack, sometimes damaging the carried objects or creating
smelly odor. Even though some of the backpacks have the back side
made of a foam material, the ventilation is still far less
satisfactory as the backpack is continuously in close contact with
the user's back, especially when heavy object are carried in the
backpack.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention therefore provides a three-dimensional
pad for backpacks for enhanced ventilation.
[0005] the pad is made of a soft and flexible foam material and has
an ergonomic design with an upper pad member and a lower pad
member, both bulging towards the user's back. The upper and lower
pad members jointly conform to the curvature of the user's back.
Both the upper and lower pad members contain a number of linear
channels running straight across the pad members.
[0006] When the user carries the backpack on the back, the pad
members are expanded and compressed as the backpack rises and falls
as the user walks or moves. As such, the backpack functions like a
pump that continuously drives out humid air from the sweat of the
user's back and draws in dry air, both through the linear
channels.
[0007] The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief
introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these
and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention
itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the
art, the following detailed description of the invention and the
claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings. Throughout the specification and drawing identical
reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
[0008] Many other advantages and features of the present invention
will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making
reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets
of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment
incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by
way of illustrative example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram showing a pad according to
an embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the pad of FIG. 1 when viewing
directly towards the pad.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram showing the pad of FIG.
1.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the pad of FIG. 1 when viewing
directly from the bottom.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing how air flow into and
out of the ventilation holes and the linear channels of FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective diagram showing the pad of FIG. 1
attached to the back side of a backpack.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only,
and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or
configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following
description provides a convenient illustration for implementing
exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the
described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement
of the elements described without departing from the scope of the
invention as set forth in the appended claims.
[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, a pad 1 according to an
embodiment of the present invention is attached to cover
substantially the entire back side of a backpack (or a rucksack or
other similar pack) 10 and, therefore, functions as a buffer
between the user's back and the backpack 10. The pad 1 is
integrally formed from a soft and flexible foam material.
[0017] As further illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pad 1 contains
a border area 13 for sewing the pad 1 onto the backpack 10. Within
the border area 13, the pad 1 has an ergonomic design with an upper
pad number 11 and a lower pad member 12, both bulging towards the
user's back. The upper and lower pad members 11 and 12 jointly
conform to the curvature of the user's back and therefor the upper
pad number 11 has a smaller thickness and the lower pad member 12
has a larger thickness.
[0018] Both the upper and lower pad members 11 and 12 contain a
number of linear channels 2 running straight across the pad members
11 and 12. The linear channels 2 can be regularly layout in a mesh
as shown in the drawings or they can form any appropriate pattern.
Some of the linear channels 2 are directly accessible from the
circumference of the pad members 11 and 12. For some other linear
channels 2, as shown in FIG. 4, a number of ventilation holes 3 are
provided along the circumference of the pad members 11 and 12 to
allow air to flow through the channels 2.
[0019] When the user carries the backpack 10 on the back, the
backpack 10 would rise and fall relatively to the user's back as
the user walks or moves. Since the pad 1 is made of a soft and
flexible material, the pad members 11 and 12 are expanded and
compressed as the backpack 10 rises and falls. As such, with the
help of the pad 1, the backpack 10 functions like a pump that
continuously drives out humid air from the sweat of the user's back
and draws in dry air, both through the linear channels 2 and the
ventilation holes 3. In other words, continuous air flow is
produced through the user's back via the channels 2 and the
ventilation holes 3 as the pad members 11 and 12 are released and
squeezed, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0020] It will be understood that each of the elements described
above, or two or more together may also find a useful application
in other types of methods differing from the type described
above.
[0021] While certain novel features of this invention have been
shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is
not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be
understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and
changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in
its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without
departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
* * * * *