GB2473233A

GB2473233A - Balanced rucksack

Info

Publication number: GB2473233A
Application number: GB0915409A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Mackay-Lewis
Original assignee: MMLCS Ltd
Current assignee: MMLCS Ltd
Priority date: 2009-09-04
Filing date: 2009-09-04
Publication date: 2011-03-09
Also published as: GB0915409D0

Abstract

A rucksack has a front portion 11 and a back portion 12, joined by two shoulder straps 7l, 7r and two torso straps 9l, 9r. The front portion 11 and the back portion 12 are arranged such that when placed on a torso, the centre of gravity of the rucksack is substantially aligned with a centre of the thoracic region (21, fig.4). The invention also relates to a frame (110, fig.8) cooperating with the shoulder straps, wherein the frame (110, fig.8) increases the surface area of contact between the rucksack and the torso, and prevents the rucksack's centre of gravity from moving out of substantial alignment with the centre of the thoracic region (21, fig.4).

Description

BALANCED RUCKSACK

This invention relates to a rucksack.

A conventional rucksack is used as a load-carrying device. The conventional rucksack is used to carry articles, or a plurality of articles, within, thereby producing a point source for the total weight of the article/s. The rucksack includes at least one shoulder strap, such that the weight can be borne by the body of the wearer, therefore freeing the hands for other activities. The rucksack is therefore a popular apparatus for a sportsperson such as a skier, mountain biker, hiker, horse rider, fisherman or motorcyclist. The rucksack is also popular with commuters.

There are problems with the conventional rucksack. The weight of the rucksack is felt as a point source on the back of the wearer, which can affect the balance of the wearer. For example, a skier wearing the conventional rucksack would have to account for the weight of his body and the weight of the conventional rucksack when manoeuvring. The conventional rucksack therefore has a detrimental affect to the balance and the agility of the skier.

Compensating for the weight of the rucksack can lead to physiological problems for the wearer. The wearer can compensate for the weight of the rucksack by muscular force, such as contraction of the core stabilizing muscles, or by leaning forward. This can lead to muscular fatigue, a poor posture, and/or back pain of the wearer. Back pain is commonly experienced in the lumbar region of the back of the wearer and therefore, the conventional rucksack is therefore not suitable for people suffering with back pain.

Furthermore, the articles within the rucksack are rendered inaccessible when the rucksack is on the wearer's back.

Additionally, the conventional rucksack extends along a substantial part of the wearer's back. Therefore, the lumbar region of the back is covered by the conventional rucksack, which can lead to problems. Firstly, when a skier wears the conventional rucksack, the skier is inhibited from sitting on a chair of a ski lift unless the conventional rucksack is removed.

The skier would therefore have to remove the conventional rucksack, only to put on the conventional rucksack at the ski lift's destination when the skier should be concentrating on disembarking the ski lift in a safe and timely manner.

Furthermore, there are a high proportion of sweat glands on the lumbar region of the back so covering this region is detrimental to the rate of evaporation of sweat. This can lead to an increase in the temperature of the wearer, which is detrimental to health and sporting performance.

There are also problems with the shoulder straps of the conventional rucksack. The shoulder strap extends over the shoulder of the torso, and contacts an area of the torso.

This area is typically small, and therefore, the pressure exerted by the weight of the rucksack on this small area is large. This can lead to discomfort for the wearer, and makes the rucksack more cumbersome and noticeable.

The aim of the present invention is to alleviate at least some of the above problems.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a rucksack as claimed in Claim 1, which may comprise a front portion, and a back portion, wherein the front portion and the back portion are arranged for alignment of a centre of gravity of the rucksack with a centre of a thoracic region.

Therefore, the weight of the rucksack does not substantially offset the centre of gravity of the torso and head. The wearer will therefore not have to compensate for a secondary point source of weight. This improves the balance and agility of the wearer. Furthermore, there is less chance of muscular fatigue, poor posture and back pain developing.

Preferably, the back portion is arranged to be substantially positioned above the centre of the thoracic region.

Advantageously, the weight of the back portion of the rucksack rests on an upper region of the back. The lumbar region of the back is therefore not bearing any part of the load of the rucksack of the present invention. Therefore, the rucksack of the present invention is advantageous for people who experience back pain. Furthermore, a skier wearing the rucksack of the present invention is able to sit on a chair of a ski lift as the lumbar region of the back is not covered, which improves the ski lift's safety and the speed at which the skier can disembark. Still furthermore, the sweat accumulating on the lumbar region of the back is not inhibited from evaporating, which helps maintain the temperature of the wearer.

The skilled reader will understand that the front portion of the rucksack is arranged to be substantially positioned below the centre of the thoracic region. This is advantageous as the wearer is able to store articles in the front portion, which is easy to access and to view.

Therefore, the wearer does not have to remove the rucksack to access a desired article.

Secondly, the front portion is positioned substantially below the chest region of the wearer, which does not hinder the wearer's breathing. This is advantageous for a sportsperson, who needs to maximise their oxygen intake during exercise.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rucksack as claimed in Claim 3, which may include a shoulder strap, the rucksack may comprise a frame, cooperating with at least part of the shoulder strap, wherein the frame is preferably more rigid than the shoulder strap, and the contours of the frame are arranged to substantially follow the contours of at least part of a torso.

Advantageously, the frame distributes the weight of the rucksack across its area. As the frame follows the contours of at least part of the torso, the area of contact between the rucksack and the torso is increased. The pressure exerted by the weight of the rucksack on the wearer is therefore less than that of the conventional rucksack. The weight is therefore

more comfortable.

Preferably, the rucksack further comprises a front portion, and a back portion, wherein the front portion and the back portion are arranged for alignment of a centre of gravity of the rucksack with a centre of a thoracic region.

The back portion may be arranged to be substantially positioned above the centre of the thoracic region.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a frame as claimed in Claim 10, which may be for a rucksack, the rucksack including a shoulder strap, wherein the frame may be arranged to cooperate with at least part of the shoulder strap, the frame may be constructed to be more rigid than the shoulder strap, and the contours of the frame are preferably arranged to substantially follow the contours of at least part of a torso.

Optionally, in either the second or third aspects of the present invention, the frame is adapted to support either the back portion or the front portion of the rucksack.

Advantageously, the frame supports the alignment of the front and back portions of the rucksack, preventing the front and back portions from moving out of alignment due to movements of the wearer. The frame therefore prevents the back portion from pulling the front portion upwards, due to, for example, unequal loading.

Preferably, in either the second or third aspects of the present invention, the frame further comprises a first hinge arranged between the front of the torso and the back of the torso.

Advantageously, the first hinge allows the rucksack to be folded up when not in use.

Preferably, in either the second or third aspects of the present invention, the frame further comprises a second hinge arranged between a left side of the torso and a right side of the torso The second hinge advantageously allows movement of the arms and the torso of the wearer.

The movements of the wearer are therefore not hindered by the provision of the frame.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a rucksack of a first embodiment of the present invention, arranged on a torso; Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the rucksack of the first embodiment, arranged on the torso; Figure 3 illustrates a rear view of the rucksack of the first embodiment, arranged on the torso; Figure 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the torso; Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view of the rucksack of the first embodiment; Figure 6 illustrates a front view of a rucksack of a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a frame; Figure 7 illustrates a rear view of the rucksack of the second embodiment, showing the frame; Figure 8 illustrates an isometric view of the frame; and Figure 9 illustrates an isometric view of the rucksack of the second embodiment, showing the frame.

A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

A rucksack 1 is provided including a front portion 3 and a back portion 5. The front portion 3 and the back portion 5 are suitable for wearing on a front and a back of a torso respectively, as shown in Figure 1.

The front portion 3 and the back portion 5 are connected by a left shoulder strap 71, a right shoulder strap 7r, a left torso strap 91 and a right torso strap 9r. In this embodiment, the two shoulder straps 71, 7r are connected at opposing ends to the front portion 3 and the back portion 5. The two torso straps 91, 9r further include fabric hook-and-loop fasteners, such as Velcro�, 10 at any point along their length, for adjusting the length of the two torso straps 91, 9r.

The skilled reader will understand that the rucksack can be placed on a torso by placing a head, connected to the torso, between the left shoulder strap 71 and the right shoulder strap 7r, such that the front portion 3 and the back portion 5 of the rucksack 1 are on the front and the back of the torso respectively. Then, the left torso strap 91 and the right torso strap 9r can be connected at the buckle 10 and the length of the two torso straps 91, 9r can be adjusted such that the front portion 3 and the back portion 5 abut the torso.

The front portion 3 includes a front main pocket 11 for articles to be placed therein. The front main pocket 11 includes a zip 13 extending horizontally across the top of the front main pocket 11. The front main pocket 11 also includes a plurality of compartments (not shown).

The main pocket also includes a left hand pocket 151 and a right hand pocket 1 5r, positioned on the left and right hand side of the main pocket 11 respectively. The left hand pocket 151 and right hand pocket 15r are preferably lined with material such as wool.

Furthermore, the main pocket 11 also includes a hidden pocket 17 positioned inside the main pocket 11, for receiving important articles such as a key.

The back portion 5 includes a back main pocket 12. The back main pocket 12 preferably has a 6 litre capacity.

The back portion 5 also includes a handle 17.

The arrangement of the front portion 3 and the back portion 5 will now be described in more detail.

The front portion 3 and the back portion 5 are arranged for alignment of a centre of gravity of the rucksack substantially with a centre of a thoracic region.

When the rucksack 1 is placed on a torso, the front portion 3 is positioned in front of the torso and the back portion 5 is positioned behind the torso. The skilled reader will understand that the torso includes a thoracic region 21 (including thoracic vertebrae), and an abdominal region 22 (including lumbar vertebrae).

The back portion 5 is positioned substantially across an upper back of the torso, therefore the centre of gravity of the back portion 5 is above the centre of the thoracic region.

Therefore, to align the centre of gravity of the rucksack 1 substantially with the centre of the thoracic region, the first portion 3 is positioned such that the centre of gravity of the front portion 3 is below the centre of the thoracic region.

Preferably, the centre of the thoracic region is 30-40mm above the lowest point of the sternum 23, on a vertical line passing through a centre of gravity of the torso and head. The skilled reader will understand that the centre of gravity of the torso and head is a frontal area of the 11hI thoracic vertebra 24.

However, the skilled reader will understand that the centre of gravity of the rucksack 1 does not have to be precisely in alignment with the centre of the thoracic region in the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the centre of gravity of the rucksack 1 needs to be inside a volume 20, the volume 20 including the centre of the thoracic region and the centre of gravity of the torso and head. In any such arrangement, the rucksack 1 will have the desired effect of not substantially affecting the balance and agility of a wearer.

A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 6 to 9.

The second embodiment of the present invention comprises a rucksack 100.

The rucksack 100 includes a front portion 103, a back portion 105, a left shoulder strap 1071 and a right shoulder strap 107r.

For the following description, the rucksack 100 is positioned on a torso, such that the front portion 103 is situated on a front of the torso, the back portion 105 is situated on a back of the torso and the left shoulder strap 1071 and the right shoulder strap 107r pass over a left and right shoulder of the torso respectively between the front portion 103 and the back portion 105.

The rucksack 100 includes a frame 110. The frame 110 is preferably situated within the rucksack 100, and includes a layer of foam between the frame 110 and the rucksack 100.

The frame 110 is arranged to extend over one shoulder of the torso, over an upper back of the torso, and over an opposing shoulder of the torso. The frame 110 is arranged to follow the contours of the parts of the torso it extends over.

The frame 110 is constructed to be more rigid than the material of the rucksack 100, such as plastic. The frame 110 therefore increases the surface area of contact between the rucksack 100 and the torso, and therefore decreases the pressure exerted by the rucksack on the torso.

Preferably, in the second embodiment, the front portion 103 and the back portion 105 are arranged for alignment of a centre of gravity of the rucksack substantially with a centre of a thoracic region, as described above for the front portion 3 and the back portion 5 of the rucksack 1 of the first embodiment.

In this preferable embodiment, the frame 110 has a further effect of preventing the centre of gravity of the rucksack from moving out of alignment with the centre of the thoracic region, as it prevents substantial movement of the front portion 103 and the back portion 105 due to movement of the torso.

The frame 110 further includes a first hinge 111 positioned at a point of the frame 110 between a front of the torso and a back of the torso. The first hinge 111 allows the rucksack to be folded into a smaller volume when not in use.

The frame 110 also includes a second hinge 113 positioned at a point of the frame 110 between a left side of the torso and a right side of the torso, preferably arranged along a vertical line corresponding to a centre of the torso. The second hinge 113 allows the part of the frame that extends over the upper back of the torso to rotate about a point of the second hinge 113, therefore allowing movement forward and backward movement of the shoulders.

The hinges also allow the rucksack 100 to be folded into a smaller volume when the rucksack 100 is not positioned on the torso.

The skilled reader will understand that in the second embodiment, the front portion 103 is not essential. Any rucksack comprising a back portion and a shoulder strap can incorporate the frame 110 of the second embodiment, with the effect of increasing the surface area of contact between the rucksack and the torso, which decreases the pressure imparted to the torso due to the rucksack.

The skilled reader will understand that it is not essential to the invention for the frame 110 to be situated within the rucksack 100. The frame 110 must cooperate with the part of the rucksack 100, for example, by being mounted to the part of the rucksack 100, or forming the part of the rucksack 100.

The skilled reader will understand that the provision, dimensions and arrangement of pockets, compartments and handle are not essential to the invention, but form a preferable embodiment.

Furthermore, the left and right torso straps are preferable features, allowing the front and back portions to abut the front and back of the torso. The skilled reader will also understand that a fabric hook-and-loop fastener is not the only form of length adjustment means possible for the present invention, and therefore any equivalent, such as a buckle, can be used.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A rucksack, comprising a front portion; and a back portion, wherein the front portion and the back portion are arranged for alignment of a centre of gravity of the rucksack substantially with a centre of a thoracic region.
2. A rucksack as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the back portion is arranged to be substantially positioned above the centre of the thoracic region.
3. A rucksack, including a shoulder strap, comprising a frame, cooperating with at least part of the shoulder strap, wherein the frame is more rigid than the shoulder strap and the contours of the frame are arranged to substantially follow the contours of at least part of a torso.
4. A rucksack as claimed in Claim 3, further comprising a front portion; and a back portion, wherein the front portion and the back portion are arranged for alignment of a centre of gravity of the rucksack substantially with a centre of a thoracic region.
5. A rucksack as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the back portion is arranged to be substantially positioned above the centre of the thoracic region.
6. A rucksack as claimed in either one of Claims 4 or 5, wherein the frame is adapted to support the front portion.
7. A rucksack as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the frame is adapted to support the back portion.
8. A rucksack as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7, wherein the frame further comprises a first hinge arranged between a front of the torso and a back of the torso.
9. A rucksack as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 8, wherein the frame further comprises a second hinge arranged between a left side of the torso and a right side of the torso.
10. A frame, for a rucksack including a shoulder strap, wherein the frame is arranged to cooperate with at least part of the shoulder strap, the frame is constructed to be more rigid than the shoulder strap, and the contours of the frame are arranged to substantially follow the contours of at least part of a torso.
11. A frame as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the frame is adapted to support a front portion of the rucksack.
12. A frame as claimed in either Claim 10 or 11, wherein the frame is adapted to support a back portion of the rucksack.
13. A frame as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 12, wherein the frame further comprises a first hinge arranged between a front of the torso and a back of the torso.
14. A frame as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 13, wherein the frame further comprises a second hinge arranged between a left side of the torso and a right side of the torso.
15. A rucksack and frame substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any combination of the accompanying drawings.