US3321120A

US3321120A - Non-sagging pack

Info

Publication number: US3321120A
Application number: US545928A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerald A Cunningham
Original assignee: COLORADO OUTDOOR SPORTS CORP
Current assignee: COLORADO OUTDOOR SPORTS CORP
Priority date: 1966-04-28
Filing date: 1966-04-28
Publication date: 1967-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-23

Description

May 23, 1967 G. A. CUNNINGHAM 3,321,120

NON-SAGGING PACK Filed April 28, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR GERALD A. CUNNINGHAM,

ATTORNEYS.

y 3, 1967 G. A. CUNNINGHAM 3,321,120

NON- SAGGING PACK Filed April 28 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS K INVENTORI A GERALD A. CUNNINGHAM,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent a corporation of Colorado Filed Apr. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 545,928 Claims. (Cl. 224-8) This invention relates to packs for carrying load on the back and particularly to an improved pack constructed of fabric and which minimizes sagging or unbalancing of the load during use.

Various forms of packs and pack carrying or supporting devices have been devised heretofore for the purpose of facilitating the back packing of loads by individuals. Pack frames or boards are used extensively for this purpose particularly for the carrying of heavy loads. For many occasions it is desirable to employ a knapsack or the like without a rigid frame for carrying light loads on overnight hikes or other short trips. For various reasons these packs have not been entirely suitable for all purposes particularly because of a tendency of the load to shift, pack or settle in unbalanced position and therefore hindering the ease of carrying the load. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a back-pack constructed of fabric and including an improved arrangement for minimizing the shifting or unbalancing of the load during use.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved back-pack constructed of fabric and which is capable of supporting a load without sagging or bending.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved pack which facilitates the packing of a balanced load for use either as an independent pack or with a rigid pack frame.

Briefly, in carrying out the objects of this invention in one embodiment thereof, a pack is constructed of a durable fabric material such as nylon or other suitable synthetic plastic material forming front and rear walls connected by end and side walls. The interior of the pack is divided into a plurality of compartments by fabric webs or partitions secured to and extending between the walls. The partitions are secured to the front and rear walls at different elevations from the bottom and form alternate oppositely sloping surfaces. This construction acts to bias the loads within the adjacent compartments toward opposite walls and minimizes the tendency of the pack to sag under load. Furthermore, the partition which slopes downwardly and rearwardly provides an effective tension member extending centrally through the full load and also, in addition to providing this simple support for the full load, being effective to sustain a partial low positioned load upwardly against sagging.

The features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and characteristics of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a pack embodying the invention in use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation view of the pack of FIG. 1 when not in use;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the pack of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view corresponding to the sectional view to illustrate characteristics of operation of the pack.

Referring now to the drawings, a pack embodying the invention is shown being carried by a person by means of shoulder straps one of which appears at 11, and is steadied by a waist strap 12 extending about the users waist adjacent the lower end of the pack. The pack 10 as illustrated comprises a sack or container made from durable fabric such as nylon and having four compartments closed by

zippered openings

13, 14, 15 and 16.

As shown in FIG. 2 the pack is of generally rectangular configuration and the openings to the four compartments extend horizontally across the pack from one side to the other and, as shown in FIG. 3, extend partially around the side walls as represented by the left-hand side wall 17. They also extend about the same distance around the right-hand side Wall indicated at 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The top wall of the pack is connected to the strap 11 by a loose loop 20 sewed to a tab 21 on the rear wall of the pack. The rear wall, as indicated at 22, extends in a sweeping concave curve from the top adjacent the tab 21 downwardly to a point 23 which is adjacent the top wall of the lowermost compartment to which the zipper 16 provides access. The sweeping curve 22 is provided in order that the pack will better fit the contour of the back of the individual carrying it. The straps 11 are secured by a common metal ring 11a to a loop or fastener 24 adjacent the uppermost compartment of the pack at the center of the front wall; the straps are also attached at 25 adjacent the bottom of the pack near the outer ends thereof.

As indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 3 and clearly shown in the sectional view, FIG. 4, the space within the pack is divided into four compartments by

partitions

26, 27 and 28. These partitions are sewed or otherwise securely bonded to the front, rear and side Walls of the pack. The partitions preferably are made of the same durable material as the walls. The partition 26 forms the bottom wall of the uppermost compartment and the partion 28 forms the top wall of the bottom compartment while the partition 27 provides two intermediate compartments, thus forming the four compartment to which the

zippered openings

13, 14, 15 and 16 provide access.

In order to facilitae the balancing of loads within the pack and to minimize sagging of the pack,

partitions

2d, 27 and 28 are formed to constitute inclined walls which bias the loads in the respective compartments above them toward opposite walls of the pack. Thus when the pack is fully loaded the load in the top compartment tends to move toward the front of the pack due to the incline of the partition 26, that in the next compartment toward the rear of the pack, and that in the third compartment from the top toward the front of the pack along the partition 28. The partition 27 constitutes a sloping tension member which supports the rear wall of the two lower compartments and ties the load in those compartments directly to the carrying straps through the loop 24; this prevents downward sagging of the lower portion of the pack.

During the use of the pack illustrated a light bulky load such as a sleeping bag is placed within the lowermost compartment below the partition 28, another somewhat heavier load such as a tent above the wall 28, and the heaviest components of the load such as an air mattress, stove, fuel, cameras and food may be placed in the upper two components. The

inclined walls

26, 27 and 28 which bias their loads alternately toward the front and back Walls of the pack stabilize the pack and minimize any tendency of the pack to collapse or sag, the partition 27 acting as a tension member to prevent spreading of the front and rear walls in the lower portion of the filled pack. These partition walls, as indicated schematically in FIG. 5, which bias the loads in the upper three compartments in the directions indicated by the arrows make it possible to load the pack and have it stand upright without sagging.

This non-sagging pack is easier to balance When loading and remains balanced while being carried and is substantially more comfortable to carry because of the minimum tendency of the upper compartments to sag loosely down and away from the users back.

The sloping of the tension member 27 is such that the load carried in the three lower compartments is tied to the carrying straps along a normal load transmitting line and the partition thus carries the load directly rather than relying on the side walls of the pack for transmitting the load forces. Because the arrangement of the partitions minimizes sagging of the pack, the pack is also highly satisfactory for use on a pack frame on which it may be carried with assurance that the loads will remain in position with minimum tendency to settle or fall away from the users back or to become unbalanced.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with a specific arrangement of walls and partitions of a pack, various other modifications and applications will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired that the invention be limited to the details illustrated and described and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all modifications which fall Within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A compartmented pack for carrying loads on the back comprising a fabric enclosure having front and rear walls connecting side and end walls, means including a plurality of partitions for dividing the interior of the pack into a plurality of compartments extending across the pack between the side walls thereof, said partitions being securely attached to said front and rear Walls and one of said partitions located centrally of said enclosure sloping downwardly and rearwardly from said front wall toward said rear wall and constituting a tension member for effec- 3o tively maintaining the position of loads located in said enclosure below said one partition.

2. A compartmented pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said partitions slope alternately toward the front and toward the .rear whereby loads in said compartments are biased by gravity alternately toward the front and rear of the pack and the pack tends to remain upright under load.

3. A compartmented pack as set forth in claim 1 Wherein each of said compartments includes a separate generally horizontally extending zippered access opening through the rear wall.

4. A compartmented pack as set forth in claim 1 in-.

cluding a pair of shoulder carrying straps having their upper ends connected to said front wall in a position near the top thereof and to a position adjacent the bottom of the front wall, a second of said partitions forming the bottom wall of the top compartment sloping downwardly toward a generally horizontal line below the point of attachment of said straps to the upper portion of said.

back of a person wearing the pack, the top partition pro viding the bottom wall of the top compartment sloping donwardly and forwardly and said one partition constituting said tension member being secured to the front Wall near said top partition and adjacent the minimum depth section of the pack.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,792,980 5/1957 Brown FOREIGN PATENTS 61,037 6/1939 Norway.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

F. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A COMPARTMENTED PACK FOR CARRYING LOADS ON THE BACK COMPRISING A FABRIC ENCLOSURE HAVING FRONT AND REAR WALLS CONNECTING SIDE AND END WALLS, MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PARTITIONS FOR DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF THE PACK INTO A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS EXTENDING ACROSS THE PACK BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF, SAID PARTITIONS BEING SECURELY ATTACHED TO SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND ONE OF SAID PARTITIONS LOCATED CENTRALLY OF SAID ENCLOSURE SLOPING DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY FROM SAID FRONT WALL TOWARD SAID REAR WALL AND CONSTITUTING A TENSION MEMBER FOR EFFEC-