Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the attachment and
adjustment of straps to backpacks or rucksacks, and more
particularly pertains to an assembly-includiny a base member
adapted to be secured to the backpack and including prefer-
ably a pair of parallel track members, a moveable member
adapted to ride along the track members and carry the back-
pack straps, and a locking structure to secure the moveable
member at selected positions along the track me~.bers.
Descri~tion of the Related Art
It is generally well recognized in the backpack or
rucksack industry that the physical characteristics of an
individual wearing a particular sack will require different
adjustments of the attachment points of the various body
straps and other attachment portions bearing upon the
wearer. Cenerally the attachment portions include shoulder
straps, a lower back pad, and often a waist belt. ~lereto-
fore the strap por~ions have been made adjustable by pro-
viding a plurality of redundant attachment points or a
single attach~ent point with a plurality of guides to
position the effective attachment of the shoulder strap to
the backpack. Such redundant at~achment points are expen-
sive, cumbersome, and expensive, and usually require a good
deal of effort to change the particular adjustment. Such
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prior approaches have generally involved substantial labor
to provide individual positioning of and sewing of the
multiple attachment points.
Sun~.ary of the Invention
The present invention, which provides a heretofore
unavailable convenience and economy in attachment of adjust-
able backpack straps comprises a structur~ in which a base
member, preferably of a polymer or similar such material, is
produced in a form providing for convenient attachment
through sewing, rivoting or similar means to a backpack.
Carried on the lightweight base member is at least one, but
preferably two rail or track members extending in a parallel
relationship in the direction in which adjustment of the
straps is desired. A moveable member including an arrange-
ment, usually slots, adapted to receive the straps is con-
figured to engage and move along the rail members in such a
fashion as to provide a strong interface with easy and con-
venient relocation. A releasable locking structure is pro-
vided between the base member and moveable means to secure
the moveable member at any of the plurality of positions
relative to the base member. Thus, the backpack straps may
be conveniently attached to the base member with the simple
positioning of the rnoveable member on the rail melllbers, and
both adjusted and secured by means of the releasable locking
structure.
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The invention in one broad aspect pertains to structure for
adjustably mounting attachment points to a pack member, the
structure comprising a base plate adapted to be secured to the
pack member and having defined thereon at least one elongated
track and a moveable member slidingly carried on the base plate at
the track, the moveable member including attachment point mounting
structure and track engaging means for slidably securing the
moveable member to the base plate. Locking means is carried on
the attachment structure and interacts between the moveable member
and base plate to releasably secure the moveable member against
sliding movement at predetermined positioning on the base plate.
The base plate track comprises a plurality of parallel tracks and
the moveable member includes track engaging means contacting the
parallel tracks. The parallel tracks comprise a pair of undercut
rail members with the undercut portion being on the side opposite
the moveable member and the track engaging means includes portions
which f.it in-to the undercu-t portions to secure the moveable member
to the base plate in a sli.ding manner.
Another aspect of the invention comprehends an adjustable
attachment structure comprising a base plate capable of being
secured to a backpack and having a pair of long:itudinally
extending and laterally spaced tracks together defining a pair of
undercut inwardly facing parallel rails on a surface of the base
plate intended to face away from the backpack. There is a
2S moveable member including attachment point mounting means and
track sliding contacting means and locking means interacts equally
between the moveable member and both of the rails for releasably
securing the movable member at predetermined positions relatively
to the rails. One of the track sliding contacting means an~ the
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locking means includes portions which fit into the undercut
portions of the rails -to secure the respective one of the track
sliding contacting means and the locking means to the base plate
in a manner permitting only longitudinal sliding thereof. The
locking means includes a pair of locking portions moveable into
and out of locking interaction with respective ones of the rails
under the control of a locking mechanism located laterally between
the rails.
These and other aspects and features of the present invention
will become apparent with consideration of the following
description.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical backpack
arrangement including a shoulder strap attachment means in accord
lS with the instant invention;
Figure 2 is a front view of the shoulder strap adjustment
means of Figure 1 wh.ich is in part cut away;
Figure 3 :Ls a top view of the structure set forth in
Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a front view of a structure similar to that of
Figure 2 but illustratillg a different locking structure;
Figure S is a front view of yet another variation of an
adjustable shoulder strap attachment means according to the
instant invention; and
Figure 6 is a section view along section line VI illustrating
the engagement and locking structure of Figure 5.
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Detailed DescriPtion of the Invention
Turniny now to the drawings, wherein like elements are
designated by like reference numerals throughout the various
figures, bacXpack 10 including adjustable backpack attach-
ment assembly 12 is shown in FIGURE 1. Adjustable shoulder
strap attachment assembly 12 includes a base member 14 typi-
cally attached by stitches 16 to backpack 100 A pair of
parallel undercut rail members 18 are defined on base member
14 and include a plurality of opposed openings 2~ defined
therein as will be discussed in more detail below. Moveable
member 24 is configured to engage and slide within rail
members 18 as is illustrated in more detail in FIGURES 2 and
3. A pair of openings 26 are defined throush moveable mem-
ber 24 and adapted to receive backpack shoulder straps 28.
lS Locking assembly 30, which is attached to moveable member 24
by enclosures 32 defined thereon, includes a U-shaped dis-
tendable member 34 carrying a pair of outward facing dogs 35
on either side thereof. Dogs 35 are arranged to engage a
pair of opposed openings 20. Accordingly, moveable member
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24 may be conveniently slid along rails 18 by depressing
U-shaped member 32 to disengage dogs 35, and thereafter
secured in place by releasing the pressure on U-shaped
member 34 to allow dogs 35 to engage the adjacent opposed
openings 20. In actual practice, openings 20 may be closely
spaced to provide for finer adjustment. However, for pur-
poses of illustration, FICURE 1 is believed to convey the
principle to those skilled in the art.
Thus, as will be particularly apparent in FIGURE 3,
moveable member 24 is configured to engage and fit under the
undercut portions of opposed rail members 18 thereby move-
ably attaching moveable member 24 to base member 14. Unless
otherwise secured, moveable member 24 will readily slide
along rail ~lembers 18. ~owever, as is shown in FIGURE 2,
openings 20 defined in rails 18 are configured to receive
doys 35 and thus prevent movement of moveable member 24. ~y
compressing U-shaped member 3~, dogs 35 may be retracted
from openings 20 thereby permitting positioning of moveable
member 24 to the desired location, whereupon dogs 35 can
again engage an opposed pair of openings 20. As discussed
above, openings 20 may be defined closely adjacent one
another to provide for fine adjustment of moveable member 24
relative to base member 14. Also, though FIGURES 1 through
3, and the other figures of this description, particularly
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pertained to adjustable attachment assembly 12 configured to
receive shoulder straps 18, it will be readily recognized to
those skilled in the art that a similar assembly could readi-
ly be configured to carry a backpack attachment, or a back-
pad, etc. Further, it will be recognized by those skilled
in the art that a polymeric base member 14, molded of, for
instance, urethane plastic, will have sufficient flexibility
to facilitate attachment by sewing and provide adequate
conformity to the somewhat pliable backpack 10 while still
having sufficient rigidity to permit moveable member 24 to
slide therealong.
As shown in FIGURE 4, a modified backpack attachment
assembly 12' is illustrated. Basically, base member 14' is
essentially identical to that illustrated in FIGURE 1 except
that the opposed holes 20 of FIGURE 1 are omitted. Moveable
member 24' also is essentially as shown in FIGURE 1 except
that camming loc~ing structure 40 is utilized. ~s shown,
locking structure 40 includes a pair of members 42 having
notched, arcuate camming surfaces 44 on opposed ends there-
of. Member~ 42 are at~ached one to the other and to move-
able member 24' by pivot 45 such that camming surfaces 44
can effectively be retracted by graspiny members 42 and
rotating around pivot 45 in a scissor fashion. However,
when released, spring 46 urges the notched camming surfaces
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44 into engagement with adjacent rails 18'. Accordinsly,
particularly when an upward load is applied such as would be
applied by shoulder straps from moveable member 24' relative
to base rnember 14', notched carnming surfaces 44 will secure-
ly jam against adjacent rails 18' thereby providing for
secure locking of moveable rnember 24' relative to base
nlember 14'. Since, in the case of shoulder strap load
application, the load in essentially in one direction,
camming lockiny structure 40 is quite effective for this
particular purpose. For bidirectional loads, locking
assembly 30 of FlGURE 1 is more positive. Those skilled in
the art will readily recognize the advantages and disad-
vantages of the two approaches. It is to be understood that
the particular embodiment best suited for a given use may
well be dependent upon the particular use of the underlying
invention.
FIGURE 5 illustrates yet another configuration of the
invention. As shown, adjustable backpack attachment assem-
bly 12" includes all of the functional features of the
previous embodiment, though in a different configuration.
For instance, base member 12" again includes a pair of
opposed rails 18", but the rails are more closely spaced.
Similarly, moveable member 24" again engages undercut rails
18" but the locking assembly differs. ~lith reference to
FIGURE 6, which is a sectional view along section line
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VI-VI, the section view illustrates the manner in which
moveable member 24" rides on the outer portions of opposed
rail members 18". However, screws 50 extend through move-
able member 24" and are threadedly engaged by plate 52 which
extends beneath the undercut portions of rail members 18".
Thus, by loosening screws 5~, shown in FIGURE 5 as being
three in number, the clampin~ action is released and move-
able member 24" may be slid along rails 18" in an apparent
manner. However, when moveable member 24" is appropriately
positioned, screws 50 may again be tightened thus providins
for a clampin~ of plate 52 bearing upon the underside of
undercut rail members 1~" and also a clamping of moveable
member 24" to base member 14".
It will be recognized that the various embodiments,
lS i.e. that of FIGURES 1-3, that of FIGU~E 4, and that of
FIGURE 5 and ~, all contain common elements, i.e. a base
member adapted to be secured to a backpack, a moveable mem-
ber adapted to engage rails defined on the base member to
slide tllerealong, and locking means to releasably secure the
moveable member to the base member. It is anticipated that
various other configurations of these elements will be readi-
ly apparent and perhaps e~ually operable. Though numerous
materials may be employed depending upon a particular nature
of the backpack, i.e. internal frar,le, external frame, etc.,
in general a somewhat pliable polyurethane material, i.e. a
90 durometer material is con~emplated for the base member
and the moveable member. On the other hand, the locking
member is usually of a more rigid plastic such as a poly-
carbonate or DELRIN polymeric material, or may also be ~lade
of metal. Particularly the embodiment of FIG~RE 6 may well
be advantaseously formed of metal for strength of the
threaded areas, though metal inserts in a plastic plate are
also possible. However, the materials mentioned are merely
currently preferred though not critical choices and it is
expected that many other choices will serve adequately.
In sun~ary, the adjustable backpack strap attachment
assembly disclosed and discussed herein has the advantage of
simplicity, lightness and additional strength. As will be
apparent, all of the forces transferred from the assembly to
a backpack will be spread over the entire attachment of the
base member. ln many prior art arrangements, a selected
attachment point bears all of the load and other alternative
attachment points are essentially load free. Further, rapid
and convenient adjustment over a substantial range is pro-
vided the user of the assembly. A particular backpack may
be produced by merely attaching the base member, which is
arnenable to machine sewing or other mechanized attachmen
means in a straight forward, econornical manner. In this
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fashion, economy and manufacturing case are achieved as well
as enhanced performance provided to the user.
11hile only the presently preferred embodiment and com-
ponents of the instant invention have been specified and
described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in
the art that changes and modifications may be n~,ade without
deviating from the scope of the invention as defined by the
following claims.
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