Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02784164 2014-02-04
OUTDOOR SUPPORT STRAP AND ASSOCIATED METHOD
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to support straps and, more
particularly, to an outdoor
support strap for holding a user in a squatted position above the ground
surface while defecating.
[0002] Maintaining a sanitary condition has always been an inconvenience
for outdoor
enthusiasts. The lack of access to adequate sanitary facilities and clean
water not only makes it
burdensome for outdoor enthusiasts to defecate in a sanitary manner, it also
forces such individuals to
assume an uncomfortable position in order to defecate.
[0003] Accordingly, a need remains for an outdoor support strap to
overcome the above-noted
shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a an
outdoor support strap that is
convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, versatile in
its applications, and designed
for easily and conveniently holding a user in a squatted position above the
ground surface while
defecating.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0004] In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of
the invention to provide
an outdoor support strap for holding a user in a squatted position above the
ground surface while
defecating. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention
are provided by an outdoor
support strap including a body formed from flexible and elastic material. Such
a body is selectively
deformed from a circular non-tensioned shape during non-use to an oval
tensioned shape when the body
is simultaneously positioned around a user waist and a tree. The body further
includes a fastener having
selectively mated male and female members attached to opposed ends of the
body. First and second pads
are adjustably attached to unique first and second longitudinal portions of
the body, respectively. The
body also includes a toilet paper roll holder adjustably mated to a unique
third longitudinal portion of the
body. In this manner, the first and second pads as well as the toilet paper
roll holder are independently
and freely displaced along the first, second and third longitudinal portions
of body.
[0005] In accordance with other features of the invention, the first,
second and third longitudinal
extend along a major circumferential length of the body and are mutually
exclusive and non-overlapping
therealong. The toilet paper roll holder includes a lever pivotally engaged
with an outer surface of the
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body and releasably locked between open and closed positions when the lever is
respectively articulated
away and towards the third longitudinal portion of the body. The body further
includes flexible first and
second rails attached to the outer surface of the third longitudinal portion.
In this manner, the lever is
slidably engaged with the first and second rails such that the lever is
reciprocated along an arcuate path
defined along the third longitudinal portion of the body. The first pad
extends beyond top and bottom
edges of the first longitudinal portion of the body and thereby spans across
an entire width of the first
longitudinal portion transverse to the circumferential length of the body. The
second pad covers an entire
surface area of the second longitudinal portion and is diametrically opposed
from the first pad. The lever
is intermediately positioned between the first and second rails. Thus, the
lever has a longitudinal length
terminating prior to reaching proximal and distal ends of each of the first
and second rails, respectively.
[0006] The present invention includes a method of utilizing the support
strap for holding a user
in a squatted position above a ground surface while the user defecates. Such a
method includes a plurality
of chronological steps. Initially a user obtains a body formed from flexible
and elastic material wherein
the body includes a fastener including selectively mated male and female
members attached to opposed
ends of the body, first and second pads adjustably attached to unique first
and second longitudinal
portions of the body respectively, and a toilet paper roll holder adjustably
mated to a unique third
longitudinal portion of the body. The first and second pads span across an
interior side of the body while
the toilet paper roll holder remains situated along an exterior side of the
body.
[0007] The method further includes the chronological steps of:
selectively deforming the body
from a circular non-tensioned shape during non-use to an oval tensioned shape
by simultaneously
positioning the body around a user waist and a tree; independently and freely
displacing the first and
second pads as well as the toilet paper roll holder along the first, second
and third longitudinal portions of
body; leaning back into a squatted position such that the body supports a user
buttock region at an
elevated position above the ground surface; defecating; leaning forward into
an upright position and
opening the fastener; and removing the body from the user waist and the tree.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a strap for holding a user above a
ground surface while
defecating, in accordance with the invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the strap of Fig. 1 at an opened
position;
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[0010] FIG. 3 is a side view of the strap of Fig. 1 supporting a user
above a ground surface while
defecating; and
[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the resilient characteristics
of the strap of Fig. 1
wherein a toilet paper roll holder is adjustably positioned on an exterior
side of the strap.
[0012] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are not
drawn to any particular
scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0013] Directional and/or relationary terms such as, but not limited to,
left, right, nadir, apex,
top, bottom, vertical, horizontal, back, front and lateral are relative to
each other and are dependent on the
specific orientation of an applicable element or article, and are used
accordingly to aid in the description
of the various embodiment(s) and are not necessarily intended to be construed
as limiting.
[0014] The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 includes an outdoor
support strap 10 for
holding a user 50 in a squatted position above the ground surface while
defecating. It should be
understood that the strap may be used to hold a male or female user in a
squatted position above the
ground surface while defecating or a female user while urinating
(interchangeably referred to as
defecating).
[0015] Referring to Figs. 1-4, the outdoor support strap 10 holds a user
50 in a squatted position
above the ground surface while defecating. The strap 10 includes a body 20
formed from flexible and
elastic material. The body 20 is selectively deformed from a circular non-
tensioned shape during non-use
(Figs. 1 and 2) to an oval tensioned shape when the body 20 is simultaneously
positioned around a user's
50 waist and a tree 40 (Fig. 3). The strap 10 further includes a fastener 22
having selectively mated male
28 and female 27 members attached to opposed ends of the body 20. First and
second pads 26 are
adjustably attached to unique first and second longitudinal portions 41 and 42
of body 20, respectively.
The strap 10 also includes a toilet paper roll holder 30 adjustably mated to a
unique third longitudinal
portion 43 of body 20. In this manner, the first and second pads 24 and 26 as
well as the toilet paper roll
holder 30 are independently and freely displaced along the first, second and
third longitudinal portions
41,42 and 43 of body 20.
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[0016] The first, second and third longitudinal portions 41, 42 and 43
extend along a major
circumferential length of body 20 and are mutually exclusive and non-
overlapping.
[0017] The toilet paper roll holder 30 includes a lever 34 pivotally
engaged with an outer surface
of body 20 and releasably locked between open and closed positions when the
lever 34 is respectively
articulated away and towards the third longitudinal portion 43 of body 20.
Thus, the user 50 can freely
detach a leading edge of the toilet paper roll 33 while a remaining portion of
the toilet paper roll 33 is
rotatably anchored to lever 34.
[0018] The body 20 further includes flexible first and second rails 31 and
32 attached to the
outer surface of the third longitudinal portion 43. In this manner, the lever
34 is slidably engaged with
the first and second rails 31 and 32 such that the lever 34 is reciprocated
along an arcuate path defined
along the third longitudinal portion 43 of body 20.
[0019] The first pad 24 extends beyond top and bottom edges 45 and 46 of
the first longitudinal
portion 41 of body 20 and thereby spans across an entire width of the first
longitudinal portion 41
transverse to the circumferential length of body 20.
[0020] The second pad 26 covers an entire surface area of the second
longitudinal portion 42 and
is diametrically opposed to the first pad 24.
[0021] The lever 34 is intermediately positioned between the first and
second rails 31 and 32 and
thus, has a length less than that of each of the rails 31 and 32.
[0022] The method of the present invention includes a plurality of steps.
Initially a user 50
obtains a body 20 formed from flexible and elastic material wherein body 20
includes a fastener 22
including selectively mated male 28 and female 27 members attached to opposed
ends of body 20, first
and second pads 24 and 26 adjustably attached to first and second longitudinal
portions 41 and 42 of body
20, and a toilet paper roll holder 30 adjustably mated to a third longitudinal
portion 43 of body 20. The
first and second pads 24 and 26 span across an interior side of body 20 while
the toilet paper roll holder
30 is situated along an exterior side of body 20.
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[0023] The method further includes the steps of selectively deforming body
20 from a circular
non-tensioned shape during non-use to an oval tensioned shape by
simultaneously positioning body 20
around a user's waist 50 and a tree 40; independently and freely displacing
the first and second pads 24
and 26 as well as the toilet paper roll holder 30 along the first, second and
third longitudinal portions 41,
42 and 43 of body 20; leaning back into a squatted position such that body 20
supports a user's buttock
region at an elevated position above the ground surface; defecating; leaning
forward into an upright
position and opening the fastener 22; and removing body 20 from the user's
waist and the tree 40.
[0024] The flexible and elongated body is preferably formed from an
elastic material such that it
remains deformably resilient for providing a resistive force against the
user's waist. In this manner, the
user 50 is able to lean away from the support surface and assume a squatted a
position to thereby extend
his or her legs forwardly of his or her buttocks. Such a support strap 10
alleviates the strain and energy
required to maintain a squatted position for an extended period of time. By
using the support strap 10, the
user's hands remain free to hold objects or cleanse the buttocks area with
toilet paper.
[0025] A buckle (fastener 22) permits the user 50 to selectively adjust an
overall length of body
20. A cushioned first pad 24 is attached to the inner wall of body 20. The
first pad 24 extends beyond
the top and bottom edges 45 and 46 of body 20 and thereby remains directed
abutted against the backside
of the user 50. The cushioned pad may be provided with a sleeve that is
slidably biased against the
circumference of body 20 for allowing the user 50 to selectively displace the
cushioned pad as needed. A
second pad 26 maybe formed about body 20 as well. Such a second pad 26 is
diametrically opposed from
first pad 24 and is directly engaged about an outer surface of a tree 40 or
other support structure. The
second pad 26 maintains a frictional contact with a tree 40 and thereby
minimizes the undesirable
likelihood of sliding during the defecating process.
[0026] The outdoor support strap 10 is simple and straightforward to use.
First, the user 50
would place body 20 around a tree 40 or another support structure. Next, the
user 50 would snap on the
fastener 22 such that the user's waist is contained within body 20. Thus, the
user's waist engages the first
pad 24 while the second pad 26 engages the outer edge of tree 40 or other
support structure. Next, the
user 50 would slightly lean back into a squatted position while being held by
body 20. Next, the user 50
would defecate or urinate as desired. Next, the user 50 would lean forward
into an upright position,
unbuckle the fastener 22 and remove the body 20 from around his or her own
waist and from around the
tree 40. The support strap 10 can now be stored away in the user's backpack or
pocket for future use.
