Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKPACK WITH INTEGRATED DEVICE HOLDER
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent
Application Number 63/189,002 filed May 14, 2021, which is incorporated by
reference herein in
its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The following includes information that may be useful in
understanding the present
disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein
is prior art nor
material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any
publication or document
that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of device
holders of existing art and
more specifically relates to a backpack with integrated device holder.
RELATED ART
[0004] Since the advent of social media, the taking and sharing of photos
and videos has
increased exponentially. Further, with the emergence of cameras on cell
phones, photography and
videography has become much easier and accessible to everyone. Due to this
increasing market,
many accessories have been provided for enabling and aiding in photo/video
taking and sharing.
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One such popular accessory is a "selfie stick." A selfie stick is used to take
photos and videos by
positioning an image/video capture device (such as a cell phone) beyond the
normal range of the
arm, allowing shots to be taken at angles and distances not possible with the
human arm.
[0005]
One problem with the selfie stick however is that it requires the user to hold
it, both in-
use and when not in-use, as the user carries it to various locations that they
want to capture images
or video of. This can be cumbersome and awkward, especially if the user
requires use of their
hands. Thus, a suitable solution is desired.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known device
holder art, the
present disclosure provides a novel backpack with integrated device holder.
The general purpose
of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater
detail, is to provide an
electronic device holder integrated into a backpack to allow a user to attach
an electronic device,
such as a smaiiphone, to the electronic device holder and utilize the
electronic device hands free.
[0007] An electronic device holder is disclosed herein. As above, in some
embodiments, the
electronic device holder may be integral to a backpack. The backpack may
include a main baggage
section, a pair of shoulder straps attached thereto and at least one pocket
located at a side of the
main baggage section. The electronic device holder may include at least one
rod and a device
mount. The at least one rod may be pivotably attached to the main baggage
section of the backpack
such that the at least one rod is movable between a substantially vertical
position and a substantially
horizontal portion. Further, the at least one rod may include a proximal end
opposite a distal end.
The device mount may be attached about the distal end of the at least one rod
and configured to
receive and retain an electronic device.
[0008] For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects,
advantages, and novel
features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood
that not necessarily all
such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular
embodiment of the
invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that
achieves or
optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without
necessarily achieving
other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the
invention which are
believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in
the concluding portion
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of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will
become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed
description.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The figures which accompany the written portion of this
specification illustrate
embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a backpack with
integrated device
holder, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present
disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the electronic device holder
integral to a backpack
and being used for hands free usage of an electronic device, according to an
embodiment of the
disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the electronic device holder
illustrating a pair of
rods in a substantially horizontal position, according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the electronic device holder
illustrating the pair of
rods in a stored substantially vertical position, according to an embodiment
of the present
disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the electronic device holder
illustrating a device
mount stored within a device receptacle, according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device
holder illustrating a
pocket storing one of the rods in the stored substantially vertical position,
according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
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[0015] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device
holder illustrating the
one of the rods in a raised substantially vertical position, according to an
embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device
holder illustrating the
one of the rods in the substantially horizontal position, according to an
embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the electronic device holder
illustrating the
backpack including shoulder straps and a plurality of apertures in the
shoulder straps, according to
an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the electronic device holder
illustrating a pair of
support sticks inserted into one of the plurality of apertures on each
shoulder strap and supporting
the pair of rods in the substantially horizonal position, according to an
embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0019] The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be
described in
conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like
elements.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to
device holders and
more particularly to a backpack with integrated device holder. Generally, the
backpack with
integrated device holder may include a backpack that has a "selfie stick"
included in the backpack.
The backpack may include pockets where the selfie stick may be held and a
holder for holding a
device such as a smartphone. The selfie stick may be able to collapse into the
pockets of the
backpack when not in use. The selfie stick may lift up in a similar fashion as
a suitcase handle and
rotate over shoulders of a user of the backpack to place the device in front
of the user. Further, a
pair of support sticks may be provided that insert into shoulder straps of the
backpack and support
the selfie stick in front of the user. Solar panels may also be provided on
the backpack and
configured to charge the device in the holder.
[0021] Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of
reference, there is
shown in FIGS. 1-9, various views of an electronic device holder 100. As
shown, the electronic
device holder 100 may include at least one rod 110 and a device mount 120. As
shown in these
figures and as discussed above, the electronic device holder 100 may be used
with a backpack 130.
As shown, the backpack 130 may include a main baggage section 131 and a pair
of shoulder straps
132 attached thereto. In some embodiments, the electronic device holder 100
may be attached to
an existing backpack 130. In other embodiments, as shown in these figures, the
backpack 130 may
preferably be included as part of the invention and include the electronic
device holder 100 being
integral to the backpack 130. As such, in some embodiments, as shown, the
backpack 130 may
include at least one pocket 133 located at a side of the main baggage section
131.
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[0022] Further, in some embodiments, the backpack 130 may include a storage
receptacle 136.
For example, the storage receptacle 136 may include a pouch configured to
store items, as shown
in FIG. 2. Additionally, in some embodiments, the backpack 130 may include a
waist strap (not
illustrated) for supporting the backpack 130 on a back of a user 10 (the user
10 being a wearer of
the backpack 130 as shown in FIG. 1).
[0023] The at least one rod 110 may be pivotably attached to the main
baggage section 131 of
the backpack 130 such that the at least one rod 110 is movable between a
substantially vertical
position 101 (FIG. 3) and a substantially horizontal position 102 (FIG. 2).
For example,
preferably, the at least one pocket 133 may be configured to store the at
least one rod 110 in the
substantially vertical position 101, as shown in FIGS. 3-5.
[0024] The at least one rod 110 may include a proximal end 111 opposite a
distal end 112. The
device mount 120 may be attached about the distal end 112 of the at least one
rod 110. The device
mount 120 may be configured to receive and retain an electronic device 5. For
example, as shown
in FIG. 2, the device mount 120 may include a pair of brackets 121 spaced
opposite each other
and defining a space therebetween for gripping the electronic device 5 from
two sides.
[0025] As such, as shown in FIG. 1, when the at least one rod 110 is moved
into the
substantially horizontal position 102, the electronic device 5 may be placed
in front of the user 10
enabling hands free capturing of videos and images in front of the user 10, or
of the user 10. It
should however be appreciated that device mount 120 is not limited to being in
front of the user
when the at least one rod 110 is in the substantially horizontal position 102.
For example, in
some embodiments, the device mount 120 may be placed behind the user 10 when
the at least one
rod 110 is in the substantially horizontal position 102.
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[0026] To aid in movement of the at least one rod 110 between the
substantially vertical
position 101 and the substantially horizontal position 102, the electronic
device holder 100 may
include at least one rotating element 140 located above the at least one
pocket 133 and configured
to pivot the at least one rod 110, from the proximal end 111 thereof, between
the substantially
vertical position 101 and the substantially horizontal position 102. As such,
the at least one rotating
element 140 may enable at least 90 degree rotation of the at least one rod
110. In other
embodiments, the at least one rotating element may enable 180 degree rotation,
permitting the
device mount 120 to be moved both in front of the user 10 and behind the user
10.
[0027] As shown in these figures, preferably, the at least one rod 110 may
include a pair of
rods 110 located parallel to each other and at opposite sides of the main
baggage section 131 of
the backpack 130. As shown, the pair of rods 110 may be attached together at
their distal ends 112
via a perpendicular cross-bar 113 (perpendicular to the pair of rods 110). In
some embodiments,
as shown, the pair of rods 120 and the perpendicular cross-bar 113 may be one
fused or otherwise
formed piece.
[0028] The device mount 120 may be rotatably attached to the perpendicular
cross-bar 113
such that the device mount 120 is movable between a portrait position 103
(FIG. 2) and a landscape
position 104 (FIG. 1). For example, the device mount 120 may be attached to
the perpendicular
cross-bar 113 via a first swivel element 122 as shown particularly in FIG. 3.
As such, the user 10
may selectively rotate the device mount 120 to adjust angle of a camera or
display screen on the
electronic device 5. Further, in some embodiments, the device mount 120 may
further include a
second swivel element 123. This may enable the device mount 120 to rotate
about the
perpendicular cross-bar 113 (about a horizontal axis defined by the
perpendicular cross-bar 113),
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enabling the user 10 to adjust a position of the device mount 120 (and thus
the electronic device
5) relative to the perpendicular cross-bar 113.
[0029] As shown in FIGS. 2-3 particularly, the backpack 130 may further
include a solar panel
array 135. In this embodiment, the electronic device holder 100 may further
include an electronic
circuitry 160, as demonstrated in FIG. 2. The electronic circuitry 160 may be
configured to provide
power from the solar panel array 135 to the electronic device 5, thereby
enabling electronic
charging of the electronic device 5. For example, the electronic circuitry 160
may include a cable
161 running from the solar panel array 135 to the device mount 120. In some
examples, the cable
161 may be located within one of the pair of rods 110, as demonstrated in FIG.
2 (via broken lines
for clarity).
[0030] Further, in some embodiments, the backpack 130 may include a device
receptacle 138.
As shown particularly in FIG. 4, the device receptacle 138 may include an
interior 1381 configured
to receive the device mount 120 therein (the interior 1381 and the device
mount 120 are shown in
FIG. 4 via broken lines for clarity). The device receptacle 138 may provide
protection to the
electronic device 5. For example, if the electronic device 5 is not in use and
is being exposed to
particularly harsh elements, the user may place the device mount 120 into the
device receptacle
138. To aid in the protection afforded to the electronic device 5, the device
receptacle 138 may
include a fastener 1382 to fasten the interior 1381 thereof. For example, as
shown, the fastener
1382 may be (but is not limited to) a zipper. Further, the device receptacle
138 may be used simply
for storage of the device mount 120 when not in use (without the electronic
device 5) and/or may
be used for storage of the electronic device 5 (not attached to the device
mount 120).
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[0031] Preferably, as shown, the at least one pocket 133 may include a pair
of pockets 133
located at the opposite sides of the main baggage section 131 and the pair of
pockets 133 may each
be configured to store one of the pair of rods 110 in a stored substantially
vertical position 101a.
As shown in FIG. 4 particularly, when the device mount 120 is stored within
the interior 1381 of
the device receptacle 138, the pair of rods 110 may be stored in the
respective pockets 133. Further,
the at least one rotating element 140 may include a pair of rotating elements
140 each located
above one of the pair of pockets 133, and each of the pair of rotating
elements 140 may be
configured to pivot one of the pair of rods 110, from the proximal end 111
thereof, between the
substantially vertical position 101 and the substantially horizontal position
102.
[0032] In some examples, as shown in FIGS. 5-7 in particular, each of the
pair of rotating
elements 140 may include a circular body 141 having an interior channel 142
for receiving each
rod 110 and allowing the rod 110 to move therethrough between the
substantially vertical position
101 and the substantially horizontal position 102. When the rods 110 are in
the stored substantially
vertical position 101a (FIG. 5), the proximal end 111 of each of the pair of
rods 110 may be located
at a bottom of an interior 137 of the pockets 133. The user 10 may then extend
the rods 110 into a
raised substantially vertical position 101b (FIG. 6). Once extended from the
pocket 133, as shown
in FIG. 6, the proximal end 111 may be located within the circular body 141 of
the rotating element
140. As such, the user 10 may rotate the pair of rods 110 into the
substantially horizontal position
102 (FIG. 7) via the rotating element 140.
[0033] To support the pair of rods 110 in the substantially horizontal
position 102, the
electronic device holder 100 may further include a pair of support sticks 150.
In this embodiment,
the pair of shoulder straps 132 may each include a plurality of apertures 134
therein, as shown in
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FIG. 8. The pair of support sticks 150 may each include a first end 151
opposite a second end 152.
As shown in FIG. 9, the first end 151 of each of the pair of support sticks
150 may be configured
for insertion into one of the plurality of apertures 134 on one of the pair of
shoulder straps 132,
and the second end 152 of each of the pair of support sticks 150 may be
configured to attach to
one of the pair of rods 110. For example, the first end 151 of a left support
stick of the pair of
support sticks 150 may insert into an aperture on a left shoulder strap of the
pair of shoulder straps
132 and the second end 151 of the left support stick 150 may attach to a left
rod of the pair of rods
110.
[0034] In some examples, the pair of support sticks 150 may be held between
the shoulder
straps 132 and the pair of rods 110 via a frictional force exerted on the pair
of rods 110. In other
examples, the pair of rods 110 may include slots, or apertures for receiving
the second end 152 of
the pair of support sticks 150. As shown, there may be four apertures 134 per
shoulder strap 132
that are arranged in line down a front of the shoulder strap 132. This may
enable the user 10 to
choose which aperture 134 to insert the first end 151 of the support stick 150
into, thereby adjusting
an angle of the device mount 120 (and thereby the electronic device 5)
relative to the user 10.
[0035] In use, a user 10 may pull the pair of rods 110 upward from the
stored substantially
vertical position 101a to the raised substantially vertical position 101b,
placing the proximal end
111 of each of the pair of rods 110 into each of the rotating elements 140.
For example, the user
may grasp the perpendicular cross-bar 113 to pull the pair of rods 110, in a
similar fashion as a
suitcase handle. The user 10 may then rotate the pair of rods 110 into the
substantially horizontal
position 102 (via the rotating elements 140) and place the electronic device 5
into the device mount
120. In some embodiments, the user 10 may rotate the device mount 120 into
either the landscape
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position 104 or the portrait position 103 and utilize the electronic device 5.
Further, the user 10
may adjust positioning of the device mount 120 relative to the perpendicular
cross-bar 113 via the
second swivel element 123. The user 10 may utilize the electronic device 5 to
record videos, take
photos, etc. When desired, the user 10 may remove the electronic device 5 from
the device mount
120, move the pair of rods 110 into the raised substantially vertical position
101b and push them
into the stored vertical position 101a within the pockets 133.
[0036] It should be noted that certain steps are optional may not be
implemented in all cases.
It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be
carried out in many
different orders according to user preference. The use of "step of" should not
be interpreted as
"step for", in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions
of 35 U.S.C. 112(f)
or equivalent. It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances,
considering such
issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost,
structural requirements,
available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for using a
backpack with
integrated device holder are taught herein.
[0037] The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and
numerous
modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to
achieve substantially
equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit
and scope of the
invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the
Patent and Trademark
Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and
practitioners in the art
who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine
quickly from a cursory
inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the
application.
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