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US 10,743,641 B2Granted
Backpack with moving features that can be triggered
OwnerJason Westrickinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A backpack has a character with external appendages on its rear portion that can be moved by a wearer of the backpack. The external appendages normally rest against the rear portion of the backpack and are configured to be selectively moved. Attachment points of the appendages are rotatably connected to motion devices, which in turn are connected by way of connecting lines to trigger features on a front portion of the backpack. When the trigger features are pulled, the appendages are raised into an active position by the motion devices, which in turn store energy from the pulling of the trigger features. By releasing the trigger features, the stored energy then causes the appendages to return to non-pulled resting positions.
Claims15
A backpack, comprising:
- a main body with a front portion, a rear portion, and a pair of shoulder straps, the shoulder straps disposed on the front portion of the main body;
- a character one of printed, formed, and attached to the rear portion of the main body;
- at least one appendage movably attached to the rear portion adjacent the character;
- at least one connecting line disposed through the main body from the front portion to the rear portion, the connecting line having a first end and a second end;
- at least one trigger feature connected to the first end of the connecting line and disposed adjacent the front portion of the main body;
- and
- at least one motion device disposed on the rear portion of the main body and attached to the at least one appendage and the second end of the connecting line, the motion device configured to selectively move the at least one appendage between a natural resting position and an active position upon an applying of a tension on the connecting line by a pulling of the trigger feature,
- wherein the at least one motion device includes a spool with a first side and a second side, a connecting rod, and a resistance member, the connecting rod attached to the first side of the spool, and the connecting rod also connected to the rear portion of the main body, the second end of the connecting line coiled around the spool, and the spool rotatable in a first direction of rotation by the application of the tension on the connecting line by the pulling of the trigger feature, the resistance member attached to the second side of the spool and attached to the rear portion of the main body, and the resistance member configured to store rotational energy provide by a rotation of the spool in the first direction of rotation and release rotational energy to cause a rotation of the spool in a second direction of rotation when the tension is not applied on the connecting line by the pulling of the trigger feature, and the second direction of rotation is opposite the first direction of rotation, and
- wherein the at least one appendage is disposed through at least one aperture formed in the rear portion of the main body and movably attached to both the rear portion of the main body adjacent to the at least one aperture and to the spool at an attachment point to connect the at least one appendage on an outside of the main body with the at least one motion device on an inside of the main body.
6 more elements
A method of operating a backpack, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the backpack including a main body with a front portion, a rear portion, and a pair of shoulder straps, the shoulder straps disposed on the front portion of the main body, a character one of printed, formed, and attached to the rear portion of the main body, at least one appendage movably attached to the rear portion adjacent the character, at least one connecting line disposed through the main body from the front portion to the rear portion, the connecting line having a first end and a second end, at least one trigger feature connected to the first end of the connecting line and disposed adjacent the front portion of the main body, and at least one motion device disposed on the rear portion of the main body and attached to the at least one appendage and the second end of the connecting line, the motion device configured to selectively move the at least one appendage between a natural resting position and an active position upon an applying of a tension on the connecting line by a pulling of the trigger feature, wherein the at least one motion device includes a spool with a first side and a second side, a connecting rod, and a resistance member, the connecting rod attached to the first side of the spool, and the connecting rod also connected to the rear portion of the main body, the second end of the connecting line coiled around the spool, and the spool rotatable in a first direction of rotation by the application of the tension on the connecting line by the pulling of the trigger feature, the resistance member attached to the second side of the spool and attached to the rear portion of the main body, and the resistance member configured to store rotational energy provide by a rotation of the spool in the first direction of rotation and release rotational energy to cause a rotation of the spool in a second direction of rotation when the tension is not applied on the connecting line by the pulling of the trigger feature, and the second direction of rotation is opposite the first direction of rotation, and wherein the at least one appendage is disposed through at least one aperture formed in the rear portion of the main body and movably attached to both the rear portion of the main body adjacent to the at least one aperture and to the spool at an attachment point to connect the at least one appendage on an outside of the main body with the at least one motion device on an inside of the main body;
- disposing the backpack on a wearer;
- and
- pulling the at least one trigger feature, by the wearer, to cause the at least one appendage to move between the natural resting position and the active position by the applying of the tension on the connecting line.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.