Back support frame

A frame for mounting a self-contained breathing apparatus bottle vertically such that the frame can articulate with the back of a user, wherein the bottle comprises a mounting portion, the frame comprising:

• an upper plate;
• an intermediate plate;
• a lower plate;
• a first coupling mechanism pivotally coupling the upper plate to the intermediate plate;
• a second coupling mechanism pivotally coupling the intermediate plate to the lower plate;
• wherein the first and second coupling mechanisms allow the upper plate, intermediate plate, and lower plate to articulate about a horizontal axis and torsionally in line with the user's movement;
• and
• a bottle attachment mechanism comprising:
• an upper attachment mechanism coupled to the upper plate;
• an upper mounting bracket coupled to the upper attachment mechanism;
• a lower attachment mechanism coupled to the lower plate;
• and
• a lower mounting bracket coupled to the lower plate;
• wherein the upper and lower attachment mechanisms comprise a pair of spaced apart plates coupled to one another by a damping mechanism, wherein the plates are coupled at each of their corners by the damping mechanism, and wherein the damping mechanism comprises four springs located generally adjacent the corners of the rectangular plates;
• and
• wherein the upper mounting bracket and lower mounting bracket are configured to couple the bottle to the frame.