Backpack

A backpack comprising:

• panels including a front panel and a rear panel connected to the front panel, the front and rear panels being capable of at least partially defining a volume for holding items to be carried in the backpack;
• a pair of shoulder straps, each strap having a front side and an underside, and being joined at opposite ends to the backpack at spaced apart locations on the backpack;
• ventilation channels in the underside of at least a portion of the shoulder strap engageable with the top of the shoulder when the backpack is worn by a person, the ventilation channels extending generally transversely of the shoulder strap for passage of ventilating air between the shoulder and the strap;
• and
• a roll portion extending over a portion of each shoulder strap, said roll portion including a plurality of roll members extending generally transversely of the strap, each roll member being generally circular in cross section in a relaxed configuration, adjacent roll members defining generally transverse channels between them to permit passage of ventilating air between the shoulder strap and the shoulder of the person wearing the backpack, the channels having a depth selected to retain a spacing between the shoulder and the bottom of the ventilation channel when the backpack is worn by the person carrying a load in the backpack to permit said passage of ventilating air through the channel.

A backpack comprising:

• panels including a front panel and a rear panel connected to the front panel, the front and rear panels being capable of at least partially defining a volume for holding items to be carried in the backpack, at least some of the panels being made of a generally limp material;
• an opening in the article which is at least partially bounded by the generally limp panel material;
• means for stiffening the generally limp panel material at least partially bounding the opening, said stiffening means biasing a region of the generally limp panel material at least partially bounding the opening to hold open the opening, said stiffening means comprising a resilient member connected to the bounding region of the generally limp panel material;
• means associated with the generally limp panel material for holding said resilient member in a configuration displaced from a relaxed configuration of said resilient member;
• said resilient member being horseshoe shaped and having a pair of arms which are held inwardly from their relaxed positions by said holding means;
• a pair of shoulder straps, each strap having a front side and an underside, and being joined at opposite ends to the backpack at spaced apart locations on the backpack;
• and
• ventilation channels in the underside of at least a portion of the shoulder strap engageable with the top of the shoulder when the backpack is worn by a person, the ventilation channels extending generally transversely of the shoulder strap for passage of ventilating air between the shoulder and the strap.