Belt assembly for a load carrying system
AssigneeJohnson Worldwide Associates, Inc.
InventorThomas R. Swetish
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A belt assembly is pivotally connected to a load support structure of a load carrying system and includes a rear panel and a pair of lateral panels. The lateral panels are pivotally coupled to the rear panel. When the belt assembly is worn, the rear panel covers a user's lumbar region and the lateral panels wrap around the user's hips. The belt assembly includes a removable pad which is preferably connected to the rear and lateral panels by a hook and loop fastener system. A strap secures the belt assembly around the user's hips. The pivotal connections between the panels of the belt assembly and between the belt assembly and the load support system enable the belt assembly to afford a user considerable freedom of movement when worn.
Claims31
A belt assembly for a load carrying system including a load support structure configured to support a load on a user's back, the belt assembly comprising:
- a rear panel having two ends and being configured to cover a lumbar region of the user, the rear panel having a length that extends generally in a first plane;
- and
- a pair of lateral panels adapted to be coupled to the load carrying system, each lateral panel configured to be pivotally connected at a first location, substantially rearward of the user's hips, to each respective end of the rear panel and configured to be wrapped around a hip of a user, the lateral panels being configured to distribute the load on the user's back to the user's hips and having free ends coupled to one another, each lateral panel being rotatable about an axis substantially oblique to the plane in which the length of the rear panel extends.
A system for supporting a load on a user's back and hips, the system comprising:
- a rear panel having two ends and being configured to cover a lumbar region of a user;
- a pair of lateral panels coupled to the load carrying system, each lateral panel configured to be pivotally connected at a first location, substantially rearward of the user's hips, to each respective end of the rear panel and configured to be wrapped around a hip of the user, each lateral panel being configured to distribute the load to the user's hips and having a free end opposite the rear panel;
- and
- a load carrying system for supporting the load on the user's back, the load carrying system having at least semi-rigid first and second struts coupled to the pair of lateral panels, whereby the struts are placed in compression to transfer load to the lateral panels.
A belt assembly for at least partially supporting a load carrying system on a user's hips, the belt assembly comprising:
- a rear panel having two ends and being configured to cover a lumbar region of a user, the rear panel extending generally in a plane;
- a pair of lateral panels, each lateral panel configured to be pivotally connected substantially rearward of the user's hips to each respective end of the rear panel and having a free end opposite the rear panel, each lateral panel being rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane, the pair of lateral panels configured to be wrapped around and to distribute the load to the user's hips;
- at least one pad removably coupled to the belt assembly;
- means for conforming the belt assembly to the user's hips, the conforming means connected to the free end of each respective lateral panel;
- and
- a pair of pivot pins extending between the belt assembly and load carrying system for removably coupling the belt assembly to the load carrying system.
A belt assembly for a load carrying system including a load support structure configured to support a load on a user's back, the belt assembly comprising:
- a rear panel having two ends and being configured to cover a lumbar region of the user;
- and
- a pair of lateral panels adapted to be coupled to the load carrying system, the lateral panels configured to be pivotally connected at a first location to each respective end of the rear panel and to be wrapped around a hip of a user, the lateral panels adapted to be coupled at a second location to the load carrying system and configured to distribute the load on the user's back to the user's hips, the second location being spaced substantially equidistantly from the first location and the free end of the respective lateral panel.
A system for supporting a load on a user's back and hips, the system comprising:
- a load carrying system for supporting the load on the user's back;
- a rear panel having two ends and being configured to cover a lumbar region of a user, the rear panel having a length that extends generally in a plane;
- a pair of lateral panels coupled to the load carrying system, each lateral panel pivotally connected to each respective end of the rear panel and configured to be wrapped around a hip of the user, each lateral panel being configured to distribute a portion of the load on the user's back to the respective hip and having a free end opposite the rear panel, each lateral panel being rotatable about an axis substantially oblique to the plane in which the length of the rear panel extends;
- at least one strap configured to conform the belt assembly to the user's hips, the at least one strap connected to the free ends of the lateral panels;
- and
- a pad removable coupled to the rear panel and to the pair of lateral panels by a hook and loop fastener system.
A belt assembly for at least partially supporting a load carrying system on a user's hips, the belt assembly comprising:
- a rear panel having two ends and being configured to cover a lumbar region of a user;
- a pair of lateral panels, each lateral panel pivotally connected to each respective end of the rear panel and having a free end opposite the rear panel, the pair of lateral panels configured to be wrapped around the user's hips;
- means for removably coupling the belt assembly to the load carrying system, the coupling means including a pair of pivot pins extending between the belt assembly and the load carrying system;
- at least one pad removably coupled to the belt assembly;
- and
- means for conforming the belt assembly to the user's hips, the conforming means connected to the free ends of the lateral panels.
A belt assembly for at least partially supporting a load carrying system on a user's hips, the belt assembly comprising:
- a rear panel having two ends and being configured to cover a lumbar region of a user;
- a pair of lateral panels, each lateral panel configured to be pivotally connected substantially rearward of the user's hips to each respective end of the rear panel and having a free end opposite the rear panel, the pair of lateral panels configured to be wrapped around the user's hips;
- a pair of pivot pins adapted to extend between the belt assembly and the load carrying system, the pivot pins adapted to couple the belt assembly to the load carrying system;
- at least one pad removably coupled to the belt assembly;
- and
- means for conforming the belt assembly to the user's hips, the conforming means connected to the free end of each respective lateral panel.
A belt assembly for a load carrying system including a load support structure configured to support a load on a user's back, the belt assembly comprising:
- a rear panel having two ends and being configured to cover a lumbar region of the user;
- and
- a pair of lateral panels adapted to be coupled to the load carrying system, each lateral panel configured to be pivotally connected at a first location, substantially rearward of the user's hips, to each respective end of the rear panel and configured to be wrapped around a hip of a user, the lateral panels being configured to distribute the load on the user's back to the user's hips and having free ends coupled to one another, the lateral panels adapted to be removably secured to the load support structure, whereby the belt assembly may be separated from the load support structure while the rear panel remains attached to the lateral panels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.