Back to results
US 9,095,203 B2Granted
Unitary composite backpack frame with upper stays
AssigneeKuiu, LLC
InventorsJason Hairston, Paul Hewitt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Resin-impregnated sandwich composite backpack frames are disclosed. The frames may, for example, be made of a carbon fiber twill with a foam core. The frames have an upper portion that includes upwardly-extending, elongate stays to support a backpack and mechanically decouple its load from the wearer. Open, generally vertically extending tracks in the upper portion provide points of attachment for shoulder strap assemblies. The lower portion is contoured to follow the typical lumbar-sacral curvature of the human back and terminates in a generally U-shaped tongue. Openings and unreinforced areas in the frame are provided to reduce weight and increase flexibility.
Claims18
A backpack frame, comprising:
- a unitary, contiguous, resin-impregnated sandwich structure comprising first and second layers of fiber material with a core material selectively interposed between defining
- an upper portion having
- right and left elongate stay portions extending upwardly from respective right and left upper edges thereof, and a central opening, and
- right and left open tracks positioned on either side of the central opening upper portion, the tracks being adapted to attach directly to respective left and right shoulder straps, such that the shoulder straps are positionable along the tracks;
- and
- a lower portion curved to follow the lumbar-sacral curvature of a human back, the lower portion terminating in a generally U-shaped tongue, such that the bottom of the U-shaped tongue is the bottom of the backpack frame, the U-shaped tongue being adapted to attach directly to a waist belt and having an opening that is contoured to the tongue;
- wherein the backpack frame is symmetrical about a long axis thereof and tapers continuously down in width from the upper portion toward the lower portion.
4 more elements
A backpack frame, comprising:
- a unitary, contiguous, resin-impregnated sandwich structure comprising first and second layers of fiber material with a core material selectively interposed between defining
- an upper portion having
- right and left elongate stay portions extending upwardly from respective right and left upper edges thereof, and
- left and right generally vertically oriented open tracks, the tracks being adapted to attach directly to respective left and right shoulder straps, such that the shoulder straps are positionable along the tracks;
- and
- a lower portion curved to follow the lumbar-sacral curvature of a human back, the lower portion terminating in a depending, generally U-shaped tongue, such that the bottom of the U-shaped tongue is the bottom of the backpack frame and a width of the U-shaped tongue
- (1) is consistently less than a width of the upper portion throughout the entire length of the U-shaped tongue, and
- (2) comprises the entire width of the backpack frame at the U-shaped tongue,
- the U-shaped tongue
- (1) having an opening that is contoured to the tongue, and
- (2) being adapted to attach directly to a waist belt;
- wherein the backpack frame is symmetrical about a long axis thereof.
9 more elements
A backpack frame, comprising:
- a unitary, contiguous, resin-impregnated sandwich structure comprising at least first and second layers of woven fiber material with a core material selectively interposed between, defining
- an upper portion having
- right and left elongate stay portions extending upwardly from respective right and left upper edges thereof, the left and right stay portions diverging outwardly from the long-axis centerline of the backpack frame, and
- right and left open tracks positioned on either side of the upper portion opposite one another, the tracks being adapted to attach directly to respective left and right shoulder straps, such that the shoulder straps are positionable along the tracks;
- and
- a lower portion curved to follow the lumbar-sacral curvature of a human back, the lower portion terminating in an open, generally U-shaped tongue, such that the bottom of the U-shaped tongue is the bottom of the backpack frame and a width of the U-shaped tongue
- (1) is consistently less than a width of the upper portion throughout the entire length of the U-shaped tongue, and
- (2) comprises the entire width of the backpack frame at the U-shaped tongue,
- the U-shaped tongue
- (1) having an opening that is contoured to the tongue, and
- (2) being adapted to attach directly to a waist belt;
- wherein the backpack frame is symmetrical about the centerline.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.