[0001] This invention relates to the field of bags and particularly relates to a postman's
bag or similar, of the known type, comprising a body of a bag, forming a containing
space which top is open, a front face, a rear face, a bottom face and two side faces,
and a closing flap, consisting of an upper extension of the rear face overlapping
at least part of said front face' so to close the upper part of the bag, and a strap
for carrying the bag on the shoulder, which ends are fastened to the rear face.
[0002] Studies and experiences conducted by the applicant in to aforesaid field have led
to identify a set of needs and priority functions to be taken into account for designing
a bag of this kind. The main identified needs depend both on the type of load to be
carried and the environment in which said load is carried. This is because an uneven
distribution of the load, such as postal material on long routes mainly in urban areas,
requires the predisposition of a container which is easy to access and comfortable
to carry. Furthermore, the current regulations in force in the matter of safety at
the place of work concentrate attention on preventing hazards to which operators in
general may be exposed. This has directed the studies conducted by the applicant towards
seeking optimal solutions with reference to economical-anatomical issues deriving
from manual transportation of loads.
[0003] The scope of this invention is consequently to make a postman's bag or similar which
is able to satisfy all the needs mentioned above in an optimal way.
[0004] In order to attain the scope, this invention relates to a bag of the type stated
at the beginning of this description characterised in that it also comprises:
- a lumbar strap, attached to said rear face, including a cushion destined to be placed
between the rear face of the bag and the body of the user, and
- an elastic stiffener, attached to said rear face, which is horizontally elongated
with its surface essentially parallel to said rear face.
[0005] Thanks to said characteristics, the bag according to this invention relieves part
of the weight of the load on the side faces of the bag, limiting the swaying of the
baggage due to the kinetic movement of steps, whereby reducing fatigue in the shoulder
and cervical areas of the user in time and improving the muscular work of the concerned
parts.
[0006] According to a preferred form of embodiment, the ends of said elastic stiffener are
secured in a sliding fashion to the rear face and the middle part is free. Said cushion
has a horizontal elongated conformation and is arranged over the stiffener with two
end portions connected to the ends of the stiffener and the middle part free. The
stiffener is guided by the ends by two loops attached to the rear face of the bag,
said ends of the stiffener having two slots for attaching two fastening elements attached
to the lumbar strap cushion. Preferably, the stiffener is contoured with two shoulders
which co-operate with said loops to prevent the stiffener from disengaging.
[0007] Moreover, preferably, the ends of the cushion are connected to the two sides of the
rear face of the bag by means of two adjustable straps which can be pulled to avoid
or reduce deformation of the bag, of the rear face in particular, consequently increasing
functionality and comfort of use. The straps can also be used to fasten the bag to
a rack, e.g. a bicycle or motorcycle. Moreover, a pocket for a flexible cover made
of waterproof material, which can be extracted from pocket and applied over the bag
to protect the paper material contents from weather conditions, is provided on said
closing flap on the upper edge of the rear face. Moreover, in the preferred form of
embodiment, the closing flap is equipped with a closing strap which co-operates with
the strap attached to the bottom of the front face of the bag, said straps being equipped
with quick coupling buckles.
[0008] Moreover, the front face of the bag is preferably equipped with one or more pockets,
for example a mobile telephone pocket and a pencil holder.
[0009] Characteristics and advantages of this invention will be illustrated with reference
to a preferred embodiment, as non-limiting examples, in the enclosed drawings, whereas:
- figures 1, 2 are two diagrams illustrating the stresses of the body of the users of
a bag according to known technique and a bag according to this invention;
- figure 3 is a schematic view of a preferred form of embodiment of the bag according
to this invention in the conditions by which it is being carried by a user;
- figure 4 is a blown-up prospective view of the bag according to this invention which
closing flap is in lowered position;
- figure 5 is a prospective view of the open bag;
- figure 6 is a cross-section view of the bag illustrated in figure 4;
- figure 4 is a blown-up view of a detail in figure 6;
- figure 8 is a cross-section view on horizontal plane of the open bag;
- figure 9 is a lateral view of the bag which waterproof cover is applied;
- figure 10 is a view of the rear face of the bag with respective flexible stiffener.
[0010] Figure 1 schematic illustrates a user 1 who is carrying a bag 2 according to the
known technique, with a single strap 3 to be carried over the user's shoulder. The
dotted line indicates the posture that the user tends to assume to balance the weight
of the carried load. As can be seen, in this condition, the load is concentrated on
one shoulder producing an asymmetric effort on the upper part of the user's spine.
[0011] As appears from the following description, the bag according to this invention, also
indicated by number 2 in figure 2 in the enclosed drawings is equipped both with a
shoulder strap 3 and a lumbar strap 4 which allows to considerably reduce the asymmetric
effort exerted on the spine.
[0012] Figure 3 in the enclosed drawings illustrates the bag 2 according to this invention
while it is being carried with the shoulder strap 3 and the lumbar strap 4.
[0013] With reference to figures from 4 to 10, the bag 2 comprises a bag body made of fabric,
including a front face 5, a rear face 6, two side faces 7 and a bottom face 8. The
fabric of the bag is stiffened by a panel of any suitable material (for example, synthetic
material or cardboard) concealed between two layers of fabric either sewn or glued
together along the edge on the front face 5 and on the rear face 6. In the illustrated
embodiment, the side faces 7 are shaped as a concertina to confer characteristics
of expandability to the body of the bag. Always in the case of the example shown,
the two side faces present stiffened edges 7a in their intermediate area (see figure
8) joined to a partition 9 arranged inside the compartment 10 formed by the faces
of the bag. The compartment 10 is open at the top and can be closed by means of a
closing flap 11 which is an extension of the upper part of the rear face 6 and which
can at least partially overlap the front part 5 to close the upper opening of the
bag. Also the flap 11 consists of two layers of fabric which are sewn or glued together
along the edge forming a pocket for containing a flexible cover 12 made of waterproof
material which can be extracted after opening a Velcro strip 12a made along the upper
edge of the rear face (see figure 6). The flap 11 can be fastened in closed position
by means of the reciprocal engagement of two quick coupling buckles 13, 14 which are
fastened to the flap 11 and to the lower edge of the front face 5. The latter is equipped
with a pocket 17 for holding a mobile telephone which flap 18 is equipped with a Velcro
strip, pencil holder pockets 19 and an addition pocket 20 which size is larger, also
equipped with a Velcro strip 21, for example to carry small papers, on the outer side.
[0014] The rear face 6 is connected to the upper ends of a strap 22 to be carried over the
shoulder. In the illustrated example, the ends of strap 22 are attached to the rear
face through loops 23 (figure 10). The strap 22 is naturally adjustable in length
and includes a padded cushion 24 for resting on the user's shoulder. Moreover, with
reference to figure 10, an elastic stiffener 25, for example made of synthetic material
such as nylon or similar, is attached to the outer surface of the rear face 6. The
ends of the stiffener 25 are engaged in a sliding fashion though two loops 26 which
are made by two straps 27 which are sewn to the face 6. Conversely, the central part
of the stiffener 25 is free with respect to the face 6. However, the stiffener is
contoured with two shoulders 28 (figure 10) co-operating with loops 26 to prevent
the ends of the stiffener 25 from being released from the loops. As shown in figure
8, the ends of the stiffener 25 jutting out over the loops 26 have slots 29 (also
see figure 10) which serve to anchor a padded cushion 30 which is part of the abdominal
strap 4. More precisely, two edges of strap 31 ending with two heads made of plastic
material 32 which can be inserted through slots 29 and then arranged in parallel to
the stiffener 25 so that they can no longer be extracted through the slots are sewn
to the cushion 30. The cushion 30 is thus anchored to the end of the stiffener 25
and its middle part is free. As shown above, cushion 30 extends to a lumbar strap
4 which length is adjustable with a buckle closing device 32 comprising two quick
coupling elements which type is described above with reference to the front closing
flap of the bag.
[0015] Moreover, two adjustable straps 33 which apply traction to approach the front face
to the rear face by means of the usual adjustment devices 34 for adjusting the length
of the straps are attached to the two sides of the bag.
[0016] The straps 33 can also be used to fasten the bag to a rack, for example a bicycle
or a motorcycle. Finally, the straps 23 extend to the straps 60 (figure 8) connected
the ends of the cushion 30. The straps 60 can be pulled to prevent a deformation of
the rear face 6 under the weight of the load.
[0017] Naturally, numerous changes can be implemented to the construction and forms of embodiment
of the invention herein envisaged, all comprised within the context of the concept
characterising this invention.
1. Postman's bag or similar, comprising a body of a bag (2) forming a containing space
(10) which top is open, with a front face (5), a rear face (6) a bottom face (8) and
two side faces (7), and a closing flap (11), which is an upper extension of the rear
face (6), overlapping said front face (5) at least partially so to close the upper
opening of the bag, and a strap (22) to be carried on the shoulder which ends are
fastened to the rear face (6),
characterised in that said bag also comprises:
- a lumbar strap (4), attached to said rear face (6) including a cushion (30) destined
to be placed between the rear face (6) of the bag and the body of the user, and
- an elastic stiffener (25), attached to said rear face (6) which is horizontally
elongated with its surface essentially parallel to said rear face (6).
2. Bag according to claim 1, characterised in that the ends of said stiffener (25) are
engaged in a sliding fashion to the rear face (6), its middle part is free.
3. Bag according to claim 2, characterised in that said cushion (30) is horizontally
elongated and is arranged over the stiffener (25) with two end portions connected
to the ends of the stiffener (25) and the middle part is free.
4. Bag according to claim 3, characterised in that said stiffener (25) is guided by the
ends through two loops (26) which are attached to the rear face (25) with two slots
(29) for anchoring two fastening elements (32) connected to the cushion (30) of the
lumbar strap (4).
5. Bag according to claim 4, characterised in that adjustable straps (33) for adjusting
the volume of the compartment are attached to the two side faces (7) of the bag.
6. Bag according to claim 4, characterised in that the ends of the cushion (30) of the
lumbar strap are also connected to the two sides of the rear face (6) of the bag by
means of two adjustable straps (60).
7. Bag according to claim 1, characterised in that a pocket (12a) for a flexible cover
(12) made of waterproof material which can be extracted from pocket and applied over
the bag is provided on said closing flap (11) on the upper edge of the rear face (6).
8. Bag according to claim 1, characterised in that said flap (11) has a closing strap
(15) co-operating with a strap (16) attached to the bottom of the front face (5) of
the bag, said straps (15, 16) being equipped with quick coupling buckles (13, 14).
9. Bag according to claim 1, characterised in that said the front side (5) has one or
more external pockets, one of which is for carrying a mobile telephone (17).
10. Bag according to claim 1, characterised in that said the front face (5) and the rear
face (6) are relatively stiff, while the side faces (7) are shaped as a concertina
and connected to an internal partition (9) of the compartment (10).
This is essentially as described and illustrated for the specified purposes.