(19)
(11) EP 0 434 336 A2

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
26.06.1991 Bulletin 1991/26

(21) Application number: 90313754.5

(22) Date of filing: 17.12.1990
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5A45F 3/04
(84) Designated Contracting States:
CH DE GB IT LI SE

(30) Priority: 20.12.1989 GB 8928753

(71) Applicant: BERGHAUS LIMITED
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1PG (GB)

(72) Inventors:
  • Davison, George Gordon
    Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2HE (GB)
  • Archer, David Frederick
    Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1PG (GB)

(74) Representative: Sanderson, Michael John et al
MEWBURN ELLIS York House 23 Kingsway
London WC2B 6HP
London WC2B 6HP (GB)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Rucksacks


    (57) A rucksack has a pair of shoulder straps mounted on the upper regions (4) of its rear wall (2) and a hip belt mounted on the lower regions (6) of its rear wall (2), an extensible intermediate region (10) being provided between said upper and lower regions (4,8) and movable between a compacted position and an extended position whereby the upper regions (4) and the attached shoulder straps can be moved towards and away from the lower regions (8) and the attached hip belt. Releasable locking means (14,16) are provided which, for any given position of the intermediate region (10) between its compacted position and its extended position, can be actuated to retain the intermediate region (10) in that position and thereby secure the upper and lower regions (4,8) relative to one another.




    Description


    [0001] This invention relates to rucksacks and more particularly to adjustable rucksacks.

    [0002] In view of the varying sizes of the human frame, and in particular the distance between the shoulders and the waist, it is established practice to provide rucksacks having shoulder straps and hip belts the positions of which can be altered to suit a given user.

    [0003] Thus the user can move the shoulder harness and/or the hip belt upwardly or downwardly on the rucksack to suit his build and whereby the shoulder straps and the hip belt are comfortably received on the shoulders and the waist respectively of the user.

    [0004] However, moving the hip belt up the rucksack from the preferred location adjacent the bottom thereof exposes an increasing length of the rucksack below the hip belt which can interfere with the users thighs and legs and can cause difficulty in walking naturally.

    [0005] Similarly, moving the shoulder harness downwardly can result in the upper regions of the rucksack interfering with the user's head movement, again causing discomfort to the user.

    [0006] It would be desirable to be able to provide a rucksack capable of being a comfortable fit on users of all sizes and which overcame the aforementioned problems associated with the known arrangements.

    [0007] According to the present invention there is provided a rucksack on the upper regions of the rear of which are mounted a pair of shoulder straps and on the lower regions of the rear of which is mounted a hip belt, characterised in that, between said upper and lower regions of the rear of the rucksack, there is provided an extensible intermediate region movable between a compacted position and an extended position whereby said upper regions, together with the shoulder straps, and said lower regions, together with the hip belt, can be moved towards and away from one another, and releasable locking means which, for any given position of the intermediate region between its compacted position and its extended position, can be actuated to retain said intermediate region in that position and thereby secure the upper and lower regions relative to one another.

    [0008] Thus it will be appreciated that, with such an arrangement, the shoulder straps and the hip belt remain in their optimum positions relative to the upper and lower regions of the rucksack respectively, all adjustment for the height of the user being accommodated by the extensibility of the intermediate region of the rear of the rucksack. Further, once desired relative positions of the shoulder straps and the hip belt have been achieved, the locking means can be actuated to retain that particular configuration for as long as is required.

    [0009] In one embodiment of the invention, the rear of the rucksack comprises a flexible fabric, the extensible intermediate region consisting of a plurality of pleats in said fabric extending transversely of the rear of the said fabric extending transversely of the rear of the rucksack.

    [0010] In a further embodiment of the invention, said extensible intermediate region may comprise a pleated insert between said upper and lower regions of the rear of the rucksack and of flexible material different from that of the rucksack, for example a flexible plastics material.

    [0011] In a still further embodiment of the invention, the intermediate region of the rucksack may comprise an insert of a stretchable material between the upper and lower regions of the rucksack.

    [0012] In all cases the extensible intermediate region may extend right round the rucksack.

    [0013] Such embodiments may further comprise a frame including a pair of substantially upright frame members one to each side of the rear of the rucksack, said frame members being secured to one of the upper or lower regions of the rear of the rucksack and extending through associated guide members secured to the other of the upper or lower regions, locking means reacting between said frame members and the associated guide means.

    [0014] In an alternative arrangement, the rucksack is of rigid, box-like construction including upper and lower portions interconnected by a bellows-like intermediate portion permitting movement of the upper and lower portions of the rucksack towards and away from one another, the locking means comprising a ratchet connection between one or more serrated straps secured to one of the upper or buckles secured to the other of the upper or lower portion of the rucksack.

    [0015] By way of exmples only, embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

    Fig. 1 is a rear view of a first rucksack according to the invention;

    Fig. 2 is rear view of part of a second rucksack according to the invention,

    Fig. 3a and 3b show the intermediate region of the rucksack of Fig. 2 in an extended and a contracted position respectively, and

    Fig. 4 is a rear view of the intermediate region of a third rucksack according to the invention.



    [0016] Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a rucksack of a flexible fabric material having a rear wall indicated generally at 2 and comprising an upper region 4 provided with a top yoke assembly 6 to which is secured a shoulder strap harness (not shown), and a lower region 8 to which is secured a hip belt (not shown).

    [0017] The upper and lower regions 4,8 of the rear wall 2 of the rucksack are themselves interconnected by an intermediate region 10 which comprises a plurality of transverse pleats 12 the vertical section through which is of generally zig-zag form whereby the height of said intermediate region 10 of the rear wall of the rucksack can vary between a compacted position in which the folds of the pleats 12 overlie one another, and a fully extended position in which the folds of the pleats 12 form a continuous planar sheet.

    [0018] Within the rucksack is mounted a frame including a pair of substantially upright frame members 14 the lower ends of which are secured to the lower region 8.

    [0019] A pair of guide members or buckles, one for each frame member 14, are secured within the upper region 4 of the rear wall 2 of the rucksack, the upper ends of the frame members 14 passing one through each of said guide members, and said guide members each being provided with a pivotal, cam-like locking arm 16 movable between a release position permitting sliding movement between the associated frame member and guide member, and a locking position securing the frame member relative to the guide member.

    [0020] Thus it will be appreciated that the distance between the shoulder harness and the hip belt can, with the locking arms 16 in their release positions, be adjusted to suit a particular user, the adjustment being accommodated by the extensible intermediate region 10 of the rear wall of the rucksack, and the upper and lower regions 4,8 of the rucksack can be locked in the desired relative positions by appropriate actuation of the locking arms 16.

    [0021] Fig. 2 illustrates part of a frameless rucksack of rigid, box-like form moulded from a plastics material and including upper and lower portions 4,8 to which are secured a shoulder harness (not shown) and hip belt (not shown) respectively.

    [0022] Integrally moulded with the upper and lower portions 4,8 of the rucksack is an intermediate portion 10 of bellows-like configuration extending right round the rucksack and whereby said upper and lower portions 4,8 of the rucksacks can be moved towards and away from one another by appropriate compression and expansion of the bellows-like intermediate portion 10.

    [0023] Secured to the rear wall of the upper portion 4 of the rucksack are a pair of downwardly-projecting, externally-serrated straps 18, each strap 18 extending the length of the fully-extended intermediate portion and through an associated buckle 20 secured to the lower portion 8 of the rucksack, a strap 18 and buckle 20 comprising a ratchet connection.

    [0024] Fig. 3a shows the bellows-like intermediate portion 10 in its substantially fully extended condition giving maximum distance between the upper and lower portions 4,8, the free ends of the straps 18 being received within the associated buckles 20 to secure the upper and lower portions 4,8 relative to one another.

    [0025] On compression of the intermediate portion 10, the straps 18 slide through the associated buckles 20, with the free ends of the straps 18 extending through associated slots in, to be received within the hollow interior of, the lower portion 8 of the rucksack as shown in Fig. 3b. The intermediate portion 10 can be retained in any condition between the extreme conditions shown in Figs. 3a and 3b by the ratchet connections between the straps 18 and the buckles 20.

    [0026] Referring to Fig. 4 there is shown part of an alternative framed rucksack of a flexible fabric material in which the intermediate region 10 comprises a plurality of pleats 12, in the illustrated example there are three, each of which includes, along its upper and lower edges, opposed parts 22,24 of a zip fastening.

    [0027] Thus a pleat 12 can adopt either an open, extended condition, or a closed, compacted condition by appropriate opening or closing of the zip fastening, thereby varying the height of the intermediate region 10 and the relative positions between the upper and lower regions 4,8 of the rucksack.

    [0028] In Fig. 4, the central pleat 12 is shown in its closed condition and the upper and lower pleats are open.

    [0029] Clearly the precise nature of the extensible intermediate region of the rucksack can vary from those illustrated, as can the means for retaining the intermediate region in a given condition.

    [0030] However, in all cases it will be appreciated that the positions of the shoulder harness and the hip belt relative to the upper and lower regions of the rucksack respectively remain fixed whereby, regardless of the height of the user and the associated condition of the intermediate region of the rucksack, there is no interference of the user's head and thighs by upwardly and downwardly protruding portions respectively of the rucksack.


    Claims

    1. A rucksack on the upper regions (4) of the rear (2) of which are mounted a pair of shoulder straps and on the lower regions (8) of the rear (2) of which is mounted a hip belt, characterised in that, between said upper and lower regions (4,8) of the rear (2) of the rucksack, there is provided an extensible intermediate region (10) movable between a compacted position and an extended position whereby said upper regions (4), together with the shoulder straps, and said lower regions (8), together with the hip belt, can be moved towards and away from one another, and releasable locking means (14,16) which, for any given position of the intermediate region (10) between its compacted position and its extended position, can be actuated to retain said intermediate region (10) in that position and thereby secure the upper and lower regions (4,8) relative to one another.
     
    2. A rucksack as claimed in claim 1 in which the rear of the rucksack comprises a flexible fabric, the extensible intermediate region (10) consisting of a plurality of pleats (12) in said fabric extending transversely of the rear (2) of the rucksack.
     
    3. A rucksack as claimed in claim 1 in which the extensible intermediate region (10) of the rucksack comprises a pleated insert between said upper and lower regions (4,8) of the rear (2) of the rucksack and of a material different from that of the rucksack.
     
    4. A rucksack as claimed in claim 1 in which the intermediate region (10) of the rucksack comprises an insert of a stretchable material between said upper and lower regions (4,8) of the rear (2) of the rucksack.
     
    5. A rucksack as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the extensible intermediate region (10) extends right round the rucksack.
     
    6. A rucksack as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 and comprising a frame including a pair of substantially upright frame members (14) one to each side of the rear (2) of the rucksack, said frame members (14) being secured to one of the upper or lower regions (4,8) of the rear (2) of the rucksack and extending through associated guide members secured to the other of the upper or lower regions (4,8), locking means (16) reacting between said frame members (14) and the associated guide means.
     
    7. A rucksack as claimed in claim 1 and of rigid, box-like construction including upper and lower portions (4,8) interconnected by a bellows-like intermediate portion (10) permitting movement of the upper and lower portions (4,8) of the rucksack towards and away from one another, the locking means comprising a ratchet connection between one or more serrated straps (18) secured to one of the upper or lower portions (4,8) and a corresponding receiving buckle or buckles (20) secured to the other of the upper or lower portion (4,8) of the rucksack.
     
    8. A rucksack as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 in which each pleat (12) includes, along its upper and lower edges, opposed parts (22,24) of a zip fastening, the zip fastenings being selectively operable to retain the intermediate region (10) of the rucksack in a given position between its compacted position and its extended position.
     




    Drawing