Knapsack fitted with an angular damper between the back of the bag and the strap and/or belt assembly

• US 6,637,631 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2001
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Decathlon SA
• Original Assignee: Decathlon SA
• Inventors: Lafoux, Antoine, Barbier, Franck, Belledame, Stéphane, Guret, Fabian
• Primary Examiner(s): NEWHOUSE, NATHAN JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US09/955,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20020033404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 224/578, 224/581, 224/637, 224/604, 224/605, 224/610, 224/641, 224/648, 224/649, 224/259, 224/271, 224/272, 224/197, 224/FOR.210, 224/209
• US Class Current: 224/197
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2003/045 and one additional strap around the waist
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/047 with adjustable fastenings for the shoulder straps or waist belts

Abstract

A knapsack has a bag, a strap assembly for attaching the bag to the shoulders of a user, a belt assembly for attaching the bag around the waist of a user and a fastening system for fastening the strap assembly and/or the belt assembly to the back of the bag. The fastening system has a first piece secured to the strap assembly and/or the belt assembly and a second piece secured to the back of the back. The first and second pieces co-operate with each other to enable the first and second pieces to be fastened together and pivot mutually about an axis perpendicular to the back of the bag. The fastening system has at least one elastomer element secured to one of the pieces and the other piece has a portion that causes the elastomer element to be deformed during pivoting, thereby opposing the pivotal movement.

Claims

1. A knapsack comprising a bag, a strap assembly for securing the bag to the shoulders of a user, a belt assembly for securing the bag around the waist of the user, and a fastening system for fastening the strap assembly and/or the belt assembly to the back of the bag, said fastening system comprising a first piece secured to the strap assembly and/or the belt assembly and a second piece secured to the back of the bag, said pieces co-operating with each other to enable the first and second pieces to be fastened together and to pivot mutually about a pivot axis perpendicular to the back of the bag, wherein the fastening system comprises:

a) at least one elastomer element secured to one of the two pieces; and

b) engagement means secured to the other piece and engaging the elastomer element at least during pivoting so that during pivoting the engagement means causes the elastomer element to be deformed, thereby opposing said pivoting.

2. A knapsack according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer is selected to ensure that the angular pivoting lies in the range −

5°

to +5°

about a normal position.

3. A knapsack according to claim 2, wherein the elastomer element is made of vulcanized elastomer or of thermoplastic elastomer of determined hardness on the Shore A scale.

4. A knapsack according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer element is fixed via two anchor points to the rear face of the first piece and presents at least one hollow zone between the two anchor points, and wherein the front face of the second piece includes a projecting stud, said stud penetrating snugly into the hollow zone of the elastomer element when the two pieces are fastened together.

5. A knapsack according to claim 4, wherein the elastomer element has a transverse groove and the stud is in the form of an elongate shoulder, the groove and the shoulder extending radially relative to the pivot axis.

6. A knapsack according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer element is in the form of a partially or fully annular strip centered on the pivot axis, and wherein the fastening system has two diametrically opposite assemblies each constituted by at least one hollow zone, optionally together with a radial rib, and one stud per hollow zone, optionally together with an elongate shoulder.

7. A knapsack according to claim 6, wherein the two assemblies are disposed symmetrically about the vertical axis of the knapsack.

8. A knapsack according to claim 1, wherein the first piece has a window enabling a portion of the elastomer element to be seen from the front face of said first piece.

9. A knapsack according to claim 1, wherein the first and second pieces have respective circular portions both centered on the pivot axis, one of said portions being in relief and the other one of said portions being set back, said portions being suitable for being fitted one within the other.

10. A knapsack according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer element is constituted by two tensioners each having one end fixed to the first piece and an opposite end fixed to the second piece, said fixing constituting the engagement means engaged with the corresponding tensioner so that during pivoting one of the tensioners is deformed in traction and the other tensioner is deformed in bending.

11. A knapsack according to claim 1, wherein the second piece is integrated in a reinforcement for stiffening the knapsack.

12. A knapsack according to claim 11, wherein the stiffening reinforcement has a plurality of superposed elements each having the structure of a second piece, thereby enabling the height of the strap assembly and/or the belt assembly to be adjusted relative to the back of the bag.

13. A knapsack according to claim 1, wherein the first piece secured to the strap assembly and/or the belt assembly, is a male piece, having a fixing head projecting from the rear face of said piece, and the second piece secured to the back of the bag, is a female piece presenting a central recess opening out in its front face, said male and female pieces co-operating with each other to enable the male piece to be fastened to the female piece while being free to pivot about a pivot axis corresponding to the axis of the fixing head.

14. A knapsack according to claim 13, wherein the fixing head is mounted to turn freely in a housing that opens out into both faces of the male piece, wherein said head is terminated at one end by a handling tab accessible to the user via the opening leading to the housing, and is terminated at its other end by a T-shaped fastening portion, and wherein the central recess of the female piece has two locking lips at its margin for retaining the two limbs of the T-shape after the fastening portion of the fixing head has penetrated into the recess and the handling tab has been turned to a determined angle.

15. A knapsack according to claim 14, wherein the determined angle is preferably 90°

.

16. A knapsack according to claim 14, wherein the fixing head and its housing include a system of abutments and positioning clicks serving firstly to limit turning of the handling tab as a function of the determined angle, and secondly to provide a certain amount of locking for the fixing head when it reaches the two positions separated by said angle, namely a first position in which the front portion of the fixing head is inserted into the recess, and a second position in which it is locked in position after being turned.

17. A knapsack according to claim 16, wherein the determined angle is preferably 90°

.