Backpack

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a backpack of a simple structure with which it is possible to easily and quickly put an article in and take an article out of the backpack while the backpack is being worn. Defining one among the left side and the right side of the backpack as a first half portion having a first shoulder belt, and the other having a second shoulder belt as a second half portion, the first shoulder belt comprises a first upper strap and a first lower strap each having one end fixed to a backpack body, a first upper connection component is attached to a tip of the first upper strap, a first lower connection component is attached to a tip of the first lower strap, an auxiliary connection component is attached to the second half portion, and the first upper connection component can be detachably connected to both the first lower connection component and the auxiliary connection component.

Description

backpack

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a backpack, and more particularly to a backpack that allows a user to take items in and out of the backpack at chest level without having to put the backpack down on the floor.

[0002] When wearing a backpack, there are times when you want to take something in or out of the backpack. Normally, you would remove the backpack from your shoulder and open the top, but in cases where you cannot place the backpack on the ground, or when you want to quickly take something out at a ticket counter, or when you want to take something out on a train without disturbing other passengers, it can be difficult with a conventional backpack that requires you to take it off your back.

[0003] To cope with such a situation, Document 1 discloses a method for holding a backpack in front of the chest of a user to put items in and take items out of the backpack without having to take the backpack off the user's back.

[0004] The backpack comprises a main body for storing luggage, a pair of left and right shoulder straps attached to the main body, and a neck strap attached to the top of the main body and worn behind the user's neck, the distance between the backpack main body and the part of the neck strap that comes into contact with the back of the neck can be adjusted. By removing the neck strap attached to the backpack and wearing it around the neck, the backpack can be rotated around the neck and placed in front of the user, allowing the user to take out luggage from the bag at the front of the body.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-124465

[0006] However, with the backpack in Reference 1, when switching from a back-carrying position to a front-carrying position, the neck strap must be removed from behind the neck without being visible, which is cumbersome.Furthermore, the neck strap and its storage space are required, which adds volume and weight to the backpack itself.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its main object is to provide a backpack that can solve the above problems.

[0008] In the backpack of the present disclosure, either the left or right side of the backpack is a first half having a first shoulder belt, and the other side is a second half having a second shoulder belt. The first shoulder belt is composed of a first upper strap and a first lower strap, each of which has one end fixed to the backpack body. A first upper connecting part is attached to the tip of the first upper strap, a first lower connecting part is attached to the tip of the first lower strap, and an auxiliary connecting part is attached to the second half. The first upper connecting part can be detachably connected to either the first lower connecting part or the auxiliary connecting part.

[0009] With the backpack of the present disclosure, while wearing the backpack, the upper strap of one shoulder belt can be removed and connected to an auxiliary strap attached to the other side of the backpack, forming a strap loop that surrounds the periphery of the body. This loop can be used to wrap the backpack around the body, which has the effect of making it easy to place the backpack on the front of the body and then return it to the position where it is worn again.

[0010] Furthermore, because it is a backpack with a simple structure that only requires the addition of connecting parts, it has the advantage of having the above-mentioned functions without increasing its weight or volume. In addition, since the connecting parts can be attached and detached in a visible state, it has the effect of allowing the backpack to be placed in front of the user in a short time.

[0011]

[0023] Figure 2A is a front view of the back side of a backpack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating how to use the backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2B is a front view of the back side of a backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating how to use the backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2C is a front view of the back side of a backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating how to use the backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3A is a diagram illustrating a state in which a user wears the backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3B is a diagram illustrating a state in which a user holds the backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure in front of the user; Figure 3C is a diagram illustrating a state in which a user holds the backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure in front of the user; Figure 4A is a front view of the back side of a backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating how to use the backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4B ... front side of a backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5 is a front view of the front side of a backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 6 is a front view of the front side of a backpack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments exemplify configurations and methods for embodying the technical ideas of the present disclosure, and the technical ideas of the present disclosure are not limited to those described below. Various modifications can be made to the technical ideas of the present disclosure within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0013] In the following, the side of the backpack body 2 that contacts the back will be referred to as the backpack's back surface, and the opposite side will be referred to as the backpack's front surface. A backpack is composed of a backpack body with a storage compartment and shoulder straps, etc., but these are sometimes treated as a single unit. In the following, the backpack body and the entire backpack will be referred to as the backpack without distinguishing between them. In addition, although the connecting parts that detachably connect the straps are shown in the figures as male and female buckle-type parts, the gist of this disclosure will not be affected if other types of connecting parts, such as snap hooks or spring hooks, are used, or if the male and female types are reversed.

[0014] Furthermore, in this description, since it is necessary to divide the backpack into two halves, left and right, and to identify and describe the components attached to each side, for convenience, one of the left and right sides of the backpack is designated as the first half and the other as the second half, with the components belonging to the first half being labeled "first" and the components belonging to the second half being labeled "second." In the description of the figures, for ease of reference, the first half is designated as the right side and the second half as the left side. The right side corresponds to the right side from the user's perspective. As described above, the left and right sides are distinguished to match the drawings, but this does not restrict the actual left and right sides of the backpack.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a front view of the backpack surface of an example of a backpack 1 according to the present embodiment. In Fig. 1, the half of the backpack that is on the right side of the user when carrying the backpack body 2 is referred to as the first half, and the half on the left side is referred to as the second half of the backpack.

[0016] The first shoulder belt 5 attached to the first half of the backpack body 2 on the back surface is composed of a first upper strap 11 and a first lower strap 13 connected by a detachable connecting part. One end of the first upper strap 11 is fixed to the top of the first half of the backpack body 2, and the other end is attached to a first upper connecting part 12. One end of the first lower strap 13 is fixed to the bottom of the first half of the backpack body 2, and the other end is attached to a first lower connecting part 14. These straps may be attached to the main body by sewing or adhesive, or by removable parts such as hooks.

[0017] Similarly, the second shoulder belt 6 attached to the second half may be configured by connecting a second upper strap 31 and a second lower strap 33 with a detachable connecting member. One end of the second upper strap 31 is fixed to the top of the second half of the backpack body 2, and the other end is attached to a second upper connecting member 32. One end of the second lower strap 33 is fixed to the bottom of the second half of the backpack body 2, and the other end is attached to a second lower connecting member 34. Note that, although the second shoulder belt 6 in the example of FIG. 1 has the same configuration as the first shoulder belt 5, in the present disclosure, the second shoulder belt 6 does not necessarily have to be a combination of two straps joined with a connecting member, and may not have a connecting mechanism.

[0018] The first upper strap 11 and the second upper strap 31 are provided with a first adjuster 9 and a second adjuster 10, respectively, to adjust the length of the shoulder belts. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the adjuster is attached to the upper strap, but the adjuster may be attached to the lower strap to adjust the shoulder belt length. In other words, the adjustment mechanism may be located anywhere on the shoulder belt.

[0019] Meanwhile, lower auxiliary connecting parts 24 are fixed via lower auxiliary straps 23 near the corners of the bottom and sides of the lower part of the second half of the backpack 1. The lower auxiliary connecting parts 24 may also be fixed directly without the lower auxiliary straps 23. The lower auxiliary connecting parts 24 have the function of being detachably connected to the first upper connecting part 12. When the first upper connecting part 12 of the first half is connected to the lower auxiliary connecting part 24 of the second half, a strap loop is formed that surrounds the user's body. This loop allows the backpack to be sewn around the body, allowing the user to easily rotate the backpack 1 around the body in the cross-body direction and carry the backpack 1 on their front. From the perspective of stability in the cross-body state, the lower auxiliary straps 23 or, if no lower auxiliary straps are present, the lower auxiliary connecting parts 24 are preferably fixed near the corners of the bottom and sides of the second half.

[0020] Additionally, an upper auxiliary connecting part 22 is fixed near the upper end of the second half of the backpack 1 via an upper auxiliary strap 21. The upper auxiliary connecting part 22 may also be fixed directly without the upper auxiliary strap 21. The upper auxiliary connecting part 22 has a function of being detachably connected to the first upper connecting part 12. When the first upper connecting part 12 of the first half and the upper auxiliary connecting part 22 of the second half are connected, a loop of the first upper strap 11 is formed around the neck, allowing the user to easily wrap the backpack around the front of their body and carry it in front of them without taking off the backpack 1 while wearing it around their neck. From the perspective of neck-hanging stability, the upper auxiliary strap 21, or the upper auxiliary connecting part 22 if there is no upper auxiliary strap, is preferably fixed near the upper end of the second half of the backpack body 2.

[0021] While FIG. 1 shows the backpack 1 equipped with the lower auxiliary connecting component 24 and the upper auxiliary connecting component 22, the backpack 1 may be equipped with only one of these components. Also, while the lower auxiliary connecting component 24 and the upper auxiliary connecting component 22 are shown only on the second half, they may be on both the first and second half. In other words, this configuration combines one side as the first half and the other side as the first half. Providing the functions of the present disclosure on both sides has the advantage that the backpack 1 can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise for front-carrying, and that the zipper opening and closing direction when accessing items can be adjusted for right-handed and left-handed users.

[0022] The lower auxiliary straps 23, or the lower auxiliary connecting parts 24 if there are no lower auxiliary straps, can be attached to the backpack body 2 or the second shoulder belt as long as they are near the corners of the bottom and side surfaces at the lower part of the second half. The upper auxiliary straps 21, or the upper auxiliary connecting parts 22 if there are no upper auxiliary straps, can be attached to the backpack body 2 or the second shoulder belt as long as they are near the upper end of the second half. These can be firmly secured with sewing thread or adhesive, or can be detachably fastened via connecting parts such as buckles or spring hooks. If the straps are detachable, they can be removed when not needed and used as a conventional backpack.

[0023] 4A and 4B are front views of the back side of an example of the backpack 1 to illustrate the retaining connecting part 36. The retaining connecting part 36 is a retaining part installed to secure the lower auxiliary straps 23 when they are not in use if they are long, and is attached to the second half. FIG. 4A shows the state in which the retaining connecting part 36 is secured to the retaining connecting part 36 via the lower auxiliary connecting part 24 when the lower auxiliary straps 23 are not in use, and FIG. 4B shows the state in which the lower auxiliary straps 23 are detached from the retaining connecting part 36 when they are in use. When the lower auxiliary straps 23 are not in use, the lower auxiliary straps 23 do not hang down and get in the way when walking while wearing the backpack.

[0024] The holding connection part 36 is attached to the holding adjuster 37 via the holding strap 35 so that it can be fixed at any position on the second shoulder belt 6. The holding strap 35 may also be fixed at any position on the second shoulder belt 6 by other methods such as a hook without using an adjuster.

[0025] The holding connection part 36 may also be attached directly to the second upper strap 31. In this case, the holding strap is eliminated, resulting in an even simpler structure. The holding connection part 36 may also be provided with a mechanism that allows its position on the second shoulder belt 6 to be changed.

[0026] Figures 2A to 2C are front views of the backpack 1, illustrating how to use the backpack 1. The user is made transparent and only the backpack is shown. Figures 3A to 3C show the backpack 1 from the front when worn in the states shown in Figures 2A to 2C.

[0027] 2A to 2C are different from Fig. 1 in that they show a backpack with no connecting parts on the second shoulder belt 6, because a simple example was chosen that does not interfere with the explanation of the present disclosure. All other parts and components are the same as those in Fig. 1.

[0028] Figure 2A shows the backpack in its normal state. The user wears the backpack 1 by placing the two shoulder straps on the left and right shoulders. Figure 2B shows the first upper strap 11 detached from the first lower connecting part 14 and connected to the lower auxiliary connecting part 24. If the connecting part used is a buckle, it can be easily detached or attached with a single push. Note that until the first upper strap 11 is detached from the first lower connecting part 14 and connected to the lower auxiliary connecting part 24, the backpack 1 is supported by the left shoulder strap and will not fall. Once connected to the lower auxiliary connecting part 24, the first upper strap 11 transforms into a loop-shaped belt worn across the shoulders and around the body. When the backpack 1 is wrapped around the body in the diadem-style, the backpack 1 is placed on the front.

[0029] 3B is a front view showing the backpack 1 in the state of FIG. 2B placed on the front. When placed on the front, both hands are free to use, making it easy to take in and out the contents.

[0030] While rotating the backpack 1 in front of the body in the cross-body position, the second shoulder belt 6 remains connected, but as shown in Figure 3B, the second shoulder belt 6 comes off the shoulder and rests on the arm during rotation, so there is almost no hindrance to taking items in and out when rotating or placing the backpack in front. If this is a concern, you can attach a detachable connector as shown in Figure 1 to the second shoulder belt 6 and detach the second shoulder belt 6 just before rotating.

[0031] The ease of rotation of the backpack body 2 in the cross-body state also depends on the length of the lower auxiliary strap 23, so it may be adjusted as appropriate. Therefore, an adjuster or the like may be attached to the lower auxiliary strap 23 so that the length can be adjusted.

[0032] Figure 2C shows the state in which the first upper strap 11, detached from the first lower connecting part 14, is connected to the upper auxiliary connecting part 22 to place the backpack 1 in a front-mounted position, as shown in Figure 2A. The first upper strap 11 connected to the upper auxiliary connecting part 22 becomes a loop-shaped belt around the neck, allowing the backpack to be worn from the back to the front of the body without having to take the backpack off. Figure 3C shows the front view of the backpack 1 in a front-mounted position. When in a front-mounted position, the backpack 1 is hung around the neck, with the top end of the backpack 1 facing upward, and both hands are free to use, making it easy to take in and out of the contents. If the connecting part is a buckle or the like, it can be easily attached or detached with a single push.

[0033] As another method for placing the backpack 1 in the front position, the first upper strap 11 detached from the first lower connecting part 14 can be held in one hand while the backpack 1 is placed around the body, and after the backpack 1 is placed in front of the body, the first upper strap 11 being held in the hand can be connected to the auxiliary upper connecting part 22. In this case, the front view of the backpack 1 placed in the front position is as shown in Figure 3C.

[0034] 5 and 6 are front views of the surface of the backpack to explain how to access the storage section of the backpack body 2 and the storage section of the accessory case 3 attached to the surface of the backpack and take items in and out.

[0035] In Figure 5, openings that communicate with the storage compartment of the backpack main body 2 are formed on the top and side surfaces. An upper zipper 7a and a side zipper 8a are attached to the openings, respectively, and opening and closing these opens and closes the storage space of the backpack main body 2. Because the storage compartment can be accessed from two directions in this way, when the backpack is placed in the front position as shown in Figure 3B, it can be easily opened and closed by operating the side zipper 8a, and when the backpack is placed in the front position as shown in Figure 3C, it can be easily opened and closed by operating the upper zipper 7a.

[0036] The opening at the top is not limited to being opened and closed by a zipper, but may also be opened and closed by a fastener, a drawstring, a hook and loop fastener, or the like.

[0037] 5, a small compartment 3 for storing small items is attached to the front side of the backpack 1, and an inclined zipper 7c is installed at an angle at the opening of the small compartment 3. When the backpack body 2 on the back side is turned in a cross-body orientation as shown in FIG. 3B and placed in front, the inclined opening causes the opening of the small compartment 3 to face upward, making it possible to put items in and take them out of the small compartment 3 without dropping them.

[0038] The angle of inclination of the inclined zipper 7c at the opening of the accessory compartment 3 may be set appropriately according to the shape and size of the backpack body 2 and the length of the auxiliary strap. From the viewpoint of ease of access and storage capacity, it is desirable that the inclination be within the range of 20° to 70° with respect to a line parallel to the bottom surface of the backpack 1.

[0039] Furthermore, the opening and closing of the accessory case 3 is preferably done with a zipper that closes without any gaps, but a fastener, a string, a buckle, or the like may also be used.

[0040] The accessory case 3 in Figure 6 has zippers on the top and side for opening and closing. Either zipper can be used to put items in and take items out of the storage compartment of the accessory case 3. Because the storage compartment can be accessed from two directions, when placed in the front as in Figure 3B, it can be easily opened and closed by operating the side zipper 8b, and when placed in the front as in Figure 3C, it can be easily opened and closed by operating the upper zipper 7b.

[0041] The lengths and installation positions of the above-mentioned upper zipper 7 and side zipper 8 are desirably set appropriately, taking into consideration the size of the backpack 1, the contents to be stored, and the ease of access. The upper zipper 7 and side zipper 8 are installed in a generally horizontal and a generally vertical direction, respectively, but may be installed in an inclined horizontal or vertical direction depending on the design of the backpack 1. The upper zipper 7 may also be extended and wrapped around the side, or the side zipper 8 may be wrapped around the upper side. If the upper zipper 7 and the side zipper are installed in a parallel offset position, portions of the two zippers will be parallel and will not overlap, allowing for flexible wrapping lengths and the effect of being able to select zipper lengths that will make it easier to put in and take out items.

[0042] The zipper cover 40 is a cover that is attached to cover the zipper. When the zipper cover 40 is attached to the side zipper 8 that is used less frequently, the side zipper 8 is normally hidden, so that items can be put in and taken out of the upper opening without being concerned about the presence of the side zipper 8. The zipper cover 40 may be made of a transparent or opaque material, such as cloth, leather, or resin.

[0043] The backpack according to the present disclosure can be implemented in the following configurations (A) to (I).

[0044] (A) A backpack characterized in that either the left or right side of the backpack body is a first half having a first shoulder belt, and the other side having a second shoulder belt is a second half, the first shoulder belt being composed of a first upper strap and a first lower strap, each of which has one end fixed to the backpack body, a first upper connecting part attached to the tip of the first upper strap, a first lower connecting part attached to the tip of the first lower strap, and an auxiliary connecting part attached to the second half, and the first upper connecting part can be detachably connected to either the first lower connecting part or the auxiliary connecting part.

[0045] (B) The backpack described in (A) above, characterized in that the auxiliary connecting parts are attached to both or either the corners of the bottom and sides of the second half of the backpack body including the shoulder straps, or the upper end of the second half of the backpack body including the shoulder straps.

[0046] (C) The backpack described in (B) above, characterized in that the auxiliary connecting part is attached via an auxiliary strap.

[0047] (D) The backpack described in (C) above, characterized in that the length of the auxiliary strap is adjustable.

[0048] (E) A backpack as described in (A) to (D) above, characterized in that the auxiliary connecting part or auxiliary strap is attached to the backpack body including the shoulder straps via a detachable fastener.

[0049] (F) The backpack described in (C) or (D) above, characterized in that a connecting part connectable to the auxiliary connecting part is attached to the second shoulder belt.

[0050] (G) The backpack described in (A) above is characterized in that it has a small accessory case with a storage compartment on the surface of the backpack body, and the opening of the small accessory case is inclined within a range of 20° to 70° with respect to a line parallel to the bottom surface of the backpack.

[0051] (H) A backpack as described in (A) to (D) above, characterized in that both or either one of the storage section of the backpack body and the storage section for the accessory case installed on the surface of the backpack has an upper opening above the storage section that leads to the storage section, and a side opening on the side of the storage section that leads to the storage section.

[0052] (I) The backpack described in (H) above, characterized in that the upper opening and the side opening are each provided with an upper zipper and a side zipper, and a portion of the upper zipper and a portion of the side zipper are arranged parallel to each other.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. It goes without saying that all or part of the components constituting each of the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate within the scope of not contradicting each other.

[0054] The backpack of the present disclosure is useful when you want to take items in and out of the backpack without taking it off your back, for example, because you cannot place it on the ground.

[0055] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Backpack 2 Backpack body 3 Accessory compartment 4 Handle strap 5 First shoulder strap 6 Second shoulder strap 7 Upper zipper 8 Side zipper 9 First adjuster 10 Second adjuster 11 First upper strap 12 First upper connecting part 13 First lower strap 14 First lower connecting part 21 Upper auxiliary strap 22 Upper auxiliary connecting part 23 Lower auxiliary strap 24 Lower auxiliary connecting part 31 Second upper strap 32 Second upper connecting part 33 Second lower strap 34 Second lower connecting part 35 Retaining strap 36 Retaining connecting part 37 Retaining adjuster 7c Inclined zipper 40 Zipper cover

Claims

1. A backpack characterized in that either the left or right side of the backpack is a first half having a first shoulder belt, and the other side having a second shoulder belt is a second half, the first shoulder belt being composed of a first upper strap and a first lower strap, each of which has one end fixed to the backpack body, a first upper connecting part attached to the tip of the first upper strap, a first lower connecting part attached to the tip of the first lower strap, and an auxiliary connecting part attached to the second half, the first upper connecting part being detachably connectable to both the first lower connecting part and the auxiliary connecting part.

2. The backpack according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary connecting parts are attached to both or either one of the corners of the bottom and sides of the second half of the backpack body including the shoulder straps and the upper end of the second half of the backpack body including the shoulder straps.

3. The backpack of claim 2, wherein the auxiliary connecting parts are attached via auxiliary straps.

4. The backpack according to claim 3, wherein the length of the auxiliary strap is adjustable.

5. A backpack as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the auxiliary connecting parts or auxiliary straps are attached to the backpack body including the shoulder straps via removable fasteners.

6. The backpack according to any one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that a connecting part connectable to the auxiliary connecting part is attached to the second shoulder belt.

7. The backpack according to claim 1, further comprising a small storage compartment having a storage section on the surface of the backpack body, the opening of which is inclined within the range of 20° to 70° with respect to a line parallel to the bottom surface of the backpack.

8. A backpack as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that both or either one of the storage section of the backpack body and the storage section for a small item attached to the surface of the backpack are provided with an upper opening above the storage section that leads to the storage section, and a side opening on the side of the storage section that leads to the storage section.

9. The backpack according to claim 8, characterized in that the upper opening is provided with an upper zipper for opening and closing, and the side opening is provided with a side zipper for opening and closing, and a portion of the upper zipper and a portion of the side zipper are arranged in parallel.

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