TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a rucksack with an anatomically adaptable back.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a rucksack wherein the panel contacting the user's back presents expansible elements for ensuring optimum support and stability of the load weighing on the spine. BACKGROUND ART

As is known, rucksacks for transporting equipment and provisions and normally made of canvas or synthetic material are widely used, for example, by hikers or mountain climbers, and in recent times have also become extremely popular among young people for transporting school books and equipment. Rucksacks, in fact, which come in various shapes and sizes, are now used more or less exclusively in place of traditional handbags or satchels, by virtue of enabling the load, at least theoretically, to be distributed over various parts as opposed to one side of the body. Known rucksacks, however, present major drawbacks by which the above

advantage is seriously impaired.

First and foremost is the fact that traditional rucksacks are proposed indifferently, with the same basic structure, to target groups ranging from primary school children to teenagers and young people whose bone structure is more or less fully developed, and as such cannot possibly adapt to the different anatomical characteristics of all potential users.

Secondly, the shoulder straps of known rucksacks are not correctly oriented outwards towards the shoulder and shoulder blade region, so that, when walking, the rucksack itself swings noticeably and continually away from the center of gravity, thus resulting in repeated, albeit involuntary, adjustment and fatigue on the part of the user for balancing the load. In an attempt to overcome this drawback, rucksacks have been devised featuring, at the back, a rigid preformed frame shaped to adapt to the user's spine, and a waist strap for improving in-service stability. Even these solutions, however, have failed to eliminate the problem: the rigid frame in fact prevents the lumbar and pelvic region from swinging naturally as a consequence of the leg movement, while the effectiveness of the waist strap is limited to no more than partially inhibiting movement of the rucksack, and fails to provide, as it should, for tensioning the abdominal muscles when the user is seated and, hence, less stress is exerted on the spine. For all these reasons, traditional rucksacks are worn and

transported in a physiologically incorrect manner, and may at times aggravate any disorders already present in the bone structure, particularly the spine.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rucksack designed to adapt closely to the shape of the user's back by integrally contacting the lumbar, girdle and dorsal regions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a rucksack designed to ensure, on the user's back, stable support unaffected by movement, and such as to prevent stressing the spine. A further object of the present invention is to provide a rucksack the structure of which is elastically deformable for dynamically adapting to the rhythm of the lumbar and pelvic region.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rucksack designed to ensure a counterthrust for relieving the longitudinal load on the spine.

According to the present invention, there is provided a rucksack comprising a bag body with shoulder straps; characterized by the fact that, along the back or rear panel, it presents a number of expansible, fluid-fillable sectors or chambers located at least at the dorsal and lumbar regions of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic front view of the outer side of the rucksack designed to contact the user's back;

Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the rucksack illustrating the manner in which it adapts to the shape of the user's back; Figure 3 shows a schematic front view of the supporting belt with a pad for compressing the abdominal region of the user.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the rucksack according to the present invention and indicated as a whole by 10 in Figure 2 consists substantially of a conventional bag 12 with shoulder straps. Bag 12, which is substantially parallelepiped and preferably made of synthetic, waterproof, heat-sealable material, is sized according to use and the physical structure of the user. In view of the fact that the rucksack according to the present invention is designed in particular for students, and hence primarily for holding books and teaching material, the size of the rucksack, when filled to maximum capacity, may extend as usual along the user's back, from the lumbar region to shoulder height or the shoulder and shoulder blade region.

According to the present invention, the back or outer panel 14 of rucksack 10 contacting the user's back presents a number of variously arranged expansible sectors or chambers of different shapes. Each sector, which if necessary may be filled with fluid, preferably air, constitutes an adaptable element contacting the dorsal, girdle and lumbar regions of the user, as specified later on. The preferred embodiment shown schematically in Figure 1 substantially presents four groups of expansible sectors respectively located at and/or bordering on the cervical, lumbar and sacral regions of the user's spine. More specifically, commencing from the top, panel 14 presents two closely spaced transverse expansible sectors 16, 16' of limited height, extending close to the rear cavity formed by the curve of the cervical-dorsal region. Beneath sectors 16, 16' and extending vertically along the opposite edges of panel 14 of rucksack 10, there are formed further substantially lozenge-shaped expansible chambers 18, 18', 20, 20' forming a wrap-around band for the lateral dorsal regions of the user and between which are formed further inflatable sectors located one over the other and aligned along the vertical axis of panel 14. A first sector 22 formed between chambers 18 and 18' consists of a substantially rectangular pad acting as an interscapular thrust element. Lower down, between chambers 20 and 20', there are formed a number of closely separated, superimposed, horizontal expansible

sectors 24 of limited height, extending perpendicular to the user's spine at the rear cavity formed by the curve of the lumbar region.

At the bottom, panel 14 presents a further two slightly projecting, opposite sectors 26, 26' preferably made of soft material such as foam or similar, and located at the sacral region. Sectors 26, 26', which in the example shown are trapezoidal, are substantially aligned with the opposite branches 28, 28' of a supporting belt fastenable about the user's waist, made of synthetic material and/or cloth, and which provides primarily for stabilizing and preventing in-service oscillation of the rucksack. At the end of one branch of the belt, a pad is formed for providing a counterthrust for relieving the longitudinal load on the spine.

In the Figure 3 example, branch 28 of the belt presents, on the inside, a substantially ovoid pad 30 preferably made of soft foam material and roughly of the same height as branch 28. When the branches of the belt are fastened together, e.g. by means of a normal fast-fit buckle, pad 30 rests on, and slightly compresses, the abdominal region of the user.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the expansible sectors described above consist of tubular membranes of plastic material which, during manufacture of the rucksack, are housed inside pockets formed along rear panel 14, which advantageously consists of two superimposed sheets of synthetic

material or cloth which are stitched to form the pockets of the shape and size corresponding to the expansible sectors. The rear sheet contacting the user's back is preferably thin to enable the sectors to expand solely towards the user's back.

For inflating the expansible sectors, these are provided with an inflating device and sealing valve. Said device, of known type, is shown schematically by way of example by 32 on sector 22, and, when required, is activated manually by repeatedly pressing an easily locatable membrane or cap projecting from the sector. Provision may of course be made for an independent inflating device for each expansible sector, or for one device catering simultaneously to two or more sectors connected by a normal fluid conduit.

The top end of panel 14 is fitted with a pair of conventional shoulder straps 34, 34' made integral at the opposite end with branches 28, 28' of the supporting belt. According to a further characteristic of the present invention, the portion of each shoulder strap secured to panel 14 extends up to the end of panel 14 for further limiting ambulatory oscillation of the rucksack.

On first employing the rucksack, the user provides for inflating the various expansible sectors: sectors 16 and 16' form an ample crosswise gripping portion in the shoulder and shoulder blade region; chambers 18, 18', 20 and 20' form an anatomical wrap-around band for the

lateral dorsal regions; pad 22 provides for appropriate interscapular thrust for maintaining an erect stance of the user; sectors 24, by adapting closely to the curve of the lumbar region, act as a filler for supporting the spine, ensuring stable grip of the load, and so preventing spinal fatigue for adapting to sharp displacement of the load; and pads 26, 26' at the bottom end of panel 14 effectively provide for further gripping and maintaining the position of rucksack 10. Finally, when branches 28, 28' of the supporting belt are fastened, pad 30 rests on, and slightly compresses, the user's abdominal region, thus providing for a counterthrust for relieving the longitudinal load on the spine. This function is particularly advantageous when the user is in other than an erect position and, as such, the abdominal muscles are relaxed.

On the whole, back or panel 14 of rucksack 10 contacting the user's back consists of a structure comprising highly elastic sectors closely adaptable dynamically to the ambulatory rhythm of the lumbar and pelvic regions; when walking, the user is no longer subjected to fatigue for constantly adjusting the center of gravity of the load; while the structure as a whole is of negligible weight. The advantages of the present invention will be clear from the foregoing description.

In particular, the rucksack according to the present invention adapts perfectly to the spine, is

maintained stable at all times, and provides for maintaining a correct stance of the user, thus preventing any possibility of aggravating any disorders already present in the bone structure. Particularly advantageous is the use of inflatable sectors adaptable to the curve of the spine; and, by virtue of being inflatable independently, the sectors perpendicular to the spine provide for adapting the rucksack anatomically to users of different age. To those skilled in the art it will be clear that changes may be made to the embodiment described and illustrated herein by way of example without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the expansible sectors, or even only some of them, may be replaced by projecting elements filled with any fluid, with solid material of variable density, with polystyrene granules, or with foam rubber strips placed one on top of the other according to the required shape; while the pad on one of the branches of the supporting belt may be replaced by a chamber filled independently with fluid or the aforementioned materials.

The shoulder straps on the rucksack may be provided with small pockets for personal belongings. The structure of the rucksack described above does not exclude the possibility of the back or rear panel with the expansible sectors being detached from the rucksack itself, so as to form an independent support,

possibly with shoulder straps and a supporting belt, to which may be fitted a bag of any shape and size.

Finally, though proposed especially for carrying books and teaching material, the rucksack according to the present invention may also be used for other purposes relating, for example, to sporting activities and leisure time in general.