Rucksack With Disaster-Protection Hood

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rucksack that includes a disaster-protection hood.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various rucksacks which carry a disaster-protection hood have been proposed. However, when it comes to an emergency situation such as the major earthquake in Kobe, there is no rucksack in which a hood is carried in a way that enables the hood to be used promptly to protect the head by means of a simple operation that can readily be done by anyone regardless of age or whether the user is physically impaired. There is therefore a need for such a rucksack.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rucksack which carries a disaster-protection hood in a way that, in the event of an earthquake, a fire, a flood, a volcanic eruption or other such disaster, can be promptly and easily used by all, whether the user is old, or young, or physically impaired.

To attain the above object, the present invention provides a rucksack with a disaster-protection hood comprising a rucksack body, a hood, a hood containment strip between the hood and the rucksack body. The hood containment strip is connected at one end to a lower edge of the nape-of-neck cover portion of a hood by a zipper and at the other end to the rucksack body via a connective strip, with the front of the hood and the back of the rucksack body facing in the same direction. The hood containment strip is provided around its periphery with a fastening structure so that when the hood containment strip is folded over, peripheral edges enter into mutual engagement to form a containment enclosure to contain the hood. A gas charging apparatus has a compressed carbon dioxide cylinder that when operated charges the hood with carbon dioxide gas to form a disaster-protection hood in which a nape-of-neck cover portion, a head-cover portion and face side flaps constituting the hood function as a gas cushion.

The above object is also attained with the above rucksack in which the fastening structure is a fastener of the touch-close type (IPC classification A44B 18/00). Fasteners of the touch-close type referred to herein are a fastener comprised of a pair of strips of flexible tape, one being male type tape and the other being female type tape. Male type tape has a surface provided with numerous hooks, and female type tape has a surface provided with numerous loops into which the hooks of the male type tape engage when the male and female type tapes are pressed together face to face.

The above object is also attained with the above rucksack in which the hood containment strip is detachably attachable.

Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and following detailed description of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rucksack with disaster-protection hood of the present invention in an open state, showing a connecting arrangement of the hood, a hood containment strip and a rucksack body.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rucksack of the present invention seen from the front.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rucksack of the present invention seen from the back.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hood when a gas bag is filled with gas, imparting a cushioning function to the hood.

FIG. 5 is a transparent view of the hood when the gas bag in the hood has been fully inflated by operation of the gas charging apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing how the hood is folded within the hood containment strip.

FIG. 7(a)-7(d) are schematic views that illustrate the process of fitting the hood into the hood containment strip.

FIG. 8(a)-8(c) are schematic views that illustrate how the hood containment strip is arranged when the hood is in use.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the state when the hood is packed away in the hood containment strip, which is shown partly open.

FIG. 10(a)-10(b) are perspective views of the external structure of a gas charging apparatus.

FIG. 11(a)-11(b) are sections that illustrate; the internal structure of the gas charging apparatus.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a connective arrangements of the disaster-protection hood 2, hood containment strip 3 and rucksack body 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front of the rucksack of the invention and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the back of the rucksack. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the exterior aspect of the hood 2 when a gas bag 8 is filled with gas, imparting a cushioning function to the hood. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hood 2 when a gas charging apparatus 9 has been operated, inflating the gas bag 8 contained in, a bag-like space between double fabric walls of the hood 2 integrally formed by the expanse of head, side, and nape-of-the-neck portions thereof. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the hood 2 folded for fitting into the hood containment strip 3. FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d) illustrate the process of fitting the hood 2 into the hood containment strip 3 for carrying, and FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c) show how the hood containment strip 3 is arranged when the hood 2 is in use. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of when the hood 2 has been packed away in the hood containment strip 3, which is shown with one portion open. FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) show the external structure of the gas charging apparatus 9, and FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) show the internal structure of the gas charging apparatus 9.

The rucksack body 1 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, while FIGS. 4 and 5 show the hood 2 comprised of a head-cover portion 2a, face side flaps 2b and nape-of-neck cover portion 2c, whereby the hood 2 integrally covers the head portion, both sides of the face and the nape of the neck of a wearer. The hood 2 is formed of two layers of fabric that are stitched to form a bag-like space in which there is a gas bag 8 (FIG. 5) that when charged with gas forms a cushion in the shape of the hood 2. When not in use, the hood 2 is carried in a deflated state. In the drawings, 6 denotes a backstrap and 6a a buckle.

The gas bag 8 is comprised of a plurality of small, mutually-communicating compartments and is provided with a manually-operated gas charging apparatus 9 (FIGS. 10 and 11) provided with a small gas cylinder 14 for holding compressed carbon dioxide gas, and a gas stopper valve 10 for exhausting the gas.

As shown in FIG. 6, the gas charging apparatus 9 is affixed to a part of the gas bag 8 that can be seen via a gas charging apparatus fixing hole 20 provided at the lower part of the nape-of-neck cover portion 2c of the hood 2, and the gas bag 8 is also in communication with the gas stopper valve 10 used for hood deflation, also located at the lower part of the nape-of-neck cover portion 2c.

As shown in FIG. 4, an opening 2d with a zipper is provided at the top front part of the hood 2 to allow the gas bag 8 to be removed from, or inserted into, the enclosed space within the hood 2. A chinstrap 2e is provided at the lower end of the side flap 2b on the left side of the face. Attached to the chinstrap 2e is a male piece of one of the fasteners of the touch-close type to allow the chinstrap 2e to be fastened to a fixing portion 2f comprised of a corresponding female piece of one of the fasteners of the touch-close type provided on the right-side flap 2b, to thereby hold the hood 2 in place.

The present invention is characterized by the hood containment strip 3 used to house the hood 2 and being disposed between the hood 2 and the rucksack body 1.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 1 the hood containment strip 3 is disposed between the hood 2 and the rucksack body 1 so that the front of the hood 2 and the back of the rucksack body 1 face in the same direction. One end of the hood containment strip 3 is connected to the nape-of-neck cover portion 2c of the hood 2 by a zipper 7, and the other end of the hood containment strip 3 is connected to the rucksack body 1 via connective strip 5 that runs along the rear upper edge 1a of the rucksack body 1. When the hood 2 is folded as shown in FIG. 6, the hood containment strip 3 is sufficiently wide and long to accommodate the hood 2 within an enclosure space formed when the hood 2 is placed on a folding portion 3d and the hood containment strip 3 is folded along the center line 3c so that the folding portion 3d folds over onto a folding portion 3e. A fastening means is provided along opposed edges of the folding portion 3d and folding portion 3e to enable the folding portion 3d and the folding portion 3e to be attached together to form the space in which the folded hood 2 is accommodated.

Fasteners of the touch-close type may be used as the fastening means. For example, male type tape 3a may be provided around the edge of the folding portion 3d and female type tape 3b around the edge of the folding portion 3e. The zipper 7 should be attached at a position that ensures that a sufficient width of the male type tape 3a remains along the edge of the hood containment strip 3, as shown in FIG. 6.

The hood containment strip 3 is used to connect the hood 2 with the rucksack body 1 with the front of the hood 2 facing the same way as the back of the rucksack body 1 because it is a convenient configuration for inserting the folded hood 2 in the bag-like space formed by the strip 3, and also because, in an emergency, the hood 2 can be inflated into the position of use by operating the gas charging apparatus 9 without having to first remove the rucksack.

FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d) illustrate the process of fitting the folded hood 2 into the hood containment strip 3. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the hood 2 is rolled in the direction of the arrow B onto the folding portion 3d of the hood containment strip 3, then onto folding portion 3e (FIG. 7(b)). Then, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the folding portion 3d is folded right over onto the folding portion 3e, enclosing the hood 2 in the space therebetween, and the edges are pressed together. As the edges are provided with fasteners of the touch-close type, this attaches the edges together, forming a hood pocket 3f which is rolled in the direction shown by arrow C, effecting engagement between male buckle 4a and female buckle 4b, resulting in the state shown by FIG. 7(d).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rucksack state shown in FIG. 7(d). In the view shown in FIG. 9, a portion of the enclosure is shown open to be able to see the hood 2 in place inside the hood pocket 3f. 3a may be the male type tape and 3b the female type tape, or vice-versa.

FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c) illustrate the arrangement of the hood containment strip 3 when the hood 2 is inflated for use. When the gas charging apparatus 9 is operated, the gas bag 8 within the hood 2 is charged with the gas, inflating the hood 2. Under the force of the inflationary pressure, the fasteners of the touch-close type that had been holding the hood containment strip 3 folded over separate, allowing the hood 2 to pop out. This is the state shown by FIG. 8(a), with the hood containment strip 3 opened out. The hood containment strip 3 is then folded in the direction shown by arrow D, thereby locking the strips of male type tape 3a and female type tape 3b together, as in FIG. 8(b). Then, as shown in FIG. 8(c), male buckle 4a and female buckle 4b are brought into engagement. In this state the hood containment strip 3 functions as a cover for the rucksack body 1 and also serves to protect the nape of the neck of the wearer.

FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) are perspective exterior views of the gas charging apparatus 9, with FIG. 10(a) showing the gas charging apparatus 9 before it is operated and FIG. 10(b) showing the gas charging apparatus 9 after it is operated. 11 denotes a lever, 11a is a safety pinhole, 11b is a pull-cord, 11c is a pull-piece, 13 is a shaft and 14 is a compressed carbon dioxide cylinder.

FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) are perspective interior views of the gas charging apparatus 9, with FIG. 11(a) showing the gas charging apparatus 9 before it is operated and FIG. 11(b) showing the gas charging apparatus 9 after it is operated. 12 is a cam, 15 is a thrust pin, 16 is an insert needle, 17 is a spring, 18 is a coupling hole, and 19 is a cylinder.

To operate the gas charging apparatus 9, the safety pin is withdrawn from the safety pinhole 11a and the pull-piece 11c of the pull-cord 11b is pulled. This rotates the lever 11 about the shaft 13, causing the cam 12 on end of the lever 11 to push the thrust pin 15 up against the resistance of the spring 17, forcing the tip of the insert needle 16 through a seal on the nozzle of the cylinder 14. As a result, compressed carbon dioxide jets out, filling the gas bag 8 connected to the gas charging apparatus 9. A gas cylinder 14 that is used up can of course be replaced by a fresh one.

Thus, the rucksack provided with a disaster-protection hood in accordance with the present invention has the configuration described in the foregoing. The rucksack with the disaster-protection hood is carried in a way that enables the hood to be used promptly to protect the head of the user by means of a simple operation that can readily be done by anyone regardless of age or whether the user is physically impaired, thereby providing protection in the event of an earthquake, a fire, a flood, a volcanic eruption or other such disaster.