Portable powered appliance support strap

Abstract

An example powered appliance support system may include a shoulder strap and a powered appliance support strap. The shoulder step may include a padded portion to rest upon a shoulder of a person wearing the shoulder strap and a strap portion extending from the padded portion. The elastomeric stretcher may include a single body, wherein the elastomeric stretcher does not undergo stretching until experiencing a stretch triggering load at least 1 kg and no greater than 7 kg, wherein the elastomeric stretcher is formed from rubber or an elastomeric polymer and has first and second ends that inwardly taper.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A powered appliance support system comprising:
 a shoulder strap comprising:
 a padded portion to rest upon a shoulder of a person wearing the shoulder strap; and 
 a strap portion extending from the padded portion; and 
   a powered appliance support strap comprising:
 a first portion slidably connected to the strap portion to slide along the strap portion; 
 a second portion to be releasably connected to a powered appliance to be manually carried by the person wearing the shoulder strap; and 
 an elastomeric stretcher comprising a single body extending between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the elastomeric stretcher does not undergo stretching until experiencing a stretch triggering load at least 1 kg and no greater than 7 kg, wherein the elastomeric stretcher is formed from rubber or an elastomeric polymer and has first and second ends that inwardly taper towards the first portion and the second portion, respectively. 
   
     
     
         2 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric stretcher comprises a single body comprising:
 a first beam extending between the first portion and the   a second beam spaced from the first beam, the second beam extending between the first portion and the second portion; and   a web of elastic segments spanning between the first beam and the second beam.   
     
     
         3 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a third beam extending between the first portion and the second portion, the third beam extending on an opposite side of the first beam as the second beam; and 
 a second web of elastic segments spanning between the first beam and the third beam. 
 
     
     
         4 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 3 , wherein the first beam has a first thickness, wherein the second beam has a second thickness less than the first thickness and wherein the third beam has a third thickness less than the first thickness. 
     
     
         5 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 4 , wherein the elastic segments of the web and the elastic segments of the second web have a maximum thickness less than the first thickness. 
     
     
         6 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric stretcher has a Young's modulus of between 1 MPa and 4 MPa. 
     
     
         7 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a loop receiving the strap portion. 
     
     
         8 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the stretcher has an unstretched length of no greater than 15 cm, and wherein the elastomeric stretcher is stretchable to a stretched length that is 10 cm greater than the unstretched length. 
     
     
         9 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric stretcher comprises a single integral unitary body having a flat oval shape. 
     
     
         10 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric stretcher comprises a single integral unitary body having a length of at least 9 cm and no greater than 15 cm. 
     
     
         11 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the padded portion has first and second ends from which the strap portion extends, wherein the first and second ends of the padded portion inwardly taper towards the strap portion. 
     
     
         12 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric stretcher comprises outermost side beams that bow outwardly away from a centerline of the elastomeric stretcher. 
     
     
         13 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric stretcher comprises first and second endcaps molded about and partially encapsulating first and second rings that form the first portion and the second portion, respectively. 
     
     
         14 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric stretcher comprises a web of elastomeric segments, the elastomeric segments of the web obliquely extending relative to one another in two dimensions. 
     
     
         15 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 14 , wherein regions between consecutive elastomeric segments of the web are void, forming openings completely through the elastomeric stretcher from a first face of the elastomeric stretcher to a second face of the elastomeric stretcher opposite the first face. 
     
     
         16 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 14 , wherein the elastomeric segments comprise linear bars extending at different angles. 
     
     
         17 . The powered appliance support system of  claim 14  further comprising a first beam and a second beam, the first beam and the second beam having a first thickness, wherein the web of elastomeric segments extends between the first beam in the second beam and wherein the elastomeric segments of the web have a second thickness less than the first thickness. 
     
     
         18 . A powered appliance support strap comprising:
 a first portion be coupled to a continuous loop of a shoulder strap;   a second portion to be coupled to a powered appliance to be manually carried by a person wearing the shoulder strap; and   a single integral unitary body formed from a rubber or elastomeric polymer, the single integral unitary body extending between the first portion and the second portion, the body comprising:   a first resiliently flexible beam extending between the first portion and the second portion;   a second resiliently flexible beam spaced from the first beam extending between the first portion and the second portion; and   a web of elastic segments spanning the first resiliently flexible beam and the second resiliently flexible beam, wherein the second beam is outwardly bowed away from a centerline of the single unitary body, wherein the first beam in the second beam have a first maximum thickness and wherein the elastomeric segments of the web obliquely extends relative to one another, and wherein the elastomeric segments of the web have a second maximum thickness less than the first maximum thickness.   
     
     
         19 . The powered appliance support strap of  claim 18 , wherein the body further comprises:
 a third beam extending between the first portion and the second portion, the third beam extending on an opposite side of the first beam as the second beam; and   a second web of elastic segments spanning between the first beam and the third beam.   
     
     
         20 . The powered appliance support strap of  claim 11 , wherein the single integral unitary body has a flat oval shape.