Backpack

Abstract

A backpack includes: a body including a front panel and a rear panel; a shoulder strap attached to the body and having an adjustable length; and a retention mechanism attached to the body and movable between a first position and a second position, in the first position the retention mechanism being disposed to define a compartment to hold an object and to inhibit first motion of the object toward a bottom of the backpack, to inhibit second motion of the object toward a right side of the backpack, to inhibit third motion of the object toward a left side of the backpack, and to inhibit fourth motion of the object away from the rear panel over a length of the retention mechanism, in the second position the retention mechanism providing an opening to the compartment, the opening extending a majority of the length of the retention mechanism.

1 . A backpack comprising:
 a body including a front panel and a rear panel;   a shoulder strap attached to the body and having an adjustable length; and   a retention mechanism attached to the body and movable between a first position and a second position, in the first position the retention mechanism being disposed to define a compartment to hold an object and to inhibit first motion of the object toward a bottom of the backpack, to inhibit second motion of the object toward a right side of the backpack, to inhibit third motion of the object toward a left side of the backpack, and to inhibit fourth motion of the object away from the rear panel over a length of the retention mechanism, in the second position the retention mechanism providing an opening to the compartment, the opening extending a majority of the length of the retention mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the retention mechanism comprises at least one flap pivotally connected to a base portion of the retention mechanism or to the rear panel. 
     
     
         3 . The backpack of  claim 2 , wherein the opening extends over 80% of the length of the retention mechanism. 
     
     
         4 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the retention mechanism is movable to a plurality of first positions to define a plurality of compartments of different volumes. 
     
     
         5 . The backpack of  claim 4 , wherein the retention mechanism comprises an adjustable stabilizer to bias the retention mechanism against the object at each of the plurality of first positions. 
     
     
         6 . The backpack of  claim 5 , wherein the retention mechanism comprises a sheet of an elastic fabric. 
     
     
         7 . The backpack of  claim 5 , wherein the retention mechanism comprises a retention strap and a securing device configured to slidably receive, and selectively secure, the retention strap with a selected length of the retention strap between the securing device and a securing point laterally-disposed from the securing device relative to the body. 
     
     
         8 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the retention mechanism is sized to receive and retain a liquid-holding bladder containing at least 1 liter of water. 
     
     
         9 . The backpack of  claim 1 , wherein the retention mechanism is configured to be at least partially see through to permit viewing of the object while the object is retained by the retention mechanism. 
     
     
         10 . A backpack comprising:
 a body including a front panel and a rear panel;   a shoulder strap attached to the body, proximate to a top of the body, and having an adjustable length; and   a bladder retention mechanism attached to the body and comprising:
 a retaining member disposed, shaped, and attached to the body to provide a chamber to receive at least a lower portion of a liquid-containing bladder; and 
 an adjustable stabilizer disposed and configured to bias the liquid-containing bladder toward the rear panel with the liquid-containing bladder received by the retaining member; 
   wherein the bladder retention mechanism is configured to provide the chamber with different volumes to bias the liquid-containing bladder toward the rear panel with the bladder occupying different volumes.   
     
     
         11 . The backpack of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustable stabilizer comprises at least one adjustable-length band. 
     
     
         12 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one adjustable-length band is attached to the body closer to the top of the body than a top of the retaining member. 
     
     
         13 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein the retaining member has a length and is configured to overlap the body along the length of the retaining member, and wherein the at least one adjustable-length band is attached to the body to overlap the retaining member transverse to a length of the body. 
     
     
         14 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one adjustable-length band comprises a plurality of adjustable-length straps. 
     
     
         15 . A backpack comprising:
 a body including a front panel and a rear panel;   a shoulder strap attached to the body, the shoulder strap being adjustable to bias the front panel against a back of a user;   a first side bladder flap including a first connector, the first side bladder flap attached to the rear panel along a first length that is displaced from a vertical centerline of the rear panel, the first side bladder flap being movable between a first closed position extending toward the vertical centerline of the rear panel and a first open position extending away from the vertical centerline of the rear panel;   a second side bladder flap including a second connector, the second side bladder flap attached to the rear panel along a second length that is displaced from the vertical centerline of the rear panel on an opposite side of the vertical centerline of the rear panel from the first length, the second side bladder flap being movable between a second closed position extending toward the vertical centerline of the rear panel and a second open position extending away from the vertical centerline of the rear panel; and   a bottom bladder flap attached to the rear panel along a third length, the bottom bladder flap being movable between a third closed position extending toward a top of the body from the third length and a third open position extending away from the top of the body from the third length;   wherein the bottom bladder flap includes a third connector and a fourth connector configured and disposed to releasably connect to the first connector and the second connector, respectively, with the first side bladder flap disposed in the first closed position, the second side bladder flap disposed in the second closed position, and the bottom bladder flap disposed in the third closed position.   
     
     
         16 . The backpack of  claim 15 , wherein the first connector and the third connector comprise a first hook-and-loop fastener and the second connector and the fourth connector comprise a second hook-and-loop fastener. 
     
     
         17 . The backpack of  claim 15 , further comprising a handle attached to the bottom bladder flap at an opposite end of the bottom bladder flap from the third length. 
     
     
         18 . The backpack of  claim 15 , wherein the bottom bladder flap provides a see-through section.