Australian maker Backpack Bed for Homeless has secured a provisional patent application for its portable shelter design, with intellectual property firm Griffith Hack providing pro bono advice and patent drafting services to help protect the product from imitation.
The Backpack Bed, created by the Australian-based homelessness charity, is a 2.9 kilogram backpack holding 135 litres of contents that converts into a waterproof, insulated, fire-retardant shelter within seconds, featuring three windows, a built-in mattress and insect mesh. It is engineered for use across all seasons, including snow and sub-zero conditions.
At the centre of the design is a proprietary fire-retardant textile made to meet international safety standards, including California's Proposition 65 for chemical safety. The charity says paramedics have noted the design offers a level of protection that traditional tents and sleeping gear cannot match, given the fire risks posed by many common materials used for makeshift bedding.
The Backpack Bed is endorsed by more than 1,100 homelessness agencies and is positioned as a critical interim solution while long-term housing is secured. Independent research cited by the charity found that each $144 Backpack Bed generates $3,319 in community savings across health, justice and employment.
The design has also reportedly won two European Product Design Awards, Good Design Awards in both Australia and the US, and a Gold IF Award. It is also shortlisted for the US Edison Awards, with winners due to be announced next month.
Tony Clark, founder and CEO of Backpack Bed for Homeless, said the patent filing was an important step in protecting the product's future.
"Our equipment is a fundamental standard of care that nobody should face sleeping on the street without," Clark said. "To secure future patent protection ensures we can continue to distribute our life-saving equipment while preventing the potential for sub-standard knock-offs."
Matthew McTiernan, associate at Griffith Hack, said the Backpack Bed improves on an existing portable shelter design, retaining the benefits of a lightweight, all-weather shelter while allowing users to carry significantly more belongings through how the shelter is configured within the backpack.
"This improvement is particularly valuable for people experiencing homelessness, who may need to keep their possessions with them for safety and day-to-day survival," McTiernan said.
"Filing a provisional patent is the first step in a strategy for protecting the invention, helping to keep sub-standard and potentially unsafe knockoffs out of the market."