U.S. patent application number 11/597898 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-18 for baby carrier.
Invention is credited to Lisen Elmberg, Anders Nyberg.
Application Number | 20070241147 11/597898 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42108955 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070241147 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nyberg; Anders ; et
al. |
October 18, 2007 |
Baby Carrier
Abstract
A baby carrier comprising a harness which includes a baby
carrying pouch and which comprises a flexible sheet-like front
piece that has an upper edge part which can be folded about a
generally horizontal fold axis between a first position in the
sheet-like surface of the front piece and a downwardly folded
second position against the outer surface of a lower part of the
front piece, wherein means are provided for releasably securing a
respective side part of the upper edge part of the front piece to a
respective adjacent part of the harness in said first and said
second positions. The upper edge part of the front piece includes a
stiffening that extends from the fold axis in a direction towards
the free edge extending generally parallel with sad edge part.
Inventors: |
Nyberg; Anders; (Lund,
SE) ; Elmberg; Lisen; (Stockholm, SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACOBSON HOLMAN PLLC
400 SEVENTH STREET N.W.
SUITE 600
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Family ID: |
42108955 |
Appl. No.: |
11/597898 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
January 30, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/SE06/00128 |
371 Date: |
November 29, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/160 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47D 13/025
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/160 |
International
Class: |
A47D 13/02 20060101
A47D013/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 10, 2005 |
SE |
0500544-2 |
Claims
1. A baby carrier comprising a harness (36, 37, 14) which is
provided with a baby carrying pouch (41, 32, 11, 12, 22) and which
includes a flexible sheet-like front piece (22) that comprises a
springy elastic material(224) provided with a textile covering
(225), and that has an upper edge part (122) which can be folded
about a generally horizontal fold axis (124) between a first
position in the sheet-like surface of the front piece and a
downwardly folded position towards the outside of a lower part of
the front piece (22), wherein means (70, 80) are provided for
releasably securing a respective side part of the upper edge part
(122) of the front piece to a respective adjacent part of the
harness in said first and said second positions, characterized in
that the upper edge part (122) of the front piece includes a
stiffening (223) which extends from the fold axis (124) in a
direction towards the free edge generally parallel with said edge
part.
2. A baby carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) includes a sheet-like layer of material that
extends over a width-midway region of the upper edge part (122) of
the front piece.
3. A baby carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) includes a pair of generally parallel strips of
material that are spaced generally equidistantly from a symmetry
plane of the sheet-like surface of the front piece.
4. A baby carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) extends to the free edge of the upper edge part
(122).
5. A baby carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) is disposed on the outside of the front piece.
6. A baby carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) extends to the free edge of the upper edge part
(122).
7. A baby carrier according to claim 3, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) extends to the free edge of the upper edge part
(122).
8. A baby carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) is disposed on the outside of the front piece.
9. A baby carrier according to claim 3, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) is disposed on the outside of the front piece.
10. A baby carrier according to claim 4, characterized in that the
stiffening (223) is disposed on the outside of the front piece.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a baby carrier comprising a
carrier harness that is provided with a baby carrying pouch and
that includes a flexible sheet-like front piece which has an upper
edge portion that can be folded between a first position in the
sheet-like surface of the front piece and a down-folded second
position against the outside of a lower part of the front piece
about a generally horizontal fold axis, wherein means are provided
for releasably fastening a respective side part of the upper edge
portion of the front piece to a respective adjacent part of the
harness in both said first and said second positions.
[0002] The front piece of such baby carriers earlier known in
practice comprises a sheet of plastic foam or the like provided
with a cloth or fabric covering, wherewith the front piece is
elastically flexible and strives to adopt a sheet-like state when
generally flat. The plastic foam sheet is resiliently pliable with
respect to compression at right angles to the plane of the surface
and also enables the front piece to conform to the shape of the
baby carried by the harness to some extent, so as to provide
comfort to the baby. In its sheet-like state, the front piece will
preferably extend upwards to a level at which the edge portion will
support the head of the baby carried in the pouch. The lateral ends
of the upper edge part of the front piece can be releasably
fastened to adjacent parts of the harness itself, both in the
upwardly folded position of the upper edge part and also in its
downwardly folded position, possibly to mutually similar fastening
points on respective sides. The inherent spring-like flexibility of
the front piece allows the front piece to strive towards an
upwardly raised state while also enabling the upper edge part to be
folded down, for instance in order to expose the head of the baby
seated in the pouch. Folding of the upper edge part is established
with a generally straight line between the fastening points for the
lateral end regions of the upper edge part of the front piece.
However, in the downwardly folded state of the upper edge part the
fold region has a tendency with time to curl or roll upwards,
particularly in the midway region of its width. This upwardly
wandering effect constitutes a drawback, at least with respect to
the baby. This tendency of a downwardly folded upper edge part to
curl or roll upwards appears to be pronounced when the flexible
front piece has been given an elastic springiness that tends to
impart to the front piece the tendency to adopt a sheet-like
state.
[0003] Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to
prevent upward curling or rolling of the central part of the fold
region when the upper edge region is folded down, while retaining
the inherent tendency of the front piece to extend the upper edge
part to an upstanding position.
[0004] This object is fully or partially achieved by means of the
present invention.
[0005] The invention is defined in the accompanying independent
claim.
[0006] Exemplifying embodiments of the invention will be apparent
from the accompanying dependent claims.
[0007] The present invention generally involves providing the upper
edge part of the front piece with a stiffening means that extends
from the region of the fold axis in a direction towards the free
edge, which is generally parallel with said axis. This stiffening
of the upper edge part prevents the "hinged region" of the front
piece from being displaced upwards in the midway region of the
width of the front piece while enabling the desirable properties of
the front piece to be retained over a long period.
[0008] The fold axis between the upper edge part of the front piece
and the lower part of the front piece normally extends horizontally
between bottom parts of respective side edge recesses in the front
piece. The front piece is normally provided with releasable
fastener elements between respective sides of the front piece
immediately beneath the fold axis and respective nearby parts of
the harness. The sides of the upper edge part can normally be
connected to releasable fastener means for connection to nearby
parts of the harness, both in the case of the up-folded state of
the edge part and its down-folded state. In this regard, the upper
edge part may include fasteners that can be secured to an
associated co-acting harness-mounted connecting means regardless of
whether the front piece is in its up-folded or its down-folded
state. This can be achieved by placing the fastening means of the
upper edge part on the fold axis.
[0009] The invention will now be described by way of example with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a baby carrier according to the present
invention.
[0011] FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively sectioned views taken on the
line II-II in FIG. 1 showing the baby carrying pouch on the harness
front piece respectively in an upwardly folded and a downwardly
folded state of the upper edge part of the front piece.
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a baby carrier according to WO-03/003880
A1, comprising two chest straps 31 which are intended to extend
generally vertically on a respective side of the wearer's chest.
Each chest strap 31 extends over a respective shoulder of the
wearer and the straps intersect mutually on the wearer's back. The
illustrated baby carrier includes a fitting 14 which holds together
the strap parts 36 mutually intersecting on the wearer's back,
wherewith a strap portion 37 extends after the point of
intersection 14 around the wearer's hips and connects with a
connection fitting 11, 11', to which the lower parts of respective
chest straps 31 also connect.
[0013] The strap portion 37 includes conveniently an adjustment
fitting 3 which enables the length of said strap portion to be
easily adjusted.
[0014] The connection fitting 11, 11' may be releasably coupled to
corresponding connection fittings 12, 12' in a holder 10 which
receives, through the medium of a length-adjustment fitting 13, a
strip-like central lower part 21 of a front piece 22. The front
piece 22 may comprise a flexible piece of cloth or fabric or its
like, the inner part of which has a generally triangular shape,
wherewith the upper corners 25 of the triangle are provided with
connectors 41, 41' which consist essentially of a long downwardly
depending finger 43 that can be received in a correspondingly deep
pocket 32 on respective front straps 31 via a respective
pocket-inlet opening 33 situated at the top of the pocket such that
the front piece will form a safe baby-carrying pouch.
[0015] The front piece 22 also includes an upper edge part 122 that
can be folded down towards and folded up from the lower part of the
front piece 22 through the medium of a fold line 124. The front
piece 22 includes side recesses 123 at the level of the fold line
124.
[0016] An opening for the baby's legs is provided between the chest
straps 31 on the one hand and the front piece 122 on the other, in
the region between the fittings 12, 25; 12', 75'. The upper edge
part 122 may be turned down when the baby is awake. When the baby
wishes to rest or to go to sleep, the upper edge part 122 can be
folded up and the lateral ends 125 of said edge part then connected
to lateral ends 125 of nearby parts of the chest straps 31 with the
aid of a releasable two-part coupling means that has one part 70
connected to the top of the part 125 and the other part 80 of which
is connected to respective straps 31.
[0017] The edge part 122 is flexible, at least in respect of the
lateral end part 125 and with respect to folding of the edge part
about the fold line 124. The couplings 70, 80 co-act with the edge
part 122 such as to form a head rest for a small and/or sleeping
baby.
[0018] It will be understood that the strap arrangement 60 can be
accessed and manoeuvred even when the upper edge part 122 is folded
down towards the lower portion of the front piece 22, so as to
enable the size of the upwardly facing pouch opening to be adjusted
if desired.
[0019] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the
coupling typically includes a ring-shaped flat coupling element 70
which can be releasably connected by placing it around a post
80.
[0020] As a result of this design, the coupling part 70 can be
connected to the post 80 in two positions of rotation that differ
through 180.degree. C. about an axis of rotation corresponding
generally to the horizontal diameter of the ring opening in the
coupling part 70. The coupling part 70 is mounted so that it lies
in the vicinity of the fold line 124 through the front piece 22
when said front piece is laid flat. Because the coupling part 70 is
non-rotatably connected to the tips 125 of the upper edge, the
coupling device 70, 80 will contribute towards keeping the edge
part 122 in a downwardly folded state about the line 124. The
flexible springy elastic front piece 22 has a tendency to allow the
upper edge part 122 to remain in its upwardly folded state shown in
FIG. 1, through the effect of the intrinsic springiness of said
front piece.
[0021] Also shown in FIG. 1 is a central horizontal strap
arrangement 60' at the level of hook fittings 41, 41', i.e. at the
level of the actual upper edge of the carrier pouch. The strap
arrangement 60' enables a selective adjustment to be made to the
effective perimeter of the pouch opening at this level.
[0022] Alternatively, or additionally, there may be provided at
this level a strap arrangement 60'' at one side or at both sides of
the front piece, wherein the strap arrangement 60'' can be
connected at one end to a respective hook fitting.
[0023] The strap arrangements 60', 60'' correspond to the coupling
arrangement 60, possibly with the exception of the deformation
pattern for the material piece between the end parts fastened to
the front piece between the coupling arrangement.
[0024] It will be seen from FIG. 1 that the parts 125 of the front
piece and therewith the associated bodies 70 extend in different
radial directions to their associated posts, depending on whether
or not the upper edge part 122 of the front piece is folded down.
Because the body 70 can be fitted to or dismantled from the post 80
regardless of its relative rotational position about said post and
regardless of which main surface of the body faces towards the root
portion of the post, fitting of the body 70 to the post 80 and
dismantling of the body from said post is made easier.
[0025] Also shown in FIG. 1 is a vertically orientated area 22
midway across the width of the front piece 22 and above the fold
line 124. This midway area 22 is shown to include a stiffening
means which in the case of one exemplifying embodiment has the form
of a thin element 223 which extends between the edges 226 of said
width midway area. The element is preferably placed on the outside
of the plastic foam sheet 224 of the front piece, as shown in FIGS.
2 and 3, although it will preferably be placed inwardly of a
covering layer 225 on the core 224 of the front piece.
[0026] The element 223 is joined to the front piece by seams along
the edges 226 and/or is glued and/or welded thereto.
[0027] The element 223 extends vertically from the region of the
fold line 124 in a direction towards the free edge of the foldable
part 122 of the front piece. The element 223 may possibly extend
right up to the region of this free edge, particularly when it is
desired to impart stiffness to the part 122 right up to said free
edge.
[0028] The stiffening element 223 functions to impede or to prevent
displacement of the fold region, which is defined initially by the
fold line 124, in an upward direction. This effect is achieved by
virtue of the stiffening element imparting to the upper edge part
122 a flexural rigidity that will not allow such folding to take
place under the action of those forces that act upon the front
piece via the fastener fittings 40, 41' and 70 in response to loads
exerted thereon by a baby seated in the pouch.
[0029] As an alternative to the described embodiment of the
stiffening means, the stiffening means may have the form of
relatively narrow stiffening elements which are located in the
region of respective side edges 226, particularly when it is
desired to maintain a relatively high degree of flexibility and
softness of the foldable part 122 between said width mid-way edges
226 and also laterally beyond these edges 226, when such is
desirable.
* * * * *