U.S. patent application number 12/385320 was filed with the patent office on 2009-10-15 for child-carrying device.
Invention is credited to Fredrik Hallander, Jens O. Johansson, Joakim Liljedahl, Filip Sauer.
Application Number | 20090255965 12/385320 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42108723 |
Filed Date | 2009-10-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090255965 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liljedahl; Joakim ; et
al. |
October 15, 2009 |
Child-carrying device
Abstract
A child-carrying device has a waist belt and a support element
that is carried by and that extends upward from the waist belt. The
support element has a front piece, which via a lower central part
is connected to the support element in order to form a bottom of a
carrying pocket. The front piece has laterally spaced-apart
attaching elements which are detachably connected to appurtenant
adjacent attaching elements that are laterally spaced-apart on the
support element. A shoulder strap extends between the respective
upper corner areas of the support element in order to extend over
one shoulder of the wearer and under the arm on an opposite side of
the upper body. This enables the carrying device to be rotated
around the upper body part for shifting of the carrying pocket
between the front side and back side of the wearer, while the
shoulder strap extends over the shoulder.
Inventors: |
Liljedahl; Joakim;
(Enebyberg, SE) ; Sauer; Filip; (Stockholm,
SE) ; Johansson; Jens O.; (Stockholm, SE) ;
Hallander; Fredrik; (Alvsjo, SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACOBSON HOLMAN PLLC
400 SEVENTH STREET N.W., SUITE 600
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Family ID: |
42108723 |
Appl. No.: |
12/385320 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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PCT/SE07/00882 |
Oct 4, 2007 |
|
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12385320 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/159 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 2003/148 20130101;
A47D 13/025 20130101; A45F 2003/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/159 |
International
Class: |
A47D 13/02 20060101
A47D013/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 5, 2006 |
SE |
0602098-6 |
Claims
1. A child-carrying device comprising: a waist belt, a stiff sheet
that is carried by the waist belt and that extends upward from the
waist belt, the sheet, on an outside thereof, carrying a front
piece, which via a lower central part is centrally connected to the
sheet in order to form a bottom of a carrying pocket, the front
piece having laterally spaced-apart attaching elements which are
detachably connected to appurtenant adjacent attaching elements
that are laterally spaced apart on the sheet; and a shoulder strap
extending between respective upper corner areas of the sheet in
order to extend over one shoulder of a wearer and under an arm of
the wearer on an opposite side of an upper body part, in order to
allow the child-carrying device to be rotated around the upper body
part of the wearer for shifting of the carrying pocket between a
chest side and a back side of the wearer, while the shoulder strap
extends over the shoulder of the wearer.
2. The child-carrying device according to claim 1, wherein the
shoulder strap is pre-formed to extend, as substantially planely
abutting against the chest side of the wearer, in a downwardly
convex path.
3. The child-carrying device according to claim 1, wherein a first
end part of the shoulder strap is slidably connected to a guide
rail that extends along an adjacent part of the upper corner area
of the sheet, the guide rail including an essentially vertical part
along an upper portion of a side edge of the sheet, a substantially
horizontal part along an upper edge of the sheet, and a smoothly
curved part connecting the essentially vertical part and the
substantially horizontal part.
4. The child-carrying device according to claim 3, wherein a second
end part of the shoulder strap is slidably connected to a guide
rail that is arranged along an upper corner part of the sheet, the
guide rail including a substantially vertical part along an
adjacent side edge of the sheet, a substantially horizontal part
along an upper edge of the sheet, and a smoothly curved part
connecting the substantially vertical part and the substantially
horizontal part.
5. The child-carrying device according to claim 4, wherein the
guide rail is reciprocally substantially mirror-symmetrical in a
plane parallel to the sheet in relation to a central vertical line
along the sheet.
6. The child-carrying device according to claim 1, further
comprising a stabilizing strap having a first end connected to one
side edge area of the sheet to which a first end of the shoulder
strap connects, and extending under an adjacent arm of the wearer
and completely to the chest side of the wearer where a second end
of the stabilizing strap connects to the shoulder strap in a
direction that generally forms a right angle with a longitudinal
direction of the shoulder strap on the chest side, when the
carrying pocket is situated on the back side of the wearer.
7. The child-carrying device according to claim 6, wherein the
second end of the stabilizing strap connects to a slide fitting
that is slidably received on a guide rail edge bulge along the
shoulder strap on the chest side of the wearer when the carrying
pocket is situated on the back side of the wearer.
8. The child-carrying device according to claim 7, wherein the
slide fitting has a locking device that is regulated by a tensile
force in the stabilizing strap and that locks the slide fitting to
the guide rail of the chest strap when the tensile force in the
stabilizing strap exceeds a preselected value and the stabilizing
strap forms an acute angle with the longitudinal direction of the
guide rail.
9. The child-carrying device according to claim 8, wherein the
second end of the stabilizing strap is a connection lug that is
detachably received in the slide fitting and is displaceable along
an elongate slot in the slide fitting in order to, by a foot of the
connection lug, activate a clamp device for locking of the slide
fitting to the guide rail.
10. The child-carrying device according to claim 7, wherein the
slide fitting is slidably received on the guide rail edge bulge at
a lower border of the shoulder strap.
11. A child-carrying device comprising: a waist belt, a rigid
substantially U-shaped frame that is supported by the waist belt
and that extends upward from the waist belt, the frame, on an
outside thereof, carrying a front piece, which via a lower central
part is centrally connected to the frame in order to form a bottom
of a carrying pocket, the front piece having laterally spaced-apart
attaching elements which are detachably connected to appurtenant
adjacent attaching elements that are laterally spaced apart on the
frame; and a shoulder strap extending between respective upper
corner areas of the frame in order to extend over one shoulder of a
wearer and under an arm of the wearer on an opposite side of an
upper body part, in order to allow the child-carrying device to be
rotated around the upper body part of the wearer for shifting of
the carrying pocket between a chest side and a back side of the
wearer, while the shoulder strap extends over the shoulder of the
wearer.
12. The child-carrying device according to claim 11, wherein the
frame is of tubular construction.
13. A child-carrying device comprising: a waist belt, an upstanding
support element that is supported by the waist belt, extends upward
from the waist belt, and is at least partially rigid in an upper
portion thereof, the support element, on an outside thereof,
carrying a front piece, which via a lower central part is centrally
connected to the support element in order to form a bottom of a
carrying pocket, the front piece having laterally spaced-apart
attaching elements which are detachably connected to appurtenant
adjacent attaching elements that are laterally spaced apart on the
support element; and a shoulder strap extending between respective
upper corner areas of the support element in order to extend over
one shoulder of a wearer and under an arm of the wearer on an
opposite side of an upper body part, in order to allow the
child-carrying device to be rotated around the upper body part of
the wearer for shifting of the carrying pocket between a chest side
and a back side of the wearer, while the shoulder strap extends
over the shoulder of the wearer.
14. The child-carrying device according to claim 13, wherein the
support element is a rigid sheet.
15. The child-carrying device according to claim 13, wherein the
support element is a partially rigid sheet.
16. The child-carrying device according to claim 15, wherein the
partially rigid sheet is rigid in an upper portion extending upward
from the front piece attaching elements to and including an upper
edge of the sheet, and is flexible in a lower portion extending
downward from the front piece attaching elements to the waist
belt.
17. The child-carrying device according to claim 13, wherein the
support element is rigid and is substantially U-shaped.
18. The child-carrying device according to claim 17, wherein the
support element is of tubular construction.
19. The child-carrying device according to claim 17, wherein the
support element includes opposed support element legs each having a
hinged connection that enable the support element to fold as the
wearer bends.
20. The child-carrying device according to claim 17, further
comprising a flexible material that extends between opposed legs of
the U-shaped support element.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This continuation-in-part application claims the benefit of
priority to PCT/SE2007/000882 filed Oct. 4, 2007, and published in
English.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a child-carrying device that can be
worn on either the chest-side or on the back-side of a wearer. The
invention relates more specifically to a child-carrying device that
can be easily rotated from the chest-side to the back-side of a
wearer, or vice versa, without removing the device from the
wearer.
[0004] Thus, the invention relates to a child-carrying device
having a waist belt, an upstanding support element that is carried
by the waist belt and that extends upward next to the upper body
part of the wearer, the support element carrying, on the outside
thereof, a front piece, which via a lower central part is connected
to the support element in order to form a bottom of a carrying
pocket, wherein, in upper laterally spaced-apart positions, the
front piece is connected to the support element.
[0005] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0006] Child-carrying devices of this kind are normally provided
with shoulder straps that connect to laterally spaced-apart upper
points of the carrying structure and extend over each shoulder of
the wearer, and are connected to the waist belt by the other ends
thereof. Thus, when the carrying structure is situated on the chest
side of the wearer, the strap parts extend parallel to each other
on the chest side as well as on the back side.
[0007] A drawback of such a previously known type of child-carrying
device is that small children aged, for instance, more than one
year, begin to get a considerable weight. The wearer of the
carrying device often prefers that the carrying device have the
child-carrying pocket situated on the chest side of the wearer, for
care and supervision, but for carrying the child in the carrying
device it is, on the other hand, often considerably more
comfortable for the wearer to have the carrying pocket placed on
the back side of the wearer.
[0008] It would be feasible, per se, to form a baby carrier so that
it can be worn either on the front side of the wearer or on the
back side of the wearer, but for a change-over between the child
being carried in the carrying pocket when the same is situated on
the chest side, to the situation that the child is carried in the
carrying pocket as placed on the back side of the wearer, it is
then required that the baby carrier together with the child sitting
in the carrying pocket is taken off from the upper body part and
then, with the child still sitting in the carrying pocket, the
carrying device is put on onto the back side of the wearer as a
rucksack. However, such an operation would be risky for the child,
and if the child calls for attention, the carrying device has to be
taken off again for the wearer to get the possibility of closer
contact with the child.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a
child-carrying device, which as put on and worn on the upper body
part of the wearer conveniently can be rotated so that the
child-carrying pocket in an effective carrying state and with good
carrying safety can be moved between the back side and front side
of the wearer. An additional object is to provide strap
constructions that offer an enhanced comfort for the wearer,
particularly when the carrying pocket is situated on the back side
of the wearer.
[0010] The aforementioned objects are entirely or partly attained
by the various embodiments of the present invention as described
herein.
[0011] In a presently particularly preferred embodiment, the
child-carrying device has a shoulder strap that, when the carrying
structure including the carrying pocket is situated on the back
side of the wearer, extends from an upper laterally positioned
corner area of the structure, up over the adjacent shoulder, and
from there, obliquely downward diagonally over the chest of the
user, and further under the arm back to the back side of the wearer
where the end of the shoulder strap connects to an upper laterally
positioned area of the structure. Provided that the waist belt can
be rotated around the waist region of the wearer, the structure
including the carrying pocket can be rotated around the upper body
part of the user, in under the arm, and all the way to a position
on the chest side of the wearer, the shoulder strap, which thereby
slides over the shoulder of the wearer, maintaining the
carrying-safety of the child-carrying pocket.
[0012] The waist belt may have a buckle, which in a first end
position urges the waist belt stably around the waist and hips of
the user to afford a carrying function, and which in the second end
position thereof increases the free inner circumference of the
closed waist belt so that the waist belt easily can be rotated
around the wearer. Naturally, the waist belt has also a fitting
that allows the belt to be opened, for putting on and taking off
the child-carrying device.
[0013] The inner surface of the waist belt may be formed to have a
low friction in relation to the rotation. In one embodiment, on
either side, the structure may have a guide rail that extends
around an upper corner area of the structure, the guide rail
affording a slidable closure for a respective end part of the
shoulder strap connecting thereto. In this way, the shoulder strap
can be connected to favorable positions that are optimal to wearers
of different size and physiognomy.
[0014] When the child-carrying pocket is situated on the back side
of the user, there is a risk of the shoulder strap under the impact
of the load moving upward on the chest side of the user, and up
along the shoulder toward the neck. By then providing a stabilizing
strap, which is connected to the intermediate portion of the
shoulder strap on the chest side of the wearer and extends around
the side. of the wearer under the arm and is attached to the
adjacent part of the structure, the tendency of the shoulder strap
to move upward over the chest of the user and toward the neck of
the user is counteracted.
[0015] These together with other objects and advantages which will
become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction
and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part
hereof, wherein like reference numbers refer to like parts
throughout. The accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate
the invention, but are not necessarily to scale.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a front schematic view of a wearer who wears a
child-carrying device in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic view from behind the wearer having the
child-carrying device shown in FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a side view of the carrying device shown in FIG.
1.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view taken in the direction
of the arrow IV in FIG. 3.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a partial view taken along line V-V in FIG. 3.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a schematic section taken along line VI-VI in FIG.
5.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a schematic view taken along line VII-VII in FIG.
6.
[0023] FIG. 8 is a sectioned view taken along line VIII-VIII in
FIG. 6.
[0024] FIG. 9 is an enlarged depiction of the slide fitting of the
stabilizing strap feature of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 10 is a schematic section taken along line X-X in FIG.
9.
[0026] FIG. 11 is a schematic section taken along line XI-XI in
FIG. 9.
[0027] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a child-carrying device in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and
shows the child-carrying device being worn on the back of a
wearer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Although preferred embodiments of the invention are
explained in detail, it is to be understood that other embodiments
are possible. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention is
to be limited in its scope to the details of constructions, and
arrangement of components set forth in the following description or
illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.
Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, specific terminology
will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood
that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that
operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Where
possible, components of the drawings that are alike are identified
by the same reference numbers.
[0029] A child-carrying device in accordance with the present
invention includes generally a waist belt and an upstanding support
element that is carried by the waist belt. The support element can
be configured as, for example, a rigid sheet or plate or a
substantially U-shaped frame. The support element extends upward
from the waist belt, and carries, on an outer side of the support
element, a front piece, which via a lower central part is centrally
connected to the support element in order to form the bottom of a
carrying pocket for the child. The front piece has laterally
spaced-apart attaching elements, which are detachably connected to
adjacent attaching elements that are laterally spaced apart on the
support element. The child-carrying device includes a shoulder
strap that extends between respective upper corner areas of the
support element in order to extend over one shoulder of the wearer
and under the wearer's arm on the opposite side of the upper
body.
[0030] The above-described configuration enables the child-carrying
device to be rotated, while the shoulder strap remains extended
over the shoulder of the wearer, around the upper body of the
wearer to shift the carrying pocket between the chest-side and the
back-side of the wearer. By virtue of this configuration, the
child-carrying device can be easily rotated from the chest-side to
the back-side of the wearer, or vice versa, without removing the
device from the wearer.
[0031] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a child-carrying device in accordance
with one preferred embodiment of the present invention as the
carrier is worn on the upper body part of the wearer. According to
the embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
the carrying device includes a waist belt 1, which carries a stiff
(i.e., rigid) sheet 2 that extends upward from the waist belt 1 and
is shown situated on the back side of the wearer. A front piece 3
has side edge portions that are situated in the vicinity of the
respective side edge of the sheet 2, at an upper part of the sheet
2, and there the same are detachably connected to the sheet 2 by
means of the coupling fittings 31. The front piece 3 has a lower
central band-shaped part that is turned up against the sheet 2 and
attached to the same in a transversally central position by means
of a coupling 40 that preferably has a plurality of
vertically-spaced apart alternative fasteners on the sheet 2, for
raising and lowering, respectively, the bottom of the folded over
front piece 3. The side edges of the front piece 3 are spaced-apart
from the side edges of the sheet 2 in the area under the coupling
fittings 31 for the formation of leg openings for a child sitting
in the carrying pocket formed of the front piece 3. The front piece
3 has an upper border part 35 in the area above the level of the
fittings 31, and the border part 35 has laterally projecting end
portions 36, each of which at the end has a first coupling fitting
51 that can be detachably coupled to a coupling fitting 54 at the
upper border of the sheet 2. When the coupling fittings 51, 54 are
connected to each other, the upper border part 35 of the front
piece 3 forms a headrest for the child. The side edges of the
border part 35 are shown recessed in the area between the fittings
31, 54 for the formation of holes for the arms of the child.
[0032] The upper border part 35 of the front piece 3 can, when the
coupling fittings 51 are disconnected, be folded down against the
lower part of the front piece 3, around a folding line that lies on
the level of the fittings 31. From FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be
understood that a guide rail (i.e., a slide guide) 50 extends along
each upper corner edge area of the sheet 2. Furthermore, a shoulder
strap 52 is shown, which with one end 53 thereof is carried by the
left guide rail 50 in FIG. 2 so that the end 53 can slide along the
same under the impact of external forces. From the end 53, the
strap 52 extends up on the back side of the user and over the left
shoulder of the user, and from there, obliquely downward over the
chest side of the wearer, and around the right side of the wearer
under the right arm, and in over the back side of the wearer where
another end of the strap 52 is slidably connected to the right
guide rail 50 in FIG. 2.
[0033] In FIG. 1, it can be seen that a stabilizing strap 60 is
connected to the shoulder strap approximately in the middle of the
chest side with one end of the stabilizing strap 60. From there,
the strap 60 extends obliquely downward around the left side of the
wearer and connects to the left guide rail 50 in FIG. 2 with the
other end 62 of the strap 60, which is displaceable along the guide
rail 50. The strap 60 can be extended/shortened using a fitting 65
therefor, so that the shoulder strap 52 generally can be displaced
in parallel downward on the chest side of the wearer, and so that
the strap 52 is brought away from the neck of the user, in
particular in the shoulder area.
[0034] Based on the state according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the user can
disconnect the stabilizing strap 60 from the shoulder strap 52 and
then open the buckle 10 of the waist belt 1 so that the waist belt
1 does not abut against the waist region of the user, but can be
rotated around the waist of the user. In that connection, the
shoulder strap 52 runs upward in the longitudinal direction thereof
in FIG. 1, so that the sheet 2 including the front piece 3 and the
carrying pocket formed thereof circles around the upper body part
of the user, underneath his/her right arm, all the way to a
position in the middle of the chest side of the user, the carrying
pocket during this entire rotation operation being stably suspended
on the shoulder strap 52.
[0035] In the new placement of the carrying pocket 4, the user can
again urge the buckle 10 so that the load from the child is carried
against the hips via the sheet 2 and the waist belt 1. The
child-carrying device may naturally also be provided with the
shoulder strap 52 arranged in the opposite diagonal direction.
[0036] In FIG. 4, it can be seen that the lateral end portion 36 of
the upper border part 35 is elongate and at the ends has the
ring-shaped coupling fitting 51, which is received on a part of the
fitting 54 formed as a post 55 (FIG. 6). The fitting 51 is shown to
have two external diametrically opposed keys, which upon depression
allows retraction of the lock wedge 61, which is shown to engage in
a waist notch 57 in the respective post 55. The wedges 61 can be
retracted from the shown position by depression of the two keys. In
the locked position, the fitting 51 has a ring-shaped surface 71
(FIG. 7) that abuts against the appurtenant surface 83 around the
bottom part of the post 55 (FIG. 8). The surface 71 has a plurality
of radially directed grooves 72 spaced-apart around the post. The
surface 83 around the post 55 has one or more radial ridges 85
receivable in grooves 72 mating thereto. Then, the grooves 72 can
receive the ridges 85 on the surface 81 in a plurality of different
rotary positions of the fitting part 51 and rotationally secure the
fitting part 51 in many different rotary positions. The end
portions 36 have a certain degree of resilient elasticity and are
fixedly connected to the respective fitting 51. The end portions 36
have a greater width than the thickness of the front piece 3, and
in FIG. 4 it is shown that the elongate end portions 36 planely are
bent over against each other in a bent-over area 37 at a certain
distance from the fitting 51. Preferably, this distance amounts to
somewhat less than 10 cm, by suitable choice of the flexural
rigidity and elasticity of the lateral end portions 36. Thus, the
end-portion part 38 closest to the respective fitting 51 will pivot
in the normal plane of the axis of rotation of the fitting part 51,
so that the bent-over areas 37 of the end portions 36 can be moved
along the corresponding circular arcs that are centered to the
fittings 51. Then, the bent-over areas 37, 37 can be moved in a
plane parallel to the sheet 2 and thus form support cushions for,
for instance, the cheek bone areas of the child sitting in the
carrying pocket 4. In this way, and by accurately selecting the
horizontal length of the upper border part 35, it is possible to
adjust the upper border part 35 as a headrest, which makes it
possible to support the head of the child in an upright position,
with the nose of the child between the fittings 51 and with the
cheek bone areas of the child resting against the bent-over
portions 37, such as is illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0037] In FIGS. 9 and 10, it can be seen that the shoulder strap 52
on the lower border thereof has an edge bulge 81 that is received
in an undercut channel 82 in a slide fitting 84 connected to the
end 61 of the stabilizing strap 60 via an L-shaped connection
element 91 (FIG. 11), which is detachably received in an
appurtenant recess 92 in the fitting 84.
[0038] From FIG. 11, it is seen that the fitting 84 includes a
pivotally mounted lever 86, one arm 87 of which forms a movable
part of the undercut channel 82, and the other arm 88 of which is
supported by the foot 33 of the L-shaped connection element 91. The
arm 88 is shown to have an oblique wedging surface in contact with
the foot 33, which in turn rests on a plastic sliding surface in
the fitting 84. From FIG. 9, it is seen that the opening 92 opens
on the upperside of the fitting 84 and is in the form of an
elongate slot 95 that approaches the pivot of the lever 86 toward
the upper edge part 89 of the fitting 84. If the tensile force in
the stabilizing strap 60 aims to pull the fitting 84 in the upward
direction along the edge bulge 81, the L-shaped connection element
91 is displaced upward along the elongate slot 95, and the fitting
foot 33 will pivot the lever 86 so that the lever 86 stably seizes
the edge bulge 81 and prevents further displacement of the fitting
84 in the upward direction along the shoulder strap 52.
[0039] With the exception of the co-operation surfaces 71, 83
according to FIGS. 7 and 8, the associated fittings 51, 54 may be
of the design described in more detail of the fitting parts 70, 80
in WO 03/003880.
[0040] By the fact that the guide rails 50 extend as a continuous
arch between the two vertical side edges and horizontal upper edge
of the sheet 2, the end 53 of the shoulder strap 52 can be
displaced into an optimal position that is regulated by the body
dimensions of the user and the load in question.
[0041] The waist belt 1 has, of course, adjustment fittings that
allow selectable adjustment of the circumference of the waist belt
1 and that allow opening of the waist belt.
[0042] In FIG. 3, the straps 52, 60 have, for the sake of lucidity,
been omitted.
[0043] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
instead of having the fully rigid sheet 2 described above, the
child-carrying device includes a partially rigid sheet. That is,
the partially rigid sheet is rigid in an upper portion extending
upward from the front piece attaching elements (i.e., coupling
fittings) 31 to and including an upper edge of the sheet, and is
flexible in a lower portion extending downward from the front piece
attaching elements 31 to the waist belt 1.
[0044] The reason for the lower portion being flexible is to
provide enhanced comfort for the wearer. That is, when then the
child-carrying device is placed on the front side of the wearer,
and the wearer bends down, especially a small wearer, typically a
woman, the lower portion is able to compress. This flexibility
ensures that the upper portion of the partially rigid sheet will
not come in contact with the throat or face of the wearer, or in
any other way result in discomfort for the wearer when bending
down.
[0045] According to another preferred embodiment of the present
invention as shown in FIG. 12, the child-carrying device 100
includes a rigid substantially U-shaped frame 102. That is, in this
embodiment of the child-carrying device 100, the rigid sheet 2 or
the partially rigid sheet is replaced by a rigid substantially
U-shaped frame 102. The frame 102 is open within the outline of the
U, i.e., between opposed frame legs 103, and thus may be likened to
a backpack or a rucksack frame. The frame 102 can be, for example,
of tubular construction.
[0046] According to one embodiment of the U-shaped frame 102, each
frame leg 103 includes a hinged connection for reasons analogous to
those described above in conjunction with the partially rigid sheet
embodiment. That is, by providing a hinged connection in each frame
leg 103, when the child-carrying device is worn at the front and
the wearer bends down, the lower portion of the frame 102 can fold
away from the upper portion of the frame.
[0047] And, in the same way as described above in conjunction with
the sheet 2 embodiment of the support element, the frame 102 can be
provided with a guide rail 50 extending along each upper corner
edge area of the substantially U-shaped frame (guide rail not shown
in FIG. 12).
[0048] In still another embodiment of the frame 102, instead of
including the guide rails 50, the ends 53, 54 of the shoulder strap
52 can be thread around the frame legs 103 along each upper corner
edge area. Each frame leg 103 is provided with a suitable structure
to limit the displacement of the ends 53, 54 of the shoulder strap
52 along the frame 102 in the same way as the above-described guide
rails 50.
[0049] According to a preferred embodiment of the U-shaped frame
102, a fabric or another flexible material is provided to extend
between the legs 103 of the frame, i.e., across the open inside
area of the U-shaped frame. This fabric may cover the entire area
between the legs 103 or may be configured as one or more straps
extending between the legs 103. The fittings 31 of the front piece
3 are suitably connected on each of the legs 103, and the lower
central part of the front piece 3 is attached to the fabric or
other flexible material extending between legs 103. Thus, in the
U-shaped frame 102 embodiment, the attachment of the front piece 3
to the frame is made in the same way as with the sheet 2 embodiment
of the of the child-carrying device.
[0050] It is not intended that the present invention be limited to
the specific embodiments described herein. The foregoing is
considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
[0051] Further, since numerous modifications and changes will
readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to
limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown
and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the
invention.
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