U.S. patent application number 12/311607 was filed with the patent office on 2010-03-18 for child-carrying device ii.
Invention is credited to Fredrik Hallander, Jens O. Johansson, Joakim Liljedahl, Filip Sauer.
Application Number | 20100065594 12/311607 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42108723 |
Filed Date | 2010-03-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100065594 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liljedahl; Joakim ; et
al. |
March 18, 2010 |
Child-carrying device II
Abstract
A child-carrying device comprising a baby carrier (1, 2, 52), a
flexible front piece (3), which at upper laterally spaced-apart
portions, by means of detachable couplings (31), is connected to
the baby carrier, the front piece (3) having a lower central
portion that, by an appurtenant connection (40), is connected to an
adjacent part of the baby carrier, whereby the front piece (3)
forms a child-carrying pocket, the front piece (3) having an upper
border part that extends above the level of the upper laterally
spaced-apart fittings and has laterally projecting end portions at
each side, each of the end portions at the end thereof carrying a
first coupling part, which detachably can co-operate with an
appurtenant other coupling part, the second coupling parts being
carried by the baby carrier in laterally spaced-apart positions.
The first and second coupling fittings have formations (85, 72)
that co-operate with each other and, in the coupled state of the
first and second coupling fittings, rotationally secure the first
coupling fitting (51) in one of a plurality of mutually selectable
rotary positions.
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.: |
12/311607 |
Filed: |
October 4, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
October 4, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/SE2007/000883 |
371 Date: |
April 6, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/160 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 2003/148 20130101;
A47D 13/025 20130101; A45F 2003/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/160 |
International
Class: |
A47D 13/02 20060101
A47D013/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 5, 2006 |
SE |
0602099-4 |
Claims
1-6. (canceled)
7. A child-carrying device comprising a baby carrier (1, 2, 52), a
flexible front piece (3), which at upper laterally spaced-apart
portions, by means of detachable laterally spaced-apart couplings
(31), is connected to the baby carrier, the front piece (3) having
a lower central portion that, by an appurtenant connection (40), is
connected to an adjacent part of the baby carrier, whereby the
front piece (3) forms a child-carrying pocket, the front piece (3)
having an upper border part that extends above the level of the
upper laterally spaced-apart couplings and has laterally projecting
end portions at each side, each of the end portions at the end
thereof carrying a first coupling fitting (51), which detachably
can co-operate with an appurtenant second coupling fitting (54),
the second coupling fitting being carried by the baby carrier in
laterally spaced-apart positions, characterized in that the first
and second coupling fittings have formations (85, 72) that in the
coupled state of the first and second coupling fittings co-operate
with each other and provide rotationally security of the first
coupling fitting (51) in one of a plurality of mutually selectable
rotary positions relative the second coupling fitting in a plane,
corresponding to the front side or the back side of the user of the
child-carrying device.
8. Child-carrying device according to claim 7, characterized in
that the projecting end portions of the upper border part of the
front piece are flexible and resiliently elastic at least in a
longitudinal section (38) thereof that substantially rigidly
connects to the first coupling fitting, and conveyed by the first
coupling fitting (51) to its rotary orientation around the second
coupling fitting (54), the end portions of the front piece being
bendable to form bent-over areas (37) that form support against the
respective side of the face of the child.
9. Child-carrying device according to claim 7, characterized in
that the second coupling fitting (54) is in the form of a post
having a waist (57) for locking lugs (61) belonging to the first
coupling fitting that is ring-shaped and fits over the post, the
locking lugs (61) being spring-loaded against a displacement
position in which they engage with the waist, and the locking lugs
being coupled to outer press buttons that upon actuation retract
the lugs from the engagement with the waist.
10. Child-carrying device according to claim 7, characterized in
that, on a foot plate from which the post projects, the second
coupling device (54) has at least one formation (55) that can
engage in one of a plurality of formations (72) complementary
herewith on the first coupling fitting (51) is in axial locking
engagement with the second coupling fitting (54).
11. Child-carrying device according to claim 7, characterized in
that the baby carrier comprises a stiff sheet (2) on which the
second coupling fittings (54) are mounted.
12. Child-carrying device according to claim 11, characterized in
that the stiff sheet is carried from a waist belt (1) included in
the baby carrier, and that the second coupling fittings (54) are
carried in the vicinity of the upper border of the stiff sheet (2).
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a child-carrying device of the kind
that is defined in the preamble of claim 1.
[0002] Thus, the invention relates to a child-carrying device,
which comprises a baby carrier that can be worn on a user's upper
body part and that has a child-carrying pocket in which a child can
be received, the carrying pocket being formed of a flexible front
piece that, in laterally spaced-apart upper positions, is connected
to the baby carrier, and that has a lower central portion connected
to the carrying structure. The front piece has an upper border part
that extends up above the level of the upper laterally spaced-apart
connection positions. The upper border part has laterally
projecting end portions. Which at the ends have fitting parts that
can be coupled to the appurtenant respective fitting parts of the
baby carrier, in order to support the head of the child. A
child-carrying device of this kind is known, for instance, from WO
03/003880. Baby carriers of the kind in question may possibly
include a stiff element, for instance in the form of a sheet on the
chest side of the wearer, the sheet carrying the two fittings to
which the fittings of the lateral ends of the upper front-piece
portion are connected.
[0003] An object of the invention is, in such a baby carrier, with
or without stiff chest plate, to provide means to form a headrest
of the upper border part of the front piece, which headrest is
easily adjustable and forms spaced-apart support areas against the
front side of the head of the child, on either side of the mouth
and nose of the child, when the child is sitting in the carrying
pocket with the chest thereof facing the chest side of the
wearer.
[0004] An additional object of the invention is to efficiently and
comfortable afford a support of the head of the child in a
generally upright orientation. An additional object is to provide
simple and comfortable adjustment of the inner circumference of the
head-supporting area surrounded by the upper border part of the
front piece.
[0005] The objects are entirely or partly attained by the
invention.
[0006] The invention is defined in the appended independent claim
1.
[0007] Embodiments of the invention are defined in the appended
dependent claims.
[0008] In the following, the invention will be described by way of
examples, reference being made to a baby carrier of a special
design, but it should be appreciated that the invention can be
applied in other forms of the baby carrier, with or without stiff
lateral coupling between the laterally spaced-apart fitting parts
on the front side of the baby carrier, to which parts the
associated appurtenant fitting parts mounted to the laterally
projecting end portions of the front piece connect.
[0009] The invention will now be described by way of examples,
reference being made to the appended drawing.
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a wearer who wears a
child-carrying device.
[0011] FIG. 2 shows from behind the wearer having a child-carrying
device.
[0012] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the carrying device.
[0013] FIG. 4 shows a partial perspective view taken in the
direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 3.
[0014] FIG. 5 shows a partial view taken along line V-V in FIG.
3.
[0015] FIG. 6 shows a schematic section taken along line VI-VI in
FIG. 5.
[0016] FIG. 7 shows a schematic view taken along line VII-VII in
FIG. 6.
[0017] FIG. 8 shows a sectioned view taken along line VIII-VIII in
FIG. 6.
[0018] FIG. 9 shows an enlarged depiction of the slide fitting of
the stabilizing strap.
[0019] FIG. 10 shows a schematic section taken along line X-X in
FIG. 9.
[0020] FIG. 11 shows a schematic section taken along line XI-XI in
FIG. 9.
[0021] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a child-carrying device such as worn on
the upper body part of a wearer. The carrying device comprises a
waist belt 1, which carries a stiff plate 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 plate, at an upper
part of the plate 2, and there the same are detachably connected to
the plate 2 by means of the coupling 31. The front piece 3 has a
lower central band-shaped part that is turned up against the plate
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
devices 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, 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. The
upper border part 3 of the front piece 3 can, when the fitting
parts 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 50 extends along each upper corner edge area of the
plate 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 the strap 52 with the other
end 54 thereof is slidably connected to the right slide rail 50 in
FIG. 2.
[0022] In FIG. 1, it can be seen that a stabilizing strap 60, with
one end 60 thereof, is connected to the shoulder strap
approximately in the middle of the chest side. From there, the
strap 60 extends obliquely downward around the left side of the
wearer and connects to the left slide rail 50 in FIG. 2 with the
other end 62 thereof, which is displaceable along the 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.
[0023] Based on the state according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the user can
disconnect the stabilizing strap 60 from the shoulder strap 2 and
then open the fitting 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 2.
[0024] 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.
[0025] In FIG. 4, it can be seen that the lateral end portion 36 of
the border part 35 is elongate and at the ends has a ring-shaped
coupling fitting 51, which is received on a part of the fitting 54
formed as a post 55. The fitting part 51 is shown to have two
external diametrically opposed keys, which upon depression allows
retraction of the lock wedge 61, which are shown to engage in a
waist notch 57 in the respective post 54. 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 81 around the
bottom part of the post 54 (FIG. 8). The surface 71 has a plurality
of radially directed grooves 72 spaced-apart around the post. The
surface 81 around the post 54 has one or more radial ridges
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 portions 36 can be moved
along the corresponding circular arcs that are centred to the
fittings 51. Then, the bent-over areas 37, 37 can be moved in a
plane parallel to the sheet 2 and in that connection 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.
[0026] 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 comprised
of an undercut channel 82 in a slide fitting 84 connected to the
end 61 of the stabilizing strap via an L-shaped connection element
91, which is detachably received in an appurtenant recess 92 in the
fitting 84.
[0027] From FIG. 9, it is seen that the fitting 84 comprises a
pivotally mounted lever part 86, one arm 87 of which forms a
movable part of the groove 82, and the other arm 88 of which is
supported by the foot 93 of the fitting part 91. The arm part 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 mouths 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. If the tensile force in the stabilizing
strap 60 aims to pull the fitting 84 in the upward direction along
the bulge 81, the fitting element 91 is displaced upward along the
guide groove 95, and the fitting foot 33 will pivot the lever 86 so
that the same stably seizes the edge bulge 81 and prevents further
displacement of the fitting 84 in the upward direction along the
shoulder strap 52.
[0028] With the exception of the co-operation surfaces 71, 81
according to FIGS. 7 and 8, the associated fitting parts 51, 54 may
be of the design described in more detail of the fitting parts 70,
80 in WO 03/003880.
[0029] By the fact that the slide rails 50 extend as a continuous
arch between the two vertical side edges and horizontal upper edge
of the sheet, the portion 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.
[0030] The waist strap 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.
[0031] In FIG. 3, the straps 52, 60 have, for the sake of lucidity,
been omitted.
[0032] The fitting parts 54 have both been shown stiffly connected
to laterally spaced-apart positions of the stiff sheet 25, on a
common height level, but it is feasible to dispense with a stiff
lateral mutual coupling between the fitting parts 54, and instead
let them be carried, for instance, on a chest strap portion each of
a baby carrier of the kind that is disclosed in WO 03/003880,
wherein one of co-operating fitting parts 51, 54 should be formed
for mutual rotational securing, and, wherein the lateral end
portions of the upper border portion of the front piece should be
made to be folded over at a radial distance from the centre of the
fitting part, for the formation of the laterally displaceable
bent-over portions of the end portions of the upper border
portion.
* * * * *