U.S. patent application number 12/800153 was filed with the patent office on 2010-11-11 for personal carrier harness.
Invention is credited to Antwaine Ja-Quay Debnam, Nasir Mannan.
Application Number | 20100282808 12/800153 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43061776 |
Filed Date | 2010-11-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100282808 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Debnam; Antwaine Ja-Quay ;
et al. |
November 11, 2010 |
Personal carrier harness
Abstract
A personal weight-bearing harness that is worn over at least one
shoulder of a wearer and that comprises at least one handle
attached to the front of a strap of the harness provides an
improved means of carrying an infant or other item in at least one
arm of the wearer. The hand of the arm carrying the infant or item
can grasp the handle, which results in at least some of the weight
of the carried item(s) being transferred to the shoulder and/or
back of the wearer. The harness is worn over, under, or
incorporated into an outer garment, such as a coat, jacket, vest,
shirt, sweatshirt, and the like; in the latter two cases, a handle
is accessed through an opening in the outer garment disposed over
the handle.
Inventors: |
Debnam; Antwaine Ja-Quay;
(Hartford, CT) ; Mannan; Nasir; (Middletown,
CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Antwaine Debnam
885 Garden St.
Hartford
CT
06112
US
|
Family ID: |
43061776 |
Appl. No.: |
12/800153 |
Filed: |
May 10, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61215878 |
May 11, 2009 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/637 ; 2/102;
2/115; 2/93 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 2400/48 20130101;
A41D 13/0007 20130101; A41D 2400/482 20130101; A45F 2003/146
20130101; A47D 13/025 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/637 ; 2/93;
2/102; 2/115 |
International
Class: |
A45F 3/04 20060101
A45F003/04; A41D 3/02 20060101 A41D003/02; A41D 1/04 20060101
A41D001/04; A41B 1/00 20060101 A41B001/00 |
Claims
1. A personal weight bearing harness, comprising: a first strap
adapted to be worn over a shoulder of a wearer and descending
downwardly from the shoulder in front and in back of the wearer,
the first strap having a first end and a second end; a second strap
having a first end and a second end and adapted to be worn
encircling the wearer at about the wearer's waist, wherein the
first end of the first strap is attached to the second strap in the
front of the wearer and the second end of the first strap is
attached to the second strap in the back of the wearer, and wherein
the second strap may be fastened together at its first and second
ends; and at least one handle attached to the first strap or to the
second strap in the front of the wearer, such that the handle can
be grasped by a hand of the wearer, thereby to aid the wearer in
carrying weight supported by the wearer's forearm.
2. The harness of claim 1, wherein the harness is incorporated into
an outer garment, such that when the outer garment is worn by the
wearer, at least one hand of the wearer can access and grasp a
handle on the harness.
3. The harness of claim 2, wherein the outer garment is selected
from the group consisting of coats, jackets, blazers, vests,
shirts, and sweatshirts.
4. The harness of claim 2, wherein the harness is incorporated into
an interior of the outer garment, such that at least one handle is
accessible to at least one hand of the wearer through an opening in
the outer garment.
5. The harness of claim 4, wherein the ends of the second strap are
attached to the outer garment at a front of the outer garment, such
that each end of the second strap is attached to one side of a
front center closure of the outer garment, such that when the front
center closure of the garment is closed the second strap is
fastened securely around the wearer's body.
6. The harness of claim 1, wherein the harness further comprises
additional means for securing at least one item to at least one
strap in the front of the wearer.
7. The harness of claim 4, further comprising additional means for
securing at least one item to at least one strap in the front of
the wearer, wherein such securing means is accessible to the wearer
through an opening in the outer garment.
8. The harness of claim 2, further comprising means to secure a
baby carrier to the harness, wherein such means is accessible to
the wearer.
9. An outer garment configured to be worn over the harness of claim
1, wherein the outer garment comprises at least one opening in
front of the wearer and disposed over the at least one handle
attached to a strap of the harness when the harness is worn by the
wearer under the garment, such that the handle is accessible to at
least one hand of the wearer through the opening in the
garment.
10. The weight bearing harness of claim 1, further comprising a
third strap adapted to be worn over a second shoulder of the wearer
and descending downwardly from the second shoulder in front and in
back of the wearer, the third strap having a first end and a second
end, wherein the first end of the third strap is attached to the
second strap in the front of the wearer and the second end of the
third strap is attached to the second strap in the back of the
wearer, and wherein the at least one handle is attached to the
first strap or to the second strap or to the third strap in front
of the wearer, such that the handle can be grasped by a hand of the
wearer, thereby to aid the wearer in carrying weight supported by
the wearer's forearm.
11. The harness of claim 10, wherein the first strap and the third
strap cross each other in back of the wearer.
12. The harness of claim 10, wherein the harness further comprises
a back brace.
13. The harness of claim 10, wherein the harness further comprises
a back piece.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/215,878, filed May 11, 2009, and titled
"Personal Carrier Harness.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a personal weight-bearing
harness which facilitates the wearer in carrying items in the
wearer's arms, and in particular to outer garments such as coats,
jackets, blazers, vests, shirts, sweatshirts, and the like, worn
with or incorporating the harness which assists the wearer in
carrying children such as infants and toddlers, or other items, in
the wearer's arms.
[0003] Many methods are used to carry infants and toddlers by their
caregiver. One popular type of device is a baby carrier; these
carriers are fashioned to be worn over a caregivers clothing, and
support a baby either at the caregiver's front or back, with the
baby facing inward or outward. However, while useful in many
situations, these types of carriers are cumbersome to use, in that
the carrier must first be donned by the caregiver, adjusted for
proper fit, and then fastened securely to the caregiver's body;
next, the baby must be carefully and securely placed into the
carrier. The process is reversed to put the baby down. Also, these
carriers are typically limited to use with a baby of a particular
size or small size range, with front carriers generally limited to
use with younger babies, and rear or back-pack carriers for use
with older babies or toddlers.
[0004] An easier and traditional method is for the caregiver to
simply pick up and carry the baby in the caregiver's arms. However,
this method is limited for any other than short term carrying, due
to eventual fatigue of the caregiver's arms.
[0005] Thus, what is needed is a means to carry an infant or
toddler that is less cumbersome than a baby carrier but that also
avoids or decreases fatigue in the caregiver's arms.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A personal weight-bearing harness that is worn over
shoulders of a wearer and that comprises at least one handle
attached to the front of the harness provides an improved means of
carrying a child or other item in at least one arm of the wearer.
The harness comprises at least one strap to be worn over a wearer's
shoulder and attached at its ends in the front and in the back of
the wearer to a second strap to be worn encircling the wearer at
about the wearer's waist, with at least one handle attached to the
front of at least one of these straps. The hand of the wearer's arm
carrying the child or other item can grasp the handle, which
results in at least some of the weight of the carried child or
other item(s) being transferred to the shoulder and/or back of the
wearer, thereby resulting in less weight carried by the wearer's
arm and avoiding or decreasing resulting muscle fatigue in the arm
carrying the child or other item(s).
[0007] Although it is anticipated that many items can be usefully
carried with the assistance of the weight-bearing harness, it is
believed that the harness is especially useful for carrying infants
and young children.
[0008] The weight bearing harness can be worn over an outer
garment, or it can worn under an outer garment, or it can be
incorporated into an outer garment, preferably on the inside of the
outer garment, and if the outer garment has a lining, preferably
under the lining. When worn under an outer garment, or incorporated
into an outer garment, the handles are accessed by discreet
openings in the outer portion of the garment such that a handle can
be hidden from view when not in use, and may be pulled through an
opening to be grasped by the wearer's hand when in use.
[0009] The weight-bearing harness worn under or incorporated into
an outer garment allows the wearer to maintain a fashionable look
when the harness is not in use, and to still appear quite
fashionable when the harness is in use for carrying at least one
item in at least one arm of the wearer. As part of an outer
garment, the weight-bearing harness is easy to use, easily
accessible, and always available. It allows the wearer to carry
items such as babies, toddlers, books, bags, tools and the like
closer to the wearer's center of gravity. And it avoids or
decreases arm muscle fatigue when carrying such items "by hand" for
any other than short periods of time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front of an embodiment
of a weight-bearing harness with one shoulder strap.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the front of an embodiment
of a weight-bearing harness with two shoulder straps as worn.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the back of an embodiment
of a weight-bearing harness with two shoulder straps as worn.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the front of an embodiment
of a weight-bearing harness with two shoulder straps comprising
additional features.
[0014] FIG. 5 is an illustrative view of an embodiment of a
weight-bearing harness incorporated into the interior an outer
garment, as viewed from the front.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a pictorial view of an outer garment with an
incorporated interior weight-bearing harness and as worn by a
wearer and in use for carrying a young child, as viewed from the
front.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] With reference to the drawings, in FIG. 1, a weight-bearing
harness (10) to be worn by a person (the "wearer") over at least
one shoulder of the wearer is shown in perspective view from the
front.
[0017] In some embodiments, the harness (10) comprises at least a
first strap (12) which, when worn, is positioned over one shoulder
of the wearer, where the strap (12) descends downwardly from the
wearer's shoulder in the front ("front strap" (14)) and in the back
("back strap" (16)) of the wearer to a lower second strap which
encircles the wearer at about the wearer's waist or hip region
("waist strap" (18)); the front strap (14) is attached at its front
end (20) and the back strap (16) is attached at its back end (22)
to the waist strap (18) in the front region (24) and back region
(26) of the waist strap (18), respectively. In particular
embodiments, the front strap (14) and back strap (16) descend about
vertically from the wearer's shoulder to the waist strap (18); in
other particular embodiments, the front strap (14) and back strap
(16) descend at an angle from the wearer's shoulder, such that the
strap (12) is worn over one shoulder, and attached at its front end
(20) and back end (22) to the waist strap front region (24) and
waist strap back region (26) at positions somewhere under the
wearer's opposite shoulder.
[0018] In other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the
weight-bearing harness (110) comprises two straps, a first strap
112 and a third strap 113 which when worn are positioned one over
each of the wearer's shoulders, where each strap descends
downwardly in the front ("front straps" 114, 115) and in the back
("back straps" 116, 117) of the wearer from each of the wearer's
shoulders to a lower second strap which encircles the wearer at
about the wearer's waist or hip region ("waist strap" 118); the
straps 112, 113 are attached at their front ends 120, 121 and at
their back ends 122, 123 to the waist strap 118 in the front region
of the waist strap 124 and in the back region of the waist strap
126, respectively. In particular embodiments, the back straps 116,
117 may descend straight down the wearer's back from the wearer's
shoulders to the back region of the waist strap 126; in other
particular embodiments, the back straps 116, 117 may cross each
other at the back of the wearer before continuing down to the back
region of the waist strap 126; in another embodiment, the back
straps 116, 117 may be attached to each other at the back of the
wearer at least one point, from which they then descend vertically
to the back region of the waist strap 126 either jointly, as one
strap, or as two separate straps. The two back straps 116, 117 may
be joined to each other by at least a fourth strap (a "horizontal
back strap," not shown) or by a back brace (not shown) or by other
means to provide greater comfort and back support. In other
particular embodiments, the back straps 116, 117 comprise one piece
from the wearer's shoulders to the wearer's waist (a "back piece,"
not shown), and are thus connected to the front straps 114, 115 at
about the wearer's shoulders and to the back region of the waist
strap 126 at the bottom of the back piece of the wearer's back; and
in yet other particular embodiments, the back straps 116, 117 may
extend downward from the wearer's shoulders some length before
being connected to a single back piece, which is then connected to
the back region of the waist strap 126.
[0019] The straps 12, 112, 113 may be of any suitable width and
length, and may further comprise means to adjust their length to
more snugly fit the wearer; such means are well known and include
but are not limited to ties, cinches, buckles, VELCRO, and the
like. The harness may further comprise means to adjust the position
of the straps 12, 112, 113 relative to the wearer, to improve fit
and comfort; such means are well known and include but are not
limited to ties, cinches, buckles (38, as shown in FIG. 4), VELCRO,
and the like.
[0020] The waist strap 18, 118 has two ends at the wearer's front
toward the center of the wearer 30, 32, 130, 132, and when worn are
generally fastened together by any well known means, which include
but are not limited to ties, cinches, buckles, VELCRO, and the
like. The waist strap 18, 118 may also be of any suitable width and
length, and may further comprise means to adjust their length to
more snugly fit the wearer; such means are well known and include
but are not limited to ties, cinches, buckles, VELCRO, and the
like.
[0021] At least one handle 34 is attached to at least one front
strap 14, 114, 115 or to a front region of a waist strap 24, 124.
In some embodiments, two handles 34 are attached one to each front
strap 14, 114, 115, and in other embodiments, four handles 34 are
attached to the front straps 114, 115, two to a strap. In other
embodiments at least one handle 34 is attached to a front region of
a waist strap 24, 124, preferably toward the ends of the waist
strap 31, 32, 130, 132, and in other embodiment two handles 34 are
attached to a front region of a waist strap 24, 124, preferably
toward the ends of the waist strap 31, 32, 130, 132, one handle 34
on either side of the center line of the wearer and on either side
of the two ends of the waist strap 31, 32, 130, 132 at the front of
the wearer. And in other embodiments at least one handle 34 is
attached to a front strap 14, 114, 115 and at least one handle 34
is attached to a front region of a waist strap 24, 124 in any of
the configurations as described above. The handles 34 are
positioned on a front strap 14, 114, 115 or on a front region of a
waist strap 24, 124 so that when the harness 10, 110 is worn and a
handle 34 is grasped by the hand of the wearer either on the same
side as or opposite to location of the handle 34 on a front strap
14, 114, 115 or on a front region of a waist strap 24, 124, the arm
is either perpendicular to the ground, or slightly angled up away
from perpendicular or angled slightly downward from perpendicular.
The handles 34 may be attached to a front strap 14, 114, 115, or a
front region of a waist strap 24, 124 at one or more points.
[0022] A handle 34 may be any configuration which is comfortably
grasped by the wearer's hand and which when grasped provide support
for the wearer's arm. Exemplary handles include but are not limited
to: a strip of material attached at both of its ends to a strap; a
strip of material fashioned into a loop attached at one end to a
strap; a circular or oval shaped handle; a knob in any shape easily
grasped by a hand, where the knob may further comprise a slight
flange at its lower end for further supporting the hand grasping
it.
[0023] A handle 34 may be attached to a strap 14, 114, 115, 24, 124
in a fixed fashion, such that the handle 34 does not generally
reorient itself with respect to the strap 14, 114, 115, 24, 124, or
a handle 34 may be attached to a strap 14, 114, 115, 24, 124 in
such a fashion such that it can rotate to different angles with
respect to the strap 14, 114, 115, 24, 124, to accommodate
different angles of the hand grasping it. A handle 34 may also be
attached to a strap 14, 114, 115, 24, 124 in a retractable fashion,
such that the handle 34 can be pulled out to a certain length, and
then retracted close to or into a strap 14, 114, 115, 24, 124 when
not in use. Alternatively, a handle 34 may be removably attached to
a strap 14, 114, 115, 24, 124, by means including but not limited
to by ties, snaps, buttons, clips, buckles, and the like, such that
a handle 34 may be removed from a harness 10, 110 and later again
removably attached. A handle 34 may also be attached to a strap 14,
114, 115, 24, 124 by means of a knob which fits into a groove or
slot, where the groove or slot is located on a strap 14, 114, 115,
24, 124 and the knob on the handle 34, or vice versa; in these
embodiments, the handle 34 is attached to a strap 14, 114, 115, 24,
124 by sliding the knob into the groove or slot.
[0024] The front straps 14, 114, 115, 24, 124 may further comprise
additional means for removably securing items to the front straps.
Such means include but are not limited to ties, loops, snaps,
buttons, VELCRO, buckles, hooks, rings (such as a D ring 36 as
shown in FIG. 4), clips and the like, attached to the front straps
14, 114, 115, 24, 124 to which items may be clipped or otherwise
secured. Exemplary items that may be secured to the harness 10, 110
via these means include but are not limited to baby items such as
pacifiers, toys, bibs, bottles, and in certain embodiments, baby
carriers, such as baby carrier pouches. A baby carrier may be
securely and removably fastened at several points to the front of
the harness 10, 110 by such means as described above;
alternatively, additional straps may be securely fastened to the
front of the harness 10, 110, either permanently or removably such
as with zippers, buckles, and the like, where these additional
straps comprise means by which a baby carrier may be securely and
removably fastened to the front of harness 10, 110.
[0025] Harness straps 12, 112, 18, 118 may be made of any
conventional material suitable for this use, including nylon,
webbing, leather, rubberized material and the like. Harness straps
12, 112, 18, 118 may further comprise padded sections for increased
comfort during wear, such as over the shoulders, and at the back.
Likewise, handles 34 may also be fashioned of any material suitable
to this particular use, including strapping material, rubber, foam,
tubing, padded webbing, mixed materials such as plastic and foam,
and the like.
[0026] The harness 10, 110 may be worn over an outer garment of the
wearer, where an outer garment is worn outside of all other
garments; exemplary outer garments include but are not limited to
coats, jackets, blazers, vests, shirts, sweatshirts, and the like;
m these embodiments, the ends of the waist strap 30, 32, 130, 132
include a means to securely fasten the harness to the wearer, as
described above.
[0027] The harness 10, 110 may also be incorporated into an outer
garment of the wearer. An exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 5,
in which weight-bearing harness 110 is incorporated into the
interior of a vest 140. The harness 110 is incorporated into the
interior portion 142 of the garment, such as within a lining 144.
The harness 110 may be attached to the interior 144 of a garment
140 by the straps 112, such as at the shoulder seams of either the
underside of the lining 144 (that side which faces the interior 142
of the garment 140, and thus faces away from the wearer) of the
garment 140, or to the seams or shoulder region of the interior 142
of the garment 140 itself. The waist strap 118 may be attached to
the garment 140, either at the garment interior 142 or to the
underside of the lining 144 of the garment 140, for a portion of
the back region of the waist strap 126 (which would then be
attached to the back of the garment 146 or to the back of the
garment lining 144) up to the entire length of the waist strap 118
from the back region of the waist strap 126 to the front region of
the waist strap 124 (where the front region of the waist strap 124
would be attached to the front of the garment 148 or to the front
of the garment lining 144). The harness 110 may be even more
securely attached to a garment 140 by attaching either the back
straps 116, 117, the front straps 114, 115 or both sets of straps
116, 117, 114, 115 and for portions of their length up to their
entire length, to the interior 142 of the garment 140 itself or to
the underside of the lining 144.
[0028] In an embodiment, when weight bearing harness 110 is
incorporated into a garment 140, a portion of the waist strap 118
may remain unattached from the garment 140, such as is shown in
FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the ends of the waist strap 130, 132 as
shown in FIG. 5 may then be fastened together by any of the means
as described above, thus securing the waist strap to the body of
the wearer of the garment 140. In another embodiment shown in FIG.
6, the ends of the waist straps 130, 132 are attached to a garment
150 at the front of the garment 152, such that the each end of the
waist strap 130, 132 ends at and is attached to one side 156, 158
of a front center closure 154 of the garment 150. In FIG. 6,
closing the garment 150 (such as by a zipper or buttons or snaps or
the like positioned on the front center closure 154) results in
closing the waist strap 18, 118 securely around the body of the
wearer of the garment 150.
[0029] At least one handle 34 (and/or additional attachment means,
if present, such as D ring 36) is accessed by at least one discreet
opening 160 in the outer portion of the garment 150, where the
opening extends through the outer portion of the garment 150, and
if necessary the garment lining 144, to provide access to a handle
34. The opening is disposed over a handle 34, such that the handle
34 can be hidden from view when not in use, and may be pulled
through the opening 160 to be grasped by the wearer's hand when in
use. At least one opening 160 may also be disposed over any at
least one further attachment means (such as D ring 36) attached to
a strap 14, 114, 115, 24, 124 such that the attachment means may be
accessed when the garment 150 is worn by a wearer. An opening 160
may simply be a slit in the outer garment 150, or it may further
comprise flaps, zippers, buttons, snaps, hooks, VELCRO, and the
like, or any combination of these, to close the opening 160 and
further conceal and/or pad the handles 34 and any other attachment
means present.
[0030] The harness 10, 110 may also be worn under an outer garment
of a wearer. In these embodiments, the outer garment is configured
as described above, with at least one opening 160 in the outer
portion of the garment 150 disposed over at least one handle 34
such that a handle 34 can be hidden from view when not in use, and
may be pulled through the opening 160 to be grasped by the wearer's
hand when in use. When necessary, an opening 160 extends through an
outer garment and into the interior, and through a garment lining
144 if present, so that a handle 34 of a harness 10, 100 may be
accessed when the garment is worn over the harness 10, 110. At
least one opening 160 may also be disposed over any at least one
further attachment means (such as D ring 36) attached to a strap
14, 114, 115, 24, 124 such that the attachment means may be
accessed when the garment 150 is worn by a wearer.
[0031] To carry a child 162 or other item with a harness 110 in
place, as shown in FIG. 6, the wearer simply places the child 162
or other item on a forearm and then reaches across the chest with
the hand attached to the forearm to a handle 34 on a front strap
114 on the side opposite the carrying arm, as shown in FIG. 6. As
described previously, the wearer may grasp a handle 34 on the
opposite side or the same side as the arm carrying a weight; the
wearer's arm may be perpendicular to the ground, or angled slightly
up or down. The harness 110 is designed to fit the wearer snugly,
transfer some of the weight of the child 162 or other item carried
in the wearer's arms to the wearer's shoulders and back, and to
properly distribute the weight of a carried child 162 or other item
over the wearer's shoulders and back. The back support provided by
a harness 10, 110 further assists the wearer in maintaining good
posture when carrying a child 162 or other item.
[0032] A harness 10, 110 is particularly useful in carrying infants
and young children, such as toddlers and older, by the arms of the
wearer of the harness 10, 110. Many other items can also be carried
in the arms of the wearer of the harness, including but not limited
to books, bags (containing other items such as groceries), boxes,
and the like, which are carried on the arm, as well as items with
handles which can be carried suspended from the wearer's arms.
Additional items may be carried by attaching them to the handles or
to any additional attachment means which may be part of the
harness. If a harness 10, 110 is incorporated into an outer garment
150, the wearer accesses a handle 34 by reaching through an opening
160 (after first opening it, if necessary). A harness incorporated
into an outer garment allows the wearer to maintain a fashionable
look when the harness is not in use, and to still appear quite
fashionable when the garment is in use for carrying at least one
item in at least one arm of the wearer. The harness is easy to use,
easily accessible, and always available. It allows the wearer to
carry items such as babies, books, bags, tools and the like closer
to the wearer's center of gravity. And it avoids or decreases arm
muscle fatigue when carrying such items "by hand" for any other
than short periods of time.
[0033] It is understood that this invention is not confined to the
particular structures herein illustrated and described, but
embraces such modified forms hereof as come within the scope of the
following claims.
* * * * *