CN110621200A - Child carrier with base width adjustment track - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an adjustable child carrier includes: a waist belt adapted to be secured around the hips of the wearer; a guide rail coupled to the waist belt; a body adapted to cooperate with a torso of a wearer to form a child-carrying region. The main body includes: a torso support portion configured to support at least a torso of a child; a bucket seat portion configured to form a bucket seat; and a lower portion extending below an upper portion of an edge of the waist belt and coupled to the guide track, the lower portion being adjustable along the guide track to adjust a base width of the bucket seat. The child carrier may also include a first shoulder strap coupled to the body and a second shoulder strap coupled to the body. The child carrier may also include a height adjuster.

Description

Child carrier with base width adjustment track

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority of U.S. provisional application No.62/450,465 entitled "child carrier with BASE WIDTH ADJUSTMENT track and/OR HEIGHT adjuster" (CHILD CARRIER WITH BASE WIDTH ADJUSTMENT using rail and/OR HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT using), filed 2017 on 25/1/2017, in accordance with 35 u.s.c. 119(e), the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to child carriers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a child carrier adapted to ergonomically carry a child as the child grows.

Background

Currently, various child carriers may be used by parents or other individuals to transport a child. Child carriers are commonly used to carry infants and young children because they provide the wearer with freedom to move their hands and arms while carrying the child. In pursuit of child safety, some of these devices have become overly complex, including rigid seats and frames that add significantly to the weight of the vehicle and do not accommodate the growth of the child. These complex carriers are relatively heavy and can exert excessive pressure on the wearer, particularly in the lumbar region. In addition, many current carriers are only wearable on the back due to size, thereby depriving the child and their mother of the comfort and safety of postures that may be in a face-to-face relationship.

Carriers of flexible construction are becoming increasingly popular because they are lighter, less bulky, and more comfortable to wear. These carriers include padding, sutures, and fabric rather than a rigid frame to provide structure. However, some carriers of flexible construction hold the child in an upright position with the child's legs down and the bottom of the child's spine supporting the child's weight. This posture may not be optimal for infants and other young children. Although the spine of an adult has four curves, the spine of a young child has only two curves. A large portion of the spine of young children will form a C-shape (so-called total kyphosis). Positioning a young child, particularly an infant, in an upright position may overly restrict the curvature of the spine and exert pressure on the sacrum of the infant. This may cause the infant's pelvis to tilt backwards, restricting movement of the legs and hips, which may interfere with the healthy development of the infant's pelvis.

Furthermore, conventional carriers of flexible construction are typically designed for children of very limited age, weight and size, and compromises are made in the shape of the carrier to accommodate one age group. Even if the carrier supports a child in an ergonomic posture of one age/weight/size, positioning children of different age groups in an ergonomic posture while using the same carrier can be problematic because different children develop at different speeds and the anatomical structures and physiology of the children change significantly between infancy and early childhood.

A carrier designed for an infant or young child may not be able to accommodate the child as the child grows because the seat and back support portions of the carrier will become too small. To make the carrier more adaptable, some carriers provide additional panels that can be deployed and added to the seat to widen the seat and/or back panels that can be expanded (e.g., by deploying additional back panel material or attaching new panels) to accommodate the growth of the child. However, simply widening the seat or extending the carrier is not sufficient to solve the appropriate ergonomic problems.

On the other hand, carriers designed for older children may not properly support the infant. One solution to this problem is to use a specially designed "baby insert", which is an accessory that contains additional padding and structure, so that a small baby can be carried in the carrier, which would otherwise not be able to support the baby properly. However, not all carriers support the use of infant inserts. Furthermore, depending on the design, the infant insert may be cumbersome, non-intuitive, and easily lost. In particular, the use of a separate infant insert may require parents to track two separate devices and may significantly increase the difficulty of configuring the carrier for the wearer, the difficulty of wearing the carrier, or the difficulty of getting a child into and out of the carrier.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment includes an adjustable child carrier having a waist belt adapted to be secured around a wearer's hips, a guide track coupled to the waist belt, and a body adapted to cooperate with a wearer's torso to form a child-carrying area. The main body may include: a torso support portion configured to support at least a torso of a child; a bucket seat portion configured to form a bucket seat; and a lower portion extending below an upper edge of the waistband and coupled to the guide track. The lower portion is adjustable along the guide track to adjust the base width of the bucket seat. The child carrier may also include a first shoulder strap coupled to the body and a second shoulder strap coupled to the body. The track follower may couple the lower portion to the guide track. According to one embodiment, the lower part forms a loop through which the guide rail passes, and the lateral outer end of the loop is adjustable to adjust the base width.

The bucket seat may be configured in a plurality of bucket seat configurations to accommodate a plurality of child sizes. Each of the plurality of bucket seat configurations may have a bucket seat depth and a bucket seat width and be adapted to support a child in a respective size range in a squat position. The lower portion of the main body may be disposed in a width range along the guide rail to select a bucket seat configuration from a plurality of bucket seat configurations.

According to one embodiment, the guide rail is positioned to be located between the waist belt and the wearer during use. Furthermore, the guide rail is significantly thinner than the adjacent portion of the waist belt.

According to one embodiment, the plurality of bucket seat configurations includes a first configuration adapted to support a child in a first range of sizes in a first respective squat position, a second configuration adapted to support a child in a second range of sizes in a second respective squat position, and a third configuration adapted to support a child in a third range of sizes in a third respective squat position. The first configuration may have a first bucket seat base width and a first bucket seat depth, the second configuration may have a second bucket seat base width and a second bucket seat depth, and the third configuration may have a third bucket seat base width and a third bucket seat depth. The first bucket seat base width may be less than the second bucket seat base width. The first bucket seat depth may be greater than the second bucket seat depth. The second bucket seat base width may be less than the third bucket seat base width. The second bucket seat depth may be greater than the third bucket seat depth. The child carrier may have a wearable height that depends on the depth of the bucket shaped seat.

The child carrier may further include a height adjuster at the top of the body for adjusting the height of the body. According to one embodiment, the height adjuster includes a first height adjustment strap coupled to the first shoulder strap and a second height adjustment strap coupled to the second shoulder strap. An upper portion of the first shoulder strap may be coupled to the body at a first shoulder strap attachment point, and an upper portion of the second shoulder strap may be coupled to the body at a second shoulder strap attachment point. The first height adjustment strap may be coupled to the main body at a first height adjustment strap first attachment point located below the first shoulder strap attachment point and coupled to the first shoulder strap at a first height adjustment strap second attachment point remote from the first shoulder strap attachment point. The second height adjustment strap may be coupled to the main body at a second height adjustment strap first attachment point located below the second shoulder strap attachment point and to the second shoulder strap at a second height adjustment strap second attachment point remote from the second shoulder strap attachment point.

According to one embodiment, the first shoulder strap includes a first shoulder strap split upper end, wherein a first branch of the first shoulder strap split upper end is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a first shoulder strap first branch attachment point and a second branch of the first shoulder strap split upper end is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a first shoulder strap second branch attachment point that is located at a different vertical position than the first shoulder strap first branch attachment point. The second branch of the first shoulder strap separating the upper ends may include a first height adjustment strap. The first height adjustment strap may be coupled to the first shoulder strap away from the first shoulder strap first branch attachment point and have an adjustable length, the first height adjustment strap being adjustable to adjust a height of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the top of the carrier may fold or unfold between the branches when adjusting the height.

The second shoulder strap may include a second shoulder strap split upper end, wherein a first branch of the second shoulder strap split upper end is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a second shoulder strap first branch attachment point, and a second branch of the second shoulder strap split upper end is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a second shoulder strap second branch attachment point that is located at a different vertical position than the second shoulder strap first branch attachment point. The second branch of the first shoulder strap at the upper divided end may include a first height adjustment strap and the second branch of the second shoulder strap at the upper divided end may include a second height adjustment strap. The first height adjustment strap may be coupled to the first shoulder strap away from the first shoulder strap first branch attachment point, and the second height adjustment strap may be coupled to the second shoulder strap away from the second shoulder strap second branch attachment point. The first height adjusting belt and the second height adjusting belt can be adjusted to adjust the height of the carrier. In one embodiment, the top of the carrier may fold or unfold between the branches of the divided upper end when adjusting the height.

A method of configuring a child carrier, comprising: the lower portion of the body of the child carrier is adjusted along a guide track to adjust the base width of the bucket seat, the guide track being coupled to the lap belt of the child carrier and the lower portion extending below the upper edge of the lap belt. The method further comprises the following steps: securing the waist belt around the hips of the wearer; placing a child in a child-bearing area formed by a body cooperating with a torso of a wearer, the body having a torso support portion configured to support at least the torso of the child and a barrel-shaped seat portion forming a barrel-shaped seat; and supporting the child in the carrier with a harness, the harness including a waist belt, a first shoulder belt, and a second shoulder belt.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, are included to describe certain aspects of the invention. A clearer impression of the invention, and of the components and operation of systems provided with the invention, will become more apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore nonlimiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same components. Note that the features shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of an adjustable child carrier.

Fig. 2 is a side view of an adjustable carrier configured in a first configuration, according to one embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of an adjustable child carrier configured in a second configuration, according to one embodiment.

Fig. 4A is a view of the inside of an adjustable carrier according to one embodiment.

Fig. 4B is a view of the outside of an adjustable carrier according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of one embodiment of a base width adjustment track system.

Fig. 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate an example arrangement of one embodiment of a base width adjuster.

Fig. 7 shows a correspondence between base width and wearable height according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

The child carrier and related methods, as well as various features and advantageous details thereof, are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known starting materials, processing techniques, components and equipment are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the details of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions and/or rearrangements within the spirit and/or scope of the inventive concept will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

The child carrier to which the present disclosure relates allows a child to be carried in a manner that supports the child, including an infant, and maintains the child's pelvis and thighs in a preferred ergonomic position over an age period. In particular, embodiments described herein provide a carrier that supports the bottom, pelvis, and thighs of a child in a desired posture. Embodiments described herein also allow a child to be carried in a wearer-facing position in front of or behind the person carrying the child. The user may wear the vehicle with the child's weight near the wearer's center of gravity and near the front or back of the wearer.

The adjustable child carrier may be configured to accommodate children of various sizes in front or rear carrying positions while supporting the child's buttocks, pelvis, bottom and two upper thighs when the child is carried in various orientations. For example, embodiments of a child carrier as disclosed herein may provide an adjustable child carrier that may be used with newborns (infants) (e.g., about 7 pounds) and may additionally be used with children up to about 45 pounds or more. Thus, the embodiments may be appropriately sized to carry an infant without the use of additional infant inserts. According to such an arrangement, the carrier may be adapted to place a child in a child carrying area of the child carrier while the knees of the child are raised. In one embodiment, the carrier is adapted to support the infant in a position in which the infant's femur is at an angle of 90-120 degrees to the coronal plane when adjusted to accommodate the infant. Additionally, the carrier may be adapted to support the infant in a position in which the knees of the infant are at 45-60 degrees to the medial plane. In particular embodiments, the carrier may be adapted to facilitate a spread-squat-position.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle includes a bucket seat that is adjustable in a variety of configurations. According to one embodiment, the lower portion of the vehicle body is coupled to a track on the waist belt of the vehicle by a track follower. The track follower may be adjusted to adjust the base width of the carrier. By adjusting the base width of the carrier, the depth of the carrier seat can be adjusted.

The vehicle may have a multiple bucket seat configuration. The plurality of bucket shaped seating configurations comprises: a first configuration adapted to support a child in a first size range in a first spread-squat position; a second configuration adapted to support a child in a second size range in a second spread-squat position. The first configuration may have a first bucket seat width and a first bucket seat depth, and the second configuration may have a second bucket seat width and a second bucket seat depth, wherein the first bucket seat width is less than the second bucket seat width and the first bucket seat depth is greater than the second bucket seat depth. The plurality of bucket seat configurations may include a third bucket seat configuration. The third bucket seat configuration may have a bucket seat width greater than the second bucket seat width and a bucket seat depth less than the second bucket seat depth.

More specifically, the vehicle may include a bucket seat for the child and one or more adjustments that, when adjusted, are used to adjust the depth of the bucket seat and the height of the child vehicle. When adjusted to the neonatal setting, the vehicle is configured such that the depth of the bucket seat can be maximized. Conversely, the depth of the bucket seat may be minimal when adjusted to its maximum or oversized size setting (e.g., a setting in which the carrier is designed to accommodate the largest child). When the depth of the bucket seat is at a maximum, the thighs may be supported such that the angle of the child's thighs with respect to the coronal plane may be at a maximum, and when the depth of the bucket seat is at a minimum, the thighs may be supported such that the angle of the child's thighs with respect to the coronal plane may be at a minimum. Similarly, when the bucket seat is at a maximum depth, the carrier may be configured such that the carrier retains a child carried therein with relatively more curvature in the spine than when the bucket seat is at a minimum depth.

The vehicle of some embodiments may also be configured to adjust the height. In some embodiments, the length of the body remains consistent, but the wearable height varies depending on the setting of the bucket seat size. The bucket seat is deeper and consumes more of the vehicle length dimension as the base width is at a minimum/narrowest setting, thus leaving less for the wearable height, while the bucket seat is shallower and consumes less of the vehicle length dimension at a maximum/widest setting, thus leaving more for the wearable height.

Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle may include shoulder straps with height adjusters that allow the top of the vehicle to be reconfigured to achieve different heights. According to one embodiment, the shoulder straps of the vehicle may have separate upper ends, wherein one branch of the separate upper ends is coupled to the body of the vehicle at one point and a second branch of the separate upper ends is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a different vertical position. By adjusting the length of the branches connected to the lower vertical position, the upper part of the carrier can be folded down, thereby lowering the height of the carrier.

Fig. 1 is an illustration of an external view of one embodiment of an adjustable carrier 100. Fig. 2 is a side view of adjustable carrier 100 configured in a first configuration, according to one embodiment. Fig. 3 is an illustration of an adjustable carrier 100 configured in a second configuration, according to one embodiment. Fig. 4A is a view of the inside of an adjustable carrier 100 according to one embodiment. Fig. 4B is a view of the outside of the adjustable carrier 100 according to one embodiment. Figure 5 is a more detailed view of one embodiment of a rail system.

As discussed in more detail below, embodiments of the adjustable carrier 100 may include various adjustments such that the carrier 100 may be adjusted as the child grows to support the child in an ergonomic squat position that is appropriate for the child's weight or size, with the child's pelvis, bottom, and thighs supported. Preferably, the child is supported throughout the development in an ergonomic spread-squat position (also referred to as a "frog leg," "frog," "squat spread," or "M" position). In the abducted-squat position, flexion at the hip joint is at least 90 ° and in some cases 110 ° to 120 ° relative to the coronal plane, and the extension angle relative to the medial plane may average about 45-55 °. Since carrier 100 is adjustable, the angle of hip and extension may depend on the setting of carrier 100 and the stage of development of the child.

In one embodiment, the carrier may be adapted to support the child in a position with the child's femur at approximately 90 ° to 120 ° (or other elevated position) from the coronal plane, and with the child's knee positioned with a certain amount of extension. The amount of extension may depend on the stage of development of the child and the orientation of the neonate, less than 30 °, then about 35 ° -40 °, and so on, such that the final extension is about 40 ° -45 ° for older children, but other amounts of extension may be achieved, including, for example, about 55 °. In one embodiment, the extension may be at least 20 ° from the medial plane. The weight of the child can be distributed across the child's bottom, thighs and back so that the sacrum does not bear too much weight, and the child can rest in a spread-squat position using a more naturally curved "C" shaped spine, which is believed to be better for pelvic development. It is noted, however, that the child may be positioned in any comfortable position, with support being preferred rather than a position in which the child is predominantly seated on his or her sacrum.

Adjustable carrier 100 includes a body 110 coupled to a harness that allows a person to wear adjustable carrier 100. The harness includes a lap belt 200 and shoulder belt 300 (shown as shoulder belt 300a and shoulder belt 300b, respectively) and may also include other harness members. When adjustable carrier 100 is worn, body 110 cooperates with the torso of the wearer to form a child-bearing area. The torso support portion 130 supports the upper body of the child, while the barrel shaped seat portion 125 provides a supportive barrel shaped seat that supports the legs, hips, and rear of the child in an ergonomic position. The waist belt 200 and shoulder straps 300 can be adjusted to distribute the weight of the child to the wearer.

Referring to fig. 4A and 4B, in the illustrated embodiment, the waist belt 200 includes a wide padded section 210, the wide padded section 210 encircling the hips of the wearer when the vehicle is in the front or rear carrying position. The pad section 210 may, for example, be filled with a semi-rigid material and covered with a fabric. The material may be a rigid foam or any other known or convenient suitable material, including closed cell foams such as ethylene vinyl acetate (also known as EVA). The semi-rigid material and the wide shape of the waist belt 200 serve to distribute the weight of the child around the waist of the wearer. The two ends of the pad section 210 are connected by strap sections 220a, 220b, the strap sections 220a, 220b containing releasable snaps having a male member 222a and a female member 222 b. Limited adjustment of the length of the waist belt is provided by an adjustment loop formed at one of the buckle members. The ends of the waist belt may also be coupled together using other types of snaps, ties, or other mechanisms.

The waist belt 200 also includes a track 225 at the cushion section 210. In one embodiment, the track 225 is a fabric track that includes a relatively thin (top to bottom) belt section (thinner from top to bottom compared to the cushion section 210) attached to the waist belt 200 such that there is an opening between the track 225 and an adjacent portion of the waist belt 200 (e.g., the portion 212 shown in fig. 5) through which material can pass. The tracks may be formed from the same strip, which also forms the strip sections 220a, 220 b. In other embodiments, the belt 200 may be otherwise configured. For example, track 225 and band segments 220a, 220b may be formed from discontinuous bands. Further, while in the illustrated embodiment, the track 225 is formed from a flexible fabric (e.g., webbing), in other embodiments, the track 225 may be formed from other materials, including but not limited to other fabrics, composites, polymers, or other materials including semi-rigid materials. Further, while the track 225 is shown on the inside of the belt 200, the track 225 may be disposed on the outside of the cushion section 210. In addition, the belt 200 may include a plurality of tracks. As described below, the lower portion of the body 110 may be coupled to the rail 225.

The body 110 extends from a body upper edge 116 to a body lower edge 118. The main body 110 is coupled to the waist belt 200 at the lower portion 120, proximate the main body lower edge 118. In use, the material provided by the body 110 over the belt 200 is such that the bucket shaped seat portion 125 forms a supportive bucket shaped seat that provides adequate support for the child's hips and the rear of the child's legs. More specifically, the bucket shaped seat portion 125 is adapted to pass from the outside (the side away from the torso of the wearer) of the child bearing region to the inside to form a bucket shaped seat. The adjustable supporting bucket seat may have a generally concave (e.g., "C" -shaped) interior profile from inboard to outboard and right to left. The side edges 112a, 112b at the bucket-shaped seat portion 125 may be higher than the center of the seat and may be spaced apart such that the side edges 112a, 112b pass under and around the child's thighs at a distance from the child's hips such that the child's legs (e.g., above the knees) do not hang down.

The areas near the side edges 112a, 112b at the bucket-shaped seat part 125 may provide thigh support areas 140a, 140b, which thigh support areas 140a, 140b pass under and around the child's thigh at a distance from the child's hip, wherein the parts of the thigh support areas 140a, 140b passing under and around the child's thigh are higher than the child's hip in order to raise the child's knees. The thigh support areas 140a, 140b may have sufficient rigidity such that the thighs of the child may be encouraged to stretch through the thigh support areas 140a, 140b or torso of the wearer. In one embodiment, thigh support areas 140a, 140b provide thigh pad areas to support the thighs of the child.

By adjusting the width of the lower portion 120, the base width of the bucket seat (the width of the bucket seat near the lap belt 200) can be adjusted. According to one embodiment, the lower portion 120 of the body 110 is coupled to a track follower that can move primarily laterally along the guide track 225 of the belt 200 to gather or release material of the lower portion 120 to adjust the base width of the bucket seat. The track follower may comprise a loop of material, a clip, or other structure that may follow the track 225 to gather or release the fabric of the lower portion 120. For example, the track follower may slide along the track 225.

Fig. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a track system for adjusting the width of the base of a vehicle seat. In the embodiment of fig. 5, the lower portion 120 of the main body 110 overlaps the waistband 200 through the inside of the upper edge 202 of the waistband. The lower portion 120 is coupled to the track 225. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower portion 120 is stitched or otherwise configured to form a loop or tunnel through which the track 225 passes. The center of the lower portion 120 may be secured to a track 225 (e.g., at 144) or other portion of the belt 200 such that the main body 110 and the belt 200 remain laterally aligned. The sides of the loop form sleeves that serve as track followers 150a, 150b, the track followers 150a, 150b having laterally outer edges 152a and 152b that can be moved laterally along track 225 to gather or release the lower portion 120 to reduce or increase the lateral distance between the edges 112a, 112 b.

The carrier 100 includes a securing mechanism that enables the width of the lower portion 120, and thus the base width of the bucket shaped seat portion 125, to be set. As shown in fig. 5, the waist belt 200 may include spaced apart snaps 230 and each track follower 150a, 150b may include complementary snaps such that the track followers 150a, 150b may be secured in a selected position. More specifically, one embodiment includes a female buckle located inside the belt 200 and a male buckle located outside the track followers 150a, 150 b. This arrangement makes the snap fastener difficult to release due to horizontal pressure on the snap fastener when the carrier is in use. The use of snap fasteners is provided by way of example and not limitation. The width of the lower portion 120 may be set using various securing mechanisms, such as buttons, hook and loop material, or other securing mechanisms.

Referring to fig. 6A, 6B and 6C, positioning the track follower 150 (e.g., positioning edges 152a, 152B) further outboard increases the width of the main body 110 at the intersection with the belt 200 and increases the bucket seat width where the thigh support areas 140a, 140B pass under the child's thighs. Positioning track follower 150 (e.g., positioning edges 152a, 152b) further inboard reduces the width of main body 110 where main body 110 meets waist belt 200 and may be used to reduce the bucket seat width where thigh support regions 140a, 140b pass under the child's thighs. It may be noted that the use of a relatively narrow track 225 allows the vehicle to achieve a narrower base width than when the lower portion of the body 110 is looped around the pad segment 210.

In addition to controlling the base width, the track system may also be used to control the depth of the bucket shaped seat portion 125. Referring to fig. 6A-6C and 7, in the maximum (or widest) base width setting, the track follower 150 may be secured to the waist belt 200 such that the edges 152a, 152b are furthest away from each other from the central axis of the waist belt 200 (given the range or number of possible positions). In the maximum (or widest) base width setting, the vehicle 100 is configured such that the depth of the bucket shaped seat portion 125 is minimized. With the smallest (or narrowest) base width setting, the track follower 150 may be secured to the belt 200 such that the edges 152a, 152b are at their greatest proximity to each other toward the central axis of the belt 200 (given the range or number of possible positions). In this minimum base width setting, the vehicle 100 is configured such that the depth of the bucket shaped seat portion 125 is at a maximum.

Thus, carrier 100 can be adjusted to provide ergonomic support for a child regardless of the size of the child over the range of support. The weight of the child can be supported so that the child squats on the seat, rather than placing the child's weight primarily on the sacrum. According to one embodiment, the carrier 100 may be provided for an infant such that the base width is set at its narrowest setting. In this configuration, the bucket seat will be at its deepest depth with higher walls at the thigh support areas 140a, 140b, lifting the child's thighs and knees to a greater angle and into a spread-squat position appropriate for that size child. Similarly, carrier 100 may be set for the largest child so that the base width is at its widest setting. In this configuration, the bucket seat may be at its shallowest depth with lower walls at the thigh support areas 140a, 140b, lifting the child's thighs and knees to a smaller angle and into a squat position suitable for larger sized children.

The bucket shaped seat portion 125 may include one or more shaping members 170, the shaping members 170 being shaped, oriented, or otherwise configured to help control the fullness of the bucket shaped seat. The shaping member 170 may be configured to facilitate deepening of the bucket shaped seat, for example, when the lower portion 120 is brought together. According to one embodiment, the shaping member is a pinch fold extending laterally inward from the outer edges 112a, 112 b. The tuck may gather or relax as the base width is adjusted to help control the shape of the seat. Other configurations of tucking and other shaping mechanisms may also be used, including but not limited to pleats, shirts, or darts.

Referring to fig. 7, carrier 100 may also adjust the height based on the base width. In particular, adjusting the width of the lower portion 120 adjusts the wearable back height (the length from the bottom to the top edge 116 of the bucket shaped seat base). This occurs because, without other adjustments, the length of physical carrier material from the top edge 202 at the center of the belt 200 to the top edge 116 at the center of the body 110 remains consistent, such that the wearable back height varies according to the setting of the bucket seat size. A deeper bucket consumes more material length between edges 202 and 116, thus leaving less size for wearable height. On the other hand, a shallower bucket consumes less material length between edges 202 and 116, thus leaving more size for the wearable height.

Thus, adjusting to a minimum child mode (e.g., infant mode) (with the base width at its minimum/narrowest setting), the bucket seat may be deeper, consuming more of the carrier length dimension, thus leaving less for the wearable height (the length from the bottom to the top edge 116 of the bucket seat at its shortest height at the center). Adjusting to a maximum child mode (e.g., toddler mode) (with the base width at its maximum/widest setting), the bucket seat is shallower, consuming less of the carrier length dimension, thus leaving more of the dimension for the wearable height (length from the bottom to the top edge 116 of the bucket seat). Thus, the carrier adjusts the height for the child based on the adjustment to the bucket seat.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the adjustable bucket seat can be configured in a variety of configurations having different bucket seat depths and bucket seat widths. Different configurations may be suitable for supporting a range of sizes of children in a spread-squat position. For example, in one embodiment, the bucket shaped seat may have a first configuration adapted to ergonomically carry a 20-24 inch child (typically corresponding to an infant of 0-3 months and over 7 pounds) in a squat position for the infant without an infant insert. Further, the carrier may have a second configuration adapted to ergonomically carry a 24-28 inch child (typically corresponding to a 3-9 month old older baby) in a spread-squat position suitable for child size. Further, in this example, the carrier may have a third configuration adapted to ergonomically carry a child of 28 inches or more (typically corresponding to a older infant or toddler of 9-48 months old (until the carrying capacity of the carrier or wearer)). The first configuration may correspond to the base width being at a narrowest setting (deepest bucket seat) (infant mode), the second configuration may correspond to the base width being at a medium setting and the third configuration may correspond to the base width being at a widest setting (shallowest bucket seat) (toddler mode). It should be noted that the ranges provided above are provided by way of example and not limitation. In addition, the seat may have other configurations.

Returning to fig. 4B, shoulder straps 300a, 300B are configured to form a loop and attach on both sides of the lateral centerline of vehicle 100. Each shoulder strap 300 may be connected to the upper torso support portion 300 at one or more locations to pull the upper torso support portion 130 toward the wearer. The shoulder straps 300 may be adjustable and, in some cases, reconfigurable to support multiple carrier positions, such as front or rear carrier positions.

Each shoulder strap 300a, 300b includes an upper strap section 310a, 310b (e.g., a padded section) attached at one end 312a, 312b to a lower strap section 320a, 320 b. The upper end of each upper strap section 310a, 310b is attached to the main body 110 near the top edge 116 (e.g., at the upper corners of the main body 110) at shoulder strap attachment points 314a, 314 b. The lower strap section 320a, 320b of each shoulder strap 300a, 300b is coupled to the body 110 at attachment points 321a, 321b below the upper strap section 310a, 310b of the associated shoulder strap 300a, 300 b. Adjustment buckles 330a, 330b operatively couple each lower strap section 320a, 320b to an upper strap section 310a, 310b such that the length of the shoulder straps 300a, 300b can be varied.

Carrier 100 also includes a height adjuster to adjust the height of carrier 100. Referring to fig. 1 and 4B, according to one embodiment, each shoulder strap 300 includes a height adjuster strap 350 (shown as 350a and 350B, respectively) coupled at one end to the body 110 at an attachment point 352a, 352B below the attachment point 314a, 314B of the respective shoulder strap 300a, 300B. The height adjuster straps 350a, 350b may be coupled to the main body 110 on a side opposite the upper ends of the respective shoulder straps 300a, 300 b. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper ends of the shoulder straps 300a, 300b may be coupled to the inside of the main body 110 at attachment points 314a, 314b, while the lower ends of the height adjuster straps 350a, 350b are coupled to the outside of the main body 110 at attachment points 352a, 352 b. Further, attachment points 352a, 352b are vertically offset from attachment points 314a, 314 b. At a distance above the point at which each height adjuster strap 350a, 350b is coupled to the body 110, the height adjuster straps 350a, 350b disengage from the body 110 such that the body 110 can be folded away from the height adjuster straps 350a, 350 b.

Each height adjuster strap 350a, 350b extends generally upwardly and is coupled at a second end away from top edge 116 (e.g., at attachment points 353a, 353 b) to a respective upper strap section 310a, 310 b. Thus, shoulder straps 310a, 310b of vehicle 100 have separate upper ends, with one branch of the separate upper end coupled to the body of the vehicle at attachment points 314a, 314b, and a second branch of the separate upper end (e.g., formed by height adjuster straps 350a, 350b) coupled to the body of the vehicle at attachment points 352a, 352 b.

Each height adjuster strap 350a, 350b includes a buckle 360a, 360b, the buckles 360a, 360b operably coupling the height adjuster strap 350a, 350b to the respective upper strap section 310a, 310b such that the length of the height adjuster strap 350a, 350b can be varied. As can be seen in fig. 3, when the height adjuster straps 350a, 350b are shortened, the upper portion of the body 110 folds down, shortening the carrier compared to the configuration of fig. 2.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, carrier 100 may be a soft structure carrier that includes padding, stitching, and fabric to provide structure. The main body 110, including the upper torso support portion 130, the bucket-shaped seat portion 125, the thigh support portion 140, the lap belt 200, and the shoulder belt 300 may be flexible and may be formed primarily of natural or synthetic fibers without a rigid frame. However, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, some of the components of the soft structural carrier, such as the snaps, fasteners, etc., may be formed of hard plastic, metal, etc.

Carrier 100 may include one or more panels formed from a single piece of material or multiple pieces of material, multiple layers of material, or multiple materials. For example, in some embodiments, upper torso support portion 130 may be formed with an inner layer selected for comfortable placement against the skin of the child and an outer layer selected for breathability, fashion, dirt resistance, and the like. The upper torso support portion 130 may have straight edges, tapered edges for areas of increased or decreased width, or otherwise configured for the comfort or safety of a child or user. Similarly, the bucket shaped seat portion 125 may include one or more panels formed from a single piece of material, or may be formed from multiple pieces of material, multiple layers of material, or multiple materials. The junction between the upper torso support portion 130 and the bucket-shaped seat portion 125 may be a substantially seamless transition. In one embodiment, the center of the upper torso support portion 130 and the center of the bucket shaped seat portion 125 may be formed from an integral center plate(s) attached to the side plates forming the laterally outer portions of the upper torso support portion 130 and the bucket shaped seat portion 125. An inner layer may be selected for comfortable placement against the skin of the child and an outer layer may be selected for breathability, fashion, stain resistance, and the like. In some embodiments, the central portion may be selected for comfort and the side portions may be selected for breathability, safety, and the like.

As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having" or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" means an inclusive or not an exclusive or. For example, condition a or B satisfies any one of the following conditions: a is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), a is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), both a and B are true (or present). As used herein, terms "a" or "an" (and the terms "a" or "an" when preceding basis) include both the singular and the plural of such terms, unless expressly stated otherwise (i.e., reference to "a" or "an" expressly indicates only the singular or only the plural). In addition, as used in the description herein and throughout the meaning of "in.

Furthermore, any examples or illustrations given herein are not to be considered in any way as constraints, limitations, or explicit definitions of any terms in which they are used. Rather, these examples or illustrations should be considered in relation to one particular embodiment and are intended to be illustrative only. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any term or terms utilizing these examples or illustrations will encompass other embodiments that may or may not be presented therein or elsewhere in the specification, and all such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the term. Language designating such non-limiting examples and illustrations includes, but is not limited to: "for example," such as, "" in one embodiment.

Reference in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "a specific embodiment," or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment and may not be present in all embodiments. Thus, respective appearances of the terms "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," or "in a specific embodiment" or similar terms in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics of any specific embodiment may be combined in any suitable manner with one or more other embodiments. It is to be understood that other variations and modifications of the embodiments described and illustrated herein are possible in light of the teachings herein and are to be considered as part of the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of components and/or methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other apparatus, systems, assemblies, methods, components, materials, parts, and/or the like. In other instances, well-known structures, components, systems, materials, or operations are not specifically shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments of the invention. While the invention may be illustrated by the use of specific embodiments, it is not intended to, and does not, limit the invention to any specific embodiment, and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional embodiments are readily understood and are a part of the present invention.

It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. Furthermore, any signal arrows in the drawings/figures should be considered only as exemplary arrows and not limiting arrows, unless otherwise specifically noted.

The representative embodiments, which have been described in detail herein, have been presented by way of illustration and not limitation. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details of the described embodiments may be made to produce equivalent embodiments that remain within the scope of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. An adjustable child carrier comprising:

a waist belt adapted to be secured around the hips of a wearer;

a guide rail coupled to the waist belt;

a body adapted to cooperate with a torso of a wearer to form a child-bearing region, the body comprising:

a torso support portion configured to support at least a torso of a child;

a bucket shaped seat portion configured to form a bucket shaped seat; and

a lower portion extending below an upper edge of the lap belt and coupled to the guide track, the lower portion being adjustable along the guide track to adjust a base width of the bucket seat; and

a first shoulder strap coupled to the body and a second shoulder strap coupled to the body.

2. The child carrier of claim 1, wherein the bucket seat is configurable into a plurality of bucket seat configurations to accommodate a plurality of child sizes, each of the plurality of bucket seat configurations having a bucket seat depth and a bucket seat width and being adapted to support a child of a corresponding size range in a squat position, and wherein the lower portion is configurable along the guide track in the width range to select the bucket seat configuration from the plurality of bucket seat configurations.

3. The child carrier of claim 2, wherein the plurality of bucket shaped seat configurations comprises:

a first configuration adapted to support a child in a first size range in a first respective squat position;

a second configuration adapted to support a child in a second range of sizes in a second respective spread-squat position; and

a third configuration adapted to support a child in a third range of sizes in a third respective squat position;

the first configuration has a first bucket seat base width and a first bucket seat depth, the second configuration has a second bucket seat base width and a second bucket seat depth, and the third configuration has a third bucket seat base width and a third bucket seat depth, wherein the first bucket seat base width is less than the second bucket seat base width, the first bucket seat depth is greater than the second bucket seat depth, the second bucket seat base width is less than the third bucket seat base width, and the second bucket seat depth is greater than the third bucket seat depth.

4. A child carrier according to claim 1, wherein the guide track is positioned to lie between the waist belt and the wearer during use.

5. A child carrier according to claim 1, wherein the guide track is substantially thinner than an adjacent portion of the waist belt.

6. The child carrier of claim 1, further comprising a track follower coupling the lower portion to the guide track.

7. The child carrier of claim 1, wherein the guide track comprises a fabric band.

8. The child carrier of claim 1, wherein the lower portion forms a loop through which the guide rail passes, a laterally outer end of the loop being adjustable to adjust a base width.

9. A child carrier according to claim 1, wherein the main body and the waist belt have a fixed lateral alignment.

10. The child carrier of claim 1, wherein the child carrier has a wearable height that depends on a bucket seat depth.

11. The child carrier of claim 1, further comprising a height adjuster at the top of the body to adjust the height of the body.

12. The child carrier of claim 1, wherein the height adjuster comprises a first height adjustment strap coupled to the first shoulder strap and a second height adjustment strap coupled to the second shoulder strap.

13. The child carrier of claim 12, wherein:

an upper portion of the first shoulder strap is coupled to the body at a first shoulder strap attachment point;

a first height adjustment strap coupled to the main body at a first height adjustment strap first attachment point located below the first shoulder strap attachment point and coupled to the first shoulder strap at a first height adjustment strap second attachment point remote from the first shoulder strap attachment point;

an upper portion of the second shoulder strap is coupled to the body at a second shoulder strap attachment point;

the second height adjustment strap is coupled to the main body at a second height adjustment strap first attachment point located below the second shoulder strap attachment point and to the second shoulder strap at a second height adjustment strap second attachment point remote from the second shoulder strap attachment point.

14. The child carrier of claim 1, wherein:

the first shoulder strap includes a first shoulder strap split upper end, wherein a first branch of the first shoulder strap split upper end is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a first shoulder strap first branch attachment point and a second branch of the first shoulder strap split upper end is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a first shoulder strap second branch attachment point that is located at a different vertical position than the first shoulder strap first branch attachment point.

15. The child carrier of claim 11, wherein the second branch of the first shoulder strap spaced apart upper ends includes a first height adjustment strap.

16. The child carrier of claim 12, wherein the first height adjustment strap is coupled to the first shoulder strap away from the first shoulder strap first branch attachment point and has an adjustable length, the first height adjustment strap being adjustable to adjust a height of the carrier.

17. The child carrier of claim 11, wherein:

the second shoulder strap includes a second shoulder strap split upper end, wherein a first branch of the second shoulder strap split upper end is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a second shoulder strap first branch attachment point, and a second branch of the second shoulder strap split upper end is coupled to the body of the vehicle at a second shoulder strap second branch attachment point located at a different vertical position than the second shoulder strap first branch attachment point.

18. The child carrier of claim 14, wherein:

the second branch of the upper divided end of the first shoulder strap comprises a first height adjustment strap; and

the second shoulder strap separates the second branch of the upper end to include a second height adjustment strap.

19. The child carrier of claim 12, wherein the first height adjustment strap is coupled to the first shoulder strap away from a first shoulder strap first branch attachment point, the second height adjustment strap is coupled to the second shoulder strap away from a second shoulder strap second branch attachment point, the first and second height adjustment straps being adjustable to adjust a height of the carrier.

20. A method of configuring a child carrier, comprising:

adjusting a lower portion of a body of the child carrier along a guide track to adjust a base width of the tub shaped seat, the guide track being coupled to a waist belt of the child carrier, and the lower portion extending below an upper edge of the waist belt;

securing the waist belt around the hips of the wearer;

placing a child in a child-bearing area formed by a body cooperating with a torso of a wearer, the body having a torso support portion configured to support at least the torso of the child and a barrel-shaped seat portion forming a barrel-shaped seat; and

a child is supported in the carrier with a harness that includes a lap belt, a first shoulder belt, and a second shoulder belt.