EP1240853B1 - Infant carrier - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to the technical sector of baby carriers.

According to the prior art, the concept of the back baby carrier is known, as well as the ventral baby carrier for carrying small children so that they are in look of the person carrying.

The baby carrier is used for children at a very young age weight of about 7 kilos. It allows to bring the baby facing the wearer the first weeks, then deal with what surrounds it after. In particular, Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings an embodiment and porting example. A harness of fastening is provided around the wearer with belt and straps ensuring the connection between the baby carrier and the harness.

The baby carrier is only suitable for children from 9 months up to two years. It is established with a load-bearing and rigid frame on which is attached on the back side the seat and backrest part of the child with the appropriate a hood covering and protection. The other front side of the frame load bearing includes belt elements around the wearer's waist, shoulder straps on the wearer's shoulders as well as binding and adjusting the voltage. Side strips connect the backsplash part and the frame bearing to prevent the child from tipping the seat part.

Incidentally, the baby carrier can present in its volume inside a fixed but retractable textile band that can support the child in his first age group 9 to 12 months, at a different level from the lower part of the bottom of the seat of the baby carrier, which is intended to be used when the child is a bigger up to two years old. Thus, said baby carrier allows the safe positioning of children of different sizes in the bracket from 9 months to 2 years old.

Thus according to the prior art, two different products exist without there being complementarity between them, and compatibility.

Until now, manufacturers have not researched and worked in this meaning.

This then requires for the users to have a double equipment, with the related costs.

The problem is when users want to go hiking, walks, and so there is a choice to be made on the product to use. However in practice in this use, the ventral baby carrier is little adapted and constitutes an inconvenience to the use of the movements of the wearer.

The applicant's approach was therefore to focus on the design of a baby carrier that can meet the goal of offering the user a single baby carrier which covers more broadly the age range of the first weeks up to two years.

The aim was to offer the user a baby carrier that offers a original layout modularity of use both in ventral baby carrier dorsal and for the age group mentioned above.

Another object sought after according to the invention was to offer a new baby carrier which is simple to use, easy to implement by adaptation to depending on the age of the child.

Another object sought after according to the invention was to offer a baby carrier which can be used independently depending on the age of the child in these different versions.

According to a first feature of the invention, the baby carrier is modular and consists of a backpack baby carrier arranged to receive internally a ventral baby carrier, the two baby carriers being arranged with means of connection and temporary fixation allowing the separation of the baby carrier ventral and its independent use, its integration for porting of the child at a very young age in the back carrier.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the ventral baby carrier is arranged on its front face with a cap-like shape presenting means of stiffening and capable of adjusting and positioning on the upper part stiffened front face of the supporting framework of the back carrier.

These and other characteristics will emerge from the rest of the description.

• La figure 1 est une vue de de trois quart d'un porte bébé ventral agencé selon l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue de côté illustrant le porte-bébé ventral en situation de port indépendant.
• La figure 3 est une vue en perspective du porte-bébé modulaire incluant l'agencement et le positionnement du porte-bébé ventral dans la structure du porte-bébé dorsal.
• La figure 4 est une vue de dessus du porte-bébé modulaire montrant la liaison du porte-bébé ventral sur l'ossature portante du porte-bébé dorsal.
• La figure 5 est une vue avant du porte-bébé modulaire montrant notamment la liaison du porte-bébé ventral sur le porte-bébé dorsal.
• La figure 6 est une vue de côté et en coupe selon la ligne A-A de la figure 5 montrant la liaison et positionnement du porte-bébé ventral sur le porte-bébé dorsal.
• La figure 7 est une vue en coupe transversal selon la ligne B-B- de la figure 5 montrant la liaison et le chevauchement de la partie avant du porte-bébé ventral sur l'ossature supérieure avant du porte-bébé dorsal.
• La figure 8 est une vue en variante relative à cette liaison.

For fixing the object of the invention illustrated in a nonlimiting manner to the figures of the drawings where:

• Figure 1 is a view of three quarters of a ventral baby carrier arranged according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a side view illustrating the ventral baby carrier in independent port situation.
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the modular baby carrier including the arrangement and positioning of the belly carrier in the structure of the back baby carrier.
• Figure 4 is a top view of the modular baby carrier showing the connection of the ventral baby carrier on the supporting framework of the back baby carrier.
• Figure 5 is a front view of the modular baby carrier showing in particular the connection of the ventral baby carrier on the back baby carrier.
• Figure 6 is a side view and in section along line AA of Figure 5 showing the connection and positioning of the ventral carrier on the back baby carrier.
• Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line BB- of Figure 5 showing the connection and overlap of the front portion of the belly carrier on the upper front frame of the back carrier.
• Figure 8 is an alternative view relating to this connection.

In order to make the object of the invention more concrete, it is now described in a nonlimiting manner illustrated in the figures of the drawings.

The modular baby carrier according to the invention is referenced as a whole by (1). It includes a ventral baby carrier (2) and a back baby carrier (3).

These belly and dorsal baby carriers are arranged in any known manner with harnesses, belts, braces, straps and other components that do not not part of the present invention. They are illustrated in the drawings for memory but not specifically described in the following description.

According to the invention, the back baby carrier (3) is arranged to allow the temporary insertion and positioning of the ventral baby carrier (2) when there is a need for the wearer to associate for the transport of a baby at a very young age for hikes, ballads and others. For this purpose, the baby carrier and the dorsal baby carriers are arranged with means of connection and suspension allowing the safe positioning of said ventral baby carrier to inside the volume of the back carrier.

For this purpose, in an advantageous implementation of the invention, the part front (2a) of the belly carrier (2) is arranged at its end and along its length with a capped shape (2b) which is likely to come to be positioned on the corresponding upper part (3a) of the supporting framework (3b) of the baby carrier dorsal (3). More particularly, said cap (2b) has a certain depth (e) with preferably a stiffening means (2c) such as plate or similar.

In addition, the supporting framework (3b) is rigid at its upper end before, and it comes to slip into the aforementioned cap to ensure a link temporary. Said load-bearing framework is covered in a conventional manner with a protective textile lining.

This specific positioning makes it possible to obtain good behavior and suspension of the ventral baby carrier in its front part with a distribution of loads and therefore the weight of the child.

The dorsal rear portion (2d) of the belly carrier (2) is arranged in a part with slots (2e) allowing the passage of fastening straps (4) associated and fixed in the areas (3c1) from the backrest (3c) of the back carrier (3). On the other hand, the aforesaid rear part (2d) of the ventral baby carrier is arranged with connecting means (5) such as hooks, carabiners or the like which are likely to cling and attach to passers (6) arranged on the part rear backrest of the back carrier.

It is also expected that the cap of the ventral baby carrier has a complementary means (7) for connecting and fixing on means (8) arranged on the front part of the rigid frame of the back baby carrier. In particular, the medium (7) is a fastener (7a), female or male, arranged from a strap (7b), while the means (8) is a fastener (8a), male or female, complementary.

Thus according to the invention, and in this embodiment the ventral baby carrier is perfectly positioned and maintained on the supporting framework of the back baby carrier to both in the assembly of the cap on said supporting framework and by the various complementary means of binding and holding above.

In addition, the straps (4) which pass through the slots (2e) performed on the baby carrier extend over the baby's shoulders and end attachment means (10) mate with attachment means or existing attachment on the back carrier. In addition, the means of stiffening (2c) and the upper part of the supporting framework can be conformed with an obviously (2f) (3d) to facilitate the chin support of the child's head.

In this particular implementation, the baby is perfectly maintained.

Alternatively, the positioning of the ventral baby carrier on the frame carrying the baby carrier can be established as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. In this case, the front part of the ventral baby carrier does not have a cap and can be adjusted by pressing and fastening with self-gripping means (12) against the face opposite the rigid frame, while means of belting (11) of the self-gripping strap type (11a) ensure the holding of the assembly.

Alternatively the ventral baby carrier can be positioned in suspension on the backpack baby carrier with connecting and holding means.

The advantages are apparent from the invention, the new modular baby carrier concept, ease of adjustment of the ventral baby carrier.

Claims (9)

1. A child carrier characterized in that it is modular and consists of a back-mounted child carrier (3) designed to accommodate internally a front-mounted child carrier (2), the two child carriers being arranged with linking and temporarily securing means allowing either the front-mounted child carrier to be detached and used independently, or it to be incorporated into the back-mounted child carrier so that a child of a very tender age can be carried.
2. The child carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front-mounted child carrier is fitted on its front face (2a) with a cap shape (2b) having stiffening means (2c) and capable of being adjusted and positioned over the upper part (3a) of the front face of the framework (3b) of the back-mounted child carrier.
3. The child carrier as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, wherein the dorsal rear part (2d) of the front-mounted child carrier (2) is configured on the one hand with slots (2e) allowing the passage of associated securing straps (4) fixed in the regions (3c1) from the backrest part (3c) of the back-mounted child carrier (3), and wherein the rear part (2d) of the front-mounted child carrier is configured with connecting means (5) which can be fastened and secured to loops (6) arranged on the rear part of the backrest part of the back-mounted child carrier.
4. The child carrier as claimed in either of claims 2 and 3, wherein the cap of the front-mounted child carrier has a complementary means (7) of connection and of securing to a means (8) arranged on the front part of the rigid framework of the back-mounted child carrier.
5. The child carrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first means (7) is a female or male fastener (7a) arranged on a strap (7b), while the second means (8) is a complementary male or female fastener (8a).
6. The child carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the straps (4) that pass through the slots (2e) made in the front-mounted child carrier continue, passing over the shoulders of the child and, via end-mounted fastening means (10), can be coupled to fastening or securing means that there are on the back-mounted child carrier.
7. The child carrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stiffening means (2c) and the upper part of the framework can be shaped with a recess (2f) (3d) to allow the child to rest its head more readily by way of a chin rest.
8. The child carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front-mounted child carrier is positioned on the framework of the back-mounted child carrier with the front part of the front-mounted child carrier fitting snugly onto and secured to, using touch-and-close means (12), the face of the rigid framework opposite it, while strapping means (11) of the touch-and-close strap type (11a) hold the assembly together.
9. The child carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front-mounted child carrier is suspended from the back-mounted child carrier by connecting and holding means.

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