GB2079833A

GB2079833A - Buckles for baby carriers

Info

Publication number: GB2079833A
Application number: GB8022999A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LITTLE ROCK Ltd
Current assignee: LITTLE ROCK Ltd
Priority date: 1980-07-14
Filing date: 1980-07-14
Publication date: 1982-01-27
Also published as: EP0046672A1

Abstract

A buckle for a baby carrier comprises a female element 43, 45 and a co-operating male element having two laterally resilient tongues 58, 60. The tongues 58, 60 are each provided with a camming surface 64 which forces them laterally together as they are inserted into the female element and, when a fully-inserted position has been reached, allows them to spring laterally apart into an engagement position. The female element 30 has a slot 36 for receiving a shoulder strap 16 of the baby carrier 10 and a slot 38 for receiving a waist belt strap 22; the male element 32 has a slot 56 for receiving the other shoulder strap 18 and housing 48 in which a snubbing roller is mounted for receiving the other waist belt strap 26. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Buckles for baby carriers This invention relates to buckles for baby carriers and baby carriers incorporating such buckles.

Baby carriers in common use comprise a body portion in which the baby's body is supported and provided with two leg holes through which the baby's legs project. The body portion is secured to the adult wearer's body by two shoulder straps and two waist straps, the length of each of which is adjustable, usually by a sliding bar. The body portion of the carrier may be worn behind so that the baby is carried against the wearer's back or in front so that the baby faces the wearer. Particularly in the latter case the buckle joining the shoulder and waist straps on each side is rather inaccessible to the wearer and thus difficult to engage or to release.

Hitherto conventional buckles that are intended for other uses have been used for baby carriers and it is an object of the present invention to provide a buckle which is especially suited to be used on a baby carrier although it is not of course restricted to this particular application.

According to the present invention there is provided a buckle for a baby carrier comprising a female element and a co-operating male element having two laterally resilient tongues, the female element being apertured to receive the tongues and the tongues and/or the female element being provided with camming surfaces which act with the tongues to force them laterally together as they are inserted into the female element and, when a fullyinserted position has been reached, allow the tongues to spring laterally apart into an engagement position in which a shoulder on each tongue engages a respective engagement surface on the female element to prevent the male element from being withdrawn until the tongues are squeezed together to release the male element. The buckle is thus very simple to engage and may be released single-handed.

The female element is preferably formed with two slots, one for receiving a shoulder strap of the baby carrier and the other for receiving a corresponding waist belt strap, while the male element is preferably formed with a slot for receiving the other shoulder strap and an aperture in which a snubbing roller is mounted for receiving the other waist belt strap and allowing its effective length to be adjusted simply by pulling on the free end.

One particular embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a baby carrier incorporating a buckle according to the invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the buckle of Fig. 1 in the engaged condition; Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2; and Figure 4 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the buckle in the disengaged condition.

The baby carrier shown in Fig. 1 comprises a body portion 10 having leg holes 1 2 with padded edges and a detachable head-rest 14.

The body portion 10 is secured to a wearer by a pair of shoulder straps 16, 18, each adjustable by a respective sliding bar 20; and a waist belt constituted by a left waist belt strap 22 adjustable by a sliding bar 24 and a right waist belt strap 26 adjustable by a snubbing roller to be described later.

The left-hand straps 16, 22 are connectible to the right-hand straps 20, 26 by means of a buckle 28 comprising a female component 30 and male component 32. The female component 30 is constituted by a one-piece plastics moulding formed of a base plate 34 having slots 36, 38 therein for the respective reception of the looped left-hand straps 16, 22 and of a bridge piece 40 connected to the base plate 34 by two lateral walls 42, 44 and a longer, central wall 46.

The male component 32 comprises a rectangular moulded plastics housing 48, the end portions 50 of which are provided with elongate grooves (not shown) receiving the respective spindles (not shown) of a snubbing roller 52, the cylindrical surface of which is roughened. The right-hand waist strap 26 is threaded round the roller 52 as best shown in Fig. 1 leaving its end free. Integrally moulded with the housing 48 is a lug 54 having a slot 56 through which passes the loop of the right-hand shoulder strap 1 8. Also integrally moulded with the housing 48 are two prongs 58, 60 which, as the neck portions 62 are thicker than they are wide, are resiliently displaceable in the lateral directions. Each of the prongs 58, 60 is formed with a lateral camming surface 64 which terminates in a shoulder 66.

To use the baby carrier the shoulder straps 16, 1 8 and the waist belt strap 22 are first adjusted to the correct length by means of the respective slide bars 20, 24 and the waist belt strap 26 is slackened off at the snubbing roller 52. After the wearer has donned the baby carrier he inserts the male buckle component 32 into the female component 30: as the prongs 58, 60 are inserted into the respective tunnels 43, 45 the engagement of their camming surfaces 64 with the respective lateral walls 42, 44 causes the prongs to be forced laterally together until the shoulders 66 clear the ends of the lateral walls 42, 44 whereupon the prongs 58, 60 snap into an engagement position in which the shoulders 66 abut the respective end faces of the walls 42, 44 thus preventing the male buckle component 32 from being withdrawn by tension applied to the waist belt.The positive click that is heard on engagement supplies a useful audible confirmation that the buckle 28 has been securely fastened. To complete the preparations for use the baby is placed in the body portion 10 with its legs through the holes 1 2 and facing the wearer; finally the wearer pulls the free end of the right-hand waist belt 26 until the waist belt is comfortably tight. The strap 26 is secured in position by being trapped between the snubbing roller 52 and a side of the housing 48 in the conventional manner.

To release the buckle 28 it is necessary only to pinch together the exposed ends of the prongs 58,60, which can be done with one hand, and the two components 30, 32 will then come apart due to the slight tension in the waist belt.

The simple design of the buckle 28 allows the female component 30 to be formed as a one-piece plastics moulding; and the male component 32 may be similarly formed apart from the necessity to insert the roller 52 into the housing 48. If a suitable plastics material such as polyacetal is chosen the buckle 28 has great strength and lightness while the prongs 58, 60 have the necessary resilience.

No springs, or indeed any metal parts, are necessary thus avoiding all risk of corrosion.

It will be appreciated that the two tunnels 43, 45 could be formed as a single tunnel; and that a single prong 58 could, in certain circumstances, be adequate.

Claims

1. A buckle for a baby carrier comprising a female element and a co-operating male element having at least one laterally resilient tongue, the female element being apertured to receive the tongue and the tongue and/or the female element being provided with a camming surface which acts to displace the tongue towards a displacement position as it is inserted into the female element and, when a fully-inserted position has been reached, allows the tongue to spring into an engagement position in which a shoulder on the tongue engages a respective engagement surface on the female element to prevent the male element from being withdrawn until the tongue is moved to said displacement position to release the male element.

2. A buckle for a baby carrier comprising a female element and a co-operating male element having two laterally resilient tongues, the female element being apertured to receive the tongues and the tongues and/or the female element being provided with camming surfaces which act to force the tongues laterally together as they are inserted into the female element and, when a fully-inserted position has been reached, allow the tongues to spring laterally apart into an engagement position in which a shoulder on each tongue engages a respective engagement surface on the female element to prevent the male element from being withdrawn until the tongues are squeezed together to release the male element.

3. A buckle as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the female element additionally comprises means for receiving a shoulder strap of the baby carrier and means for receiving one end of a waist belt strap of the baby carrier.

4. A buckle as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the male element additionally comprises means for receiving a shoulder strap of the baby carrier and means for receiving one end of a waist belt strap of the baby carrier.

5. A buckle as claimed in Claim 4, in which the said means for receiving a shoulder strap of the baby carrier comprise means for adjusting the effective length of the waist belt strap.

6. A buckle as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which one or both of the male and female elements are formed as one-piece mouldings of plastics material.

7. A buckle as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 and substantially as herein described.

8. A buckle for a baby carrier substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A baby carrier incorporating a buckle as claimed in any preceding claim.

1 0. The features as herein disclosed, or their equivalents, in any novel selection.