GB2252490A

GB2252490A - Carrying devices, especially for carrying children

Info

Publication number: GB2252490A
Application number: GB9102257A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Jenkinson Meadows
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-02-01
Filing date: 1991-02-01
Publication date: 1992-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 2011-02-01
Also published as: GB9102257D0; GB2252490B

Abstract

The device comprises a body 1 which has a base region 3, two side wall regions 5, 7, a rear end wall region 9 and an open front region 11. One side wall region 5 is adapted to be secured to the waist region of a person using the device, and the other side wall region 7 has two straps 15, 17 extending therefrom. The strap 15 passes across the chest (19, Fig. 1) of said person whilst the other strap 17 passes under one arm (21) and across the back of that person. The free end regions of the straps 15, 17 are detachably secured to each other so that the continuous strap thus formed passes over a shoulder (23) of said person opposite to the shoulder (15) from which said one arm (21) depends. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO CARRYING DEVICES The present invention relates to a carrying device In particular the present invention relates to a carrying device primarily for use in carrying children, though such a device with or without modification may be used to carry an animal such as a dog or cat. The carrying device is of the type comprising a harness which a person wears and in which a child may be carried leaving the person's hands and arms free. A number.of known carrying devices for use in carrying children, are designed to carry a child on a person's back or chest, as desired, with the child facing the person. This requires the child to be relatively young and small. As a child grows a normal carrying position is around the hip of the mother and the use of a known harness is not practical in view of the size of the child.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a carrying device primarily for use in carrying children, which device carries a child in a sideways position in the waist/hip region of an adult, leaving the adult's hands and arms free. Thus the device of the present invention is useful for a wide range of sizes and ages of children.

According to the present invention there is provided a carrying device primarily for use in carrying children, said device comprising a body which has a base region, two side wall regions, a rear end wall region and an open front region, one side wall region being adapted to be, in use, secured to the wart region of a person using the device, and the other side wall region having two straps extending therefrom so that, in use, one strap can pass across the chest of the person whilst the other strap passes under one arm and across the back of said person, the free end regions of the straps being adapted to be, in use, detachably secured to each other so that the continuous strap thus formed passes over a shoulder of said person opposite to the shoulder from which said one arm depends.

The present invention thus provides a carrying device which can be located over a shoulder of a person with the body being secured to the waist region eg. to a belt, and towards one side of said person with a child then being sat in said body. In this position the child's legs depend from the open front region of the body and for safety the child's arm away from the person, passes between said straps or through an opening provided in said other side wall region.

Additionally for safety's sake a belt may be provided within the said body, which belt may be secured around the child's waist. Further, a strap may be provided which can be secured across the open front end of said body over the child's legs and in front of the child's body once the child is sitting in the said body. This last mentioned strap may be permanently secured to one side wall region and detachably attachable to the other side wall region of the body. A further strap may be provided either additionally or as an alternative to the aforementioned strap which extends across the front of the said body, one end of this further strap being attached to the front end region of the base region of said body so that it can extend upwards between a child's legs, the other end of this further strap being detachably attachable to said other side wall or to said one strap.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention said one side wall region of said body is adapted to be secured to the waist of a person by a belt which is secured to said one side wall region.

Alternatively one or more loops may be provided on said one side wall region, and a person's own belt can be passed through said loops.

Further, the free end region of one of said straps which forms part of said continuous strap, has a hook which can be engaged in any one of a series of holes in the free end region of the other of said straps. Thus the desired length of continuous strap can be selected to position said body adjacent to the waist of the wearer. Alternative means can of course be used to secure the said free end regions of said straps together to provide an adjustable length continuous strap.

The present invention may be fabricated from a suitable textile material, leather or a flexible plastics material, as desired, and pockets may be provided in the said body for the convenient storage of, for example, money or notes.

The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention in use; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the wearer omitted.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a body 1 which has a base region 3, two side wall regions 5, 7, a rear end wall region 9 and an open front region 11. One side wall region 5 is adapted to be secured to the waist region of a wearer by a belt 13 which is secured to the upper edge region of said one wall region 5. Alternatively one or more loops (not shown) can be provided in said one side wall region 5 and a person's own belt can pass through the or each loop.The other side wall region 7 has two spaced apart straps 15, 17 which extend from its upper edge, one strap 15 near to said open front region 11 extending, in use, across the chest 19 of a wearer (see Fig. 1) and the other strap 17 extending, in use, under one arm 21 of the wearer, across the wearer's back and over the person's shoulder 23 which is opposite to the shoulder 25 from which said one arm depends. The free end region of said other strap 17 has a hook 18 which is engageable in any one of a number of holes 20 provided in the free end region of said one strap 15 to thus provide a continuous strap of adjustable length. Thus the length of the continuous strap can be selected so that the said body 1 is adjacent to a wearer's waist.

With a child seated in said body 1 as illustrated in Fig. 1, the child's legs depend from the open front region 11 and an arm 27 of the child passes through an aperture 29 in said other side wall region 7, to thus enable the child to automatically hold himself/herself within the body 1. Alternatively if no aperture 29 is provided, the child's arm will pass between the straps 15, 17 for a similar purpose.

Also, for safety, one end region of a retaining strap 31 is fixed to the edge region 33 of said other side wall region 7 and the other end region of the retaining strap 31 is detachably attachable to said one side wall region 5 by a button (not shown). A further strap 34 is provided for safety, one end region of this further strap 34 being attached to the front end region ot the base region 3 of the body 1, and, in use, extending upwards between a child's legs, the other end of this further strap 34 being detachably attached, e.g. by a button, to said one strap 15. Whilst both straps 31 and 34 are provided and used, one or other of these straps can be omitted if desired. Additionally for safety a further belt (not shown) secured within said body 1 can be secured e.g. tied or buckled, around the waist of the child.

The body and straps are made of a suitable textile material and a pocket 35 is provided on the outer surface of the said other side wall region 7 so that a wearer can easily store or retrieve money or notes. Alternatively the device of the present invention can be made of leather or a suitable plastic material.

The present invention thus provides a carrying device primarily for use with children, whereby an extended size and age range of child as compared to prior art devices, can be conveniently, safely and comfortably carried by an adult leaving the adult's hands free for whatever other purpose necessary.

Claims

1. A carrying device primarily for use in carrying children, said device comprising a body which has a base region, two side wall regions, a rear end wall region and an open front region, one side wall region being adapted to be, in use, secured to the waist region of a person using the device, and the other side wall region having two straps extending therefrom so that, in use, one strap can pass across the chest of the person whilst the other strap passes under one arm and across the back of said person, the free end regions of the straps being adapted to be, in use, detachably secured to each other so that the continuous strap thus formed passes over a shoulder of said person opposite to the shoulder from which said one arm depends.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which an opening is provided in said other side wall region, through which, in use, a child's arm can pass to thus hold the child in the device.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which a belt is secured within said body, the belt, in use, being securable around a child's waist.

4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which another strap is securable across the open front region of said body, said another strap, in use, passing over the child's legs and in front of the child's body once the child is sitting on the said body.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which said another strap is permanently attached to a side wall region of the body and detachably attachable to the another side wall region of the body.

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which one end region of a further strap is attached to the front end region of the base region of the said body so that it can, in use, extend upwards between the legs of a child seated in said body, the other end region of this further strap being detachably attachable to said other side wall or to said one strap.

7. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which said one side wall region of said body is adapted to be secured to the waist of a person by a belt which is secured to said one side wall region.

8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which one or more loops are provided on said one side wall region and a person's belt can be passed through the loop or loops to secure the body to the person's waist.

9. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the free end region of the two straps extending from said other side wall region of said body has a hook which can be engaged in any one of a series of holes in the free end region of the other of said two straps.

10. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a pocket is provided in said body for storage purposes.

11. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the device is fabricated from a textile material, leather and/or a flexible plastics material.

12. A carrying device primarily for use in carrying children, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.