GB2257617A

GB2257617A - A carrying device for carrying a baby

Info

Publication number: GB2257617A
Application number: GB9115652A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Osborn
Original assignee: LAMBERT LYNNE MARION JANE
Current assignee: LAMBERT LYNNE MARION JANE
Priority date: 1991-07-19
Filing date: 1991-07-19
Publication date: 1993-01-20
Also published as: GB9115652D0

Abstract

The carrying device comprises a carrying strap (6) and a seat portion (8) made of a flexible material. The seat portion has a front part (10), a rear part (12) and a seat pan (14). The carrying strap (6) is attached to the front part (10) and is of such a length that, during use, it fits over one shoulder (16) of a person (18) and extends diagonally across the person's trunk (20) so that the seat portion (8) lies adjacent the hip (22). The rear part (12) is held in position by a pair of side straps (24) which extends between the rear part (12) and the carrying strap (6). The baby (4) is able to sit on the seat part (14) with its legs hanging over side edges (30) thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

A CARRYING DEVICE FOR CARRYING A BABY This invention relates to a carrying device for carrying a baby.

Various types of carrying devices for carrying a baby are well known. Once such type is mounted across both shoulders of a person and the baby is carried directly in front of the person. With such a carrying device, the baby faces the person who is doing the carrying and thus the baby cannot see where it is going. Furthermore, the weight of the baby tends to cause the person carrying the baby to place undue strain on the spine. Another known carrying device fits over both shoulders of a person carrying the baby such that the baby is carried on the person's back in the manner of a rucksack.With such a carrying device, the baby is able to look over the shoulder of the person carrying the baby but as the baby gets older, the baby tends to pull the hair of the person carrying the baby, or drop food down the neck of a person carrying the baby, or otherwise interfere with the person carrying the baby.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a carrying device for carrying a baby, which carrying device obviates or reduces the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, there is provided a carrying device for carrying a baby, which carrying device comprises a carrying strap and a seat portion which is for receiving the baby and which is made of a flexible material, the seat portion being such that it has a front part, a rear part and a seat part, the carrying strap being attached to the front part and being of such a length that during use of the carrying device the carrying strap fits over one shoulder of a person and extends diagonally across the person's trunk whereby the seat portion is adjacent that hip of the person which is opposite the shoulder supporting the carrying strap, the rear part being held in position during use of the carrying device by a pair of side straps which extend between the rear part and the carrying strap, and the seat part being such that the baby is able to sit on the seat part with its legs hanging over side edges of the seat part.

Thus, with the carrying device of the invention, the baby can be carried on either side of a person and this is the natural carrying position adopted by mothers.

In this natural carrying position adopted by mothers, the spine is not unduly strained, the baby is able to see both forwards and to the rear, and the baby is not in a position for pulling the hair or otherwise interferring with the person doing the carrying, Preferably, the pair of side straps are of such a height that they fit under the arms of the baby when t is in the seat portion.

The flexible material will usually be a washable material so that the carrying device can easily be washed as and when necessary. Mizen the carrying device is not being used, the flexible material enables the carrying device to be folded up for storage or for being carried in a person's bag.

Usually, the carrying strap will be adjustable in length. Also, usually, the side straps will each be adjustable in length, The carrying device may be one in which the front part of the seat portion does not extend as high as the rar part of the seat portion. The rear part may extend to width which is similar to, or wider than,the width of the front part.

Preferably, the flexible material is a waterresistant flexible material but other flexible materials may be used if desired. The flexible material may be arranged to cover a flexible filler material. The flexible material may be a plastics material, e.g. nylon (registered trade mark). The flexible filler material may be a fibre filling. Any suitable and appropriate type of fibre filling may be employed.

The carrying strap may be provided with an adjustable quick release buckle which allows the length of the carrying strap quickly and easily to be adjusted.

The adjustable quick release buckle may also enable the carrying strap to open up completely if desired.

Alternatively, if desired, the carrying strap may be provided with a single bar slide.

The pair of side straps preferably have an adjustable buckle for enabling the adjustment of the length of the side straps.

The carrying device may include a support member which is releaseably attachable to the rear part of the seat portion and which is able to support the head and/or back of the baby. The support member may enable the carrying device to be used for a wider age range of babies. Thus, for example, for a very young baby, the support member may be advantageous in supporting the head of the baby. The support member may then be dispensed with when the baby is old enough to support its own head.

Preferably, the support member is attached to the rear part of the seat portion by a fastening strap which passes through two pairs of aligned holes in the support member and the rear part.

Preferably, the support member is made of a flexible material with reinforcing ribs. In this case, the support member may be made of the same type of material as is used for the seat portion, with the reinforcing ribs being made of a plastics material. Any suitable and appropriate type of plastics material may be employed.

The carrying device may be produced in any desired colour or combination of colours.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a carrying device in use carrying a baby; Figure 2 shows the carrying device of Figure 1 in enlarged detail and without the baby; and Figure 3 shows a modification to the carrying device shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a carrying device 2 for carrying a baby 4. The carrying device 2 comprises a carrying strap 6 and a seat portion 8 which is for receiving the baby 4 and which is made of a flexible material.

The seat portion 8 is such that it has a front part 10, a rear part 12, and a seat part 14.

The carrying strap 6 is attached to the front part 10 as shown. The carrying strap 6 is of such a length that during use of the carrying device 2, the carrying strap 6 fits over one shoulder 16 of a person 18 and extends diagonally across the person?5 trunk 20. Thus the seat portion 8 is adjacent that hip 22 of the person which is opposite the shoulder 16 supporting the carrying strap 6.

The rear part 12 of the seat portion 8 is held in position during use of the carrying device 2 by a pair of side straps 24, 26. The side straps 24, 26 extend between the rear part 12 of the seat portion 8 and the carrying strap 6.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the seat part 14 of the seat portion 8 is such thatt the baby 4 is able to sit on the seat part 14 with its legs 28 hanging over side edges 30 of the seat part 14. As also shown in Figure 1, the pair of side straps 24, 26 are at such a height that they fit under the arms 32 of the baby 4 when the baby 4 is in the seat portion 8.

The flexible material from which the seat portion 8 is made is washable so that the carrying device 2 can be washed as and when desired. The straps 6,24,26- are also washable and they may be in the form of webbing, for example nylon webbing.

The carrying strap 6 is provided with an adjustable quick release buckle 34. Thus the buckle 34 enables the length of the carrying strap 6 to be adjusted as may be desired. The side straps 24, 26 are each provided with a buckle 36 for enabling the length of the side straps 24, 26 to be adjusted.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the front part 10 of the seat portion 8 does not extend as high as the rear part 12 of the seat portion 8. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the rear part 12 extends to a width which is wider than the width of the front part 10.

The seat portion 8 is preferably made of a nylon material which covers a fibre filling. This gives the baby 4 a strong yet comfortable seat portion 8. For the comfort of the person 18, the carrying strap 6 is provided with a padded sleeve member 38. This helps to stop the weight of the baby 4 causing the carrying strap 6 to cut into the shoulder 16 of the person 18. The sleeve member 38 may be padded with any suitable and appropriate material such for example as the material from which the seat portion 8 is made, a foam plastics material, or a foam rubber.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the baby 4 is seated on the hip 22 of the person 18 and this is the natural carrying position for all mothers. The person 18 is thus able to carry the baby 4 in good comfort, whilst the baby 4 is able to see where it is going but at the same time is in a position which does not facilitate the baby making a nuisance of itself by pulling the hair of the person 18.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a modification to the carrying device 2 in that the rear part 10 of the seat portion 8 is provided with a support member 40. The support member 40 is releaseably attachable to the rear part 12 of the seat portion 8.

The support member 20 is able to support the head and/or back of the baby 4 and this may be preferred by some parents, for example for especially young babies 4. For simplicity of illustration, Figure 3 also shows the support member 40 in a separated condition. As can be seen from Figure 3, the support member 40 is attached to the rear part 12 by a fastening strap 42 which passes through two pairs of aligned holes 44, 46 in the support member 40 and the rear part 12 respectively.

The support member 40 is made of a flexible material which may be the same as the flexible material used for the seat portion 8. This flexible material is provided with three vertically extending ribs 48 which are made of a plastics material. These ribs 48 give the support member 40 rigidity. The support member 40 may be employed to support the head of a small baby such for example of age six-eighteen months. As the baby gets older and it is able to support its own head, then the support member 40 may be removed.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the flexible material is preferably a waterresistant material but any other suitable and appropriate types of flexible material may be employed. Also, the carrying strap 6 may be provided with a bar slide instead of the buckle 34. The rear part 12 may extend to a width which is similar to the width of the front part 10. The seat portion 8 can be made of a material other than the nylon material with the fibre filling. Still further, the three vertically extending ribs 48 may be replaced by a single membrane.

Claims

1. A carrying device for carrying a baby, which carrying device comprises a carrying strap and a seat portion which is for receiving the baby and which is made of a flexible material, the seat portion being such that it has a front part, a rear part and a seat part, the carrying strap being attached to the front part and being of such a length that during use of the carrying device the carrying strap fits over one shoulder of a person and extends diagonally across the person's trunk whereby the seat portion is adjacent that hip of the person which is opposite the shoulder supporting the carrying strap, the rear part being held in position during use of the carrying device by a pair of side straps which extend between the rear part and the carrying strap, and the seat part being such that the baby is able to sit on the seat part with its legs hanging over side edges of the seat part.

2. A carrying device according to claim 1 in which the pair of side straps are of such a height that they fit under the arms of the baby when it is in the seat portion.

3. A carrying device according to claim 1 or claim 2'in which the flexible material is a washable material.

4. A carrying device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the carrying strap is adjustable in length.

5. A carrying device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the side straps are each adjustable in length.

6. A carrying device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the front part of the seat portion does not extend as high as the rear part of the seat portion.

7. A carrying device according to claim 6 in which the rear part extends to a width which is similar to, or wider than, the width of the front part.

8. A carrying device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the flexible material is a waterresistant flexible material.

9. A carrying device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the carrying strap is provided with an adjustable quick release buckle.

10. A carrying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in which the carrying strap is provided with a single bar slide.

11. A carrying device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the pair of side straps have an adjustable buckle for enabling adjustment of the length of the side straps.

12. A carrying device according to any one of the preceding claims and including a support member which is releaseably attachable to the rear part of the seat portion and which is able to support the head and/or back of the baby.

13. A carrying device according to claim 12 in which the support member is attached to the rear part of the seat portion by a fastening strap which passes through two pairs of aligned holes in the support member and the rear part.

14. A carrying device according to claim 12 or claim 13 in which the support member is made of a flexible material with reinforcing ribs.

15. A carrying device for carrying a baby, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.