GB2391790A

GB2391790A - Child harness detachably connected to an adult harness

Info

Publication number: GB2391790A
Application number: GB0218861A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leannne Philippa Courtney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-08-14
Filing date: 2002-08-14
Publication date: 2004-02-18
Also published as: AU2003255789A1; WO2004016479A1; GB0218861D0; GB0319047D0

Abstract

An infant harness 10 is releasably and adjustably fitted around a child's crotch and waist and is detachably connected to an adjustable adult harness 12, which covers the wearer's shoulders and torso. The two harnesses are coupled via complementary left and right quick-release connectors 30L 30R (not shown), 52L, 52R. The harness set may, for example, be used when travelling by air.

Description

TITLE Infant Travel Restrainer DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to child harnesses, in particular for harnessing a child to an adult.

The invention was conceived to facilitate airline travel of a small child with their parent, but it also has other applications.

It is permissible on many airlines for a small child to travel seated on their parent's lap.

s However, there is a requirement that the child be properly strapped in when the "Fasten Seat Belts" lights are switched on. It is, of course, extremely dangerous for the standard lap belt to be looped around both the child and the parent, because in the event of severe deceleration of the aircraft the child would experience, in addition to the force due to their own mass and deceleration, the far greater force due to the mass and deceleration of the parent. The 10 conventional way of securing a child in these circumstances is to fit, around the child's waist, a belt that is attached to the parent's seat belt by a short sleeve or is looped inside the parent's seat belt. A more complicated way of strapping the child to the parent's seat belt is described in patent document US 5540403. In that case, the child wears a five-way harness that has a pair of side straps with rings at their ends through which the parent's seat belt is threaded.

15 These known ways of securing a child on an adult's lap do have inconveniences and problems. If, for reasons of comfort, the adult loosens their seat belt while the aircraft is cruising, the child is no longer properly secured, and so the adult may need to support the child manually, especially if the child is asleep. This is inconvenient if the adult wishes to, say, read a book or eat a meal, and it is also dangerous if the adult also falls asleep. Also, if the adult 20 wishes to use the toilet while the child is sleeping, the adult needs to undo both belts, and then either carry the sleeping child to the toilet, or strap the child into the aircraft seat and re-adjust the seat belt to fit the child.

The present invention is concerned with providing an improved harness which can be used when an adult is travelling by air with a child seated on their lap, but which also has other 25 uses.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a harness set for harnessing a child to an adult, the harness comprising a child harness and an adult harness, the child

- 2 harness being arranged to be releasably fitted around the child's torso and between the child's crotch, the adult harness being arranged to be fitted over the adult's shoulders and around the back of the adult's torso, and the child harness having left and right connectors arranged to be releasably coupled with complementary left and right connectors of the adult harness so that the S child can be harnessed to the front of the adult's torso with the child facing in the same direction as the adult. Accordingly, the child can be securely strapped to the adult, even if the adult loosens their own seat belt or indeed visits the toilet, leaving the adult's hands free.

Preferably, the child harness comprises a flexible panel that is generally T-shaped when laid flat, the upper arms of the T-shape being arranged for extending around the child's torso 10 from the rear to the front, the central stem of the T-shape being arranged for extending between the child's crotch from the rear to the front, and the child harness further comprising means for releasably attaching the distal ends of the arms to the distal end of the stem in front of the child's torso. The child harness therefore provides better harnessing than a simple loop around the child's torso. The stem extending between the child's legs prevents the child slipping down 15 through the child harness either when the adult is standing, or, in the event of severe deceleration of the aircraft, when the child is sitting on the adult's lap but not in the "brace" position. The flexible panel may, of course, be padded for comfort. The attaching means preferably comprises hasps attached to the distal ends of the arms that can be coupled to a quick-release locking device attached to the distal end of the central stem. This enables the child 20 harness to be quickly and easily fitted to and removed from the child. Preferably, each hasp is attached to the distal end of the respective arm by a respective strap having an adjustable effective length. Accordingly, the child harness can be adjusted to f t different sizes of child.

Preferably, the left and right connectors are attached to the arms of the T-shape.

Preferably, the adult harness comprises a belt for extending around the back of the 25 adult's torso, the complementary connectors being mounted on the belt. In this case, the complementary connectors are preferably adjustable in position along the belt. Accordingly, the tightness with which the child is secured to the adult can adjusted. Also, the adult harness preferably further comprises a pair of straps each for extending over a respective shoulder of the adult from a position on the belt generally mid-way between the complementary connectors 30 to a respective position on the belt closer to the respective complementary connector. The straps enable proper positioning of the belt on the adult's torso to be maintained and help support the weight of the child when the child is being carried in the harness rather than sitting on the adult's lap. In this case, the effective lengths of the straps are preferably adjustable to suit different sizes of adult. The harness may further include means for releasably attaching the ends

-3 of the belt together in front of the adult's torso, so that the harness will not inadvertently fall off the adult when the child is not harnessed to the adult.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 5 Figure l is a rear view of an adult harness; and Figure 2 is view from the front and the side of a child harness.

Referring to the drawings, the harness set comprises a child harness 10 (Figure 2) and an adult harness 12 (Figure 1). The child harness 10 has a flexible panel 14 that is generally T-

shaped when laid flat, with arias 16R,16L projecting to the left and right, and a central stem 18.

10 The panel 14 is made of any suitable material, for example neoprene, and is padded on its inner surface. The material of the panel 14 is breathable so as not to cause undue sweating when worn. The ends of the arms 16R,16L are provided with straps 20R,20L, each of which has a hasp 22R,22L adjustably fitted to it. The end of the stem 18 is provided with a locking device 24 having a pair of openings 26R,26L to receive the hasps 22R,22L and a quick-release press 15 button 28 that can be depressed to enable the hasps 22R,22L to be released from the locking device 24. In order to fit the child harness 10 to a child, the child is sat on the stem 18, facing in the same direction as the stem 18; the stem 18 is pulled up between the child's legs; the arms 16R,16L are wrapped around the child's torso; the hasps 22R,22L are inserted into the openings 26R,26L of the locking device 24; and the straps 20R,20L are adjusted so that the child harness 20 10 is a snug fit around the child. When the proper size of child harness 10 is used, the upper edge of the arms 16R,16L of the panel 14 should be approximately level with the lower end of the child's sternum.

The rear of the arms 16R,16L of the panel 14 are provided with a pair of locking connector sockets (only one 30L of which can be seen in Figure 2) for a reason to be described 25 below.

The adult harness 12 has a belt 34 for fitting around the adult's torso. The ends of the belt 34 are provided with complementary hook and loop fastening strips 36,38, for example of Velcro., so that the ends can be attached together in front of the adult's torso. From mid-way along the belt 34, a short strap 40 extends upwardly to a buckle 42 that, in use, lies against the 30 centre of the adult's back. A Y-shaped strap 44 has its central portion 46 adjustably attached to the buckle 42 and its two limbs 48R,48L arranged for extending over the adult's shoulders and

back down to the belt 34 to which the ends SOR,SOL of the limbs 48R,48L are attached. When the adult harness 12 is properly fitted to the adult, the belt 34 should extend around the adult's waist approximately level with the lower end of their ribcage.

A pair of connector hasps S2R,52L is provided on the belt 34, adjustable in position 5 along the belt 34 between the ends 50R,SOL of the straps 48R,48L and the fastening strips 36,38. The connector hasps 52R,52L can be releasably locked into the connector sockets 30L of the child harness 10. When it is desired to harness the child to the adult, the hasp 52L is inserted into locking engagement with the socket SOL; the hasp 52R is inserted into locking engagement with the other socket (i.e. with the child's back against the adult's front); and the 10 positions of the hasps 52R,52L along the belt 34 are adjusted so that the child is held sufficiently tightly against the adult.

When the harness set 10,12 described above is properly adjusted, the child can be held in position on the adult's lap when the adult is sitting, or against the front of the adult's torso when the adult is standing or walking a short distance, without the need for any additional IS support. Although the harness set was conceived to facilitate airline travel of a small child (for example aged three to eighteen months) with their parent, it also has other applications, such as train travel.

It should be noted that the embodiment of the invention has been described above purely 20 by way of example and that many modifications and developments may be made thereto within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

- s - CLAIMS

1. A harness set for harnessing a child to an adult, the harness set comprising a child harness and an adult harness, the child harness being arranged to be releasably fitted around the child's torso and between the child's crotch, the adult harness being arranged to be fitted over the adult's shoulders and around the back of the adult's torso, and the child harness having left 5 and right connectors arranged to be releasably coupled with complementary left and right connectors of the adult harness so that the child can be harnessed to the front of the adult's torso with the child facing in the same direction as the adult.

2. A harness set as claimed in claim 1, wherein the child harness comprises a flexible panel that is generally T-shaped when laid flat, the upper arms of the T-shape being arranged 10 for extending around the child's torso from the rear to the front, the central stem of the T-shape being arranged for extending between the child's crotch from the rear to the front, and the child harness further comprising means for releasably attaching the distal ends of the arms to the distal end of the stem in front of the child's torso.

3. A harness set as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attaching means comprises hasps 15 attached to the distal ends of the arms that can be coupled to a quick-release locking device attached to the distal end of the central stem.

4. A harness set as claimed in claim 3, wherein each hasp is attached to the distal end of the respective arm by a respective strap having an adjustable effective length.

5. A harness set as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the left and right connectors 20 are attached to the arms of the T-shape.

6. A harness set as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the adult harness comprises a belt for extending around the back of the adult's torso, the complementary connectors being mounted on the belt.

-6

7. A harness set as claimed in claim 6, wherein the complementary connectors are adjustable in position along the belt.

8. A harness set as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the adult harness further comprises a pair of straps each for extending over a respective shoulder of the adult from a position on the 5 belt generally mid-way between the complementary connectors to a respective position on the belt closer to the respective complementary connector.

9. A harness set as claimed in claim 8, wherein the effective lengths of the straps are adjustable.

10. A harness set as claimed in any of claims 6 to 9, further including means for releasably 10 attaching the ends of the belt together in front of the adult's torso.

11. A harness set for harnessing a child to an adult, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.