Car seat carrier

Abstract

A car seat carrier includes a belt for holding the car seat and a shoulder strap attached to the belt for carrying the car seat. The belt resides around the base of the car seat. A first end of the shoulder strap attaches to a center point of a first belt end. A cross-strap crosses over the car seat, attaching to opposite sides of the belt near a second belt end, and is connected to a second end of the shoulder strap by a sliding buckle. The belt is preferably a fixed length belt which fits most car seats. The shoulder strap may further include padding to increase comfort and may be adjustable in length.

Description

The present application is a Continuation in Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/071,130, filed Mar. 1, 2005, for “Car Seat Carrier” which application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to infant carriers and in particular to a carrier comprising a shoulder strap attached to a belt which holds a car seat to allow easy carrying when the seat is removed from a car.

A stroller is often carried in a car to allow for convenient transportation of the newborn or infant at a destination. However, it is often inconvenient to load a stroller into the car for a short trip, or when the trip is a shopping trip, a stroller may take up space required for purchased articles. Because parents may not always take a stroller with them, many car seats are made to be easily removable from the automobile and include handles for carrying the car seat.

Although the handles provide a means for grasping the car seat, due to the size and weight of the car seat, carrying a car seat by the handle may prove awkward and fatiguing. Carrying the car seat for a long period of time may result in stress on elbows and shoulder joints. Additionally, a mother taking an infant along on a shopping trip may have a very difficult time carrying both the car seat and purchased items, and it may be difficult to reach for a wallet or keys.

Carriers are made for car seats, but these carriers generally require drilling holes and/or attaching unattractive hardware permanently or semi-permanently to the car seat. Some of this hardware may present a hazard to a newborn or infant, or may weaken the car seat rendering it unsafe in a crash.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a car seat carrier which includes a belt for holding the car seat and a shoulder strap attached to the belt for carrying the car seat. The belt resides around the base of the car seat. A first end of the shoulder strap attaches to a center point of a first belt end. A cross-strap crosses over the car seat, attaching to opposite sides of the belt near a second belt end, and is connected to a second end of the shoulder strap by a sliding buckle. The belt is preferably a fixed length belt which fits most car seats. The shoulder strap may further include padding to increase comfort and may be adjustable in length.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a car seat and carrier. The car seat is for transporting an occupant in an automobile. The carrier includes a fixed length belt, a shoulder strap, and a cross-strap. The belt is preferably a fixed length belt adapted to reside around a base portion of the car seat, thereby holding the car seat. The belt assuming a shape of the base portion when residing around the base portion and has a first belt end and a second belt end. The shoulder strap is attached to the belt for carrying the car seat and the cross-strap is attached across the belt proximal to the second belt end. A first shoulder strap end is attached to the first belt end at a point approximately centered on the first belt end and a second shoulder strap end connected to the cross-strap. The shoulder strap and cross-strap are connected by a sliding buckle which the cross-strap slides through, allowing the carrier to be adjusted for comfort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1A is a side view of a known car seat.

FIG. 1B is an end view of the known car seat.

FIG. 2 depicts a user carrying the car seat by a car seat handle.

FIG. 3A shows a side view of a carrier according to the present invention holding the car seat.

FIG. 3B shows an end view of the carrier according to the present invention holding the car seat.

FIG. 4 depicts a user carrying the car seat using the carrier according to the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a side of the carrier only.

FIG. 5B is an end view of the carrier only.

FIG. 6 is an adjustable length buckle suitable for use with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustable length buckle connecting a shoulder strap to a cross strap.

FIG. 8A is a top view of a belt of the carrier.

FIG. 8B is a side view of the belt of the carrier.

FIG. 8C is an end view of the belt of the carrier.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

A side view of a known car seat 10 is shown in FIG. 1A and an end view of the car seat 10 is shown in FIG. 1B. The car seat includes a handle 12 for carrying and has a reduced perimeter base portion 10a. A user 14, generally a parent or other adult, is shown carrying the car seat 10 in a known manner in FIG. 2. Unfortunately, the known manner of carrying the car seat 10 requires the user 14 to hold the handle 12 some distance away from the user's body. As a result, the user 14 often experiences fatigue, stress, and/or discomfort on elbows and shoulder joints.

The car seat 10 is shown in a side view in FIG. 3A with a carrier 16 according to the present invention holding the car seat 10, and in an end view in FIG. 3B with the carrier 16 holding the car seat 10. The user 14 is shown in FIG. 4 using the carrier 16 to carry the car seat 10. A shoulder strap 18 (also see FIGS. 5A and 5B) of the carrier 16 resides about the shoulders of the user 14 to carry most or all of the weight of the car seat 10. Fatigue, distress, and discomfort associated with carrying the car seat 10 by the handle 12 is thus substantially reduced or eliminated.

A detailed side view of the carrier 16 is shown in FIG. 5A, and a detailed end view of the carrier 16 shown in FIG. 5B. The carrier 16 includes a belt 26 adapted to reside around the base portion 10a of the car seat 10 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) to hold the car seat 10. When residing around the base portion 10a, the belt 26 generally assumes a substantially rectangular shape due to the shape of the base portion 10a of the car seat 10, but the belt 26 may also assume a more square shape or an oval shape if the base portion is more square or more oval shaped. A belt 26 assuming any shape while residing around any base portion is intended to come within the scope of the present invention, and any carrier 16 holding any car seat by the cooperation of a belt with a base portion of the car seat is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. The belt 26 further resides substantially horizontal while holding the car seat, although the car seat 10 and/or the belt 26 may somewhat tilt (i.e, reside somewhat out of the horizontal plain) as long as the occupant of the car seat is safely carried in the car seat (e.g, does not slip) and as long as the belt 26 safely holds the car seat. The belt 26 may be a fixed length belt or an adjustable length belt, and is preferably a fixed length belt with length between approximately 50 inches and approximately 62 inches, and more preferably approximately 54 inches.

The shoulder strap 18 is provided to allow the user 14 to conveniently carry the car seat 10. A first end 18a of the shoulder strap 18 is attached to a first belt end 26a of the belt 26 approximately centered on an end of the car seat 10 (looking down) when the belt 26 is placed around the base portion 10a (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) of the car seat 10. A second end of the shoulder strap 18b, opposite the first end 18a, is attached to a cross strap 22 by an adjustable length buckle 25. The shoulder strap 18 has sufficient length to allow the user 14 to adjust the position of the shoulder strap 18 on the shoulder and around the neck to comfortably and stably carry the car seat 10 to the user's front or side, with the car seat 10 near the user's waist. The shoulder strap length is preferable between approximately 40 inches and approximately 50 inches long, and is more preferably between approximately 44 inches and approximately 46 inches long.

A shoulder pad 20 is approximately centered on the shoulder strap 18 to allow for more comfortable carrying of the car seat 10. The shoulder strap 18 may further include a hinged bar buckle 24. The buckle 24 may only provide a length adjustment, or may be detachable to allow the shoulder strap 18 to be separated thus allowing the user 14 to more easily put on the carrier 16 over the user's 14 shoulders and neck in tight quarters. The buckle 24 may further provide a length adjustment for the shoulder strap 18, and include a pull 32 for adjusting the length of the shoulder strap 18.

A cross-strap 22 runs substantially laterally across the belt 26 and over the car seat 10. The cross-strap 22 need not run precisely laterally as long as both ends of the cross-strap 22 are both near a second belt end 26b of the belt 26 when the belt 26 is residing on the base portion 10a (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) of the car seat 10. Both ends of the cross-strap 22 are attached to the belt 26, preferably within approximately one inch of the second belt end 26b (also see FIG. 8A), and more preferably against the second belt end 26b. The cross-strap 22 is connected to the shoulder strap 18 at the second end 18b, and is preferably connected to the shoulder strap 18 by a sliding buckle, wherein the cross-strap may slide through the buckle to adjust the carrying position of the carrier, and more preferably by the adjustable length buckle 25. The cross-strap 22 is preferably between approximately 32 inches long and approximately 40 inches long, and is more preferably between approximately 34 inches long and approximately 38 inches long, and is most preferably approximately 36 inches long. The cross-strap 22 may be fixed length or include a length adjustment, and is preferably fixed length.

A top view of an example of an adjustable length buckle 25 is shown in FIG. 6, and a cross-sectional view of the example of an adjustable length buckle 25 taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6, is shown in FIG. 7. The cross-strap 22 may slide through the adjustable length buckle 25 to allow adjustment of the carrier 16, and when an occupant is carried in the car seat 10, the weight of the occupant provides resistance to the cross-strap 22 sliding through the adjustable length buckle 25.

A detailed top view of the belt 26 is shown in FIG. 8A, a detailed side view of the belt 26 is shown in FIG. 8B, and a detailed end view of the belt 26 is shown in FIG. 8C. The belt 26 includes a first belt end 26a and a second belt end 26b. The belt ends 26a and 26b preferably correspond to feet and head positions of an occupant of the car seat 10, although the carrier 16 may carry the car seat 10 with either end 26a or 26b at the head or feet of a car seat occupant according to the preference of the user. The belt 26 further includes a first belt side 26c running between the belt ends 26a and 26b, and a second belt side 26d opposite the first belt side 26c, and corners 35 between the ends and sides. The first attachment point 30a for the first strap end 18a (see FIG. 5B) resides approximately centered on the first belt end 26a, and attachment points 30b and 30c for the cross strap 22 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) reside on the sides 26c and 26d proximal to the second belt end 26b. The belt 26 may further include a length adjuster, whereby the length of the belt 26 may be adjusted to fit various car seats 10, or may be a fixed length belt 26, and is preferably a fixed length belt.

The belt 26, shoulder strap 18, and the cross-strap 22 are preferably made from web belt material, heavy canvas, rip stop nylon, or a general nylon material. A pouch 28 may be attached permanently or detachably to the belt 26 to provide storage for articles such as baby bottles, diapers, etc.

The belt 26 is shown having a substantially rectangular shape in FIG. 8A. In general, the belt 26 will conform or take on the shape or outline of the base portion 10a of the car seat 10. In instances where the base portion 10a is not rectangular, e.g., oval, the belt 26 will take on a different shape. The carrier according to the present invention is not limited to a rectangular base portion 10a, and the use of a carrier with a shoulder strap attached to a belt holding a base portion of any shape is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. The shoulder strap 18 may be permanently attached to the belt 26, or detachably attached to the belt 26 to simplify attachment of the carrier 16 to the car seat 10.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A car seat carrier comprising:

a belt for holding the car seat, the belt having a first belt end and a second belt end; and

a shoulder strap connected to the belt for carrying the car seat, the shoulder strap having a first strap end attached to the belt at a point approximately centered on the first belt end.

2. The car seat carrier of claim 1, wherein the belt resides substantially horizontal when holding the car seat.

3. The car seat carrier of claim 1, wherein the belt resides around a base portion of the car seat when holding the car seat.

4. The car seat carrier of claim 1, wherein:

when the belt is positioned for holding the car seat, the belt defines a substantially rectangular shape having: the first belt end; a second belt end opposite the first end; a first belt side running between the ends; and a second belt side opposite the first belt side; and

the shoulder strap includes a second strap end opposite the first strap end and connected to a cross-strap, the cross strap attached to the belt proximal to the second belt end.

5. The car seat carrier of claim 4, wherein the cross-strap is attached between the first belt side and the second belt side.

6. The car seat carrier of claim 5, wherein the shoulder strap is connected to the cross-strap by a sliding buckle, wherein the cross-strap may slide through the buckle to adjust the carrying position of the carrier.

7. The car seat carrier of claim 6, wherein the shoulder strap is connected to the cross-strap by an adjustable length buckle.

8. The car seat carrier of claim 6, wherein the cross-strap includes a cross-strap buckle allowing the cross-strap length to be adjusted.

9. The car seat carrier of claim 1, wherein the shoulder strap includes a length adjustment.

10. The car seat carrier of claim 1, wherein the shoulder strap includes a hinged bar buckle allowing the length of the shoulder strap to be adjusted.

11. The car seat carrier of claim 1, wherein the belt includes a length adjuster for adjusting length of the belt to fit various car seats.

12. The car seat carrier of claim 1, wherein the belt is fixed length and is between approximately 50 inches long and approximately 58 inches long.

13. The car seat carrier of claim 1, further including at least one Velcro® fastener for attachment of the belt to the car seat.

14. A car seat and carrier comprising:

a car seat for transporting an occupant in an automobile, the car seat including a base portion;

a belt adapted to reside around the base portion, thereby holding the car seat, the belt assuming a substantially rectangular shape when residing around the base portion, the belt having a first belt end and a second belt end;

a cross-strap attached to opposite sides of the belt proximal to the second belt end;

a shoulder strap for carrying the car seat;

a first shoulder strap end attached approximately centered on the first belt end; and

a second shoulder strap end connected to the cross strap.

15. The car seat carrier of claim 14, wherein the shoulder strap is connected to the cross-strap by a sliding buckle.

16. The car seat carrier of claim 14, wherein the belt is a fixed length belt between approximately 50 inches long and approximately 62 inches long.

17. A car seat and carrier comprising:

a car seat for transporting an occupant in an automobile, the car seat including a base portion;

a fixed length belt between approximately 50 inches long and approximately 62 inches long and adapted to reside around the base portion, thereby holding the car seat, the belt assuming a shape of the base portion when residing around the base portion and having a first belt end and a second belt end;

a cross-strap attached across the belt proximal to the second belt end;

a shoulder strap attached to the belt for carrying the car seat;

a first shoulder strap end attached to the first belt end at a point approximately centered on the first belt end; and

a second shoulder strap end connected to the cross-strap.

18. The car seat carrier of claim 17, further including a cross-strap attached to reside substantially laterally with respect to the car seat.

19. The car seat carrier of claim 17, further including at least one Velcro® fastener for attachment of the belt to the base portion.

20. The car seat carrier of claim 17, wherein the belt is a fixed length belt approximately 54 inches long.