HARNESS SYSTEM FOR AN INFANT OR YOUNG CHILD
A harness system for an infant. In an embodiment, the harness system comprises a unitary body including a front section to engage at least a portion of the anterior of the infant, a rear section to engage at least a portion of the posterior of the infant, and an intermediate section extending between the front section and the rear section to engage the groin area of the infant. In addition, the harness system comprises a pair of shoulder straps, each having a front end coupled to the front section and a rear end coupled to the rear section. Further, the harness system comprises a pair of lifting straps, wherein each lifting strap is coupled to one of the shoulder straps. Still further, the harness system comprises a back support member encircling the unitary body and positioned adjacent the waist of the infant.
This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/807,981 filed Jul. 21, 2006, and entitled “Harness System for an Infant or Young Child,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a harness system to hold and support a child. More particularly, the invention relates to a harness system to assist in training a child to walk. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable harness system to aid in training a child to walk while improving the child's balance.
2. Background of the Invention
Young infants spend the first few months of their lives in the prone position or on their backs. However, as their strength grows, they soon begin to hold their heads up and start crawling. Eventually, young infants start trying to stand upright and walk on their own two legs.
The transition to upright walking is an exciting time for parents and the child, but can also be challenging and dangerous. Usually, young children just starting to stand upright have not fully developed their motor skills or balance. Thus, some children learning to stand and walk may stumble, fall, and possibly injure themselves.
Traditionally, many parents simply hold the hand of the infant as the infant attempts to stand upright and take his/her first steps. This process often requires the relatively taller parent to bend down to reach and hold the child's hand. Although this approach is interactive between the parent and infant, it can be uncomfortable for the adult, and it may place stresses on the undeveloped joints and sockets (e.g., elbow joint, shoulder joint) of the infant as the infant's arm is extended and often pulled upward.
As an alternative to simply holding the hand of the infant and walking along with the infant, some adults employ a conventional rolling walker device that includes a seat or harness. Typically, the infant or young child is placed within the seat or harness and then uses his/her own legs to push the rolling device around. However, these conventional rolling walker devices tend to be less interactive between adult and child, and may even place the infant in an unsafe environment if not closely monitored. For instance, if not closely supervised, the infant could potentially push the device over the edge of stairs.
Other conventional infant training devices employ a harness that is strapped to the infant and includes one or more holding tethers or straps that extend from the harness and are held by an adult. By holding and controlling the straps, the adult can hold the child upright within the harness as the child learns to walk. If the infant loses its balance or begins to stumble, the holding tethers or straps can be manipulated by the adult to control the position of the infant and to restrict the infant from falling.
Some conventional harnesses directly apply forces to the infant via thin straps, having a relatively small surface area. The concentration of forces over such a small surface area may be uncomfortable to the child, rub and irritate the child's skin, and/or potentially injure the child. In addition, the plurality of interconnected straps may present a choking hazard to the infant if the straps inadvertently get wrapped around the infant's neck. Further, some of these devices provide lifting forces to the underarms of the infant which can also create discomfort for the infant, especially in some conventional devices that rely on underarm straps to support the entire weight of the child. In addition, the lifting straps of some conventional harnesses may be fixed, rotationally and/or translationally, relative to the harness worn by the infant. Such devices may result in the application of unstable rotational torques to the infant when the infant leans forward of backwards. Still further, some conventional training harnesses fail to provide adequate lumbar or lower back support. As a result, the harness may be uncomfortable and/or the infant may tend to slump in the harness.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a harness system to train a child to walk that is interactive and offers the potential for improved comfort, enhanced back support, and that permits controlled leaning of the child forwards and backwards while eliminating other detrimental effects of conventional training harnesses. In addition, such a new and improved harness system would be well received if it was relatively inexpensive and simple to manufacture.
SUMMARYThese and other needs in the art are addressed in one embodiment by a harness system for an infant. In an embodiment, the harness system comprises a unitary body including a front section to engage at least a portion of the anterior of the infant, a rear section to engage at least a portion of the posterior of the infant, and an intermediate section extending between the front section and the rear section to engage the groin area of the infant. In addition, the harness system comprises a pair of shoulder straps, each having a front end coupled to the front section and a rear end coupled to the rear section. Further, the harness system comprises a pair of lifting straps, wherein each lifting strap is coupled to one of the shoulder straps. Still further, the harness system comprises a back support member encircling the unitary body and positioned adjacent the waist of the infant.
Theses and other needs in the art are addressed in another embodiment by a harness system for an infant. In an embodiment, the harness system comprises a unitary body including a front section, a rear section, and an intermediate section extending therebetween, wherein the intermediate section is adapted to support substantially all the weight of the infant. In addition, the harness system comprises at least two shoulder straps, wherein each shoulder strap includes a front end coupled to the front section of the unitary body and a rear end coupled to the rear section of the unitary body. Further, the harness system comprises a connecting member slidingly coupled to each shoulder strap. Still further, the harness system comprises at least two lifting straps, wherein each lifting strap includes a free end and a connected end pivotally connected to one of the connecting members.
Theses and other needs in the art are addressed in another embodiment by a harness system to hold an infant upright. In an embodiment, the harness system comprises a unitary body including a front section to engage at least a portion of the anterior of the infant, a rear section to engage at least a portion of the posterior of the infant, and an intermediate section extending between the front section and the rear section to engage the groin area of the infant. In addition, the harness system comprises a pair of shoulder straps, wherein each shoulder strap includes a front end fixed to the front section of the unitary body and a rear end fixed to the rear section of the unitary body. Further, the harness system comprises a pair of lifting straps, wherein each lifting strap includes a connected end and a free end. Still further, the harness system comprises means for pivotally and slidingly coupling each lifting strap to one of the shoulder straps; and
Thus, embodiments described herein comprise a combination of features and advantages intended to address various shortcomings associated with certain prior devices. The various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, and by referring to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the embodiments described herein. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
For a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not function. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness.
In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . . ” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections.
For purposes of this discussion, orthogonal x-, y-, and z-axes are shown in
Referring to
Body 20 includes a front section 22, a rear section 26 and an intermediate section 24 extending therebetween. Front section 22, rear section 26, and intermediate section 24 form a single, integral structure. Thus, body 20 may be described herein as “single piece” or “unitary.” When viewed from the side (e.g.,
Front section 22 is generally defined by an upper edge 23a, lateral or side edges 23b, and a smoothly curved and contoured edge 23c along the transition from front section 22 to intermediate section 24. Rear section 26 includes an upper edge 27a, lateral or side edges 27b, and a smoothly curved and contoured edge 27c that represents the transition from rear section 26 to intermediate section 24. Although, side edges 23b are shown as substantially parallel, and side edges 27b are shown as substantially parallel, in some embodiments, side edges 23b, 27b may not be parallel. Contoured edges 23c and 27c result in the tapering of body 20 towards intermediate section 24. As a result, intermediate section 24 has a decreased width, measured parallel to the x-axis, relative to front section 22 and rear section 26.
Referring still to
Body 20 preferably comprises relatively flexible, wear resistant, and comfortable material(s) including without limitation nylon mesh or the like. Such exemplary materials permit body 20 to conform to the shape and contours of the infant (e.g., infant 90) wearing harness system 100. Moreover, such exemplary materials will tend not to cut, scratch, or otherwise harm the skin of infant 90 when the infant moves relative to body 20. To further enhance the comfort of harness system 100, the outer edges (e.g., contoured edges 23c, 27c) of body 20 are preferably relatively smooth and/or radiused. Still further, all or at least portions of front section 22, intermediate section 24, and rear section 26 of body 20 preferably include padding to cushion forces acting between the infant and body 20.
Referring specifically to
Embodiments of harness system 100 described herein more fully enclose the infant within a flexible padded integral body 20 as best seen in
Referring to
It should be appreciated that shoulder straps 30 are laterally spaced apart relative to each other, thereby permitting the head of infant 90 to pass therebetween. In this configuration, each shoulder strap 30 passes over a shoulder of infant 90 without contacting infant 90.
Each shoulder strap 30 comprises two distinct straps that are releasably coupled together by a coupling 35. By disconnecting or releasing coupling 35, shoulder strap 30 may be divided into two segments, one segment attached to front section 22 and the other segment attached to rear section 26. Such a feature may increase the ease by which an infant is secured within harness system 100. For instance, by disconnecting coupling 35, infant 90 can placed within body 20 through upper opening 29 without restriction by shoulder straps 30 since shoulder straps 30 no longer extend completely from front section 22 to rear section 26. In addition, inclusion of coupling 35 enables adjustment of the overall length of each shoulder strap 30 as measured between front end 30a and rear end 30b. By adjusting the length of each shoulder strap 30, one harness system 100 may be configured to accommodate different age and sized infants. In the embodiment illustrated in
Shoulder straps 30 may comprise any suitable material, and preferably comprise a relatively flexible, wear resistant, comfortable material such as ballistic nylon or the like.
Referring still to
Each lifting strap 40 has a connected end 40a pivotally coupled to a connecting member 50, and a free end 40a that includes a handle 42. Thus, connecting member 50 is free to pivot about connected end 40a, but is restricted from moving translationally relative to connected end 40a of lifting strap 40.
In addition, each connecting member 50 is slidingly and pivotally coupled to a shoulder strap 30. Thus, each connecting member 50 may move translationally along the shoulder strap 30 to which it is coupled, and pivot relative to the shoulder strap 30 to which it is coupled. Thus, the coupling or connection between shoulder straps 30 and lifting straps 40 via connecting member may be described as “floating,” and lifting straps 40 may be described as “floating straps.” Although connecting member 50 is shown as a relatively simple bracket or loop-type connector, in general, connecting member 50 may comprise any suitable device that permits translational movement and pivoting between shoulder straps 30 and lifting straps 40.
Referring briefly to
Although harness system 100 permits infant 90 to moderately lean, the pivotal and slidable connection (i.e., floating connection) between holding straps 40 and shoulder straps 30 reduces the potential for excessive tilting of infant 90 which may result in a complete loss of balance, falling, and/or injury to infant 90. Specifically, as infant 90 leans, connecting member 50 will tend to slide over the center of gravity of infant 90, while at the same time, the pivoting action of lifting straps 40 relative to connecting members 50 will tend to maintain lifting straps 40 in a substantially vertical orientation. As a result, the forces applied by lifting straps 40 will be predominantly vertical forces passing substantially through the center of gravity of infant 90, thereby reducing the application of rotational torques to infant 90. Lifting straps fixed to a specific point on the harness structure result in the application of forces that do not pass through the center of gravity of the infant, thereby causing torques that tend to tilt or rotate the infant. Such torques may result in an unrealistic walking experience for the child, and further may result in less stability for the infant and harness. However, in the embodiments of harness system 100 described herein, the forces applied to infant 90 via connecting members 50 and lifting straps 40 substantially pass through the center of gravity of infant 90, even when infant 90 leans slightly forward or backward. Consequently, rotational torques acting on infant 90 are reduced, resulting in a relatively stable, realistic walking experience, and allows infant 90 to experience balancing with his/her own motor skills by foot and toe movements as well as natural arm movement.
Referring now to
Back support member 60 further includes a releasable coupling 65 that permits the releasable attachment of ends 60a, 60b of back support member 60. This feature may increase the ease by which a child is secured within body 20 of harness system 100. In addition, inclusion of coupling 65 enables adjustment of the overall length of back support member 60, thereby enabling harness system 100 to be adjusted to comfortably accommodate a variety of different age and sizes of infants. Similar to couplings 35 previously described, coupling 65 is shown as a quick release clip or connection. However, in different embodiments, coupling 65 may comprises any suitable releasable device that permits adjustment of the overall length of back support member 60.
Referring to
In addition, it should be appreciated that rear segment 61 of back support member 60 (i.e., the portion of back support member 60 extending across the lower back and lumbar area of the infant) is the widest part of back support member 60, as measured substantially parallel to axis y. In particular, front segment has a width W1 and rear segment 61b has a width W2 that is greater than W1. This configuration allows back support member 60, rear segment 61b in particular, to provide increased support in the lower back region without unduly restricting infant 90 from bending forward at the waist. Although front segment 61a and rear segment 61b of back support member 60 are shown as having substantially uniform widths along their respective lengths, in different embodiments, front segment 61a and/or rear segment 61b may have non-uniform widths, or the same width. In addition, it should be appreciated that back support member 60 is provided around the outside of body 20, thereby permitting body 20 to disperse and cushion the forces between back support member 60 and infant 90. As with lifting straps 40 and shoulder straps 30, back support member 60 may comprise any suitable material(s), and preferably comprises a flexible, wear resistant material such as ballistic nylon or the like.
Referring now to
In the manner described, embodiments of harness system 100, 200 described herein provide a harness that may be used to hold an infant upright, as an interactive tool to train an infant, and as a device to develop an infant's balance. In addition, embodiments of harness system 100, 200 provide improved comfort, enhanced lower back and lumbar support, an increased range of motion, and a relatively realistic walking experience for the infant. Further, by providing a harness with a minimized number of straps, embodiments described herein may reduce the potential for inadvertent choking of the infant. Moreover, the use of flexible materials and adjustable length straps (e.g., holding straps 40, shoulder straps 30, back support member 60, etc.) offers the potential for a “one size fits all” infant training harness (e.g., harness system 100). Still further, some of the embodiments described herein employ relatively inexpensive, readily available materials into a simple design, thereby offering the potential for a cheaper and easier to manufacture infant harness system.
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the system and apparatus are possible and are within the scope of the invention. For example, the relative dimensions of various parts, the materials from which the various parts are made, and other parameters can be varied. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.
Claims
1. A harness system for an infant comprising:
- a unitary body including a front section to engage at least a portion of the anterior of the infant, a rear section to engage at least a portion of the posterior of the infant, and an intermediate section extending between said front section and said rear section to engage the groin area of the infant;
- a pair of shoulder straps, each having a front end coupled to said front section and a rear end coupled to said rear section;
- a pair of lifting straps, wherein each lifting strap is coupled to one of said shoulder straps; and
- a back support member encircling said unitary body and positioned adjacent the waist of the infant.
2. The harness system of claim 1 wherein each lifting strap comprises a connected end and a free end, wherein said connected end of each lifting strap is coupled to one of said shoulder straps and said free end of each lifting strap includes a handle.
3. The harness system of claim 2 further comprising two connecting members, wherein each connecting member is pivotally coupled to said connected end of one of said lifting straps, and each connecting member is slidingly coupled to one of said shoulder straps.
4. The harness system of claim 1 wherein said back support member is adapted to support the lower back and lumbar area of the infant.
5. The harness system of claim 4 wherein said back support member includes a front segment disposed across said front section of said unitary body and a rear segment disposed across said rear section of said unitary body, wherein said front segment has a width W1 and said rear segment has a width W2, wherein W2 is greater than W1.
6. The harness system of claim 1 wherein the length of each shoulder strap between said front end and said rear end is adjustable.
7. The harness system of claim 1 wherein the length of said back support member encircling said unitary body is adjustable.
8. The harness system of claim 1 wherein said unitary body comprises padding adapted to cushion the application of forces to the infant.
9. The harness system of claim 1 wherein said unitary body comprises a nylon mesh.
10. A harness system for an infant comprising:
- a unitary body including a front section, a rear section, and an intermediate section extending therebetween, wherein said intermediate section is adapted to support substantially all the weight of the infant;
- at least two shoulder straps, wherein each shoulder strap includes a front end coupled to said front section of said unitary body and a rear end coupled to said rear section of said unitary body;
- a connecting member slidingly coupled to each shoulder strap; and
- at least two lifting straps, wherein each lifting strap includes a free end and a connected end pivotally connected to one of said connecting members.
11. The harness system of claim 10 further comprising a back support member encircling said unitary body and positioned adjacent the waist of the infant.
12. The harness system of claim 11 wherein the length of said back support member encircling said unitary body is adjustable.
13. The harness system of claim 11 wherein said back support member includes a front segment disposed across said front section of said unitary body and a rear segment disposed across said rear section of said unitary body, wherein said front segment has a width W1 and said rear segment having a width W2, wherein W2 is greater than W1.
14. The harness system of claim 10 wherein said free end of each lifting strap includes a handle.
15. The harness system of claim 10 wherein the length of each shoulder strap between said front end and said rear end is adjustable.
16. The harness system of claim 10 wherein said unitary body comprises padding adapted to cushion the application of forces to the infant.
17. A harness system to hold an infant upright comprising:
- a unitary body including a front section to engage at least a portion of the anterior of the infant, a rear section to engage at least a portion of the posterior of the infant, and an intermediate section extending between said front section and said rear section to engage the groin area of the infant;
- a pair of shoulder straps, wherein each shoulder strap includes a front end fixed to said front section of said unitary body and a rear end fixed to said rear section of said unitary body;
- a pair of lifting straps, wherein each lifting strap includes a connected end and a free end;
- means for pivotally and slidingly coupling each lifting strap to one of the shoulder straps; and
- a back support member encircling said unitary body and positioned adjacent the waist of the infant.
18. The harness system of claim 17 wherein said back support member includes a front segment disposed across said front section of said unitary body and a rear segment disposed across said rear section of said unitary body, wherein said front segment has a width W1 and said rear segment having a width W2, wherein W2 is greater than W1.
19. The harness system of claim 17 wherein the length of each shoulder strap between said front end and said rear end is adjustable.
20. The harness system of claim 10 wherein said unitary body comprises padding adapted to cushion the application of forces to the infant.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 3, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 24, 2008
Inventors: Rodney W. Winn (Houston, TX), Jorge Lujan (Cypress, TX)
Application Number: 11/556,209
International Classification: A47D 15/00 (20060101);