ARRANGEMENT FOR ADJUSTING THE WIDTH OF THE CARRIER MEANS
This invention relates to an arrangement for adjusting the width of a carrier (1), which carrier (1) includes at least a carrying section (2) intended for carrying a child, upper support elements (65) attached to the carrying section and placed over the wearer's shoulders, and lower support elements (66) to be placed around the wearer's body. The carrying section (2) is equipped with widening sections (3, 4), which are attached at least to the lower support elements (66).
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The present invention relates to the arrangement described in the preamble of claim 1 for adjusting the width of a carrier, which carrier is intended particularly for carrying a child on an adult's front, back, or hip. The carrier has been supplied with a width adjustment of the carrying section, to make the same carrier ergonomically suitable for infant babies as well as for larger toddlers well until their pre-school years.
In prior art, various fabrics or their combinations are used for sewing carriers in the form of, for instance, a back carrier, a front carrier or a mei, with upper straps that go over the wearer's shoulders, as well as lower straps or a hip belt that are attached around the waist or hip, and occasionally also other straps such as a chest strap that holds the upper straps in place. Between the straps there is a carrying section that can be realized in various ways, formed a little e.g. into a shape of a cup or into a rectangle or square. Ergonomically, the carrying section should support the child's thighs down until the knees. During the most active carrying period, from newborn to about two-year-old, the child will grow by dozens of centimetres. Furthermore, carriers are often used occasionally for carrying larger children, for instance on longer distances, at airports or while hiking, and for handicapped or other children with special needs. Most carriers according to prior art make compromises regarding the width of the carrying section to make it suitable for children ranging from approximately six to eighteen months old. This makes it too wide for small babies and too narrow for larger children. Thus a carrier designed for a twelve-month-old is not suitable for ergonomic carrying of a small baby or a larger child. For some carriers, the problem has been solved by adding a separate inner part for smaller babies. This adds to the fabric layers of the carriers, which is undesirable in hot weather, warm climates or indoor use. Nor does the separate inner section solve the problem in terms of the ergonomics of carrying larger children.
The object of this invention is to remove the disadvantages described above and to achieve an advantageous and easily modifiable, reliable and ergonomic arrangement for adjusting the width of a carrier intended particularly for carrying children, where the width can be increased as a child grows. The arrangement according to the invention is characterised by what is disclosed in the characterisation part of claim 1. Other embodiments of the invention are characterised by what is disclosed in the other claims.
The advantages of the arrangement according to the invention include the fact that the width adjustment of the carrier's carrying section is designed in a way that allows the width to be increased easily as the child grows. Another benefit of the width adjustment is that the same carrier can be used for children of different sizes, meaning that a family does not have to purchase several carriers, if the children are carried at different times. The width adjustment of the carrying section is flexible. It can be a fixed part of the carrier or the widening sections can be removable. The new width adjustment mechanism is suitable for different carrier models, including back carriers, front carriers and square cloths—i.e. any equipment with lower straps or a hip belt and a carrying section. Furthermore, the widening sections stay with the carrier without being in the way or without danger of being broken when they are not needed, as the lower part of the carrier has pockets on both sides into which the widening sections are folded when the carrier is used to carry a smaller baby. Alternatively, the widening sections can be attached on the outside of the carrying section when not in use, or, if removable, they can be placed in a different pocket of the carrier or temporarily in a handbag, for example. The width adjustment according to the invention also enables the same carrier to be realized so that the child can be carried facing forward, because in such a position the crotch width must be significantly smaller than when the child is carried facing the wearer. In addition, the width adjustment and the wider lower part of the carrying section are useful when the baby is carried not only in vertical position but also in L-shaped or reclining position in the same carrier.
In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by the aid of embodiment examples with reference to the attached drawings, wherein
In the solutions presented in
This attachment solution also corresponds to the attachment of the widening sections 3 and 4 in the other embodiments presented in the previous figures. Where the snap fasteners 33-40 and ribbons 41-44 are, the additional belt 32 is detached from the hip belt 31, which means that the lower ends of the widening sections 3 and 4 are easy to insert and remove from between the additional belt 32 and the hip belt 31.
The width adjustment arrangement common to all the abovementioned embodiments of the carrier 1 according to the invention consists of widening sections 3 and 4 that are fastened to the top or to the sides of the carrying section 2 of the carrier 1 with a fixed or non-fixed attachment. The widening sections 3 and 4 increase the width of the carrying section 2 on both sides. It is essential that the widening sections stay in place properly and stay essentially wide and do not bunch up in use. The various fastening methods described above have been developed with this in mind, but the fastening itself may vary, as may the way of removing the widening sections from use. When the widening sections are not in use, if they are fixed permanently to the carrier, they are folded into pockets 5 and 6 placed in, on or under the carrying section 2, or they are attached on the top of the carrying section 2 as presented in
The above description represents the most advantageous embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will see, however, that the invention is not limited to the embodiment examples presented above, but can be varied within the scope of the patent claims presented below. The widening sections of the carrier according to the invention can be made out of a single or several layers of fabric, padded or unpadded. The shape, size and placement of the widening sections can be varied to optimally suit each carrier. The fasteners of the widening sections can be e.g. zippers, snap fasteners, snap tape, b-rings, buttons, ribbons or Velcro tapes. The abovementioned fasteners are also suitable for use as the closing means of the pockets into which the widening sections are folded or placed when not in use. The attachment of the widening sections to the lower straps or hip belt can be carried out in many ways; it is important that the widening sections stay in place without bunching up in use. The attachment of the widening sections to the lower straps or to the hip belt can be carried out with support loops or make use of additional belts and fasteners, such as zippers, snap fasteners, pieces of snap tapes, D-rings, buttons, ribbons or Velcro tapes, sewn on top of the hip belt in one or more layers.
Other variation possibilities of the invention include changing the shape of the widening sections, lengthening or shortening and/or widening or narrowing their model, and adding diverse removable or non-removable linings.
Claims
1. An arrangement for adjusting the width of a carrier (1), which carrier (1) includes at least a carrying section (2) intended for carrying a child, upper support elements (65) attached to the carrying section and placed over the wearer's shoulders, and lower support elements (66) to be placed around the wearer's body, characterised in that the carrying section (2) is equipped with widening sections (3, 4), which are attached at least to the lower support elements (66).
2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the widening sections (3, 4) are a permanent part of the carrier (1), being sewn on top of the carrying section (2), in between its fabric layers or to the sides of the carrying section (2), or are removably attached with fastening devices (29, 30) or in another similar manner.
3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the widening sections (3, 4) are attached by their lower end, at least from below their midpoint, to the lower support elements, such as the lower straps (67) or the hip belt (31), using fasteners (33-48, 51-62) or in another similar manner.
4. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that there are pockets (5, 6) in or on top of the carrying section (2), into which pockets the widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be placed when not in use.
5. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that there are pockets (5, 6) in or on top of the carrying section (2), into which pockets non-removable widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be folded and removable widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be placed when the widening sections (3, 4) are not in use.
6. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the closing means (7-22) of the pockets (5, 6) optimally consist of buttons (7-12) and loops (13-18), zippers (19, 20), Velcro tapes (21, 22), snap fasteners or snap tapes.
7. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that there are support loops (49, 50) and/or additional belts (32), sewn on top of the lower straps (67) and/or the hip belt (31), through which loops or belts the widening sections (3, 4) are designed to pass partly or completely when in use.
8. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the attachment of the widening sections (3, 4) to the carrying section and to the lower straps (67, 68) and/or the hip belt (31) optimally consists of fastening devices (29, 30) or fasteners (33-48, 51-62) such as snap fasteners (33-40, 45-48), ribbons (41-44), D-rings (55-62), zippers, snap tapes, Velcro tapes or other similar attachment methods.
9. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that there are pockets (5, 6) in or on top of the carrying section (2), into which pockets the widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be placed when not in use.
10. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterised in that there are pockets (5, 6) in or on top of the carrying section (2), into which pockets the widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be placed when not in use.
11. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that there are pockets (5, 6) in or on top of the carrying section (2), into which pockets non-removable widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be folded and removable widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be placed when the widening sections (3, 4) are not in use.
12. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterised in that there are pockets (5, 6) in or on top of the carrying section (2), into which pockets non-removable widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be folded and removable widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be placed when the widening sections (3, 4) are not in use.
13. An arrangement according to claim 4, characterised in that there are pockets (5, 6) in or on top of the carrying section (2), into which pockets non-removable widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be folded and removable widening sections (3, 4) are designed to be placed when the widening sections (3, 4) are not in use.
14. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the closing means (7-22) of the pockets (5, 6) optimally consist of buttons (7-12) and loops (13-18), zippers (19, 20), Velcro tapes (21, 22), snap fasteners or snap tapes.
15. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterised in that the closing means (7-22) of the pockets (5, 6) optimally consist of buttons (7-12) and loops (13-18), zippers (19, 20), Velcro tapes (21, 22), snap fasteners or snap tapes.
16. An arrangement according to claim 4, characterised in that the closing means (7-22) of the pockets (5, 6) optimally consist of buttons (7-12) and loops (13-18), zippers (19, 20), Velcro tapes (21, 22), snap fasteners or snap tapes.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 12, 2008
Publication Date: Dec 9, 2010
Applicant: BABYIDEA OY (Vantaa)
Inventor: Bettina Lindblom (Helsinki)
Application Number: 12/678,112
International Classification: A47D 13/02 (20060101);