Abstract:
The Portable Swing Adaptor is a small device that is constructed of machine washable fabric and padding, the straps are made from durable nylon belting and the buckle and adjusting slides are plastic. The hooks that attach the swing adaptor to the swing are metal. This is a new idea because the toddler swings that are currently available to the public are bulky plastic equipment that are not portable and cannot be attached to playground equipment without tools.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention pertains to Class 472 Amusement Devices—Sub class: Swings, Class 297 Chairs &amp; Seats. This product was invented for toddlers and small children, no more than 44 inches tall and no heavier than 45 pounds in weight. It was invented specifically as a portable device. Many playgrounds do not provide a toddler safe swing that would support the child from falling off either backwards or forwards, this invention is designed to allow parents or caregivers of toddlers the option of using a typical playground swing with extra support. Toddler swings are available to purchase but they are not portable, they are large and made from hard plastic, and they are not for installing on public playgrounds.
       I, Jean Ann Mead, invented the Portable Swing Adaptor so that toddlers and small children can have extra support on a typical playground swing.       
 
         [0003]    My invention is constructed of machine washable fabric, foam padding and nylon straps so it is soft and easy to clean. 
         [0004]    It is small and portable-easily brought to parks and can fit in many diaper bags. 
         [0005]    This device can be attached and removed in less than 3 minutes, so a busy child doesn&#39;t get bored waiting to swing and can easily move on to something else. 
         [0006]    This product is inexpensive to manufacture, thus the retail cost would not be prohibitive for most families. 
         [0007]    This is a new idea because the toddler swings that are currently available to the public are bulky plastic equipment that are not portable and cannot be attached to playground equipment without tools. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0008]    The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective front view of the Portable Swing Adaptor in its usable form; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective rear view of the Portable Swing Adaptor in its usable form 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates the preferred embodiment of the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  of the present invention. The Portable Swing Adaptor  10  comprises a back pad  12 , a left support connection strap  13 A and a right support connection strap  13 B. Each strap has a metal hook clasp at each end  20  to connect to the swing chains, a waist belt left side  16 A, a waist belt right side  16 B connected in the front center of the Portable Swing Adaptor by a quick release plastic buckle  19 , two shoulder straps comprising of an upper left side  14 A, a lower left side  14 B an upper right side  15 A and lower right side  15 B with sliding adjusters  18   a , and a crotch strap  17 . The waist strap  16 A,  16 B, crotch strap  17 , shoulder straps  14 A, B and  15 A, B, and the back pad  12  are the main support of the present invention, while the left support connection strap  13 A and right support connection strap  13 B as well as the crotch strap  17 , provide a means for securing the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  to a conventional swing with a sling seat. 
         [0012]    In the preferred embodiment, the back pad  12  of the Portable Swing Adaptor is made of densified foam batting covered with a cotton broadcloth fabric for comfort, durability, and portability. The 1 inch wide nylon straps are stitched to the back pad to form the Portable Swing Adaptor, incorporating adjustable sliding clips, locking buckles, and locking hooks as needed. Nylon straps, adjustable sliding clips, locking buckles, and locking hooks are well known in the relevant art and are commercially available. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to manufacture a Portable Swing Adaptor  10  of the present invention using cloth covered densified foam batting with nylon straps and stitching them together or incorporating buckles and hooks as required. 
         [0013]    The waist belt  16 A,  16 B of the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  is a 1 inch wide nylon strap, having a length that is long enough to fit around the waist of a child and the swing chains and a means of attaching and removing the waist belt from around the child&#39;s waist. In the preferred embodiment, the means for attaching and removing the waist belt  16 A,  16 B is a quick release plastic buckle wherein one end fits, or snaps, into a second end, thereby securing the waist belt  16 A,  16 B around the child&#39;s waist. 
         [0014]    In the preferred embodiment, there are three (3) means by which the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  is secured to a conventional swing: a left support connection strap  13 A and a right support connection strap  13 B, The waist belt  16 A,  16 B, and the crotch strap  17 . The crotch strap  17  is a strap that connects the front of the waist belt  16 A,  16 B to the back of the waist belt  16 A,  16 B by running under a swing seat, thereby allowing the child to stay in contact with the swing seat while swinging. The crotch strap  17  is stitched to the center of the back pad  12  and is connected to the front of the waist belt  16 A,  16 B by the free end of said crotch strap  17  which has a loop that the said waist belt  16 A,  16 B buckle passes through to connect the said crotch strap to said waist belt to form a “T” shape seatbelt. Coupling of said free end of said crotch strap to said waist belt is by slidable relationship allowing ease of connecting and disconnecting said waist belt and said crotch belt. 
         [0015]    The Portable Swing Adaptor  10  of the present invention has a left support connection strap  13 A and a right support connection strap  13 B. Each support connection strap  13 A,  13 B is stitched to the back pad  12  of the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  such that a support connection strap  13 A,  13 B is located at each of the child&#39;s shoulders when the child is wearing the Portable Swing Adaptor  10 . Each support connection strap  13 A,  13 B also incorporates a means for attaching the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  to a swing line. In the preferred embodiment, there is metal hook clasp  20  at the end of each support connection strap  13 A,  13 B that is used to connect the support connection strap  13 A,  13 B to the lines of the swing. Most conventional swing lines are chains; therefore, a metal hook clasp  20 , fits through a link in the chain and locks so that the metal hook clasp  20  does not disengage from the swing line while the child is swinging. 
         [0016]    In operation, a parent connects the left support connection strap  13 A to a first swing line at a point above the child&#39;s shoulder. The parent then connects the right support connection strap  13 B to a second swing line at a point above the child&#39;s shoulder. 
         [0017]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is a waist belt  16 A,  16 B. The rear center of the waist belt  16 A,  16 B is stitched to the back pad  12  of the Portable Swing Adaptor  10 . 
         [0018]    Each side of the waist belt  16 A,  16 B also incorporates a means for attaching the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  to a swing line. In the preferred embodiment, each side of the waist belt  16 A,  16 B can pass through the large metal triangles attaching the swing to the swing line to connect the waist belt  16 A,  16 B to the lines of the swing. 
         [0019]    In operation, a parent passes the right side of the waist belt  16 B from the rear of the child through the metal triangle on the right side of the swing line. Then, a parent passes the left side of the waist belt  16 A from the rear of the child through the metal triangle on the left side of the swing line and connects the two ends of the quick release plastic buckle in front of the child at said child&#39;s waist. 
         [0020]    The support connection straps  13 A,  13 B use a metal hook clasp to connect to the swing line. A larger metal hook clasp than the one shown can be used for conventional swing lines that are not just chains, but are chains covered with a plastic sleeve or ropes. 
         [0021]    The Portable Swing Adaptor  10  of the present invention is described in these terms for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to manufacture a comparable Portable Swing Adaptor  1 O using different materials or buckles. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates the rear perspective view of the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  in its usable form of the present invention. The Portable Swing Adaptor  10  of the present invention works with sling seats. 
         [0023]    In operation, a parent or guardian connects the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  by attaching the left support connection strap  13 A to the left swing line and the right support connection strap  13 B to the right swing line. The child is then placed on the swing seat. First, the upper shoulder straps  14 A and  15 A are put over the child&#39;s shoulders; the bottom part of the shoulder straps  14 B and  15 B are then connected to the upper part and adjusted accordingly  18 A to the child&#39;s size. 
         [0024]    Alternatively, the shoulder straps may stay connected for future use of the Portable Swing Adaptor, thus eliminating this one step. 
         [0025]    Next, the left side of the waist belt  16 A is passes through the left side of the large metal triangle that connects the swing seat to the chain, then the right side of the belt passes through the right side of the large metal triangle that connects the swing seat to the chain, the crotch strap  17  runs from the child&#39;s back to the child&#39;s front under the swing seat and up between the child&#39;s legs, the free end of said crotch strap has a loop that the said waist belt buckle passes through to connect the said crotch strap to said waist belt to form a “T” shape seatbelt. The waist belt  16 A,  16 B join in the front of the child&#39;s torso by a quickrelease plastic buckle. Said waist belt comprises a means for adjusting a length of said waist belt such that said waist belt fits through the swing chain and close around the child&#39;s waist, wherein said means for adjusting are adjustable sliding clips. The waist belt  16 A,  16 B, crotch strap  17  and shoulder straps  14 A,  14 B and  15 A,  15 B are adjusted such that the Portable Swing Adaptor  10  is snug on the child. 
       CONCLUSION  
       [0026]    It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claim. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined in accordance with the following claim and their equivalents.