Abstract:
A child carrier consisting of an adult harness and child harness. The adult harness has an adjustable adult belt with cooperating interlocking closure members to secure the belt around the waist of an adult and adjustable shoulder straps secured to the belt. In some embodiments one end of the shoulder strap is secured to the adult belt by a center strap, secured at approximately the center of the back of the belt, by an adjustable connector. The other end of the shoulder straps can be adjustably affixed to a connector strap that is affixed to said adult belt adjacent to said child foot support member. A child foot support member has a center brace and footrests, preferably hingably attached to either side of the center brace which is secured to the adult belt. The child harness consists of an adjustable child belt dimensioned to fit around the body of the child with releasable securing members at each end. Child shoulder straps have a first end affixed to the child belt and a second end that interlocks with receiving members on the adult belt.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a conversion of provisional application Ser. No. 60/834,531 filed on Jul. 31, 2006 from which it claims priority. 
     GOVERNMENT INTEREST STATEMENT 
     NONE 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a back carrier for a larger child. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     Many back and front carriers are available for young children and infants. These carriers are generally similar to topless backpacks that provide leg holes for the child&#39;s legs with, or without, frames. However, the prior art has not addressed the older child who is still light enough to be carried on the back of a person yet can support themselves in a standing position. 
     The disclosed child carrier enables an older child to be comfortably carried on the back of an adult in a convenient and safe manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosed child carrier consists of an adult harness and child harness. The adult harness has an adjustable adult belt with cooperating interlocking closure members at each of its open ends to secure the belt around the waist of an adult and at least one at least one shoulder strap with each end of each strap secured to the belt. In some embodiments one end of the shoulder strap is secured to the adult belt by a center strap, secured at approximately the center of the back of the belt, by an adjustable connector. The other end of the shoulder straps can be adjustably affixed to a connector strap that is affixed to said adult belt adjacent to said child foot support member. 
     A child foot support member is secured to the adult belt. The child foot support member has a center brace and footrests, preferably hingably attached to either side of the center brace. The footrests can also have a non-skid material cover. In some embodiments side rails can be affixed to the footrests to maintain a child&#39;s foot in position. 
     In some embodiments a carrying bag can be attached to the child foot support and/or pockets added to the back of the adult belt or child belt. 
     The adult harness further comprises a second part of a locking member to receive a locking member on the child shoulder strap. 
     The child harness consists of an adjustable child belt dimensioned to fit around the body of the child with releasable securing members at each end. Child shoulder straps have a first end affixed to the child belt and a second end with a first part of a locking member that interacts with the second part of the locking member on the adult harness. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by a way of example, and not limitation, in the accompanying figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an adult carrying a child using the back carrier in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a back view of the carrying belt in accordance with one embodiment of the current invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a back view of a child standing while in the child carrier in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 4  is side view of the platform showing the footrest and side rail in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the underarm support and shoulder straps for the child harness, in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a front plan view of the adult harness in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the child be carried in the carrier in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 8  is front view of the waist support worn by the adult in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the footrest and central support in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view bottom view of the adult belt with an optional pack attached, in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of the optional pack of  FIG. 10 , in accordance with one of the embodiments of the current invention; and 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the present invention may be embodied in many different forms, a number of illustrative embodiments are described herein with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as providing examples of the principles of the invention and that such examples are not intended to limit the invention to preferred embodiments described herein and/or illustrated herein. 
     It is advantageous to define several terms before describing the invention. It should be appreciated that the following definitions are used throughout this application. 
     DEFINITIONS 
     Where the definition of terms departs from the commonly used meaning of the term, applicant intends to utilize the definitions provided below, unless specifically indicated. 
     For the purposes herein the term “child carrier” shall refer to any device that enables a child to be more easily carried by an adult or larger child, without using the person&#39;s hands. 
     For the purposes herein the term “securing mechanism” shall refer to any device for attaching one item to another item. This can include, but is not limited to, snaps, screws, rivets, snap clips, stitching, adhesives, buckles, or snap locks. 
     For purposes herein the term “adjustment mechanism” shall refer to any type of mechanism that enables the length adjustment of an object, such as a belt, strap, tie, or harness. An adjustment mechanism can also include a rigid, telescoping mechanism. 
     For the purposes herein the term “closing mechanism” refers to any mechanism that securely and releasably maintains to objects together such as a snap lock, belt buckle, hook and loop, knot, or clip. 
     For the purposes herein the term “hinging” refers to any mechanism that provides flexible support in a first plane while being substantial rigid in a second plane 90 degrees to the first plane. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the carrier  100  on an adult  194  with a child  192  in the child harness  130  of the carrier  100 . The child harness  130  in this embodiment consists of a padded upper body support  138  that is placed around the chest, just under the arms, of the child  192 . The child harness  130  is secured to the adult harness  150  through the use of front support straps (not shown). 
     The adult harness  150  has a waist support  152  that is placed around the waist of the adult  194 . Shoulder straps are used to provide additional support and to prevent the waist support  152  from angling away from the back of the adult  194 . In this embodiment the center strap  160  extends from approximately the center of the waist support  178  and is then connected to a first shoulder strap  164  and a second shoulder strap  162  which then extend over the shoulders of the adult  194 . Both the first shoulder strap  164  and second shoulder strap  162  should be padded for comfort. In the illustrated embodiment the first shoulder strap  164  and second shoulder strap  162  are connected in the front to first connector strap  164   a  and second connector strap  162   a . The connector straps  164   a  and  162   a  can be unpadded and narrower than the shoulder straps  164  and  162 . It is at this junction that additional length adjustment members can be provided. The connector straps  164   a  and  162   a  are connected to the padded belt  154  on each side proximate the footrests  204 . This bears weight in conjunction with hip belt itself not in region of hips. Alternatively the padded shoulder straps could extend around the to back, eliminating the connector straps  164   a  and  162   a . In this embodiment the distance between the first shoulder strap  164  and the second strap  162  is adjustable at connector  166 . The adjustment however can be at any convenient location based upon the members used for adjustment. 
     In this figure the child  192  is standing on the footrests  158 , thereby placing the weight of the child  192  at the waist support  152  worn by the adult  194 . 
     The back of the adult belt  154  and support brace  200  are more clearly shown in the back view of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In order to provide comfort to the adult  194 , the belt  154  should be heavily padded. The belt  154  is preferably open at the front with an easy to release closing mechanism  160  as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . It should be noted that the belt  154  can be anyone of the many commercially available belts that are used, as for example, with backpacks. The belt  154  can also have a back support  178  to provide extra comfort and support for the adult  194 . In this embodiment the back support  178  is curved, those will know however any design, height or thickness can be incorporated and appropriate dimensioning and design in proportion to the belt  154  will be know to those skilled in the art. 
     Attached to the belt  154  is the support brace  200  that provides the rigidity required to support the child  192  as well as enable the child  192  to stand securely. The footrests  204  can vary depending upon the size of the child and the waist of the adult  194 . The distance between footrests and the angle of the footrests relative to each other can be adjustable through the use of hinges  214 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . While it is preferred that the foot rests  204  be angularly adjustable relative to the belt  154 , other types of connections can be used. For example, if the footrests and associated components are made from plastic, a “living hinge” can be used. In order to enable the support brace  200  to conform to the waist of the adult  194  and to comfortably distribute the weight of the child  192 , the support brace  200  can be hinged in one or more locations at hinge points  208  and  210 . 
     The brace  200  can be manufactured from any lightweight, rigid material, for example, plastic, wood, or the like. The footrests  204 , illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 9 , are either manufactured from a non-skid material or provided with anti-skid strips  206  as illustrated. The footrests  204  are preferably approximately the length of the child&#39;s  192  foot to provide the greatest comfort. As there is a size/weight range that is capable of being carried on an adult&#39;s  194  back, a single size footrest  204  can be provided based upon an average size within the size/weight range. Alternatively, the footrests  204  can be made removable and/or adjustable, through screws, snap locks or other applicable securing mechanisms, thereby enabling various sizes to be provided. As can be seen from  FIG. 3 , the brace  200  has a center support  212  to provide stability to prevent forward or backward rotation of the footrests  204 , and to provide additional weight distribution for the adult  194 . The footrests  204  are attached to foot supports  206  to provide additionally strength and stability. Although the foot supports  206  illustrated are curved, they can be of any configuration convenient for manufacture. Preferably the foot supports  206  are hingedly connected to the center support  212  through use of hinge members  214  to enable the footrests  204  to be angled to a comfortable position for both the adult  194  and child  192 . The hinge members  214  can be standard hinges, self-hinges or any other appropriate members that will provide the flexibility, support and sturdiness required. The center support  212  and the foot supports  206  are affixed to the belt  154  through any means appropriate to the material being used that will provide the required stability and adhesion. Additionally, the supports can be provided with a mechanism to prevent outward rotation of the footrests  204 . For example, the support  206  can be adjustably fixed to the belt  154  by means of a strap that is connect to the belt  154  and the supports  206 . 
     If so desired, the back of the belt  154  can have various pockets or other add-ons, such as the pencil holders  218  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Alternatively pockets can be added to the child&#39;s underarm support  138 . 
     The placement of the foot of the child  192  on the footrest  404  is illustrated from a side view in  FIG. 4 . In this FIG. a side rail  406  is shown maintain the foot on the footrest  404 . It should be noted that although the side rails  406  are illustrated herein as circles placed near the heel portion of the footrests  404 , the side rails  406  can be any configuration, as well as extend the length of one or more sides of the footrests  404 . As the footrest  404  is affixed to the belt  154  and proportioned the same as the footrest  204 , the positioning of the footrests  404  in relationship to the back of the adult  194  is the same in both embodiments. One example of the height “H” of the belt  154  proximate the footrest  404  is also illustrated in this Figure. 
     In other embodiments, the foot placement can be shifted forward and the footrests can be offset to such that the plane of the footrest is normal to the line of the child&#39;s leg. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the harness indicated generally as  130  for the child  192  of  FIG. 1 . The underarm support  138 , or belt, is secured around the body of the child  192  by closure mechanism  140 . In this embodiment, the closure mechanism  140  is a plastic snap lock, adjustable through strap  142  that interacts with the male portion (not shown) of closure mechanism  140 . It should be noted that any closure mechanism, as well known in the art, can be used. This enables the underarm support  138  to be adjusted to snuggly, but comfortably, fit the child  192 . The shoulder straps  112  and  114  are attached to the underarm support  138  at approximately the center point. In this embodiment the shoulder straps  112  and  114  are a single piece stitched to the underarm support  138 . The shoulder straps  112  and  114  can also be connected to the underarm support  138  through various other means, removable and permanent, such as connector loops, snap closures, etc. Additionally, although not necessary, the shoulder straps  112  and  114  can be padded. The shoulder straps  112  and  114  have, at their unattached ends an attachment first portion  116   a  and  118   a  that interact with the attachment second portion  116   b  and  118   b  on the belt  154  to secure the shoulder straps  112  and  114  to the belt  154 . The length of the shoulder straps is noted to be adjustable as evident from the adjustable length of strap  112  and  114  that extend from the snap locks,  116   a  and  118   a . As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , the shoulder straps  112  and  114 , when secured to the belt  154  and to the underarm support  138 , prevent the child  192  from falling backward. Although it is illustrated that the underarm support  138 , or belt, is placed under the child&#39;s arms, in some embodiments the support can be a waist belt. Additionally, a adjustable crotch strap can be added to the child&#39;s harness. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the adult harness, indicated generally as  150 , from the front. In this figure the attachment second portions  116   b  and  118   b  are illustrated extending from the belt  154 . Although the footrests  204  and supports  206  extend away from the belt  154  in this Figure, the hinges  214  enable the footrests  204  to be angled closer to the belt  154 . As described heretofore the center strap  160  extends from the belt  154  approximate the center of the backrest  178 . In this embodiment the center strap  160  is not padded, however a padded strap can be used if so desired. The connector  166  is any type of adjustable connector convenient for manufacture and will be known to those skilled in the art. As described in conjunction with  FIG. 1 , the shoulder straps  162  and  164  are padded while the connector straps  162   a  and  164   a  can be padded or not, depending upon end use and manufacturing preferences. 
     The closing mechanism illustrated herein is a clip lock, however other mechanisms for securing the waist support  152  around the user&#39;s waist can be used, as is also the case for other components that are releasably interconnected. The securing mechanism  220  is secured to one or more belt adjustment straps  222  and  224 , illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , which permit the length of the belt  154  to be adjusted. The belt adjustment straps  222  and  224  enable the user to size the belt  154 , more evenly distribute the pressure over the back of the adult  194  and prevent buckling of the belt  154 . Each of the adjustment straps  222  and  224 , are secured at one end directly to the belt  154 . The adjustment straps  222  and  224  are then looped through the adjustment securing mechanism  226  and  228 . The adjustment mechanisms  226  and  228  are secured to the belt  154 . Although the adjustment straps illustrated herein are two straps, it should be noted that a single straps can be used on each side and affixed individually to a single securing mechanism. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the belt  154  from the bottom illustrating the footrests  204  extending beyond the footrest support  206 . Also shown is the center support strap  160  secured to the center support  212 . This embodiment also shows the optional pack  270  that can be affixed, through any appropriate means to the center support  212 . The pack  270  is illustrated in  FIG. 11  mounted on the center support  212 . The belt  154  can be of any design, known in the art, commercially available, or custom designed. 
     If the child  192  is not standing on the footrest  204  he/she but is hanging, the child is supported under the arms by support  138 . In such a case, the weight of the child  192  is borne completely by the straps  112  and  114 . As can be noted, the child  192  is substantially lower on the back of the adult  194 , held in place by the underarm support  138 . This position permits little, freedom of movement since all of the support straps are at maximum extension, as for example, when the child is sleeping. In normal use, when the child  192  is standing on the footrests  204 , the vertical pressure on the underarm support  138  is reduced, or eliminated, permitting the child  192  to use the slack in the connection between the underarm support  138  and the shoulder straps  112  and  114 . 
     Aspects, features and/or advantages of various embodiments will be further appreciated in view of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying figures. Various embodiments can include and/or exclude different aspects, features and/or advantages where applicable. In addition, various embodiments can combine one or more aspect or feature of other embodiments where applicable. The descriptions of aspects, features and/or advantages of particular embodiments should not be construed as limiting other embodiments or the claims. 
     BROAD SCOPE OF THE INVENTION 
     While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described herein, the present invention is not limited to the various preferred embodiments described herein, but includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated by those in the art based on the present disclosure. The limitations in the claims (e.g., including that to be later added) are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. For example, in the present disclosure, the term “preferably” is non-exclusive and means “preferably, but not limited to.” In this disclosure and during the prosecution of this application, means-plus-function or step-plus-function limitations will only be employed where for a specific claim limitation all of the following conditions are present in that limitation: a) “means for” or “step for” is expressly recited; b) a corresponding function is expressly recited; and c) structure, material or acts that support that structure are not recited. In this disclosure and during the prosecution of this application, the terminology “present invention” or “invention” may be used as a reference to one or more aspect within the present disclosure. The language present invention or invention should not be improperly interpreted as an identification of criticality, should not be improperly interpreted as applying across all aspects or embodiments (i.e., it should be understood that the present invention has a number of aspects and embodiments), and should not be improperly interpreted as limiting the scope of the application or claims. In this disclosure and during the prosecution of this application, the terminology “embodiment” can be used to describe any aspect, feature, process or step, any combination thereof, and/or any portion thereof, etc. In some examples, various embodiments may include overlapping features. In this disclosure, the following abbreviated terminology may be employed: “e.g.” which means “for example.”