Abstract:
A child&#39;s safety tether with an attachment pouch provides for quick release of the stored child safety tether in situations where the child care provider must temporarily relinquish contact with the child&#39;s hand while using both adult hands to negotiate a commercial transaction. The pouch has a top openable compartment for storing a cell phone or other personal electronic device, with other necessary documents such as credit cards and drivers license cards providing an adult&#39;s photographic identification and/or signature replica. The pouch also has a lower openable compartment for storing the child safety tether, which is released downward upon opening a quick release fastener for the downward oriented lower compartment for the tether.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 (e) from provisional application Ser. No. 61/938,592, filed Feb. 11, 2014, which application is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a pouch with a quick release of a stored child safety tether in situations where the child care provider must temporarily relinquish contact with the child&#39;s hand while using both adult hands to negotiate a commercial transaction. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     An adult is often multi-tasking by doing errands with a toddler in-tow. In some situations, it is difficult to keep track of the child especially while involved in activities requiring two hands. Examples of such situations include doing transactions at bank teller windows, post office, and ticket counters with typically high narrow counter tops. Often, the adult is tempted with the alternative of trying to carefully sit the squirming toddler on the high narrow surface. This invention is an aid for such situations with the objective of keeping the toddler safely at ground level at one&#39;s side for a short time period, and thereby precluding more dangerous alternatives. 
     The invention involves the use of a child tether as well as a pouch to store the tether when not in use. The prior art does teach the use of pouches for a variety of normally carried objects. The prior art is also replete with a variety of harnesses and tethers for children. 
     In particular, U.S. Design Pat. No. D619,356 of Hillman shows various views of a carrying case for mobile phone and credit cards. U.S. Design Pat. No. D602,689 of Hewitt discloses a combination wallet and cell phone case. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,624 of Smith is exemplary of the many patents over the years relating to safety harnesses for children. In Smith&#39;s patent, an inelastic strap attaches a child&#39;s harness to a hook on a waistband worn by an adult. 
     The prior art does not reveal a child tether attached to a pouch which also serves to contain the tether when not in use. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a belt worn pouch with a quick release of a stored child safety tether in situations where the child care provider must temporarily relinquish contact with the child&#39;s hand while using both adult hands to negotiate a commercial transaction. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a dual use pouch for storing personal objects such as personal electronic devices, cell phones, credit cards and items of photographic identification while also providing a downward operable quick release lower compartment for quick release of a stored child&#39;s safety tether having a outer distal end portion wrapable around the wrist of the child while the adult child care provider uses both hands to negotiate commercial transactions at a bank, retail store or other public or private institutions. 
     Other objects which become apparent from the following description of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention combines a belt-attached pouch with a child tether. The pouch not only serves its mundane function of storing objects such as cell phone, keys, sun glasses, and credit cards in its upper compartment, but it also serves to attach the child tether to the adult as well as storing it in a lower compartment when not in use. In an alternate embodiment, the pouch can have a separate exterior clip or ring to hold one or more keys. The pouch itself is fabricated of leather, vinyl, canvas, reinforced heavy twill or other materials or fabrics commonly used for the purpose of making pouches or purses. The pouch has a latched top cover over the object-containing compartment. The child tether is a short flat strap such as a nylon strap with an elastomeric center section of about 12 to 15 inches to permit a range of overall lengths from 18 to 24 inches when extended. One end is attached inside the lower storage compartment. The outer distal end has a hook and loop (VELCRO®) extension which is wrapped around the toddler&#39;s wrist when in use. The attachment to the pouch can be made permanent as by sewing or it can be attached otherwise inside the storage compartment to permit removal for cleaning. The lower storage compartment has a latched bottom-opening cover. The preferred latch for the lower compartment is magnetic. 
     In this manner, when approaching the area of use, the cover of the lower compartment is pulled open and the short child tether will fall out while its inner proximal end is securely attached to the pouch which itself is securely attached over the belt. Then the outer distal end of the child tether is quickly attached via Velcro around the child&#39;s wrist. This entire operation should not take longer than a few seconds. The toddler will be safely tethered to the adult at ground level with the ability to take a couple of steps or to sit or kneel on the ground. No adult hand is required to hold the tether, so both hands can be used to transact business. 
     In an alternate embodiment, the tether strap is replaced by a short length of self-retracting cord or cable similar to that which is often used on telephone handsets. This is a compact alternative that can be designed for long durability as well as very low pull for extension. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation of an adult tethered to a small toddler by use of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a pouch of this invention with both compartments closed and child tether stored in the lower compartment. 
         FIG. 3  is a front plan view of the pouch of this invention with both covers open and child tether extended. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the closed pouch of this invention showing belt clip on back and indicating the open positions of both compartment covers in dashed lines. 
         FIG. 5  is a side detail view in partial crossection showing one method of attachment of belt clip and tether to the pouch body. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative tether incorporating a self-retracting cord. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a typical use of this invention  1  by a woman  2  tethered to a toddler  3  by tether  15  attached to a belt-attached pouch. The scene depicts a transaction at a bank teller  4 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the invention  1  as viewed with tether  15  stored within the bottom compartment of pouch  10  behind bottom-opening cover  13 . Top cover  11  over bottom compartment  23  is also shown in the closed position. Top and bottom latches  12  and  14  respectively are also shown. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show other details of invention  1  with pouch  10  covers  11  and  13  open and closed respectively. Note that latches  12  and  14  with strike plates  12 A and  14 A respectively are shown as magnetic latches. While latch  12  can conceivably be of a number of types such as snap or button types, latch  14  is preferably magnetic since it can be opened by pulling anywhere along the edge of bottom cover flap  13  without fumbling to conserve time in the critical period of quick attachment to the toddler. Note that tether  15  is a strap, and is preferably optionally comprised of inner proximal strap  16  which is shown permanently attached to pouch  10  back (by sewing at inner proximal end  20  to an inside surface  23   a  of bottom compartment  23 ), optional center elastomeric (stretchable) section  17  and outer distal section  18  of strap  15  ending in a child&#39;s wrist attachment  19 , with an extension portion  19   a  having fasteners, such as reciprocal VELCRO® patches  19   b ,  19   c  which are looped around the toddler&#39;s wrist (in the direction of the arrows indicated) and secured. An amusement device  19   d  and/or  19   e  attachable to the wrist attachment  19  keeps the child occupied during use. The amusement device  19   d  can be a visual attraction, such as a pirate, mermaid or other cartoon image, or it can be a tangible object, such as an optional blowing tube whistle  19   e  for the child to blow and occupy his time. 
     Note the inside of the top compartment  22  is a preformed cavity that can hold a number of different objects  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , these objects can include a touch screen smart phone  5 , such as, for example, the Apple® iPhone5® smart phone, which has dimensions of about 4.87 inches in height, 2.31 inches in width and 0.30 inches in depth. Top compartment  22  can also hold a flip phone  6 , such as the Casio® GZoneRavine2®, which is smaller in height (i.e. 4.33 inches) and width (i.e. 1.99 inches) but thicker in depth (i.e. 0.83 inches). The front view of  FIG. 3  shows an outline of larger smart phone  5  in top sub-compartment  22   c  of top compartment  22 , and an outline of smaller flip phone  6  superimposed over the outline of larger smart phone  5  in top sub-compartment  22   c  of top compartment  22 . However, both phones  5  and  6  are shown for size comparison only. It is contemplated that preferably either smart phone  5  or flip phone  6  is held in the front part  22   c  of top compartment  22 . Top compartment  22  can additionally hold a photo identification document  8 , such as a motor vehicle driver&#39;s license and a plurality of credit cards  7  behind smart phone  5  in rear sub-compartment  22   a  of top compartment  22 . Photo identification document  8  and credit cards  7  are typically each 3⅜ inch in long length, 2⅛ inch in width and 1 mm in thickness which, with a dozen credit cards  8 , having a combined thickness of 12 mm, or 36/64 inches. Therefore the depth of top compartment  22  has to accommodate the height of the tallest smart phone  5  of about 5 inches, as well as the combined depth of a smaller but thicker flip phone  6  of almost an inch, plus the thickness of at least a dozen credit cards  8  and/or photo identification card  7  of al least ½ inch, for a minimal thickness of about an inch and a half, preferably about 2 inches in thickness. In order to keep the identification document  8  and plurality of cards  7  together, preferably sub-compartment  22   c  for phone  5  or  6  is provided as an elastic pocket, as well as an elastic pocket that can accommodate a tall but thinner smart phone  5  with a depth of about 0.30 inches or a thicker flip phone  6  of about 1 inch in depth. Optionally, the cards  7  and identification document  8  can be provided in sub-compartment  22   a  in the form of an elastic pocket inside top compartment  22 , which is optionally closeable by a Velcro® closure or a zipper  22   b , or other closure. 
     Top compartment  22  has a bottom separating it from the lower tether storage compartment  23  below. Note that pleated sides  26  are shown at each side of bottom cover  13  attached to both the back of pouch  10  as well as cover  13 . A different arrangement can extend the semi-rigid sides of pouch  10  covering the area  26  shown as pleated in  FIG. 4 ; in that case, cover  13  would not be attached to these extended sides, but would just form around them for a loose side seal. In either case, tether  15  would be stored securely. If a single belt clip  25  is used it would be at the center of pouch  10  laterally. However, a pair of belt clips  25  can be used with one at each side of the back of pouch  10 . 
       FIG. 5  is a detail of an attachment by fasteners  29  and  30  or sewing of belt clip  25  to pouch  10  back, which is shown in crossection. The bottom  28  of the top object compartment  22  is also shown. Belt clip  25  is attached by sewing or other fasteners to the rear exterior wall of pouch  10  right behind where the inner proximal end  32  of the strap portion  16  is attached at  20  to inside wall  23   a . In an alternate manner, tether  15  can be removably attached from pouch  10  as for cleaning or replacement. Also, preferably the tether strap is attached by sewing or otherwise at inner proximal end  20  to inside surface wall  13   a  of bottom compartment  13 . While belt clip  25  can be utilized on any garment such as a pair of pants or dress with a belt or waistband upon which the clip attaches, if a woman is wearing a waist less one piece dress, then an optional fabric belt can be utilized by inserting it within belt loop  40 , which attached to pouch  1  near clip  25 , so that pouch  1  can be attached to the auxiliary fabric belt. 
       FIG. 6  shows an alternate tether comprised of a short length of self-retracting cord  34  with inner proximal end  35  which, in turn, is sewn also into wall  23   a  of lower compartment  23 . Cord  34  is bonded at its outer distal end to a short length of VELCRO® end  19  which is looped around the toddler&#39;s wrist and secured. Cord  24  stretches to the optimal lengths of 18 to 24 inches. But when retracted can have a short length of about 6-8 inches, which makes it easier to store. Cord  34  can be specially designed for this application or selected from the wide variety of electrical power or signal self-retracting cables available. Cables  34  are available with neoprene or polyurethane outer jackets. Alternatively, cord  34  can be a self-retracting plastic hose or flexible rod of similar shape; this alternative would be lighter in weight. 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention.