Patent Publication Number: US-2006014448-A1

Title: Handheld harness to teach and assist a child in swimming

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to swimming aids and particularly to a handheld harness for teaching and assisting a child in swimming, which comprises a rectangular piece of mesh-type fabric that encircles the child&#39;s chest with a handle on each side of the fabric that receive the child&#39;s arms, the handles are gathered together at the child&#39;s back, strapped together by a hook and loop fastening system and held by the adult, thereby supporting the child.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Swimming is a very popular recreational activity for people of all ages. Training can be safely started as soon as a child has developed sufficient muscle control to maintain an erect head posture. Many infants and toddlers are taught to swim between one and three years of age. A great need exists for an improved and effective training device, which maximizes safety, gives support and confidence and helps a trainer to teach proper swimming techniques. The training device should be manually controlled for close monitoring by an attendant for a child&#39;s pleasure and security.  
      Many child walking, child restraining, sports training or rescue harnesses have been developed, which comprise a system of straps or a garment with straps attached for an adult to assist the child. The prior art does not sufficiently address the need for a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use device for an adult to support the child while still affording a natural swimming experience for the child.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,541, issued Oct. 18, 1960 to Rall, provides a swimming instruction harness that comprises a continuous loop of material. The material is twisted to form a first loop that fits over the learner&#39;s head and crosses over to further form a second loop that encircles the learner&#39;s torso. A portion of the second loop is then drawn up through the back of the first loop, thereby forming a third loop for attachment of a handle that may be held by the instructor to support the learner.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,266, issued Jun. 24, 2003 to Steger, is for a personal flotation device that includes a shell defining a cavity having a first portion and a second portion for each receiving a buoyant element where the first and second portions are relatively moveable. A fastener is provided for releasably interconnecting the first and second portions having a first and a second part such that when interconnected relative movement of the first and second portions is limited. A safety device is connected to the second portion and is associated with the first part of the fastener for redundant interconnection of the first and second portions in the event that the fastener is unintentionally disconnected. A handle may be connected to the second portion for supporting the floatation device.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,114, issued Jun. 16, 1998 to Campbell, claims an infant walking and swimming aid comprising a harness having at least one adjustable shoulder strap, a lower adjustable body belt, an upper adjustable body belt, at least one crotch strap, and a high back belt. The infant walking and swimming aid also includes at least one of (a) a crossbar having a first end, a second end and two attachment portions such that the crossbar is attachable to two adjustable suspending straps connectable between the crossbar and the harness; and (b) a first float attachable adjacent the high back belt and a second float attachable adjacent the lower adjustable body belt and the upper adjustable body belt.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,629, issued Jan. 5, 1982 to Freemon, shows a safety harness device for supporting a person, such as a child or mentally or physically impaired person, in the water. The device includes a wide chest band, which is adjustable in length and lockable in any adjusted position. The device also includes a pair of shoulder straps secured to the upper end of the chest band on opposite sides thereof and which are adapted to extend over the person&#39;s shoulders. Each of the shoulder straps is adjustable in length and lockable in any adjusted position. The harness device also includes a pair of leg straps secured to the lower end of the chest band and adapted to extend around the person&#39;s legs at the crotch. Each of the leg straps is also adjustable in length and lockable in any adjusted position. The opposite ends of one of the leg straps is directly secured to one side of the chest band and the opposite ends of the other one of the leg straps is directly secured to the other side of the chest band. The device also includes a handgrip secured to the back of the chest band. The grip includes a strap directly secured at one end to a portion of the chest band adjacent the upper end thereof and secured at its other end to a portion of the chest band adjacent the lower end thereof. The device also includes a ring secured to the back of the chest band between it and the hand grip, a guide line secured at one end to the ring, and a handle secured to the other end of the guide line. The guideline is adjustable in length. With the hand grip and/or the guide line and handle, an adult, while remaining in a comfortable upright position, can easily support and be in control of the movements of the person, such as a child, in the water. A floatation device may be detachably secured to the chest band. In alternative embodiments, the lower edge of the chest band is secured to the upper edge of shorts, such as swimming shorts.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,699, issued Jan. 15, 2002 to Veitch, discloses a child sport activity-training device comprising a harness for enclosing and supporting a torso of a child therein. A handgrip is provided, which is grasped by a hand of a trainer. An adjustment structure is located between a rear portion of the harness and the handgrip to compensate for weight and balance between the trainer and the child when the handgrip is positioned above the harness.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,272, issued Jul. 25, 1995 to Epstein, indicates a support harness for a young child that comprises two loops to hold a toddler between the legs. A strap is attached to the top of the loops for carrying the child. The movable straps fitted with handle are attached to the strap. When this harness guides the child, he can acquire the notions of balance more quickly through the use of the handles. The invention can be used to assist in walking and in a number of other situations notably during car journeys acting as a safety aid in case of accident; as an aid to the learning of swimming, crawling, climbing up and down stairs and for learning in safety of skating, skate boarding and skiing.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,551, issued Feb. 14, 1995 to Martusciello, puts forth a convertible harness system to be worn by a child or other person including a harness having a waist-encircling band and shoulder straps. A seat may be detachably suspended from the harness and includes a seat pad, which extends between the legs of the wearer. The seat assembly may be removed for washing or in the event it is not necessary. The wearer may be guided and supported by handles or loops slidably secured to the shoulder straps. An optional tether may also be secured to the shoulder straps to restrain and control the wearer. The harness is preferably made from a suitable material such as nylon webbing or other synthetic material such as polyester or polypropylene, which provides the necessary strength and is easily washed. With the synthetic materials as described above, the device may even be used to permit the child to engage in such activities as swimming and wading.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,860, issued May 8, 1990 to Hutchings, concerns a training harness to assist a child or disabled person learning or readapting to activities requiring motor coordination skills such as walking, skating, skiing or swimming. The invention is versatile and can accommodate wearers of different body size and weight, without requiring adjustment of the height at which the handle is held as the handle length is corrected when the harness is adjusted for body size and weight.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,697, issued Oct. 14, 2003 to Solze, illustrates an animal assisting apparatus for assisting a large dog traveling on an incline. The apparatus includes a support member and two handles attached to the support member. When a lifting force is applied to the handles, the weight of the dog is partially supported and partially transferred to the support member resulting in increased comfort for the dog.  
      What is needed is a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use device for an adult to support the child while still affording a natural swimming experience for the child.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use device for an adult to support the child while still affording a natural swimming experience for the child.  
      A related object of the present invention is to provide a mesh harness, which enables essentially full contact of the child&#39;s torso with the water while still fully supporting the torso for a natural swimming experience.  
      Another related object of the present invention is to provide a fabric border around the mesh to form the harness and fabric loop straps, which are extensions of the fabric border, on each of two sides of the harness for a durable inexpensive, easy-to-fabricate device suitable to use in water.  
      One more related object of the present invention is to provide an encircling strap with hook and loop fasteners to interconnect the two loop handles for an easy to use waterproof connector for the two loop handles.  
      An additional object of the present invention is to provide a device that is strong enough to comfortably support the weight of a child in water without restricting their mobility.  
      A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable device for parents to easily wrap around the child, interconnect the loop handles and grasp the interconnected loop handles in the water.  
      In brief, a mesh harness with a peripheral support fabric border supports a torso of a child enabling the child to be mobile though not restricted. Loop handles formed as an extension of the fabric border, one on each side of the harness, receive the child&#39;s arm. The loop handles interconnect, by a strap from one encircling the other secured by hook and loop fasteners that interconnect the loop handles above the child allowing the adult to grasp the interconnected handles and support the child learning to swim.  
      An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use device for an adult to support the child while still affording a natural swimming experience for the child.  
      A related advantage of the present invention is to enable essentially full contact of the child&#39;s torso with the water while still fully supporting the torso.  
      Another related advantage of the present invention is that it provides a durable inexpensive, easy-to-fabricate device.  
      One more related advantage of the present invention is that it provides an easy to use waterproof connector for the two loop handles.  
      An additional advantage of the present invention is that it is strong enough to comfortably support the weight of a child in water without restricting their mobility.  
      A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a portable device for parents to install on the child in the water.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of the swim support harness of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of an adult supporting a child by the swim support harness of  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION  
      In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a support harness  20  comprises a torso support  21  and a pair of loop handles  23 .  
      The torso support  21  is comprised of a mesh panel  27  having a peripheral border  22  of a support fabric sewn to the mesh panel around the edge of the mesh panel. A pair of loop handles  23 , one on each side of the mesh panel, extend from the peripheral border  22  as extensions of the support fabric of the peripheral border. Using the same continuous fabric from the border  22  extending outward to form the loop handles  23  creates a strong support structure.  
      The loop handles  23  are adapted to receive a child&#39;s arms, one through each loop, with the mesh panel over the torso of the child, either on the front, for face down swimming, or on the back, for backstroke swimming.  
      The loop handles  23  are adapted to extend around the sides of the child and join together above the child. An elongated binding strap  25 , attached at one end to one of the two loop handles, is adapted to wrap around the other loop handle. The binding strap  25  has a pair of mating hook and loop fasteners  26 A and  26 B, one of the pair at each end. The mating hook and loop fasteners  26 A and  26 B are connected to bind the strap around the two loop handles and interconnect them above the child&#39;s torso, so that the child is held in a horizontal position that enables the child to be physically supported by the torso support and the adult to grasp the joined handles to support the child in a body of water maintaining the child on top of the water to learn to swim, as in  FIG. 2 . The hook and loop fasteners easily attach and detach and are not affected by the water.  
      In use, the support harness device is placed around the front or back of the child&#39;s torso with the child&#39;s arm extending through the loop handles and the harness acting as a support device for the child. The loop handles and the handles interconnect allowing the parents to hold the child horizontally in the water while the child learns to swim.  
      It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.