Patent Publication Number: US-2003234267-A1

Title: Carrier saddle for small children

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001] This invention relates generally to child carrier devices or child seat devices and more specifically to a saddle-like apparatus for carrying, or riding, a small child on the back of an adult person while the adult person is positioned on his or her hands and knees. Adults, especially dads and granddads, have always enjoyed giving their children or grandchildren “horsey-back” rides to the joy and delight of the children getting the rides and to the pleasure and entertainment of other adults watching the activity. However, it is often difficult for the lucky child getting to ride on the adult&#39;s back to stay on the “horsey”, especially when the “horsey” becomes spirited and decides to “buck” or “rear”. During these rides, the child will generally have trouble gripping the “horsey” for security and in maintaining his or her balance. The child will usually try to grab and hold onto the “horsey&#39;s” hair or ears or to grip the “horsey&#39;s” clothing or waist belt. This can be a painful and/or extremely uncomfortable experience for the “horsey”. Sometimes the adult “horsey” will put a belt around his or her neck or chest to give the child something better to grip or hold onto (other than the adult&#39;s hair or ears), especially during those “spirited rides”. While certainly better than nothing at all, the “belt around the neck” and/or the “belt around the chest” method of providing adult “horsey-back” rides for children is, at best, unstable and, depending on the immediate surroundings, can be very unsafe for both the child and the adult. It would be expedient, therefore, to provide a means to substantially eliminate the lack of stability for the child during adult “horsey-back” rides (especially the spirited ones) and to provide a means of support and balance for the child that is not painful or uncomfortable to the adult “horsey”.  
       [0002] The design and construction of the present invention provides the degree of stability and safety necessary to enhance the enjoyment of those “horsey-back” rides for both the child rider and for the adult “horsey”. The present invention will also add to the enjoyment and comfort level of those adults (especially the moms) watching the activity and will most certainly add to the delight of the children anxiously awaiting their turn for a ride.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a portable, light-weight, saddle-like apparatus designed to be attached to the back of an adult for carrying or riding a small child on the back of the adult while the adult is positioned on his or her hands and knees.  
       [0004] It is another object of the present invention is the provision of a carrier saddle for children which allows a child to safely and securely ride on the back of a willing adult “horsey” while the adult is positioned on his or her hands and knees.  
       [0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide maximum support, balance and stability to a young child desiring to ride on the back of an adult while the adult is positioned on his or her hands and knees.  
       [0006] A further object of the present invention is to provide a safe and secure means to bring joy and delight to small children desiring to ride on the backs of willing adults and to provide entertainment and comfort to adults observing the activity.  
       [0007] According to an embodiment of the invention, a portable, light-weight, compact, carrier saddle for children apparatus comprises a saddle pad having adjustable chest and waist straps, adjustable stirrups and a bridle/reins loop strap.  
       [0008] An advantage of the present invention is the provision of a comfortable saddle-like device for riding or carrying small children on the back of a consenting adult.  
       [0009] A further advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of stirrups for the child&#39;s feet and a gripping strap for the child&#39;s hands thereby providing a means for the child to stabilize, support and balance himself or herself during “horsey-back” rides.  
       [0010] A further advantage of the present invention is the adjustability of the apparatus and the ease of attachment and removal of the device to and from the adult&#39;s back.  
       [0011] Another advantage of the present invention is provision of a carrier saddle apparatus for children which gives the riding child something to grip or hold onto and to balance with other than the adult&#39;s “horsey&#39;s” hair, ears or clothing. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.  
     [0013]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown with the straps, stirrups and bridle/reins fully extended.  
     [0014]FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown attached to an adult “horsey” in a standing position.  
     [0015]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown attached to an adult “horsey” in a hands and knees position with a child on the back of the adult. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0016] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 shows a saddle-like apparatus  10  for attachment to the back of an adult person for carrying or riding a small child on the back of said adult person while said adult person is positioned on his or her hands and knees. Said apparatus  10  comprises a saddle member  20  having a chest securing means  30 , a waist securing means  40 , a stirrup means  50  and a bridle/reins means  60 . Said saddle member  20  comprises an essentially rectangular-shaped section of material, such as leather or heavy fabric, with said member  20  having an upper end  21 , a lower end  22 , a left edge  23  and a right edge  24 .  
     [0017] The chest securing means  30  comprises a pair of left and right straps  31  &amp;  32 , respectively, with each strap  31  and  32  being attached at one end to, and extending laterally from, either side of the upper end  21  of the saddle member  20 . The right strap  32  is attached at one end to the right edge  24  of said chest securing means  30  and further comprises a typical buckle means  33  attached to its opposing or free end. The left strap  31  is attached at one end to the left edge  23  of said chest securing means  30  and further comprises a plurality of equally spaced holes  34  for connecting with and adjustably receiving the buckle means  33  of said right strap  32 . It will be understood that the left and right straps  31  &amp;  32  of said chest securing means  30  may be adjustably connected one to the other by various means, including the use of hook and loop material.  
     [0018] The waist securing means  40  is attached to the lower end  22  of said saddle member  20  and is identical to the chest securing means  30  having left and right straps  41  &amp;  42 , respectively, attached at one end to either side of the lower end  22  of said saddle member  20 . Said right strap  42  of said waist securing means  40  having a buckle means  43  and said left strap having a plurality of equally spaced holes  44  for connecting with and adjustably receiving the buckle means  43  of said right strap  42 . It will be understood that the left and right straps  41  &amp;  42  of said waist securing means  40  may be adjustably connected one to the other by various means, including the use of hook and loop material.  
     [0019] The stirrup means  50  comprises a pair of stirrup members  51  with each stirrup member  51  being attached at one end to, and extending laterally from, either side of said saddle member  20  at a point essentially midway between the upper end  21  and the lower end  22  of said saddle member  20 . Each stirrup member  51  comprises a first stirrup strap  52  and a second stirrup strap  53  with said stirrup straps  52  &amp;  53  of each said stirrup member  51  being adjustably connected one to the other. One end of said first strap  52  is attached to the saddle member  20  as previously described and has a buckle means  55  attached to its opposing or free end. The second stirrup strap  53  has a plurality of equally spaced holes  56  along its length for adjustably receiving the buckle means  55  of said first stirrup strap  52 . Said second strap member  53  further comprises a stirrup ring  54  attached to its opposing or free end for receiving the foot of a child rider. It will be understood that the stirrup straps  52  &amp;  53  of said stirrup member  51  may be adjustably connected one to the other by various means, including the use of hook and loop material.  
     [0020] The bridle/reins means  60  comprises a length of strap material  61  with one end of said strap material  61  being attached to, and extending perpendicularly from, the right strap  32  of said chest securing means  30  and with the other end of said strap material  61  being attached to, and extending perpendicularly from, the left strap  31  of said chest securing means  30 . Said bridle/reins means  60  further comprising a gripping section  62  centrally located along the strap material  61  of said bridle/reins means  60 . Said gripping section  62  of said bridle/reins means  60  comprising material having a high friction coefficient, such as rubber or polyurethane tape.  
     [0021] As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the saddle-like apparatus  10  of the present invention is attached to the back of a willing or consenting adult person by placing the saddle member  20  onto adult person&#39;s back and then securing the saddle member  20  to the person&#39;s body by buckling together the left and right straps  31  &amp;  32  of the chest securing means  30  around the chest of the adult person and by buckling together the left and right straps  41  &amp;  42  of the waist securing means  40  around the waist of the adult person. The bridle/reins means  60  is then cross-looped over the head of said willing or consenting adult person for gripping by the riding child. For maximum support, stability and balance, prior to giving a child a “horsey-back” ride, the length of the stirrup members  51  of the stirrup means  50  should be adjusted to accommodate the length of the child&#39;s legs by using the buckle means  55  of said first stirrup strap  52  and the holes of said second stirrup strap  53  in order to lengthen or shorten the connection between said first and second stirrup strap members  52  &amp;  53 .  
     [0022] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations in form, detail and construction may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.