Patent Publication Number: US-8973794-B2

Title: Baby carrier

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a baby carrier that includes in general two strap loops, a carrying pocket, and a seat part. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Thus the baby carrier is of the type that comprises two strap loops, which are interconnected and arranged to extend around the two shoulder areas of the wearer and each one of which comprises a first part and a second part, and a carrying pocket that is mounted to the strap loops and has a front piece having at least one free side edge that can be attached to an adjacent strap loop by means of at least one upper first and one upper second connection device for the carrying of the front piece at the strap loop, and a seat part that can be adjustably attached to the respective strap loop by means of a lower connection device, the front piece and the respective strap loop below the upper second connection device defining a leg opening for a child sitting in the baby carrier, besides which the first part of at least one strap loop is detachably connected with the lower connection device. 
     It is desirable to be able to utilize one and the same baby carrier from the child being newborn until it weighs approx. 12 kg. This is on account of the fact that a child increases its own weight approx. 3 times and becomes approx. 30% longer during its first year of life. 
     In order to allow comfortable carrying of a heavier one, it is common to provide a baby carrier with a relief belt that extends around the waist of the wearer for relieving the pressure on the shoulders of the wearer to as great an extent as possible. 
     By providing the baby carrier with a relief belt, it is also achieved that the seat part and thereby the child&#39;s legs and behind come closer to the wearer, the child&#39;s centre of gravity being moved closer to the wearer and it becoming easier and safer to carry the child. 
     Further, it is very important that a newborn child is kept in an upright position in the baby carrier in order to keep the airways free as well as to guarantee that the back is kept in a correct position. 
     Thus, it would be desirable to provide a baby carrier that allows at least the child&#39;s chest- or back portion to be moved/become placed closer to the wearer, when the child is carried, than what is allowed in conventional baby carriers of the above-mentioned type with or without a relief belt. More precisely, it would be desirable to provide a strain over the child&#39;s back against the wearer, when it is sitting in the baby carrier with the face facing the wearer, or over its chest, when it is sitting with the face turned from the wearer, in order to, in such a way, guarantee that the child is kept in the correct position. If no such strain over a small child&#39;s back/chest is present, there is a risk that the child slides down in the baby carrier, wherein there is a danger of the child&#39;s airways being blocked. 
     Further, in case of a newborn child, it is very important that the strain that should keep the child upright occurs in the correct position in relation to the child&#39;s back/chest, and more precisely on a level with just below the child&#39;s arms. The strain has preferably the form of an area over the child&#39;s back/chest. 
     In this connection, it should be mentioned that, in case of a baby carrier of the above-mentioned type, a child up to four months of age should not sit in the carrier with the face turned from the wearer because of the fact that the child cannot carry its head in a stable way but the head needs to be supported by means of the upper border portion of the front piece. 
     In order to allow the strain to become placed in the right spot as the child grows, at least the seat part of the baby carrier has to be adjustable. There is otherwise a risk of, in case of a small child, the strain occurring too high up on the child&#39;s body, and in case of a greater child too far down. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Thus, the object of the invention is to provide a baby carrier by which the above-mentioned disadvantages are at least partly eliminated. 
     This object is achieved by a baby carrier as described herein. 
     Preferred embodiments of the baby carrier are also described herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described in more detail below in the form of non-limiting examples, reference being made to the appended drawings, in which 
         FIG. 1  is an overall view obliquely from the front of a baby carrier according to the invention, 
         FIG. 1   a  is a view from the back of the baby carrier in  FIG. 1 , and 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the baby carrier in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     In the description and claims below, the baby carrier has been described in the case when the child is carried with the face facing the chest of the wearer, but it is evident that the child also can be carried with the face turned from the chest of the wearer. 
     As is seen in  FIG. 1 , a baby carrier  1  according to the invention comprises two adjustable strap loops  2   a ,  2   b , which are interconnected and arranged to extend around the two shoulder areas of the wearer. Each one of the strap loops comprises a first part/end portion  3  and as second part/end portion  4 . A carrying pocket  10  is mounted to the strap loops, which carrying pocket has front piece  12  having at least one free side edge that can be attached to an adjacent strap loop by means of at least one upper first and one upper second connection device  5   a ,  5   b  for the carrying of the front piece  12  at the strap loop. Preferably, the carrying pocket is formed and attached to the respective strap loop in such a way that the arms of a child sitting in the baby carrier will be situated between the upper first and the upper second connection device. At least the front piece  12  is preferably manufactured from a padded, flexible fabric material. The carrying pocket has also a seat part  14  that can be adjustably attached to the respective strap loop  2   a ,  2   b  by means of a lower connection device  16 . The front piece  12  and the respective strap loop below the upper second connection device  5   b  define a leg opening for a child sitting in the baby carrier. Further, the first part  3  of at least one strap loop is detachably connected with the lower connection device  16 . 
     In a baby carrier of the type mentioned above, this allows the baby carrier to be put on and taken off in the form of a jacket. 
     The attachment of the front piece  12  to the upper first and upper second connection device  5   a ,  5   b  is made in a known way, and preferably in the same way as described in, e.g., WO 03/003880, and therefore it will not be described in more detail. 
     In a baby carrier of the above-mentioned type, the regulation of the size of the baby carrier is carried out according to the child&#39;s length solely by the regulation of the size/length of the seat part  14 . More precisely, the seat part  14  comprises an elongate tongue  14   a  that is adjustably attached to the lower connection device  16 , the regulation of the baby carrier, as the child grows, being carried out in such a way that the seat part  14  become larger by the extension of the same. For an optimum adjustment of the size of the baby carrier according to the child&#39;s length, this involves that the child&#39;s arms always should be situated above the upper second connection device  5   b . However, it should be mentioned that the width of an upper border portion  17  arranged on the front piece  12  can be adjusted by means of adjustable buckles  18  of a known type. 
     In order to achieve that also at least the child&#39;s chest portion is moved/becomes placed closer to the wearer, when the child is carried, a second part  4  of the respective strap loop  2   a , 2   b  is connected with the first part  3  on a level with the upper second connection device  5   b , and immediately below the child&#39;s arms. This entails that it, via the front piece  12 , arises a strain under the arms and over the child&#39;s back portion toward the chest of the wearer. The strain that arises via the front piece  12  by connecting the second part  4  with the first part  3  in the above-mentioned way is shown schematically in  FIGS. 1 and 2  by a ruled area  11 . In this way, the carrying ergonomics is improved in that the child&#39;s centre of gravity is moved closer to the wearer as well as that the child is kept in an upright position, wherein the airways are kept free. Further, it is guaranteed that the child&#39;s back is kept in a correct position. 
     In case when one or both of the upper first connection devices  5   a  are loosened from the strap loop(s) for, e.g., lowering of the upper border portion  17 , the child can lean back, but thanks to the second part  4  of the respective strap loop being attached to the first part  3  on a level with the upper second connection device  5   b , this entails that no appreciable displacement of the child&#39;s centre of gravity from the wearer can occur as well as that there is not risk of the child falling out of the carrier if it would try to raise itself out of the same. This is guaranteed also by the size of the baby carrier being adjusted by the change of the length of the tongue  14   a  of the seat part  14  in relation to the lower connection device  16 , which entails that the back, shoulders and head of the child always will be placed on approximately the same spot in relation to the front piece  12  independently of the child&#39;s length. 
     Further, the baby carrier may comprise a relief belt  6  that is adjustable in a suitable way and preferably extends around the waist of the wearer. The relief belt  6  is detachably connected, preferably via the lower connection device  16 , with at least one of the first parts  3  of the respective strap loop on at least the chest side of the wearer, i.e., the relief belt does not have to be connected with the respective strap loop on the back side of the wearer. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the relief belt  6  comprises a back plate  20  that is vertically adjustably connected with the respective strap loop  2   a , 2   b  on the back side of the wearer via a stiff member  21  as seen in  FIG. 1   a . The stiff member  21  also adjustably interconnects the strap loops  2   a ,  2   b  via an adjustment means  21   a . The adjustment means  21   a  is slidably attacked to respective edge of the strap loops facing each other. It is evident that a relief belt without a back plate can be adjustably connected with the respective strap loop on the back side of the wearer. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be apparent that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be recognized by one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.