Patent Abstract:
A carrier transporter is described which is retractable into a low-profile configuration, and extendable to accommodate a carrier or child seat. An adjustable height bar positions a securing device to coincide with a belt path of the carrier and allow a strap to be lead through the belt path and re-secured back to the bar through a buckle. The base of the carrier is supported by an extendable base platform having grip padding to further secure the base to the transporter. The base platform and wheels move together when retracting the transporter and move away from each other when extending the transporter.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/287,068, filed Jan. 26, 2016; the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety into this disclosure. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The subject disclosure relates generally to transport devices. In particular, the subject disclosure relates to transporters for infant carriers. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Conventional carriers for seating and transporting young infants and toddlers have eased some of the burden on parents and caretakers in transporting delicate yet heavy bodies. Often, these carriers will have a cradle-like area where the infant is strapped down, and a hard shell to securely support the body of the infant. Further, a handle or other carrying projection eases the transportability of the carrier. Although these carriers have made it much easier to transport infants without having to carry the infant, their sturdy, protective nature adds even more weight to the weight of the infant who must be transported. Thus, parents and caretakers now have to handle the weight of the infant and the carrier when traveling with the infant. This burden becomes even more pronounced during air, train, or bus travel where there is limited storage area in a conventional carryon area for a stroller or other bulky devices for carrying infants. Thus, parents and caretakers have a never-ending burden of transporting infants in a safe and effective manner, while still trying to minimize the weight and bulk of the devices used to do so. 
       SUMMARY OF THE SUBJECT DISCLOSURE 
       [0004]    The present subject disclosure provides a novel device which serves to assist in carrying an infant by attaching secure legs to a conventional car carrier. The device is versatile, easy to use, and low profile allowing for easy folding and securing of the device when not in use, and a quick set up when needed for use. 
         [0005]    In one exemplary embodiment, the present subject matter is a transporter. The transporter includes a carry handle; a telescopic handle extendable from the carry handle; a base connected to the carry handle through an elongated shaft; a bar positioned on the elongated shaft, the bar having a securing device to secure an object thereto, wherein the bar is moveable between the carry handle and the base; and a base platform extending from the base. 
         [0006]    In another exemplary embodiment, the present subject matter is a transporter. The transporter includes a carry handle; a telescopic handle extendable from the carry handle; a base connected to the carry handle through an elongated shaft; a bar positioned on the elongated shaft, the bar having a strap and a buckle to secure a carrier thereto by connecting with its belt path, wherein the bar is moveable at pre-determined positions between the carry handle and the base, and includes a release button thereon to release the bar from any of the pre-determined positions; and a base platform extending from the base. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar components or steps, with reference to the following figures, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of a retracted carrier transporter device, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 2A-2B  illustrate a front view of a retracted carrier transporter with adjustable bar positions, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2C  illustrates an adjustable bar, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate front and side views of an extended carrier transporter device, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of a carrier transporter device securing a conventional carrier, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates a back perspective view of a carrier transporter device securing a carrier, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates a tether anchor point, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates a telescopic handle, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates a platform assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 9A-9B  illustrate a perspective view of retracted and extended wheels, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 10A-10B  illustrate a planar cut view of retracted and extended wheels, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Particular embodiments of the present subject disclosure will now be described in greater detail with reference to the figures. 
         [0020]    In one exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter, a retractable carrier transporter device assembly  100  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The device  100  is shown in its fully retracted configuration, which includes a telescopic handle  110 , whose vertical position may be controlled by a handle release button  111 , abutting a stationary carry handle  120 . A pair of hollow vertical tubes  121  connects the carry handle  120  with the base structure  140 . The vertical tubes  121  are fixed in length and serve as the backbones of the device  100 . An adjustable bar  130  is adapted to slide along the entire vertical length of the vertical tubes  121 . The limits of movement of the adjustable bar  130  are defined by the carry handle  120  and the base structure  140 . An adjustable bar release button  131  serves to unlock the adjustable bar from various desired positions along the vertical tube  121 . The adjustable bar  130  includes a securing mechanism  132 , which may be any mechanism that can secure an object to the device  100 . In one exemplary embodiment, the securing mechanism  132  is a strap  133  with locking buckle  134 . Other securing mechanisms are possible and within the purview of the present subject disclosures. A hinged base platform  150  is connected to the base structure  140  and is designed to fold back into the retracted device  100  to create a low profile device  100  when not in use or while being transported without a carrier. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 2A-2C  show the flexibility of the position of the adjustable bar  130  along the vertical length of the vertical tubes  121 . Various positions,  130 A,  130 B,  130 C,  130 D, etc., may be locked into by engaging release button  131  to disengage the horizontal bar  139  contained within the body of the adjustable bar  131  from corresponding holes  122  (see  FIG. 2C ) which secure the adjustable bar  130  in place. To move the adjustable bar  130  between various height positions along the length of the vertical tube  131 , the adjustable bar release button  131  may be depressed and held in to thereby disengage the horizontal bar  139  from the holes  122  on the interior vertical portions of vertical tubes  121 . Once a desired height is determined, the adjustable bar release button  131  is released, thereby allowing the horizontal bar  139  to engage with the closest set of retaining holes  122  on the vertical bar  121 . Once such close holes  122  are secured by the horizontal bar  139 , the adjustable bar  130  is secured in a particular position  130 A,  130 B,  130 C, or  130 D, and locked into that position until the adjustable bar release button  131  is depressed again, thereby disengaging the horizontal bar  139  from the holes  122  in the vertical tube  121 . Although the figures show four different vertical positions for the adjustable bar  130 , more positions are also possible, or even less, and depend on the spacing of the holes  122 , and the thickness of the adjustable bar  130 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 2C  illustrates a closer perspective view of the adjustable bar  130  positioned on vertical tube  121 . The adjustable bar release button  131  allows movement of the adjustable bar  130  along the vertical length of tubes  121  and securing at particular retaining holes  122 . The securing mechanism  132  is shown having a strap  133  and buckle  134  and secured by a hoop  137  to vertical posts  138  on the adjustable bar  130 . A length adjusting loop  135  allows for the strap  133  to lengthen and shorten in accommodating various sized carriers  200 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 3A-3B  show front and side view of an extended carrier transport device  100 . In the extended position, the telescopic handle  110  may be pulled out all the way so that a first shaft  112 , and a second shaft  113  are both fully extended. As shown in more detail in  FIG. 7 , handle release button  111  works in much the same was as that described for the adjustable bar release button  131 . First shaft  112  has an outer dimension that is smaller than an inner dimension of shaft  113 , thereby allowing shaft  112  to easily slide within shaft  113  to produce different total lengths of the combination of shaft  112  and shaft  113 . Shaft  112  is designed to slide in and fit within the hollow interior of shaft  113 , which in turn is designed to slide in and fit within the hollow interior of vertical tube  121 . This allows the telescopic handle  110  to lay adjacent to carry handle  120  when the device is fully retracted, as shown in  FIG. 1 , and to extend away from the carry handle  120 , when the device is fully extended, as shown in  FIG. 3A . The telescopic handle  110  may be locked into various positions by the interaction of the protrusion  114  positioned on shaft  112  in the various apertures  115  positioned along the length of shaft  113 . See  FIG. 7 . The protrusion  114  is biased outward and locks into any aperture  115  that it aligns with. The handle release button  111  pulls the protrusion  114  back into the lumen of shaft  112  and unlocks the shafts  112  and  113  from each other. The shafts  112  and  113  can then slide as needed to create a distance of the telescopic handle  110  that is suitable for a given user. Three different length positions are shown in  FIG. 7 , but any number are possible. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 3A , adjustable bar  130  is in its bottommost position (similar to position  130 A in  FIG. 2A ). In  FIG. 3B , adjustable bar  130  is shown in a slightly higher position (similar to position  130 B in  FIG. 2A ). The hinged base platform  50  is shown in its open position, ready to accommodate a carrier. Two or more wheels  160  are connected between the base structure  140  and the hinged base platform  150 . The wheels may be any easily moveable type wheels to facilitate the movement of the device when fully loaded. Examples wheels include, but are not limited to, in-line skate wheels, and other similar low profile, durable, and easy to rotate wheels. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 4-5  show the relative positioning of the components of the carrier transport device  100  when a carrier  200  is placed thereon. Carrier  200  may be a conventional car seat, infant carrier or the like, having a top back support shell  210 , and a seat portion  220 . The back support shell  210  and seat portion  220  typically form an angle, which can be 90 degrees or more. The seat portion  220  of the carrier  200  can have a front extended leg support portion  222  and a back support base  221 . A belt path  211 , such as a car seat belt path or similar aperture, opening or guide, is typically positioned on a mid-body portion of the carrier  200 . In use, the carrier  200  is placed on the device  100  so that the back support base  221  is positioned on the furthest back portion of the base platform  150  so as to abut the lowest end of the base structure  140 . The adjustable bar  130  is then moved vertically up or down on the vertical tubes  121  to position the adjustable bar  130  in line with the belt path  211  of the car seat  200 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The securing mechanism  132  is then used to secure the carrier  200  to the adjustable bar  130 . For example, a strap  133  may be guided through one side of the belt path  211  and retrieved from the other of the belt path  211  and secured back to the adjustable bar  130  by guiding it through the locking buckle  134 . The end of the strap  133  may be pulled tight to ensure a snug fit between the carrier  200  and the carrier transport device  100 . During this process, care should be given to ensure that the back support base  221  does not slide away from its position adjacent the back end of the base platform  150 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0026]    If the carrier  200  has a tether strap  201  with anchor  202 , then the anchor  202  may be secured into an anchor point  141  located at the bottom of the base structure  140 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . Once the tether  201  is anchored into anchor point  141 , the tether  201  may be tightened on the carrier  200  to promote a further secure connection between the carrier  200  and the transporter  100 . 
         [0027]    At least four secure connections are created using the technique of securing the carrier  200  to the carrier transporter device  100 . The first is the support of the back support base  221  on to the base platform  150 . The second is the strapping in of the carrier  200  to the transporter  100  through the strap  133  at the adjustable bar  130 . And the third being the securing of the tether anchor  202  to the anchor securing point  141 . The combination of these three secure connections ensures that the carrier  200  remains stable and secure as it is transported by the transporter device  100 . A fourth is the grip passing  152  as described below. 
         [0028]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of the extended base platform  150  in an open position. The base platform  150  contains one or more apertures  151 , one or more of which may have grip padding  152  to help secure the carrier  200  during movement, particularly over uneven grounding or other movement. Grip padding  152  may be any polymeric material which creates a higher friction surface between the carrier  200  and the base platform  150 . The base structure  140  has a base shaft  142  which secures the base platform  150  and the wheel  160  and wheel base  161 . Base platform  150  is connected to base shaft  142  through a hinge screw  154  secured by wall  153 . The wheel base  161  encircles and is connected to the base shaft  142 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 9A-9B  show a back perspective view of the base structure  140  portion with the base platform  150  and wheels  160  in the retracted ( FIG. 9A ), and extended ( FIG. 9B ) positions, respectively. When in the retracted position, base platform  150  abuts against the front face of the base structure  140 , and the wheels  160  and wheel base  161  abut against the retracted top surface of the base platform  150 . When the base platform  150  is extended out, wall  153  rotates about hinge point  154 , and pushes up against an internal mechanism of the base shaft  142 , thereby swinging the wheel blade  161  and wheels  160  outwards 90 degrees.  FIGS. 10A-10B  illustrate the mechanism that connects the movement of the base platform  150  to the swinging of the wheels  161 . 
         [0030]    Although the description of this subject matter has been made with respect to the transport of conventional carriers, such as convertible and car seats, the device is not limited to such products. Other types of infant chairs, toys or any other object that may be strapped down by the securing mechanisms  132  of the adjustable bar  130  and be transported may also be used in accordance with the present subject disclosure. 
         [0031]    The illustrations and examples provided herein are for explanatory purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the broad inventive concepts of the subject disclosure. It is understood therefore that the subject disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiment which is described, but is intended to cover all modifications and changes within the scope and spirit of the subject disclosure.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1