Abstract:
A car seat carrier includes a belt for holding the car seat and a shoulder strap attached to the belt for carrying the car seat. The belt resides around the base of the car seat. A first end of the shoulder strap attaches to a center point of a first belt end. A cross-strap crosses over the car seat, attaching to opposite sides of the belt near a second belt end, and is connected to a second end of the shoulder strap by a sliding buckle. The belt is preferably a fixed length belt which fits most car seats. The shoulder strap may further include padding to increase comfort and may be adjustable in length.

Description:
[0001]     The present application is a Continuation in Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/071,130, filed Mar. 1, 2005, for “Car Seat Carrier” which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to infant carriers and in particular to a carrier comprising a shoulder strap attached to a belt which holds a car seat to allow easy carrying when the seat is removed from a car.  
         [0003]     A stroller is often carried in a car to allow for convenient transportation of the newborn or infant at a destination. However, it is often inconvenient to load a stroller into the car for a short trip, or when the trip is a shopping trip, a stroller may take up space required for purchased articles. Because parents may not always take a stroller with them, many car seats are made to be easily removable from the automobile and include handles for carrying the car seat.  
         [0004]     Although the handles provide a means for grasping the car seat, due to the size and weight of the car seat, carrying a car seat by the handle may prove awkward and fatiguing. Carrying the car seat for a long period of time may result in stress on elbows and shoulder joints. Additionally, a mother taking an infant along on a shopping trip may have a very difficult time carrying both the car seat and purchased items, and it may be difficult to reach for a wallet or keys.  
         [0005]     Carriers are made for car seats, but these carriers generally require drilling holes and/or attaching unattractive hardware permanently or semi-permanently to the car seat. Some of this hardware may present a hazard to a newborn or infant, or may weaken the car seat rendering it unsafe in a crash.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a car seat carrier which includes a belt for holding the car seat and a shoulder strap attached to the belt for carrying the car seat. The belt resides around the base of the car seat. A first end of the shoulder strap attaches to a center point of a first belt end. A cross-strap crosses over the car seat, attaching to opposite sides of the belt near a second belt end, and is connected to a second end of the shoulder strap by a sliding buckle. The belt is preferably a fixed length belt which fits most car seats. The shoulder strap may further include padding to increase comfort and may be adjustable in length.  
         [0007]     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a car seat and carrier. The car seat is for transporting an occupant in an automobile. The carrier includes a fixed length belt, a shoulder strap, and a cross-strap. The belt is preferably a fixed length belt adapted to reside around a base portion of the car seat, thereby holding the car seat. The belt assuming a shape of the base portion when residing around the base portion and has a first belt end and a second belt end. The shoulder strap is attached to the belt for carrying the car seat and the cross-strap is attached across the belt proximal to the second belt end. A first shoulder strap end is attached to the first belt end at a point approximately centered on the first belt end and a second shoulder strap end connected to the cross-strap. The shoulder strap and cross-strap are connected by a sliding buckle which the cross-strap slides through, allowing the carrier to be adjusted for comfort. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0008]     The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1A  is a side view of a known car seat.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1B  is an end view of the known car seat.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  depicts a user carrying the car seat by a car seat handle.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3A  shows a side view of a carrier according to the present invention holding the car seat.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3B  shows an end view of the carrier according to the present invention holding the car seat.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  depicts a user carrying the car seat using the carrier according to the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5A  is a side of the carrier only.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5B  is an end view of the carrier only.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is an adjustable length buckle suitable for use with the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the adjustable length buckle connecting a shoulder strap to a cross strap.  
         [0019]      FIG. 8A  is a top view of a belt of the carrier.  
         [0020]      FIG. 8B  is a side view of the belt of the carrier.  
         [0021]      FIG. 8C  is an end view of the belt of the carrier. 
     
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.  
         [0023]     A side view of a known car seat  10  is shown in  FIG. 1A  and an end view of the car seat  10  is shown in  FIG. 1B . The car seat includes a handle  12  for carrying and has a reduced perimeter base portion  10   a . A user  14 , generally a parent or other adult, is shown carrying the car seat  10  in a known manner in  FIG. 2 . Unfortunately, the known manner of carrying the car seat  10  requires the user  14  to hold the handle  12  some distance away from the user&#39;s body. As a result, the user  14  often experiences fatigue, stress, and/or discomfort on elbows and shoulder joints.  
         [0024]     The car seat  10  is shown in a side view in  FIG. 3A  with a carrier  16  according to the present invention holding the car seat  10 , and in an end view in  FIG. 3B  with the carrier  16  holding the car seat  10 . The user  14  is shown in  FIG. 4  using the carrier  16  to carry the car seat  10 . A shoulder strap  18  (also see  FIGS. 5A and 5B ) of the carrier  16  resides about the shoulders of the user  14  to carry most or all of the weight of the car seat  10 . Fatigue, distress, and discomfort associated with carrying the car seat  10  by the handle  12  is thus substantially reduced or eliminated.  
         [0025]     A detailed side view of the carrier  16  is shown in  FIG. 5A , and a detailed end view of the carrier  16  shown in  FIG. 5B . The carrier  16  includes a belt  26  adapted to reside around the base portion  10   a  of the car seat  10  (see  FIGS. 1A and 1B ) to hold the car seat  10 . When residing around the base portion  10   a , the belt  26  generally assumes a substantially rectangular shape due to the shape of the base portion  10   a  of the car seat  10 , but the belt  26  may also assume a more square shape or an oval shape if the base portion is more square or more oval shaped. A belt  26  assuming any shape while residing around any base portion is intended to come within the scope of the present invention, and any carrier  16  holding any car seat by the cooperation of a belt with a base portion of the car seat is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. The belt  26  further resides substantially horizontal while holding the car seat, although the car seat  10  and/or the belt  26  may somewhat tilt (i.e, reside somewhat out of the horizontal plain) as long as the occupant of the car seat is safely carried in the car seat (e.g, does not slip) and as long as the belt  26  safely holds the car seat. The belt  26  may be a fixed length belt or an adjustable length belt, and is preferably a fixed length belt with length between approximately 50 inches and approximately 62 inches, and more preferably approximately 54 inches.  
         [0026]     The shoulder strap  18  is provided to allow the user  14  to conveniently carry the car seat  10 . A first end  18   a  of the shoulder strap  18  is attached to a first belt end  26   a  of the belt  26  approximately centered on an end of the car seat  10  (looking down) when the belt  26  is placed around the base portion  10   a  (see  FIGS. 1A and 1B ) of the car seat  10 . A second end of the shoulder strap  18   b , opposite the first end  18   a , is attached to a cross strap  22  by an adjustable length buckle  25 . The shoulder strap  18  has sufficient length to allow the user  14  to adjust the position of the shoulder strap  18  on the shoulder and around the neck to comfortably and stably carry the car seat  10  to the user&#39;s front or side, with the car seat  10  near the user&#39;s waist. The shoulder strap length is preferable between approximately 40 inches and approximately 50 inches long, and is more preferably between approximately 44 inches and approximately 46 inches long.  
         [0027]     A shoulder pad  20  is approximately centered on the shoulder strap  18  to allow for more comfortable carrying of the car seat  10 . The shoulder strap  18  may further include a hinged bar buckle  24 . The buckle  24  may only provide a length adjustment, or may be detachable to allow the shoulder strap  18  to be separated thus allowing the user  14  to more easily put on the carrier  16  over the user&#39;s  14  shoulders and neck in tight quarters. The buckle  24  may further provide a length adjustment for the shoulder strap  18 , and include a pull  32  for adjusting the length of the shoulder strap  18 .  
         [0028]     A cross-strap  22  runs substantially laterally across the belt  26  and over the car seat  10 . The cross-strap  22  need not run precisely laterally as long as both ends of the cross-strap  22  are both near a second belt end  26   b  of the belt  26  when the belt  26  is residing on the base portion  10   a  (see  FIGS. 1A and 1B ) of the car seat  10 . Both ends of the cross-strap  22  are attached to the belt  26 , preferably within approximately one inch of the second belt end  26   b  (also see  FIG. 8A ), and more preferably against the second belt end  26   b . The cross-strap  22  is connected to the shoulder strap  18  at the second end  18   b , and is preferably connected to the shoulder strap  18  by a sliding buckle, wherein the cross-strap may slide through the buckle to adjust the carrying position of the carrier, and more preferably by the adjustable length buckle  25 . The cross-strap  22  is preferably between approximately 32 inches long and approximately  40  inches long, and is more preferably between approximately 34 inches long and approximately  38  inches long, and is most preferably approximately 36 inches long. The cross-strap  22  may be fixed length or include a length adjustment, and is preferably fixed length.  
         [0029]     A top view of an example of an adjustable length buckle  25  is shown in  FIG. 6 , and a cross-sectional view of the example of an adjustable length buckle  25  taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 , is shown in  FIG. 7 . The cross-strap  22  may slide through the adjustable length buckle  25  to allow adjustment of the carrier  16 , and when an occupant is carried in the car seat  10 , the weight of the occupant provides resistance to the cross-strap  22  sliding through the adjustable length buckle  25 .  
         [0030]     A detailed top view of the belt  26  is shown in  FIG. 8A , a detailed side view of the belt  26  is shown in  FIG. 8B , and a detailed end view of the belt  26  is shown in  FIG. 8C . The belt  26  includes a first belt end  26   a  and a second belt end  26   b . The belt ends  26   a  and  26   b  preferably correspond to feet and head positions of an occupant of the car seat  10 , although the carrier  16  may carry the car seat  10  with either end  26   a  or  26   b  at the head or feet of a car seat occupant according to the preference of the user. The belt  26  further includes a first belt side  26   c  running between the belt ends  26   a  and  26   b , and a second belt side  26   d  opposite the first belt side  26   c , and corners  35  between the ends and sides. The first attachment point  30   a  for the first strap end  18   a  (see  FIG. 5B ) resides approximately centered on the first belt end  26   a , and attachment points  30   b  and  30   c  for the cross strap  22  (see  FIGS. 5A and 5B ) reside on the sides  26   c  and  26   d  proximal to the second belt end  26   b . The belt  26  may further include a length adjuster, whereby the length of the belt  26  may be adjusted to fit various car seats  10 , or may be a fixed length belt  26 , and is preferably a fixed length belt.  
         [0031]     The belt  26 , shoulder strap  18 , and the cross-strap  22  are preferably made from web belt material, heavy canvas, rip stop nylon, or a general nylon material. A pouch  28  may be attached permanently or detachably to the belt  26  to provide storage for articles such as baby bottles, diapers, etc.  
         [0032]     The belt  26  is shown having a substantially rectangular shape in  FIG. 8A . In general, the belt  26  will conform or take on the shape or outline of the base portion  10   a  of the car seat  10 . In instances where the base portion  10   a  is not rectangular, e.g., oval, the belt  26  will take on a different shape. The carrier according to the present invention is not limited to a rectangular base portion  10   a , and the use of a carrier with a shoulder strap attached to a belt holding a base portion of any shape is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. The shoulder strap  18  may be permanently attached to the belt  26 , or detachably attached to the belt  26  to simplify attachment of the carrier  16  to the car seat  10 .  
         [0033]     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.