Patent Application
20130015689
Aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are directed generally to child conveyance devices, for example, strollers and/or car seats, and to blankets for use with such child conveyance devices.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a child conveyance device including a frame assembly. The device comprises a blanket including a front surface, a back surface, and at least one loop affixed to the front surface, the at least one loop having a first end and a second end, the at least one loop being configured to detachably attach the blanket to the frame assembly.
In some embodiments, the frame assembly includes a bumper bar. The at least one loop may be configured to detachably attach the blanket to the bumper bar and secure the blanket below the bumper bar by detachably attaching the blanket to the bumper bar.
In accordance with some embodiments the first end and the second end of the at least one loop is permanently attached to the blanket, and in accordance with some embodiments one of the first end and the second end of the at least one loop is removably attached to the blanket. In some embodiments the one of the first end and the second end of the at least one loop is removably attached to the blanket with a fastening means selected from the group consisting of buttons and button holes, snaps and fasteners, hooks and eyes, clasps, clips, and hook and loop fasteners. In accordance with some embodiments the blanket further comprises an upper portion configured to fold over the bumper bar.
In accordance with some embodiments the blanket further comprises a pocket configured to enclose the blanket when folded into itself.
In accordance with some embodiments the blanket has a width substantially equal to a width of the child conveyance device.
In accordance with some embodiments the child conveyance device further comprises a support surface configured to support a child. The blanket has a length substantially equal to a length of the support surface.
In accordance with some embodiments the child conveyance device comprises a stroller. In some embodiments the stroller comprises a frame, and the bumper bar has at least one end. The at least one end of the bumper bar is detachable from the frame.
In accordance with some embodiments the child conveyance device comprises a car seat.
In accordance with some embodiments the blanket has a top edge and each of the plurality of loops are positioned an equal distance from the top edge.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a child conveyance device. The child conveyance device comprises a blanket including a front surface, and a first connecting member coupled to the front surface, the connecting member being sized and shaped to accommodate a portion of a bumper bar of the child conveyance device.
In accordance with some embodiments the first connecting member comprises a tube. In some embodiments the tube comprises a same material as the front surface of the blanket. In some embodiments the tube extends substantially across a width of the blanket.
In accordance with some embodiments the child conveyance device further comprises a second connecting member positioned coaxially with the tube. In some embodiments the first connecting member and the second connecting member are located on the blanket at positions such that the first connecting member accommodates a portion of the bumper bar proximate a proximal end of the bumper bar while the second connecting member accommodates a portion of the bumper bar proximate a distal end of the bumper bar.
In accordance with some embodiments the tube comprises a rigid member. In some embodiments the connecting member further comprises a layer of padding disposed over the rigid member.
In accordance with some embodiments the connecting member is configured to accommodate substantially an entire length of the bumper bar.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a child conveyance device. The child conveyance device comprises a frame assembly, a bumper bar coupled to the frame assembly, and a blanket including a front surface, a back surface, and at least one loop affixed to the front surface. The at least one loop has a first end and a second end. The at least one loop is configured to detachably attach the blanket to the bumper bar and to secure the blanket below the bumper bar.
In accordance with some embodiments the first end and the second end of the at least one loop is permanently attached to the blanket and in accordance with some embodiments one of the first end and the second end of the at least one loop is removably attached to the blanket. In some embodiments the one of the first end and the second end of the at least one loop is removably attached to the blanket with a fastening means selected from the group consisting of buttons and button holes, snaps and fasteners, hooks and eyes, clasps, clips, and hook and loop fasteners.
In accordance with some embodiments the blanket further comprises an upper portion configured to fold over the bumper bar.
In accordance with some embodiments the blanket further comprises a pocket configured to enclose the blanket when folded into itself.
In accordance with some embodiments the blanket has a width substantially equal to a width of the child conveyance device.
In accordance with some embodiments the child conveyance device further comprises a support surface configured to support a child and the blanket has a length substantially equal to a length of the support surface.
In accordance with some embodiments the child conveyance device comprises a stroller.
In accordance with some embodiments the bumper bar comprises a distal end which is detachable from the frame.
In accordance with some embodiments the child conveyance device comprises a car seat.
In accordance with some embodiments the blanket has a top edge and each of the plurality of loops are positioned an equal distance from the top edge.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method of attaching a blanket to a child conveyance device. The method comprises providing a child conveyance device including a frame and a bumper bar having a proximal end removably attached to the frame. The method further comprises providing a blanket including a front surface, a back surface, and at least one loop affixed to the front surface. The at least one loop has a first end and a second end. The at least one loop is configured to detachably attach the blanket to the bumper bar to and to secure the blanket below the bumper bar. The method further comprises attaching the at least one loop to the bumper bar.
In accordance with some embodiments attaching the at least one loop to the bumper bar comprises detaching the proximal end of the bumper bar from the frame, inserting the proximal end of the bumper bar through the at least one loop, and re-attaching the proximal end of the bumper bar to the frame.
In accordance with some embodiments one of the first end and the second end of the at least one loop is removably attached to the blanket, and attaching the at least one loop to the bumper bar comprises removing the one of the first end and the second end of the at least one loop from the blanket, positioning the at least one loop about a portion of the bumper bar, and re-attaching the one of the first end and the second end of the at least one loop from the blanket.
The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:
This disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
Parents or caregivers of young children or babies may be challenged with transporting a child while keeping the child warm and protected from the elements. When a child is placed in a child conveyance device, such as a car seat or a stroller, a caregiver may desire to cover the child with a blanket. The blanket may provide protection from the sun, wind, or rain, and/or may facilitate keeping the child warm while in the child conveyance device. A blanket simply placed on a child in a conveyance device may be subject to slipping off or being unintentionally removed from the child and/or the child conveyance device. For example, the child may kick the blanket off, the blanket may become entangled in an obstacle or impediment by to which the child conveyance device is passed, or the blanket may be blown off of the child or child conveyance device by, for example, a gust of wind. Some blankets may also present difficulties in folding and storing while not in use. For example, a blanket may be exposed to dirt while not in use or may present difficulties in maintaining a folded state during transportation.
Aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a blanket which may be securely attached to a child conveyance device and to child conveyance devices including such a blanket. Embodiments of a blanket disclosed herein may be attached to a bumper bar of a child conveyance device such as a stroller or to a handle of a car seat or to, for example, a harness buckle strap of a child conveyance device. As used herein the term “child conveyance device” includes any apparatus, mobile or stationary, in which a child may be placed wherein it may be desirable to supply a blanket for the child. For example, a child conveyance device may be any of a stroller, a car seat, or a child swing. As used herein, the term “bumper bar” includes any rod or other member of a child conveyance device located above or in front of an area in which a child may be placed to which may be attached embodiments of blankets as described herein.
Blankets according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be resistant to inadvertent removal once secured in place on a child conveyance device. Blankets according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be secured to a child conveyance device in flexible configurations, for example in a configuration covering a child or a configuration covering the body of a child but leaving the child's head uncovered. Blankets according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a built in storage pocket into which the remainder of the blanket may be folded. This may provide for easy storage or transportation of the folded blanket.
Referring to
The loops 130 may be formed from a same material as a surface of the blanket 100, for example, cotton, polyester, wool, or any other natural, synthetic, or blended fabric known in the art for use in forming blankets. The loops 130 may in some embodiments include a filling similar to a filling which may be included in the body of the blanket, for example, down or fleece. In other embodiments the loops may comprise a material different than that from which the blanket is formed. For example, in some embodiments the loops may include a stiffener material, such as a resilient polymer. The inclusion of a resilient material in the loops 130 may facilitate the maintenance of the loops in a configuration where at least a part of the loops extends away from the front surface of the blanket. This may make it easier for a user to insert an end of a bumper bar through the loops. In other embodiments the loops 130 may include an elastic material, for example, an elastomeric polymer. The inclusion of an elastic material in the loops may facilitate the loops forming a tight grip upon a bumper bar inserted through them. The loops may also in some embodiments include a friction enhancing material, for example, a polymer, on the internal surface thereof (the surface which would contact a bumper bar) to reduce the tendency of the loops to slide back and forth on a bumper bar. In further embodiments a cushioning material, for example, foam rubber, may be included on an external surface of the loops. This may facilitate the reduction in the potential for a child to injure itself by striking the bumper bar with a portion of its body.
In some embodiments, an axis may be defined within each of the loops 130 parallel to a widthwise surface of the loops and each of the loops 130 may be arranged on the blanket 100 coaxially with one another. In further embodiments, the two loops 130 of
In some embodiments, the loops 130, or additional loops 135 (
A side view of an embodiment of the blanket 100 is illustrated in
In another embodiment, such as is illustrated in
In another embodiment, one or more ends of one or more loops 130 may be releasably attached to the blanket. As illustrated in
In a further embodiment, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the blanket 100 may include a pocket 170 attached to a portion thereof, for example to an edge of the blanket, or applied to the body of the blanket. In some embodiments, the pocket 170, as is illustrated in
A blanket 100 in accordance with any of the above embodiments, or combinations thereof may be secured to a child conveyance device such as a car seat or a stroller to provide warmth or protection from sunlight or the elements to a child residing within the child conveyance device. An embodiment of a stroller 200 with which the blanket 100 may be used is illustrated in
Additional straps (not shown) may be provided on the blanket, for example on edges of the blanket to additionally secure the blanket to one or more portions of the stroller frame 210. In some embodiments, the blanket may alternatively or additionally include fasteners configured to secure the ends/edges of the blanket to other parts of the child conveyance device, for example, hook and loop fasteners could be used to secure the blanket to one or more sides or to a bottom of the child conveyance device.
When mounted on the stroller, an upper end of the blanket may be folded down over the bumper bar to provide access to a child within the stroller or to expose the child's face so the child can see out from beneath the blanket.
In some embodiments, the blanket 100 may include an internal structure which may facilitate an opening of the blanket from a folded to an unfolded state. For example a spring-like wire structure internal to the blanket, for example, internal to one or more edges of the blanket, may be provided which would expand or guide the blanket into an at least partially open state upon release of a force maintaining the blanket in a folded or closed state, for example when removed from a storage pocket.
In some embodiments the bumper bar may be removably attached, at least on one end, to the frame of the stroller 200. For example, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the support surface or seat 240 of the stroller 200 may be removable from the frame 210, and may function as a car seat. A separate mounting frame or bracket (not shown) may be installed in a ca to receive the support surface or seat 240 of the stroller and lock it in place for use as a car seat.
In a further embodiment, as illustrated in
Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this disclosure, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
