Patent Application
20110247570
1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to a device for helping a child learn to walk.
2. Description of the Related Art
When children begin to walk, typically they grab onto an adult's fingers—lifting themselves up while holding on tightly. The adult often leans forward and supports the child by allowing the child to balance himself by holding onto each of the adult's hands with one of his own. The adult is thereby able to allow the infant to place weight on its feet while restraining the infant from falling. The child, either facing forward or facing the adult, takes steps, lifting one foot at a time and placing it down on the floor, with the adult providing the necessary support and balance. This age-old method of teaching an infant to walk, however, is not well suited to the adult's physical well being. Because of the small height of the infant as compared to the adult, the adult is bent forward. After a period of time the adult may experience discomfort from walking in such an awkward position.
Devices have been used to train toddlers to walk such as walkers that do not directly involve the person of the adult. However, these devices have significant safety issues. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that each year there are 21,300 hospital emergency room treated injuries associated with baby walkers for children under 15 months of age. CPSC also receives one to two reports per year of deaths from using baby walkers.
Other devices have been used that involve a halter or a harness around the child's lower body. These devices require that the adult use one or two hands on a crossbar, handle, grip, or strap attached to the halter.
Therefore, there is still a need for an improved adult supported device for help a child learn to walk.
The present application provides a device for allowing a trainer, typically an adult, more particularly, a parent, to help a child, typically a toddler, learn to walk. The device comprises:
a child vest adapted to be worn on the upper torso of the child, having a pair of shoulder portions covering a pair of corresponding shoulder areas of the child, when the child vest is worn;
an adjustable trainer belt for securing around the waist of the trainer; and
a pair of adjustable shoulder strap assemblies respectively connecting the pair of shoulder portions of the child vest to the adjustable trainer belt.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present application, the pair of the shoulder portions are respectively a left shoulder portion covering a corresponding left shoulder area of the child, and a right shoulder portion covering a corresponding right shoulder area of the child, when the child vest is worn; the adjustable trainer belt has a left rear waist portion covering a corresponding left rear waist area, and a right rear waist portion covering a corresponding right rear waist area, when the trainer wears the adjustable trainer belt, and faces the same direction as the child; the left adjustable shoulder strap assembly connects the left shoulder portion of the child vest to the left rear portion of the adjustable trainer belt; and the right adjustable shoulder strap assembly connecting the right shoulder portion of the child vest to the right rear portion of the adjustable trainer belt.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present application, the pair of adjustable shoulder strap assemblies are respectively connected to the adjustable trainer belt at the bottom inside edge of the adjustable trainer belt.
To make sure that the adjustable shoulder strap assemblies be connected to the shoulder portions of the child vest safely and firmly, as a preferred embodiment, the connection with the shoulder strap assemblies may also be extended from the shoulder portion to other portions, such as the front and/or back portions of the child vest.
As an embodiment, the adjustable trainer belt has a first end and a second end, and the first and second ends can be selectively connected to each other for adjustably securing around the waist of the trainer, e.g., through the use of loop and hook material on the first and end ends of the adjustable trainer belt.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present application, the child vest is sized and shaped so that the child vest can be donned and removed in an over-the-head, pullover manner. For example, the front and back portions of the child may be secured together along an upper edge to form the left and right shoulder portions and a head opening adapted to receive the head of he child. The front portion may have a pair of upper body straps adapted to connect to the back portion for selectively and adjustably securing the child vest around the upper body of the child, e.g., by the use of hook and loop material on the upper body straps.
As an embodiment, each of the pair of shoulder strap assemblies has an adjustable shoulder strap, a connecting strap, and a strap loop; the adjustable shoulder strap has a first end portion and a second end portion, with the first end portion having an inside surface and a plurality of buttonholes, and the second end portion having a tip with an inside surface and a button fastener on the second end portion near the tip, hook and loop fastener material on the inside surface of the first end portion surrounding the plurality of buttonholes, hook and loop fastener material on the inside surface of the tip of the second end portion, the inside surface of the first end portion attaching to the child vest at the shoulder portion, and the second end portion passing through the strap loop and fixable in length by securing the button fastener in one of the buttonhole and linking the hook and loop material on the inside surface of the first end portion to the hook and loop material on the inside surface of the tip of the second portion; the connecting strap has a pair of end portions, with one end portion passing through the strap loop, and the pair of end portions being attached together near the bottom inside edge of the adult belt, and the strap loop joins the adjustable strap and the connecting strap.
In accordance with yet another aspect, the present application also provides a method of helping a child learn to walk by using a device described herein. The method comprises the steps of:
securing the adjustable trainer belt around the waist of the trainer;
securing the child vest on the upper torso of the child;
adjusting the left and right adjustable shoulder assemblies so that the trainer and the child are in an appropriate distance when the child walks together with the trainer;
walking with the child by the trainer, with the child being supported from the waist of the trainer, the child taking steps while the adult walking upright without holding the child's hands; and
upon finishing the walking, removing the child vest from the child's upper torso and the adjustable trainer belt from the adult's waist.
As an embodiment of the present application, during the step of walking with the child by the trainer, the trainer and the child may face and walk forward.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present application, during the step of walking with the child by the trainer, the trainer and the child may face each other, with the adult walking backward and the toddler walking forward.
Compared to other devices, the device and method in accordance with the present application have the following advantages: (1) the trainer (typically an adult) can stand and walk in an upright position without holding the child's hands, leaving the adult's hands free and avoiding strain on the lower back of the trainer; (2) the device also allows the trainer to manipulate an object, such as a light switch, doorknob, and latch, or carry an item in her hands, such as a purse, key, bag, and cell phone, especially when the adult and toddler are outside the home; (3) the device may stabilize the child in an upright position and leave the child's hands free; (4) the device also allows the child to carry a transitional object, e.g., something that the child uses to aid her feeling of security; (4) the device is adjustable when the child grows or a different trainer assists the child to walk.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
In the drawings:
The following preferred embodiments are provided to illustrate, but not to limit the present invention.
Also as shown in
Referring now to
To use the device, the adult 200 secures the toddler vest 20 around the toddler's upper body 110, then secures the adult belt 10 around her own waist 210. Alternatively, the adult 200 secures the adult belt 10 around her own waist 210 first. The adult 200 adjusts the strap assemblies 30 such that the toddler's feet 120 can touch the ground and the adult 200 is upright. The toddler 100 then takes a step with one foot 120, the device providing support and balance. The toddler 100 then takes another step with the other foot 120, and the adult 200 takes a small step or two to stay within the distance slightly less than the length of the strap assemblies 30 so that the toddler's feet 120 remain on the ground, the toddler's legs 130 supporting the toddler's weight. In one embodiment, the toddler 100 and the adult 200 are both facing and walking forward. The hands 220 of the adult 200 and the hands 150 of the toddler 100 are free to carry or manipulate objects. The adult 200 is in a full upright position, without strain on his back, looking straight ahead. In one embodiment, the toddler 100 and adult 200 face each other, the adult 200 walking backwards, in a full upright position. When finished with the exercise, the adult 200 removes the adult belt 10 and the toddler belt 20, making sure that the toddler 100 is in a safe place and position.
Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
