Kart kozy

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a safe and comfortable place for an infant or small child to lie down in a shopping cart includes a cushioned mat and one or more of an optional integrated blanket, an optional integrated pillow, and an optional integrated strap adapted to secure the apparatus once it has been rolled up. The strap may double as a handle and may allow a user to insert their hand and part of their arm through the strap, thus freeing the user's hands for other items. The cushioned mat may be oversized so that when placed in the bottom of the interior of a major compartment of a shopping cart, a portion of the cushioned mat may fold in a manner so as to form bumpers along the sides of the interior of the major compartment of the shopping cart.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a child protection device according to the invention including a cushioned mat, an optional pillow, an optional blanket, and an optional strap.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the child protective device of FIG. 1 which has been rolled up and secured by the optional strap.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This invention is based on the idea of using a cushioned mat to provide a secure and comfortable place for a small child or infant to lie down and rest. Referring to figures, wherein like parts are designated with the same reference numerals and symbols, FIG. 1 is an illustration of a child protective device 10 including a cushioned mat 12. As previously indicated, the cushioned mat 12 is adapted so that its size and shape approximate that of the bottom of the primary compartment of a shopping cart (not shown). Alternatively, the cushioned mat 12 may be oversize so that the excess material of the cushioned mat lies along the sides of the primary compartment of the shopping cart, thus forming bumpers. While the primary surface of the cushioned mat is effective in separating the small child or infant from the surface of the shopping cart, thus providing a clean and secure environment for the child, the bumpers prevent the child from striking its head or other body parts against the side material of the primary compartment of the shopping cart.

An optional element of the child protective device 10 is a blanket 14 attached to one end of the cushioned mat 12. This allows the blanket 14 to be readily available to be placed either under or over the indicated small child or infant. When placed over the infant, the blanket provides warmth and sense of security. When placed under the infant, the blanket may provide additional cushioning for the child.

Another optional element of the child protective device 10 is a pillow attached to, and thereby integrated with, the cushioned mat. The function of the pillow is provide additional cushion for the indicated child's head or to elevate the child's head in a more comfortable position. Furthermore, the optional blanket 14 and the optional pillow may be used in conjunction with each other and the cushioned mat to provide a fully featured sleeping area for the indicated child.

Yet another optional element of the child protective device 10 is a strap 18 adapted to secure the cushioned mat 10 when it has been rolled up, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Not only may the optional strap be used to secure the child protective device 10, it may also be used as a handle to assist the parent or caregiver in carrying the child protective device. Additionally, the optional strap 18 may be appropriately sized so as to provide sufficient space for a parent or caregiver to insert their hand and a significant portion of their arm into. This would allow the parent or caregiver to carry the child protective device 10 while leaving their hands free to carry other items. It should be noted that the optional strap 18 may be used solely with the cushioned mat 12, or with the cushioned mat with either or both of the optional blanket 14 and optional pillow 16.

Those skilled in the art of making child protection devices may develop other embodiments of the present invention. However, the terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims

1. A child protection device, comprising: a cushioned mat adapted to approximate the size and shape of a bottom of a primary compartment of a shopping cart; andan integrated pillow.

2. The child protection device of claim 1, further comprising an integrated blanket.

3. The child protection device of claim 1, further comprising an integrated strap adapted to contain the child protection device in a rolled-up manner.

4. The child protection device of claim 2, further comprising an integrated strap adapted to contain the child protection device in a rolled-up manner.

5. A child protection device, comprising: a cushioned mat adapted to approximate the size and shape of a bottom of a primary compartment of a shopping cart; andan integrated blanket.

6. The child protection device of claim 5, further comprising an integrated strap adapted to contain the child protection device in a rolled-up manner.

7. A child protection device, comprising: a cushioned mat adapted to approximate the size and shape of a bottom of a primary compartment of a shopping cart; andan integrated strap adapted to contain the child protection device in a rolled-up manner.