Patent Application
20100084445
The above referenced documents and application and all documents referenced therein are incorporated in by reference for all purposes.
Should this document be filed electronically or in paper according to any procedure indicating an international application, Applicant hereby requests the filing of an international application and designation of all states. Applicant affirms that Applicant is a United States citizen or entity with rights to file in the United States Receiving office. Should this application be filed in as a national application in the United States, this paragraph shall be disregarded.
Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. 1.71(e), applicant notes that a portion of this disclosure contains material that is subject to and for which is claimed copyright protection (such as, but not limited to, design drawings or user instructions, or any other aspects of this submission for which copyright protection is or may be available in any jurisdiction.). The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records. All other rights are reserved, and all other reproduction, distribution, creation of derivative works based on the contents, public display, and public performance of the application or any part thereof are prohibited by applicable copyright law.
The present invention relates to securing a generally non-infant child to an adult during walking, running, standing or similar activities.
The present invention relates to a method and/or system and/or apparatus for securing a non-infant child or similarly sized person or similar for carrying on the shoulders. In specific embodiments, the invention involves a method and/or system and/or apparatus for construction of such a system using simple strap material. In further embodiments, the invention involves one or methods that may be implemented using a variety of other materials or fastening devices.
The discussion of any work, publications, sales, or activity anywhere in this submission, including in any documents submitted with this application, shall not be taken as an admission that any such work constitutes prior art. The discussion of any activity, work, or publication herein is not an admission that such activity, work, or publication existed or was known in any particular jurisdiction.
In various contexts, it is sometimes desired for one person to ride on the back or shoulders of another person. A variety of devices exist to facilitate this practice. Most of them are similar to a backpack, securing the child onto the back of the adult, often with a rigid frame. However, many adults simply allow non-infant children to ride on their shoulders, unencumbered by any hardware.
Shoulder riding without use of a harness or support requires the adult to ensure that the child remains on the shoulders of the adult. This is typically done by the adult using one or both hands or arms to hold on to the child's legs or feet or ankles. This presents a safety as well as a convenience concern because the adult holding a child in this way is unable to use his or her hands either for grasping or balance without risk that the child will fall from his or her shoulders.
One previously proposed design, discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,402, uses ankle holders connected together and then attached with a vertical strap to the waist of the adult, with a suspender clip and/or key clip connected to the front of the wearer's belt, belt loop or trousers.
A different previously proposed designed, discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,856, uses ankle holders connected to underarm straps and a child seat and head strap to secure a child in a seat.
Another previously proposed designed, discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,612, provides stirrups and a child-waist strap to allow a child to more easily ride on an adults back.
Many other approaches for carrying or securing are discussed in the below listed references:
According to specific embodiments, the present invention is involved with methods and/or systems and/or devices and/or designs that can be used together or independently to provide a more secure and flexible method or apparatus for carrying a child on an adult's shoulders or for similar carrying situations.
The invention and various specific aspects and embodiments will be better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed descriptions. For purposes of clarity, this discussion refers to devices, methods, and concepts in terms of specific examples. However, the invention and aspects thereof may have applications to a variety of types of apparatus and methods. It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited except as provided in the attached claims and equivalents.
Furthermore, it is well known in the art that a variety of pliable yet strong materials can be fashioned into straps and holders such as described herein and that many different types of fasteners can be used to make various attachments and adjustments to straps or cuffs as described herein. A number of such types of straps and fasteners are discussed in one or more of the above listed references. Different embodiments of the invention can include different mixtures of materials, fastening and adjusting mechanisms, elements and functions and may group various functions as parts of various elements. For purposes of clarity, the invention is described in terms of apparatus that include different innovative components and innovative combinations of innovative components and known components. No inference should be taken to limit the invention to combinations containing all of the innovative components listed in any illustrative embodiment in this specification.
In some of the drawings and detailed descriptions below, the present invention is described in terms of the important independent embodiment of a simple combination of straps made from nylon webbing or similar materials and clasps or fasteners made of plastic. This should not be taken to limit the invention, which, using the teachings provided herein, can be applied to other materials, such as cloth, ropes, denim, rubber, hemp, plastic etc. The invention can also be partly incorporated into a garment, footwear, or other item worn by an adult or child.
All references, publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
Before describing the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular apparatus, compositions, systems, or methods, which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content and context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a device” includes a combination of two or more such devices, and the like.
Unless defined otherwise, terms used herein have meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in practice or for testing of the present invention, the preferred materials and methods are described herein. The description of any particular method of construction or operation of the invention shall not be taken as limiting except as provided in the attached claims including all allowable equivalents.
Ankle holders (or cuffs) 30 are positioned between the around-the-torso strap and the adult's torso. The are optionally provided with one or more external ankle holder loops 32 that the around toe torso strap can pass through, securing the ankle holders and optionally allowing for some horizontal placement adjustment of the cuffs along the torso strap.
In contrast to prior designs, a harness according to specific embodiments of the invention holds the child's feet snugly to the body of the adult, without pulling the feet sharply down as required in some prior art designs. Thus, the invention allows the child's ankles to be held securely while providing comfort to the child and a high degree of freedom of movement to the adult carrier. In experiments, it has been found that an adult carrier can run moderately fast and turn and move from side to side freely, using free hands and arms for balance, while the child remains secure without the child's groin or buttocks being pulled uncomfortably into the adults neck.
Furthermore, in contrast to some prior designs, a harness according to specific embodiments of the invention holds the child's feet snugly to the body of the adult independently of the tightness or failure of ankle holders 30. Because torso strap 10 is goes around the outside of the ankle holders, strap 10 secures both the holders and ankles to the adult's torso. The child's ankles remain secure even if there is slippage or failure of any fastener provided with the ankle cuffs. Also, because of this construction, an adult wearer is more immediately aware if there is any loosening of the ankle holders because they can feel the secured child's ankles against their body and will be immediately aware of slippage.
According to specific embodiments of the invention, a presently preferred position for the around-the-torso strap is around the pectoralis muscles. However, an around-the-torso strap according to specific embodiments of the invention could wrap around the adult's torso as high as immediately below the armpits and as low as at the bottom of the rib cage. The ideal position generally depends on the sizes of the adult and the child. In specific embodiments, the invention allows the around-the-torso strap to be positioned so that a child's ankles will be secured at the natural position at which the ankles would hang when the child is sitting on the adults shoulders.
The torso strap may close by a variety of fasteners according to specific embodiments of the invention. While fastener 20 in
The comfort and security of the child can be improved by adding padded to ankle holders 30, which can be partially rigid padding material or foam or cotton-type padding. Ankle holders 30 further include fasteners, which may be buckles such as 34 shown in
While a child can sit on the bare shoulders of an adult, comfort and security may be improved with the addition of a soft or rigid seat between the shoulders of the adult and the buttocks of the child. This saddle may attach to the around-the-torso strap and may be as simple as a piece of fabric, a pillow, or padding. Another embodiment is that of a rigid seat made of padded, rigid plastic.
A prototype ParentSaddle™ has been constructed with simple straps as shown in the provisional patent application. However, this was somewhat painful for the child's ankles when the adult was moving somewhat vigorously. Therefore, in further embodiments, a padded ankle holder was added using either “surfboard” padding or modified “tennis elbow braces”.
Optionally, one or more handles strap may be secured to the around-the-torso strap using the same general construction as the around the neck strap. These handles may be provided to allow the child to feel more secure.
Optionally, a seat-belt or a saddle may be secured to the around-the-torso strap using the same general construction as the around the neck strap. This may provide additional comfort for longer carrying times and additional safety for younger children.
All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein or filed with this application, including any references filed as part of an Information Disclosure Statement, are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
This application claims benefit of priority from provisional application 61/042464 filed 4 Apr. 2008, entitle “Parent Saddle.”
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61042464 | Apr 2008 | US |
