Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02821329 2013-07-17
ERGONOMIC BABY CARRIER
BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION
A child or baby carrier is a device used to carry an infant or small child on
the body of
another person who wears the device, typically an adult. Such devices take
various forms,
including baby slings, wraps, backpack carriers and hip carriers. These
devices have varying
materials, decoration and degrees of rigidity and support for the child or
baby and wearer.
Existing carriers are primarily designed for holding a single child. Multiple-
child carriers are
generally poorly designed and lead to rapid fatigue and discomfort for the
children and adult.
Most conventional carriers only allow for one infant or toddler at a time to
be carried or
supported by an adult. Even for conventional carriers that allow multiple
children to be carried at
the same time, the discomfort for both adult and children is so great as to
prevent use for any
extended period of time, particularly for older and heavier children.
Accordingly, conventional
multiple-child carriers are useful only for carrying smaller infants.
Conventional multiple-child
carriers also often do not allow for multiple children to be supported in a
seated-straddle position
facing the wearer.
Children facing away from the carrier may also become over-stimulated, without
the
ability to turn away from the stimulus. Front facing carriers do not provide
proper leg support,
which canmake a child's pelvis tilt backward, hyperextending the child's spine
and placing the
child in the dangerous concave -hollow hack" position. Facing out is a
nonphysiological position
that places pressure on the inner thighs of the baby and the base of the
spine. The infant then
absorbs the pressure produced with each step that the mother takes on the
child's hyper-extended
spine. Positional asphyxia is also possible with front-facingcaniers when
babies have no neck
control and their chin falls toward their chests.Outward-facing children also
result in an
awkward load for the wearer and often cause the wearer's back to arch,
stressing the wearer's
lower back, shoulders and neck.
Conventional carriers can also be difficult to take on and off and can make
the loading
and unloading of children difficult. They have many different parts and
require many steps to
properly load and unload. None of the conventional multi-child carriers al low
for carrying two
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children having substantially different sizes/weight at the same time- for
example an infant and a
toddler.
Needs exist for improved carriers for holding two children at once.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is to be understood that both the following summary and the detailed
description are
exemplary and explanatoty and are intended to provide further explanation of
the invention as
claimed. Neither the summary nor the description that follows is intended to
define or limit the
scope of the invention to the particular features mentioned in the summary or
in the description.
Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.
In certain embodiments, the disclosed embodiments may include one or more of
the
features described herein. Embodiments disclosed herein describe a soft
structured and/or
frameless apparatus with a front carrier pouch in combination with a back
carrier pouch. More
so, embodiments described herein allow for a first child disposed in the front
carrier pouch to be
seated up-right, face inward (towards the wearer), and be seated in a
straddled or balled position,
and allow for a second child disposed in the back carrier pouch to be seated
up-right, faceinward
(towards the wearer), and be seated in a straddled or balled position.
Example embodiments herein disclose a baby carrier comprising a first carrier
pouch
disposed in back of a wearer configured to carry a first child, and a second
carrier pouch
disposed in front of the wearer configured to carry a second child, wherein
the first child and the
second child face the wearer.
Within further example embodiments, the second carrier pouch is configured to
be
removed from the baby carrier if not in use.
In another example embodiment, the first carrier pouch includes a first set of
shoulder
straps, and the second carrier pouch includes a second set of shoulder straps,
and the first set of
shoulder straps and the second set of shoulder straps are configured to
respectively adjust the
shape of the first carrier pouch and the second carrier pouch.
In another example etnbodiment, the second carrier pouch may be rolled into a
tubular
structure.
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A further example embodiment may include a first waist support corresponding
to the
first carrier pouch, and a second waist support corresponding to the second
carrier pouch,
wherein the first and second waist supports may be independently adjusted to
modify the shape
of the first carrier pouch and the second carrier pouch, respectively.
A new child carrier for simultaneously carrying two children of different
sizes in a first
aspect includes a first child carrier portion having a first carrier pouch
attached at its bottom to a
waist support, a second child carrier portion having a second carrier pouch
attached at its bottom
to the waist support, and shoulderstraps.The first child carrier portion and
the second child
carrier portion are configured to be secured to and between the shoulder
straps and to be directly
opposite one another when both are secured to the shoulder straps. At least
one of the first child
carrier pouch and the second child carrier pouch is configured to extend
behind the shoulder
straps, such that a heavy weight in the opposite child carrier that presses
the shoulder straps
tightly against a wearer does not compress a child therein against the wearer.
Each of the first
and second carrier pouches is curved towards a wearer to prevent a child
inserted therein from
facing away from the wearer and is configured to hold a child in a seated
straddle position.
In another aspect, each of the first and second carrier pouches has a flexible
material that
causes a child inserted therein to sit low against the waist support and that
presses against the
back of the child to press the child against the wearer when a wearer has the
waist support
secured around the wearer's waist and the shoulder straps over the wearer's
shoulders, thereby
directing the child's weight to the wearer's hips.
In another aspect, the waist support includes a first waist support section
attached to the
bottom of the first earner pouch and a second waist support section attached
to the bottom of the
second carrier pouch, the first waist support section and the second waist
support section are
configured to be fastened together to fon-n a single, adjustable waistband,
the first carrier pouch
and first waist support section are configured for reducing the effective size
of the first carrier
pouch, independently of the second earner pouch, by wrapping a portion of the
first carrier
pouch around the first waist support section, and the second carrier pouch and
second waist
support section are configured for reducing the effective size of the second
carrier pouch,
independently of the first carrier pouch, by wrapping a portion of the second
carrier pouch
around the second waist support section.
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In another aspect, the first carrier pouch is configured to be secured to the
shoulder straps
at least in part by first adjustment straps and the second carrier pouch is
configured to be secured
to the shoulder straps at least in part by second adjustment straps, and the
first adjustment straps
are configured to be loosened or tightened to loosen or tighten the first
carrier pouch against the
body of a wearer and the second adjustment straps are configured to be
loosened or tightened to
loosen or tighten the second carrier pouch against the body of the wearer.
In another aspect, the second child carrier portion is configured for complete
removal
from the shoulder straps and from the first child carrier portion, and the
first waist support
section includes ends configured to be secured to each other to form an
adjustable waist band
without fastening to the second waist support section.
In another aspect, the canier includes a chest strap connecting the shoulder
straps. In
another aspect, the chest strap is adjustable.
In another aspectõ the first carrier pouch includes an inner layer connected
to an outer
layer, and the first carrier pouch is configured such that when it is
connected to the shoulder
straps, pulling on the shoulder straps does not compress the outer layer
against the inner layer
and therefore does not compress any objects within the first carrier pouch. In
another aspect, the
shoulder straps and inner layer together form loops configured to be worn over
the wearer's
shoulders, and the outer layer is configured to connect to the loops. In
another aspect, the inner
layer is directly connected to the shoulder straps and the outer layer is
configured to be
releasably connected to the loops.
In another aspect, the first child carrier portion is configured such that,
when worn on a
wearer, an opening is formed on either side of the first child carrier portion
between the wearer's
body, the first carrier pouch, the first waist support section, and the
shoulder straps, through
which the limbs of a child inserted in the first carrier pouch can extend.
In another aspect, the second child carrier portion is configured such that,
when worn on
a wearer, an opening is formed on either side of the second child carrier
portion between the
wearer's body, the second carrier pouch, the second waist support section, and
the shoulder
straps, through which the limbs of a child inserted in the second carrier
pouch can extend.
In another aspect, the first child carrier portion is permanently secured to
the shoulder
straps and the second child carrier portion is configured to be releasably
secured to the shoulder
straps.
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In another aspect, the first and second carrier pouches are configured so that
no portion of
the first or second carrier pouches comes between the torso of a child
inserted into one of the
carrier pouches and a wearer of the first and second child carrier portions.
In another aspect, the first and second waist support sections include
structured waist
bands configured to spread the weight of carried children over a large area of
a wearer's hips. In
another aspect, one or more of the structured waist bands are removable from
the waist support
sections.
In another aspect, the shoulder straps curve in towards the center of a wearer
on at least
one side.
In another aspect, each carrier pouch is configured to hold a child of an
intended size
therein in a seated straddle position. In another aspect, the bottom of each
carrier pouch is
between eleven and fifteen inches wide. In another aspect, the bottom of each
carrier pouch is
twelve inches wide. In another aspect, one or more of the carrier pouches
includes a mechanism
for reducing or increasing its effective bottom width. In another aspect, the
mechanism includes
a scrunching assistor, a narrowing of the pouch from its bottom to a point
above its bottom, or a
seat extender or seat darts.
In another aspect, the shoulder straps and first carrier pouch together form
loops
configured to be worn over the wearer's shoulders and the shoulder straps
present a barrier to a
child falling out the side of the first carrier pouch.
In another aspect, the first and second carrier pouches are flexible enough
that the rear
end of a child inserted therein rests below the top level of the waist support
sections.
In another aspect, the carrier includes one or more of an enclosure and a
fastener
connected to the second waist support section and configured to maintain the
second carrier
pouch in a collapsed position when disconnected from the shoulder straps.
In another aspect, the flexible material includes a single or double layer of
fabric.
In another aspect, each of the first child carrier pouch and the second child
earlier pouch
is configured to extend behind the shoulder straps, such that a heavy weight
in the opposite child
carrierthatpresses the shoulder straps tightly against a wearer does not
compress a child therein
against the wearer.
In another aspect,thecarrierincludes a safety belt releasably secured across
at least one
of the carrier pouches to prevent a child from falling out of the at least one
of the carrier pouches.
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In a new child carrier method for carrying two children of different sizes
simultaneously,
the waist support sections of two carrier pouches arebuck-ledtogether, a first
shoulder strap is
put over a wearer's shoulder, a first child of a first size is held in one of
the two carrier pouches
against the wearer's body, a second shoulder strap is put over the wearer's
shoulder, one side of
the other of the two carrier pouches is buckled to the first or second
shoulder strap, a second
child of a second size at least ten pounds different from the first size is
held in the other of the
two carrier pouches against the wearer's body, and the other side of the other
of the two carrier
pouches is buckled to the other of the first and second shoulder straps.
These and further and other objects and features of the invention are apparent
in the
disclosure, which includes the above and ongoing written specification, with
the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other features and advantages of exampl e embodiments will
become more
apparent by describing in detail example embodiments with reference to the
attached drawings.
The accompanying drawings are intended to depict example embodiments and
should not be
interpreted to limit the intended scope of the claims. The accompanying
drawings are not to be
considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.
FIGURE 1 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier;
FIGURE 2 depicts the example embodiment of the carrier of FIGURE 1 in which
the
waistband has been folded to reduce the size of the carrier pouches;
FIGURE 3 is a diagram depicting the front and back of the carrier and
connections
between first and second carrier pouches in an example embodiment,
FIGURE 4 depicts an exampleembodimentof a carrier in which the carrier pouches
have
pockets and hoods;
FIGURE 5 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier in which the ca.nier
pouches have
interlocking, structured waist bands;
FIGURE 6 depicts the example embodiment of the carrier of FIGURE 1 in which
the
carrier pouches are unfastened and allowed to dangle;
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FIGURE 7 depicts the example embodiment of the carrier of FIGURE 1 in which
the first
carrier pouch does not contain a child and the secondcarrierpouch is
unfastened and allowed to
dangle;
FIGURE 8 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier in which the second
carrier pouch
is unfastened and rolled into a pouch;
FIGURE 9 depicts the example embodiment of the carrier of FIGURE 1 in which
the
second carrier pouch is unfastened and allowed to dangle;
FIGURE 10 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier in which the second
carrier
pouch has been removed;
FIGURE 11 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier in which the carrier
pouches
have pockets and hoods, and the first carrier pouch hood is in use;
FIGURE 12 is a diagram depicting the front and back of the carrier and
connections
between first and second carrier pouches in an example embodiment;
FIGURE 13A-B depict an example embodiment of a carrier in which a first
carrier pouch
is worn alone on a wearer's front or back.
FIGURE 14A-C depict the use of a support waist, in an example embodiment of a
carrier.
FIGURE 15 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier holding a larger child in
the first
carrierpouch and a smaller child in the second canier pouch.
FIGURE 16A-C depict an example embodiment of a waistband for a carrier having
roll-
away excess webbing.
FIGURE 17A-L depict a process for loading two children in an example
embodiment of a
carrier.
FIGURE 18 depicts carrier shoulder and chest straps, in an example embodiment.
FIGURE 19A-B depict adjustment of the top of the shoulder strap of the first
carrier
pouch in an example embodiment of a carrier.
FIGURE 20A-F depict an example embodiment of a carrier and various ways it can
be
adjusted to properly fit the wearer and children
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FIGURE 21 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier with hoods and pockets,
laid
flat.
FIGURE 22 depicts an embodiment of a Gather having a safety belt on the second
carrier
pouch.
FIGURE 23 depicts an embodiment of a carrier pouch having a width that
decreases
above its bottom.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Detailed example embodiments are disclosed herein. However, specific
structural and
functionaldetails disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of
describing example
embodiments. Example embodiments may, however, be embodied in many alternate
forms and
should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein.
Accordingly, while example embodiments are capable of various modifications
and
alternative forins, embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the
drawings and will
herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is
no intent to limit
example embodiments to the particular forms disclosed, but to the contrary,
example
embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives
falling within the scope
of example embodiments. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the
description of the
figures.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used
herein to
describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these
terms. These terms are
only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first
element could be termed
a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first
element, without
departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the terms
"and/or" and ''or"
-- include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed
items.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected"
or
"coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the
other element or
intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred
to as being
"directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no
intervening elements
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present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should
be interpreted in
alike fashion (e.g., "between" versus "directly between", "adjacent" versus
"directly adjacent",
etc.).
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular
embodiments only
and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the
singular forms
"a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless
the context clearly .
indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises,"
"comprising,"
"includes," and/or "including," when used herein, specify the presence of
stated features,
integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or
addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,
components, and/or
groups thereof The term "child" as used herein encompasses both infants and
toddlers. An
"adult wearer" as used herein refers to any user with the size/strength and
mental capacity to
safely carry children in a carrier. Thus, the adult wearer may be biologically
but not legally an
adult.
It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the
functions/acts noted
may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures
shown in succession
may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be
executed in the reverse
order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
The seated-straddle position provides support from knee "pit" to knee "pit",
with the legs
spread at a45+ degree angle and knees slightly above the bottom at 90+ degree
angles. The
child's weight is distributed off the hip joints/genitals and onto the
buttocks and thighs.
Additionally, the child's spine is in a curved position, which is nonnal for
the stage of
development. This position mimics the way a mother would naturally hold her
infant in her arms
and how the infant's body would naturally be positioned. Health risks caused
by positions such
as too-narrow crotch support that results in pressure on the hip bones or
genitals or a spine that
is too straight and forces the child to sit up straight, placing pressure on
the spine, are avoided by
the seated-straddle position. Also, children within the carrier may experience
uncomfortable and
unsafe stress in their leg ligaments due to being held in an outward-facing
position.
Embodiments of the present invention allow for carrying two children having
substantially different sizes/weight atthe same time- for example an infant
and a toddler due to
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independentlyadjustable waist sections and shoulder straps, carrier pouches
that position
children facing inwards and direct their weight to the wearer's hips, and the
fact that the carrier
pouches are attached only by adjustable straps, allowing them to be fitted to
adapt to changing
weight distributions. Configuring one carrier pouch for wearing in the front
of a wearer and
another carrier pouch for wearing in back of the wearer also helps, as a
wearer can naturally
carry more weight in back than in front, which causes uneven front-back weight
distributions to
feel balanced, and as some forces offset eachother.
An infant is generally considered a newborn to 12-month-old baby, whereas a
toddler is
generally considered to be any child 1-3 years of age. A newborn weighs 7-8
pounds on average,
with a maximum of around 10 pounds, whereas a one-year-old weighs 22-23 pounds
on average
and may weigh as much as 30 pounds and a three-year-old weighs on average 30
pounds, with a
normal range of 25-40 pounds. Conventional multi-child carriers do not allow
for carrying a
child of around 10 pounds and a child of 20-30 pounds at the same time.
Carrying such a large
overall load and such different loads requires isolation of one carrying pouch
from the other,
careful distribution of weight, correct positioning of the children for safe
and efficient postures,
and flexibility of support and safety features.
Example embodiments described herein disclose an ergonomic, soft-
structure,frameless
backpack-style carrier allowing for the weight of two children to be
distributed around the hips
of an adult wearer, permitting the adult wearer to easily put on, take off
and/or load and unload
children from the carrier and to comfortably and safely carry the children for
extended periods of
time.Withinexampleembodiments, any known method may be used to insert or
dispose a baby
into a back carrier pouch. For example, a wearer may place the back pouch on
the side of his or
her hip to insert the child, and then rotate the belt and carrier after the
child is inserted (or vice
versa to remove the child), sling the baby around the back and into the pouch
(as illustrated in
FIGURE 17), or for older children, let the child get onto the back of the
wearer and then buckle
the pouch around them. The carrier can also be laid on a couch or other piece
of furniture, the
child can be seated within the carrier in the position for carrying, and then
the wearer can buckle
the waist and put on the shoulder straps while the carrier is still supported
by the furniture. That
method may be helpful for nervous individuals with small babies.
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Furthermore, example embodiments described herein allow for converting,
modifying or
changing from a carrier supporting multiple children to a carrier allowing for
the support of a
single child without the need for adding any additional parts. One carrier
pouch can simply be
removed and the remaining carrier pouch has the appearance of a normal single-
child carrier. The
single carrier may be worn on the back or the front, as shown for example in
FIGURE 13.
FIGURE 1 depicts an example embodiment of a baby carrier 100. Carrier 100 may
include a second carrie r/pouc h 110, a first carrier/pouch 120, waist strap
125 and shoulder straps
130. More specifically, the carrier 100 may be utilized by a wearer 105 to
early at least one child
in the second carrier pouch 110 and another child in the first carrier pouch
120. The second
can-ier pouch 110 may be disposed in front of the adult wearer 105, while the
first carrier pouch
120 may be disposed behind the adult wearer 105.
The second carrier pouch 110 and the first carrier pouch 120 may allow for
children to
face inwards towards the adult wearer 105 in a seated-straddleposition,
sitting on their bottoms
and straddling the waist of the wearer. Existing twin carriers do not permit
carrying two children
in a straddle position (legs spread and elevated 90+ degrees at the hip). To
allow for a straddle
position, the bottom of the carrier pouch 115, which supports the child's
bottom and legs, may be
wide enough to go from one knee -pit" of a child to the next knee "pit" when
the child's legs are
straddlingthe waist of the adult wearer. That fabric width allows the child to
effortlessly sit in a
straddled position with the legs at a 90 degree angle from the body, as can be
better seen for
example in FIGURE 17. This straddled position allows for the child's weight to
be distributed
evenly around the waist of the wearer because the child's legs follow the
curve of the wearer's
body and are partially supported thereby. For the child, the straddled
position places the seated
pressure on his or her bottom and supports the child's legs. If the fabric is
not wide enough, the
legs hang down. When the legs hang down, the weight of the child weighs
heavily on the groin
and ligaments instead of the bottom. This canlead to chafing, hip dysplasia,
and other ailments.
Also, this position puts excessive pressure on the shoulders and neck of the
wearer.
A 12-inch width generally accommodates children from three months to about
eighteen
months of age and 25-30 pounds for true knee-pit to knee-pit support and 90+
degree hip bend,
with smaller children scrunching or folding the material to the most
comfortable and supportive
width. For larger children, a 12-inch width may not be sufficient to achieve a
full 90+ degree hip
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bend (resulting in an 80-85 degree bend), however larger children are stronger
and further along
in development, and also more able to convey discomfort, making them less at
risk for hip
dysplasia and other possible health consequences of imperfect posture.
However, for full support,
a 15-inch width accommodates children up to approximately three years of age
and 40-45
pounds while maintaining a 90+ degree hip-bend, although it is less fitting
for a smaller baby.
Prior to around 12 weeks ofage, infants need to be carried with their legs
tucked to their
stomachs with ankles crossed. Around twelve weeks of age, an infant's joints
begin to loosen and
can straddle about 90 degrees (a 45-degree spread for each leg). The degree of
leg-spread
required for straddling depends on the size of the adult. Babies are very
limber and quickly
become capable of very wide leg spreads.
Since the carrier pouch is flexible inembodiments, and may be for example a
cotton/poly
fabric, it can be scrunched inward to better fit smaller babies' knee-to-knee
spreads. In some
embodiments, a drawstring or similar and/or a section of elastic material at
the bottom of the
carrier pouches may make it easy to scrunch the sides together to reduce the
width. Bottom
carrier width can also be adjusted invarious embodiments by rolling/wrapping
the carrier pouch
around the waistband (which also adjusts the height of the pouch). The width
of a carrier pouch
may vary at the bottom and at various points along its height, and the width
of the effective
bottom of the carrier pouch can be varied by rolling the bottom of the pouch
around the
waistband. For example, if the carrier pouch is wider at the very bottom than
at a point a few
inches higher up, the carrier pouch fabric may be wrapped around the waistband
until the
effective bottom of the carrier pouch is that point a few inches higher up,
making the effective
bottom slightly narrowerthan before. For example, the very bottom of the
carrier may be 12
inches wide in an embodiment, but move up the back of the carrier a few inches
and it may curve
in slightly to 9 inches, which is helpful for when the waist is rolled for
smaller babies who have a
smallerknee-to-knee measurement. Alternatively, the material may be scrunched
slightly for
smalleibabies or the fabric rolls may be rolled over under the knees.
In some embodiments, some points along the length of the carrier pouch may be
wider
than at the very bottom, allowing the width to be increased for larger
children. Inembodiments,
the carrieral so does not have a structured waist band, so the waist band
remains flexible to mold
to the shape/size of the child carried, thus avoiding the need for an infant
insert to provide extra
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fabric to fill in gaps for small babies, as is required for carriers with
structured waistbands,
similar to those used for hikingbackpacks. A structured waist band cannot be
rolled up to reduce
the size of an attached carrier pouch. Small babies must be worn higher on the
wearer's hips, the
rule of thumb is "close enough to kiss." Since the baby is short and the
baby's head needs to be
high on the wearer's chest (close enough for the wearer to bend the wearer's
head down and kiss
the top of the baby's head), the structured waist band has to be worn higher
than the hip bones.
When it is worn higher, the back of the carrier is longer than necessary and
there are gaps in the
fabric. For the baby to be safe and supported, the fabric should be snug
against the baby, and
therefore inserts are necessary. With an unstructured waist band, the excess
fabric can be rolled
so there are no gaps and the fabric molds to the shape of the baby. A flexible
waistband also
curves down slightly where a loaded carrier pouch connects to the waist band,
due to the weight
of the child therein, which helps the carrier pouch to mold to the shape of
the child. Structured
waistbands are too rigid to deform in this fashion.
Also, the fabric above a structured waist band (the part that the baby sits
in) cannot be
easily scrunched to reduce its width for smaller babies, because it is
fixed/stitched in its width to
the rigidstructured waist band. These carriers then have to have seat
extenders (extra fabric that
unfolds to button to the waist to widen the width). With an unstructuredwaist
band, thecan-ier
pouch bottom can be easily scrunched or have a drawstring to reduce the width
of the fabric.
Othermbodiments of the present invention do use structured waistbands, for one
or both carrier
pouches, to provide better support for larger children.
Footstraps can also be used to provide additional support for larger children
for whom the
width of the bottom of the carrier pouches may be insufficient to provide full
(knee-pit to knee-
pit) support. Footstraps are known in the art and are another method of
providing leg, support and
raising the legs to a 90-degree angle with the hips for children old enough to
control their legs
and follow instructions, approximately two-plus years old.
In embodiments, the bottoms of the carrier pouches are wide enough to extend
from
knee-pit to knee-pit of a child of a desired size inserted in each carrier
pouch. Thus, the width
and design of the carrier pouch bottoms may vary depending on the size of
child the carrier is
intended to carry. For example, there may be an infant carrier with smaller
dimensions and
reduced weight and bulk, with carrier pouch bottoms of less than twelve inches
in width (for
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example eleven inches). Another embodiment may be configured to carry a large
child in a back
carrier pouch and an infant in a front carrier pouch, and therefore the back
carrier pouch may
have for example a fifteen inch wide bottom, while the front carrier pouch has
an eleven or
twelve inch wide carrier pouch bottom. Another embodiment may be configured to
carry two
larger children and each carrier pouch bottom may be fifteen inches wide. In
another
embodiment, one or both carrier pouches may be configured for use with a wide
range of child
sizes, and may have a bottom width of between eleven and fifteen inches, and
may additionally
have one or more mechanisms for varying the effective bottom width. Mechanisms
for varying
bottom width include scrunching assistors such as drawstrings and elastic
fabric sections,
narrowing or widening of the pouch along its length, combined with the ability
to roll up the
pouch around a waistband or other part, foot straps, a foldable section of
width, some other
adjustablewidth, or some type of seatextender or seat darts to make the bottom
extendfurther
down and away from the wearer so that heavier children will sit further down
and back, forcing
their legs into a larger angle to the hip even if the carrieipouch fabric does
not span from knee-
pit to knee-pit.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, soft-structure first and second
carrierpouches
create "bucket" or "cupping" shaped curved pouches for each child to sit in,
which helps provide
adequate support for the child and to direct the child's weight to the
wearer's hips. To form the
"cupping shape" the wearer may put the carrier on like an apron (hanging
down), then hold the
child against their body, and finally bring the carrier up against the back of
the child and secure
it, which makes the soft carrier pouch fabric into the cup shape for the child
to sit in. This fabric
cup comfortably holds the child in the correct position against the wearer
without the support of
the wearer's arms, The width of the bottom of the pouches allow for the
children to effortlessly
sit in a seated positionstraddlingthe wearer. A straddled position can only be
done by facing the
wearer, hence there is not an option to face outward (human anatomy does not
permit for legs to
bend substantially backwards from the hip). Since this carrier is designed to
effortlessly carry
two children, inembodiments it distributes weight optimally to maximize
comfort for the wearer,
and thus allows each child to straddle the wearer. In embodiments, the carrier
uses gymnastic
rubber in the shoulder straps, which absorbs movement and distributes weight
all along the
shoulder straps and supports 50-60 lbs of compression per shoulder strap,
reducing or
eliminating pinching and digging of the shoulder straps into the wearer and
allowing longer,
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more comfortable bearing of heavy shoulder loads. A sternum/chest strap may
also be used to
keep the carrier in position on the wearer's shoulders and the carrier pouches
in direct front/back
opposition. This is discussed with more detail in reference to FIGURE 18. When
the carrier
remains in place with little movement, the movements of the children affect
the wearer less as
balance is not disturbed, and the impact on the wearer's joints is minimized,
even when
traversing difficult terrain such as stairs, uneven surfaces, hiking trails,
narrow pathways, etc.
Such terrain can be very difficult to safely traverse when wearing traditional
carriers, which
allow shifting children to throw off a wearer's balance, and do not hold
children tightly to the
wearer's body, creating large moments of inertia and torques on the wearer's
body.
The carrier pouches may be a single layer or double or multiple parallel
layers of fabric
extending from a lower border substantially adjacent to the wearer's body to a
top border that is
disposed some distance away from the wearer's body, allowing an inserted child
to rest on and be
supported by the bottom of the fabric and the wearer's body and,leaving room
for the child's
body and head towards the top of the fabric. This convex earlier pouch design,
with a pouch that
curves inward and down from the top to the waistband, directs most of the
child's weight towards
the wearer's body, pressing the child's body against the wearer and bearing
the child's weight on
the waist strap around the wearer's hips. In embodiments, padding may be
inserted between
layers of fabric forcomfort. Padding increasesbulk, requiring more storage
space when not in
use, which is of greater concern with multiple-child carriers that are
inherently bulkier than a
singlecarrier, but may still be desirable depending on the intended use of the
carrier and the
wearer's preferences and characteristics. The child's legs may ball up in the
bottom of the pouch,
as shown in FIGURE 5, when the child is a newborn without the ability to sit
in a straddle
position. Note that although FIGURE 5 shows a balled up child in the rear
carrier, it is generally
preferable to carry a balled-up infant in a front carrier for safety reasons
(e.g. case of monitoring
the child and maintaining the child's position inside the carrier). For larger
children, the legs may
extend out the sides of the piece of fabric, but the base of the second
carrier pouch 110 and the
first carrier pouch 120 may be wide enough (knee-pit to knee-pit) to support
thelarger children
in a straddle position such that the carried child's weight is still
substantially supported by the
child's posterior (and ultimately by the wearer's hips). Therefore, the
children may be seated in a
straddled or, for young infants, balled position facing towards the wearer
105, and may be
substantially supported by their own posterior and/or back. Thus, additional
stress is not placed
CA 02821329 2013-07-17
on the legs of the carried children while placed in either the second carrier
pouch 110 or the first
carrier pouc h 120.
Because all the children's weight settles on the bottom of the carrier where
the carrier
meets the wearer's body, due to the soft structure and inward curvature of the
carrier, and
because the straddle/ball position allows a large part of the child's body to
press against the
wearer, the load is distributed primarily around the wearer's hips and,
through shoulder straps,
also in part to the user's shoulders. The shoulder straps also absorb outward
forces and lateral
forces, for example from shifting of the children. Because the load is
directed primarily against
the user's hips and, when carrying two children, in opposing directions (i.e.
from the front and
from the rear), balanced forces are applied to the parts of the body best
suited for handling them,
dramaticallyincreasingcomfort and extending use time. Loads applied primarily
to a user's
shoulders, in contrast, particularly unbalanced loads, can lead to rapid
discomfort and even
The second carrier pouch 110 may allow for a child to be seated upright,
facing the adult
wearer 105 in a straddled position while disposed in the second carrier pouch
110. The first
carrier pouch 120 may allow for a child to be seated upright, facing the
wearer 105 in a straddled
position while disposed in the first carrier pouch 120.
Waist strap 125 may be a length-adjustable belt to ensure a proper fit around
the wearer's
waist. In another example embodiment, waist strap 125 may be made of webbing
strong enough
to support any practical loads experienced during use, for example 200-1,000
lbs, and in one
embodiment 500 lbs, and which is inelastic under that weight limit. A lack of
give in the strap
and carrier pouch materials ensures that the carrier firmly holds children in
the proper position.
Neverthe le ss, i n an alternative embodiment elastic material s may be used.
El asti c mate ri al may
be useful for hoods, where elasticity allows the hoods to more easily
accommodate the shifting
of a child's head during sleep.
Waist strap 125 may be rolled/folded up to adjust the size of the second
carrier pouch 110
and/or the first carrier pouch 120 as shown for example in FIGURES 2, 15 and
20. In an
embodiment with a buckle or other fastener on each side of the wearer (and
therefore
independent waist strap portions corresponding to each carrier pouch), the
waist strap 125
portion connected to each carrier may be independently rolled up with the
bottom of the pouch to
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adjust the size of the corresponding carrier pouch prior to fastening the two
waist strap 125
portions together as described in detail below with regard to FIGURE, 3. Once
the waist strap has
been fastened, or in an embodiment with a single buckle or other fastener, the
entire waist strap
may be rolled up to adjust the size of both carriers simultaneously. Such
simultaneous adjustment
is still quite useful for, e.g., twins. If a toddler or sleeping infant will
be placed in one pouch, that
pouch may be left fully extended (unrolled), but if there is a small infant
who will need to see
out, the infant's pouch may be rolled to adjust only that one pouch (the
fabric pouch shortens
upon rolling). The rolling, as noted above, may be independent of the other
carrier pouch. This
makes for two different pouch fits for two different sized children. For
similarly sized children,
both carrier pouches may be rolled to thesame length. Additionally, canier
pouch height may be
reduced by folding down the top of the carrier pouch. In embodiments, the top
of the carrier
pouch may extend above where it connects to the shoulder straps, or may be
curved so that it is
higher in the back than on the sides where it attaches, allowing some portion
to be easily folded
down for adjustment.
Shoulder straps 130 may be adjustable straps to secure and/or adjust the shape
of the
second carrier pouch 110 and/or the first carrier pouch 120. Adjusting the
shoulder strap length
assures a secure and comfortable fit on the wearer's shoulders, and also snugs
or loosens the
carrier pouch, which can help to accommodate variously sized children. In some
embodiments,
the second carrier pouch 110 and the first carrier pouch 120 may each attach
separately to
independent shoulder straps 130 (as shown in FIGURE 12). The carrier may be
configured such
that shoulder straps 130 are first disposed on an adult wearer 105, and then
either the second
carrier pouch 110 or the first carrier pouch 120 may be buck-led or clipped to
the shoulder straps
130. In other words, the shoulder straps 130 may be initially disposed on the
adult 105, a child
may be disposed against the adult's body, and then the adult 105 carrying the
child may raise the
front or back carrier pouch and clip or otherwise secure it to the shoulder
straps 130 to support
the carried child. Accordingly, the first or second carrier pOuch 110, 120 may
already be clipped
or buckled to the shoulder straps 130 with a supported child, then another
child may be disposed
or inserted into the other carrier pouch, and the other carrier pouch may then
be buckled to the
shoulder straps 130. For added safety, one side of the front or back carrier
pouch may be secured
to the shoulder straps 130, then a child can be inserted into the front or
back carrier pouch, and
then the other side may be secured to the shoulder straps 130, making it less
likely that the child
17
CA 02821329 2013-07-17
will slip during this process. Carrier pouches that attach to and detach from
the shoulder straps
therefore allow for a substantially casier method for disposing a plurality of
children of varying
sizes into a carrier then conventional carriers.
In some embodiments, weight in one carrier pouch will pull on the other
carrier pouch.
As a result, a heavy child in one carrier pouch could pull the other carrier
pouch tightly against
the wearer, potentially causing discomfort or even an unsafe condition
(excessivecompression)
for a smaller child in the other carrier pouch. For a carrier designed to
carry two children
differing significantly in size, it is important for at least one of the
carrier pouches to remain
unaffected by weight in the other carrier pouch, to the extent that a heavy
weight in the other
carrier pouch will not cause that pouch to be drawn uncomfortably or
dangerously close to the
body of the wearer. In the embodiments shown in FIGURES 3, 14 and 21, for
example, the
second carrier pouch 310 is unaffected by weight in the first carrier pouch
320, because the
second carrier pouch 310 is connected to the shoulder straps and first carrier
pouch 320 only by
clips 395 and adjustable straps 340. Straps 340 provide some space between the
carrier pouch
310 and shoulder straps 130, so no matter how heavy a child in carrier pouch
320 is and how
hard the child's weight pulls the shoulder straps against the wearer, the
second carrier 310 will
never get closer to the wearer than the length of the adjustable straps 340
and clips 395.
In contrast, in those embodiments first carrier pouch 320 is affected by
weight in second
carrier pouch310. Carrier pouch 320 is connected directly and essentially
parallel to shoulder
straps 130, in faot the pouch 320 actually completes the loops of material
that go around a
wearer's shoulders. So when the shoulder straps 130 are pulled tight against
the wearer, the first
carrier pouch 320 will be as well. Thus, a heavy weight in the second carrier
pouch 310 could
create an uncomfortable or unsafe condition for a smaller child in the first
carrier pouch 320.
Therefore, in such embodiments the larger child should generally be seated in
the first carrier
pouch 320 when multiple children are being carried. The same is true of any
embodiment where
the first carrier pouch 320 is affected as described above by a heavy weight
in the second cari-ier
pouch 310, but the second carrier pouch 310 is not so affected by a heavy
weight in the first
carrier pouch320.
Such problems may be avoided in various embodiments simply by ensuring that no
matter how tight the shoulder straps are pressed against the wearer, the
carrier pouches (or at
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CA 02821329 2013-07-17
least the portions of the carrier pouches behind the child that could
potentially compress the child
against the wearer) never get dangerously or uncoinfortably close to the
wearer's body. For
example, there may simply be significantly more material in first carrier
pouch 320 between the
two shoulder straps, making the pouch much looser. Then, even with the sides
of the carrier
pouch 320 compressed tightly against the user, the middle of the pouch where
the child's body
sits would be loose and not constricting. The downside of that simple
approach, in the absence of
workarounds (e.g. simple mechanisms for pinning the material to make it
tighter when excess
material is not needed) is excessive looseness of the carrier in other
circumstances, as it is
generally desirable in everyday use for carried children to rest lightly but
securely against the
wearer's body. Therefore, various other approaches maybe taken in various
embodiments. For
example, the rear part of the carrier pouch that presses on the child's back
to secure the child
against the wearer's body may be separated from the loop of material that goes
around the
wearer's shoulders and may be attached to the shoulder straps by an adjustable
strap and clip.
That is the approach taken for the second carrier pouch 310 in FIGURES 3, 14
and 21 and the
approach taken for the first carrier pouch 320 in FIGURE 12 and keeps the rear
of the carrier
pouch a safe distance from the wearer's body regardless of the weight in the
other carrier pouch.
In embodiments where both carrier pouches are unaffected to the extend
described above
by a heavy weight in the opposite carrierpouch, the order of disposing
children into either the
second carrier pouch 110 or the first carrier pouch 120 may not matter. In
other words, an infant
may be placed in either the second carrier pouch 110 or the first earlier
pouch 120 while a larger
child may be placed in the other carrier, because the weight of one child in
either the second
carrier pouch 110 or the first carrier pouch 120 does not pull on or affect
the size or shape of the
other carrier. Accordingly, the sizes and weights ofthe children in the second
carrier pouch 110
and the first carrier pouch 120 may be substantially different. This is
helpful for parents of
multiple non-twin children, where the children are typically at least one to
two years apart in age.
In even further example embodiments, a chest strap may be used to secure the
shoulder
straps 130 to the wearer 105 and/or each other, and prevent or limit the
shoulder straps 130 from
slipping, as shown in FIGURES 3, 12, and 18. The less wiggle room the carrier
has, the more the
carried weight moves in-line with the wearer, making it easier for the wearer
to bear heavier
loads while moving.
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CA 02821329 2013-07-17
FIGURE 2 depicts an example embodiment of carrier 100. In FIGURE 2, the front
and
backcarrier pouches 110, 120 have separate waistband portions that buckle or
otherwise can be
secured together and waist strap 125, formed by securing together the
individual waistband
portions, has been rolled up or folded to create a shorter second carrier
pouch 110 and a shorter
first carrier pouch 120. Although the sizes of the pouches in FIGURE 2 are
substantially the
same, by rolling or folding only the waist strap 125 portion for the second
carrier pouch 110 or
the first carrier pouch 120, the sizes of the second carrier pouch 110 and the
first carrier pouch
120 may vary as shown in FIGURE 15. Of course, if the individual waist
portions are to be
rolled separately, this must be done prior to buckling/securing the two
portions together.
FIGURE 3 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier 300 including first and
second
carrierpouches 320, 310 having independent wai stband portions 350, 330. In
this embodiment,
the shoulder straps 360 are directly connected to the first primary carrier
pouch 320 and the
second carrier pouch 310 buckles/attaches to the first primary carrier pouch
at the shoulders and
waist. The first primary carrier pouch 320 has standard clip ends 390 at the
end of its waistband
portion 350, which can clip to each other around the wearer's waist for use of
the first primary
carrier by itself, or may clip to the corresponding ends 380 of the waistband
portion 330 of the
second carrier pouch 310 to form a double carrier. The waistband portions 350,
330 may be
secured to their respective clip ends 380, 390 by standard adjustable means
and the clip ends
380, 390 may be slid along the length of the waistband portions to adjust
their length for a proper
fit and to provide appropriate support for a child. By adjusting the relative
lengths of the
waistband portions while keeping the same overall waistband length, the
tightness of the
individual carrier pouches can be adjusted while the overall fit for the
wearer remains
substantially the same.
The second carrier pouch 310 may also have adjustable top straps 340 that are
attached to
clip ends 395 or other fasteners for connection to corresponding
clips/fasteners 375 on shoulder
straps 360. The adjustable top straps 340 may be tightened, pulled or released
to adjust the fit and
size of the second carrier pouch 310. Similarly, the first carrier pouch 320
may have clip ends
375 attached directly to shoulder straps 360 or attached to the shoulder
straps by adjustable
straps for further adjustment of the second carrier pouch. Furthermore, the
first carrier pouch 320
may have adjustment clips 370 where the shoulder straps are secured to allow
for adjustment of
shoulder strap fit to accommodate wearers and children of various sizes.
Lengthening the
CA 02821329 2013-07-17
shoulder straps allows the pouch to be pulled away from the body of the user
when a larger child
is inserted, increasing the pouch capacity and allowing larger children to be
carried.
As noted, the waistband portion 330 of the second carrier pouch 310 may clip
or be
buckled into the waistband portion 350 of the first carrier pouch 320, and the
top straps 340 of
the second carrier pouch 310 may be buckled or clipped into the clip ends 375
on the shoulder
straps 360 of the first carrier pouch 320. Accordingly, the weight or a load
of children or items
within the second carrier pouch 310 and the first carrier pouch 320 may be
displaced via the
waistband supports and the shoulder straps and optionally a chest support 365.
The chest support
365 may be, for example, a strap extending between the shoulder straps 360 in
the front with a
clip in the middle. Clipping the two sides of the strap together links the
shoulder straps and
prevents them from sliding outwards away from one another, where they could
slip from a
wearer's shoulders.
In some embodiments, various fasteners (e.g. hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, D-
rings,
other clip types, etc.) are used instead of or in combination with clips 375,
380, 390 and/or 395.
The first carrier pouch may easily be worn on the front of a user as desired.
Inembodiments, the
firstcanierpouch could also be worn on the front when both pouches are in use.
However, it is
then difficult or impossible inthis embodiment to take the second carrier
pouch on or off without
assistance, as the second carrier pouch must be secured to the shoulder straps
of the first carrier
pouch in order to function, and the securing clips are located behind the
wearer's back. Also, in
embodiments where the shoulder straps are integrated with the first carrier
pouch (e.g. FIGURES
1-10), the way the shoulder straps attach under the wearer's arms presents an
additional barrier
across the side openings of the first carrier pouch and provides an additional
attachment point
where the first carrier can be tightened to keep the first carrier pouch snug
around the child's
waist so that the child cannot fall out. The front carrier in such embodiment
may lack that added
support, not being integrated with the shoulder straps. Wearing the second
carrier pouch on the
back may therefore be less safe in such embodiments.
However, in other embodiments the second carrier pouch may have a seat belt or
an
additional strap that can be connected to an attachment point on the shoulder
straps or first
carrierpouch, or from one side of the second carrier pouch to the other, to
provide similar
benefits. Such a belt or safety strap would also provide additional safety
when the second carrier
21
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pouch is worn on the front, in the case of a very small child and a distracted
wearer or a wearer
traveling through unsafe terrain or in an unsafe manner, helping to avoid any
scenario in which a
child could slip out the side of the carrier. FIGURE 22 depicts an embodiment
of a safety belt
2200 on the second carrier pouch 310.
In some embodiments, the shoulder straps may be independent of either carrier
pouch,
and each carrierpouch may be buckled to the independent shoulder straps when
in use to secure
them. FIGURE 12, for example, illustrates an embodiment where each carrier
pouch is at least
partially independent of the shoulder straps.
FIGURE 4 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier 400. Carrier 400 may
include a
plurality of pockets 410 and head supports 420 for the second carrier pouch
110 and/or the first
carrier pouch 120. Pockets 410 may allow the adult wearer 105 to hold such
things as diapers,
wipes, cell phone, keys and/or a wallet. However, in even further example
embodiments the
carrier 400 may include a cell phone holder, a mirror, a key ring, toy
attachments, etc.
Head supports 420 may be disposed or positioned to support the head of a child
while the
child is within the carrier. More specifically, head supports 420 may support
the head of a
sleepingchild. These head supports 420 are attached near the top of the
carrier pouches 110, 120
and to the shoulder straps or opposite carrier pouch, using snaps, hook-and-
loop fasteners, or
another fastener. Head supports 420 when in an upright position prevent a
child's head from
rolling backwards when the child is sleeping and the wearer is moving.
If desired, head supports 420 may be removed entirely from the adult carrier
105 (e.g. by
hook and loop or other fasteners) and placed within one of the pockets 410,
folded and tucked
into a hidden pocket between two layers of the carrier having an opening at
the top of the pouch,
folded flat against the inside or outside ofthe carrier 400, or rolled up and
secured to the carrier
400 in some fashion as shown for example in FIGURE 11.
FIGURE 5 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier 500 with a waist support
510.
The structured waist support 510 may allow the weight of the carried child or
children to be
dispersed more comfortably around a greater area of the hips of the carrying
adult 105,
facilitatingthetransportoflargerchildren. The structured waist support may be
made of a tough
and fairly rigid material such as a sturdy rubber or foam, so the child's
weight does riot cause the
belt to bow or bend. The sturdy material may be wrapped in soft fabric for
comfort, and webbing
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CA 02821329 2013-07-17
and buckles may be attached for adjustability. Webbing alone is a flexible
material that may be
forced into uncomfortable positions against a wearer's body when a heavy child
sits in the
carrier. The less flexible and larger structured waist support resists
deformation and presents a
large surface area and soft material that spreads force comfortably over the
wearer's body. There
may be support sections 510, 515 corresponding to each of the second carrier
pouch 110 and the
first carrier pouch 120, such that the support sections 510 and 515 may have
an interlocking fit
for comfort of the adult carrier 105. Support sections 510 and 515 may
independently adjust the
size and shape of the corresponding second carrier pouch 110 and the first
carrier pouch 120,
respectively, by wrapping the fabric of the carrier pouches around the support
sections 510, 515
as described above.
In alternative embodiments, the second support section 510 may be replaced by
an
ordinary (e.g. webbing) waist belt. In many embodiments, the rear carrier will
be used for the
larger child, if only because more weight can be borne on a wearer's back than
in the front, all
else equal, and therefore the structured waist support will be most helpful
with the first carrier
pouch. When the first carrier pouch is used alone in such embodiments, the
structured waist
support will go around the wearer's entire waist, whereas when used with the
second carrier
pouch the structured waist support will extend only part way around, the
extent depending on
how the waist is adjusted. Such embodiments may be more comfortable and/or
affordable under
some circumstances.
FIGURE 6 depicts an example embodiment of carrier 100 disposed along the waist
of an
adult wearer 105. Carrier 100 may not be in use, but is readily available to
support a plurality of
children if needed or desired. As depicted in FIGURE 6, the second carrier
pouch 110 may be
disposed in front of the adult wearer 105, hanging below the waist of the
adult wearer 105, while
the first carrier pouch 120 may be disposed behind the adult 105, hanging
below the waist of the
adult wearer 105. The entire carrier hangs down from the waistband/waist
support.
FIGURE 7 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier 100, wherein the first
carrier
pouch 120 is positioned to be in use behind and in between the waist and
shoulders of the adult
wearer 105, while the second carrier pouch 110 is not positioned to be in use
(hanging below the
waist of the adult). If the first carrier pouch 120 is positioned to be in use
but a child is not
disposed within the first carrier pouch 120, the first carrier pouch 120 may
hold or store other
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items such as a purse, handbag, diaper bag, coat, etc. The shoulder straps 130
and/or the waist
strap 125 may be adjusted based on the size and shape of the object(s) within
the first carrier
pouch 120.
FIGURE 8 depicts an example embodiment of a carrier 100, wherein the first
carrier
pouch 120 is supporting a child and the second carrier pouch 110 is rolled and
positioned in a
tubular fashion, being horizontally aligned with the waist of the adult wearer
105. If the second
carrier pouch 110 is not in use, it may be rolled up around the waist strap
125 or be tucked
underneath the waist strap 125. In further example embodiments, if a child is
not disposed within
second carrier pouch 110, the second carrier pouch 110 may be buckled or
clipped to the
shoulder straps 130 to hold or store other items such as a purse, handbag,
coat, diaper bag, etc.
FIGURE 9 depicts an example embodiment of carrier 100, where a child is
disposed
within first earlier pouch 120, while second carrier pouch 110 is hanging in
front of adult wearer
105 below the waist of the adult wearer 105. However, in another example
emboditnent as
shown in FIGURE 10, the second carrier pouch 110 may be removed and taken off
from the
carrier 100. In this embodiment, the clip ends of the waistband of the first
carrier pouch are
attached to each other, instead of to clip ends of the waistband portion of
the second carrier
pouch. The single carrier can be worn on the wearer's back or front as shown
in FIGURE 13.
FIGURE 11 depicts an example embodiment of carrier 100 shown in FIGURE 4
having head
supports 420 and external pockets 410. In this embodiment, one headrest is up,
supporting a
child's head, and one is rolled down.
FIGURE 12 depicts an example embodiment of carrier 100 where no back-
supporting
portion of first carrier pouch 320 forms a part of shoulder strap loops. To
put on this carrier, the
first carrier pouch 320 may be loaded while the wearer has it on his or her
front. It is then
removed with the baby still in it and moved to the back. The baby will not
fall out becausethe
child's weight gathers at the bottom of the carrier pouch 320 and the shoulder
straps prevent the
child from falling out the side of the carrier pouch 320. Once the baby is on
the back, the second
baby may be loaded into the second pouch on the front 310. In this embodiment,
each carrier
pouch is buckled separately to the shoulder straps 360, which is permanently
connected only to
the interior layer 1205 of the back carrier pouch 320. Thus, a child in the
second carrier pouch
310 will pull on the shoulder straps 360 and on the interiorlayer 1205 of the
first carrier pouch
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320, but not on the outer layer 1210 of the first carrier pouch 320, and
therefore will not exert
any force on the occupant of the first carrier pouch 320. This allows two
children of very
different sizes (for example a toddler and a newborn) to be carried at the
same time and in any
ordei(front/back). It also prevents the second carrier pouch 310 from slumping
down and away
from the wearer if a weight is not inserted in the first carrier pouch 320.
In various embodiments, the inner layer may be a solid piece of fabric, long
straps that
extend down to the bottom of the carrier/waistband, or a strap that loops back
to the shoulder
strap. Since some such embodiments would lack the shoulder loops that help to
keep a child
securely inside the first carrier pouch, as shown for example in FIGURE 11,
some sort of seat
belt or side buckle may be added to keep a child from sliding out sideways.
The buckle may for
exampleconnect the two layers of fabric on the back together so the baby
doesn't fall out the
side of the carrier. Since children worn on the back are out of eye sight,
more safety measures
may be desired for carrier pouches intended for wearing on the back.
FIGURE 13A-B depict an example embodiment of carrier 100 and shows that when
wearing only one child, the first carrier pouch 120 may be worn on the front
(FIGURE 13A) or
the back (FIGURE 13B) and has the appearance of an ordinary one-child carrier,
unlike
convention multiple child carriers that have an awkward look and feel when
only carrying one
child.
FIGURES 14A-C depict an example embodiment of carrier 100 with an optional
structured support waist belt 1400. In this embodiment, the structured support
belt is detachable
to accommodate older children and their heavy weight without compromising
effectiveness for
infants. For infants, a structured support waist belt is not as effective
because it is not needed for
comfort of the wearer and is less flexible than an unstructured waist belt and
thus does not cup as
closely to the shape of an inserted infant, which is why other carriers have
infant inserts. By
having an optional detachable waist belt 1400, it allows for the carrier 100
to expand as the
children age without any inserts and without changing carriers. The structured
support belt is
wider and may be padded, to spread the child's weight over a larger portion of
the wearer's hips
and increase comfort for large children. The structured support waist belt
1400 has first and
second sections 1420, 1410 respectively, shown separate from waist belt 125 in
FIGURE 14A.
The first portion has slits 1425, 1426 and the second portion has slits 1415,
through which the
CA 02821329 2013-07-17
waistband portions 330, 350 can be threaded for attachment. The first
waistband portion 350 is
threaded through the inner slits 1425 of the first section and the clips 380
of the second
waistband portion are threaded through the outer slits 1426 of the first
section before clips 380
and 390 are fastened together in FIGURE 14B. When the waistband portions 330,
350 are
fastened together as shown in FIGURE 14C, the structured support waist belt
sections overlap
and are secured together to form structured support waist belt 1400. First
structured support
waist belt section 1420 may also be used alone when the first carrier pouch is
used alone, with
the clips 390 connected to one another to form the waist belt.
FIGURE 15 depicts an example embodiment of carrier 100 and shows an embodiment
with a toddler in the back and a baby in the front. It shows that the two
pouches 110 and 120 can
be two independent sizes.
FIGURES 16A-C depict an example embodiment of Gather 100 having straps where
an
excess length of webbing 1600 (or whatever material the straps are made from)
can be rolled up
and secured to keep it out of the wearer's way and improve the carrier's
appearance. Here, the
waist strap includes a piece of hook and loop fastener or elastic 1610 at its
tip. The excess
material 1600 can be rolled up as shown and then secured by the hook and loop
fastener or
elastic 1610. FIGURE 16A shows the excess material 1600 with piece of hook and
loop fastener
1610 loose, FIGURE 16B shows the excess material 1600 partially rolled, and
FIGURE 16C
shows the excess webbing 1610 rolled and secured by hook and loop fastener
piece 1610. This is
particularly useful for small/petite wearers, for whom there is likely to be a
significant amount of
excess length. Although only the waist strap is shown, the shoulder straps,
etc. can have the same
configuration.
FIGURES 17A-L depict a liger step-by-step putting on an embodiment of the
cather and
inserting children in the first and second carrier pouches. To first place a
child into the carrier
pouch to be worn on the wearer's back, the wearer first puts on one shoulder
strap and places a
child on the wearer's side hip (FIGURE 17A), placing one of the child's legs
into the first carrier
pouch. Next, the wearer pushes the child further into the carrier pouch and
grasps the child's
inserted leg with one hand (FIGURE 17B), pulling it out the other side of the
carrier pouch while
supporting the other side of the child with the other hand. Next the child is
fully inserted in the
carrier pouch with legs extending out of the carrier pouch on each side
(FIGURE 17C). The
wearer then reaches haok with one arm (FIGURE 17D) and slips the other
shoulder strap over
26
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that arm and then over that shoulder (FIGURE 17E). The child is now secured in
the first carrier
pouch (FIGURE 17F). Next, the wearer lifts one side of the second carrier
pouch (FIGURE 170)
=
and attaches one side of the second carrier pouch to the shoulder straps
(FIGURE 17H). The
wearer then inserts a second child in the opposite side of the second carrier
pouch (FIGURE 171)
until one leg extends out the other side of the carrier pouch. The user grasps
that leg with one
hand and the other side of the child with the other hand and fully inserts the
child into the second
carrieipouch (FIGURE 17J), thenattaches the other side of the second carrier
pouch to the
shoulder straps (FIGURE 17K) to secure the child in the second carrier pouch.
Both children are
now securely loaded into the carrier (FIGURE 17L).
FIGURE 18 depicts the shoulder straps of an example embodiment of carrier 100.
The
shoulder straps 130 have an unpadded portion 1820 connected to carrier 320 and
a padded
portion 1810 with a slight curve 1830, and all the buckles 1850, 1860, 1870
necessary to make
the carrier work and uniquely adjust to fit the wearer's build and the build
of two inserted
children are shown. This shoulder curvature 1830 inwards towards the center of
a wearer in front
is distinctive from existing twin carriers, The curves mold around the
wearer's shoulders, and the
shoulder straps narrow near the chest. Paddingat the bottom front that is too
thick would be
uncomfortable for a woman, especially a big-chested woman, and would cause
chafing under the
arms .Also, the curve allows for the chest/sternum strap to be placed in the
proper position on the
adult's chest. If the shoulder straps were straight and the sternum strap was
buckled, the sternum
strapcould pull the lower part of the shoulder straps onto the chest of the
wearer, which might be
uncomfortable, especially where the bottoms of the shoulder straps have
plastic pieces that could
be irritating to the wearer. With a curved design, the sternum strap pulls on
the shoulder straps
but the lower strap still remains on the sides of the chest. In the back, the
shoulders start out
straight to keep the carrier straight and centered.
The straps may be made of gymnastics rubber (closed cell foam) instead of open
cell
foam, which is commonly used for existing carriers. Shoulder straps three
inches wide and 3/4"
thick may be used, and with that thickness and material cantolerate fifty
pounds of compression
per square inch. Withtwo such straps, the carrier can easily support 100 lbs
on the shoulders,
which greatly exceeds any realistic load. For reduced bulk and manufacturing
expense, the
shoulder straps may be 1/2" thick and 2.5" or 2.75" wide. Given the dual
shoulder straps and the
fact that much of the weight is borne at the wearer's hips, a thickness of '4"
is sufficient to
27
CA 02821329 2013-07-17
support a 50-pound load in the carrier pouches. However, to maintain a factor
of safety in case of
misuse or overloading, thicker shoulder straps may be used.
Existing twin carriers use much smaller straps to reduce bulk due to
inefficient designs,
and are therefore not safe for holding larger children. The thickness of the
straps in embodiments
of the present invention provides more surface area over which weight is
distributed, hence
allowing the wearer to carry a heavier load. Additionally, other carriers use
open cell foam that
compresses significantly more than closed cell foam under increased weight.
Open cell foam also
absorbs water, so it cannot stand repeated washings and breaks down over time.
Closed cell foam
does not absorb water or break down as quickly as open cell foam, extending
the life of the
straps by decades.
Chest straps 365 are adj ustable and c an slide along adj ustment strap 1840
on buckle
1850. Buckles 1860, 1870 allow for further adjustment of shoulder strap length
and therefore the
shape and fit of connected carrier 320. Straps 340 loop around and connect
back to carrier 320.
When a baby falls asleep, he or she can end up sleeping on the chest strap if
the child does not
have his or her head to one side or the other. For that reason, the chest
strap may have a simple
paddedcover, whichmay for example be two square pieces of fabric with padding
in between
and hook-and-loop or snap fasteners on either side to secure the fabric and
padding to the chest
strap. It may be a permanent attachment or removable accessory.
FIGURES 19A-B depict the first carrier pouch of an example embodiment of
carrier 100,
having adjustable straps 1910 at the top of the shoulder strap in order to
make the strap longer or
shorter without affecting the proper placement of the first carrier pouch.
This is important for
petite adults to allow the shoulder straps to fall in the optimal comfort zone
and still have the top
of the back carrier positioned properly somewhere around the shoulder blades.
With a shorter
adjustable strap1910 (FIGURE 19A), the top of the carrier pouch 120 is higher
and the back of
the carrier pouch 120 is closer to the wearer's body. When the adjustable
strap 191 0 is
lengthened (FIGURE 19B), the top of the carrier pouch 120 is lower and the
back of the carrier
pouch 120 is farther from the wearer's body. In embodiments, the shoulder
straps can also be
adjusted where they intersect the carrier below.
FIGURES 20A-F depict an example embodiment of carrier 100 and the various ways
it
can be adjusted to properly fit the wearer and children, including adjusting
shoulder strapsfrom
the bottom, like a backpack. This lengthens the straps, but moves the
placement of the first
28
CA 02821329 2013-07-17
carrier. For petite adults, this moves the carrier closer and higher to the
body, which may result in
a snugger and therefore safer and more comfortable fit ofthe back child
against the wearer..
Carrier 2010 has unadjusted first and second carrier pouches 120, 110, carrier
2040 has an
unadjusted first carrier pouch 120. FIGURE 20A shows that carrier 2000 has
been adjusted to
lengthen adjustable top straps 340, reducing the height of the second carrier
pouch and causing
the middle to bow out farther from the wearer 105 and the bottom to slump
farther below the
waist band 125. FIGURE 20B shows that carrier 2020 has been adjusted to wrap a
portion of the
second carrier pouch 110 around waist band 125, shortening the second carrier
pouch 110 and
drawing it closer to the wearer 105. FIGURE 20C shows that carrier 2030 has
been adjusted to
lengthen adjustabletop straps 340 and roll up waist band 125, lowering the
height of the second
carrieipouch 110 while leaving the distance from the wearer 105 essentially
unchanged.
FIGURE 20D shows that carrier 2050 has been adjusted to lengthen shoulder
straps 130 at a
bottom connection 2100 to the first carrier pouch 120, allowing the first
carrier pouch 120 to
move significantly farther from the wearer 105 without lowering the height
much. FIGURE 20E
shows that carrier 2060 has been adjusted to wrap a portion of the first
carrier pouch 120 around
waist band 125, shortening the first carrier pouch 120 and drawing it closer
to the wearer 105.
FIGURE 20F shows that carrier 2070 has been adjusted to lengthen shoulder
straps 130 at a
bottom connection 2100 to the first carrier pouch 120, and to wrap a portion
of the first carrier
pouch 120 around waist band 125, causing the height of the first carrier pouch
120 to be reduced
and allowing the first carrier pouch 120 to extend farther from the wearer
105.
FIGURE 21 depicts an embodiment of a carrier with front and back pouches 320,
310
detached and laid flat, viewed from the back. The pouches 320, 310 have
pockets 410 and
headrests 420 with snaps.
FIGURE 27 depicts an embodiment of a carrier having a safety belt on the
second c arrier
pouch. In various embodiments, the safety belt or strap can be located on the
side of the carrier
pouch, connected from the second carrier pouch to an attachment point on the
shoulder straps or
first carrier pouch to block a child from slipping out the side of the second
carrier pouch, or may
extend across the width of the second carrier pouch, from one side to the
other, like a seat belt, as
shown in FIGURE 22. A safety belt or safety strap provides additional safety
when the second
carrier pouch is worn on the front with a small child, and also makes it safer
to use the second
carrier pouch worn on the back of a wearer.
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FIGURE 22 depicts an embodiment of a safety belt 2200 on the second carrier
pouch
310. Safety belt 2200 is a horizontal waist belt made out of stretchy fabric.
In another
embodiment, the safety belt may be a tick seat belt with a buckle. Safety belt
2200 supports the
baby's waist from under the arm pits down to the hips while the baby's legs
remain exposed. The
stretchy fabric belt 2200 is shown with buckles 2202, but in embodiments may
be sewn
(permanently attached) to each inside edge of the second carrier pouch. The
wearer inserts a
child betwee tithe stretchymaterial and second carrier pouch and puts on the
carrier as normal.
For a larger child who does not need the safety belt, the child can simply be
inserted between the
wearer and the stretchy material, which will remain tight against the second
carrier pouch.
For buckle seat belt embodiments, the belt may be fabric attached on only one
side (such
as near the outside pocket on the front of the second carrier pouch) that
wraps around a child in
the second carrier pouch, between the wearer and the child, and clips to a
buckle or strong snaps
on the other side of the second carrier pouch on the outside. The wearer would
put the baby in as
normal, then bring the seat belt around the baby to buckle. The wearer would
need to slide the
buckle between the baby's stomach and the wearer's stomach. Many other safety
belt and safety
strapembodiments are possible.
FIGURE 23 depicts an embodiment of a carrier pouch having a width that
decreases
above its bottom, such that rolling the carrier pouch up around a waist belt
from its bottom
decreases the effective bottom width for use with small babies.
In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided, such as
examples of
components and/or methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments
of the
invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an
embodiment may be
able to be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with
other apparatus, systems,
assemblies, methods, components, materials, parts, and/or the like. In other
instances, well-
knownstructures, components, systems, materials, or operations are not
specifically shown or
described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments. While the
embodiments may be
illustrated by using a particular embodiment, this is not and does not limit
the invention to any
particulaiembodiment and a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize
that additional
embodiments are readily understandable and are a part of the example
embodiments.
CA 02821329 2013-07-17
It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted in the
drawings/figurescan also be implemented in a more separated or integrated
manner, or even
removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance
with a particular
application. The invention encompasses every possible combination of the
various features of
eachembodimentdisclosed. Additionally, any signal arrows in the
drawings/figures should be
considered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwise specifically
noted.
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described
above with
regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions
to problems, and
any component(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur
or become more
pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential
feature or component.
31
