JP7854185B2 - Baby carrier - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a baby carrier used as an aid when carrying or back-carrying an infant. In particular, it relates to a baby carrier that provides high stability when lifting and lowering the infant, and that can support the infant in a suitable position.

Baby carriers, used for carrying or holding infants, are also known by names such as baby slings, slings, and back carriers. Various innovations have been incorporated into baby carriers to ensure comfort and safety for both the user and the infant.

The inventors have invented a baby carrier that can comfortably hold infants of various ages and sizes in a leg-spread position, and in particular can stably hold even very young infants, and have disclosed it in Patent Document 1. The baby carrier of Patent Document 1 includes a foldable positioning base that is integrally continuous with the main body and auxiliary holding parts for holding the infant. The height at which the infant is held can be adjusted by folding or unfolding the positioning base.

Patent Document 2 discloses a baby carrier equipped with a chair for supporting infants. The baby carrier of Patent Document 2 consists of two components: a main strap and a vest. The infant is housed in the vest. The chair, located on the waist belt of the main strap, supports the buttocks of the infant housed in the vest.

Patent Document 3 discloses a childcare aid equipped with a seat support for supporting infants. The childcare aid in Patent Document 3 comprises a sheet-like support body that forms a space for accommodating the infant between the user and the support body, and an attachment belt connected to the support body. The seat support protrudes from the inner surface of the support body facing the user. When using the childcare aid in Patent Document 3 for face-to-face carrying, the infant's buttocks are positioned facing the seat surface of the seat support, the infant is secured to the support body, and then the shoulder belt is placed over the user's shoulders to ensure the infant's body is in close contact with the user's body.

Patent Document 4 discloses a baby carrier equipped with a storage compartment for essential items when evacuating with an infant during a disaster. The storage compartment in Patent Document 4 is a cube-shaped container positioned directly below the seat of the main body of the baby carrier, allowing the infant being supported within the compartment.

Patent No. 6282716 Patent No. 6945912 Patent No. 6931638 Utility Model Registration No. 3222667 Gazette

Traditional baby carriers have primarily been improved to ensure comfort for both the user and the infant while being carried or back-carried. However, there is still room for improvement in the ease of placing the infant in and taking them out of the carrier. In particular, with carriers where the user wears the carrier and then holds the baby, while the anxiety of carrying or back-carrying is reduced, it is necessary to adjust the tightness of the straps and belts after placing the infant in the carrier to secure them in the appropriate position. With such traditional carriers, if the carrier shifts due to the infant's weight while adjusting the straps or belts, adjustment can be time-consuming, and it can be difficult to properly position the infant. Furthermore, depending on the infant's posture, uneven weight distribution may occur on the user's front or back, causing discomfort.

This invention was made in view of the current situation, and aims to solve the problem of providing a baby carrier that improves the convenience of placing infants in and taking them out of the carrier, while also allowing both the user and the infant to use it in a comfortable and stable state.

This invention relates to a baby carrier. The baby carrier of this invention comprises: a main body that rests against the body of an infant and supports the infant from the outside; an auxiliary support part connected to the lower end of the main body and positioned opposite the main body, with the infant in between; a pair of shoulder belts connected to at least one of the main body and the auxiliary support part, which are worn over the shoulders of the user holding the infant; and a waist belt connected to the lower end of the main body and the lower end of the auxiliary support part, which is worn around the user's waist. The baby carrier of this invention is further provided with a storage compartment with a top lid at the center of the waist belt, and a support member that can be housed in the storage compartment. The support member is characterized by forming a seat surface that supports the infant's buttocks when housed in the storage compartment and the top lid is closed.

The baby carrier of the present invention has a support member that has a roughly wedge shape, comprising a crescent-shaped upper surface having an arc-shaped outer circumference and an inner circumference with a larger diameter than the outer circumference, a partially cylindrical inner side surface, and an outer side surface connecting the outer circumference of the upper surface and the lower edge of the inner side surface, wherein the outer side surface of the support member is formed as a curved surface that smoothly connects the outer circumference of the upper surface and the lower edge of the inner side surface.

In the baby carrier of this invention, it is preferable that the lateral dimension of the upper surface of the support member is less than or equal to the lateral width of the lower end of the main body.

In the baby carrier of this invention, it is preferable that the height dimension of the support member is between 3 cm and 15 cm.

The baby carrier of this invention features a storage compartment with a top cover located in the center of the waist belt, and a support member that can be housed in the storage compartment. By housing the support member in the storage compartment, a seat surface is formed to support the infant's buttocks. When placing an infant into or removing them from the baby carrier, the infant's buttocks can be placed stably on the seat surface, allowing for adjustment of the belt length and connection of the connecting devices. Therefore, the baby carrier does not shift, and the infant is held in the optimal position, enabling quick and easy attachment.

In particular, infants whose necks are not yet strong enough to support their heads require head support when being placed in and taken out of a baby carrier. The baby carrier of this invention supports the buttocks with the seating surface of the support member, allowing the user to focus on supporting the head. As a result, even when used with very young infants, the baby carrier can be used with more ease than conventional carriers.

Furthermore, when using the baby carrier of this invention with larger infants, the infant's buttocks are supported by the seat of the support member in both back-carrying and front-carrying positions. When front-carrying, the infant sits on the seat at approximately the user's waist level, distributing their weight around the user's waist. Therefore, the infant can be held with less strain on the user. Similarly, when back-carrying, the infant sits on the seat behind the user. In this case as well, the infant's weight is distributed around the user's waist, allowing for less strain on the user.

By making the support member of the baby carrier of this invention roughly wedge-shaped, the support member does not hinder the user's leg and waist movements even when the user bends forward to pick up or lower the infant. Furthermore, by setting the height dimension of the support member to 3 cm to 15 cm, the support member adequately provides support for the infant's buttocks without interfering with the user's movements. This optimization of the shape and dimensions of the support member contributes to the overall miniaturization of the baby carrier.

By making the lateral dimension of the upper surface of the support member of the baby carrier of this invention less than or equal to the width of the lower end of the main body, the support member does not hinder the movement of the infant's hip joint, allowing the infant to sit comfortably in a leg-spread position on the seat.

Figure 1 is an unfolded view of the outer surface of a baby carrier, which is one embodiment of the present invention, showing the outer surface when an infant is placed inside. Figure 2 is an unfolded view showing the inner side of a baby carrier, which is one embodiment of the present invention, and is the side that comes into contact with the infant placed inside. Figure 3 shows a support member of a baby carrier, which is one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3(a) is a top view of the support member, Figure 3(b) is a side view of the support member, and Figure 3(c) is a front view of the support member. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the use of a baby carrier according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a front view showing the state in which the buttocks of an infant held vertically are supported by a support member. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing how to attach and detach the support member of a baby carrier, which is one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 illustrates the usage of a baby carrier, which is one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 shows a baby carrier, which is one embodiment of the present invention, in a state where the positioning base is in use.

The following describes embodiments of the baby carrier of the present invention, applicable to infants with average height and weight from 14 to 36 months of age, with reference to the drawings. While the embodiments described here represent preferred specific examples of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from its spirit.

In the following, the relative terms "up/down" and "left/right" refer to the positions and directions indicated by the "up/down" and "left/right" directions in the diagrams when used in explanations that refer to the diagrams. Separately, when the terms "up/down," "left/right," and "front/back" are used without further explanation, their positions and directions correspond to the "up/down," "left/right," and "front/back" positions and directions perceived by the baby carrier user while standing upright.

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the outer surface of the baby carrier 1 of this embodiment. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the inner surface of the baby carrier 1 of this embodiment. The baby carrier 1 of this embodiment comprises a main body 10, an auxiliary holding part 20, a shoulder belt part 40, and a waist belt part 50.

In this embodiment, a storage compartment 60 with a top lid 61 is provided at the center of the waist belt portion 50 of the baby carrier 1. Furthermore, the baby carrier 1 of this embodiment includes a support member 70 that can be housed in the storage compartment 60. The individual components constituting the baby carrier 1 will be described in more detail below.

As shown in Figure 4, the main body 10 of the baby carrier 1 is a member that supports the infant B from the outside when the user M holds the infant B. In this embodiment, the main body 10 is integrally formed with a roughly semi-elliptical head rest 11 that primarily rests on the head of the infant B when holding the infant B in a face-to-face or forward-facing back carry position, a back rest 12 that primarily supports the back portion of the infant B, extending from the head to the back and waist, and a buttock rest 13 that primarily supports the buttocks, extending from the back to the buttocks. The main body 10 can be made of, for example, a flexible and breathable material such as polyethylene formed into a mesh structure.

The headrest portion 11 of the main body 10 can be provided with a pocket portion equipped with an opening/closing mechanism 15. Figure 1 shows an example where a slide fastener is used as the opening/closing mechanism, but hook-and-loop fasteners, buttons, etc., can also be used.

The buttock support portion 13 of the main body 10 can be composed of a central portion 13A that receives the central part of the buttocks of the infant B, and a pair of left and right end portions 13B located on both sides of the central portion 13A that contact the area around the thighs of the infant B. The central portion 13A and the end portions 13B are sewn together at a seam line 13a that curves inward (towards the center), and the end portions 13B are formed to be bendable toward the central portion 13A.

The end portion 13B of the buttock area may catch on the legs of a small infant B when the infant B is placed inside, potentially restraining the legs in an unnatural position. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a fastening means that can secure the end portion 13B in a folded position towards the central portion 13A. Any fastening means can be applied, such as buttons, hooks, or other fasteners. Furthermore, to prevent discomfort to the infant from unevenness along the sewing line 13a when the end portion 13B is folded inward, it is preferable to create a section that is not sewn together by making the sewing line 13a intermittent.

The auxiliary holding section 20 of the baby carrier 1 is a component that, when in use, is positioned between the user M and the infant B, and functions to hold the infant B together with the main body 10. The lower end of the auxiliary holding section 20 is connected to the lower end of the main body 10, and is positioned opposite the main body 10, with the infant B in between. The auxiliary holding section 20, being located between the user M and the infant B, is preferably made of a flexible, breathable fiber that allows sweat to evaporate easily.

In this embodiment, the baby carrier 1 preferably includes a belt-shaped connecting adjustment section 22 that detachably connects the sides of the main body 10 and the auxiliary holding section 20. As an example, the connecting adjustment section 22 can be composed of a pair of fabric belts, one end of which is fixed to the left and right sides of the auxiliary holding section 20, and the other end of which is equipped with a connecting insert 23 consisting of an adjuster buckle. When such a connecting adjustment section 22 is applied, it is preferable to arrange connecting receivers 24 on the main body 10 to detachably hold the connecting inserts 23 of the connecting adjustment section 22. Figure 1 shows a configuration in which connecting receivers 24 are attached to the left and right sides of the back support section 12 of the main body 10.

As shown in Figure 4, the height position where the connecting adjustment unit 22 is attached is preferably such that it does not come into contact with the infant's armpit during use. By adjusting the length of the fabric belt using the adjuster on the connecting adjustment unit 22 and connecting the connecting insert 23 and connecting receiver 24, the distance between the main body 10 and the auxiliary holding unit 20 can be adjusted. This allows the main body 10 and the auxiliary holding unit 20 to be fixed at a suitable distance for accommodating infants of various sizes.

As a component that can be selectively placed rather than being an essential element, a positioning base 30 can be positioned to span between the inside of the main body 10 and the inside of the auxiliary holding portion 20. When positioning the positioning base 30, it is preferable to fix one end near the boundary between the backrest portion 12 and the buttock portion 13 of the main body 10, and the other end at a height ranging from approximately 1/3 to 2/3 of the auxiliary holding portion 20, extending it to a length that allows it to almost overlap the lower ends of both the main body 10 and the auxiliary holding portion 20.

In the baby carrier 1 equipped with a positioning base 30, the buttocks of the infant B will be in contact with the positioning base 30. The positioning base 30 can be equipped with a length adjustment section that allows for vertical length adjustment by fixing it in a folded state. In particular, when accommodating a young infant B in the baby carrier 1, the infant B's buttocks can be supported at a suitable position above the lower end of the main body 10 by the positioning base 30, which is folded and fixed. An example of a suitable height when the positioning base 30 is folded is approximately 5 cm to 10 cm above the lower ends of the main body 10 and the auxiliary support section 20.

The waist belt portion 50 of the baby carrier 1 is a component that is wrapped around the user M's waist and supports the weight of the infant B from below. The waist belt portion 50 comprises a main belt portion 51 to which the lower ends of the main body portion 10 and the auxiliary support portion 20 are connected, and length adjustment portions 52 are provided at both ends of the main belt portion 51 in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction). A pair of adjustable buckles 53 and 54 are fixed to both ends of the length adjustment portion 52, allowing the overall length of the waist belt portion 50 to be adjusted to the user M's waist size. A waist support portion 55 is movably attached to the length adjustment portion 52. By positioning the waist support portion 55 in a pair with the main belt portion 51, front and back, the user can prevent the length adjustment portion 52 from digging into the user M's waist.

The waist belt portion 50 can be made of a fiber such as polyester. The lower end of the buttock portion 13 of the main body portion 10 and the lower end of the auxiliary holding portion 20 are connected by sewing them to the upper end of the main body belt portion 51 of the waist belt portion 50. The waist belt portion 50 is arranged in a roughly inverted T-shape relative to the main body portion 10, and the main body portion 10 and the auxiliary holding portion 20 can be freely bent in a direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the waist belt portion 50.

The shoulder straps 40 of the baby carrier 1 are two belts worn over the left and right shoulders of the user M, supporting the infant B's body from above. In this embodiment, one end of the shoulder strap 40 is sewn and fixed to the left and right sides of the upper end of the auxiliary support section 20. The other end of the shoulder strap 40 is sewn and fixed to the left and right sides of the auxiliary support section 20. Reinforcement members may be used to sew the shoulder strap 40 to the auxiliary support section 20. Each shoulder strap 40 forms a pair of left and right annular members connected to the side and upper end of the auxiliary support section 20.

In one embodiment, each shoulder strap portion 40 can be composed of a shoulder strap portion 41 that contacts the area around the user M's shoulder blade, and an adjustable belt portion 42 connected to the shoulder strap portion 41 and attached to the side of the auxiliary holding portion 20. The adjustable belt portion 42 is equipped with an adjuster that allows for length adjustment. The shoulder strap portion 41 contains cushioning material to prevent localized load on the user M's shoulder. Furthermore, although not essential, a shoulder strap adjustment portion 46 can be provided to connect the left and right shoulder strap portions 41 and adjust and maintain the distance between the left and right shoulder strap portions 40, thereby equalizing the load on the user M on both sides and preventing the shoulder strap portion 40 from slipping down.

In this embodiment, the shoulder strap portion 40 of the baby carrier 1 preferably includes a connecting insert 43 that detachably connects the shoulder strap portion 40 to the head rest portion 11 of the main body portion 10. Figure 1 shows a configuration in which connecting receivers 44 are arranged at both left and right ends of the head rest portion 11 of the main body portion 10 to detachably secure the connecting insert 43. Figure 2 shows an example of a connecting insert 43 with one end fixed near the top of the shoulder strap portion 41 of the shoulder strap portion 40. By connecting the connecting insert 43 and the connecting receivers 44, the shoulder strap portion 40 and the main body portion 10 are connected, stably holding the infant B housed between the main body portion 10 and the auxiliary holding portion 20.

The baby carrier 1 of this embodiment is characterized by having a storage compartment 60 with a top lid 61 at the center of the waist belt portion 50. Furthermore, the baby carrier 1 of this embodiment is characterized by having a support member 70 that can be housed in the storage compartment 60.

The storage section 60 is constructed using the same material as the fibers that make up the outer surface of the waist belt section 50. The top lid 61 of the storage section 60 can incorporate a reinforcing plate made of resin or metal when strength is required. The support member 70 can be made of any lightweight and durable material. For example, a lightweight resin product such as expanded polystyrene or rigid polyurethane with a fabric cover can be used.

Figure 3 shows a suitable shape for the support member 70. Figure 3(a) is a top view of the support member 70, Figure 3(b) is a side view of the support member 70, and Figure 3(c) is a front view of the support member 70. The support member 70 has a shape that is close to a wedge overall. The top surface 71 is a crescent-shaped surface composed of an arc-shaped outer circumference and an inner circumference with a larger diameter than the outer circumference. The inner side surface 74 of the support member 70 is formed in a partially cylindrical shape from the inner circumference of the top surface 71 to the lower end 72. The outer side surface 73 of the support member 70 is formed as a curved surface that smoothly connects the outer circumference of the top surface 71 and the lower edge of the inner side surface.

The following describes the preferred dimensions of the support member. The width dimension W of the upper surface of the support member (the left-right dimension during use) is preferably in the range of 10 cm to 20 cm. The thickness D of the upper surface of the support member (the front-to-back dimension during use) is preferably in the range of 5 cm to 15 cm. The height dimension H of the support member is preferably in the range of 3 cm to 15 cm. Having these dimensions allows for...

Figure 6 schematically shows how the support member 70 is inserted into the storage section 60. The internal shape of the storage section 60 mimics that of the support member 70, and in particular, the shape of the bottom of the storage section 60 is formed by sewing the storage section 60 to the waist belt section 50 so that it substantially matches the shape of the lower end of the support member 70. The top lid 61 of the storage section 60 is held almost horizontally within the waist belt section 50 so that it becomes a seat 61 that supports the buttocks of the infant B when the baby carrier 1 is in use.

The partially cylindrical shape of the inner side surface 74 of the support member 70 is formed with a radius such that at least a portion of it makes surface contact with the user M's waist. Furthermore, the outer side surface 73 and the inner side surface 74 of the support member 70 connect at an acute angle to the lower end 72, and the area near the lower end 72 of the support member 70 has almost no thickness. Due to this shape of the support member 70 and its optimized dimensions, even when the user M bends forward to pick up or drop the infant B into the baby carrier 1, the support member 70 rarely interferes with the user M's legs and waist, and does not hinder the user M's movements. Also, even when changing from carrying to back carrying, or when twisting the body while using the baby carrier, the user M's movements are not hindered.

Figure 6 shows the baby carrier 1 with infant B in a cradled position. Figure 7 shows the baby carrier 1 with the positioning base 30 folded, and the infant being held above the lower end of the main body 10. In either case, the seat surface, which is the upper lid 61 of the storage section 60 housing the support member 70, can support at least a portion of the buttocks of infant B housed in the baby carrier 1. Therefore, infant B's position will not shift or drop excessively.

When placing an infant in the baby carrier 1, the connection of the connecting insert 43 and the connecting receiver 44, and the adjustment of the lengths of the connecting insert 23 and the connecting receiver 24, can be easily and safely performed while maintaining the infant's preferred posture between the main body 10 and the auxiliary support section 20 of the baby carrier 1. In particular, when using the baby carrier 1 for an infant B who has not yet gained head control and requires head support, once the infant B is placed in the baby carrier 1, the seat 61 supports the infant B's buttocks. Therefore, the user M can concentrate on supporting the infant B's head and perform the carrying motion with greater confidence.

When removing infant B from the baby carrier 1, the baby carrier 1 in this embodiment allows the connecting inserts 23 and 43 to be detached from the connecting receivers 24 and 44, respectively, freeing the main body 10 from the auxiliary holding part 20, and enabling the infant B to be lowered to a bed or chair together with the main body 10. Even during this lifting process, the infant B's buttocks are supported by the seat 61 until they are separated from the baby carrier 1, allowing the user M to safely lower the infant B.

When infant B is being carried, their weight is distributed and supported around the user's waist, with the center of the waist belt 50 resting on the seat 61. Therefore, the user M can hold infant B with less strain. Similarly, when infant B is being carried on the user's back, their weight is distributed and supported around the user's pelvis and lumbar spine, again reducing the strain on the user.

The lateral width W of the upper surface of the support member 70 is particularly important to ensure that it does not hinder the movement of the infant B's hip joints and that the infant sits comfortably on the seat with their legs spread apart. The infant B's buttocks and a portion of their hip joints are supported by the seat 61, separated by the main body 10. Furthermore, in the case of the baby carrier 1 equipped with a positioning base 30, the infant is supported by the seat 61, separated by the main body 10 and the positioning base 30. Therefore, it is preferable that the lateral width W of the upper surface 71 of the support member 70 is less than or equal to the width of the lower end of the main body 10.

Thus, according to this embodiment of the baby carrier 1, the storage section 60 and the support member 70 provide a seat 61 that supports the buttocks of the infant B when carrying or holding the infant, thereby improving convenience when placing the infant B in or taking them out of the baby carrier 1. By using the baby carrier 1 of this embodiment, both the user M and the infant B can spend time comfortably and safely.

The above describes specific examples of the present invention based on embodiments; however, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. The dimensions and arrangement of each component can be freely modified to accommodate the age of the infant B and the usage conditions, as long as the original function is not impaired.

1. Baby carrier 10 main body
20 Auxiliary holding part 30 Positioning base part 40 Shoulder belt part 50 Waist belt part 60 Storage part 70 Support member

Claims (3)

A main body that is placed against the body of an infant and supports the infant from the outside,
An auxiliary holding part is connected to the lower end of the main body and positioned opposite the main body with the infant in between,
A pair of shoulder straps are connected to at least one of the main body and the auxiliary holding part, and are worn over the shoulders of the user holding the infant.
A baby carrier comprising a waist belt portion connected to the lower end of the main body portion and the lower end of the auxiliary holding portion, and worn around the user's waist,
A storage compartment with a top lid is provided at the center of the waist belt portion.
The aforementioned housing section further includes a support member that can be accommodated within it.
The support member, when housed in the storage compartment and the top lid is closed, forms a seat surface that supports the buttocks of the infant .
The aforementioned support member,
A crescent-shaped upper surface having an arc-shaped outer circumference and an inner circumference with a larger diameter than the outer circumference,
The inner side surface of the partial cylinder,
The outer surface connecting the outer circumference of the upper surface and the lower edge of the inner surface,
It has a roughly wedge-shaped form, and is equipped with
The baby carrier is characterized in that the outer side surface of the support member is formed as a curved surface that smoothly connects the outer circumference of the upper surface and the lower edge of the inner side surface . The baby carrier according to claim 1 , characterized in that the width dimension of the upper surface of the support member is less than or equal to the width of the lower end of the main body. The baby carrier according to claim 1 , characterized in that the height dimension of the support member is 3 cm or more and 15 cm or less.