Child carrier

Abstract

A child carrier having a waist belt, an upper torso support, a hammock coupled to the waist belt and to the upper torso support, and a thigh support strap extending to each side of the hammock. Each thigh support strap has an inward end portion proximate to the hammock and an outward end portion configured for selective coupling to the upper torso support in multiple positions. When the thigh support straps are coupled to the upper torso support, the hammock and the thigh support straps form a seat to support a child in an ergonomic spread-squat position in inward and outward facing orientations. The shape of the seat adjusts depending on the positions in which the outward end portions of the thigh support straps are coupled to the upper torso support.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A child carrier comprising:
 a main body including a torso support portion and a hammock portion coupled to the torso support portion,
 wherein the torso support portion comprises a first attachment point and a second attachment point; 
 
 a thigh support strap extending to a side of the main body, the thigh support strap having an inward end portion proximate to the main body and an outward end portion adapted to be coupled selectively attach to the torso support portion in multiple locations at the first attachment or the second attachment point, the hammock portion and the thigh support strap adapted to form a seat to support a child in an inward-facing ergonomic spread-squat position when the thigh support strap is coupled attached to the torso support portion first attachment point and the hammock portion and the thigh support strap adapted to form a seat to support a child in an outward-facing ergonomic spread-squat position when the thigh support strap is attached to the second attachment point; and 
 one or more shoulder straps, each shoulder strap having a first end adapted to be coupled to the main body and a second end adapted to be coupled to the main body wherein the one or more shoulder straps are coupled to the main body and configured to support the main body. 
 
     
     
       2. The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the seat has a first shape when the thigh support strap is coupled to the torso support portion in a at the first location attachment point and a second shape when the thigh support strap is coupled to the torso support portion in a at the second location attachment point. 
     
     
       3. The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the thigh support strap is sized to wrap around a portion of the child's pelvis, bottom, and thigh when the thigh support strap is coupled to the torso support in at the first location attachment point or the second location attachment point. 
     
     
       4. The child carrier of  claim 3 , further comprising a biasing mechanism coupled to the thigh support strap. 
     
     
       5. The child carrier of  claim 4 , wherein the biasing mechanism comprises gussets a gusset extending between an edge of the thigh support strap and an edge of the hammock portion. 
     
     
       6. The child carrier of  claim 2 , wherein the hammock portion and thigh support strap pass from an inward side of a child carrying area to an outward side of the child carrying area to form the seat. 
     
     
       7. The child carrier of  claim 1 , further comprising a waist belt. 
     
     
       8. The child carrier of  claim 7 , wherein the waist belt is coupled to the hammock portion. 
     
     
       9. The child carrier of  claim 8 , wherein the waist belt and the hammock portion cooperate to distribute a majority of the child's weight to the hips of a wearer. 
     
     
       10. The child carrier of  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustable collar. 
     
     
       11. The child carrier of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustable collar is configured to be positioned according to an orientation of the child. 
     
     
       12. The child carrier of  claim 11 , wherein the adjustable collar is formed from the main panel body. 
     
     
       13. The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the hammock portion and the thigh support strap are adapted to form the seat such that the child is supported in a manner whereby the flexion of the child's hip joint is at least 90 degrees from the coronal plane and the spreading angle averages between 45-55 degrees from the median plane. 
     
     
       14. The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the seat hammock portion is narrower than the main body torso support portion. 
     
     
       15. The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the main body is a single piece of material. 
     
     
       16. The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the hammock portion and torso support portion comprise a unitary construction. 
     
     
       17. The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the inward end portion of the thigh support strap is adapted to be coupled to the hammock portion or a waist belt. 
     
     
       18. The child carrier of  claim 17 , wherein the inward end portion of the thigh support strap is joined to the hammock portion with a hinge having an axis of rotation of the hinge is parallel to a lateral centerline of the child carrier when the carrier is in a flat configuration. 
     
     
       19. The child carrier of  claim 1 , comprising a frame element incorporated in the torso support portion. 
     
     
       20. The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier is adapted to be alternatively worn by a wearer in a front carry, back carry, or side carry position.