Infant carrier

Claim 2

A carrier for an infant comprising in combination a pouch in which the infant can be seated, said pouch including a pair of lower leg openings and an open upper end, shoulder strap means affixed to the pouch and adapted to pass over the shoulders of a user, and a head support defining an extension of the pouch on the side thereof opposite the shoulder strap connection to the pouch, and means releasably connecting the upper portion of the head support to said shoulder strap means at a location along the length of the shoulder strap means in a manner such that the head support serves as a firm flexible support for the infant''s head.

Claim 3

The carrier of claim 1 wherein said means releasably connecting the head support to the shoulder straps includes a pair of reinforcement straps secured to the pouch and the head support and having free ends adapted to be individually connected to the shoulder strap means to retain the head support in an in-use position.

Claim 4

The carrier of claim 2 wherein said head support comprises a piece of flexible fabric sewn to the reinforcement straps whereby when the reinforcement straps are disconnected from the shoulder strap means the reinforcement straps can be folded so that the head support is positioned within the pouch in an out-of-use position.

Claim 5

The carrier of claim 3 wherein said head support is connected to the reinforcement steaps in spaced relation to the open upper end of the pouch.

Claim 6

A carrier for an infant comprising in combination a pouch in which the infant can be seated, said pouch including a pair of leg openings near the bottom and open at the upper end, a pair of shoulder straps each having one end secured to the pouch near the open upper end of the pouch for extension of said shoulder straps over the shoulders of a user, reinforcement straps secured to the pouch including free lower ends adapted to be individually attached to the free ends of the shoulder straps and free upper ends adapted to be attached to the shoulder straps at a preselected location along the length of the shoulder straps, and a head support secured to the reinforcement straps near the free upper ends whereby when the free upper ends are secured to the shoulder straps the head of the infant will be supported and comfortably held in place.

Claim 7

A carrier for an infant comprising in combination a pouch in which the infant can be seated, said pouch including a pair of leg openings near the bottom and open at the upper end, a pair of shoulder straps each having one end secured to the pouch near the open upper end of the pouch for extension of said shoulder straps over the shoulders of a user, reinforcement straps secured to the pouch including free lower ends adapted to be individually attached to the free ends of the shoulder straps and free upper ends adapted to be attached to the shoulder straps at a preselected location along the length of the shoulder straps, and a head support secured to the reinforcement straps near the free upper ends whereby when the free upper ends are secured to the shoulder straps the head of the infant will be supported and comfortably held in place.

Claim 8

The carrier of claim 5 wherein said reinforcement straps comprise a pair of elongated straps being secured to the pouch along an intermediate portion of the straps so that the free lower ends extend away from the pouch adjacent the leg openings and the free upper ends extend away from the pouch adjacent the open upper end.

Claim 9

The carrier of claim 6 wherein said reinforcement straps cross each other at the bottom end of the pouch adjacent the leg openings.

Claim 10

The carrier of claim 6 wherein said pouch, shoulder straps, reinforcement straps, and head support are made of a strong but flexible fabric material.

Claim 11

A carrier for an infant comprising in combination a fabric pouch in which the infant can be seated, said pouch including a pair of leg openings near the bottom and an open upper end through which the infant''s head can protrude, a pair of flexible fabric shoulder straps secured at one end to one side of the pouch near the open upper end of the pouch, said shoulder straps having free opposite ends adapted to be passed over the shoulders of a user, a pair of flexible fabric reinforcement straps secured to the pouch with free lower ends extending away from the bottom of the pouch on said one side, said reinforcement straps criss-crossing at the bottom of said pouch and extending up the opposite side of said pouch from said one side and having free upper ends extending away from the open upper end of the pouCh on said opposite side, said free upper ends being adapted to be individually releasably attached to the shoulder straps at a preselected location along the length of the shoulder straps, said free lower ends of the reinforcement straps and the free opposite ends of the shoulder straps having fasteners whereby they can be individually fastened together to complete loops which pass over and under the shoulders of the user for supporting the carrier on the shoulders of the user, and a fabric head support secured to the reinforcement straps in spaced relation from the open upper end of the pouch whereby when the free upper ends of the reinforcement straps are fastened to the shoulder straps the head support will securely and comfortably support the head of an infant seated in the pouch and when the free upper ends of the reinforcement straps are not fastened to the shoulder straps can be folded to allow the head support to be positioned within the pouch in an out-of-use position.

Claim 12

A carrier for an infant comprising in combination a fabric pouch in which the infant can be seated, said pouch including a pair of leg openings near the bottom and an open upper end through which the infant''s head can protrude, a pair of flexible fabric shoulder straps secured at one end to one side of the pouch near the open upper end of the pouch, said shoulder straps having free opposite ends adapted to be passed over the shoulders of a user, a pair of flexible fabric reinforcement straps secured to the pouch with free lower ends extending away from the bottom of the pouch on said one side, said reinforcement straps criss-crossing at the bottom of said pouch and extending up the opposite side of said pouch from said one side and having free upper ends extending away from the open upper end of the pouCh on said opposite side, said free upper ends being adapted to be individually releasably attached to the shoulder straps at a preselected location along the length of the shoulder straps, said free lower ends of the reinforcement straps and the free opposite ends of the shoulder straps having fasteners whereby they can be individually fastened together to complete loops which pass over and under the shoulders of the user for supporting the carrier on the shoulders of the user, and a fabric head support secured to the reinforcement straps in spaced relation from the open upper end of the pouch whereby when the free upper ends of the reinforcement straps are fastened to the shoulder straps the head support will securely and comfortably support the head of an infant seated in the pouch and when the free upper ends of the reinforcement straps are not fastened to the shoulder straps can be folded to allow the head support to be positioned within the pouch in an out-of-use position.