Harness for retaining a baby in a chair

Claim 1

In combination with a chair having a generally horizontally disposed seat and upstanding back oriented in rigid relationship with the front and side edges of the seat being open, a harness for retaining a baby in the chair, said harness comprising a body member constructed of flexible fabric material and including a chair back receiving pocket, a crotch engaging portion and a tie strap, said pocket comprising a rectangular panel reversely folded to form a top edge and a pair of panels secured together along the generally parallel side edges with the bottom edges left unattached to form a downwardly opening pocket for sliding downwardly over the top edge portion of the chair back, said pocket forming panels having substantial vertical dimension whereby the pocket will receive a substantial portion of the chair back, said crotch engaging portion including an extension unitary with the lower edge of the front panel of the pocket, said extension having inwardly curving side edges originating at the side edges of the lower end of the front panel of the pocket and merging into generally parallel side edges defining a crotch strap extending between the legs of a baby, said tie strap extending perpendicular to the forward end of the crotch strap and being fixedly secured thereto, said tie strap being narrower than the crotch strap and extending an equal distance to both sides thereof, the extension and crotch strap having a length to position the forward end of the crotch strap and the central portion of the tie strap in position for engagement with the midsection of the chest and stomach area of a baby with the tie straps extending under the armpit area of the baby and around the side edges of the chair back below the pocket; said tie strap terminating in free ends to enable the tie strap to be secured in place by tying a knot behind the chair back, the forward end of the crotch strap extending across the inner surface of the tie strap, folded over the top edge of the tie strap and extending downwardly across the outer surface of the tie strap to a terminal end edge coinciding with the bottom edge of the tie strap, the end portion of the crotch strap being secured to the tie strap by stitching with the multiple layers of material defining a generally rectangular stiffened area engageable with the front midsection of the baby and maintaining the straps in a flat unfolded condition, the free end portions of the tie strap being tapered to facilitate the formation of a knot, said extension and crotch strap extending along the surface of the chair back and seat with the weight of the baby being supported by engagement with the chair seat with the baby oriented in substantially upright seated position on the crotch portion of said harness and having freedom of movement of the arms and legs.