Child restraint method and apparatus for aircraft and other vehicles

Claim 1

A child safety restraint apparatus for holding a child on the lap of an adult travel companion seated in a moving vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a harness positionable about at least a portion of the body of the child, said harness comprising: a plurality of shoulder strap members having first and second ends, each said shoulder strap member being positionable over a shoulder of the child in such manner that the first end of each said shoulder strap is disposed over the anterior thorax of the child while the second end of each said shoulder strap member is disposed over the posterior thoras of the child; at least one crotch strap member having first and second ends, each said crotch strap member being positionable between the legs and under the crotch of the child such that the first end of the crotch strap member is disposed generally over the lower abdomen of the child and the second end of the crotch strap member is disposed generally over the lower back of the child; at least one back strap member attached to and extending between the second end of said at least one shoulder strap member nd the second end of said at least one crotch strap member; and at least one front strap member attached to and extending between the first end of said at least one crotch strap member nd the first end of said at least one shoulder strap member; said shoulder strap member, crotch strap member, back strap member, and front strap member being sized, configured, and interconnected to form a harness-like apparatus disposable about the body of a child and attachable to a stationarily anchored object; at least one attachment member movably mounted on said harness for attaching said harness to the lap seat belt worn by the adult, said attachment member being movable on said harness between (a) a "routine " position wherein the child is held in a generally seated position on the lap of the adult travel companion and (b) a "crash ready " position wherein the child is held in a generally supine lying position on the lap of the adult travel companion with the child's buttocks being adjacent the waist of the seated adult; said at least one attachment member being slidably mounted on and movable over at least a portion of said back strap.