Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Carrier for person
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-12
2002-06-04
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Carrier for person
C224S148600, C224S161000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398088
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a baby holding and feeding apparatus and more particularly pertains to holding a baby and a bottle for the baby to feed from while allowing a mother to keep her hands free.
Most mothers and care-givers are often faced with multiple tasks during a day, especially when babies are involved. One of the more time-consuming tasks involves the feeding of the baby. The mother or care-giver typically is required to prepare a bottle and then sit in a chair to feed the bottle to the baby as it is cradled in her arms. Many of these women are juggling too many tasks to afford them the time to sit for an extended period to properly feed their baby's. What is needed is a device that will allow a care-giver to feed a baby while they remain able to perform other tasks.
The present invention attempts to solve the abovementioned problem by providing a device that allows a care-giver to support a baby while keeping their hands free and support a bottle for the baby from which to feed.
The use of infant care support devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, infant care support devices heretofore devised and utilized for providing care to infants' and baby's are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art that have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,393 to Marquard discloses a baby bottle holder comprising a clamp assembly suspended from the neck of the guardian. U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,153 to Stillman discloses a feeding device comprising a cloth capable of being draped over the shoulder and includes hook and loop fasteners for securing a baby bottle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,031 to Creighton-Young discloses a forearm support for holding a baby while feeding.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a baby holding and feeding apparatus for holding a baby and a bottle for the baby to feed from while allowing a mother to keep her hands free.
In this respect, the baby holding and feeding apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of holding a baby and a bottle for the baby to feed from while allowing a mother to keep her hands free.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved baby holding and feeding apparatus that can be used for holding a baby and a bottle for the baby to feed from while allowing a mother to keep her hands free. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of infant care support devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved baby holding and feeding apparatus. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved baby holding and feeding apparatus that has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a body harness adapted for being worn about a torso of a user. The body harness includes a belt portion adapted for wrapping around a waist of the user. The belt portion includes an openable buckle on a front segment thereof to facilitate donning. The body harness includes a pair of semi-rigid shoulder straps. The shoulder straps each have back ends secured to a rear segment of the belt portion. The shoulder straps each have front ends ending at a position above the openable buckle on the front segment. A semi-rigid cradle portion is secured to the front ends of the shoulder straps of the body harness. The cradle portion is adapted for holding a baby therein. The cradle portion comprises a back panel and a front panel. The back panel is generally arcuate for supporting the baby thereon. The front panel includes an elastic belt for containing the baby within the cradle portion. The front panel has a pair of apertures' therethrough to allow the baby's legs to extend therethrough. A bottle holding portion is secured to an outer edge of the back panel of the cradle portion. The bottle holding portion is adapted for holding a bottle therein whereby a nipple of the bottle may be directed into a mouth of the baby positioned within the cradle portion. The bottle holding portion comprises an adjustable band having opposed ends secured to the back panel forming a loop. The loop has an opening for receiving the bottle therein.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved baby holding and feeding apparatus that has all the advantages of the prior art infant care support devices and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved baby holding and feeding apparatus that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved baby holding and feeding apparatus that is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved baby holding and feeding apparatus that is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a baby holding and feeding apparatus economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved baby holding and feeding apparatus for holding a baby and a bottle for the baby to feed from while allowing a mother to keep her hands free.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved baby holding and feeding apparatus including a body harness adapted for being worn about a torso of a user. A semi-rigid cradle portion is secured to the front ends of the shoulder straps of the body harness. The cradle portion is adapted for holding a baby therein. The cradle portion comprises a back panel and a front panel. The back panel is generally arcuate for supporting the baby thereon. A bottle holding portion is secured to an outer edge of the back panel of the cradle portion. The bottle holding portion is adapted for holding a bottle
Cronin Stephen K.
Goldstein Law Offices P.C.
LandOfFree
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