Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Seat associated
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-20
2001-06-26
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Seat associated
C224S325000, C224S563000, C446S227000, C446S228000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250526
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to automobile accessories and more particularly to a system and device for holding children's toys and amusement devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a suspension system that extends over a rear seat area of a vehicle that functions to receive and hold objects such as toys and rattles in easy reach of a child that is seated in the rear seat area.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Parents fully appreciate the problems and frustrations of traveling with children, especially toddlers the fall within the age range of one to four years old. Often, parents will place toys, amusement devices and other preoccupying objects in the hands of the child or in easy reach of the child. However, experience tells us that it is just a matter of time before these toys and other amusement devices have fallen into the floorboard area of the vehicle or outside the reach of the child. Obviously what follows is an unhappy child.
The basic problem of attempting to preoccupy a child on long trips has been addressed, but only to a very limited extent. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,219 discloses an infant's automobile safety seat that is provided with a cover of sheet material for wrapping around the shield of the seat. The cover is provided with means for releaseably attaching items to the cover. While this design does attempt to secure stuffed animals and other characters to the shield, it has significant restrictions. First, only a small number of items can be secured. Further, once secured, the items are relatively fixed and cannot be moved back and forth without actually disconnecting the stuffed animals from the shield.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for a device that is adapted to be suspended within a vehicle and which acts to hold and secure toys and other amusement devices in easy reach of a child that may be secured within a vehicle child safety seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device or kit that is designed to be suspended internally within a vehicle for holding, securing and suspending objects such as toys, rattles, etc. such that these objects are held in easy reach of a child seated in the vehicle.
In one form, the present invention is presented in a kit. The kit includes an elongated flexible suspension line that is designed to be extended over a back seat area of the vehicle and secured about opposite ends to supports that are disposed on opposite sides of the vehicle above a rear seat area of the vehicle. Secured to the suspension line are one or more hanger lines that depend downwardly from the suspension line. The respective hanger lines include opposed end portions. Formed on one end portion of each hanger line, is a hook and loop fastener that enables the end portion to be looped and secured around the suspension line. The formed loop, in one particular embodiment, is somewhat open so as to enable the entire hanger line to be laterally shifted or moved along the suspension line. About the opposed end of the hanger line, there is provided another hook and loop fastener set for securing the lower terminal end portions of the hanger lines to objects such as toys, stuffed animals, rattles, etc. When suspended, the respective hanger lines depend downwardly, generally in front of the seated child but in easy reach of the child. The child can, from a seated position within a child safety seat, for example, reach the respective hanger lines and pull the lower terminal ends towards the child such that the child can handle and play with the object or toy that is secured to that hanger line.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the kit includes a pouch or an object holder, which functions to hold toys, rattles, stuffed animals and the like. This pouch is of an open top construction and includes a pair of tie lines or extension lines that extend therefrom. These extension lines are designed to extend upwardly and loop and secure around the main suspension line such that the entire pouch can be suspended in front or adjacent to the child while the child is seated in the vehicle.
Finally, the present invention entails a method of securing and suspending objects such as toys, rattles and other children preoccupation devices within a vehicle. Essentially, the method is carried out by securing a suspension line across a rear seat area of a vehicle such that opposite ends of the suspension lines are double backed or looped around conventional supports that are anchored on opposite sides of the vehicle above the seat area. These supports found in vehicles are sometimes referred to as garment hangar supports. Next, one or more hanger lines are suspended from the suspension lines and about the lower terminal end of these hanger lines a series of toys or other amusement devices are secured thereto such that they are firmly held and secured in easy reach of the child.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 359937 (1995-07-01), Yoshie et al.
patent: 1978216 (1934-10-01), Miller
patent: 2327253 (1943-08-01), Eisel
patent: 3085610 (1963-04-01), Vardan
patent: 3552613 (1971-01-01), Nye
patent: 4722713 (1988-02-01), Williams et al.
patent: 5288003 (1994-02-01), MacDonald
patent: 5702039 (1997-12-01), Olaiz
patent: 5868294 (1999-02-01), Webster
Coats & Bennett P.L.L.C.
Garbe Stephen P.
LandOfFree
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