Safety tether

Abstract

A tether substantially prevented from snugly encircling an appendage or neck of a child aged five or under, thereby substantially preventing a danger of choking and/or loss of circulation while maintaining an accessory near the child, comprising at least one elongate relatively stiffer section and at least one relatively flexible accessory section extending from the at least one relatively stiffer section, the relatively flexible accessory section being adapted to connect to a child accessory and incapable of snugly encircling the neck or appendage in conjunction with the at least one relatively stiffer section.

1 . A tether substantially prevented from snugly encircling an appendage or neck of a child aged five or under, thereby substantially preventing a danger of choking and/or loss of circulation while maintaining an accessory near the child, comprising; 
 at least one elongate relatively stiffer section; and    at least one relatively flexible accessory section extending from the at least one relatively stiffer section, the relatively flexible accessory section being adapted to connect to a child accessory and incapable of snugly encircling a neck or appendage in conjunction with the at least one relatively stiffer section.    
     
     
         2 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one accessory section is adapted to connect to at least one of: a C-tab, a hook, a ring, and a section of the accessory.  
     
     
         3 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one accessory section comprises one or more of: a loop, a ring, a hook, a velcro interface, a snap, a pin and a clip.  
     
     
         4 . The tether according to  claim 3  wherein the at least one accessory section removably connects to the accessory.  
     
     
         5 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one accessory section comprises a lasso.  
     
     
         6 . The tether according to  claim 5  wherein the lasso includes a stop that interfaces with the lasso to control the size of lasso opening.  
     
     
         7 . The tether according to  claim 6  wherein the stop includes a bar that causes a bulge in the strands out of the plane of the lasso.  
     
     
         8 . A kit comprising a tether according to  claim 1  and including at least one accessory to which the at least one accessory section connects, the at least one accessory comprising at least one of: a baby bottle, a pacifier and a toy.  
     
     
         9 . The kit according to  claim 8  wherein the one or more included accessories are formed or imprinted with a child-pleasing likeness.  
     
     
         10 . The kit according to  claim 8  wherein the one or more included accessories are unremovably attached to the accessory connector.  
     
     
         11 . The kit according to  claim 8  wherein the at least one accessory section comprises one or more plates that connect to the one or more accessories.  
     
     
         12 . The kit according to  claim 11  wherein the one or more plates are formed or imprinted with a child-pleasing likeness.  
     
     
         13 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one relatively stiffer section comprises one or more of: plastic, metal and rubber.  
     
     
         14 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one relatively stiffer section comprises an extension of the at least one accessory extension to which a stiff material has been attached.  
     
     
         15 . The tether according to  claim 14  wherein the stiff material comprises one or more of: plastic, metal and rubber.  
     
     
         16 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one relatively stiffer section comprises an extension of the at least one accessory extension to which a material stiffener has been added.  
     
     
         17 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one relatively stiffer section comprises an extension of the at least one accessory extension which has been thickened to form the at least one relatively stiffer section.  
     
     
         18 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one relatively stiffer section comprises an element having at least two undulations.  
     
     
         19 . The tether according to  claim 18  wherein at least one of the at least two undulations is spanned by one or more struts.  
     
     
         20 . The tether according to  claim 19  wherein the at least one relatively stiffer section comprises one or more of: plastic, metal and rubber.  
     
     
         21 . The tether according to  claim 1  additionally comprising at least one flexible anchor section, adapted to connect to an anchor, extending from a second end of the elongate relatively stiffer section, the flexible anchor section being of insufficient length to encircle the neck or appendage in conjunction with the at least one relatively stiffer section.  
     
     
         22 . The tether according to  claim 21  wherein the tether includes one or more tether-shortening connectors along its length.  
     
     
         23 . The tether according to  claim 21  wherein the at least one anchor section is adapted to connect to at least one of: a C-tab, hook, a ring, a bar and a structural piece of an anchor.  
     
     
         24 . The tether according to  claim 23  wherein the at least one anchor section comprises at least one of: a loop, a ring, a hook, a velcro interface, a snap, a pin, a clip and a lasso.  
     
     
         25 . The tether according to  claim 21  wherein the at least one anchor section comprises a ground anchor.  
     
     
         26 . The tether according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one relatively stiffer section comprises two or more elongate relatively stiffer sections moveably attached to one another.  
     
     
         27 . The tether according to  claim 26  wherein one or more of the two or more elongate relatively stiffer sections is curved.  
     
     
         28 . The tether according to  claim 26  wherein one of the two or more elongate relatively stiffer sections is longer than at least one other elongate relatively stiffer section.  
     
     
         29 . The tether according to  claim 26  wherein the moveable attachment comprises one or more of: a hinge, a swivel and a section of material.  
     
     
         30 . An accessory connector that connects to a baby accessory, the connector comprising: 
 a flexible lasso having two strands, the lasso defining an opening having an adjustable size; and    a fitting, moveably connected to the two strands; wherein    moving the strands with respect to the fitting adjusts the opening size.    
     
     
         31 . The accessory connector according to  claim 30 , wherein the fitting includes a cross piece adapted to cause a bulge in the two strands out of the plane of the lasso as they pass through the fitting.  
     
     
         32 . The accessory connector according to  claim 31 , comprising a friction surface on at least one of: the lasso, the strands; and the fitting.  
     
     
         33 . The accessory connector according to  claim 30 , wherein the fitting includes a lock that engages the strands to fix the lasso opening size.  
     
     
         34 . The accessory connector according to  claim 30 , wherein the fitting comprises a connector adapted to connect to at least one of: a strap, a hook and an accessory.  
     
     
         35 . The accessory connector according to  claim 30 , wherein the lasso comprises at least one stop that prevents disengagement of the lasso from the fitting.  
     
     
         36 . The accessory connector according to  claim 35 , wherein the at least one stop comprises one or more of: a ball, a tab, a child-pleasing shape, and a thickening along the element.  
     
     
         37 . The accessory connector according to  claim 30 , wherein the strands comprise at least one stop that prevents disengagement of the strands from the fitting.  
     
     
         38 . A tether substantially prevented from snugly encircling an appendage or neck of a child aged five or under, thereby substantially preventing a danger of choking and/or loss of circulation while maintaining an accessory near the child, comprising; 
 at least one elongate relatively stiffer section having two or more undulations, at least one strut spanning at least one of the undulations; and    at least one relatively flexible accessory section extending from a first end of the at least one relatively stiffer section, the relatively flexible accessory section being adapted to connect to a child accessory and incapable of snugly encircling a neck or appendage in conjunction with the at least one relatively stiffer section.    
     
     
         39 . The tether according to  claim 38  wherein the at least one relatively flexible accessory section includes an accessory connector comprising: 
 a flexible lasso having two strands, the lasso defining an opening having an adjustable size; and  
 a fitting, moveably connected to the two strands; wherein 
 moving the strands with respect to the fitting adjusts the opening size.  
 
 
     
     
         40 . The tether according to  claim 39 , wherein the fitting includes a lock that engages the strands to fix the lasso opening size.  
     
     
         41 . The tether according to  claim 40 , wherein a friction surface is included on a portion of at least one of: the strands, the fitting and the lock.  
     
     
         42 . The tether according to  claim 39 , wherein the fitting comprises a cross piece, the fitting adapted to cause a bulge in the strands out of the plane of the lasso, as they pass through the fitting.  
     
     
         43 . The tether according to  claim 39 , wherein the connection between the lasso and the flexible section comprises at least one of: a loop, a ring, a hook, a snap, a pin, a velcro interface and a clip.  
     
     
         44 . The tether according to  claim 39 , wherein the lasso further comprises at least one stop that prevents disengagement of the lasso from the fitting.  
     
     
         45 . The tether according to  claim 44 , wherein the at least one stop comprises one or more of: a ball, a tab, a child-pleasing shape, and a thickening along the element.  
     
     
         46 . The tether according to  claim 39 , wherein the strands comprise at least one stop that prevents disengagement of the strands from the fitting.  
     
     
         47 . The tether according to  claim 38  additionally comprising at least one relatively flexible anchor section, adapted to connect to an anchor, extending from a second end of the elongate relatively stiffer section, the flexible anchor section being of insufficient length to encircle the neck or appendage in conjunction with the at least one relatively stiffer section.  
     
     
         48 . The tether according to  claim 47  wherein the at least one anchor section comprises at least one of: a loop, a ring, a hook, a velcro interface, a snap, a,pin, a clip and a lasso.  
     
     
         49 . The tether according to  claim 47  wherein the tether further includes at least one bar and at least one tether-shortening hook spaced away from the bar, the at least one hook being adapted to removably connect to the at least one bar.