Adjustable child carrier with multiple carry orientations

Abstract

An adjustable child carrier includes waist belt, a main body, shoulder straps, side attachment tabs, and thigh supports. The side attachment tabs provide lower attachment points for the shoulder straps. The thigh supports cooperate with a seat center portion to form an adjustable bucket seat configurable in a plurality of bucket seat configurations adapted to ergonomically support a child in a corresponding size range in a spread squat position. The upper end portions of the thigh supports can be selectively coupled to the side attachment tabs at multiple mid-section width setting locations and the lower end portions of the thigh supports can be selectively coupled to the waist belt at multiple base width setting locations. The thigh supports are adjustable to set a mid-section width of the adjustable child carrier and a base width of the adjustable bucket seat.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An adjustable child carrier comprising:
 a main body configured to form a child carrying area in cooperation with a torso of a wearer,   one or more thigh supports;   a seat portion,
 wherein the one or more thigh supports cooperate with the seat portion to form a bucket seat; 
   a plurality of adjustment points defined by the adjustable child carrier;   one or more base adjusters attached to the one or more thigh supports;
 wherein the one or more base adjusters are configured to selectively couple each of the one or more thigh supports to one of the plurality of adjustment points to thereby adjust a depth and a width of the bucket seat, 
 wherein adjusting the depth and the width of the bucket seat configures the child carrying area to maintain a child in an ergonomic spread squat position; 
   one or more sliders coupled to upper end portions of the one or more thigh supports,
 wherein each of the one or more sliders comprises a pin; and 
   one or more slider guide members,
 wherein each of the one or more slider guide members comprises one or more openings and a rail, 
 wherein the one or more sliders slide along the rails of the one or more slider guide members such that each pin of the one or more sliders is received in one of the one or more openings to thereby couple the one or more sliders to the one or more slider guide members and secure the one or more thigh supports to the adjustable child carrier. 
   
     
     
         2 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of adjustment points comprises a first adjustment point, a second adjustment point, and a third adjustment point;   wherein selectively coupling each of the one or more thigh supports to the first adjustment point via the one or more base adjusters adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a first depth and the width of the bucket seat to a first width,   wherein selectively coupling each of the one or more thigh supports to the second adjustment point via the one or more base adjusters adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a second depth and the width of the bucket seat to a second width, the second depth being less than the first depth,   wherein selectively coupling each of the one or more thigh supports to the third adjustment point via the one or more base adjusters adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a third depth and the width of the bucket seat to a third width, the third depth being less than the second depth.   
     
     
         3 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the second width is greater than the first width and the third width is greater than the second width,   wherein adjusting the depth of the bucket seat to the first depth and the width of the bucket seat to the first width configures the adjustable child carrier to an infant configuration, the infant configuration being adapted to carry the child when the child has a height within a range of 20-24 inches, and   wherein adjusting the depth of the bucket seat to the third depth and the width of the bucket seat to the third width configures the adjustable child carrier to a toddler configuration, the toddler configuration being adapted to carry the child when the child has a height of at least 28 inches.   
     
     
         4 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, when the child carrying area is configured to maintain the child in the ergonomic spread squat position, a hip joint of the child is at least 90 degrees from a coronal plane defined by the wearer and knees of the child are spread at least 20 degrees from a median plane.   
     
     
         5 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a neck support,
 wherein the neck support is folded down away from the wearer to adjust the neck support to a down orientation, 
 wherein the neck support is extended upward to adjust the neck support to an extended orientation. 
   
     
     
         6 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the neck support is adjusted to a down orientation when the adjustable child carrier is in an outward facing orientation,   wherein the neck support is adjusted to an extended orientation when the adjustable child carrier is in an inward facing orientation.   
     
     
         7 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 6 ,
 wherein selectively coupling each of the one or more thigh supports to the first adjustment point via the one or more base adjusters configures the adjustable child carrier in the outward facing orientation, the outward facing orientation being defined as the child facing away from the wearer,   wherein selectively coupling each of the one or more thigh supports to the third adjustment point via the one or more base adjusters configures the adjustable child carrier in the inward facing orientation, the inward facing orientation being defined as the child facing toward the wearer.   
     
     
         8 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the width of the bucket seat is a base width,   wherein sliding the one or more sliders along the rails of the one or more slider guide members such that each of the pins of the one or more sliders is received in the one of the one or more openings adjusts a mid-section width of the bucket seat.   
     
     
         9 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the one or more openings of each of the one or more slider guide members comprise a first opening and a second opening,   wherein sliding the one or more sliders along the rails such that each of the pins is received in the first openings adjusts the mid-section width to a first mid-section width, and   wherein sliding the one or more sliders along the rails such that each of the pins is received in the second openings adjusts the mid-section width to a second mid-section width, the second mid-section width being greater than the first mid-section width.   
     
     
         10 . An adjustable child carrier comprising:
 a main body configured to form a child carrying area in cooperation with a torso of a wearer,
 wherein the main body comprises one or more thigh supports, the one or more thigh supports cooperating with a seat portion to form a bucket seat; 
   a plurality of adjustment points defined by the adjustable child carrier;   one or more base adjusters configured to adjust a depth of the bucket seat,
 wherein the one or more base adjusters are configured to be selectively positioned to one of the plurality of adjustment points to thereby adjust the depth of the bucket seat and a base width of the bucket seat, 
 wherein adjusting the depth and the base width of the bucket seat configures the child carrying area to maintain a child in an ergonomic spread squat position; and 
   one or more sliders coupled to the main body and configured to couple to one or more slider guide members,
 wherein each of the one or more slider guide members defines a first opening and a second opening, 
 wherein each of the one or more sliders comprises a pin, 
 wherein the first opening and the second opening of each of the one or more slider guide members is configured to receive the pin of one of the one or more sliders, 
 wherein sliding the one or more sliders along the one or more slider guide members moves each pin of the one or more sliders among the first opening and the second opening of one of the one or more slider guide members to adjust a mid-section width of the bucket seat. 
   
     
     
         11 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 10 ,
 Wherein the plurality of adjustment points comprises a first adjustment point, a second adjustment point, and a third adjustment point;   wherein selectively positioning the one or more base adjusters at the first adjustment point adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a first depth, selectively positioning the one or more base adjusters at the second adjustment point adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a second depth, and selectively positioning the one or more base adjusters at the third adjustment point adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a third depth.   
     
     
         12 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the first depth is greater than the second depth and the third depth,   wherein selectively positioning the one or more base adjusters at the first adjustment point adjusts the base width to a first base width, selectively positioning the one or more base adjusters at the second adjustment point adjusts the base width to a second base width, and selectively positioning the one or more base adjusters at the third adjustment point adjusts the base width to a third base width, and   wherein the first base width is less than the second base width and the third base width.   
     
     
         13 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 10 ,
 wherein moving each pin of the one or more sliders to the first opening of the one or more slider guide members adjusts the mid-section width to a first mid-section width,   wherein moving each pin of the one or more sliders to the second opening of the one or more slider guide members adjusts the mid-section width to a second mid-section width greater than the first mid-section width.   
     
     
         14 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the adjustable child carrier is configured to carry the child in an outward facing position when the mid-section width is adjusted to the first mid-section width,   wherein the outward facing position is defined as the child facing away from the wearer.   
     
     
         15 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the adjustable child carrier is configured to carry the child in an inward facing position when the mid-section width is adjusted to the second mid-section width,   wherein the inward facing position is defined as the child facing toward the wearer.   
     
     
         16 . An adjustable child carrier comprising:
 a main body configured to form a child carrying area in cooperation with a torso of a wearer,
 wherein the main body comprises one or more thigh supports, the one or more thigh supports cooperating with a seat portion to form a bucket seat, 
 wherein each of the one or more thigh supports comprises a base adjuster; 
   a waist belt adapted for securing about hips of the wearer,
 wherein the waist belt contains a plurality of attachment points; 
 wherein selectively attaching the base adjuster of each of the one or more thigh supports to one of the plurality of attachment points adjusts a depth and a width of the bucket seat, 
 wherein adjusting the depth and the width of the bucket seat configures the child carrying area to maintain a child in an ergonomic spread squat position; 
   one or more sliders coupled to the one or more thigh supports,
 wherein each of the one or more sliders comprises a pin; and 
   one or more slider guide members coupled to an upper torso support of the main body,
 wherein each of the one or more slide guide members comprises one or more openings, 
 wherein sliding the one or more sliders along the one or more slider guide members causes one of the one or more openings of the one or more slider guide members to receive the pin of the one or more sliders to thereby secure the one or more thigh supports to the adjustable child carrier. 
   
     
     
         17 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the plurality of attachment points comprises a first attachment point, a second attachment point, and a third attachment point,   wherein selectively coupling the base adjuster of each of the one or more thigh supports to the first attachment point adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a first depth and the width of the bucket seat to a first width, and   wherein selectively coupling the base adjuster of each of the one or more thigh supports to the second attachment point adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a second depth and the width of the bucket seat to a second width, the second depth being less than the first depth,   wherein selectively coupling the base adjuster of each of the one or more thigh supports to the third attachment point adjusts the depth of the bucket seat to a third depth and the width of the bucket seat to a third width, the third depth being less than the second depth.   
     
     
         18 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the second width is greater than the first width and the third width is greater than the second width.   
     
     
         19 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 17 ,
 wherein adjusting the depth of the bucket seat to the first depth and the width of the bucket seat to the first width configures the adjustable child carrier to an infant configuration, the infant configuration being adapted to carry the child when the child has a height within a range of 20-24 inches,   wherein adjusting the depth of the bucket seat to the third depth and the width of the bucket seat to the third width configures the adjustable child carrier to a toddler configuration, the toddler configuration being adapted to carry the child when the child has a height of at least 28 inches.   
     
     
         20 . The adjustable child carrier of  claim 16 ,
 wherein, when the child carrying area is configured to maintain the child in the ergonomic spread squat position, a hip joint of the child is at least 90 degrees from a coronal plane defined by the wearer and knees of the child are spread at least 20 degrees from a median plane.