Child Carrier

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/856,172, filed on Jul. 1, 2022, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/140,537, filed on Jan. 4, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,406,201, issued on Aug. 9, 2022, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/385,889, filed on Apr. 16, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,905,252, issued on Feb. 2, 2021, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201810549110.1, filed on May 31, 2018, and Chinese Patent Application No. 201810355370.5, filed on Apr. 19, 2018, which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth.

The present invention relates to child carriers.

Child carrier products allow caregivers to conveniently carry and transport a young child in close contact with the caregiver without using hands. Various types of child carriers available on the market may differ in the way of carrying a child, e.g., the young child may be carried in front of the bearer in a recumbent position or facing forward or rearward, or may be carried on the back of the bearer. The child carriers may also differ in functionality, e.g., single use, dual use, etc.

The design of a child carrier has to be ergonomic to avoid concentrated stress on the bearer, and provide a comfortable environment in which the hip, waist, neck and head of the child can be adequately supported without undesirable bending or undesirable pressure on the child. Unfortunately, child carriers available on the market may still not satisfy present needs. For example, most child carriers provide a fixed space volume configuration for seating a child, which may not be adapted to the need of seating children of different sizes in different positions.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved child carrier that is more flexible and convenient in use, and can address at least the foregoing issues.

The present application describes a child carrier that is flexible and convenient to use.

According to an embodiment, the child carrier includes a carrying harness, a child supporting part connected with the carrying harness and including a hip support portion and a torso support portion connected with each other, and a panel having a first end anchored to the carrying harness, a second end anchored to the child supporting part at a location distant from the first end, and an intermediate portion between the first end and the second end that extends above the hip support portion and adjacently overlaps with the hip support portion.

According to another embodiment, the child carrier includes a carrying harness including two shoulder straps, a linking part disposed between and oppositely connected with the two shoulder straps, and a waist strap fixedly connected with the two shoulder straps, a child supporting part including a hip support portion and a torso support portion connected with each other, the hip support portion being connected with the waist strap, and a panel having a first end anchored to the carrying harness, a second end anchored to the child supporting part at a location distant from the first end, and an intermediate portion between the first end and the second end that lines the hip support portion and is movable relative to the hip support portion.

Reference is made toto describe an embodiment of a child carrier. The child carriercan include a carrying harnessand a child supporting part. The child carriermay be suitable for carrying and transporting a child close to a caregiver's body.

Referring to, the carrying harnesscan wrap around a caregiver's body when the child carrieris installed and used for transporting a child. The carrying harnesscan include a waist strapand two shoulder straps. Each of the two shoulder strapscan have one fixed end(better shown in) fixedly connected with the waist strap, and a distal end(better shown in) that can be detachably fastened to the waist strapor the child supporting part(as described hereinafter).

The child supporting partcan be connected with the carrying harness. More specifically, the child supporting partcan be respectively connected with the shoulder strapsand the waist strapat two opposite end portions of the child supporting part. According to an embodiment, the child supporting partcan include a neck support portion, a torso support portionhaving an inner surface(better shown in) and an outer surface(better shown in) opposite to each other, a hip support portionand two thigh support portions. The child supporting partcomprised of the neck support portion, the torso support portion, the hip support portionand the thigh support portionsmay include flexible materials, which may include, without limitation, fabrics, soft goods, and the like. The hip support portionis disposed between and is respectively connected with the waist strapand the torso support portion. The two thigh support portionsare respectively disposed transversally opposite to each other at a left and a right side of the hip support portion, and are respectively connected with the hip support portion. According to an example of construction, the two thigh support portionsmay be respectively disposed at an angle relative to the hip support portion(shown in), and can fold toward the waist strap. Moreover, each thigh support portionmay have a curved shape including two opposite tapered ends and a middle that is thicker than the two tapered ends, e.g., like a crescent shape. The middle of the thigh support portionmay exemplary include a filling material so as to increase its thickness. In use, the hip support portionand the two thigh support portionsare foldable relative to the waist strap, and can delimit at least partially a receiving space for seating a child. The thicker middle of each thigh support portioncan provide suitable support for the thigh so that a child can sit in a position with the knees level with the hip joint, which can provide a healthier sitting position that can facilitate natural hip development. The torso support portionis foldable relative to the hip support portion, and can provide support for a torso of a child. The neck support portioncan be folded over and connected with a top of the torso support portion, and can be positioned adjacent to a child's neck for assisting in supporting the child's head.

Referring to, the child carriercan include a hip support adjustmentprovided on the hip support portion. The hip support adjustmentis operable to modify a width of the hip support portionaccording to the size and/or sitting configuration of a child. The width of the hip support portionmay be exemplary defined as a transversal distance between the two thigh support portions. It will be appreciated, however, that the width may be defined as any distance between any two points on the hip support portionalong the transverse direction. According to an example of construction, the hip support adjustmentcan include an adjusting partconnected with the hip support portion. The adjusting partmay include a strip, a strap, a band, a panel, or the like. Examples of suitable materials for the adjusting partmay include flexible materials such as fabrics, elastic bands, and the like. The adjusting partcan extend transversally along a width direction of the hip support portion, and is operable to urge the hip support portionto transversally contract for reducing the width of the hip support portion. For example, the adjusting partmay have at least one distal end portion operable to detachably fasten to the hip support portionat one or more predetermined connecting locations thereon to adjust the width of the hip support portion.

Referring to, the adjusting partcan exemplary have a fixed endfixedly anchored to the hip support portion, and a distal end portionoperable to detachably fasten to the hip support portionat a location distant from the fixed endThe fixed endof the adjusting partmay be fixedly anchored to the hip support portionat a location adjacent to one of the two thigh support portions. Any suitable fastening structure may be used to detachably fasten the distal end portionof the adjusting partto the hip support portion. For example, the adjusting partmay have an openingpositioned distant from the fixed endof the adjusting part, and the hip support portionmay have a buttonthat can engage with and disengage from the openingof the adjusting part. According to an example of construction, only one openingis provided in the adjusting part. It will be appreciated, however, that the adjusting partmay include multiple openings. Moreover, a distance between the fixed endof the adjusting partand the openingcan be smaller than the width of the hip support portion. The buttonis fixedly attached to the hip support portionat a location distant from the fixed endof the adjusting partalong the width direction of the hip support portion.

The hip support adjustmentcan be in a fastened state when the distal end portionof the adjusting partis attached to the hip support portionby engaging the buttonwith the opening, and in an unfastened state when the distal end portionof the adjusting partis detached from the hip support portionby disengaging the buttonfrom the opening. When the hip support adjustmentis in the fastened state, the hip support portioncan be at least partially folded and contracted transversally, which reduces the width of the hip support portion. When the hip support adjustmentis in the unfastened state, the hip support portionmay be transversally expanded, which increases the width of the hip support portion. Accordingly, the width of the hip support portioncan be smaller when the hip support adjustmentis in the fastened state than when the hip support adjustmentis in the unfastened state. The hip support portionmay be thereby adjusted for receiving children of different sizes and/or in different sitting configurations.

It will be appreciated that multiple variant constructions of the hip support adjustmentmay be possible. For example, the placement of the openingand the buttonmay be interchanged: the openingmay be provided on the hip support portion, and the buttonmay be provided on the adjusting part. According to a variant construction, rather than having the adjusting partfixedly connected with the hip support portionat the fixed end thereof, the adjusting partmay be entirely removable from the hip support portion, i.e., the adjusting partmay have two ends that can be detachably connected with the hip support portion. According to another variant construction, the adjusting partmay fasten to the hip support portionby using buckle fasteners, snap fasteners, hooks and loop fasteners, a zip fastener, a restraining belt, and the like.

Referring to, the torso support portionmay include a storage pocketadapted to receive a head cover. The storage pocketmay be placed below the neck support portion, and may have an opening that can be opened and closed as desired on the outer surfaceof the torso support portion. For example, suitable fasteners that may be used for closing and opening the storage pocketmay include, without limitation, zip fasteners, button fasteners, snap fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, and the like. The head coveris shaped and sized so as to be able to at least partially cover a child's head. Examples of suitable materials for the head covermay include flexible materials such as fabrics and soft goods. The head covermay be folded and stowed inside the storage pocket, and deployed outward for use. According to an example of construction, the head covermay have an end fixedly connected with an interior of the storage pocket(e.g., by sewing), so that the head covercan be coupled to the torso support portion. This may prevent inadvertent loss of the head cover, and may avoid the need of additional fasteners for connecting the head coverto the torso support portion. According to another example of construction, the head covermay be separable from the torso support portionif required.

Referring to, when the head coveris deployed for use, the head covercan extend from the storage pocketacross the neck support portionand detachably fasten to the two shoulder strapsof the child carrierto at least partially cover and help supporting the child's head. For example, the head covermay have a plurality of fastening parts(better shown in) that can respectively engage with corresponding fastening parts(better shown in) provided on the shoulder straps. The fastening partsandmay include, without limitation, snap fasteners, button fasteners and the like. According to an example of construction, the head covermay be connected with two belt portionsthat can protrude from a distal edgeof the head cover, and the fastening partsmay be respectively provided on the belt portionsDuring use, the head covercan be expanded to cover a child's head, and the belt portionsmay be extended toward the shoulder strapsso that the fastening partson the belt portionscan respectively engage with the fastening partson the shoulder straps. When the head coveris not used, the fastening partsandcan be detached from each other, and the head coverthen can be folded and stowed inside the storage pocket. The belt portionsand the fastening partsthereon may be stored with the head coverinside the storage pocket.

It will be appreciated that the storage pocketmay be provided at other suitable positions on the child supporting part. For example, the storage pocketmay be provided in the neck support portion, so that the head covercan be stored inside the neck support portion. In this case, the head covermay be connected with the neck support portion, e.g., with an interior of the storage pocketprovided in the neck support portion.

Referring to, the neck support portioncan be folded over and connected with the torso support portionat a top thereof. According to an example of construction, the neck support portioncan be fixedly connected with the top of the torso support portionalong a connection region(better shown in) extending transversally from a left to a right side of the torso support portion. Moreover, the neck support portioncan have two end portions transversally opposite to each other along the direction of the connection regionthat are respectively provided with two fastening parts(better shown in). Each of a left and a right side of the torso support portioncan respectively have a plurality of fastening partsoperable to engage with and disengage from the fastening partsof the neck support portion. The fastening partsmay be distributed at the left and right sides of the storage pocket. According to an example of construction, the fastening partsprovided on the neck support portionmay be openings, and the fastening partsprovided on the torso support portionmay be buttons that can engage and disengage the fastening parts. The fastening partsat each of the left and right sides may be exemplary provided on the outer surfaceof the torso support portion, and may be disposed in a row generally parallel to the lengthwise axis of the child supporting part. According to an example of construction, the torso support portionmay include four fastening parts, a set of two fastening partsbeing respectively provided at each of the left and right sides of the torso support portion.

According to the size of a child, the neck support portionis configurable in different heights or vertical positions relative to the torso support portionby folding the neck support portionover the torso support portion. For example, the neck support portionmay have a first height or vertical position by applying a first fold over the torso support portion(shown in), and a second height or vertical position lower than the first height or vertical position by applying a second fold over the torso support portionthat is greater than the first fold (shown in). When the neck support portionis in the first vertical position, the fastening partson the two opposite end portions of the neck support portioncan respectively engage with two upper ones of the fastening partson the left and right sides of the torso support portionto hold the neck support portionin the first vertical position. When the neck support portionis in the second vertical position, the fastening partsat the two opposite end portions of the neck support portioncan respectively engage with two lower ones of the fastening partson the left and right sides of the torso support portionto hold the neck support portionin the second vertical position.

It will be appreciated that multiple variant constructions of the fastening partsandmay be possible. For example, the fastening partsprovided on the neck support portionmay be buttons, and the fastening partsprovided on the torso support portionmay be openings. According to a variant construction, the fastening partsandmay include magnetic fasteners, snap fasteners, hooks and loop fasteners, zipper fasteners, restraining belts, and the like. Moreover, the vertical adjustment of the neck support portionrelative to the torso support portionmay be applicable to various embodiments of the child carrier, including embodiments with the storage pocketfor the head coverprovided in the torso support portionor the neck support portion. In an embodiment where the storage pocketfor the head coveris provided in the neck support portion, the fastening partsmay be disposed on the neck support portionat a left and a right side of the storage pocket, and the neck support portionmay be folded over the torso support portionto a desirable vertical position with the head coverstored inside the neck support portionor deployed outward.

The neck support portiondescribed herein is conveniently adjustable according to the size of a child to provide suitable support for the child's head. Accordingly, the neck support portioncan contribute to offer a comfortable and safer support for the child.

Referring to, the child supporting partand the shoulder strapscan detachably fasten to each other via coupling assembliesand. The coupling assemblycan include two sets of connectorsandoperable to engage with and disengage from each other. For example, two connectorscan be respectively coupled to the two shoulder straps, and two connectorscan be respectively appended to a left and a right side of the torso support portionvia two belt portions. More specifically, each connectormay be attached to the corresponding shoulder strapat an intermediate position between the fixed endand the distal endof the shoulder strap. The two belt portionsmay be respectively attached to the torso support portionadjacent to the top thereof and remotely distant from the hip support portion, and each connectormay be coupled to the corresponding belt portion. According to an example of construction, the two belt portionsmay be respectively attached to the inner surfaceof the torso support portionadjacent to the top thereof. The length of each belt portionbetween the connectorthereof and the torso support portionis adjustable according to the size of a child received in the child carrier.

Referring to, the coupling assemblycan include two sets of connectorsandoperable to engage with and disengage from each other. For example, two connectorscan be respectively coupled to the two shoulder straps, and two connectorscan be respectively coupled to the torso support portionabove the hip support portionand the adjusting part. More specifically, each connectorcan be respectively appended at the distal endof the corresponding shoulder strapopposite to the fixed endof the shoulder strap. According to an example of construction, each connectormay be adjustably coupled to the shoulder strapso that a length of the shoulder strapbetween the connectorand the fixed endof the shoulder strapis adjustable. The connectorsmay be disposed adjacent to the hip support portion. According to an example of construction, each connectormay be respectively appended to a tabthat can be affixed to the outer surfaceof the torso support portion.

Referring to, the outer surfaceof the torso support portionmay further include two guide loopsthrough which the two connectorsof the shoulder strapscan respectively pass for engagement with the two connectors. For example, the two guide loopsmay be respectively disposed above the two thigh support portionsand close to the two connectors.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the connectorsandand the connectorsandmay include male and female connectors operable to engage into each other. According to some variant constructions, the connectorsandand the connectorsandmay include snap fasteners, button fasteners, zipper fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, and the like.

For coupling the torso support portionto the shoulder straps, the distal endsof the shoulder strapsmay be connected to the torso support portionby respectively engaging the connectorsat the distal endswith the connectorsof the torso support portion. Moreover, the connectorsof the torso support portioncan be respectively engaged with the connectorsof the shoulder straps. A distance between the top of the torso support portionand the shoulder strapsmay be adjusted as desired by adjusting the length of the belt portionsbetween the connectorsand the torso support portion.

The aforementioned embodiment has the distal endsof the shoulder strapsconnected to the torso support portionin the use configuration. According a variant embodiment, the distal endsof the shoulder strapsmay be connected with the waist strapin the use configuration to form the closed loops for passage of the caregiver's arms, e.g., by providing the same connectorsat suitable positions on the waist strap.

Referring to, the child carriercan further include a strap restraining assemblythat can connect between the two shoulder straps. The strap restraining assemblyis operable to restrictedly position the two shoulder strapsover the caregiver's shoulders, and may include two strap fastening assembliesandand a linking part. Examples of suitable materials for the linking partmay include, without limitation, flexible materials such as fabrics or like soft goods. The linking partmay be disposed between and oppositely connected with the two shoulder straps, and may be positioned adjacent to the waist strap. The linking partcan assist in restrictedly position the shoulder straps. The two strap fastening assembliesandcan respectively slide along the two shoulder strapsfor adjustment, and can engage with or disengage from each other for fastening or unfastening the strap restraining assembly.

Referring to, the strap fastening assemblycan include a sliding part, a female fastener, and a belt portionrespectively connected with the sliding partand the female fastener. The sliding partmay be slidably connected with one of the two shoulder straps. For example, a guide stripextending lengthwise along the shoulder strapmay be provided with two opposite ends affixed to the shoulder strap, and the sliding partmay be slidably mounted on the guide strip. The belt portioncan wrap through and connect with the sliding part, so that the belt portionand the sliding partcan slide in unison along the shoulder strap. The female fastenercan be appended to the shoulder strapvia the belt portion.

The strap fastening assemblycan include a sliding part, a male fastener, and a belt portionrespectively connected with the sliding partand the male fastener. The sliding partcan be slidably connected with the other one of the two shoulder straps, e.g., by using a guide striplike described previously. The belt portioncan wrap through and connect with the sliding part, so that the belt portionand the sliding partcan slide in unison along the other shoulder strap. The male fastenercan be adjustably appended to the other shoulder strapvia the belt portion. The female fastenerand the male fastenerare operable to engage with and disengage from each other.

When the child carrieris installed on a caregiver's body, the linking partmay be positioned in front of the caregiver's torso, and the female fastenerand the male fastenercan engage with each other at the back of the caregiver so as to restrictedly position the two shoulder strapsover the caregiver's torso.

Referring to, the waist strapcan include an attachment systemfor fastening or unfastening the waist straparound a caregiver's waist. The attachment systemcan include two fastening partsandrespectively provided on two opposite ends of the waist strapthat can detachably engage with each other. According to an example of construction, the fastening partsandmay include hook and loop fasteners. According to other examples of construction, the fastening partsandmay include mutually engageable male and female fasteners, snap fasteners, button fasteners, zip fasteners, and the like.

Referring to, the waist strapcan further include a securing harnessoperable to tighten the waist straparound a caregiver's waist. The securing harnesscan include a tightening belt, and two fastening partsand. The tightening beltcan have one end fixedly connected with the waist strap, the fastening partcan be adjustably connected with the tightening belt, and the fastening partcan be fixedly connected with the waist strap. According to an example of construction, the fastening partsandmay include male and female buckle parts operable to engage with each other. In use, after the waist strapis fastened around a caregiver's waist with the attachment system, the tightening beltcan be stretched to extend across the two ends of the waist strapso that the fastening parton the tightening beltcan engage with the fastening parton the waist strap. The waist strapcan be thereby tightly secured around the caregiver's waist. According to an example of construction, the waist strapcan further include a guide loopdisposed between the fastening partand an end of the waist strap. The guide loopmay facilitate positioning of the tightening belt, which can pass through the guide loopfor engaging the fastening partwith the fastening part.

Exemplary use of the child carrieris described hereinafter with reference to. When the child carrieris to be used, the connectorsat the distal endsof the shoulder strapscan be fastened to the connectorsof the torso support portion, and the connectorsof the torso support portioncan be respectively engaged with the connectorsof the shoulder straps. The torso support portioncan be thereby coupled to the shoulder straps, and the shoulder strapscan respectively define two closed loops for passage of the caregiver's arms. Moreover, the width of the hip support portionmay be adjusted with the adjusting partaccording to the size of a child or the child's sitting configuration. For example, when the child is to be seated facing forward and away from the caregiver, the buttonon the hip support portioncan be engaged with the openingof the adjusting part(as shown in) to reduce the width of the hip support portion, whereby the hip support portioncan more tightly support the child. When the child is to be seated facing the caregiver, the hip support portionwould wrap around the larger region of the child's hip, so the buttonon the hip support portioncan be disengaged from the openingof the adjusting part(as shown in) to increase the width of the hip support portionfor a comfortable sitting environment.

Once the setup of the child carrieris completed, the waist strapcan be fastened around a caregiver's waist by engaging the two fastening partsandof the attachment system. The waist strapmay then be tightened around the caregiver's waist with the securing harness. Subsequently, the child is held in front of the caregiver's torso, and the shoulder strapsand the child supporting partare pulled upward together so that the child supporting partwraps around the child and the shoulder strapsextend along a front side of the caregiver's torso and wrap around the caregiver's shoulders. The inner surfaceof the torso support portioncan thereby face an interior volume of the child carrierwhere the child is received, and the outer surfacecan face outward. Then the two strap fastening assembliesandcan be adjusted along the two shoulder strapsaccording to the caregiver's size, and can engage with each other for fastening the strap restraining assembly. A distance between the top of the torso support portionand the caregiver's body may be adjusted as desired by adjusting the length of the belt portions.

is a schematic view illustrating a variant construction of the child carrierin which the hip support adjustmentcan include a zip fastenerthat may serve as the adjusting partdescribed previously. The zip fastenercan be connected with the hip support portion, and can extend generally parallel to the lengthwise axis of the child supporting part. According to an example of construction, the zip fastenercan be disposed adjacent to a middle of the hip support portion. The zip fastenercan be closed to reduce the width of the hip support portion, and opened to increase the width of the hip support portion.

is a schematic view illustrating a variant construction of the child carrierthat may include a pocket. The pocketcan be provided in the hip support portion, and can be configured to conceal the hip support adjustment. More specifically, the hip support adjustmentmay be disposed inside the pocket, and the pocketcan have an openingat a top or a side thereof through which the hip support adjustmentmay be accessible for operation. Concealment of the hip support adjustmentinside the pocketmay contribute to improve the overall outer appearance of the child supporting part.

In, the hip support adjustmentconcealed in the pocketcan exemplary include the adjusting partand the buttonas described previously in conjunction with. In, the hip support adjustmentconcealed in the pocketcan exemplary include the zip fasteneras described previously in conjunction with.

are schematic views illustrating another feature that may be provided in an embodiment of the child carrier. The child carriershown inmay have any of the structures described previously. Referring to, the child carriermay further include two thigh restraintsthat extend between the carrying harnessand the child supporting partand are respectively provided close to the two thigh support portionsat the left and right sides. According to an example of construction, the thigh restraintand the thigh support portionat each of the left and right sides may at least partially delimit an adjustable restraining opening through which a thigh of a child may be positioned, the thigh restraintextending above the thigh support portion. Once a child is installed on the child carrierwith a thigh of the child positioned through the restraining opening, the thigh restraintcan upwardly limit an upward displacement of the thigh, which may assist in suitably positioning the child and prevent the child from falling sideways off the child carrier.

Referring to, according to an example of construction, the thigh restraintincludes a limiting partthat can extend between the carrying harnessand the child supporting part. The limiting partmay have an elongate shape, and may be comprised of a flexible material. For example, the limiting partmay be a flexible strip or band. Examples of suitable materials for the limiting partmay include, without limitation, fabrics, soft goods, and the like. According to an embodiment, the limiting partmay be respectively connected with the carrying harnessand the child supporting partat a location between the thigh support portionand the neck support portion. For example, the limiting partmay have a fixed endaffixed to the carrying harness, and may be operable to detachably connect with the torso support portionat a location adjacent to the hip support portionand above the thigh support portion. According to an example of construction, the fixed endof the limiting partmay be affixed to the shoulder strapat a location adjacent to and above the waist strap. According to another example of construction, the fixed endof the limiting partmay be affixed to the waist strap.

Rather than respectively connecting with the carrying harnessand the child supporting part, the limiting partmay alternatively be connected with the child supporting partat two distant locations. For example, the limiting partmay have the fixed endconnected with the hip support portionor the thigh support portion, and may be operable to detachably connect with the torso support portionat a location adjacent to the hip support portionand above the thigh support portion.

When the limiting partis connected with the torso support portion, the limiting partand the thigh support portioncan at least partially delimit a restraining opening for positioning of a child's thigh. In addition, the limiting partis operable to modify the size of the restraining opening. For example, a length of the limiting partbetween the fixed endand the location where the limiting partconnects with the torso support portionmay be adjustable to modify the size of the restraining opening.

According to an example of construction, the limiting partmay have a first fastening partdisposed adjacent to a distal endof the limiting partopposite to the fixed endthereof, and one or more second fastening partdisposed adjacent to the fixed endthat can engage with and disengage from the first fastening part. The first and second fastening partsandmay include, without limitation, button fasteners, snap fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, buckle fasteners, and the like. For forming the restraining opening, the limiting partmay lace through a guide loop that is provided on the outer surfaceof the torso support portionabove the thigh support portion(e.g., the guide loop), and then turn back so that the first fastening partengages with one of the second fastening parts(as shown in). In a use configuration, the installed limiting partcan extend above the thigh support portionand below the neck support portion, and can upwardly limit an upward movement of a child's thigh positioned through the restraining opening. The length of the limiting partbetween the fixed endand the location where the limiting partconnects with the torso support portion(e.g., the guide loop), which can upwardly delimit the restraining opening, can be adjusted by engaging the first fastening partwith a different one of the second fastening parts.

It will be appreciated that the thigh restraintmay have other constructions. For example, rather than using a lacing method, a variant construction may dispose the second fastening partson the torso support portion, and the first fastening parton the limiting partcan engage with any of the second fastening partson the torso support portionto form the restraining opening. According to another variant construction shown in, the limiting partmay include a plurality of first fastening partsrespectively formed as openings, and the torso support portionmay have a second fastening partin the form of a button operable to selectively engage with any of the openings on the limiting partfor forming the restraining opening. According to another construction, the limiting partmay be detachably and/or adjustably fastened to one or both of the carrying harnessand the torso support portion.

are schematic views illustrating another variant construction that that may be applied in an embodiment of the child carrier. Referring to, the neck support portionmay be detachably connected with a top of the torso support portionvia a fastener, which can be exemplary a zip fastener. The fastener can be engaged to connect the neck support portionwith the torso support portion, and disengaged to remove the neck support portionfrom the torso support portion. Accordingly, a caregiver can easily remove and install the neck support portionas needed. For example, the neck support portionmay be removed from the torso support portionfor facilitating cleaning or repair. Although the example ofuses a zip fastener, it will be appreciated that other types of fasteners are possible for detachably connecting the neck support portionwith the torso support portionincluding, without limitation, snap fasteners, button fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, and the like. Once the neck support portionis connected with the torso support portion, the neck support portionmay be folded over the torso support portion(e.g., along the zip fastener) for adjustment of the vertical position of the neck support portionrelative to the torso support portion, like described previously. The same fastening partsanddescribed previously can be used to hold the vertical position of the neck support portion.

Referring to, the storage pocketused for storing the head covermay be provided in the detachable neck support portionrather than in the torso support portion. For example, the storage pocketmay be placed in a central region of the neck support portion, and the fastening partsof the neck support portionmay be positioned at a left and a right side of the storage pocket. The opening of the storage pocketmay be exemplary closed and opened with one or more snap fastenerOther suitable fasteners for closing and opening the storage pocketmay include, without limitation, zip fasteners, button fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, and the like. According to an example of construction, the head covermay have an end fixedly connected with an interior of the storage pocket, so that the head coveris coupled to the neck support portion. The head covermay be folded and stowed inside the storage pocket, and deployed outward for use. When the head coveris deployed for covering a child's head, the head covermay detachably fasten to the two shoulder strapsof the child carrierto help supporting the child's head. For example, the head covermay have two belt portions(better shown in) respectively provided with fastening partsthat can respectively engage with corresponding fastening partsprovided on the shoulder straps. When the head coveris unused, the belt portionsand the fastening partsthereon may be stored with the head coverinside the storage pocket.

are schematic views illustrating another feature that may be provided in an embodiment of the child carrier. Referring to, the child carriermay include a bibthat is installable on the child supporting partto at least partially cover and protect the neck support portion. The neck support portionmay be permanently affixed to or detachably connected with the torso support portion, and can be adjusted between a plurality of vertical positions relative to the torso support portionby folding the neck support portionover the torso support portionas described previously. The bibmay be installed adjacently on the neck support portionwhile the neck support portionis in any desirable vertical positions relative to the torso support portion. For convenient and flexible use, the bibmay be attached to and detached from the child supporting partas desired. For example, the bibmay be detachably fastened to the neck support portionand/or the torso support portionof the child supporting part.

According to an example of construction, the bibmay have a generally U-shape, including a transversal portionand two side portionsprotruding from the transversal portionat two opposite sides thereof. Examples of suitable materials for the bibcan include, without limitation, fabrics and soft goods. The bibcan include a plurality of openingsfor attachment of the bibto the child supporting part. For example, two openingsmay be respectively disposed on the bibadjacent to the two connecting regions where the two side portionsrespectively join with the transversal portion. In use, the bibmay be disposed to cover at least partially the neck support portion, and fastening parts provided on the torso support portioncan respectively engage with the openingsto hold the bibin position. Examples of suitable fastening parts provided on the torso support portionfor engaging with the openingsof the bibcan include buttons. According to one embodiment, the fastening partsprovided on the torso support portionfor holding the different vertical positions of the neck support portionmay also engage with the openingsto hold the bibin position. For example, two of the fastening partscan respectively engage with the neck support portionand the bibto hold the neck support portionin a desired vertical position and the bibin position adjacent to the neck support portion. Once the bibis positioned on the neck support portion, the two side portionsof the bibcan at least partially cover at least some of the fastening partsand the two belt portions.

In addition to or alternatively to the aforementioned fastening parts provided on the torso support portion, it will be appreciated that the neck support portionmay also have fastening parts operable to engage with the bibto hold the bibin position.