Fisher-price, Inc.

Curt J Mahlstedt

Bryan M Brown

John S Canna

Sandra M Darling

An apparatus and method for securely and releasably attaching load-bearing soft goods to a frame without requiring the use of tools for attachment and detachment is disclosed. A connection mechanism, or buckle, that is comprised of a first, male connector portion and a second, female connector portion is provided. The male connector, which is fixedly secured to the soft good, is releasably received within the female connector, which is fixedly secured to the frame, in order to releasably attach the soft good to the frame. The male connector contains a thin, rectangular attachment tab that provides for fixedly attaching the soft good to the male connector. The female connector is directly secured to the frame, such as by riveting. By fixedly securing one portion of the connection mechanism to the frame for mating with another portion, it is obvious to the user where the attachments of the soft good to the frame are to be made. The attached soft good can support the weight of a child occupant and can only be detached from the frame by applying a force that is directed to decoupling the buckle. Several buckles are disposed around the periphery of the soft good and the frame in order to adequately support the soft good.

Soft goods fastener

A footrest/cover member is attached to the frame of an infant or child carrier such as a stroller. The footrest/cover member is pivotally attached to the stroller frame by a bar traversing the two front leg portions. The footrest cover member can serve as a footrest for a stroller or may be rotated upward to engage a resilient tab on a grab bar, thus enclosing the stroller leg area when the carrier is serving as a bassinet/carriage.

Footrest movable between two positions

A front infant carrier which includes a vest-like harness that is worn by the attendant, a detachable infant shell, and a sling. The detachable infant shell attaches to the harness at three attachment points, either in a forward-facing or rearward-facing orientation. In the rearward-facing position, the shell attaches to the harness by a peg/button mounted at the crotch of the shell which snaps into a socket centrally mounted at the lower front of the harness, and by a pair of upper clips on the shell which engage rings on the upper front of the harness. The forward-facing attachment uses a second peg/button at the lower back portion of the shell, instead of the crotch peg/button, and attaches in a similar fashion, whereby the second peg/button snaps into the socket centrally mounted at the lower front of the harness, and the pair of upper clips on the shell engage the rings on the upper front of the harness. A sling may also be attached to the harness at three points, the sling having a third peg/button which mates with the socket centrally mounted at the lower front of the harness and has a pair of upper clips which engage the rings on the upper front of the harness. The sling may be attached so that the disengaged shell and carried infant may be rested sideways within the sling. The sling is reinforced with sewn-in battens to help provide support for the infant to rest in the sling alternatively without the shell.

Growing community of inventors

East Aurora, NY, United States of America

Curt J Mahlstedt