Infant hip carrier with storage capability

Abstract

A carrier device is supported on the hip of a wearer in order to hold and carry an infant or toddler. The carrier device has a wide belt that encircles and adjustably fits on the waist o the wearer, and the belt has a pouch adjacent one hip of the wearer. A hollow shell including a shell body and a removable lid is received in the pouch to form a platform on which the child sits and to provide a storage space for auxiliary care products or other items. The shell has curved side walls which diverge upwardly and outwardly from a crescent-shaped bottom wall at small obtuse angles. Reinforcing webs support a central portion of the lid which is crescent-shaped and a rib and registration tabs are provided to seat the lid on the shell body. The lid is centrally creased to have upwardly and outwardly flared wings. The lid is canted at a small acute angle so that, with its shape and orientation, the supported child is urged toward the wearer's torso. The pouch has a padded inner side panel, and a padded cover panel extends over the lid, and has a tongue that extends downwardly alongside an outer side panel to be secured thereto. A neck harness is also employed, and a safety strap helps secure the belt around the wearer's waist.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.