Device for anchoring bottles or the like, and method

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, including a body encircling harness comprising a body encircling band having opposite end portions provided with means for releasably coupling such end portions together, a pair of shoulder straps having first ends attached to said band in spaced relation at respectively opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the band, said flexible element being attached to said band intermediate said shoulder straps, means on the free end portions of said band for connection the band releasably into loop form, and means on the free end portions of said shoulder straps for attaching such free end portions of the shoulder straps to the body band adjacent to said free end portions of the body band.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 2, wherein said fastening means on the body band and on the shoulder straps comprise cooperating loop and hook separable fasteners.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1, comprising: a body encircling harness band having opposite end portions provided with means for releasably and adjustably coupling such end portions together at the back of the band; a pair of shoulder straps having first ends attached to the front portion of said band in spaced relation at respectively opposite sides of the longitudinal center at the front of the band; means on second end portions of the shoulder straps for quick releasably and adjustably coupling them to said end portions at the back of the band; and said one end of said elongate flexible element connected to substantially said longitudinal center of the front of said band between said first end portions of the shoulder straps.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 4, wherein said means for releasably coupling said end portions of the body encircling harness band comprise hook and loop strip fasteners on said end portions, and said means along the second end portions of the shoulder straps for coupling them to said end portions of the band comprising loop and hook separable fastener strips complementary to said fastener strips on said band and separably engageable therewith.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 4, wherein said band, shoulder straps and flexible element comprise plastic web material and electronically welded to one another, said means for releasably coupling comprising plastic loop and hook separable fasteners electronically welded onto respectively said band and said shoulder straps.

Claim 8

In a method of assembling a device especially suitable for anchoring an object such as a baby bottle or the like to a body encircling harness, and wherein the device has an elongate flexible element having a neck portion and opposite ends, one end being adapted for attachment to the harness and the opposite end having a terminal eye with an eyehole therein: projecting said terminal eye through a resiliently flexible retaining ring of larger diameter than said eyehole; compressing and collapsing the ring, after projection therethrough of said terminal eye, to a small enough elongated dimension to pass through said eyehole; coincident with said compressing and collapsing engaging a part of said neck portion adjacent to said terminal eye within one end of the collapsed ring; guiding the opposite end of the collapsed ring as a leading tip through said eyehole and drawing the collapsed ring and with it said neck portion part into a coupling loop through said terminal eye, similarly as a needle passing through a fabric draws a thread through the fabric, and then permitting the ring to expand to its ring form; and after the ring has been permitted to expand to its ring form retaining the ring attached to the flexible element by engagement of said terminal eye as a ring-retaining locking collar about said neck portion adjacent said ring and said coupling loop; whereby the thus retained expanded ring is adapted to fit about and thereby attach an object such as a baby bottle to the harness.

Claim 9

In a method of assembling a device especially suitable for anchoring an object such as a baby bottle or the like to a body encircling harness, and wherein the device has an elongate flexible element having a neck portion and opposite ends, one end being adapted for attachment to the harness and the opposite end having a terminal eye with an eyehole therein: projecting said terminal eye through a resiliently flexible retaining ring of larger diameter than said eyehole; compressing and collapsing the ring, after projection therethrough of said terminal eye, to a small enough elongated dimension to pass through said eyehole; coincident with said compressing and collapsing engaging a part of said neck portion adjacent to said terminal eye within one end of the collapsed ring; guiding the opposite end of the collapsed ring as a leading tip through said eyehole and drawing the collapsed ring and with it said neck portion part into a coupling loop through said terminal eye, similarly as a needle passing through a fabric draws a thread through the fabric, and then permitting the ring to expand to its ring form; and after the ring has been permitted to expand to its ring form retaining the ring attached to the flexible element by engagement of said terminal eye as a ring-retaining locking collar about said neck portion adjacent said ring and said coupling loop; whereby the thus retained expanded ring is adapted to fit about and thereby attach an object such as a baby bottle to the harness.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 7, including attaching the opposite end of the flexible element to a body encircling harness band intermediate a pair of shoulder straps having first ends attached to said band in spaced relation at respectively opposite sides of said flexible element, connecting end portions of the band releasably into loop form, and connecting second ends of the shoulder straps releasably to the band adjacent to said end portions of the body band.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 8, further including effecting said connecting of said end portions and second ends by pressing together cooperating loop and hook separable fasteners on the body band end portions and on the second ends of the shoulder straps.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 7, including engaging said locked and expanded ring about the neck of a baby nursing bottle between the inner end of a nipple attached to the neck and a shoulder on the bottle and thereby anchoring the bottle to the device.