COLLAPSIBLE INFANT BED
An infant bed includes multiple base panels and multiple side and end panels extending therefrom, with the side and end panels typically including removable boards. Each of these panels is connected to adjacent of the panels along respective fold lines that enable the adjacent panels to be folded over on each other. By folding the panels in various ways, they can be converted from a flat configuration for use as an infant play mat to a receptacle configuration for use as an infant bed and/or to a collapsed configuration for transport. Various attachments, flaps, and/or other features can be included for securing the panels in the bed and/or transport configurations, and handles can be included for carrying the bed in the transport configuration. Also, the bed can be nested within a bassinet for use, and upon removal of the bed the bassinet can be collapsed to a transport configuration.
Latest KIDS II, INC. Patents:
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/152,845 filed Apr. 25, 2015, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/170,316 filed Jun. 3, 2015, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/170,888 filed Jun. 4, 2015, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/215,918 filed Sep. 9, 2015 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/215,943 filed Sep. 9, 2015, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to the field of infant and children's products, and more particularly to devices for receiving and supporting a sleeping child.
BACKGROUNDThere are numerous conventional products for receiving and supporting sleeping infants, including bassinets, cradles, and the like. Such child-support sleep devices typically include a receptacle for the child and a frame for supporting the child receptacle. Sometimes children are transported to locations away from home, for example when traveling with the family or staying with grandparents. For such situations, some child-support sleep devices have been developed that are foldable so they can be more easily transportable. For example, the support frame and/or the child receptacle can be foldable into a more compact configuration for transport. However, such foldable child-support sleep devices have not proven entirely satisfactory.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for improvements in portable child-support sleep devices for children. It is to the provision of solutions meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.
SUMMARYGenerally described, the present invention relates to a travel bed for infants that has several unique features. The infant bed includes multiple base panels and multiple side and end panels extending therefrom, with the side and end panels typically including removable reinforcement boards. Each of these panels is connected to adjacent of the panels along respective fold lines that enable the adjacent panels to be folded over on each other. By folding the panels in various ways, they can be converted from a flat configuration for use as an infant play mat to a receptacle configuration for use as an infant bed and/or to a collapsed configuration for transport. Various attachments, flaps, and/or other features can be included for securing the panels in the bed and/or transport configurations, and handles can be included for carrying the bed in the transport configuration. Also, the bed can be nested within a bassinet for use, and upon removal of the bed the bassinet can be collapsed to a transport configuration.
These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will be understood with reference to the drawing figures and detailed description herein, and will be realized by means of the various elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following brief description of the drawings and detailed description of example embodiments are explanatory of typical embodiments of the invention, and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of example embodiments taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions, or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed invention. Any and all patents and other publications identified in this specification are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
Also, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.
With reference now to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout the several views,
Referring particularly to
The infant bed 100 in this configuration is generally rectangular-shaped with rounded corners. As such, the base, side, and end panels 102, 104, and 106 are generally triangular, and the corner panels 108 are generally pie-shaped with curved outer edges (ala a slice of pie, not a pie). In other embodiments, the infant bed is generally oval-shaped or has another regular or irregular shape, with one or more of the base, side, end, and/or corner panels having complementary shapes selected to produce the desired overall shape of the infant bed.
The infant bed 100 is formed by a continuous body divided into the base, side, end, and corner panels 102, 104, 106, and 108 by divider fold lines 114. The infant bed 100 is constructed of a top sheet 116 and a bottom sheet 118 connected together to form the continuous body, with a resilient material 120 contained between the top and bottom sheets in at least some of the panels (e.g., at least the floor panels 102). The resilient material 120 can be provided by foam, polyester fill, batting, or another conventional resilient material for providing a cushioning effect. The top and bottom sheets 116 and 118 are typically made of a soft flexible fabric and connected together by stitching or by other conventional fastening elements around their peripheries and along the divider fold lines 114. Thus, the divider fold lines 114 are typically formed by linearly stitching the top and bottom sheets 116 and 118 together directly with no resilient material between them to form a thinner (relative to where there is resilient material) linear zone providing a hinged connection that facilitates the intended folding action. In other embodiments, the infant bed is formed by assembling together some or all of the individual panels (e.g., along the fold lines), the panels are provided by formed slabs of the resilient material (without the top and/or bottom sheets), and/or some of the panels are combined/integrated together into larger panels without fold lines subdividing them (e.g., an integrated base panel with four or more side panels, or integrated side panels with multiple base panels). Regardless, the divider fold lines 114 permit the adjacent panels to be folded over on each other about them in various conversion procedures as described herein.
Referring to particularly
Preferably, the thickness of all of the panels 102, 104, 106, and 108 is substantially the same in the play mat configuration to avoid the child lying on uncomfortable edges of the boards. To accomplish this, the rigid boards 122 have a thickness that is substantially the same as the resilient material 120 when subjected to compression forces of normal use by an infant child (see
The rigid boards 122 can be removable from and replaceable into the respective panels 104 and 106, thereby permitting a caretaker to remove the boards from the travel bed 100 for laundering or other cleaning. For example, the side panels 104 can each include a slotted opening 124 (e.g., defined by adjacent edges of the respective panel) through which the respective board 122 can be removed/inserted and a closure 126 (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener, a zipper, or snaps) for releasably retaining the adjacent edges together (i.e., to close the opening). The adjacent edges of the respective panel 104 that define the opening 124 can overlap each other to provide attachment locations for the mating parts of the closure 126. For example, the opening 124 can be formed between the top and bottom sheets 116 and 118 at the periphery of the panel 104 with the top sheet having an extension flap that wraps around and overlaps with the bottom sheet (see
In addition, the rigid boards 122 can be connected together by attachments 128 so that when removed from the panels they do not get separated to provide for ease of storage and safekeeping. For example, the attachments 128 can be provided by strips of material each one coupled to and extending between two adjacent of the boards 122 with the adjacent boards spaced apart slightly from each other. The strip attachments 128 can be provided by cords, strings, cables, wires, fabric, webbing, or another elongate element that is preferably flexible to permit the boards to be folded over on each other in an accordion fashion. Typically, the strip attachments 128 are positioned adjacent to outer edges 130 of the adjacent boards 122, and the divider fold lines 114 between the adjacent panels 104 receiving the boards 122 each include a gap 132 (where the top and bottom sheets 118 and 120 are not connected) positioned adjacent to outer edges 134 of the panels 104. In this way, with the boards 122 in the adjacent panels 104, their strip attachments 128 are received in the gap 132 between them.
In other embodiments, extra pads or cushions of the resilient material are provided with the infant bed for inserting into the emptied panels (e.g., from which the boards have been removed) for use in the flat/play bed configuration. Also, for adjacent panels, the pads can be interconnected by the attachments (in the same manner as the adjacent boards, as described above) for receipt into the gaps so the pads do not get separated when removed and not in use.
As mentioned above, the infant bed 100 is convertible into the receptacle configuration for use as an infant bed, depicted in
In the flat/play mat configuration, the side, end, and corner panels 104, 106, and 108 all lay horizontally in the same general plane with the base or floor panels 102, with all of the panels resting on a support surface such as the floor. In this configuration, the infant bed 100 can be optionally provided with toys, a toy bar, a canopy, and/or other entertainment features (not shown), as desired. In addition, the infant bed 100 can be also optionally include indicia, storage pockets, and/or additional accessories (not shown).
Fastening components 136 are provided on the infant bed 100 to retain it in the receptacle/bed configuration with the side and end panels 104 and 106 upright and generally perpendicular to the base panels 102 (see
In addition, a cover flap 138 can be provided on each end of the infant bed 100 to cover the folded-up end and corner panels 106 and 108 as well as the fastening components 136 to conceal loose edges and provide a clean appearance. For example, the cover flap on 138 can have substantially the same size and shape as the adjacent end panel 106 that it covers, and it can be attached to and extending from an outer edge of that adjacent end panel. Mating fasteners 140 can be provided on the flap 136 and the adjacent corner panel 106 for securing the flap to the bottom sheet 118 (i.e., the outer surface in the receptacle/bed configuration) of the corner panel. The mating fasteners 140 can be provided by hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, zippers, buckles, ties, or other conventional fastening components selected for providing the functionality described herein.
Furthermore, fastening components 142 are provided on the infant bed 100 to retain it in the collapsed/transport configuration (see
Referring now to
The cover flap 138 is then folded over the end panel 106 and the folded-over corner panel 108, as well as over the fastening components 136, as shown in
Referring now to
The infant bed 200 is similar to that of the first embodiment in many aspects of its design and construction. For example, the infant bed 200 includes base panels 202, side panels 204, end panels 206, and corner panels 208, and is formed by top and bottom sheets 216 and 218 attached together at divider fold lines 214 and containing rigid boards and/or a resilient material. As such, the panels that include boards and those that include resilient material can be the same as in the previous embodiment, or not, and the boards can be removable, or not.
In this embodiment, the end panels 206 are not attached to the adjacent corner panels 208, instead they define slits 245 between them that permit the end panels to be folded independently of the adjacent corner panels. In addition, one or more sets of fastening components are provided for retaining the side and end panels 206 and 208 in the upright position of the receptacle/bed configuration. For example, fastening components 246 can be positioned on the two corner panels 208 of each end (e.g., on the bottom sheet 218 of the infant bed 200) for adjacent positioning and engagement in the receptacle/bed configuration to secure them together. Such fastening components 246 can include a loop 246a (a strip of a flexible material attached at both ends to the respective panel) and a flexible hook 246b (by a strip of a flexible material) that can be routed through the loop and folded back over onto an attached to itself for example by fasteners 246c (e.g., by the depicted hook-and-loop fasteners or by other fasteners such as snaps, buttons, buckles, or the like). Additional mating fastening components 248 can be positioned on the end panels 206 and the adjacent corner panels 208 (e.g., on the bottom and top sheets 218 and 216, respectively, of the infant bed 200) for alignment and mating in the receptacle/bed configuration to secure them together. Such additional fastening components 248 can include hook-and-loop fasteners (or other fasteners such as snaps, buttons, buckles, or the like). Further fastening components 250 can include slots 250a formed in the infant bed 200 and tabs 250b that can be extended through the respective slots for adjacent positioning and engagement in the receptacle/bed configuration, with the tabs removably attached to one of the bed panels (after being extended through its slot) by fasteners 250c (e.g., by the depicted hook-and-loop fasteners or by other fasteners such as snaps, buttons, buckles, or the like), with the fasteners positioned adjacent the respective slots on the bottom sheet 218 of the infant bed 200. Each such slot 250a can be formed along the end fold line 214 between a respective one of the corner panels 208 and the end-positioned adjacent side panel 204, and each such tab 250b can extend from a free side 247 of the adjacent end panel 206. Optionally, an additional fastener part (e.g., one piece of hook-and-loop fastener; not shown) can be positioned on each adjacent corner pane 208, on the bottom sheet 218, so that when the infant bed 200 is in the flat/play mat configuration it mates with the fastener part 250c on the tab 250b to secure the adjacent end and corner panels 206 and 208 together.
In the depicted embodiment, all three types of fastening components 246, 248, 250 are provided to ensure the structural integrity of the peripheral wall formed by the side, end, and corner panels 204, 206, and 208 in the receptacle/bed configuration. In other embodiments, only one or two of these types of fastening components are provided, in any desired combination, and/or in combination with one or more other types of conventional fastening components, as may be desired.
Furthermore, fastening components 242 are provided on the infant bed 200 to retain it in the collapsed/transport configuration (see
Referring now to
Referring now to
In the depicted embodiment, it is not necessary to first unfasten the fastener tabs 250 in order to achieve the collapsed/transport configuration. Instead, with the fastening components 246 and the fastening components 248 decoupled so that the corner panels 208 are not secured in the upright position of the receptacle/bed configuration, but with the fastening components 250 remaining coupled to hold the end panel 206 in the upright position of the receptacle/bed configuration, the end wall is folded down and in so that it collapses along the two symmetrical end-panel diagonal fold lines 252. In particular, a user can fold the side panels 204 toward the center of the base panel 206 and fold the ends of the end panel 206 toward each other to collapse them along the symmetrical diagonal fold lines 252. Then the conversion process to the collapsed/transport configuration can proceed from there by folding the corner panels 208 back over the side panels 204 then proceeding as shown in
The bassinet 354 of the depicted embodiment includes a rigid base 356, a peripheral sidewall 358, a peripheral frame member 360, and two repositionable brace members 362. The peripheral sidewall 358 is made of a flexible material such as a soft fabric, is attached at its lower periphery to a periphery of the rigid base 356, and is attached at its upper periphery to the peripheral frame member 360 (e.g., the peripheral frame member can be covered by the peripheral sidewall, as depicted), to form an open-topped enclosure. The peripheral frame member 360 and the repositionable brace members 362 are made of a rigid material such as metal rods. The two repositionable brace members 362 are coupled to the base 356, the peripheral frame member 360, or both. For example, the brace members 362 can have upper portions coupled to the peripheral frame 360 by pivotal couplings 364 and lower portions coupled to the base 356 by loops 366 that permit a limited sliding travel, as depicted. In other embodiments, the brace members are coupled by guide tracks, telescoping members, or other coupling mechanisms.
The coupling arrangement of the brace members 362 enables them to be repositioned between an upright position and a collapsed horizontal position. In the upright position, the brace members 362 extend upward from the rigid base 356 to support the peripheral wall 358 in a tensioned upright use configuration (
While the invention has been described with reference to example embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications, additions, and deletions are within the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. An infant bed, comprising:
- a plurality of panels including at least one base panel, at least two side panels extending from sides of the base panel at side divider fold lines, and at least two end panels extending from ends of the base panel at it end divider fold lines, wherein the panels are convertible from a flat configuration for use as an infant play mat to a receptacle configuration for use as the infant bed and to a collapsed configuration for transport by folding the side and end panels about the side and end divider fold lines.
2. The infant bed of claim 1, wherein in the receptacle configuration the side panels and the end panels are positioned generally upright, removably connected by fastening components, together form a peripheral retaining wall, and include rigid boards.
3. The infant bed of claim 2, wherein the rigid boards are removable from the respective side and end panels.
4. The infant bed of claim 3, wherein the side and end panels define slots through which the rigid boards can be inserted and removed and include openable closures for selectively securing the rigid boards in the respective panels.
5. The infant bed of claim 3, wherein the at least two side panels includes at least four side panels, with two side panels on each of the respective sides of the base panel and with each of the side panels including a respective one of the rigid boards, and wherein the two rigid boards on each side are connected together by an attachment so that they are not separable when removed from the respective side panels.
6. The infant bed of claim 5, wherein the attachment is positioned adjacent to outer edges of adjacent ones of the rigid boards, wherein an intermediate divider fold line between adjacent ones of the side panels defines a gap adjacent to an outer edge of the side panels, and wherein the attachment is received in the gap when the boards are received in the side panels.
7. The infant bed of claim 2, wherein the base panel includes a resilient material, and in a compressed state the resilient material of the base panel and the rigid boards of the side and end panels have substantially the same thickness.
8. The infant bed of claim 1, wherein the at least one base panel includes three base panels interconnected by intermediate divider fold lines, and wherein in the collapsed transport configuration the three base panels form a triangular shape and house the side and end panels therewithin.
9. The infant bed of claim 8, further comprising fastening components positioned on a bottom side of the base panels that mate and engage each other to retain the base panels in the collapsed transport configuration.
10. The infant bed of claim 9, further comprising at least one handle positioned on the bottom side of at least one of the base panels for carrying the bed in the collapsed transport configuration.
11. The infant bed of claim 1, further comprising at least four corner panels each one positioned between two of the side and end panels, wherein the corner panels each contain a resilient material.
12. The infant bed of claim 11, wherein the corner panels each have a diagonal centerline about which they fold when converting from the flat play-mat configuration to the receptacle bed configuration.
13. The infant bed of claim 1, wherein the corner panels extend from and are attached to the adjacent side panel along the end divider fold line, but are separated from the adjacent end panel by a slit, wherein a tab extends from a free end of the adjacent end panel and extends through a slot in one of the panels or divider fold lines when the side, end, and corner panels are folded up into an upright position in the receptacle bed configuration, and wherein the tab includes a fastener for securing it to one of the panels.
14. The infant bed of claim 13, wherein the tab stays in the slot and stays fastened to the respective panel when the bed is folded from the flat play-mat configuration to the receptacle bed configuration.
15. The infant bed of claim 1 in combination with a bassinet, wherein the bassinet holds the infant bed in a nested arrangement when the infant bed is in the receptacle bed configuration, and wherein the bassinet is convertible between a receptacle configuration for holding the infant bed in the nested arrangement and a collapsed configuration for transport.
16. An infant bed, comprising: wherein the panels are convertible from a flat configuration for use as an infant play mat to a receptacle configuration for use as the infant bed and to a collapsed configuration for transport by folding the base, side, end, and corner panels, wherein in the receptacle configuration the side panels and the end panels are positioned generally upright forming a peripheral retaining wall, and wherein in the collapsed transport configuration the three base panels form a triangular shape and house the side and end panels therewithin.
- three base panels interconnected by intermediate divider fold lines and collectively defining opposing sides and opposing ends, the base panels each containing a resilient material;
- six side panels extending from the sides of the base panels at side divider fold lines, three side panels on each side interconnected by the intermediate divider fold lines, the side panels each containing a rigid board;
- two end panels extending from the ends of the base panels at end divider fold lines, the end panels each containing a rigid board; and
- four corner panels each one positioned between two of the side and end panels, the corner panels each containing a resilient material,
17. The infant bed of claim 16, wherein the rigid boards are removable from the side and end panels, wherein the side and end panels define slots through which the rigid boards can be inserted and removed and include openable closures for selectively securing the rigid boards in the respective panels.
18. The infant bed of claim 17, wherein adjacent ones of the rigid boards on each side are connected together by an attachment so that they are not separable when removed from the respective side panels, wherein the attachment is positioned adjacent to outer edges of adjacent ones of the rigid boards, wherein the intermediate divider fold line between adjacent ones of the side panels defines a gap adjacent to an outer edge of the side panels, and wherein the attachment is received in the gap when the boards are received in the side panels.
19. The infant bed of claim 16, wherein the corner panels each extend from and are attached to the adjacent side panel along the end divider fold line, but are separated from the adjacent end panel by a slit, wherein a tab extends from a free end of the adjacent end panel and extends through a slot in the end divider fold line between the corner panel and the adjacent side panel when the side, end, and corner panels are folded up into an upright position in the receptacle bed configuration, and wherein the tab includes a fastener for securing it to one of the panels.
20. The infant bed of claim 16, further comprising fastening components positioned on a bottom side of the base panels that mate and engage each other to retain the base panels in the collapsed transport configuration, and at least one handle positioned on the bottom side of at least one of the base panels for carrying the bed in the collapsed transport configuration.
21. The infant bed of claim 16, further comprising fastening components that mate and engage each other to retain the side and end panels in the upright position of the receptacle bed configuration.
22. An infant bed, comprising: wherein the panels are convertible from a flat configuration for use as an infant play mat to a receptacle configuration for use as the infant bed and to a collapsed configuration for transport by folding the base, side, end, and corner panels, wherein the corner panels each have a diagonal centerline about which they fold when converting from the flat play-mat configuration to the receptacle bed configuration, wherein in the receptacle configuration the side and end panels are positioned generally upright forming a peripheral retaining wall with fastening bed components mating to retain the side and end panels in the upright position and with each end panel including a flap positionable covering the end panel and the fastening bed components, and wherein in the collapsed transport configuration the three base panels form a triangular shape housing the side and end panels therewithin with fastening transport components mating to retain the base panels in the collapsed transport configuration.
- three base panels interconnected by intermediate divider fold lines and collectively defining two opposing sides and two opposing ends, the base panels each containing a resilient material;
- six side panels extending from the sides of the base panels at side divider fold lines, three side panels on each side interconnected by the intermediate divider fold lines, the side panels each containing a removable rigid side board, wherein the side panels each define a slot through which the respective rigid side board can be inserted and removed;
- two end panels extending from the ends of the base panels at end divider fold lines, the end panels each containing a removable rigid end board, wherein the end panels each define a slot through which the respective rigid end board can be inserted and removed; and
- four corner panels each connected to two of the side and end panels by the side and end divider fold lines, the corner panels each containing a resilient material,
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 22, 2016
Publication Date: Oct 27, 2016
Applicant: KIDS II, INC. (Atlanta, GA)
Inventors: Eden PETERSON (Alpharetta, GA), Chaitanya TADIPATRI (Alpharetta, GA), Eric LANGE (Alpharetta, GA)
Application Number: 15/136,081