Transitional baby crib bumper
A transitional baby crib bumper for use in a baby crib comprises a plurality of low-profile, tubular-shaped bumper sections for encircling the interior perimeter of a baby crib. Each of the bumper sections is distinct and separable, and includes an outer cover and a compressible inner cushioning material for supporting a child. A plurality of fabric ties affixed to each bumper section are included for removably securing each of the bumper sections to the baby crib. Finally, each of the low-profile bumper sections is compressible under the body weight of a child for preventing said child from falling out of the baby crib.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to baby crib bumpers. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for a transitional baby crib bumper having a low profile, tubular-shaped construction for utilization within a conventional baby crib for preventing an ambulatory child in the six month-to-two year age range from falling out of the baby crib while simultaneously providing protection and comfort to the child.
2. Background Art
After birth, babies are typically placed in a baby crib to sleep and as they get older, to restrain their movements. A conventional baby crib typically is a rectangular structure comprising a headboard, a footboard, a pair of parallel sideboards and a crib base or floor as is known in the art. The crib can be fashioned from wood or metal with the vertical components being fashioned in the form of wood slats or metal bars. In some models, the crib base can be lowered or raised by utilizing a built-in spring mechanism provided for that purpose. As the baby gets older and begins to pull herself up into a standing position, the crib base can be lowered to ensure that the baby is surrounded by the structure.
To ensure that the baby is maintained in a protected and comfortable environment in the baby crib, the crib base or floor is covered with a mattress and/or one or more mattress pads and the inside of the four vertical components (i.e., headboard, footboard, and two parallel sideboards) is surrounded with one or more “crib bumpers”. Crib bumpers are cushioned devices used to protect the child from injury when asleep or in an active mode as when the child bumps her head and/or limbs against the crib. The bumpers also provide a comfortable environment for the child during rest and sleep and typically exhibit a bright and cheerful appearance to enhance the esthetics of the baby crib.
Conventional crib bumpers typically are fashioned from cotton fabric, silk, velvet, velveteen, linen, chenille, or polyester and have a removable polyester (pillow-like) filler to facilitate laundering. Further, many prior art bumpers are typically rectangular in shape having height and width dimensions of, for example, (8″×12″) with varying thickness. Conventional bumpers can be comprised of one continuous cushioned piece that folds upon itself and then is unfolded when placed within the inner diameter of the baby crib, or in the alternative, crib bumpers can be comprised of separate unit pieces that are specifically fabricated to fit against the headboard, footboard, and the two sideboards of the baby crib. Each section of the crib bumper is provided with material ties, leads or strings used to physically attach that section of the bumper to the slats comprising the vertical components of the baby crib. Conventional prior art baby crib bumpers can be purchased in any baby store and are available in a wide selection of bumper sets and in various price ranges. Typically, the outer cover of the conventional crib bumpers can be removed for laundering in a washer/dryer or via dry cleaning.
Conventional crib bumpers serve the protective, comfort and esthetic function when the baby is a new born. However, once the baby ages to the range of four months-to-one year, the child develops the ability to pull herself upward so that she can stand-up. Once the child learns to pull herself up into a standing position, the child can then learn to step up onto the conventional crib bumper. Since prior art conventional crib bumpers tend to be large, the child can raise herself sufficiently high enough to fall out of the baby crib and be injured. This is the case even though the weight of the child partially compresses the conventional crib bumper. Because of this potential hazard to the health and safety of the child, conventional prior art crib bumpers and subsequently the crib mattress must be removed from the baby crib once the child reaches the age in which she is able pull herself upright. Thereafter, the baby crib base or floor must be lowered as the child ages. Lowering the baby crib base or floor can be accomplished by the spring mechanism associated with the prior art baby cribs.
With the removal of the conventional crib bumpers and crib mattress, the baby crib is left bare and the child has no protection against injury within the crib and the baby comfort factor is substantially reduced. Thus, no cushioning apparatus remains within the baby crib for the baby to rest her head and limbs upon. Consequently, the conventional crib bumpers have a short use cycle notwithstanding the high price paid for them to obtain the style, color and esthetics associated therewith.
Crib bumpers for use in conventional baby cribs have been known in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,600 issued to Baum teaches a decorative crib bumper comprising a clown having stuffed legs that are attached to a bed sheet and surround three of the four interior sides of a crib. Baum teaches that the arms of the crib bumper are attached to the crib sides at a level that is higher than the legs to provide added protection to the baby's head. U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,734 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,509, both to Pollard, disclose a bumper sheet and a retainer sheet, respectively, having soft yet form retaining inserts to define a crib bumper area, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,923 to Gabriel et al. discloses transparent inflatable crib bumper pads. U.S. Pat. No. D353,494 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,348, both to Beger, disclose a cushioned support and a rest pad, respectively, for an infant, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,025 to Hunsinger et al. teaches a safety device for beds with side rails. The following U.S. patents disclose a protective bumper pad, device or apparatus for use in a baby crib: U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,492 to Rosen; U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,824 to Doyle; U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,090 to Schutz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,718 to Pope; U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,765 to Dicken; U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,403 to Titus; No. D442,811 to Delaplaine; Des. No. 365,957 to Ferrari; and Publication #2001/0000362 to Wagner et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,726 discloses a portable infant protective pad, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,228 to Bishop discloses a bed guard. U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,639 to Ohsner discloses an inflatable baby cushioning apparatus, while Des. No. 365,486 to Perry discloses a combined play pen and bumper guard.
Notwithstanding, the prior art baby crib bumpers fail to teach a low profile design which is tubular-shaped, where the crib bumper is comprised of individual removable, cotton-polyester sectional components each approximately 2″ in diameter, which are employed to encircle the inside of the baby crib, and attaches to the crib construction with fabric ties, exhibits a compressive construction for preventing a child from raising herself sufficiently high to fall out of the baby crib, can remain inside the baby crib to provide a protective and comfortable environment for a child between the ages of six months-and-two years, and provides a cheerful, colorful and esthetic appearance.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a transitional baby crib bumper having a low profile design which is tubular-shaped, where the crib bumper is comprised of individual removable, cotton-polyester sectional components each approximately 2″ in diameter, which are employed to encircle the inside of the baby crib, and attaches to the crib construction with fabric ties, exhibits a compressive construction for preventing a child from raising herself sufficiently high to fall out of the baby crib, can remain inside the baby crib to provide a protective and comfortable environment for a child between the ages of six months-and-two years, and provides a cheerful, colorful and esthetic appearance.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTIONBriefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved transitional baby crib bumper for use with an ambulatory child in the age range of six months-to-two years that is still partially confined to a baby crib. This is the transitional period when the child learns to pull herself upright and then to walk. The transitional baby crib bumper is designed to prevent an ambulatory child from climbing up onto a large convention baby crib bumper and falling out of the baby crib and being injured. Likewise, the transitional baby crib bumper continues to provide protection and comfort to the child during active and rest periods alike.
In general, the transitional baby crib bumper comprises a plurality of low-profile, tubular-shaped bumper sections employed for encircling the interior perimeter of a baby crib. In the present invention, the term “low-profile” bumper section is defined as a bumper section of the transitional baby crib bumper each having a compressible, tubular-shaped or cylindrical-shaped construction with approximately a 2″ diameter and being 24″-to-25″ in length in the narrow dimension of the conventional baby crib, or being 48″ in length in the long dimension of the conventional baby crib. In a preferred embodiment, each of the bumper sections is distinct and separable from one another, i.e., an individual component, but are connected to each adjacent bumper section and to the baby crib via a plurality of fabric ties. Each bumper section is typically comprised of a cotton cover outer fabric which surrounds a compressible polyester inner cushioning material to facilitate laundering. In a design variation, each of the bumper sections is continuously connected, i.e., not distinct and separable, so that the bumper sections form a complete loop.
The low-profile design of each of the transitional baby crib bumpers is much smaller than conventional baby crib bumpers. Thus, when a child in the age range of six months-to-two years reaches the ambulatory phase of growth, i.e., she learns to pull herself up into a standing position and take steps, her body weight compresses the low-profile, transitional baby crib bumper of the present invention. Consequently, the child cannot raise herself sufficiently high to fall out of the baby crib, thus avoiding injury. Thus, the low-profile transitional baby crib bumpers do not have to be removed from the baby crib once the child becomes ambulatory. The transitional baby crib bumpers can remain within the crib during this period to provide protection to the child, and cushioning and comfort for the child to rest her head and limbs against.
In a preferred embodiment, the transitional baby crib bumper for use in a baby crib in its most fundamental form comprises a plurality of low-profile, tubular-shaped bumper sections for encircling the interior perimeter of a baby crib. Each of the bumper sections is distinct and separable, and includes an outer cover and a compressible inner cushioning material for supporting a child. A plurality of fabric ties affixed to each bumper section are included for removably securing each of the bumper sections to the baby crib. Finally, each of the low-profile bumper sections is compressible under the body weight of said child for preventing said child from falling out of the baby crib.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, by way of example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is a transitional baby crib bumper 100 having a low profile, tubular-shaped construction for utilization within a conventional baby crib 102 for preventing an ambulatory child (not shown) in the six month-to-two year age range from falling out of the baby crib 102 while simultaneously providing continuous protection and comfort to the child as shown in
The conventional baby crib 102 is clearly shown in
In additional to the conventional baby crib mattress 120, the inside vertical surfaces of the crib headboard 106, footboard 108, and sideboards 110 and 112 can be covered with one or more conventional crib bumpers 122 as is clearly shown in
As is shown in
Returning now to the description of the present invention, the transitional baby crib bumper 100 clearly shown in
In the preferred embodiment, each of the low-profile, bumper sections 130 is distinct and separable from one another, i.e., an individual component as shown in
Each of the distinct and separable, low-profile, bumper sections 130 shown in
In the preferred embodiment, each of the low-profile, tubular-shaped bumper sections 130 can alternately be continuously connected to the adjacent bumper sections 130 as is clearly shown in
Each of the low-profile, tubular-shaped bumper sections 130 of the transitional baby crib bumper 100 disclosed in
The tubular-shaped bumper sections 130 of the inventive transitional baby crib bumper 100 of
The present invention provides novel advantages over other conventional baby crib bumpers known in the prior art. A main advantage of the transitional baby crib bumper 100 of the present invention is that (1) it exhibits a “low-profile” design which compresses under the body weight of the child, (2) thus preventing the child from climbing sufficiently high that she could fall out of the baby crib 102, (3) attaches to the baby crib 102 with a plurality of fabric ties 138, (4) for encircling the inside of the baby crib 102, (5) can be conveniently inserted into and removed from the baby crib 102 by manipulating the fabric ties 138 (6) can remain in the baby crib 102 to continue to provide protection and comfort to a child within the age range of from six months-to-two years, (7) exhibits an economical tubular-shaped construction comprising an outer cotton fabric material 134 and a compressible inner polyester filler material 136, and (8) can provide a cheerful, colorful and esthetic appearance.
While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.
It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
Accordingly,
Claims
1. A transitional baby crib bumper for use in a baby crib comprising:
- a plurality of low-profile, tubular-shaped bumper sections for encircling the interior perimeter of a baby crib, each of said bumper sections being distinct and separable, and including an outer cover and a compressible inner cushioning material for supporting a child;
- a plurality of fabric ties affixed to each bumper section for removably securing each of said bumper sections to said baby crib; and
- wherein each of said low-profile bumper sections is compressible under the body weight of said child for preventing said child from falling out of said baby crib.
2. The transitional baby crib bumper of claim 1 wherein each of said bumper sections is two inches in diameter.
3. The transitional baby crib bumper of claim 1 wherein said outer cover is comprised of cotton.
4. The transitional baby crib bumper of claim 1 wherein said compressible inner cushioning material is comprised of polyester.
5. A transitional baby crib bumper for use in a baby crib comprising:
- a plurality of low-profile, tubular-shaped bumper sections for encircling the interior perimeter of a baby crib, each of said bumper sections being distinct and separable, and including an outer cotton cover and a compressible polyester inner cushioning material for supporting a child;
- a plurality of fabric ties affixed to each bumper section for removably securing each of said bumper sections to said baby crib; and
- wherein each of said low-profile bumper sections is compressible under the body weight of said child for preventing said child from falling out of said baby crib.
6. The transitional baby crib bumper of claim 5 wherein each of said bumper sections is two inches in diameter.
7. A transitional baby crib bumper for use in a baby crib comprising:
- a plurality of low-profile, tubular-shaped bumper sections for encircling the interior perimeter of a baby crib, each of said bumper sections being continuously connected, and including an outer cover and a compressible inner cushioning material for supporting a child;
- a plurality of fabric ties affixed to each bumper section for removably securing each of said bumper sections to said baby crib; and
- wherein each of said low-profile bumper sections is compressible under the body weight of said child for preventing said child from falling out of said baby crib.
8. The transitional baby crib bumper of claim 7 wherein each of said bumper sections is two inches in diameter.
9. The transitional baby crib bumper of claim 7 wherein said outer cover is comprised of cotton.
10. The transitional baby crib bumper of claim 7 wherein said compressible inner cushioning material is comprised of polyester.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 7, 2004
Publication Date: Apr 13, 2006
Inventor: Victoria Komisar (Los Angeles, CA)
Application Number: 10/961,860
International Classification: A47D 15/00 (20060101);