CRIB AND CRADLE SLEEP SYSTEM
A bedding assembly for use with a mattress, the assembly including a circumscribing padding sized and shaped to extend from or rest on top of a top perimeter surface of the mattress, the padding having one or more contiguous sections, each section having a vertical outer surface positioned adjacent to sidewalls of the mattress, a horizontal bottom surface adjacent the top surface of the mattress, and an angled surface extending from the outer surface to the bottom surface, and a cover sized and shaped to secure the padding sections together in a shape that circumscribes a central portion of the mattress, and a fitted sheet sized and shaped to hold the padding and cover on the mattress.
The present disclosure is directed to sleep systems and, more particularly, to mattresses and bedding for infants and toddlers to be used in crib and cradle safety sleep systems.
Description of the Related ArtCribs and cradles are utilized by infants or young children during sleep and nap times as well as for resting while awake. A typical crib has a base, a soft mattress resting on the base, and side rails surrounding the mattress to keep an infant from falling off the mattress. One or both side rails have top and bottom rails with vertical slats extending there between. These side rails are usually configured to raise and lower to facilitate placing and removing a child from the crib and changing the bedding and, at times, the mattress. However, the side rails of a crib can often pose dangers for young children, such as hitting their heads on the hard surface or getting limbs stuck between individual vertical slats. As a result of these dangers, crib bumpers have become popular to act as a buffer between a child and the side rails.
Many people find crib bumpers necessary for one of three reasons: to protect a child from the hard surfaces of the crib or cradle, to prevent a child's limbs from extending through the slats resulting in strain or injury, or to simply provide an environment in which a child can have a more restful sleep.
Traditional crib and cradle bumpers create a “wall” that lines the inside perimeter of the bed. These bumpers block the child's access to the vertical slats and the space in between each vertical slat. Unfortunately, these bumpers can also block airflow to the child, especially young infants who can be smothered or tangled in the flexible ties used to hold the bumper to the side rails and end boards of the crib. This style of crib bumper has generally been made of a continuous, soft, quilted pad that is fastened to the vertical rails of the crib by ties similar to shoe laces. There are a number of reasons why this is not safe for a child. First, the pad does not allow for proper airflow to the child and a child can suffocate if their airway is blocked by the soft pad (at a young age, children do not have the instinct to move away when their airway is blocked). Second, because the pads are secured to the railings instead of the mattress by the ties, children can get their faces or limbs wedged between the bumper and the mattress causing injury or suffocation. Finally, these pads are typically secured to the rails with some type of fastener, generally ties, that do not hold the bumper tightly to the rails and slats, which can pose a strangulation or choking hazard for children.
There are also new types of “wall” bumpers made of mesh. These do allow for airflow while keeping a child's limbs from becoming stuck in the side rails, but they do not provide any protection from the hard surfaces of the rails or crib. This could result in injury to the child or, at minimum, could wake a child if they bump too hard into the sides of the crib or cradle. One example of a mesh bumper can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,584, which uses a mesh means at the base of the bumper where the bumper meets the mattress. Additionally, this system uses a fastening device to attach the mesh to the fitted sheet. This can either be in direct contact with a child, possibly resulting in injury, or be can lead to the child being covered with a “flap,” leading to suffocation.
Another solution has been to wrap each vertical slat individually. One example of such a bumper can be seen in published Patent Application WO 2009117180. Although this method provides protection from the hard, internal surfaces of the crib and allows for airflow, it does not prevent a child's limbs from extending through the vertical rails. This could cause injury or allow a child to wake from restful sleep when turning or changing positions in the crib or cradle.
One other proposed solution can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,774,874, which uses triangular bumpers around the inside perimeter of the crib or cradle. However, this design still poses several potential safety hazards. A child can easily get caught underneath the device because it rests directly on top of the mattress without being secured to the mattress in any way. If a child accidentally places their head or limbs under the bumpers, they could suffocate or sustain injuries. In addition, the bumper is attached via cords, snaps or some kind of tie to the rails of the bed, which present a significant choking or strangulation hazard to children.
Accordingly, there is a need for a protective system for cribs, cradles and toddler beds that does not pose any significant hazards or dangers to a child, and keeps the child centered in the safe middle section of the bed.
BRIEF SUMMARYThe present disclosure is directed to bedding and bedding systems for use with infants and young children. In accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure, a padding system is provided for use with a mattress, the mattress having a top surface, a bottom surface, a circumscribing sidewall defining a thickness, and a top surface perimeter. The padding system includes a padding assembly having a length for placement along at least part of the perimeter of the top surface of the mattress. The padding assembly has a bottom padding surface, a back padding surface, and an angled padding surface connecting the bottom padding surface to the back padding surface. The padding system also includes a padding cover having a continuous top surface, the padding cover sized and shaped to at least partially cover the padding assembly, and to hold the padding assembly in a geometric shape. The padding cover includes a central cover portion sized and shaped to and cover at least a portion of the top surface of the mattress and the inner padding surface, a side cover portion connected to the central cover portion and sized and shaped to at least partially wrap around the padding assembly, and releasable cover fasteners structured to releasably secure the side cover portion and the padding assembly together. The padding system further includes a fitted sheet sized and shaped to hold the padding assembly and the padding cover to the mattress. The fitted sheet has a padding covering portion sized and shaped to cover the padding cover, and a mattress covering portion having a first sheet part extending from the padding covering portion and sized and shaped to cover the circumscribing sidewall of the mattress, and a second sheet part extending from the first sheet part, and sized and shaped to at least partially cover the bottom surface of the mattress.
In accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure, a bedding assembly is provided for a mattress having a top surface with a surface area, which defines a perimeter of the mattress, and a bottom surface. The bedding assembly includes a padding sized and shaped to rest on the top surface of a mattress and be secured around the perimeter of the mattress, the padding having first, second, third, and fourth padding sections. The bedding assembly further includes a cover having a continuous top surface and is sized and shaped to enclose the padding and cover the surface area of the mattress. The cover includes a first padding wrap sized and shaped to at least partially enclose the first section of the padding, a second padding wrap sized and shaped to at least partially enclose the second section of the padding, a third padding wrap sized and shaped to at least partially enclose a third section of the padding, and a fourth padding wrap sized and shaped to at least partially enclose a fourth section of the padding. A center section is connected to the first padding wrap, the second padding wrap, the third padding wrap and the fourth padding wrap, the center section sized and shaped to securely hold the first padding wrap, the second padding wrap, the third padding wrap and the fourth padding wrap together.
In accordance with yet a further implementation of the present disclosure, a bedding system is provided that includes a mattress having a top surface, a bottom surface, a thickness, and a sidewall that defines a perimeter of the top surface of the mattress, and a padding assembly positioned on the perimeter of the top surface of the mattress and integrally formed with the top surface. The padding assembly has a back surface substantially parallel to the sidewall surface of the mattress, an angled surface connected to the back surface and to the top surface of the mattress, the angled surface extending inward from the back surface toward a center of the top surface of the mattress, and an open center region defined by the connection of the angled surface and the top surface around the perimeter of the mattress.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more readily appreciated as the same become better understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed implementations. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present disclosed implementations may be practiced without one or more of these specific details or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or components or both that are associated with the environment of the present disclosure, including but not limited to the construction of the crib frame, bed frame, and mattresses have not been shown or described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the implementations.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims that follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.” The foregoing applies equally to the words “including” and “having.”
Reference throughout this description to “one implementation” or “an implementation” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation is included in at least one implementation. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one implementation” or “in an implementation” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation.
However, in a preferred implementation, the padding is formed of the four sections 32, 34, 36 and 38 that are placed or formed in the sides 22, 24, 26 and 28 of the bedding assembly or system, thus providing a supporting structure for the sides. The contoured shape of the padding allows for easy airflow to the child, and prevents the sides 22, 24, 26 and 28 from collapsing on the child, which can lead to suffocation.
In another contemplated implementation of the present disclosure, the bedding system 20 only has two sides 22 and 26. In this implementation, the bedding system 20 positions paddings 32 and 36 on the top surface of the mattress 100, but does not have the paddings 34 and 38 adjacent to the headboard or footboard of the crib or cradle.
The padding 32, 34, 36, 38 is made of any suitable soft, protective material, such as foam. Preferably, the padding 32, 34, 36, 38 is made of food grade polyethylene in order to be less toxic and easily wiped clean. Food grade polyethylene does not produce trapped gasses like other foam products do, which may be dangerous to a child.
Each of the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38 has a bottom surface 40, a back surface 42, an angled surface 44 connecting the bottom surface 40 and the back surface 42, and first and second side surfaces 46 and 48. Each padding 32, 34, 36 and 38 preferably has a triangular cross sectional configuration, as shown in
The padding length from the first side surface 46 to the second side surface 48 can be any length appropriate to fit in a crib, cradle or toddler bed. Preferably, the length from side surface 46 to side surface 48 of paddings 32 and 36 is between 45″ and 80″; and the length from side surface 46 to side surface 48 of paddings 34 and 38 is between 25″ and 45″. The width of the bottom surface 40, as measured from the back surface 42 to the angled surface 48, can be any length appropriate to keep a child safely secured in the center of the bedding assembly 20. Preferably, the width of the bottom surface 40 is between 4″ and 6″. The height of the back surface 42 can be any length appropriate to protect an infant or child from hitting the side rails of a crib or cradle or from falling out of a bed. Preferably, the height of the back surface 42 is between 3″ and 6″.
The cover 50 can be made of any suitable fabric to securely wrap the paddings, such as cotton. According to one implementation, the cover is made of 100% organic cotton. The weight of the fabric is preferably thick and durable enough to contain the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38 and keep them in place, giving the bedding assembly 20 structure. Preferably the fabric used for the cover does not stretch, thereby giving more support to the bedding assembly 20. The cover 50 is sewn such that the padding wraps 54, 56, 58 and 60 fit tightly over the paddings 32, 34, 36 and 38 when they are wrapped around the paddings, preventing the paddings from slipping or moving. According to one implementation, the cover also protects the mattress from spills and stains by placing a rubber or other water-resistant layer on the center piece 52. This is an added convenience for the consumer, as a separate mattress pad or protector does not have to be purchased. The cover 50 can be easily removed for laundering.
The fitted sheet 70 keeps the sleeping environment clean and clear of any internal parts that a child could potentially be entangled in or suffocate from. The opening 86 for removing the fitted sheet 70 is completely under the mattress and out of reach of the child. The sheet 70 is kept secure by elastic stitched in the opening 86, or any other suitable method. In one implementation, the sheet is made of 100% organic cotton, however any suitable fabric may be used. The fitted sheet 70 has a fabric that is preferably smooth and soft in surface texture making it a comfortable sleeping surface.
In another implementation, the fitted sheet 70 includes a water-resistant layer. The water-resistant layer helps protect the bedding assembly 20 from spills or accidents. Placing the water-resistant layer on the fitted sheet 70 allows a parent or guardian to change or wash the fitted sheet 70 if a child spills or wets the bed, while still allowing the child to sleep on the remainder of the bedding assembly 20, temporarily using only the cover 50 or simply switching to a new fitted sheet 70. This allows a parent or guardian to change the wet fitted sheet 70 without needing to disassemble the bedding assembly 20 in order to wash the cover 50.
The various implementations described above can be combined to provide further implementations. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the implementations can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further implementations.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/011,474 filed Nov. 5, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.
These and other changes can be made to the implementations in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific implementations disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible implementations along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
Claims
1. A bedding system, comprising:
- a mattress having a top surface, a bottom surface, a thickness, and a sidewall that defines a perimeter of the top surface of the mattress;
- a padding assembly positioned on the perimeter of the top surface of the mattress and integrally formed with the top surface of the mattress, the padding assembly having:
- a back surface substantially parallel to the sidewall surface of the mattress;
- an angled surface sloping inward from the back surface to the top surface of the mattress at an angle between 20 degrees and 70 degrees; and
- an open center region defined by a connection of the angled surface and the top surface around the perimeter of the mattress.
2. The bedding system of claim 1, further comprising:
- a fitted sheet sized and shaped to enclose the padding assembly and the mattress and to tightly fit over and conform to the padding assembly and the mattress.
3. The bedding system of claim 2, wherein the fitted sheet further comprises:
- a center portion sized and shaped to cover the open center region;
- a raised perimeter portion surrounding the center portion and sized and shaped to cover the padding assembly; and
- a side portion connected to the raised perimeter portion and configured to fit over and at least partially enclose the mattress.
4. The bedding system of claim 3, wherein the center portion of the fitted sheet has a water-resistant layer.
5. A bedding system, comprising:
- a mattress having a top surface, a bottom surface, a thickness, and a sidewall that defines a perimeter of the top surface and bottom surface of the mattress;
- a padding assembly integral with or permanently attached to the perimeter of the top surface of the mattress, the padding assembly having a triangular cross-sectional configuration with:
- a back surface extending from the top surface of the mattress and substantially parallel to and planar with the sidewall surface of the mattress;
- an angled surface sloping from a top of the back surface of the padding assembly and merging with the top surface of the mattress at a distance of 4 inches to 6 inches from the back surface; and
- the mattress further including an open center region surrounded by the padding assembly.
6. The bedding assembly of claim 5, wherein the open center region is defined by the padding assembly circumscribing the open center region around the perimeter of the mattress.
7. The bedding system of claim 6, further comprising:
- a fitted sheet sized and shaped to enclose the padding assembly and the mattress and to tightly fit over and conform to the padding assembly and the mattress.
8. The bedding system of claim 7, wherein the fitted sheet further comprises:
- a center portion sized and shaped to cover the open center region;
- a raised perimeter portion surrounding the center portion and sized and shaped to cover the padding assembly; and
- a side portion connected to the raised perimeter portion and configured to fit over and at least partially enclose the mattress.
9. The bedding system of claim 8, wherein the center portion of the fitted sheet has a water-resistant layer.
10. A bed or crib, comprising:
- a bed frame or crib frame;
- a mattress structured to be supported by the bed frame or crib frame, the mattress having a top surface, a bottom surface, a thickness, and a sidewall that defines a perimeter of the top surface and bottom surface of the mattress;
- a padding assembly integral with or permanently attached to the perimeter of the top surface of the mattress, the padding assembly having:
- a back surface extending from the top surface of the mattress and substantially parallel to the sidewall surface of the mattress; and
- an angled surface extending from a top of the back surface of the padding assembly at an angle between 20 degrees and 70 degrees and merging with the top surface of the mattress;
- the mattress further including an open center region surrounded by the padding assembly.
11. The bedding assembly of claim 10, wherein the open center region is defined by the padding assembly circumscribing the open center region around the perimeter of the mattress.
12. The bedding system of claim 10, further comprising:
- a fitted sheet sized and shaped to enclose the padding assembly and the mattress and to tightly fit over and conform to the padding assembly and the mattress.
13. The bedding system of claim 12, wherein the fitted sheet further comprises:
- a center portion sized and shaped to cover the open center region;
- a raised perimeter portion surrounding the center portion and sized and shaped to cover the padding assembly; and
- a side portion connected to the raised perimeter portion and configured to fit over and at least partially enclose the mattress.
14. The bedding system of claim 13, wherein the center portion of the fitted sheet has a water-resistant layer.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 13, 2018
Publication Date: Oct 11, 2018
Inventor: Gwendelyn Mary Krause (Hood River, OR)
Application Number: 16/007,355