INFLATABLE PLAYPEN FOR KIDS

Abstract

An inflatable playpen for kids includes an inflatable body, which includes a top ring, a bottom ring, and a plurality of side posts. The side posts are arranged vertically between the top ring and the bottom ring. The top ring, the bottom ring, and the side posts are inflatable flexible tubes that are connected to and in communication with each other. The top ring, the bottom ring, and the side posts each have an outer surface covered or enclosed with an outer covering fabric layer. After inflation, a sufficient strength and elasticity can be provided to achieve excellent protection for children. When not in use, the playpen can be deflated to change the inflatable body back into a flattened condition that occupies a small space so that stowing and transportation are made easy.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a technical field associated with inflatable playpen, and more particular to an inflatable playpen features inflatability and easy stowing and also for safety use by children.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For children or babies of young ages, they are incapable of properly controlling their limbs for activities. In an initial period of learning walking, it is quite easy for them to fall and get hurt. When parents or adults are too busy to put an eye on these young children, it is a common practice to build up or install a playpen or a barrier around an area so that the children can be confined in the area to learn walking or play in a safe and secured manner, eliminating potential risk of getting hurt.

Conventional playpens are generally made of wood or plastics. For a wooden playpen, a child, when tipping or bumping the playpen, might still get hurt or injured. In addition, the wooden playpen may need frequent disassembled and re-assembled and this is inconvenient for the parents. Thus, the wooden playpen is often kept in a completely assembled condition and would occupy a large floor area and would also be inconvenient for moving among different locations. For a plastic playpen, it is generally concerned about children biting the plastic material that makes the playpen, as this is unhealthy and may cause damage of the playpen.

In view of the above problems, it is desired to provide an inflatable playpen for kids, which could overcome the above-discussed drawbacks and provides better industrial utilization.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an inflatable playpen for kids, which are formed of a plurality of inflatable flexible tubes that are interconnected to form an inflatable body, which, after inflation, is changed into a playpen configuration including a top ring, a bottom ring, and side posts vertically connected between the top and bottom rings to provide a sufficient strength and elasticity to achieve excellent protection for young children or babies. In a condition of being not used, the playpen can be deflated, changing the inflatable body back to a flatten condition, which occupies an extremely small space, allowing for easy stowing and transportation. This invention is useful both indoors and outdoors. In addition, the top and bottom rings and the side posts are each covered with an outer covering fabric layer, which helps prevent kids from directly biting or chewing the flexible tubes so that life span of the playpen and use safety can both improved.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides an inflatable playpen for kids, which comprises: a top ring, a bottom ring, and a plurality of side posts, wherein the side posts are arranged vertically between the top ring and the bottom ring; the top ring, the bottom ring, and the side posts are inflatable flexible tubes that are connected to and in communication with each other; and the top ring, the bottom ring, and the side posts each have an outer surface covered or enclosed with an outer covering fabric layer.

The inflatable playpen described above may further comprises an auxiliary ring, which comprises an inflatable flexible tube having an outer surface covered or enclosed with an outer covering fabric layer. The auxiliary ring circumferentially surrounds an outer circumference of the bottom ring. The outer covering fabric layer that covers or encloses the auxiliary ring is connected with the outer covering fabric layer that covers or encloses the bottom ring.

In the inflatable playpen described above, the auxiliary ring has a tube diameter that is greater than a tube diameter of the bottom ring.

The inflatable playpen described above may further comprise a plurality of fixing strips, each of which has an end connected with the outer covering fabric layer that covers or encloses the auxiliary ring. The fixing strips are arranged around a circumference of the auxiliary ring in an equally spaced manner. Each of the fixing strips has an opposite end that is formed with a hole.

The inflatable playpen described above may further comprise a mat. The bottom ring is arranged to circumferentially surround a circumferential edge of the mat. The outer covering fabric layer that covers and encloses the bottom ring is connected with the edge of the mat.

In the inflatable playpen described above, the outer covering fabric layers and an upper surface layer of the mat are each a piece of Oxford cloth. A lower surface layer of the mat is made of a material comprising thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

In the inflatable playpen described above, a net is arranged between two adjacent ones of the side posts. The net has two opposite side edges respectively connected with the outer covering fabric layers that cover or enclose the two side posts. The net has upper and lower edges respectively connected with the outer covering fabric layers that cover or enclose the top ring and the bottom ring.

In the inflatable playpen described above, the top ring, the bottom ring, the side posts, and the auxiliary ring are each a flexible tube of made of a material comprising TPU or a material comprising polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

In the inflatable playpen described above, the top ring, the bottom ring, and the auxiliary ring are each of polygonal or circular configuration and are similar in shape to each other.

In the inflatable playpen described above, the side posts are arranged in an angularly equally spaced manner and the top ring, the bottom ring, and the auxiliary ring are of square configurations, hexagonal configurations, or octagonal configurations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an inflatable playpen for kids according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a top ring of the inflatable playpen for kids according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view illustrating the inflatable playpen for kids according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Firstly, referring collectively to FIGS. 1-3, the present invention provides an inflatable playpen for kids, which comprises an inflatable body 10, which comprises: a top ring 11, a bottom ring 12, and a plurality of side posts 13, wherein the side posts 13 are arranged vertically between the top ring 11 and the bottom ring 12 and the top ring 11, the bottom ring 12, and the side posts 13 are flexible tubes that are connected to and in communication with each other and are inflatable through charging of fluid, such as air, into the tubes. The top ring 11, the bottom ring 12, and the side posts 13 are each covered or enclosed with an outer covering fabric layer 111, 121, 131, as shown in FIG. 2, so that, for illustration only, after inflation, the outer covering fabric layer 111 is closely attached to an outer surface of the top ring 11. Speaking in a clearer way, FIG. 2 provides just an example, in which the top ring 11 and the outer covering fabric layer 111 thereof are taken as an example of illustration and such a structural arrangement is equally applicable to the bottom ring 12 and the side posts 13 and the outer covering fabric layer 121, 131 thereof.

Specifically, the top ring 11 and the bottom ring 12 are each made up a plurality of inflatable flexible tubes that are sequentially connected in an end to end manner to form an annular form. The side posts 13 are each an inflatable flexible tube arranged vertically and connected to and in communication with the inflatable flexible tubes of the top ring 11 and the inflatable flexible tubes of the bottom ring 12, so that the top ring, the bottom ring, and the posts collectively form an internal chamber that extends through all the flexible tubes of them, wherein one single air valve 181 is necessarily mounted to one of the flexible tubes to enable inflation of the entire chamber or all the flexible tubes to form the playpen of the present invention in an inflated and expanded condition.

In an embodiment, the present invention further comprises an auxiliary ring 14. The auxiliary ring 14 is made of an inflatable flexible tube that is covered or enclosed with an outer covering fabric layer 141, so that after inflation, the outer covering fabric layer 141 is closely attached to an outer surface of the auxiliary ring 14, similar to the outer covering fabric layer 111 being attached to an outer surface of the top ring 11 illustrated in FIG. 2. The auxiliary ring 14 is provided with an air valve 182 for inflation and/or deflation. The auxiliary ring 14 is arranged to circumferentially surround an outer side of the bottom ring 12 and the outer covering fabric layer 141 that covers or encloses the auxiliary ring 14 and the outer covering fabric layer 121 that covers or encloses the bottom ring 12 are connected to each other, wherein the connection can be achieved with sewing or adhesive bonding or the likes. Further, the auxiliary ring 14 is preferably of a tube diameter that is greater than a tube diameter of the bottom ring 12 in order to prevent undesired tipping off the inflatable playpen by a child standing close to or leaning against an edge area of the inflatable playpen.

In an embodiment, the present invention further comprises a plurality of fixing strips 15. The fixing strips 15 each have an end connected to the outer covering fabric layer 141 that covers or encloses the auxiliary ring 14. The fixing strips 15 are arranged around an outer circumference of the auxiliary ring 14 in an equally spaced manner. Each of the fixing strips 15 has an opposite end in which a hole 151 is formed to receive a fastening element (not shown) to extend through the hole 151 to securely fix to a ground surface (such as fixing to a lawn ground), so that this invention is also useful outdoors, not being necessarily limited to use indoors.

In an embodiment, the present invention further comprises a mat 16 that is arranged horizontally such that the bottom ring 12 surrounds a circumferential edge of the mat 16. The outer covering fabric layer 121 that covers or encloses the bottom ring 12 may be connected to the circumferential edge of the mat 16 for securely coupling together so that when the present invention is raised, a child who is of an age of 1 or 2 and thus has a light body weight can be raised together with the playpen for moving to a different location, as the mat 16 may be strong enough to carry the body weight of the young child.

In the above embodiment, the outer covering fabric layers 111, 121, 131, 141 and an upper surface layer of the mat 16 are each made of a piece of Oxford cloth, and a lower surface layer of the mat 16 is made of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. A net 17 is provided between and mounted to two adjacent ones of the side posts 13 with two opposite side edges of the net 17 connected with the outer covering fabric layers 131 that cover or enclose the two side posts 13 and upper and lower edges of the net 17 connected with the outer covering fabric layers 111, 121 that cover or enclose the top ring 11 and the bottom ring 12.

Finally, in the above embodiment, the top ring 11, the bottom ring 12, the side posts 13, and the auxiliary ring 14 are each a flexible tube made of a TPU material or a flexible tube made of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material. The top ring 11, the bottom ring 12, and the auxiliary ring 14 are each structured in a polygonal configuration or a circular configuration and are similar or identical in shape to each other. The polygonal configuration may include a square configuration, a hexagonal configuration (as shown in FIG. 3) or an octagonal configuration. The side posts 13 are arranged in an angularly equally spaced manner. Preferably, in case that the top ring 11, the bottom ring 12, and the auxiliary ring 14 are of polygonal configurations, the side posts 13 are respectively set up at vertices of the polygons.

The present invention provides an inflatable playpen for young children and babies, in which a plurality of inflatable flexible tubes are connected to and in communication with each other to form a unitary inflatable body and, after being inflated, respectively form a top ring, a bottom ring, and side posts vertically connected between the top and bottom rings to provide a configuration of playpen, which after being inflated, provides sufficient strength and elasticity to achieve excellent protection for young children or babies. In a condition of being not used, the playpen can be deflated, changing the inflatable body back to a flatten condition, which occupies an extremely small space, allowing for easy stowing and transportation. This invention is useful both indoors and outdoors. In addition, the top and bottom rings and the side posts are each covered with an outer covering fabric layer, which helps prevent kids from directly biting or chewing the flexible tubes so that life span of the playpen and use safety can both improved.

Claims

1. An inflatable playpen for kids, comprising an inflatable body, which comprises: a top ring, a bottom ring, and a plurality of side posts, wherein the side posts are arranged vertically between the top ring and the bottom ring, the top ring, the bottom ring, and the side posts being inflatable flexible tubes that are connected to and in communication with each other, the top ring, the bottom ring, and the side posts each having an outer surface covered or enclosed with an outer covering fabric layer.

2. The inflatable playpen according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary ring, which comprises an inflatable flexible tube having an outer surface covered or enclosed with an outer covering fabric layer, the auxiliary ring circumferentially surrounding an outer circumference of the bottom ring, the outer covering fabric layer that covers or encloses the auxiliary ring being connected with the outer covering fabric layer that covers or encloses the bottom ring.

3. The inflatable playpen according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary ring has a tube diameter that is greater than a tube diameter of the bottom ring.

4. The inflatable playpen according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of fixing strips, each of which has an end connected with the outer covering fabric layer that covers or encloses the auxiliary ring, the fixing strips being arranged around a circumference of the auxiliary ring in an equally spaced manner, each of the fixing strips having an opposite end that is formed with a hole.

5. The inflatable playpen according to claim 1, further comprising a mat, the bottom ring being arranged to circumferentially surround a circumferential edge of the mat, the outer covering fabric layer that covers and encloses the bottom ring being connected with the edge of the mat.

6. The inflatable playpen according to claim 5, wherein the outer covering fabric layers and an upper surface layer of the mat are each a piece of Oxford cloth, a lower surface layer of the mat being made of a material comprising thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

7. The inflatable playpen according to claim 5, wherein a net is arranged between two adjacent ones of the side posts, the net having two opposite side edges respectively connected with the outer covering fabric layers that cover or enclose the two side posts, the net having upper and lower edges respectively connected with the outer covering fabric layers that cover or enclose the top ring and the bottom ring.

8. The inflatable playpen according to claim 2, wherein the top ring, the bottom ring, the side posts, and the auxiliary ring are each a flexible tube of made of a material comprising TPU or a material comprising polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

9. The inflatable playpen according to claim 2, wherein the top ring, the bottom ring, and the auxiliary ring are each of polygonal or circular configuration and are similar in shape to each other.

10. The inflatable playpen according to claim 9, wherein the side posts are arranged in an angularly equally spaced manner and the top ring, the bottom ring, and the auxiliary ring are of square configurations, hexagonal configurations, or octagonal configurations.

11. The inflatable playpen according to claim 2, wherein the top ring, the bottom ring, and the auxiliary ring are of identical circular configurations.

12. The inflatable playpen according to claim 11, wherein the side posts are arranged in an angularly equally spaced manner.