Claims
- 1. A collapsible playpen moveable between a collapsed position and an operative position, comprising:
- (a) a first end assembly and a second end assembly, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a supporting surface and an upper cross bar;
- (b) articulated uprights extending between the end base and the upper cross bar in each end assembly for selectively separating the upper cross bars by a distance greater than the distance between the end bases, the articulated uprights adapted to be substantially vertical in the operative position of the playpen;
- (c) lower articulated rails extending between the end bases for disposing the end bases in a parallel spaced apart orientation in the operative position and a parallel adjacent orientation in the collapsed position; and
- (d) upper articulated rails extending between the upper cross bars for connecting the upper cross bars of the first and second end assembly;
- the uprights and the upper and lower rails adapted to orient the upper cross bar and the end base of each end assembly in a spaced apart parallel orientation in the operative position, and an adjacent parallel orientation in the collapsed position wherein the distance between the upper cross bars is greater than the distance between the end bases in the collapsed position of the playpen.
- 2. The collapsible playpen of claim 1, wherein the articulated uprights includes a lower upright section affixed to the base, an upper upright section connected to the upper cross bar, and a hinge connecting the lower upright section to the upper upright section.
- 3. The collapsible playpen of claim 1, wherein the lower articulated rails comprise a first lower rail and a second lower rail, wherein each lower rail includes a first rail section connected to the first end base and a second rail section connected to the second end base, wherein each connection of the rail section to the end base is adapted to permit pivoting of the rail section relative to the base and rotation of the rail section about its longitudinal axis, and a hinge connecting the first rail section to the second rail section.
- 4. The collapsible playpen of claim 1, wherein the upper articulated rails comprise a first upper rail and a second upper rail, wherein each upper rail includes a first and a second outer segment, and an intermediate segment, wherein one end of each outer segment is pivotally connected to the upper cross bar and the remaining end of each outer segment is pivotally connected to the intermediate segment.
- 5. The collapsible playpen of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism for releasably retaining the playpen in the operative position.
- 6. The collapsible playpen of claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism includes a rotatable member in one end assembly and a biased catch in the lower articulated rail means, the rotatable member and catch adapted to cooperatively engage upon orientation of the playpen in the operative position.
- 7. The collapsible playpen of claim 1, one of said end bases being pivotally connected to one of said lower articulated rails by a ball and socket joint, said playpen farther comprising a locking mechanism for retaining the playpen in the operative position, said locking mechanism comprising a spring biased catch attached to the exterior surface of said socket joint, said catch having an elongate portion which is urged against the periphery of the ball, the ball having a peripheral groove for receiving the elongate portion of the catch upon alignment of the groove with the elongate portion to thereby prevent rotation of the lower articulated rail about the end base.
- 8. The collapsible playpen of claim 7, each said lower articulated side rails comprise first and second rail sections, each of said first rail sections being pivotally connected to a first of said end bases, each of said second rail sections being pivotally connected to a second of said end bases, said first and second rail sections of each articulated side rails being pivotally connected to one another by a central coupler, said groove becoming aligned with said elongate portion of said catch in response to the rotation of said lower articulated side rail after said playpen is oriented in said operative position, said central coupler extending downward to provide vertical support for said lower articulated side rails when said side rails are rotated to align said groove with said elongate portion.
- 9. A collapsible playpen movable between an upright operative position and a relatively compact collapsed position, comprising:
- (a) first and second collapsible end assemblies, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a supporting surface, an upper cross bar, and an articulated upright extending between the cross bar and the end base, each upright having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein at least one of the upper and the lower portions is substantially vertical in the operative position of the playpen;
- (b) first and second articulated side rails extending between the upper cross bars; and
- (c) lower articulated rails for connecting the end bases;
- the collapsible end frames, side rails and lower rails arranged so that the playpen can be collapsed by moving the end bases together and initially moving the upper cross bars away from each other so that the distance between the upper cross bars is greater than the distance between the end bases in the collapsed position of the playpen.
- 10. The collapsible playpen of claim 9, wherein the collapsible end assemblies, side rails and lower rails are adapted so that the playpen can be collapsed by moving the end bases together in a parallel orientation while concurrently rotating the upper cross bars so that the distance between the upper cross bars is greater than the distance between the end bases.
- 11. A collapsible playpen movable between a collapsed position and an operative position, the playpen defining an operative volume for occupancy, comprising:
- (a) a first end assembly and a second end assembly, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a support surface and an upper cross bar, wherein the operative volume is intermediate of the end assemblies upon orientation of the playpen in the operative position;
- (b) articulated uprights extending between the end base and the upper cross bar in each end assembly for positioning the upper cross bar relative to the end base in the collapsed position and the operative position, the uprights including a substantially vertical component in the operative position;
- (c) articulated lower rails extending between the end bases for disposing the end bases in a spaced apart orientation in the operative position; and
- (d) articulated upper rails extending between the upper cross bars for connecting the first and the second end assembly;
- the uprights and the upper and lower rails adapted to orient the upper cross bar and the end base of each end assembly in a spaced apart orientation in the operative position and an adjacent orientation in the collapsed position, wherein the distance between the upper cross bars is greater than the distance between the articulated uprights in the collapsed position of the playpen.
- 12. A collapsible playpen movable between a collapsed position and an operative position, the playpen defining an operative area for occupancy, comprising:
- (a) a first collapsible end assembly having an upper end portion and a lower end portion and a second collapsible end assembly having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, wherein the operative area is intermediate the first end assembly and the second end assembly in the operative position of the playpen;
- (b) first and second collapsible side rails extending between opposed upper end portions, the side rails separating the upper end portions by a first distance in the operative position of the playpen and a second shorter distance in the collapsed position for the playpen; and
- (c) lower articulated rails connecting the opposed lower end portions;
- the collapsible end assemblies, side rails and lower rails arranged so that the playpen can be collapsed by moving the lower end portions towards each other and initially moving the upper end portions away from each other, such that the lower end portions are intermediate of corresponding portions of the opposed side rails in the collapsed position.
- 13. The collapsible playpen of claim 12, wherein the collapsible end assemblies side rails and lower rails are adapted so that the playpen can be collapsed by moving the lower end portions together in a parallel orientation while concurrently rotating the upper end portions so that the distance between the upper end portions is greater than the distance between the lower end portions in the collapsed position.
- 14. A collapsible playpen frame, the playpen frame movable between a folded position and a self supporting open position, comprising:
- (a) a pair of end assemblies, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a support surface, an upper cross bar, and an articulated upright extending between each end base and the upper cross bar in each end assembly, each upright including a substantially vertical member in the open position of the playpen; and
- (b) articulated upper rails means extending between the end assemblies to interconnect the upper cross bar of one end assembly with the upper cross bar of the remaining end assembly;
- the upper rails and the uprights movable from the self supporting open position to the folded position such that upon orientation of the playpen frame in the folded position at least a portion of each end assembly is intermediate of same side outer portions of the upper rails.
- 15. A collapsible playpen frame, the playpen frame movable between a folded position and a self supporting open position, comprising:
- (a) a pair of end assemblies, each end assembly including an upper cross bar, an end base for contacting a support surface and an articulated upright assembly extending between each end base and the upper cross bar in each end assembly, each articulated upright assembly having an articulated section; and
- (b) upper rails extending between the end assemblies to interconnect the upper cross bars, each upper rail having an articulated portion wherein the articulated portion has a length substantially equal to the articulated section of each upright assembly;
- the upper rails and the upright assemblies movable from the self supporting open position to the folded position such that upon orientation of the playpen frame in the folded position the articulated sections of the upright assembly are intermediate of the upper rail articulated portions.
- 16. A method for collapsing a foldable playpen having a pair of opposed end assemblies, each end frame having an upper cross bar, an end base for contacting a supporting surface, and an articulated upright extending between the end base and the upper cross bar for each end assembly, each upright having an upper portion and a lower portion, at least one of the upper and lower portions being substantially vertical in an operative position of the playpen, the lower portions connected by articulated lower rails, comprising:
- (a) at least partially folding the lower rails to reduce the distance between the end bases;
- (b) moving the upper cross bars in substantially opposite directions; and
- (c) folding each frame so that the upper portions of the uprights are intermediate of same side outer portions of the upper rail means.
- 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
- (a) folding the lower rails to dispose the end assemblies in a parallel adjacent orientation; and
- (b) folding the end assemblies such that each upper cross bar is adjacent its respective end base, and the end bases are intermediate of the opposed upper cross bars.
- 18. The method of claim 16, one of said end bases being pivotally connected to said lower articulated rails by a ball and socket joint, said playpen further having a locking mechanism for retaining the playpen in the operative position, said locking mechanism comprising a spring biased catch attached to the exterior surface of said socket joint, said catch having an elongate portion which is urged against the periphery of the ball, the ball having a peripheral groove for receiving the elongate portion of the catch upon alignment of the groove with the elongate portion to thereby prevent rotation of the lower articulated rail about the end base, said method further comprising the steps of:
- disengaging the locking mechanism to allow rotation of the lower articulated rail about the end bases; and
- rotating the lower articulated rail to allow the folding of the lower articulated rail.
- 19. A method of collapsing a foldable playpen having a pair of end assemblies, each end assembly including a lower end portion and an upper end portion, each upper end portion including an upper cross bar, each lower end portion including an end base, the lower portions connected by articulated lower rails and the upper end portions connected by articulated upper rails, the lower end portion and upper end portion of each end assembly being pivotally connected, comprising:
- (a) decreasing the distance between the lower end portions; and
- (b) decreasing the distance between the upper cross bars of the end frames, such that the distance between the lower end portions decreases more than the distance between the upper end portions, and the lower end portions are intermediate the upper end portions.
- 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising decreasing the distance between the lower end portions to position the lower end portions substantially adjacent each other, and orienting the upper end portions adjacent the corresponding lower end portions such that the lower end portions are substantially intermediate of the upper end portions.
- 21. A method of collapsing a foldable playpen having a pair of collapsible end assemblies, each end assembly including a lower end portion and an upper end portion connected by a joint, the lower end portions connected to each other by lower articulated rails, comprising:
- (a) at least partially folding the lower rails to reduce the distance between the lower end portions; and
- (b) folding each upper end portion relative to the lower end portion so that the upper end portions are separated by a distance greater than the distance between the lower end portions.
- 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
- (c) folding the lower articulated rails to dispose the lower end portions in a parallel adjacent orientation.
- 23. A method of collapsing a foldable playpen from an open position to a collapsed position, the playpen having a pair of parallel end assemblies, each end assembly including an articulated upper and lower end portion, the upper end portion including an upper cross bar, the lower end portion including an end base, the lower end portions connected by articulated lower rails and the upper end portions connected by articulated upper rails, comprising:
- (a) substantially simultaneously decreasing the distance between the parallel lower end portions and upper end portions, such that the distance between the lower end portions decreases more than the distance between the upper end portions.
- 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:
- (b) decreasing the distance between the lower end portions to position the end bases substantially adjacent each other; and
- (c) orienting the upper cross bars adjacent the corresponding end bases such that the end bases are substantially intermediate of the upper cross bars.
- 25. A collapsible playpen movable between a collapsed position and an operative position, the playpen defining an operative volume for occupancy, comprising:
- (a) a first end assembly and a second end assembly, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a support surface, an upper cross bar, and articulated uprights extending at each corner of the playpen between the end base and the upper cross bar for positioning the upper cross bar relative to the end base in the collapsed position and the operative position, wherein the operative volume is intermediate of the end assemblies upon orientation of the playpen in the operative position, each upright including an upper portion fixedly attached to an upper cross bar, and a lower portion fixedly attached to an end base, the upper and lower portions of each upright being connected to each other by a hinge and being substantially vertical in the operative position;
- (b) articulated lower rails extending between the end bases for disposing the end bases in a spaced apart orientation in the operative position, each lower rail includes two rail sections and a central coupler, at least one of said rail sections being connected to an end base via a ball and socket joint, the two rail sections of each lower rail being pivotally connected to each other via said central coupler; and
- (c) articulated upper rails extending between the upper cross bars for connecting the first and the second end assembly, each articulated upper rail including two outer segments and an intermediate segment pivotally connected to said outer segments, each upper rail outer segment being pivotally attached to an upper cross bar and an upper portion of an upright; and
- (d) the uprights and the upper and lower rails adapted to orient the upper cross bar and the end base of each end assembly in a spaced apart orientation in the operative position and an adjacent orientation in the collapsed position, wherein the distance between the upper cross bars is greater than the distance between the end bases in the collapsed position of the playpen.
- 26. The collapsible playpen of claim 25 further comprising a locking mechanism for releasably retaining the playpen in the operative position, said locking mechanism comprising a spring biased catch attached to the exterior surface of said socket joint, said catch having an elongate portion which is urged against the periphery of the ball, the ball having a peripheral groove for receiving the elongate portion of the catch upon alignment of the groove with the elongate portion to thereby prevent rotation of the lower articulated rail means about the end base.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 07/891,854 filed on Jun. 1, 1992, now abandoned. The present invention relates to playpens, and more particularly, to a readily collapsible playpen movable between a collapsed and an open position.
US Referenced Citations (84)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1557841 |
Feb 1969 |
FRX |
2361846 |
Mar 1978 |
FRX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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891854 |
Jun 1992 |
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