Patent Application
20230329451
A playard (also referred to herein as a “playpen” or a “game bed”) is a framed enclosure that provides a safe and comfortable space for a young child (e.g., an infant, a toddler) to sleep and play without significant supervision from a caregiver. The playard typically includes a support structure (e.g., a frame) that outlines an interior space of the playard; the playard also includes soft padding (also referred to herein as “soft goods”) placed within the interior space to provide a partially enclosed cushioned space to contain the child. Playards are generally foldable and/or collapsible to improve portability. For example, the caregiver may fold the playard for storage and/or transport and unfold the playard for use. Various types of playards have been manufactured and commercialized over the years with designs that have evolved, in part, depending on whether the playard is used primarily in outdoor settings or indoor settings.
As before, the soft goods 12 may be attached to the leg support assemblies 24 and/or the X-frame assemblies 20b. The playard 10b also includes a pair of latches 16a and 16b respectively mounted to sliders 26b on leg support assemblies 24 disposed on opposing sides of the playard 10b. As shown in the inset of
The Inventors have recognized and appreciated that a foldable playard provides a caregiver a convenient and safe space for their child to play and/or sleep once the playard is setup, which alleviates the caregiver from having to continuously monitor their child. However, the Inventors have also recognized that conventional playards in some instances may be cumbersome to setup and/or stow away due, in part, to complicated mechanisms for folding, unfolding, latching and/or unlatching the playard (and correspondingly protracted procedures that the caregiver needs to perform while generally caring for their child). The complexity of conventional playards also results in a bulkier product, which is more difficult to handle and more expensive to manufacture and purchase as a consumer.
First, the Inventors have observed that conventional playards typically include various support structures, in addition to their frames, to provide more rigid boundaries outlining the interior space, so as to better contain the child and/or to increase the mechanical rigidity and stability of the frame. In many instances, one or more additional support structures are added to the frame of a conventional playard to ensure the playard meets various consumer safety standards related to the mechanical properties of the frame (e.g., American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F406-19 entitled, “Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs/Play Yards”).
With reference again to
However,
As noted above in connection with
For example, the frame may tilt to one side due to the bottom portion of the legs being mechanically unconstrained and/or due to backlash or slop between the joints connecting the rails and the legs together. This mechanical instability may be further exacerbated if the legs and the rails are configured to move relative to one another, e.g., to facilitate folding of the playard. Given this mechanical instability, to reinforce the frame 46 the playard 10c includes an additional bottom support structure 34 that connects the legs 30 located at opposing corners of the frame 46.
The various support structures added to conventional playards as discussed above, and the various modifications made to the playards to accommodate these support structures, increase the complexity, number of parts, and cost of these playards.
For instance, the webbing 14 for the playards 10a and 10b needs to be sewn directly into the soft goods 12 or the X-frame assemblies 20a and 20b, and/or the leg support assemblies 24 need to incorporate additional structural features to directly attach to the soft webbing 14—both of which increase design complexity resulting in higher manufacturing costs. For the playard 10c, the rigid top rails 32 and the bottom support structure 34 need to include additional mechanisms (e.g., the hinge 36, hinges connecting the various members of the bottom support structure 34) to facilitate tear down and folding of the playard 10c, which increase the number of parts for manufacture and assembly. As shown in
The Inventors have also recognized that conventional playards often include frames with folding mechanisms tailored to improve the ease of folding and/or unfolding the frame at the expense of creating potential new safety hazards for the child.
For example, the playards 10a and 10b include X-frame assemblies 20a and 20b, respectively, which makes folding and/or unfolding the respective frames 46 appreciably easier for the caregiver. However, the X-frame tubes 22a and 22b and/or the leg tubes 25 form V-shaped and/or diamond-shaped openings, which can change in shape and/or size when the X-frame tubes 22a and 22b and the leg tubes 25 move relative to one another, thus creating a scissoring, shearing, and/or pinching hazard that can result in the entrapment of the child's neck.
Conventional playards with X-frame assemblies typically address potential entrapment hazards using two approaches depending, in part, on whether the frame is folded or unfolded. In the unfolded configuration, the openings in the frame may be sufficiently large to allow a child to insert their head through one of the openings of the frame. To reduce the risk of neck entrapment, the openings formed by the rigid components of the frame may be positioned towards the top of the playard to make the openings less accessible to the child. Additionally, the rigid components may be arranged to have sufficient clearances that also reduce the likelihood of the child's neck getting pinched. For example, the respective bottom portions of the X-frame tubes 22a and 22b in the playard 10b may each form a V-shaped opening with the leg tube 25. When the frame 46 is unfolded, the X-frame tubes 22a and 22b are disposed in the upper half of the frame 46 and oriented with respect to the leg tubes 25 to form a relatively wide V-shaped opening.
In the folded configuration, the openings in the frame may be positioned lower towards the ground due to the displacement of the rigid components of the frame. However, the openings are typically reduced in size to such an extent that a child is unable to insert their head through an opening in the frame, which in turn reduces the risk of neck entrapment. Returning to the example of the V-shaped openings formed between the leg tube 25 and the respective X-frame tubes 22a and 22b in the playard 10b, the width of the V-shaped opening may be appreciably smaller than the average size of a child's head when the frame 46 is folded, thus preventing a child from inserting their head through an opening in the frame 46.
Although these two approaches are effective in reducing the risks of neck entrapment, the Inventors have recognized conventional playard frames typically benefit from these two approaches only when the frame is fully folded or fully unfolded. In other words, neck entrapment hazards may still exist when the playard is transitioning from the unfolded configuration to the folded configuration (or vice-versa). This may occur when a child playing outside the playard has access to the playard frame in a partially folded or partially unfolded state. This may also occur when the child is contained within the playard where the child may accidentally unlock and fold the frame from within the playard. For example, a child may be able to insert their head through the V-shaped openings in the playard 10b when the frame is at or near the unfolded configuration. If the frame were to fold thereafter, the size of the V-shaped openings decrease, which can result in the child's neck becoming pinched between the leg tube 25 and the X-frame tubes 22a or 22b.
As shown in
The risks of entrapment posed by the X-frame assemblies 20a and 20b may be further exacerbated by the manner in which the playards are folded. For example, the playard 10a is folded when a downward force is applied to the X-frame tubes 22a and 22b. Similarly, the playards 10b and 10d are folded when a downward force is applied to the X-frame tubes 22a and 22b or the sliders 26a and 26b. If the playards 10a, 10b, and 10d are left in a partially folded state, the weight of a child's head may be sufficient to fold the playard, which can result in entrapment. The risks for entrapment may be further increased when the soft goods 12 are partially or fully removed when, for example, washing the soft goods 12 as the child may have greater access to the openings and/or gaps between the rigid components of the frame 46.
The Inventors have further recognized the folding mechanisms implemented in conventional playards may also have detrimental effects on other aspects related to the practical use of the playard.
For example, the X-frame assemblies 20a and 20b both span an appreciable portion (if not all) of the sides of the respective frames 46 as described above, which may interfere with the visibility of a child in the partially enclosed space 13 and thereby impede or obstruct a caregiver's ability to easily see the child in the playard.
More specifically, with reference again to
In another example, the frame 46 of the playard 10c allows the caregiver to readily see into the partially enclosed space 13 at the expense of using a more complicated folding/unfolding mechanism as described above. Indoor playards are also typically designed to be aesthetically pleasing for indoor settings (e.g., the indoor playard should match other indoor furniture), which can often lead to compromises in other areas such as ease of use. For instance, X-frame assemblies are often only used for outdoor playards because the appearance of X-frame tubes clashes with most indoor furniture.
The Inventors further have also observed that conventional playards often include complex latches that are expensive to manufacture and difficult for consumers to use. For example, conventional playard frames that utilize pivot and slidable X-frame assemblies, such as the playards 10b or 10d shown in
The inclusion of multiple latches increases the number of parts and, hence, the cost for manufacture. This drawback may be further exacerbated based on the placement and complexity of a given latch. For example, the latches 16a and 16b in the playard 10b are mounted to the sliders of the leg support assemblies 24; as a result, the playard 10b needs to include different types of sliders, i.e., the sliders 26b forming part of the latches 16a and 16b, and the different sliders 26a for the remainder of the leg support assemblies 24. Accordingly, this playard design increases the number of unique parts that need to be manufactured, which in turn increases manufacturing cost.
Additionally, the Inventors have observed conventional playards typically do not include a latch to lock the playard in the folded configuration, which may increase the risk of the child being exposed to a playard in a partially unfolded or folded state. For example, if a child is left alone with the playards 10a, 10b, and 10d, the child may pull on the X-frame tubes 22a and 22b or, in the case of the playards 10b and 10d, pull on the leg tubes 25 or the sliders 26a and 26b in a manner that causes the frame 46 to unfold and/or fold. Thus, an entrapment hazard may be created if the child unfolds the playard to such an extent that they are able to insert their head through an opening in the frame 46.
The Inventors have also observed that conventional playards also include various accessories to augment the functionality of the playard and/or the environment for the child.
For example,
The playard 10e, for instance, includes a frame 46 with multiple legs 30, a bottom support structure 34, and rigid top rails 32 with respective hinges 36 similar to the playard 10c. The frame 46 may be further covered by soft goods 12. As shown, the top rails 32 span the top periphery of the frame 46. The toppers 80a and 80b include locking mechanisms 82a and 82b, respectively, that attach directly to the top rails 32 such that the toppers 80a and 80b are disposed on top of the soft goods 12 covering the top rails 32.
The Inventors have also recognized conventional toppers are typically static fixtures when installed on the playard (e.g., the position and/or placement of the topper cannot be changed after installation). Although static toppers may be suitable for a variety of applications, they may also create new challenges for the caregiver. First, the caregiver may have to install and uninstall a topper each time the topper is used. For example, the changing table 80b in the playard 10e may be used several times throughout the day requiring the caregiver to install the changing table 80b each time it is used. Afterwards, the caregiver should remove the changing table 80b before placing the child back into the playard. Second, the storage space provided by conventional toppers, such as the organizer 80c, is typically proportional to the lateral dimensions of the topper since the storage space is generally accessible only from one side (e.g., the top side). In other words, a tradeoff exists where an increase in the storage space may result in an undesirable increase in the overall length of the playard, which may make the playard occupy more space within the caregiver's home. Third, gaps may form between the topper and the playard frame when the topper is installed. The gaps may pose an entrapment hazard for the child particularly if the playard and/or topper are not properly used (e.g., the child is left unattended near or within the playard with access to the topper).
The Inventors have also recognized and appreciated it is desirable for some toppers, such as a bassinet topper, to be usable together with a playard or as a freestanding apparatus (e.g., a bassinet topper placed on the ground to support a child) and/or to be foldable to improve portability. However, the Inventors have also recognized conventional toppers that provide these features are often complicated in their construction, resulting in higher manufacturing costs and greater difficulty for the caregiver to setup and/or tear down (e.g., the caregiver should actuate several components and/or assemble several parts to setup the topper).
In another example, the playard 10c shown in
Bassinet accessories typically include a support structure to provide a flat surface for the child to sleep upon in order to meet various compliance standards (e.g., ASTM F2194 entitled, “Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bassinets and Cradles”). For many conventional bassinet accessories, the support structure is a rigid structure that is not foldable (or unfoldable) with the playard frame. Thus, the bassinet accessory should be removed before folding the playard and/or installed when unfolding the playard, which adds additional steps for the caregiver to setup and/or tear down the playard. Additionally, the removal of the bassinet accessory requires the caregiver to provide extra space to store and/or transport the foldable playard and the bassinet accessory as separate items and may also increase the likelihood of the caregiver forgetting or losing the bassinet accessory especially when transporting the playard from one location to another location.
Bassinet accessories that fold and unfold together with the playard frame have been previously demonstrated to address, in part, the limitations associated with the rigid bassinet accessories described above. However, the Inventors have recognized conventional foldable bassinet accessories often achieve foldability with the playard by compromising other aspects of the bassinet accessory.
For example, the bassinet accessory 60 provides the playard 10c with a relatively shallower elevated space to support the child (e.g., the top surface of the mattress is offset from the top rail 32 of the playard 10c by a distance less than or equal to about 10 inches). This is achieved, in part, by utilizing a more complex folding mechanism that requires the user to assemble and disassemble part of the bassinet accessory 60 to facilitate unfolding and folding. For instance,
To setup the bassinet accessory 60, the caregiver should manually connect the support tube 64a to the support tube 64b, and connect the support tube 64c to the support tube 64b, to form a rigid support tube assembly 64 spanning the length of the bassinet accessory 60. To tear down the bassinet accessory 60, the caregiver should manually disconnect the support tubes 64a-64c from one another. These additional steps not only make the bassinet accessory 60 more difficult to fold and/or unfold, but may also increase the likelihood of lost parts (e.g., the caregiver misplaces one of the support tubes separately from the mattress) and/or an improper setup especially if the caregiver does not properly connect the support tubes 64a-64c together.
In some conventional foldable bassinet accessories, simpler folding mechanisms (e.g., a mechanism that does not require assembly of two or more components for deployment or disassembly for storage) have been used to simplify setup and/or tear down. However, these simpler folding mechanisms often result in an increase to the overall size of the playard in the folded configuration (e.g., a portion of the bassinet accessory extends appreciably beyond the envelope of the playard when folded) or results in a relatively deeper bassinet accessory (e.g., the top surface of the mattress is offset from the top rail 32 of the playard 10c by a distance appreciably greater than 10 inches) to ensure the folding mechanism remains within the envelope of the folded playard. For the latter case, a deeper bassinet accessory results in the caregiver having to bend over further to place their child into the bassinet accessory and/or to take their child out of the bassinet accessory resulting in greater physical strain.
In another example, the playards 10a and 10b shown in
Generally, conventional canopy covers are supported by a separate canopy cover frame that directly mounts onto a top portion of the playard (e.g., the corners), which is already covered with soft goods. The presence of the soft goods can make it difficult for a caregiver to determine the proper location(s) on the playard where the canopy cover should be mounted, which can often result in incorrect canopy cover installations. Additionally, conventional canopy covers often are not attached securely to the playard due, in part, to the stack of multiple fabric layers in the soft goods. As a result, conventional canopy covers for outdoor playards are often prone to premature detachment due, for example, to a gust of wind.
Conventional canopy covers are also prone to being detached by a child placed within the partially enclosed space of the playard. For example,
In view of the foregoing observations by the Inventors, the present disclosure is thus directed to various inventive implementations of a foldable playard that is easier to operate (e.g., fold, unfold, latch and/or unlatch) compared to conventional playards, structurally simpler with fewer parts for manufacture, provides desired clearances between the rigid components of the playard, and nonetheless remains sufficiently stable and rigid in structure so as to readily comply with various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19, referenced above). The present disclosure is also directed to various inventive implementations of accessories, such as a topper, a bassinet accessory, and/or a canopy cover, that are easier to install and/or uninstall from the playard frame, structurally simpler with fewer parts for manufacture while remaining mechanically stable and rigid especially when mounted onto the playard, and, in some instances, reconfigurable and/or collapsible to provide additional functionality to the playard.
In various inventive implementations, a foldable playard may generally include a frame that defines an interior space when unfolded, and soft goods that are mounted to the frame and partially disposed within the interior space to define a partially enclosed space for a child. In some implementations, a foldable playard includes an improved canopy cover assembly to cover the partially enclosed space (e.g., when the playard is deployed in an outdoor setting).
In one example of a frame for a foldable playard according to the present disclosure, the frame may be a closed frame that includes multiple leg support assemblies and X-frame assemblies arranged such that each leg support assembly is disposed along a side edge of the interior space, with the X-frame assemblies disposed between adjacent leg support assemblies along a side face of the interior space. The leg support assemblies enable the foldable playard to stand on the ground and the X-frame assemblies provide the structural support for the leg support assemblies as well as the mechanism to facilitate folding and/or unfolding of the playard. In some implementations, the leg support assemblies and the X-frame assemblies may define an interior space having a cross-section in the plane parallel to the ground that is polygonal in shape (e.g., a square, a rectangle, a hexagon).
Each leg support assembly of the frame of a foldable playard may include a leg tube, a corner mounted to a top end of the leg tube, a foot mounted to a bottom end of the leg tube, and a slider that slides between the corner and the foot. The top and bottom ends of the leg tube may align with top and bottom vertices of the interior space, respectively. Each X-frame assembly may include at least one pair of X-frame tubes (also referred to as a “X-tube”) where each X-frame tube is rotatably coupled to at least another X-frame tube, the corner, and/or the slider. By coupling at least one of the X-frame tubes to the slider, the X-frame assembly becomes a pivot and slidable X-frame assembly in which the X-frame tubes are rotationally and translationally displaced when folding and/or unfolding the playard. In this manner, the combination of the X-frame assemblies and the leg support assemblies allows for a playard that folds into a smaller form occupying less volume and/or unfolds to provide a larger interior space and, hence, a larger partially enclosed space for the child as compared to conventional playards.
In one aspect, the X-frame assemblies of the frame of the foldable playard may be positioned sufficiently near a top portion of the interior space when the playard is deployed in an unfolded configuration such that each X-frame assembly effectively functions as a rigid top rail that mechanically connects adjacent leg support assemblies in the frame. Said in another way, the respective X-frame tubes of each X-frame assembly form a top perimeter structure that spans the top of the playard frame, thus outlining a top opening of the interior space. For example, each pair of X-frame tubes in each X-frame assembly may form a sufficiently shallow X-frame structure such that the X-frame tubes are mechanically similar to the rigid top rails in previous playards (e.g., the top rail 32 in the playard 10c).
However, unlike previous playards, the frames of the foldable playards disclosed herein are sufficiently rigid and stable with only X-frame assemblies coupling the leg support assemblies together. In other words, in example implementations, the frames of the foldable playards disclosed herein do not include a separate top rail (e.g., the webbing 14 of the playards 10a and 10b shown in
In one aspect, the foldable playard frames disclosed in various examples herein achieve mechanical stability using fewer parts by reducing the length of the leg tubes as compared to conventional playards so as to make the frames less prone to being tilted and/or rotated (e.g., the resultant torque applied to a frame for a given force is reduced due to a shorter moment arm). As explained in greater detail below, in some implementations the length of a leg tube may be dimensioned based only on the portions of the foot and the corner that overlap with the leg tube and the distance the slider travels to sufficiently fold and/or unfold the frame.
In another aspect, the foldable playard frame may provide clearances in accordance with various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19 and/or F1004-09). For example, each X-frame tube may be separated from a leg tube by a gap greater than or equal to 1.5 inches, which corresponds to the width of a partially bounded opening (e.g., a V-shaped opening, a diamond-shaped opening) below which the risk of neck entrapment is considered unacceptable as set forth in ASTM F406-19 and ASTM F1004-09. The partially bounded opening is considered to be an opening that is sufficiently large enough to fit a child's head in at least one configuration of the foldable playard (e.g., the unfolded configuration). In another example, each pair of X-frame tubes may be laterally offset from one another by a distance that is sufficiently small such that a child is unable to insert their head laterally between the X-frame tubes. For example, each pair of X-frame tubes may be laterally offset by a gap less than 1.5 inches.
In some implementations, the frame may be structurally designed to maintain the desired clearances when the foldable playard is in the deployed unfolded configuration, the compact folded configuration, and between the unfolded and folded configurations (e.g., while the foldable playard is being folded or unfolded). In some implementations, the frame may include various safety features, such as a mechanical stop, to reduce the likelihood or, in some instances, prevent the clearances from falling outside the desired range. For example, a Valco snap button disposed on the leg tube below the slider in the unfolded configuration may act as a mechanical stop to prevent the frame from being accidentally folded to such an extent that the desired gap between the X-frame tube and the leg tube falls below the desired range.
For example, each leg support assembly may be coupled to a X-frame assembly such that no portion of a X-frame tube is separated from a leg tube by a gap less than 1.5 inches. This may be accomplished, in part, by utilizing sliders and corners with arms (also referred to herein as “extended portions”) that extend along the side faces of the interior space and rotatably couple to the respective X-frame tubes of the X-frame assemblies. The respective arms of each slider and corner may be shaped and/or dimensioned to position the X-frame tubes at a set distance from the leg tubes independent of the position of the slider along the leg tube. For instance, the respective arms of each slider may have a length, lsr, defined as the distance from a base of the slider to a pin joint where the X-frame tube is coupled to the slider, greater than or equal to 1.5 inches. In other words, the portion of the X-frame tube coupled to the arm of the slider, which is located closest to the leg tube and, hence, forms the narrowest portion of a V-shaped opening, may be separated from the leg tube by a distance greater than or equal to 1.5 inches. The respective arms of each corner may also have a length, lcr, defined as the distance from a base of the corner to a pin joint where the X-frame tube is coupled to the corner, that is also greater than or equal to 1.5 inches.
In some implementations, the respective sliders and corners in a pair of leg support assemblies disposed on adjacent side edges of the interior space (i.e., side edges that share a single side face) may each have an arm that extends along the same side face. The respective arms of the sliders in the pair of leg support assemblies may be in colinear alignment with one another and, similarly, the respective arms of the corners may be in colinear alignment with one another. Said in another way, the respective arms of the slider and corner of one leg support assembly may each have an end that is aligned to the respective ends of the corresponding slider and corner of the other leg support assembly. In some implementations, the respective ends of the slider arms may be disposed proximate to one another or, in some instances, may physically contact one another when the playard is folded. Similarly, the respective ends of the corner arms may also be disposed proximate to one another or may physically contact one another in the folded configuration.
For foldable playards that include sliders and corners with colinearly aligned arms, the dimensions of the playard in the folded configuration are directly proportional to the sum of the respective lengths of the slider and corner arms disposed along the same side face. In particular, the side dimensions of the playard may be greater than or equal to two times the length of the respective arms of the sliders and corners in each pair of leg support assemblies disposed on adjacent side edges of the interior space. Thus, an increase in the length of the arms of the sliders and/or corners of the foldable playard, for example, to provide a playard frame with desired clearances results in a proportional increase to the overall size of the playard in the folded configuration.
In some implementations, the foldable playard frame may include sliders and corners with arms that are offset in position in order to allow for longer arms while maintaining a compact size, particularly in the folded configuration. Specifically, the respective arms of the sliders and corners may be offset from the respective side faces such that the arms of the slider and the corner in one leg support assembly at least partially overlap the corresponding arms of the slider and the corner in another adjacent leg support assembly along the same side face in the folded configuration. Said in another way, the end of the arms in the slider or the corner of one leg support assembly may be disposed proximate to or, in some instances, may physically contact the corresponding base of the slider or the corner of the other leg support assembly in the folded configuration. In this manner, the respective lengths of the sliders and the corners may be dimensioned to provide the desired clearances (e.g., a length greater than or equal to 1.5 inches) while maintaining a compact folded size of the playard where the dimensions of the frame in the folded configuration are directly proportional to the length of the corner and the slider of only one leg support assembly.
The respective sliders and corners in the leg support assemblies may each have two arms that couple to respective X-frame assemblies disposed along adjacent side faces of the interior space (i.e., a pair of side faces sharing the same side edge). In some implementations, the respective arms of the sliders and corners may be offset in an asymmetric manner. For example, the first arm of a slider or corner may be offset away from the interior space and the second arm of the slider or corner may be offset towards the interior space. In this manner, the first arm of the slider or the corner of one leg support assembly may at least partially overlap the second arm of the slider or the corner of the other leg support assembly in the folded configuration. In some implementations, the same sliders and corners with asymmetrically offset arms may be used in each leg support assembly, thus simplifying manufacture and assembly of the playard frame.
However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the respective arms of the sliders and corners may be offset in a symmetric manner. For example, the first and second arms of the slider or the corner of a first leg support assembly may both be offset away from the interior space or offset towards the interior space. The first and second arms of the slider or the corner of a second leg support assembly adjacent to the first leg support assembly may be offset in the opposite direction from the slider and the corner of the first leg support assembly. Said in another way, the direction the first and second arms of the slider or the corner are offset relative to the interior space may alternate for each successive leg support assembly disposed at each corner of the playard frame. In this manner, the first arm of the slider or the corner of the first leg support assembly may at least partially overlap the second arm of the slider or the corner of the second leg support assembly in the folded configuration.
The offset in the respective arms of the sliders and the corners may also simplify the shape of the X-frame tubes for each X-frame assembly. For example, the first arm of the slider in a first leg support assembly and the second arm of the corner in a second leg support assembly adjacent to the first leg support assembly may be offset together in a first direction (e.g., towards the interior space or away from the interior space) while the first arm of the corner in the first leg support assembly and the second arm of the slider in the second leg support assembly are off together in a second direction opposite the first direction. This arrangement allows for X-frame tubes that are straight tubes (i.e., a tube with no bends) with a constant cross section to couple the slider of the first leg support assembly to the corner of the second leg support assembly and, similarly, the corner of the first leg support assembly to the slider of the second leg support assembly. In some implementations, the X-frame tubes of each X-frame assembly may be laterally offset by a gap, wx, defined as the distance between the respective centerline's of the X-frame tubes. The gap wx may be chosen to provide sufficient spacing for the respective arms of the sliders and corners to overlap one another while being sufficiently small to prevent the child from inserting their head laterally between the X-frame tubes. For example, the gap wx may range between 0.625 inches and 1.5 inches to provide sufficient spacing for the respective arms of the sliders and corners to overlap one another.
Additionally, the dimensions and/or materials of the X-frame tubes employed in foldable playard frames disclosed in various examples herein may be chosen to provide sufficient mechanical rigidity to the frame. For example, the X-frame tubes may be formed from steel tubing with an exterior diameter of about 0.625 inches and a total length of about 24.5 inches. However, it should be appreciated the X-frame tubes may be formed from other materials (e.g., aluminum, carbon fiber) having different dimensions depending, in part, on the mechanical properties of the material and the desired dimensions of the interior space provided by the frame. In some implementations, as noted above, a frame comprising only leg support assemblies and X-frame assemblies as disclosed herein, without additional support structures, may satisfy the various mechanical rigidity, stability, and/or strength requirements set forth in various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19, 7.3.3, 7.11).
It should be appreciated that soft goods may be coupled at various points along the frame so that the partially enclosed space formed by the soft goods opens properly when the playard is unfolded. However, the soft goods may generally be a compliant, flexible component that remains loose instead of being pulled taut and, hence, does not appreciably improve the mechanical rigidity and/or stability of the frame.
Additionally, by placing the X-frame assemblies of the frame near the top portion of the interior space, the sides of the frame are more exposed to provide a larger window for the caregiver to see their child when the child is placed within the interior space. Furthermore, soft goods attached to the frame may more readily cover the X-frame assemblies using less material. In some implementations, the soft goods may partially cover the X-frame assemblies to provide access to a latch (described in more detail below), while in other implementations the soft goods may completely cover the X-frame assemblies such that no portion of the X-frame assemblies are observable when the playard is unfolded (which may improve, in part, the aesthetic appearance of the playard for both outdoor and indoor settings).
As discussed in greater detail below, the “top portion” of foldable playard frame in a given example implementation may generally refer to the portion of the frame proximate to the top ends of the leg tubes and/or the corners of each leg support assembly. The leg tubes of the respective leg support assemblies may generally have substantially identical lengths. In some implementations, the top portion of the frame may be defined as having: 1) a top horizontal plane that intersects the top ends of the leg tubes and/or the corners; and 2) a bottom horizontal plane that is offset vertically from the top horizontal plane such that the X-frame tubes are located entirely within the top and bottom horizontal planes when the X-frame assembly is unfolded. In some implementations, the bottom horizontal plane may be offset from the top horizontal plane by a distance less than or equal to 30% of the total length of the leg tubes and, more preferably, less than or equal to 20% of the total length of the leg tubes.
As noted above, in some implementations a foldable playard frame may include one or more X-frame assemblies forming a single X-frame structure with one pair of X-frame tubes. Each X-frame tube in the pair of X-frame tubes may be rotatably coupled to a corner of one leg support assembly, a slider of another leg support assembly, and the other X-frame tube in the pair of X-frame tubes. In other example implementations, a foldable playard frame may include one or more X-frame assemblies forming a double X-frame structure with two pairs of X-frame tubes. In examples employing this double X-frame structure, each X-frame tube is coupled to either a slider or a corner of one leg support, the X-frame tube within the same pair of X-frame tubes, and another X-frame tube from another pair of X-frame tubes. In this manner, the frame may provide an interior space having a horizontal cross section in which the sides have different dimensions (e.g., an interior space with a rectangular shape).
In another aspect, a foldable playard frame according to the present disclosure may include a latch to maintain the frame in an unfolded configuration. In some implementations, the frame may only include a single latch to maintain the frame in the unfolded configuration. In some implementations, the single latch is configured such that, as a caregiver unfolds the frame (e.g., by moving the slider in one leg support assembly towards the corner), the single latch is automatically actuated to lock the frame in the unfolded configuration. In this manner, the process of unfolding and locking the playard may be readily accomplished with the caregiver positioned at one side and/or one corner of the playard (i.e., the caregiver does not have to move around the playard to actuate multiple latches). Furthermore, the caregiver may unfold and lock the playard using a single hand. For example, the single latch may automatically lock when the slider is displaced a sufficient distance along the leg tube.
In some implementations, the latch may be preferably disposed in the top portion of the frame as defined above. For example, the latch may include a latch member having a first end coupled to the corner of one leg support assembly and a second end that couples to a X-frame tube of one X-frame assembly or the slider. In this manner, the latch may be partially covered or, in some instances, fully covered by the soft goods.
The latch may also be coupled to various components of the frame including, but not limited to, an X-frame tube, a leg tube, a slider, and a corner. In some implementations, the latch may be coupled to the components of the X-frame assembly and/or the leg support assembly without having to modify the respective components of the X-frame assembly and the leg support assembly. For example, the latch may include a latch member that is rotatably coupled to the corner of one leg support assembly via a pin joint that also serves to rotatably couple an X-frame tube to the corner. In this manner, the playard may include a smaller number of unique parts for manufacture. In some implementations, the playard may include identical corners and/or identical sliders for the multiple leg support assemblies.
In some implementations, the latch may be a tool-less mechanism that is actuated in one or two steps by the caregiver. In one example, the latch member may couple respective components of the X-frame assembly and/or the leg support assembly to maintain an unfolded configuration via various attachment mechanisms including, but not limited to, a snap-fit connection, a spring-loaded pin, and a spring-loaded rotational lock off mechanism.
In some implementations, the latch may be a double-action latch that includes a latch member (e.g., mounted to the corner of one leg support assembly) and a latch boss (e.g., mounted to a X-frame tube of one X-frame assembly). The latch boss may include an undercut portion and the latch member may include a latch opening to receive the latch boss with a tab disposed within the latch opening to engage the undercut portion. In some implementations, the tab may include a slot and the undercut portion may include a rib to align the latch member and the latch boss when locking the latch. The undercut portion and the tab may be shaped such that the caregiver is unable to unlock the latch by pulling the latch member without applying an excessive amount of force (e.g., greater than 10 lbs of force). Instead, the caregiver may first squeeze the respective X-frame tubes of the X-frame assembly to displace the latch boss within the latch opening of the latch member to disengage the tab from the undercut portion. While squeezing the X-frame tubes together, the caregiver may then pull the latch member off the latch boss, thus unlocking the latch.
In yet another aspect, the foldable playard frame according to the present disclosure may include a storage latch to lock the frame in the folded configuration. The storage latch may thus provide an additional safety feature that further reduces the likelihood of a child being exposed to a frame that is partially folded and/or unfolded (i.e., the sliders of the leg support assemblies are readily movable along the leg tube). In some implementations, the frame may only include a single storage latch to maintain the frame in the folded configuration. Similar to the latch described above, the storage latch may be configured to automatically engage when the caregiver folds the frame (e.g., by moving the slider in one leg support assembly towards the foot). Thus, the process of folding and locking the playard in the folded configuration may be readily accomplished using a single hand in a tool-less manner.
In some implementations, the storage latch may be disposed near a bottom end of the leg tube proximate to or, in some instances, abutting the foot of the leg support assembly. For example, the storage latch may be rigidly mounted to the leg tube and configured to physically contact a top surface of the slider in order to prevent the slider from moving towards the top end of the leg tube, hence, preventing the frame from unfolding. In some implementations, the storage latch may be installed onto a leg support assembly without modifications to the slider. Said in another way, the same slider may be used in each leg support assembly independent of whether the leg support assembly includes the storage latch or not.
In some implementations, the storage latch may include a push button partially disposed with a cavity of the leg tube and a spring element disposed in the cavity to impart a spring force that displaces the push button outwards from the leg tube. The push button may include a restraining surface (e.g., a bottom surface) that contacts the top surface of the slider to maintain the playard in the folded configuration. When the caregiver presses the push button, the push button may be inserted into the cavity of the leg tube, thus allowing the caregiver to pull the slider up and past the push button in order to unfold the frame. The push button or the slider may further include a ramped surface shaped such that the slider presses the push button into the cavity of the leg tube when folding the frame (e.g., when the slider moves downwards along the leg tube). Once the slider moves past the push button, the spring element forces the push button outwards, thus automatically locking the frame in the folded configuration.
In some implementations, the storage latch may include a latch member rigidly coupled to the leg tube. In some implementations, the latch member may be integrally formed together with the foot of the leg support assembly. The latch member may be a mechanically compliant component that includes a hook disposed at its end to contact the top surface of the slider and, hence, maintain the playard in the folded configuration. When the caregiver pulls the latch member outwards, the latch member may bend such that the hook is physically decoupled from the slider, thus allowing the caregiver to move the slider upwards along the leg tube to unfold the frame. The hook may further include a ramped surface shaped such that the slider automatically bends the latch member in an outwards direction when the slider moves downwards along the leg tube to fold the frame, thus allowing the slider to move past the hook of the latch member. The latch member may have sufficient mechanical rigidity such that the internal restoring force generated when the latch member is bent returns the latch member to its original unbent form, thus automatically locking the frame in the folded configuration.
In yet another aspect, the foldable playard may include soft goods to define the partially enclosed space in which the child may play and/or sleep. Generally, the soft goods may cover a portion of the frame (e.g., the corners of the leg support assembly, a portion of the X-frame assemblies). In some implementations, the soft goods may be coupled directly to the frame (e.g., a corner) via one or more snap-fit connections. The soft goods may further include a semi-rigid tab disposed near the top edge of the soft goods to support a snap-fit connector to ensure the soft goods remain flush against the frame when attached (i.e., the top edge of the soft goods does not flip upwards to expose an interior portion of the soft goods). The soft goods may further include a floor portion that directly rests on the ground, as well as side portions, where the floor and side portions define the bottom and sides of the partially enclosed space. In some implementations, the side portions may be transparent and/or see-through (e.g., a mesh) to allow the caregiver to readily see their child in the playard.
In yet another aspect, a foldable playard according to the present disclosure may include a bassinet accessory, disposed within the interior space of the frame and the partially enclosed space of the playard soft goods, to provide an elevated surface to support the child. The bassinet accessory may generally include a support structure that defines a relatively smaller partially enclosed space affiliated with the bassinet accessory to contain the child when the bassinet accessory is unfolded (e.g., the relatively smaller partially enclosed space of the bassinet accessory may be disposed within the partially enclosed space of the playard soft goods).
The support structure of the bassinet accessory may include bassinet soft goods with side surfaces and a bottom surface that at least partially define and surround the relatively smaller partially enclosed space of the bassinet accessory. The support structure may further include a hub and multiple support tubes that together form a rigid structure in the deployed unfolded configuration. Each support tube may be rotatably (e.g., pivotably) coupled to the hub to facilitate folding and unfolding of the bassinet accessory. The bassinet accessory may also include a mattress disposed on the hub and the support tubes in the deployed unfolded configuration to provide a cushioned surface for the child to rest upon. The mattress may be removable and foldable.
The bassinet accessory and, in particular, the support structure may fold and unfold together with the frame and the soft goods when installed on the foldable playard. The bassinet accessory may provide a relatively shallow partially enclosed space to improve accessibility for the caregiver. For example, the distance from the top surface of the mattress to the top side of the foldable playard may range between 7.5 inches and about 10 inches. More generally, the height of the bassinet accessory when installed on the playard, ht,1, which is defined as the distance between respective bottom corner portions of the bassinet soft goods and the top of the foldable playard (e.g., a top horizontal plane defined by the playard), may range between 7.5 inches and about 12 inches.
The bassinet accessory may also include a folding mechanism that does not require assembly and/or disassembly when folding and unfolding the bassinet accessory together with the foldable playard. Instead, the hub and the support tubes may form a foldable structure with integrated mechanical stops and/or a locking mechanism (e.g., a hub latch) to maintain the hub and the support tubes in the desired unfolded configuration. In this manner, the procedure for folding and unfolding the foldable playard together with the installed bassinet accessory may be simplified compared to conventional bassinet accessories (e.g., the bassinet accessory 60 for the playard 10c).
In one example, the hub may be disposed at the center of the bottom surface of the bassinet soft goods and the support tubes may be disposed and oriented along the diagonal segments of the bottom surface. Said in another way, the support tubes may extend radially from the hub to the respective corner portions of the bottom surface of the bassinet soft goods. The support tubes may be further attached to the bassinet soft goods via one or more attachment mechanisms (e.g., a screw fastener, a strap) such that the bassinet soft goods and the support tubes move together. When folding or unfolding the bassinet accessory, the caregiver may pull up or push down on the hub, thus causing the support tubes and the bassinet soft goods to fold or unfold.
Additionally, the bassinet accessory may be disposed substantially within the interior space of the playard frame in both the unfolded and folded configurations such that the overall size of the foldable playard with the bassinet accessory remains substantially similar or the same as the foldable playard without the bassinet accessory. In this manner, the compact shape of the playard in the folded configuration is maintained for ease of storage and/or transport.
The bassinet accessory exhibiting the features described above (e.g., a relatively shallow height, a simple folding mechanism, and a compact size) may be accomplished in multiple ways. In one example, the support tubes may change in length between the folded and unfolded configurations. For instance, the hub may move in an upwards direction when folding the bassinet accessory and, conversely, in a downwards direction when unfolding the bassinet accessory. To ensure the hub does not extend appreciably outside the interior space of the playard as the playard is folded up, particularly given the relatively shallow height of the bassinet accessory, each support tube may be telescoping (e.g., each support tube may include a first support tube and a second support tube telescopically coupled to the first support tube).
When the bassinet accessory is unfolded, the extended support tube may have an overall length, Lt,1, greater than the height, ht,1, of the bassinet accessory. However, when the bassinet accessory is folded, the first support tube may telescopically move towards the second support tube. Thus, the overall length of the support tube changes from Lt, to a length, Lt,2, in the folded configuration, where Lt,2 is less than Lt,1. In various examples discussed in greater detail below, the length Lt,2 may be approximately less than or equal to the height ht,1 of the bassinet accessory. It should be appreciated that the height of the bassinet accessory, ht,1, may in some circumstances change somewhat when folding and unfolding the bassinet accessory (e.g., the bottom of the bassinet soft goods may fold and bunch up). However, in other circumstances, respective bottom corners of the bassinet accessory soft goods do not undergo significant vertical displacement between the folded and unfolded configurations. In any event, the above constraints imposed on the length of the support tube and height of the bassinet accessory in the respective folded and unfolded configurations may still be satisfied so as to mitigate substantial protrusion of the hub above a top of the playard in the folded configuration.
For this example, the bassinet accessory may not include a separate locking mechanism (e.g., a hub latch) to maintain the unfolded configuration. Instead, a combination of the integrated mechanical stops and the weight of the hub, the support tubes, the mattress, and/or the child may ensure the bassinet accessory remains in the deployed unfolded configuration. In this manner, the number of parts and the cost for manufacture of the bassinet accessory may be reduced.
In another example, an interior space of the playard below the bassinet accessory in the unfolded configuration may be utilized to contain the hub and/or the support tubes of the bassinet accessory when folding up the playard for storage and/or transport in the folded configuration. This may be accomplished, in part, given the shallow height of the bassinet accessory, which results in a larger portion of the interior space of the playard frame being disposed directly below the bassinet accessory. For instance, the height, hb, corresponding to the distance from the ground to the bottom surface of the bassinet soft goods may be greater than or equal to about 18 inches. For this example, the hub may move in a downwards direction when folding the bassinet accessory and, conversely, in an upwards direction when unfolding the bassinet accessory. To ensure the hub and/or the support tubes remain contained within the interior space of the playard, the length of the support tube, Lt, may be approximately equal to or less than the height, hb.
For this example, the integrated mechanical stops may limit further upward movement of the hub once the hub and the support tubes are in the desired unfolded configuration (e.g., the hub and the support tubes form a substantially flat platform supporting the mattress). The hub may further include a hub latch that, when actuated, prevents the hub from moving downwards. Thus, the combination of the mechanical stops and the hub latch may maintain the bassinet accessory in the deployed unfolded configuration.
In yet another aspect, a foldable playard according to the present disclosure may support one or more toppers including, but not limited to, a bassinet topper, a changing table, and an organizer. The topper may generally be positioned near the top portion of the foldable playard (e.g., the topper is located closer to a top horizontal plane of the playard than a ground surface supporting the playard). In some implementations, the topper may be partially disposed within the interior space of the playard. For example, the topper may have a topper frame disposed above a portion of the interior space and supporting topper soft goods and/or a support platform that extends below the top horizontal plane of the playard. In some implementations, the topper may be partially disposed outside the playard (e.g., along the exterior side of the X-frame assemblies). In some implementations, the topper may be shaped and/or dimensioned to cover only a portion of the interior space so that multiple toppers may be mounted to the playard at the same time. For example, the playard may support a bassinet topper and a changing table arranged side by side and the respective toppers may be dimensioned to cover or substantially cover the interior space.
In some implementations, the topper may be securely coupled to the playard frame via an attachment mechanism. For example, at least one of corners of the leg support assemblies may include a topper mount socket and the topper may include a corner assembly with a corner tube inserted into the topper mount socket. The corner assembly may further include a latch lever with a latch head that securely couples the corner tube of the topper to the topper mount socket of the corner. The latch lever may also include a latch button, which may be actuated to release the corner tube from the topper mount socket, thus allowing the caregiver to remove the topper from the playard. In some implementations, the latch button and the latch head may be disposed on opposing sides of the corner tube. The latch button may also be disposed above the corner facing away from the interior space of the playard for greater ease of access and visibility. For example, the caregiver does not have to bend over as much to reach the latch button or reach their hand into a tight space.
As described above, the X-frame assemblies in the foldable playard may effectively function as rigid top rails due to their proximity to the top portion of the interior space when the playard is unfolded. However, the X-frame tubes may still be disposed below the top horizontal plane of the playard even in the unfolded configuration because the X-frame tubes may be oriented at a shallow angle with respect to the top horizontal plane. The X-frame assemblies, however, may still provide support for a topper in the same manner as a rigid top rail in a conventional indoor playard (e.g., the playard 10e) by including a topper support mounted to one of the X-frame tubes of at least one X-frame assembly. The topper support may have a bottom portion that abuts the X-frame tube and a topper support portion that is aligned or substantially aligned with the top horizontal plane of the playard. In this manner, the topper support may emulate a rigid top rail, thus enabling the installation of toppers onto playards with X-frame assemblies. In some implementations, the topper support may also prop up a top portion of the playard soft goods such that the top portion of the soft goods is substantially flat (e.g., the soft goods do not sag downwards due to the shape of the X-frame assemblies).
In some implementations, the playard may include multiple topper mount sockets and/or multiple topper supports arranged to support a topper at multiple locations that, when projected onto the top horizontal plane, are not colinear. This arrangement may ensure the topper is not supported by the playard in a cantilevered manner, which may reduce or, in some instances, prevent the topper from sagging downwards into the interior space.
It should also be appreciated that, in some implementations, the topper may not be directly attached to the foldable playard or another accessory mounted to the playard (e.g., a bassinet accessory). For example, the foldable playard may include a bassinet accessory that provides an elevated support surface within the interior space of the playard. A bassinet topper may then be placed on the elevated surface of the bassinet accessory without being affixed to the playard frame. Said in another way, the caregiver may lift the bassinet topper off from the elevated surface (e.g., via a carrying handle) when removing the bassinet topper from the foldable playard without actuating any lock or latch mechanism.
The toppers described herein may also be reconfigurable after being mounted to the playard (i.e., the topper is not a static fixture). For example, a topper may include both a changing table section and an organizer section. Specifically, the topper may include a topper frame with a first frame portion supporting topper soft goods and a support platform for a changing table and a second frame portion supporting multiple storage compartments to store various care items. The changing table section may partially cover the interior space and the organizer section may extend outwards from the playard away from the interior space when deployed. Additionally, the changing table section may be rotatably coupled to the organizer section via a hub assembly. The hub assembly may couple the topper to the playard frame.
In some implementations, the organizer section may be rigidly coupled to the playard frame and the changing table section may be rotatable with respect to the organizer section and, hence, the playard frame. The changing table section may be rotatable between a deployed configuration and a storage configuration. In the deployed configuration, the changing table section may be positioned over the interior space of the playard and oriented to support a child. In the storage configuration, the changing table section is positioned such that it no longer covers the interior space. In this manner, the caregiver may rotate the changing table section in or out the interior space of the playard as needed instead of installing and uninstalling the topper each time it is used. The changing table section may also be shaped and/or dimensioned to block access to the storage compartments of the organizer section in the storage configuration (e.g., the child is unable to access the various care items).
In some implementations, the changing table section may instead be rigidly coupled to the playard frame and the organizer section may be rotatable with respect to the changing table section and, hence, the playard frame. This enables the caregiver to rotate the organizer section between a first configuration to access a first set of storage compartments disposed on a top side of the organizer section and a second configuration to access a second set of storage compartments disposed on a bottom side of the organizer section. In this manner, the organizer section may provide the caregiver additional storage space without increasing or appreciably increasing the overall length of the playard. In the second configuration, the organizer section may cover the changing table section and, hence, may also partially cover the interior space.
The hub assembly may also provide a breakaway feature where the changing table section rotates downward towards the ground from the first configuration in the event a sufficiently large force and/or torque is applied to the topper (e.g., a caregiver leans on the changing table section, a child hangs from the changing table section). In some implementations, the threshold force and/or torque may be chosen to be lower than the force and/or torque that causes the foldable playard to tip over. For example, the changing table section may be configured to rotate when a 30 lbf is applied tangentially with respect to rotation axis defined by the hub assembly to a portion of the changing table section located furthest from the rotation axis (e.g., the free end of the topper frame forming the changing table section). The changing table section may be reset thereafter without any damage to its components. In this manner, the breakaway feature may prevent the playard from tipping over and/or the topper breaking.
The toppers described herein may also be used with the playard frame or as a freestanding apparatus and may further be collapsible for storage and/or to improve portability. For example, a bassinet topper may provide the caregiver a portable platform to move a child around the caregiver's home. In this manner, the caregiver does not have to move the foldable playard, which may be bulkier and heavier than the bassinet topper. The caregiver, however, may still utilize the playard as a platform to support the bassinet topper at an elevated position where it is easier to reach the child and/or to view the child. Additionally, the bassinet topper may be collapsed for storage during transit (e.g., the caregiver is moving the child between different locations). In this manner, the bassinet topper can be used in a variety of settings.
In some implementations, the bassinet topper may include a bassinet topper frame that supports bassinet topper soft goods and a support platform for the child. The bassinet topper may also include a carry handle and a canopy cover to provide shade for the child. The bassinet topper frame may include one or more legs to support the bassinet topper, one or more housings with a collapsing mechanism to fold or collapse the bassinet topper, and one or more top rails supporting the bassinet topper soft goods. Compared to conventional bassinet toppers, which often include three or more latch mechanisms to support the bassinet topper in a setup configuration, the bassinet toppers described herein may only include two latch mechanisms (one latch mechanism per leg or side), thus simplifying assembly and reducing the number of steps to setup the bassinet topper.
In some implementations, each top rail may have a main body with a connector end that is bent at a right angle (i.e., 90 degrees) or approximately a right angle with respect to the main body. The connector end may be inserted into corresponding top rail sockets in the housing. The orientation of the connector end of each top rail may improve the structural rigidity of the assembled bassinet topper, thus reducing or, in some instances, eliminating racking (e.g., slop, lash, or shakiness due to excessive head-to-toe or side-to-side movement of the bassinet topper).
In some implementations, the collapsing mechanism of the housing may include a pivot joint that allows the legs to rotate with respect to the housing. When the legs are deployed, a rotational stop mounted to the legs may impart a pre-load to the legs to increase the structural rigidity of the bassinet topper frame. The support platform may further include latches to lock the legs in the deployed orientation. In some implementations, the housing mechanism may include a top housing supporting the top rails and a bottom housing supporting the legs. The collapsing mechanism may be a folding mechanism that allows the bottom housing to fold with respect to the top housing. In some implementations, the collapsing mechanism may allow the bottom housing to be removed from the top housing to facilitate disassembly of the bassinet topper for storage.
In yet another aspect, a foldable playard according to the present disclosure may also include a canopy cover assembly, disposed on top of the playard frame and soft goods, to provide shade for the child within the playard. The canopy cover assembly may generally include multiple canopy support assemblies that provide a canopy cover frame or support structure. Each canopy support assembly may generally include a canopy bow that supports the canopy cover and a canopy clip to mount the canopy support assembly to the frame. In some implementations, different types of canopies (e.g., a half canopy, a full canopy) may be mounted onto the playard depending on the coverage desired by the caregiver.
In some implementations, the canopy clip may include snap-in features to directly couple the canopy clip to the leg tube of one leg support assembly. In this manner, the canopy clip may be more securely attached to the frame (i.e., the canopy clip does not attach to a portion of the frame covered by soft goods), thereby reducing the likelihood the canopy cover assembly is accidentally detached from the frame. Each canopy clip may be further disposed outside the interior space along an exterior portion of one leg support assembly (e.g., proximate to the corner and/or the slider when the playard is unfolded). Additionally, the canopy bow may couple to the canopy clip such that a portion of the canopy bow is also disposed outside the interior space near the corner and/or the slider of the leg support assembly. The particular placement of the canopy clip and the portion of the canopy bow that overlaps the exterior portion of the frame may further limit the child's access to the various components of the canopy cover assembly, thus reducing the likelihood the child can detach and pull the canopy cover into the playard.
In one example, a frame for a foldable playard has a compact folded configuration for storage of the frame and a deployed unfolded configuration to support the foldable playard in an upright position on a ground surface to contain a child in an interior space of the foldable playard. The frame includes a plurality of leg support assemblies extending upward from the ground surface when the frame is in the deployed unfolded configuration where each leg support assembly of the plurality of leg support assemblies includes a bottom end supported by the ground surface and a top portion opposite to the bottom end. The frame further includes a plurality of X-frame assemblies coupled to the plurality of leg support assemblies where each X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies is coupled to respective top portions of adjacent leg support assemblies of the plurality of leg support assemblies when the frame is in the deployed unfolded configuration such that, in the deployed unfolded configuration of the frame, the plurality of X-frame assemblies forms a top perimeter structure of the frame outlining the interior space of the foldable playard and the plurality of X-frame assemblies does not significantly impede visibility of the child when the child is in the interior space of the foldable playard. The plurality of X-frame assemblies constitutes the only interconnection in the frame between respective pairs of leg support assemblies of the plurality of leg support assemblies. Each leg support assembly may include a leg tube with an oval-shaped cross-section.
In another example, a foldable playard defining an interior space when in an unfolded configuration includes a plurality of leg support assemblies where each leg support assembly includes a leg tube disposed along a side edge of the interior space having a top end disposed at a top vertex of the interior space, a corner coupled to the top end of the leg tube, and a slider slidably coupled to the leg tube such that the slider is disposed proximate to the corner when the foldable playard is in the unfolded configuration. The foldable playard further includes a plurality of X-frame assemblies positioned at respective side faces of the interior space between adjacent leg support assemblies where each X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies forms a top rail between adjacent leg support assemblies. Additionally, the sliders in the plurality of leg support assemblies are identical, the corners in the plurality of leg support assemblies are identical, and respective pairs of leg support assemblies are only coupled together via at least one X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies. The leg tube may also have an oval-shaped cross-section.
In another example, a foldable playard defining an interior space when in an unfolded configuration includes a plurality of leg support assemblies where each leg support assembly includes a leg tube disposed along a side edge of the interior space having a top end disposed at a top vertex of the interior space, a corner coupled to the top end of the leg tube, and a slider slidably coupled to the leg tube such that the slider is disposed proximate to the corner when the foldable playard is in the unfolded configuration. The foldable playard further includes a plurality of X-frame assemblies positioned at respective side faces of the interior space between adjacent leg support assemblies of the plurality of leg support assemblies where each X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies forms a top rail between the adjacent leg support assemblies. The foldable playard further includes a single latch coupled to one leg support assembly of the plurality of leg support assemblies to maintain the foldable playard in the unfolded configuration when the latch is in a locked configuration. Additionally, respective pairs of adjacent leg support assemblies are only coupled together via one X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies. The leg tube may also have an oval-shaped cross-section.
In another example, a foldable playard defining an interior space when in an unfolded configuration includes a plurality of leg support assemblies where each leg support assembly includes a leg tube disposed along a side edge of the interior space having a top end disposed at a top vertex of the interior space, a corner disposed on the top end of the leg tube, and a slider slidably coupled to the leg tube such that the slider is disposed proximate to the corner when the foldable playard is in the unfolded configuration. The foldable playard further includes a plurality of X-frame assemblies positioned at respective side faces of the interior space where each X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies is coupled to adjacent leg support assemblies of the plurality of leg support assemblies. The foldable playard further includes a latch that directly couples together the corner of one leg support assembly of the plurality of leg support assemblies and a X-frame tube of one X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies when the latch is in a locked configuration where the latch provides the only mechanism to maintain the foldable playard in the unfolded configuration. Additionally, respective pairs of leg support assemblies are only coupled together via at least one X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies. The leg tube may also have an oval-shaped cross-section.
In another example, a foldable playard defining an interior space when in an unfolded configuration includes a plurality of leg support assemblies where each leg support assembly includes a leg tube disposed along a side edge of the interior space having a top end disposed at a top vertex of the interior space, a corner coupled to the top end of the leg tube, and a slider slidably coupled to the leg tube such that the slider is disposed proximate to the corner when the foldable playard is in the unfolded configuration. The foldable playard further includes a plurality of X-frame assemblies positioned at respective side faces of the interior space where each X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies is coupled to adjacent leg support assemblies. The foldable playard further includes a plurality of canopy support assemblies disposed, in part, above the interior space where each canopy support assembly includes a canopy bow disposed, in part, above the interior space and a canopy clip disposed outside the interior space proximate to a first leg support assembly of the plurality of leg support assemblies. The canopy clip includes one or more snap features directly coupled to the leg tube of the first leg support assembly and a canopy bow opening to receive a portion of the canopy bow to couple the canopy bow to the canopy clip. The foldable playard also includes a canopy cover supported by respective canopy bows of the plurality of canopy support assemblies to cover at least a portion of the interior space.
In another example, a foldable playard includes a leg support assembly. The leg support includes a leg tube having a top end, a corner disposed on the top end of the leg tube, and a slider slidably coupled to the leg tube. The foldable playard further includes a X-frame assembly coupled to the leg support assembly where the X-frame assembly includes a first X-frame tube rotatably coupled to the corner of the leg support assembly and a second X-frame tube rotatably coupled to the slider of the leg support assembly and the first X-frame tube. The foldable playard further includes a latch coupled to the leg support assembly and the X-frame assembly to maintain the foldable playard in an unfolded configuration when in a locked configuration where the latch includes a latch boss coupled to the second X-frame tube and disposed proximate to the slider of the leg support assembly having an undercut portion and a latch member coupled to the corner of the leg support assembly having a latch opening and a tab disposed within the latch opening. The undercut portion of the latch boss retains the tab of the latch member when the latch is engaged thereby maintaining the foldable playard in the unfolded configuration.
In yet another example, a foldable playard defining an interior space with a cross-sectional shape, in a plane parallel to a ground, forming a regular hexagon when in an unfolded configuration, includes six leg support assemblies. Each leg support assembly includes a leg tube arranged such that a longitudinal axis associated with the leg tube intersects a respective corner of the regular hexagon and further has a top end and a bottom end, a foot coupled to the bottom end of the leg tube to contact a ground to support the foldable playard, a corner coupled to the top end of the leg tube, and a slider slidably coupled to the leg tube and positioned between the foot and the corner where the slider is disposed proximate to the corner when the foldable playard is in the unfolded configuration and disposed proximate to the foot when the foldable playard is in a folded configuration. The foldable playard further includes six X-frame assemblies arranged such that each X-frame assembly is positioned along a side of the regular hexagon. Each X-frame assembly of the six X-frame assemblies forms a top rail between adjacent leg support assemblies. The six X-frame assemblies includes a first X-frame assembly disposed between and coupled to a first leg support assembly and a second leg support assembly of the six leg support assemblies where the first X-frame assembly includes a first X-frame tube having a first end rotatably coupled to the corner of the first leg support assembly and a second end rotatably coupled to the slider of the second leg support assembly and a second X-frame tube having a first end rotatably coupled to the corner of the second leg support assembly and a second end rotatably coupled to the slider of the first leg support assembly. The second X-frame tube is rotatably coupled to the first X-frame tube. The foldable playard further includes a latch coupled to only the first leg support assembly and only the first X-frame assembly to maintain the foldable playard in the unfolded configuration when in a locked configuration where the latch includes a latch boss coupled to one of the second X-frame tube and disposed proximate to the slider of the first leg support assembly having an undercut portion and a latch member having a first end coupled to the corner of the first leg support assembly, a latch opening disposed proximate to a pulling tab, and a tab disposed within the latch opening. The latch is changed to the locked configuration by moving the slider of the first leg support assembly towards the corner of the first leg support assembly until the latch member snaps onto the latch boss such that the tab of the latch member contacts the undercut portion of the latch boss and the central rib is disposed within the central slot. The latch is changed to an unlocked configuration by squeezing the first and second X-frame tubes together to release the tab of the latch member from the undercut portion of the latch boss and, while squeezing the first and second X-frame tubes together, pulling the latch member away from the latch boss. Additionally, respective pairs of leg support assemblies are only coupled together via at least one X-frame assembly of the plurality of X-frame assemblies, the sliders in the six leg support assemblies are identical, and the corners in the six leg support assemblies are identical.
It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminology explicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.
The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and/or structurally similar elements).
Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and implementations of, foldable playards that include; 1) a mechanically-sound rigid frame with a simpler construction compared to conventional playards that is easier to operate and provides desired clearances in accordance to various consumer safety standards; 2) soft goods attached to the frame to provide a partially enclosed space for the child; optionally 3) a canopy cover assembly mounted to the frame to provide shade for the child; optionally 4) a bassinet accessory coupled to the frame and/or the soft goods to provide an elevated surface to support the child; optionally 5) a topper coupled to the frame and/or the soft goods to provide a changing table and an organizer for a care station for the child; and optionally (6) a bassinet topper disposed on the playard frame, soft goods, and/or the bassinet accessory, that is collapsible and/or freestanding. It should be appreciated that various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in multiple ways. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes so as to enable those skilled in the art to practice the implementations and alternatives apparent to those skilled in the art.
The figures and example implementations described below are not meant to limit the scope of the present implementations to a single embodiment. Other implementations are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the disclosed example implementations may be partially or fully implemented using known components, in some instances only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present implementations are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the present implementations.
In the discussion below, various examples of inventive foldable playards and accompanying accessories are provided, wherein a given example or set of examples showcases one or more particular features of a frame, a X-frame assembly, a leg support assembly, a latch, soft goods, a canopy cover assembly, a bassinet accessory, an attachment mechanism for a topper, a reconfigurable topper with a changing table and an organizer, and a bassinet topper. It should be appreciated that one or more features discussed in connection with a given example of a foldable playard and/or an accessory may be employed in other examples of foldable playards and accessories according to the present disclosure, such that the various features disclosed herein may be readily combined in a given foldable playard and/or accessory according to the present disclosure (provided that respective features are not mutually inconsistent).
Certain dimensions and features of the foldable playard and the accessories are described herein using the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and/or “similar.” As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and/or “similar” indicates that each of the described dimensions or features is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude functionally similar variations therefrom. Unless context or the description indicates otherwise, the use of the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and/or “similar” in connection with a numerical parameter indicates that the numerical parameter includes variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.
An Exemplary Foldable Playard with X-Frame Assemblies
With reference again to
For the frame 100a shown in
In some implementations, the interior space 102 may further form a three-dimensional volume shaped as a right prism. Said in another way, the leg support assemblies 110a may be vertically oriented such that the horizontal cross-section of the interior space 102 is identical or substantially identical in shape and dimensions at any vertical position along the length of the leg support assemblies 110a. In other implementations, the interior space 102 may form a three-dimensional volume shaped as a truncated pyramid where a bottom portion of the interior space 102 near the ground 90 is larger than a top portion of the interior space 102. Said in another way, the leg support assemblies 110a may be tilted when the frame 100a is deployed such that the top portions of the leg support assemblies 110a are positioned closer together than a bottom portion of the leg support assemblies 110a so that the area of the horizontal cross-section of the interior space 102 decreases from the bottom portion to the top portion of the leg support assemblies 110a if the leg support assemblies 110a are substantially straight in shape. In one aspect, a frame 100a forming a truncated pyramidal interior space 102 may be preferable for enhancing mechanical stability. The manner in which this geometry is achieved will be discussed in more detail below.
In the frame 100a shown in
In this implementation, each X-frame assembly 140a may include a pair of X-frame tubes 142a and 142b (also referred to as X-tubes 142a and 142b) that are arranged to cross one another to form a single X-shaped structure. It should be appreciated the term X-frame tube refers to a tube that forms part of the X-frame assembly and is not intended to limit the tube to a particular geometry or shape. The X-frame tubes 142a and 142b may be rotatably coupled to each other and to respective corners 130 and sliders 120 of adjacent leg support assemblies 110a. Thus, the X-frame assemblies 140a are pivot and slidable X-frame assemblies where the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b rotate relative to each other and the leg support assemblies 110a and translate relative to the leg tubes 112 via movement of the sliders 120. This enables the frame 100a to be folded into a more compact structure that occupies less volume and/or allows for a larger interior space 102 compared to, for example, conventional playards with pivot-only X-frame assemblies.
In some implementations, the manner in which the multiple X-frame assemblies 140a and the leg support assemblies 110a are coupled to each other may enable a caregiver to fold and/or unfold the frame 100a in a single step. For example, the caregiver may unfold the frame 100a by moving the slider 120 in one leg support assembly 110a towards the corner 130. The motion of the slider 120, in turn, causes the adjoining X-frame assemblies 140a to rotate and translate. The motion of the adjoining X-frame assemblies 140a, in turn, causes the sliders 120 in the adjacent leg support assemblies 110a to move in a similar manner. This process may occur simultaneously for all X-frame assemblies 140a and all sliders 120 resulting in the frame 100a being unfolded as the caregiver moves the slider 120 for the one leg support assembly 110a. Once the frame 100a is unfolded, a latch 200a, which will be described in more detail below, may be actuated to lock the frame 100a in the unfolded configuration (e.g., the latch 200a prevents the sliders 120 from sliding back down the respective leg tubes 112 towards the feet 114).
In some implementations, the frame 100a may be folded and/or unfolded with the feet 114 of the leg support assemblies 110a remaining in contact with the ground 90. The leg tubes 112 may also remain vertically upright or nearly vertically upright (e.g., leg tubes 112 may intentionally be tilted when the frame 100a is unfolded to improve stability) as the frame 100a is folded and/or unfolded. In this manner, the process of folding and/or unfolding the frame 100a may be made easier for the caregiver. For example, the caregiver would not have to balance the frame 100a from tipping over while setting up and/or tearing down the playard 1000a.
With reference to
Positioning the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b in the top portion 108 of the frame when the frame is in the unfolded configuration provides several benefits to the frame 100a and, in turn, to a foldable playard comprising the frame 100a.
First, each X-frame assembly 140a in the frame 100a may function as a top rail that couples together two adjacent leg support assemblies 110a and provides mechanical rigidity and stability to the frame 100a. Said in another way, the X-frame assembly 140a may be unfolded to such an extent that the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b form a shallow X-frame structure in the top portion 108 of the frame that effectively functions as a rigid top rail. For example, in the limit where the respective sliders 120 are positioned proximate to the respective corners 130 in adjacent leg support assemblies 110a, the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b may be in near parallel alignment with one another when viewing the frame 100a from the side or the front. Thus, each X-frame tube 142a and 142b may separately function as a top rail.
In some implementations, the leg support assemblies 110a may only be coupled to one another via the X-frame assemblies 140a. In other words, the frame 100a may exclude other support structures, such as a separate compliant and/or rigid top rail (e.g., the webbing 14 of the playards 10a and 10b shown in
In some implementations, the frame 100a, comprising only leg support assemblies 110a and X-frame assemblies 140a to couple the leg support assemblies 110a together, may have sufficient mechanical rigidity, stability, and/or strength to meet the requirements set forth in various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19, 7.3.3, 7.11). For example,
This may be accomplished, in part, by tailoring the materials and/or dimensions of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b to provide the mechanical properties that ensure the frame 100a is mechanically rigid and stable when deployed. For example, the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b may be formed from steel tubing with an outer diameter of about 0.625 inches (⅝ inches) and a total length of about 24.5 inches. The term “about,” when used to describe the dimensions of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b, are intended to cover manufacturing tolerances. For example, “about 0.625 inches” may correspond to the following dimensional ranges: 0.61875 to 0.63125 inches (+/−1% tolerance), 0.62 to 0.63 inches (+/−0.8% tolerance), 0.62125 to 0.62875 inches (+/−0.6% tolerance), 0.6225 to 0.6275 inches (+/−0.4% tolerance), 0.62375 to 0.62625 inches (+/−0.2% tolerance). Similar tolerances may be applied to describe the total length of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b.
It should also be appreciated the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b may be formed from other materials including, but not limited to, aluminum and carbon fiber. The X-frame tubes 142a and 142b may also have different dimensions depending, in part, on the desired size of the frame 100a and/or the interior space 102 and the mechanical properties of the materials used to form the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b. In some implementations, the X-frame assemblies 140a may all have substantially identical or identical dimensions and/or shapes resulting in an interior space 102 with a horizontal cross-section shaped as a regular polygon. In some implementations, the frame 100a may include X-frame assemblies 140a having different dimensions and/or shapes resulting in an interior space 102 that is skewed in shape.
Additionally, with reference to
In some implementations, the length L of the leg tubes 112 may be about 26 inches. Similar to the dimensions of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b, the term “about,” when used to describe the dimensions of the leg tube 112, are intended to cover manufacturing tolerances. The tolerance values may be the same as the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b. In some implementations, the leg tubes 112 in the leg support assemblies 110a may be substantially identical or identical. In some implementations, the leg tubes 112 may have different shapes and/or dimensions (e.g., some leg tubes 112 may be vertically oriented while other leg tubes 112 may be tilted when the frame 100a is unfolded).
Second, another benefit provided by positioning the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b in the top portion 108 of the frame when the frame is in the unfolded configuration is that the X-frame assemblies 140a occupy a smaller portion of the side faces 106 of the interior space 102 as compared to conventional playards with X-frame assemblies. When the soft goods 300 includes transparent and/or see-through side portions, the placement of the X-frame assemblies 140a in the top portion 108 of the frame allows for greater visibility of the partially enclosed space 301 when the soft goods 300 are coupled to the frame 100a. Said in another way, the X-frame assemblies 140a do not appreciable visually obstruct and/or impede the caregiver from seeing their child when the child 50 is in the playard 1000a.
Additionally, the soft goods 300 may use less material to cover the X-frame assemblies 140a. In some implementations, the soft goods 300 may cover the corners 130 of the leg support assemblies 110a and partially cover the X-frame assemblies 140a such that the latch 200a, when disposed in the top portion 108 of the frame 100a, remains accessible to the caregiver. In some implementations, the soft goods 300 may fully cover the X-frame assemblies 140a as well as the corners 130 and the sliders 120 of the leg support assemblies 110a such that an observer may only see the leg tubes 112 and/or the feet 114 of the leg support assemblies 110a. In this manner, the foldable playard 1000a may be presented with a cleaner, more aesthetically desirable appearance to a consumer, in both indoor and outdoor settings.
As discussed above in connection with
The pin joints 145 and 146a-146d may generally include a fastener (not shown) with a shaft inserted through openings 147 (see
Generally, the nominal dimensions and tolerances of the openings 147 and the shaft of the fastener affects the tightness or looseness of the pin joints 145 and 146a-146d. If the opening 147 is dimensioned to interfere with the fastener (e.g., the size of the opening 147 is smaller than the size of the shaft of the fastener), the caregiver may have to apply a greater force to rotate the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b. In some instances, the pin joints 145 and 146a-146d may be too tight such that the respective feet 114 of each leg support assembly 110a do not contact the ground 90 when the frame 100a is unfolded. For example, the caregiver may move the slider 120 of one leg support assembly 110a towards the corresponding corner 130, but the opposing sides of the frame 100a may only be partially unfolded. In contrast, if the size of the opening 147 is appreciably larger than the fastener shaft, the pin joints 145 and 146a-146d may allow the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b to rotate and/or translate along other unwanted axes of motion (e.g., the frame 100a may wobble), which may compromise the mechanical stability of the frame 100a. Thus, in some implementations, the nominal dimensions and tolerances of the opening 147 and the shaft of the fastener are particularly chosen to be sufficiently loose to ensure the feet 114 of the leg support assemblies 110a contact the ground 90 while still being sufficiently tight to limit unwanted rotational and/or translation motion between the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b and/or the sliders 120 or corners 130. For example, the tolerance (or clearance) between the shaft of the fastener and the edge of the opening 147 may greater than or equal to about 0.010 inches and, more preferably, greater than or equal to about 0.015 inches.
As shown in
In other implementations, however, the offset distances z1 and z2 may not be equal. For example, the offset distance z2 may be larger than the offset distance z1 causing the first end 143a of the X-frame tube 142a to follow a smaller circular path and the second end 143b to follow larger circular path when the X-frame tube 142a is rotated. The respective first and second ends 143a and 143b of the X-frame tube 142b may similarly follow smaller and larger circular paths, respectively. This, in turn, may cause the leg support assemblies 110a and, in particular, the leg tubes 112 to flare outwards when the frame 100a is unfolded. In other words, the leg tubes 112 of the leg support assemblies 110a may be tilted due to the rotational motion of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b in the X-frame assemblies 140a such that the top ends 113a constitute the vertices of a smaller horizontal cross-section (parallel to the ground) than the bottom ends 113b (i.e., the top ends 113a are positioned closer to one another than the bottom ends 113b). In this manner, the frame 100a may define an interior space 102 with a truncated pyramidal interior shape as described above, which may be beneficial in improving the mechanical stability of the frame 100a (e.g., the frame 100a is less likely to be tilted over). With reference again to
Turning now to
The slider 120 may include a base 121 that defines a through hole opening 122 shaped and/or dimensioned to surround the leg tube 112, thus enabling the slider 120 to slidably move along the leg tube 112. In some implementations, the shape of the opening 122 may conform with the cross-sectional shape of the leg tube 112. The slider 120 may further include an extended portion 124 (also referred to herein as an arm 124) coupled to one side of the base 121 to couple the X-frame tube 142a of one X-frame assembly 140a to the slider 120 via a fastener inserted through an opening on the extended portion 124 aligned to the opening 147 of the X-frame tube 142a (see, for example, the exploded views of
The extended portions 124 and 126 may generally be oriented at an angle relative to each other to align the respective X-frame tubes 142a and 142b from adjoining X-frame assemblies 140a along the desired geometry of the interior space 102. For example, the extended portions 124 and 126 may be rotated relative to one another by an obtuse angle of approximately 120 degrees corresponding to the angles between adjoining sides of a hexagon. In some implementations, the extended portions 124 and 126 may lie on the same horizontal plane. In some implementations, the extended portions 124 and 126 may be offset vertically from one another if the respective X-frame tubes 142a and 142b coupled to the slider 120 are not identical. In some implementations, the sliders 120 of the leg support assemblies 110a may be identical with one another, thus reducing the number of unique parts for manufacture.
The corner 130 may include a base 131 that defines an opening 132 to receive the top end 113a of the leg tube 112. In some implementations, the shape of the opening 132 may conform with the cross-sectional shape of the leg tube 112. Similar to the slider 120, the corner 130 may include extended portions 134 and 136 (also referred to herein as an arm 134 and an arm 136) disposed on opposing sides of the base 131 to couple the X-frame tube 142b of one X-frame assembly 140a and the X-frame tube 142a of another X-frame assembly 140a to the corner 130 using a similar attachment mechanism as the slider 120, e.g., a fastener inserted through an opening aligned to the openings 147 of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b (see, for example, the exploded views of
The extended portions 134 and 136 may also be oriented at an angle relative to each other to align the respective X-frame tubes 142a and 142b from adjoining X-frame assemblies 140a along the desired geometry of the interior space 102. The extended portions 134 and 136 may also lie on the same horizontal plane and/or offset vertically from one another if the respective X-frame tubes 142a and 142b coupled to the corner 130 are not identical. In some implementations, the corners 130 of the leg support assemblies 110a may be identical with one another, thus reducing the number of unique parts for manufacture.
In some implementations, the foot 114 may also include a looped or ringed structure that extends from the base of the foot 114 to provide another attachment point to couple the soft goods 300 to the frame 100a. For example,
The soft goods 300 may also include a soft goods top portion 302 to wrap the soft goods 300 around the top portion 108 of the frame 100a. As shown in
The latch 200a may generally be coupled to and/or couple together various components of the frame 100a including, but not limited to the slider 120, the corner 130, and the X-frame tubes 142a or 142b. Furthermore, the latch 200a may be disposed, at least in part, within the top portion 108 of the frame 100a. This may enable the latch 200a to be at least partially covered by the soft goods 300. For example, the latch 200a may directly couple the corner 130 of one leg support assembly 110a to a X-frame tube 142a or 142b of an adjoining X-frame assembly 140a as shown in
The frame 100a may generally include one or more latches disposed on one or more leg support assemblies 110a and/or the X-frame assemblies 140a. For example, the frame 100a may include latches disposed on opposing sides of the frame 100a to ensure the frame 100a, when unfolded, maintains an even, unfolded shape (e.g., one side of the frame 100a does not sag downwards relative to another side). However, in other implementations, a single latch is sufficient to lock the frame 100a in the unfolded configuration while keeping the various leg support assemblies 110a and X-frame assemblies 140a unfolded evenly. For example, with reference again to
With reference again to
The latch member 210 may also include a tab 220 disposed at the second end 211b. Generally, the latch member 210 may be a mechanically compliant component that bends when the caregiver pulls on the tab 220 to disengage the latch member 210 from the latch boss 230. The latch member 210 may also have sufficient mechanical rigidity such that a restoring force is generated when bent by the caregiver. When the caregiver releases the tab 220, the restoring force may return the latch member 210 back to its original shape. In some implementations, the latch member 210 may be formed from a plastic material. The latch member 210 may further have a sufficient thickness and/or be reinforced with integral rib structures to provide the desired mechanical rigidity.
In some implementations, the latch 200a may be a double-action latch (e.g., the caregiver needs to perform two operations to unlock the latch). For example,
To setup the frame 100a and, by extension the playard 1000a, the caregiver may initially move the slider 120 of one leg support assembly 110a towards the corresponding corner 130 to partially unfold the frame 100a. As the frame 100a is being unfolded, the latch boss 230 disposed on the X-frame tube 142a is displaced towards the latch member 210 coupled to the corner 130. Once the latch boss 230 reaches the latch member 210 and, in particular, the tab 216, further movement of the slider 120 along the leg tube 112 results in contact between the latch boss 230 and the tab 216, which causes the latch member 210 to be deflected outwards. In some implementations, the latch member 210 may include a lead-in feature on the tab 216 (not shown), such as a sloped or a ramped wall. The lead-in feature may allow the latch member 210 to be deflected more effectively as the latch boss 230 slides against the latch member 210 by orienting the contact force between the latch member 210 and the latch boss 230 along a direction that increases the magnitude of the torque applied to bend the latch member 210 (note that the pivot point of the latch member 210 is located at the mounting opening 212 as shown in
As the latch member 210 is deflected with further movement of the slider 120 along the leg tube 112, an internal restoring force is generated within the latch member 210, which is applied against the latch boss 230. As the caregiver continues to move the slider 120 towards the corner 130, the latch member 210 is deflected further outwards resulting in a higher magnitude restoring force being applied against the latch boss 230. When the slider 120 is moved sufficiently close to the corner 130, the latch boss 230 passes through the latch opening 214 and the restoring force causes the latch member 210 to snap back to its original position such that the latch boss 230 protrudes through the latch opening 214. Once the caregiver releases the slider 120, the slider 120 may move slightly downwards along the leg tube 112 due to gravity, causing the undercut portion 232 of the latch boss 230 to rest onto the tab 216 of the latch member 210.
With reference again to
It should be appreciated that, in other implementations, the playard 1000a and, in particular, the frame 100a may include other types of latching mechanisms. For example,
Specifically,
The single-action latch 200b may be locked in a similar manner as the double-action latch 200a. Specifically, the slider 120 is moved towards the corner 130, which causes the latch boss 230 to initially deflect the latch member 210 until the latch boss 230 reaches the latch opening 214. At this point, the restoring force generated within the latch member 210 causes the latch member 210 to return to its original position with the latch boss 230 protruding through the latch opening 214. In this manner, the single-action latch 200b may hold the frame 100a in the unfolded configuration.
To unlock the single-action latch 200b and fold the frame 100a, the caregiver may pull on the tab 220 to deflect and/or bend the latching member 210 outwards, thus releasing the latch member 210 from the latch boss 230. As before, while the caregiver holds the latch member 210, the slider 120 may then move downwards along the leg tube 112 via a combination of gravity and the caregiver moving the slider 120 towards the foot 114 of the leg support assembly 110a as shown in
In the implementation shown in
In some implementations, the latch member 210 may be sufficiently compliant such that deflection of the latch member 210 does not produce an appreciable restoring force. Thus, the caregiver needs to press the latch member 210 to snap-fit the latch member 210 onto the X-frame tube 142b. In other implementations, however, the latch member 210 may instead generate an internal restoring force when bent and/or deflected (e.g., the latch member 210 includes rib structures to increase the mechanical rigidity of the latch member 210). The restoring force may be of sufficient magnitude to cause the notch 240a to at least partially engage the X-frame tube 142b. In some instances, the caregiver may still press the latch member 210 onto the X-frame tube 142b, albeit with less force due to the restoring force generated in the latch member 210, to ensure the latch member 210 is properly engaged to the X-frame tube 142b. In yet other implementations, the restoring force may instead be sufficiently large to snap-fit connect the latch member 210 to the X-frame tube 142b without any additional action by the caregiver.
Turning now to
Additionally,
The latch 200e may lock the frame 100a in the unfolded configuration in a similar manner to the latches 200a-200d. When the caregiver moves the slider 120 towards the corner 130, the X-frame tube 142b may contact the latch member 210 and deflect outwards. The latch member 210 may include a lead-in feature 222 formed between the hook structure 240b and the bottom end of the latch member 210 to guide the X-frame tube 142b moving against the latch member 210 and to deflect the latch member 210 outwards. Once the X-frame tube 142b is disposed above the hook structure 240b, the caregiver may release the slider 120 and the slider 120 may then move downwards along the leg tube 112 until the X-frame tube 142b comes to rest on the hook structure 240b.
In some implementations, the hook structure 240b may be shaped such that the caregiver may release the latch 200e by pulling on the tab 220 with sufficient force. In some implementations, the hook structure 240b may be shaped to cradle the X-frame tube 142b and/or the latch member 210 may be sufficiently rigid such that the latch member 210 acts as a double-action latch where the caregiver would have to apply an appreciably large force to disengage the latch member 210 from the X-frame tube 142b. Instead, the caregiver may raise the slider 120 and/or squeeze the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b such that the X-frame tube 142b is released from the hook structure 240b. While the caregiver holds the X-frame tube 142b above the hook structure 240b with one hand, the caregiver may then pull the latch member 210 outwards to allow the X-frame tube 142b to fall below the hook structure 240b as shown in
The latch hook 242 may similarly be integrally formed onto the corner 130 to form one single component or fabricated as a separate component that is then coupled to the slider 120. Similarly, the latch hook 242, when formed as a separate component, may be coupled to the openings of the corner 130 formed on the extended portions 134 and 136 in a manner similar to the latch member 210 of the latch 200a where the corner 130 remains unchanged and/or identical with the other corners 130 in the frame 100a.
The latch member 243 may include a first end 241a coupled to the slider 120 and a latch opening 244 disposed near a second end 241b opposite from the first end 241a. The latch opening 244 may be shaped to receive the latch hook 242 on the corner 130. In some implementations, the latch hook 242 may have a contoured surface such that the portion of the latch member 243 forming the top side of the opening 244 rests upon the latch hook 242 when the latch 200f is locked. In this manner, the latch 200f may directly couple the slider 120 and the corner 130 together to hold the frame 100a in the unfolded configuration. In some implementations, the latch opening 244 and the latch hook 242 may also be shaped to reduce or, in some instances, eliminate relative translational and/or rotational motion between the slider 120 and the corner 130 along axes of motion other than the longitudinal axis 111a.
The latch member 243 may be a mechanically compliant component with a tab 220 disposed at the second end 241b similar to the latch member 210 of the latch 200a. Although the latch member 243 is disposed on the slider 120, the latch member 243 may engage the latch hook 242 in a manner similar to the latches 200a-200e. As before, the caregiver may move the slider 120 towards the corner 130. Once the tab 220 of the latch member 243 contacts the bottom surface of the latch hook 242, the latch member 243 may be deflected outwards. As shown in
Similar to the latch 200e, the latch 200f may be a single-action latch where the caregiver may release the latch member 243 from the latch hook 242 by pulling the tab 220 with sufficient force. In some implementations, the latch 200f may be a double-action latch where the latch hook 242 may be sufficiently rigid and/or includes a sufficiently deep undercut portion such that the latch member 243 cannot be released by pulling the tab 220 without applying excessive force (e.g., a force greater than 20 lbf). The caregiver should instead raise the slider 120 such that the portion of the latch member 243 forming the top side of the opening 244 is released from the latch hook 242. While holding the slider 120 in the raised position, the caregiver may then pull the latch member 243 outwards so that the slider 120 may move downwards along the leg tube 112.
The latch 200g may further include a second housing 250b disposed within the interior space 102 of the frame 100a and rigidly coupled to the X-frame tube 142a. The second housing 250b may also include a notch 251b and the X-frame tube 142a may also have a flat section 148 that fits into the notch 251b so that the second housing 250b rotates together with the X-frame tube 142a. The first housing 250a may be rotatably coupled to the second housing 250b via a shaft or pin (not shown) inserted through respective openings in the first housing 250a, the second housing 250b, and the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b along the rotation axis 252 as shown in
The first and second housings 250a and 250b may form a cavity to contain a locking gear 254, which may translate along the rotation axis 252 relative to the first and second housings 250a and 250b to lock and/or unlock the latch 200g. The cavity may further contain a return spring 253 disposed between the locking gear 254 and the second housing 250b to impart a spring-bias force onto the locking gear 254 to maintain the latch 200g in a locked configuration by default. The locking gear 254 may include a pair of latch key sections 256 that have interior sidewalls 257a that define a channel 257c shaped to restrict and lock the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b when the frame 100a is unfolded (e.g., the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b are arranged to form a shallow X-frame structure). Said in another way, when the latch 200g is locked, the flat sections 148 of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b may be disposed within the channel 257c where the sidewalls 257a abut opposing sides of each of flat sections 148 to prevent rotation of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b.
When the playard 1000a is in the folded configuration, the locking gear 254 may be primarily disposed within the second housing 250b and the return spring 253 may be compressed due to the respective flat sections 148 of the X-frame tubes 142a and/or 142b contacting and/or pressing against the front portions 257b of the locking gear 254. To deploy the playard 1000a, the caregiver may once again move the slider 120 of at least one leg support assembly 110a and/or squeeze the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b of one X-frame assembly 140a together to unfold the frame 100a. As the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b are rotated, the respective flat sections 148 of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b may slide along the front portions 257b of the locking gear 254, thus maintaining compression of the return spring 253. Once the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b are sufficiently rotated such that the respective flat sections 148 of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b are aligned to match the geometry of the channel 257c, the spring 253 may then push the locking gear 254 outwards towards the first housing 250a such that the flat sections 148 are disposed within the channel 257c and constrained by the latch key sections 256 (see
To unlock the latch 200g, the caregiver may push the release button 260 into the recessed opening 259 causing the tabs 262 to press against the latch key sections 256 of the locking gear 254. The locking gear 254, in turn, is then displaced towards the second housing 250b along the rotation axis 252 resulting in compression of the return spring 253. Once the locking gear 254 is sufficiently displaced where the respective flat sections 148 of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b are no longer disposed within the channel 257c, the caregiver may then rotate the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b and/or move the slider 120 of at least one leg support assembly 110a to fold the frame 100a (see
When the frame 100a is sufficiently unfolded such that the slider 120 is positioned along the leg tube 112 to overlap the latch opening 273, the return spring 272 may push the latch 270 into the latch opening 273, thus locking the slider 120 and, by extension, the X-frame tube 142b in place. Since the X-frame tube 142b is movably coupled to the X-frame tube 142a, the corners 130 and sliders 120 of other leg support assemblies 110a, and the other X-frame assemblies 140a (via the other leg support assemblies 110a) in the frame 100a, the constraints applied to the slider 120 and the X-frame tube 142b by the latch 200h may maintain the frame 100a in the unfolded configuration.
The latch 270 may be rotatably coupled directly to the slider 120 via a pin 274 inserted through the opening on the slider 120 (previously used to couple to the X-frame tube 142b in other X-frame assemblies 140a) and an opening 275 formed along the latch 270. In some implementations, the opening 275 may be a slot that is shaped and/or dimensioned to allow the latch 270 to slidably move relative to the slider 120 to facilitate insertion of the latch 270 into the latch opening 273.
In some implementations, the latch 270 may instead be disposed within the interior cavity of the X-frame tube 142b such that the overall length of the X-frame tube 142b remains the same as other X-frame tubes 142b in other X-frame assemblies 140a. The second end 143b of the X-frame tube 142b, however, may have an opening through which the latch 270 may pass through when engaging and/or disengaging the latch opening 273 on the leg tube 112. The collar 271 may be disposed outside the X-frame tube 142b and configured to slide together with the latch 270 along the length of the X-frame tube 142b. As before, the latch 270 may be coupled to the collar 271 via a fastener inserted through the opening 276 on the collar 271 and another opening (not shown) on the latch 270. The fastener may pass through the X-frame tube 142b via a slotted opening (not shown) that is shaped and/or dimensioned to be similar to the opening 275 on the latch 270.
The latch 270 and the X-frame tube 142b may be rotatably coupled to the slider 120. For example, the pin 274 may pass through the openings on the slider 120, the opening 275 on the latch 270, and the opening 147 on the X-frame tube 142b. The latch 270 may still have a slotted opening 275 to allow the latch 270 to slidably move relative to the slider 120 to engage and/or disengage the latch opening 273.
To unlock the latch 200h, the caregiver may move the collar 271 along the X-frame tube 142b to release the latch 270 from the latch opening 273 as shown in
In some implementations, the latch base 280 may have a cylindrical shape and the latch member 284 may extend from the periphery of the latch base 280. The latch member 284 may have a curved and/or contoured shape as shown in
Once the slider 120 is positioned sufficiently close to the corner 130 and/or the X-frame tube 142b is sufficiently rotated such that the latch catch 281 aligns with the latch opening 283, the restoring force generated by the deflection of the latch member 284 may insert the latch catch 281 into the latch opening 283. The latch catch 281 and the latch opening 283 may thus prevent further rotation of the X-frame tube 142b relative to the slider 120 and, hence, further movement of the slider 120 along the leg tube 112 to hold the frame 100a in the unfolded configuration.
To unlock the latch 200i, the caregiver may pull on the tab 282 with sufficient force to release the latch catch 281 from the latch opening 283. While holding the tab 282, the slider 120 may then move downwards along the leg tube 112 towards the foot 114, which causes the X-frame tube 142b and the latch body 280 to rotate relative to the slider 120. Once the latch catch 281 is no longer aligned with the latch opening 283, the caregiver may release the tab 282 and proceed with folding the frame 100a.
As described above, the frame 100a may generally include at least one latch to maintain the frame 100a and, by extension, the playard 1000a in the unfolded configuration. In some implementations, the frame 100a may include a single latch (e.g., one of the latches 200a-200i) to lock the unfolded frame 100a, which may simplify the frame 100a by reducing the number of parts for manufacture. However, in other implementations, the frame 100a may include multiple latching mechanisms to ensure the various components of the frame 100a are kept evenly unfolded. Thus, it should be appreciated that in other implementations, the frame 100a may include combinations of one or more of the latches 200a-200i described above.
As described above, the foldable playard may generally include a frame that outlines an interior space. The frame may include multiple leg support assemblies and X-frame assemblies that together define and/or align with the outer boundaries of the interior space. For example, the playard 1000a includes a frame 100a defining an interior space 102 with a horizontal cross-section shaped as a hexagon. It should be appreciated that the various implementations of the foldable playard described herein may define interior spaces having other geometries based, in part, on the number of leg support assemblies and/or the X-frame assemblies used for construction.
For example, the playard may outline an interior space with a square horizontal cross-section. The frame of the playard may include four identical leg support assemblies, which may be connected together using four identical X-frame assemblies where each X-frame assembly forms a single (or double) X-frame structure. As before, each X-frame assembly may couple adjacent leg support assemblies together.
In another example,
To form the rectangular-shaped interior space 102, each X-frame assembly 140a may form a single X-frame structure, as described above, and each X-frame assembly 140b may form a double X-frame structure (i.e., two pairs of crossing X-frame tubes where each pair of X-frame tubes couples to one leg support assembly). The combination of the single and double X-frame structures allows the frame 100b to define an interior space 102 where the sides of the horizontal cross-section have different dimensions while enabling the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b to couple to the same components of the leg support assembly 110b (e.g., the same slider 120 and corner 130) so that the leg support assemblies 110b, the X-frame assemblies 140a, and the X-frame assemblies 140b may fold and/or unfold together (see
Similar to the frame 100a, the frame 100b may be unfolded with the feet 114 of the leg support assemblies 110b remaining in contact with the ground 90. Additionally, the leg tubes 112 may remain vertically upright or nearly vertically upright (e.g., leg tubes 112 may intentionally be tilted when the frame 100b is unfolded to improve stability) while the frame 100b is being folded and/or unfolded to make the process of setting up and/or tearing down the playard 1000b easier for the caregiver (see
Additionally, the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b in the frame 100b may be disposed in the top portion 108 of the frame 100b to form a top perimeter structure along the interior space 102 (see
In some implementations, the frame 100b with only X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b coupling the leg support assemblies 110b together may provide sufficient mechanical rigidity, stability, and/or strength to satisfy various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19). For example,
The soft goods 300 may further include a top portion 302, formed from an opaque textile material, to attach the soft goods 300 to the top portions of the leg support assemblies 110b as well as cover the top portion of the frame 100b. In particular, the soft goods 300 in the playard 1000b may fully cover one or more of the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b, the corners 130 of the leg support assemblies 110b, and/or the sliders 120 of the leg support assemblies 110b. In some implementations, the soft goods 300 may fully cover the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b as well as the sliders 120 and the corners 130 of the leg support assemblies 110b such that only the leg tubes 112 and/or the feet 114 are observable as shown in
As described above, conventional playards and especially, indoor playards, typically have to compromise between ease of use, visibility of the child, and/or the appearance of the playard (see, for example, playard 10c). In comparison, the playard 1000b may simultaneously improve ease of use, visibility of the child, and the overall appearance. First, the playard 1000b includes X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b that allow the frame 100b to be folded and/or unfolded in one step. For instance, the caregiver may move one slider 120 of one leg support assembly 110b to fold and/or unfold the frame 100b. Second, the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b are positioned in the top portion 108 of the frame 100b when the playard 1000b is deployed, which allows for greater visibility of the child in the partially enclosed space 301 through the sides of the frame 100b. Third, aesthetically undesirable components, such as the X-frame tubes, the sliders 120, the corners 130, may be readily hidden by the top portion 302 of the soft goods 300 to provide a cleaner, more aesthetically desirable appearance.
In some implementations, the shape and/or dimensions of the X-frame tubes 142c-142f may be substantially identical or identical with each other. The shape and/or dimensions of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b of the X-frame assembly 140a may be different from the X-frame tubes 142c-142f of the X-frame assembly 140b depending, in part, on the desired dimensions of the rectangular-shaped interior space 102. However, in some implementations, the shape and/or dimensions of the X-frame tubes 142c-142f may also be substantially identical or identical with the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b of the X-frame assembly 140a.
For example,
In yet another example,
As shown in
As shown in
The leg support assemblies 110c may further include either a foot 114 to support the playard 1000c on the ground 90 or a wheel assembly 151 to more easily move and/or reorient the playard 1000c after being unfolded. For example,
The frame 100c may further include X-frame assemblies 140a, disposed on the smaller curved side faces 106 of the interior space 102, to couple adjacent leg support assemblies 110c along the shorter sides of the rectangular cross-section of the interior space 102 (see
The shape and/or dimensions of the respective X-frame tubes in the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b and/or the location of the pin joints that rotatably couple each X-frame tube to another X-frame tube, the slider 120, and/or the corner 130 may be tailored based, in part, on the desired dimensions of the interior space 102 similar to the frame 100b. Additionally, in some implementations, the X-frame tubes of the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b may be arranged such that the pin joints that couple the X-frame tubes to the same slider 120 or corner 130 of the leg support assembly 110c are aligned along the same horizontal plane.
The X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b may once again be disposed within a top portion 108 of the frame 100c and/or the interior space 102. This enables the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b to function as top rails to mechanically reinforce the frame 100c while also eliminating other support structures, such as a separate top rail and/or a bottom support structure. The placement of the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b may also provide a larger window for the caregiver to view their child 50 through the sides of the frame 100c.
In some implementations, the soft goods 300 in the playard 1000c may be divided into separate components, in part, to better conform with the geometry of the interior space 102. For example, the side portions 306 and the floor portion 304 may be installed separately from the top portion 302. To better conform with the shape of the interior space 102, the side portions 306 may be mounted along an interior side of the leg tube 112 to reduce or, in some instances, prevent gaps from forming between the side portions 306 and the leg support assemblies 110c (see, for example,
This may be accomplished, in part, by incorporating a stiffener 330 into the side portions 306 of the soft goods 300, which may then be routed through a channel 171 formed along the leg tube 112. The stiffener 330 may be a compliant component, such as an extruded plastic rod that is inserted through a pocket formed along the respective corners of the side portions 306 located near the side edges 104 of the interior space 102.
The slider 120 in the leg support assembly 110c may still be allowed to move along the leg tube 112 even with the side portions 306 of the soft goods 300 installed onto the leg tube 112. For example,
The corner 130 may be shaped in this manner to provide a hook structure for the top portion 302 of the soft goods 300 to wrap around, thus ensuring the corners 130 and the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b are covered. In some implementations, the top portion 302 of the soft goods 300 may further include a pocket 331 to aid the caregiver in wrapping the soft goods 300 around the corners 130. Additionally, the soft goods 300 may primarily contact only the exterior surfaces of the corner 130, which may allow the corners of the playard 1000c to have a softer, gentler appearance. For example, the base 131 and the tab 138 of the corner 130 may have a smooth rounded shape for the top portion 302 of the soft goods 300 to wrap around. The top portion 302 of the soft goods 300 may include a snap-fit connector 312 disposed along an interior portion of the top portion 302 that couples to a corresponding snap-fit connector 139 on the corner 130 as shown in
In some implementations, the slider 120 may also include a rounded bottom section 170 positioned underneath the overhang portion of the tab 138 when the frame 100c is unfolded. As shown in
As described above, the frame 100c may include the latch 200j to lock the frame 100c in the unfolded configuration by engaging the slider 120 of one leg support assembly 110c to the corresponding corner 130. Generally, the frame 100c may include one or more of the latches 200j. For example,
Similar to the playards 1000a and 1000b, the frame 100c of the playard 1000c may only include the leg support assemblies 110c and the X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b. In some implementations, the frame 100c may exhibit sufficient mechanical rigidity, stability, and strength to satisfy various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19). For example,
In some implementations, the frame of the foldable playard may also be configured to include clearances (i.e., gaps) between the various rigid components of the frame (e.g., the X-frame tubes, the leg tubes) based, in part, on various consumer safety standards. For example, ASTM F1004-09 specifies the width of a partially bounded opening (e.g., a V-shaped opening or a diamond-shaped opening) should be greater than or equal to 1.5 inches (38 millimeters), otherwise the risks of neck entrapment are considered unacceptable. Furthermore, ASTM F406-19 8.29.1.4 further notes that a probe having a 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch square face should pass through freely between the various rigid components of the frame, particularly in areas where a hinge is located (e.g., the area where the slider couples an X-frame tube to the leg tube).
Therefore, in some implementations, the rigid components of the frame that define openings sufficiently large enough to fit a child's head in at least one configuration of the playard (e.g., the unfolded configuration) may be separated by gaps greater than or equal to 1.5 inches. In other words, a probe having a 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch square face may readily pass through these openings without being clamped by the rigid components as the configuration of the playard is changed (e.g., between the folded and unfolded configurations). For example, the X-frame tubes of the X-frame assemblies may be coupled to the leg tubes of the leg support assemblies such that no portion of a X-frame tube is separated from a leg tube by a gap less than 1.5 inches. More specifically, the bottom portion of a X-frame tube that is coupled to a leg tube via a slider (e.g., the portion of the X-frame tube 142a or 142b below the pin joint 145) may be separated from the leg tube by a gap less than 1.5 inches.
In some implementations, the frame may maintain the desired clearances independent of whether the frame is in the folded configuration, the unfolded configuration, or between the folded and unfolded configurations (i.e., the frame is partially folded or unfolded). For example, the X-frame tubes may remain offset from the leg tubes by a gap greater than or equal to 1.5 inches as the frame is transitioning between the folded and unfolded configurations. It should be appreciated the 1.5 inch clearance dimension is exemplary and that the foldable playard may generally conform with other consumer safety standards that specify different clearance dimensions to reduce the risk of neck entrapment.
The arms 124 and 126 of the slider 120 may each have a length, lsr, defined as the distance between the base 121 of the slider 120 and the pin joint 146b or the pin joint 146c where the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b, respectively, are rotatably coupled to the slider 120. The exposed portions of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b located nearest the sliders 120 and, hence, nearest the leg tube 112 are thus separated from the leg tube 112 by a distance greater than or equal to the length, lsr, of the arms 124 and 126. The arms 134 and 136 of the corner 130 may also each have a length, lcr, defined as the distance between the base 131 of the corner 130 and the pin joint 146a or the pin joint 146d where the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b, respectively, are rotatably coupled to the corner 130. Similar to the slider 120, the arms 134 and 136 of the corner 130 may also separate the exposed portions of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b nearest the corner 130 from the leg tube 112 by a distance greater than or equal to the length, lcr, of the arms 134 and 136.
It should be appreciated the pin joints 146a-146d are not co-located with the first and second ends 143a and 143b of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b. Thus, the first and second ends 143a and 143b of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b may be separated from the leg tube 112 by a distance less than the respective lengths lsr and lcr of the slider 120 and the corner 130. However, the first and second ends 143a and 143b may remain disposed within the recessed openings 124a and 126a of the slider 120 and 134a and 136a of the corner 130 (see, for example,
Since the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b only rotate relative to the slider 120 and the corner 130 about the pin joints 146a-146d, the gap between the exposed portions of the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b and the leg tube 112 may remain greater than or equal to the lesser of the lengths lsr and lcr when the frame 100d is fully folded, fully unfolded, or partially folded or unfolded. Therefore, in some implementations, at least one of the lengths lsr and lcr may be greater than or equal to 1.5 inches to comply with, for example, ASTM F406-19 and ASTM F1004-09.
In some implementations, the lengths lsr and lcr of the arms 124, 126 and 134, 136, respectively, may be equal. For example, sliders 120 and corners 130 with equal length arms may simplify manufacture and assembly of the frame 100e. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the lengths lsr and lcr of the arms 124, 126 and 134, 136, respectively, may not be equal. If the lengths lsr and lcr are not equal, the greater of the lengths lsr and lcr may limit the overall size of the frame 100d especially in the folded configuration. For example, the length lsr of the arms 124 and 126 may be tailored to be greater than the length lcr of the arms 134 and 136 in order to flare out the leg support assemblies 110d when the frame 100d is unfolded.
The arms 134 and 136 of the corner 130 may be further aligned to the leg tubes 112 and, in particular, a plane 103 defined by the longitudinal axes 11a of each leg tube 112 in adjacent leg support assemblies 110d. For example,
The respective arms 124 or 126 of the slider 120 may also be colinearly aligned with the arms 126 or 124, respectively, of the slider 120 in an adjacent leg support assembly 110d. For instance, the respective ends 125a and 125b of the arms 124 and 126 in adjacent sliders 120 may also be disposed proximate to one another as shown in
The colinear alignment between the respective arms 134 and 136 of the corners 130 and/or the respective arms 124 and 126 of the sliders 120 may increase the overall size of the frame 100d especially in the folded configuration. For example,
In some implementations, the scaling factor between the length lf of the frame and the respective lengths lsr and lcr of the sliders 120 and the corners 130 may be reduced by modifying the geometry of the sliders 120 and the corners 130 so that the arms 124 and 126 of the sliders 120 and the arms 134 and 136 of the corners 130 are not colinearly aligned with one another. For example, the arm 124 of one slider 120 and the arm 126 of an adjacent slider 120 may be offset from the plane 103 such that the respective arms 124 and 126 overlap one another in the folded configuration. In this manner, the foldable playard frame may provide the desired clearances while maintaining a compact size particularly in the folded configuration.
In one example,
As shown in
The offsets between the respective arms 124 and 126 of each slider 120 and the offsets between the respective arms 134 and 136 of each corner 130 maybe the same for each leg support assembly 110e in the frame 100e. For example,
Generally, the offset distances w1 and w2 are chosen to provide sufficient space for the arm 134 of one corner 130 to align side-by-side with the arm 136 of an adjacent corner 130 when the frame 100e is folded. The arms 124 and 126 of the slider 120 may also be offset from the planes 103b and 103a, respectively, in a manner similar to the corner 130. In some implementations, the arm 124 may be offset from the plane 103b by the offset distance w2 while the arm 126 may be offset from the plane 103a by the offset distance w1. By tailoring the offset distances w1 and W2 in this manner, the respective arms 134 and 136 of adjacent corners 130 may overlap one another along the plane 103 and, similarly, the respective arms 124 and 126 of adjacent sliders 120 may overlap one another along the plane 103.
The overlap between the sliders 120 and the corners 130 reduces the overall size of the frame 100e especially in the folded configuration. For instance,
Similarly,
Generally, the offset distance w1 may be greater than or equal to the greater of half the exterior width, wc1, of the arm 134 or half the exterior width, Ws2, of the arm 126. Similarly, the offset distance W2 may be greater than or equal to the greater of half the exterior width, Wc2, of the arm 136 or half the exterior width, ws1, of the arm 124. In some implementations, the offset distances w1 and W2 may be chosen, in part, to accommodate the latch 200a, which may have a larger width than the arms 124, 126, 134, or 136. In some implementations, the exterior widths wc1 and Ws2 may be equal. Similarly, the exterior widths Wc2 and ws1 may also be equal. In some implementations, the exterior widths wc1 and wc2 may further be equal. Thus, the offset distances w1 and w2 may be equal as well. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the exterior widths wc1, wc2, ws1, and ws2 may be different from one another. Additionally, the offset distances for the arms 124, 126, 134, and 136 may be different from one another.
The arms 124 and 126 of the slider 120 may also be offset in an opposite manner to the arms 134 and 136 of the corner 130. Specifically,
Thus, the recessed openings 124a, 126a, 134a, and 136a of the sliders 120 and corners 130 are not coplanar with respect to one another in the frame 100e. This, in turn, means the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b of the X-frame assemblies 140c may be coupled to the respective sliders 120 and corners 130 without having multiple bends to provide clearances between the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b. For example,
In this implementation, the respective arms of each slider maybe offset from the respective planes 103 in the same direction (e.g., towards the interior space 102 or away from the interior space 102). Similarly, the respective arms of each corner may be offset from the respective planes 103 in the same direction (e.g., towards the interior space 102 or away from the interior space 102). In order for adjacent sliders and/or corners to overlap one another, the leg support assemblies 110f and 110g may include different sliders and corners with arms that are offset in different directions.
For example,
Similar to the frame 100e, the sliders 120a and 120b may have arms that are offset in an opposite manner to the corners 130a and 130b to align respective arms of the sliders 120a and 120b and the corners 130a and 130b along the first axes 141 of each X-frame tube 142a or 142b. For example, the arm 134a may be aligned to the arm 126b, the arm 136a may be aligned to the arm 124b, the arm 134b may be aligned to the arm 126a, and the arm 136b may be aligned to the arm 124a. This allows straight X-frame tubes 142a and 142b with constant cross-sections to be used to couple the leg support assemblies 110f and 110g together.
The various dimensions described above with respect to the frame 100e may also be the same for the frame 100f. These dimensions include, but are not limited to, the exterior widths of the respective arms of the sliders 120a and 120b and corners 130a and 130b (e.g., the widths ws1, ws2, wc1, and Wc2), the offset distances from the respective planes 103 (e.g., the offset distances w1 and w2), the lengths of the respective arms, (e.g., the lengths lsr and lcr), and the total length of the sides of the frame (e.g., the length lf). For brevity, these values are not repeated here.
In some implementations, the foldable playard frame may include a storage latch to lock and/or maintain the frame in the folded configuration. The storage latch may provide an additional safety feature to reduce the exposure of a child to a partially folded or partially unfolded frame (i.e., the frame is between the folded and unfolded configurations). For example, the storage latch may reduce the likelihood of or, in some instances, prevent the child from unfolding and, subsequently, refolding the frame.
Generally, the storage latch may be separate from the latches described above to lock and/or maintain the frame in the unfolded configuration. In some implementations, the foldable playard frame may include one or more storage latches disposed on one or more leg support assemblies. For example, the frame may include storage latches coupled to respective leg support assemblies disposed on opposing sides and/or corners of the frame. For instance, the pin joints that couple the various components of the leg support assemblies and the X-frame assemblies together may be sufficiently loose such that one portion of the frame can be partially unfolded to such an extent that a child can insert their head through an opening formed in the partially unfolded portion of the frame without appreciably unfolding other portions of the frame. The inclusion of multiple storage latches may thus prevent any one portion of the frame from being partially unfolded in the manner described above.
However, in other implementations, a single latch may be sufficient to lock the frame in the folded configuration. For example,
In some implementations, the storage latch may allow the caregiver to fold and lock the playard in the folded configuration using a single hand. For example, the storage latch may be engaged and/or disengaged without the use of any tools. Instead, the storage latch may be actuated directly by the caregiver's hand. In another example, the storage latch may automatically engage when the caregiver folds the frame. For example, the caregiver may move the slider of one leg support assembly towards the foot during which the storage latch may automatically engage without the user having to separately actuate the storage latch. In this manner, the caregiver may only move the slider to fold and lock the frame. When unfolding the frame, the caregiver may actuate the storage latch and thereafter move the slider.
The storage latch may generally be coupled to the leg tube of the leg support assembly and disposed on or near the slider when the frame is in the folded configuration. For example, the slider may be disposed near a bottom end of the leg tube in the folded configuration. Thus, the storage latch may be rigidly coupled to the leg tube and disposed near the bottom end of the leg tube proximate to or, in some instances, abutting the foot of the leg support assembly such that the storage latch is near the slider in the folded configuration.
In some implementations, the storage latch, when engaged, provides a barrier that physically contacts the slider of the leg support assembly in order to prevent the slider from moving towards the corner and, hence, prevent the frame from being unfolded. When the storage latch is actuated by the caregiver, the barrier is removed, thus allowing the caregiver to move the slider upwards along the leg tube to unfold the frame. In some implementations, the storage latch may be adapted to the shape and/or dimensions of the slider. In other words, the frame may not require a slider that is modified to accommodate the storage latch. Rather, the same slider may be used in the leg support assemblies independent of whether the leg support assembly includes the storage latch.
The spring element 620 further ensures the push button 610 remains protruding outwards through the opening 113d of the leg tube 112 so that contact between the restraining surface 612 and the top surface 129 of the slider 120 is maintained. As shown, the push button 610 may also include a mechanical stop 614 disposed in the cavity 113c to limit the displacement of the push button 610 through the opening 113d. Thus, the combination of the spring element 620 and the mechanical stop 614 may limit the range of motion of the push button 610 through the opening 113d. In some implementations, the mechanical stop 614 may be a lip or a flange that extends at least partially around the periphery of the push button 610 to contact an interior surface of the leg tube 112 surrounding the opening 113d.
To unfold the frame 100e, the caregiver may press the push button 610 to displace the push button 610 inwards into the cavity 113c of the leg tube 112. When the push button 610 is sufficiently displaced (e.g., the restraining surface 612 is no longer in physical contact with the top surface 129 of the slider 120), the caregiver may then move the slider 120 upwards along the leg tube 112 and towards the corner 130 to unfold the frame 100e. When the slider 120 is moved upwards such that the top surface 129 is above the restraining surface 612, the interior surfaces of the slider 120 may contact the push button 610, thus keeping the push button 610 disposed in the cavity 113c. Once the slider 120 moves past the push button 610, the spring bias force generated by the spring element 620 moves the push button 610 back outwards through the opening 113d.
In some implementations, the push button 610 may also include a ramped surface 616 as a lead-in feature to automatically engage the storage latch 600a when folding the frame 100e. When the caregiver begins to fold the frame 100e, the slider 120 is initially disposed above the push button 610. As the slider 120 is moved downwards along the leg tube 112 by the caregiver, a bottom surface 127 of the slider 120 physically contacts the ramped surface 616. The physical contact between the ramped surface 616 and the bottom surface 127 of the slider 120 causes the push button 610 to move inwards into the cavity 113c until the slider 120 is able to move past push button 610. Once the slider 120 is disposed below the push button 610 (i.e., the top surface 129 is below the restraining surface 612), the spring element 620 may move the push button 610 outwards through the opening 113d such that the restraining surface 612 is able to prevent the slider 120 from moving back upwards along the leg tube 112. In this manner, the ramped surface 616 may automatically engage the storage latch 600a when folding the frame 100e.
For example, the ramped surface 616 may be oriented at an angle less than 90 degrees from a horizontal plane. When contact is made between the ramped surface 610 and the bottom surface 127, the contact force applied to the ramped surface 610 includes a horizontal force component, which displaces the push button 610 through the opening 113d and into the cavity 113c when the horizontal force component is greater than the spring bias force generated by the spring element 620. In some implementations, the weight of the slider 120 and the X-frame tubes 142a and 142b in the X-frame assemblies 140c applied to the ramped surface 616 may be sufficiently large to overcome the spring force generated by the spring element 620 and, hence, to displace the push button 610 into the cavity 113c without the aid of another external force applied to the push button 610 (e.g., a force applied by the caregiver).
The spring element 620 may be various types of springs including, but not limited to, a compression spring (e.g., a coil spring) and a leaf spring. For example,
The arm 624 may be bent in shape to form a spring (see
In some implementations, the spring element 620 may also act as an anchor to maintain the push button 610 at a desired orientation relative to the opening 113d. For example, the push button 610 and the opening 113d may each have a circular cross section, which allows the push button 610 to rotate relative to the opening 113d about a centerline axis of the opening 113d. However,
The latch member 642 may generally be a mechanically compliant component that can be readily bent, for example, by the caregiver to disengage the storage latch 600b. The latch member 642 may also generate an internal restoring force when the latch member 642 is bent to rotate the latch member 642 back towards its unbent form. The latch member 642 may generally be aligned to the leg tube 112 and disposed near the slider 120 in the folded configuration. For example,
Although the latch member 642 may protrude outwards from the frame 100e, the latch member 642 may be shaped and/or dimensioned to avoid appreciably increasing the overall size of the frame 100e particularly in the folded configuration. For example, the width of the latch member 642 may be less than or equal to the exterior width of the leg tube 112. In another example, the latch member 642 may be offset from the leg tube 112 such that the gap formed between the latch member 642 and the leg tube 112 is sufficiently large to only accommodate the slider 120. In other words, the gap formed between the latch member 642 and the leg tube 112 may be equal to the thickness of the portion of the base 121 disposed along the exterior portion of the frame 100e.
As shown in
The bottom surface 645 may be oriented such that the force applied to the hook 644 due to contact with the slider 120 is oriented in a direction that does not cause the latch member 642 to bend outwards. For example, the bottom surface 645 may align with a radial axis that intersects a rotation axis that the latch member 642 rotates about when bent. In other words, the contact force applied to the bottom surface 645 is oriented such that the resulting torque applied to the latch member 642 is not sufficient to bend the latch member 642. For example, the bottom surface 645 may be a horizontally flat surface. Thus, the contact force applied to the hook 644 via the bottom surface 645 may be oriented vertically. The latch member 642 may rotate about a rotation axis oriented horizontally and located at the base of the latch member 642 such that the contact force is substantially aligned or aligned to a vertical axis intersecting the rotation axis. In some implementations, the portion of the top surface 129 that contacts the restraining surface 612 may also be horizontal and flat.
To unfold the frame 100e, the caregiver may pull on the end 643 of the latch member 642 to bend the latch member 642 in an outwards direction. When the latch member 642 is sufficiently bent, the caregiver may then move the slider 120 upwards along the leg tube 112 and towards the corner 130 to unfold the frame 100e. This may occur when the caregiver sufficiently bends the latch member 642 such that the hook 644 and, in particular, the bottom surface 645 no longer physically contacts the top surface 129 of the slider 120. As the slider 120 moves upwards along the leg tube 112, the exterior sides of the slider 120 may continue to contact the hook 644, thus maintaining the latch member 642 in a bent state without the aid of the caregiver. Once the slider 120 moves past the hook 644, the internal restoring force generated within the latch member 642 may rotate the latch member 642 back to the unbent state.
In some implementations, the latch member 642 and, in particular, the hook 644 may also include a ramped surface 646 as a lead-in feature to automatically engage the storage latch 600b when folding the frame 100e. As shown in
For example, as the slider 120 is moved downwards along the leg tube 112 by the caregiver, the bottom surface 127 of the slider 120 may physically contact the ramped surface 646. The ramped surface 646 may be oriented such that the contact force applied by the bottom surface 127 has a polar force component that generates a sufficiently large torque to bend the latch member 642 in an outwards direction. As the slider 120 moves downwards, the exterior surface of the slider 120 may remain in contact with the hook 644, thus keeping the latch member 642 in a bent state. Once the slider 120 moves past the hook 644, the internal restoring force generated by the latch member 642 may rotate the latch member 642 back to the unbent state where the hook 644 is disposed proximate to or, in some instances, contacts the leg tube 112. The ramped surface 646 may be oriented at an angle less than 90 degrees from a horizontal plane. The ramped surface 646 may be also dimensioned to maintain contact with the bottom surface 127 of the slider 120 until the latch member 642 is sufficiently bent such that the slider 120 is able to move past the hook 644.
The base 640 and the latch member 642 may be integrally formed as a single part. For example, the base 640 and the latch member 642 may be formed from a plastic material using, for example, injection molding.
In some implementations, the base 640 may also be integrally formed together with the foot 114 of the leg support assembly 110e. For example,
In some implementations, the foldable playard frame may include a secondary latch that limits the extent the frame can be folded without further assistance or input from the caregiver. For example, the latch of the frame may be accidentally unlocked, for example, by the child. To reduce or, in some instances, prevent the child from being exposed to openings in the frame that fall outside the desired clearances set forth in ASTM F409-19 or ASTM F1004-09, the second latch may only allow the frame to fold to such an extent that the desired clearances between the various rigid components of the frame are preserved. Thus, in some implementations, the inclusion of a secondary latch may allow for a frame that does not maintain the desired clearances for all the configurations of the frame (e.g., the folded configuration, the unfolded configuration, between the folded and unfolded configurations).
Generally, the secondary latch may be separate from the latch and the storage latch described above. The frame may generally include one or more secondary latches disposed on one or more of the leg support assemblies or one or more of the X-frame assemblies. For example, at least one pair of secondary latches may be disposed on opposing sides of the frame to ensure respective sides of the frame maintain the desired clearances. In another example, the frame may only include a single secondary latch, which is sufficient to maintain the frame in the partially folded state. The secondary latch may be actuated in a tool-less manner such that the caregiver can actuate the secondary latch using a single hand.
In one example,
In some implementations, the secondary latch 650, the storage latch 600b, and the latch 200a may be installed on the same leg support assembly 110e. However, in other implementations, the secondary latch 650, the storage latch 600b, and the latch 200a may each be installed on different leg support assemblies 110e. More generally, at least one of the secondary latch 650, the storage latch 600b, or the latch 200a may be installed on one leg support assembly 110e.
The secondary latch 650 may be generally disposed at an intermediate location along the leg tube 112 between a storage latch 600b and a latch 200a to support the frame 100g in a partially folded state. For example, the secondary latch 650 may be positioned above the slider 120 in the folded configuration and below the slider 120 in the unfolded configuration. In some implementations, the partially folded state may correspond to the frame 100g being folded to such an extent that the desired clearances between the various rigid components of the frame 100g are maintained. For example, gap separating the leg tube 112 and the X-frame tubes 142a or 142b may remain greater than or equal to 1.5 inches in the partially folded state. When the frame 100g is further folded, the gap between the leg tube 112 and the X-frame tubes 142a or 142b may decrease to less than 1.5 inches.
In some implementations, the secondary latch 650 may include a push button mechanism similar to the storage latch 600a. The push button may provide a barrier that prevents the slider 120 from moving further downwards along the leg tube 112 when the frame 100g is initially folded. The caregiver may press the push button into the cavity of the leg tube 112 to allow the slider 120 to move further downwards along the leg tube 112 in order to fully fold the frame 100g. In some implementations, the push button may include a ramped surface disposed on the bottom side of the push button to allow the slider to move upwards along the leg tube 112 without the caregiver having to separately actuate the secondary latch 650.
The push button 652 may also be coupled to an arm 653 disposed above the arm 654 that provides a mechanical stop that limits the extent the push button 652 can be pressed into the cavity 113c. For example, the arm 653 may be oriented along the same direction that the push button 652 moves through the opening 113e-1 and, thus, may contact the interior surface of the leg tube 112 when the push button 652 is sufficiently displaced. In some implementations, the arm 653 may be dimensioned such that the exterior surface 658 of the push button 652 is disposed within the opening 113e-1 to allow the slider 120 to move past the push button 652.
It should be appreciated the secondary latch 650a is one exemplary implementation and that, more generally, the secondary latch may have different geometries, dimensions, and/or parts to adjust the overall size of secondary latch 650a, the spring constant of the arm 654, the amount of material used for manufacture, and/or the number of parts for manufacture without changing the operating principle.
For example,
In another example,
In some implementations, the foldable playard, when deployed, may also provide a platform to support various accessories to augment the functionality of the playard and/or the environment for the child. Following below are detailed descriptions of various accessories that may be installed onto the various foldable playards described herein including, but not limited to, a canopy cover, a bassinet accessory, a changing table topper, an organizer, and a bassinet topper. It should be appreciated that, in some implementations, one or more of the accessories described herein may be installed onto the foldable playard. Furthermore, the respective functions and features provided by one accessory may be used in combination with another accessory (e.g., a child may be placed onto an elevated platform provided by a bassinet accessory and a canopy cover may provide shade for the child).
In one example, the foldable playard may support a canopy cover to provide shade for the child.
As shown in
Each canopy support assembly 410 may include a canopy bow 412 partially disposed above the interior space 102 to support the canopy cover 440 and a canopy clip 420a to couple the canopy bow 412 to the frame 100a. For the canopy cover assembly 400a, the canopy bows 412 from each canopy support assembly 410 may be coupled together via a hub 450a disposed above the interior space 102 as shown in
The snap-fit features 424 may generally be shaped to conform with the cross-sectional shape of the leg tube 112 to ensure the canopy clip 420a is securely coupled to the leg tube 112. For example,
In some implementations, the caregiver may thus align and press the canopy clip 420a along the arrow shown in
In some implementations, a portion of the canopy bow 412 may be disposed outside the interior space 102 of the frame 100a and positioned proximate to the top portion 108 of the frame 100a when coupled to the canopy clip 420a. For example,
The canopy clip 420a may further include an alignment rib 430 that protrudes outwards from the base 422 towards the frame 100a. The alignment rib 430 may be used, in part, as an alignment feature to position the canopy clip 420a onto the leg support assembly 110a. For example,
In some implementations, the canopy cover 440 may be laid directly over and onto the canopy support assemblies 410. The canopy cover 440 may include one or more tethers 442 to pull and/or hold the canopy cover 440 taut along the canopy bows 412 of the canopy support assemblies 410. For example,
The canopy bow 412, the canopy clip 420a, and/or the hub 450a may be formed from various materials including, but not limited to plastic and fiberglass. In some implementations, the canopy bow 412 may be formed as a single, mechanically compliant component that may bent into the desired shape to couple the canopy bow 412 to the hub 450a and/or the canopy clip 420a. In some implementations, the canopy bow 412 may be an assembly of components (e.g., tubes) coupled together via one or more shock cords or bungee cords. The tubes may be fitted to one another to form an assembly of tubes that mechanically function as a single, continuous rod. For example,
As described above, the canopy cover assembly 400a may include a hub 450a that couples the second ends 413b of each canopy bow 412 together to form a structure that covers the interior space 102 of the frame 100a. In some implementations, the canopy bows 412 may be coupled to the hub 450a prior to purchase by a consumer (e.g., the canopy cover assembly 400a may be assembled at a factory) or by a caregiver when installing the canopy cover assembly 400a onto the playard 1000a for the first time. In other words, the canopy bows 412 may remain coupled to the hub 450a for subsequent installations of the canopy cover assembly 400a such that the caregiver only needs to couple the respective canopy clips 420a to corresponding leg tubes 112 for setup.
In some implementations, the canopy bow 412 may be rigidly coupled to the hub 450a (i.e., the second end 413b of the canopy bow 412 may not translate and/or rotate relative to the hub 450a). Thus, the canopy bows 412 of the canopy support assemblies 410 may be bent to facilitate attachment of the respective canopy clips 420a to the frame 100a. In some implementations, the second end 413b of the canopy bow 412 may be rotatably coupled to the hub 450a so that the canopy support assemblies 410 may be folded into a more compact structure for storage while remaining coupled to the hub 450a. For example,
Once the second end 413b of the canopy bow 412 is inserted into the opening 452, a pin 454 coupled to the second end 413b may be held in a corresponding slot 453 formed in the base 451 via, for example, a snap-fit connector. This allows the second end 413b of the canopy bow 412 to rotate relative to the base 451 via rotation of the pin 454 within the slot 453 about a rotation axis 460 as shown in
The base 451 may further include a lip 457 to constrain the range of rotational motion of the canopy bow 412 relative to the hub 450a. For example,
In this example, the canopy bow 412 may include multiple bow sections 416 coupled together via connectors 415. The connector 415 may be a tubular-shaped component that receives respective ends of two bow sections 416. In some implementations, each bow section 416 may be coupled to the connector 415 via a fastener inserted through a corresponding opening on the connectors 415 and/or an integral snap finger.
The canopy clip 420b may incorporate several of the same features as the canopy clip 420a described above. For example,
In another example, the foldable playard may include a bassinet accessory to provide an elevated surface to support a child in their first several months of life (e.g., an infant, a child weighing less than 15 lbs). Once the child outgrows the bassinet accessory, the bassinet accessory may be removed and the interior space of the foldable playard may be used to contain the child as described above. In this manner, the foldable playard may be reconfigured by the caregiver to adapt to the physical development of the child, thus extending the lifetime of the playard. When the bassinet accessory is installed on the playard, the playard may be considered as being in a “bassinet mode.” When the bassinet accessory is removed from the playard, the playard may considered as being in a “playard mode.”
The support structure 520 may include bassinet soft goods 522 with side surfaces 524 and a bottom surface 526 that physically surround at least a portion of the partially enclosed space 501. The support structure 520 may further include a hub 550 and multiple support tubes 540 that together form a foldable structure. The hub 550 may be formed from a plastic material (e.g., via injection molding). The support tube 540 may be formed from various rigid materials including, but not limited to, aluminum and steel. In the unfolded configuration, the hub 550 and the support tubes 540 provide a rigid platform to support a mattress 510 (see, for example,
It should be appreciated the bassinet accessories disclosed herein may also be installed onto different playards (e.g., playards having frame shapes that are different than that shown in
The bassinet accessory 500a may be dimensioned and/or shaped such that the partially enclosed space 501 extends laterally to the boundaries of the partially enclosed space 301 of the soft goods 300 and, in some instances, the interior space 102 of the frame 100b when the soft goods 300 are disposed along the boundaries of the interior space 102. For example,
In some implementations, the bassinet accessory 500a may define a partially enclosed space 501 with a cross-sectional shape that conforms with the cross-sectional shape of the partially enclosed space 301 and, in some implementations, the interior space 102. For example,
The bassinet accessory 500a may provide a relatively shallow partially enclosed space 501 to improve accessibility. This may enable the bassinet accessory 500a to reduce the physical strain experienced by the caregiver since the caregiver would not bend over as much when directly placing the child into the partially enclosed space 301 of the soft goods 300 (or taking the child out of the partially enclosed space 301). Additionally, the shallow bassinet accessory 500a may also provide greater visibility of the child particularly when the caregiver is viewing the playard 1000b from an elevated position (e.g., viewing the top of the playard 1000b).
The bassinet accessory 500a may be characterized by a height, ht,1, defined as the distance from the respective bottom corner portions 537 of the bassinet soft goods 522 to the top horizontal plane 92 of the playard 1000b in the unfolded configuration as shown in
The term “about,” when used to describe the height dimensions ht,1, hb, and hm, is intended to cover manufacturing tolerances and/or variations due to the deformation of the soft goods 300 and/or the bassinet soft goods 522. For example, “about 12 inches” may correspond to a height ranging between 11.75 inches and 12.25 inches or between 11.5 inches and 12.5 inches. In another example, “about 10 inches” may correspond to a height ranging between 9.75 inches and 10.25 inches or between 9.5 inches and 10.5 inches. In another example, “about 18 inches” may correspond to a height ranging between 17.75 inches and 18.25 inches or between 17.5 inches and 18.5 inches.
In some implementations, the height, ht,1, of the bassinet accessory 500a and/or the height, hb, of the bottom portion 301a may remain substantially unchanged between the folded and unfolded configurations. For example, the support tubes 540 and the hub 550 may only cause the bassinet accessory 500a to collapse along a lateral direction when folding the bassinet accessory 500a together with the playard 1000b (i.e., the lateral dimensions of the partially enclosed space 501 decrease while the height, ht,1, remains substantially unchanged). Furthermore, the leg support assemblies 110a may remain upright between the folded and unfolded configurations as described above, thus the height, hb, may also remain substantially unchanged.
In another example, the frame 100b may flare outwards when unfolded to improve, for example, the mechanical stability of the playard 1000b. Alternatively, as shown in the side view of
Additionally, it should be appreciated that the bassinet accessory 500a and, in particular, the bassinet soft goods 522 may fold and/or crumple when folding the playard 1000b. These factors may contribute to small changes in the height, ht,1, of the bassinet accessory 500a and/or the height, hb, of the bottom portion 301a between the folded and unfolded configurations. For example, the height, ht,1, in the unfolded configuration may change to the height, ht,2, in the folded configuration (see, for example,
In some implementations, the bassinet accessory 500a may satisfy various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F2194). Thus, the combination of the playard 1000b and the bassinet accessory 500a may satisfy ASTM F406, as described above, and ASTM F2194 together. For example, the bassinet accessory 500a and, in particular, the hub 550 and the support tubes 540 may provide a sufficiently flat platform for the mattress 510 to rest upon such that the angle between neighboring segments 512 of the mattress 510 are less than 7 degrees. Additionally, the bassinet accessory 500a may have no openings with a diameter ranging between 0.210 inches and 0.375 inches to prevent finger entrapment. The bassinet accessory 500a may further have no components that undergo a scissoring or shearing motion. The bassinet accessory 500a and, by extension, the playard 1000b may support a static load of 54 lb or 3 times the manufacturer's recommended weight (whichever is greater) for at least 60 seconds. The bassinet accessory 500a may be dimensioned and/or shaped such that any gaps between the edges of the mattress 510 and the side surfaces 524 of the bassinet soft goods 522 is less than 0.5 inches. Additionally, the height, hm, from the top surface 511 of the mattress 510 to the top side 92 of the playard 1000b maybe greater than or equal to 7.5 inches.
In some implementations, the mattress 510 may be a segmented mattress with multiple panels 512 that fold relative to each other along corresponding creases formed between adjoining panels 512. For example,
In some implementations, a top portion of the side surfaces 524 may be formed of a fabric material to attach the bassinet accessory 500a to the soft goods 300 while the bottom portion of the side surfaces 524 may be formed of a transparent and/or see-through material. For the bassinet accessory 500a, the bottom surface 526 of the bassinet soft goods 522 may not include an opening sufficiently large for a user to insert their hand through and into the bottom portion 301a of the playard 1000b. Said in another way, the bassinet soft goods 522 in the bassinet accessory 500a may prevent the user from accessing the bottom portion 301a of the playard 1000b. However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations, the bottom surface 526 may include an opening, in part, to facilitate folding of the bassinet accessory and the playard together (see, for example, the bassinet accessory 500b).
The bassinet accessory 500a may generally be coupled to the soft goods 300 (or directly to the frame 100b) via a coupling mechanism that allows the bassinet accessory 500a to be readily removable from the playard 1000b when, for example, the child outgrows the bassinet accessory 500a. The bassinet accessory 500a may generally be coupled to the soft goods 300 and/or the frame 100b in several ways including, but not limited to, a zipper mechanism and straps (e.g., one strap connected to the bassinet accessory 500a may extend over a portion of the soft goods 300 covering a corner 130 and clip onto a corresponding strap coupled to the frame 100b via a buckle).
For example,
The caregiver may align and attach the zipper teeth 340 and 529 via the zipper handle 528 to install the bassinet accessory 500a onto the playard 1000b. Additionally, the caregiver may readily remove the bassinet accessory 500a from the playard 1000b by pulling on the zipper handle 528 to disengage the zipper teeth 340 and 529. Once the bassinet accessory 500a is removed from the playard 1000b, the bassinet accessory 500a may be folded as shown in
The zipper mechanism 527 may generally span at least a portion of the side surfaces 524 to securely couple the bassinet accessory 500a to the soft goods 300. In some implementations, the bassinet accessory 500a and the soft goods 300 may include multiple zipper mechanisms 527 that each span different portions of the side surfaces 524 such that collectively, the multiple zipper mechanisms 527 span the entirety of the top edges of the side surfaces 524. The zipper mechanism 527 may generally reduce or, in some instances, eliminate unwanted openings formed between the side surfaces 524 and the top portion 302.
As described above, the support tubes 540 and the hub 550 may form a foldable structure generally disposed on the bottom surface 526 of the bassinet soft goods 522 to facilitate folding and/or unfolding of the bassinet accessory 500a together with the frame 100b. As shown in
To facilitate folding and/or unfolding of the bassinet accessory 500a, each support tube 540 may be rotatably coupled to the hub 550. In particular, each support tube 540 may have a first end 542a rotatably coupled to the hub 550 and a second end 542b opposite the first end 542a disposed at one corner portion 537 of the bassinet soft goods 522. Additionally, the support tubes 540 and/or the hub 550 may be directly coupled to the bassinet soft goods 522 via one or more attachment mechanisms so that the bassinet soft goods 522 move together with the support tubes 540 and/or the hub 550 when folding and/or unfolding the bassinet accessory 500a. The attachment mechanisms may include, but are not limited to, a strap, a screw fastener, a webbing tab, and a fabric tunnel.
In some implementations, the attachment mechanism(s) may be disposed at or near opposing ends 542a and 542b of each support tube 540 to ensure the center portion and the side portions of the bottom surface 526 of the bassinet soft goods 522 fold together with the support tubes 540 and the hub 550. For instance,
In the unfolded configuration, the support tubes 540 and the hub 550 provide a flat platform to support the mattress 510 as shown in
In some implementations, the ends 542b of each support tube 540 may remain stationary or substantially stationary with respect to the ground 90 (e.g., the bassinet soft goods 522 may deform causing the ends 542b and/or the corner portions 537 to vary slightly as described above). In other words, the ends 542b of each support tube may remain at a height, hb, from the ground 90 even as the ends 542b displace laterally when the bassinet accessory 500a is folded and unfolded. Thus, as the hub 550 is displaced vertically, the support tubes 540 may rotate with respect to the hub 550 where the ends 542b of each support tube 540 function as a pivot point that is constrained to move only laterally (e.g., a pin joint disposed in a slider joint).
In some implementations, the bassinet accessory 500a and the playard 1000b may be shaped and/or dimensioned such that the hub 550 and the support tubes 540 remain substantially within or entirely within the interior space 102 in both the folded and unfolded configurations. In other words, the bassinet accessory 500a does not increase the overall size of the foldable playard 1000b. This may be accomplished by tailoring the length, Lt, of each support tube 540 to be approximately less than or equal to the height, hb, of the bottom portion 301a separating the bottom surface 526 from the ground 90 in the unfolded configuration. Since the ends 542b of each support tube 540 remain at the same or similar height, hb, from the ground 90, the support tube 540 does not extend past the feet 114 of the frame 100b when it rotates from a horizontal orientation corresponding to the unfolded configuration to a vertical orientation corresponding to the folded configuration. In some implementations, the height, hb, may be sufficiently greater than the length, Lt, of the support tube 540 such that the hub 550 is also contained entirely within the interior space 102 in the folded configuration.
It should be appreciated the support tubes 540 and the hub 550 of the bassinet accessory 500a may remain within the interior space 102 of the playard 1000b due, in part, to the relatively shallower height, ht,1, of the partially enclosed space 501, which results in a larger height, hb, for the bottom portion 301a for a given height, H, of the playard 1000b. As a result, the support tubes 540 may be formed from a single rigid component, simplifying manufacture and assembly of the bassinet accessory 500a. However, it should be appreciated that, in other implementations, the length of the support tube may be changed between the folded and unfolded configurations to ensure the bassinet accessory remains substantially confined within the interior space 102 of the playard 1000b (see, for example, the telescoping support tubes 540 in the bassinet accessory 500b).
To unfold the playard 1000b with the bassinet accessory 500a, the mattress 510 is first removed from the frame 100b. The caregiver may then pull the slider 120 towards the corner 130 of one leg support assembly 110a to at least partially unfold the frame 100b. In some implementations, the caregiver may pull the slider 120 until the latch 200a is engaged, thus locking the frame 100b in the unfolded configuration. Since the bassinet soft goods 522 are coupled to the soft goods 300, the bassinet accessory 500a may also at least partially unfold in response to the frame 100b unfolding. However, the weight (i.e., the gravitational force) of the support tubes 540 and the hub 550 may cause the bassinet accessory 500a to sag downwards even when the frame 100b is locked in the deployed unfolded configuration.
To prevent the support tubes 540 and the hub 550 from sagging downwards, the hub 550 may include a hub latch 570 with a release handle 576 that, when in a locked state, prevents the support tubes 540 from rotating relative to the hub 550. While unfolding the bassinet accessory 500a, the hub latch 570 may instead be in an unlocked state to allow the caregiver to pull the hub latch 570 and, in turn, rotate the support tubes 540. As shown in
Additionally, conventional playards typically include a bottom support structure that folds with the frame. When unfolding the playard, the caregiver should bend over and reach through an opening in the bassinet soft goods to press down upon the bottom support structure to ensure the bottom support structure is properly unfolded. In contrast, the playard 1000b may not include a separate bottom support structure as described above. This means the caregiver does not have to bend over and reach down towards the floor portion 304 of the soft goods 300 when unfolding the bassinet accessory 500a together with the playard 1000b. Rather, the caregiver may pull on the hub latch 570, which is already positioned above the ground 90 when the bassinet accessory 500a is partially unfolded in response to the unfolding of the frame 100b. In this manner, the caregiver may experience less physical strain when unfolding the bassinet accessory 500a.
To fold the playard 1000b and the bassinet accessory 500a, the caregiver may release the hub latch 570 (and the latch 200a) and press down on the hub 550 and/or move the slider 120 of one leg support assembly 110a downwards towards the corresponding foot 114. In this manner, the bassinet accessory 500a may be unfolded and folded without assembling and disassembling, respectively, a portion of the bassinet accessory 500a unlike conventional bassinet accessories (e.g., the support tube assemblies 64 in the bassinet accessory 60).
The channel 552 may extend from the edge of the base 551 to an end 567 located near the center of the base 551. The channel 552 may have a length, Lc, corresponding to the distance between the edge of the base 551 and the end 567. As shown, the channel 552 may have a notched opening on the top side of the base 551 that extends from the edge of the base 551 and terminates before reaching the end 567. The bottom side of the channel 552 may have a mechanical stop 554 (e.g., a section of the hub 550 that extends around the support tube 540 and across the channel 552) disposed at the edge of the base 551 and an opening 553 that extends from the mechanical stop 554 to the end 567 of the channel 552.
The features of the channel 552 (e.g., the notched opening, the mechanical stop 554, the opening 553) may be shaped, dimensioned, and positioned to constrain the rotational motion of the support tube 540. In particular, the channel 552 may only allow the support tube 540 to rotate between a horizontal orientation and a vertical orientation when folding or unfolding the bassinet accessory 500a. For example, the notched opening allows the support tube 540 to rotate such that the end 542b may be disposed above the hub 550 when folding the bassinet accessory 500a. In another example, the mechanical stop 554 may be shaped to physically contact the support tubes 540 once the support tubes 540 are oriented horizontally. In this manner, the mechanical stops 554 may limit the rotation of the support tubes 540 such that the hub 550 is unable to move past the desired unfolded configuration when unfolding the bassinet accessory 500a.
As described above, the hub 550 may further include a hub latch 570. When the hub latch 570 is in the locked state, the combination of the hub 550 and the hub latch 570 prevents the support tubes 540 from moving relative to the hub 550 and, hence, prevents the hub 550 from moving relative to the playard 1000b. In this manner, the hub latch 570 locks the bassinet accessory 500a in the unfolded configuration.
The hub latch 570 may be rotatably coupled to the base 551 via a rolled rivet 566 disposed at the center of the base 551. As shown in
To lock the support tubes 540, the hub latch 570 may include arms 574 for each support tube 540 that extend radially from the base 572.
In some implementations, the hub 550 may further include a spring element 565 (e.g., a torsion spring) that generates a spring bias force to rotate the hub latch 570 towards the locked state. To ensure the hub latch 570 does not move past the locked state (e.g., the arms 574 move past the openings 553), the hub 550 may include mechanical stops 562 (e.g., a rib that projects downwards from the base 551) for the arms 574 to rest against. The mechanical stops 562 are positioned on the base 551 such that the arms 574 are disposed over the corresponding openings 553.
It should be appreciated that the bassinet accessory 500b may also be installed onto other playards. For examples,
The bassinet soft goods 522, the support tubes 540, and the hub 550 of the bassinet accessory 500b may incorporate similar features described above for the bassinet accessory 500a. For brevity, these features are not repeated below. Additionally, the shape and dimensions of the bassinet accessory 500b, including the heights, ht,1, hb, and hm, may be similar to or the same as the dimensions described above for the bassinet accessory 500a. The bassinet accessory 500b may also meet various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F2194) as described above in relation to the bassinet accessory 500a.
In this example, the hub 550 moves upwards when folding the bassinet accessory 500b and, conversely, downwards when unfolding the bassinet accessory 500b. The benefit of this approach is that the bassinet accessory 500b may maintain the deployed unfolded configuration without a separate locking mechanism (e.g., the hub latch 570), thus simplifying the hub 550. In the unfolded configuration, the support tubes 540 and the hub 550 may once again provide a flat platform to support the mattress 510 where the support tubes 540 are oriented substantially horizontal or horizontal along the bottom surface 526 of the bassinet soft goods 522. In the folded configuration, the support tubes 540 rotate (e.g., pivot) with respect to the hub 550 such that the support tubes 540 are oriented substantially vertical or vertical and such that the ends 542b of the support tubes are disposed below the hub 550 in the folded configuration.
The hub 550 may once again include integrated mechanical stops 554 to prevent the hub 550 from moving past the unfolded configuration once the support tubes 540 are aligned horizontally. Compared to the bassinet accessory 500a, however, the weight of the hub 550 and/or the support tubes 540 does not cause the bassinet accessory 500b to unfold. Rather, the weight of the hub 550, the support tubes 540, the child, and/or the mattress 510 apply a force that unfolds the bassinet accessory 500b and thereafter maintains the bassinet accessory 500b in the unfolded configuration. In this manner, the process of unfolding the bassinet accessory 500b may be simplified.
One challenge, however, is that the bassinet accessory 500b may provide a relatively shallow partially enclosed space 501. For example, in the folded configuration, the length, Lt,1, of the support tubes 540, is longer than the height, ht, of the bassinet accessory 500b. Similar to the bassinet accessory 500a, the distal ends 542b of each support tube 540 in the bassinet accessory 500b may remain stationary or substantially stationary with respect to the ground 90. In other words, the distal ends 542b of each support tube may remain at a height, ht,1, from the top horizontal plane 92 of the playard 1000b as the ends 542b displace laterally when the bassinet accessory 500b is folded and unfolded. If the length of the support tubes 540 remains constant (e.g., the support tube is formed of a single rigid component), the rotation of the support tubes 540 from the horizontal orientation in the unfolded configuration to the vertical orientation in the folded configuration would cause the hub 550 and a portion of the support tubes 540 to protrude above the top horizontal plane 92 of the playard 1000b in the folded configuration, thus increasing the overall size of the foldable playard 1000b in the folded configuration.
To reduce the extent the bassinet accessory 500b protrudes above the top horizontal plane 92 of the playard 1000b in the folded configuration, the support tubes 540 may be telescoping such that the length, Lt,1, of the support tubes 540 in the unfolded configuration changes to a shorter length Lt,2, in the folded configuration. Thus, in some implementations, the length, Lt,1, of the support tubes 540 in the unfolded configuration is greater than the height, ht,1, of the bassinet accessory 500b while the length, Lt,2, of the support tubes 540 in the folded configuration is approximately equal to or less than the height, ht,1. It should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the height of the bassinet accessory 500b may change between the folded and unfolded configurations. For example,
To unfold the playard 1000b with the bassinet accessory 500b, the caregiver may remove the mattress 510 wrapped around the frame 100b as before. Then, the caregiver may move a slider 120 towards a corner 130 of one leg support assembly 110a to unfold the frame 100b. Once the slider 120 is moved sufficiently to engage the latch 200a, the frame 100b is locked in the unfolded configuration. As before, the unfolding of the frame 100b may cause the bassinet accessory 500b to at least partially unfold. In some implementations, the weight of the hub 550 and the support tubes 540 may be sufficient to ensure the bassinet accessory 500b unfolds without any external force applied by the caregiver. In some implementations, the caregiver may simply push down upon the hub 550 to unfold the bassinet accessory 500b. In some implementations, the caregiver may place the mattress 510 onto the hub 550 and the weight of the mattress 510 may ensure the bassinet accessory 500b is in the unfolded configuration. Similar to the bassinet accessory 500a, the bassinet accessor 500b may be unfolded without the caregiver having to reach down towards the floor portion 304, which may reduce the physical strain experienced by the caregiver when unfolding the bassinet accessory 500b.
In some implementations, the playard 1000b and the bassinet accessory 500b may be folded without the caregiver having to insert their hand/arm through the center openings 536 and 558. Instead, the caregiver may pull up on the hub 550 and/or move the slider 120 down towards the foot 114 to fold the playard 1000b and the bassinet accessory 500b. Once the playard 1000b is folded, the caregiver may lay the playard 1000b on its side and press floor portion 304 into the interior space 102 before wrapping the mattress 510 around the frame 100b. In this manner, the caregiver does not have to bend over and reach down to the floor portion 304.
In some implementations, the length, Lt,2, of the support tubes 540 in the folded configuration may be tailored such that the hub 550 is disposed entirely within the interior space 102 (i.e., the hub 550 does not extend significantly beyond the top horizontal plane 92). In some implementations, the length, Lt,2, of the support tubes 540 may be tailored such that the hub 550 protrudes above the top horizontal plane 92 with a bottom side of the hub 550 flush against the top horizontal plane 92. This configuration may be preferential when the exterior width of the hub 550 is greater than or equal to the width of the interior space 102 in the folded configuration. Under these conditions, the lateral dimensions of the playard 1000b may increase if the hub 550 is disposed within the interior space 102, which may be undesirable. Thus, by positioning the hub 550 just above the playard 1000b, the lateral dimensions of the frame 100b in the folded configuration may be kept small (i.e., the lateral dimensions would be the same when the playard 1000b does not include the bassinet accessory 500b) without appreciably increasing the height of the playard 1000b in the folded configuration. In some implementations, the top side of the hub 550 may extend above the top horizontal plane 92 of the playard 1000b by a distance less than or equal to 1 inch.
In some implementations, the support tube 540 may include a spring element (not shown) disposed within the first support tube 546a to impart a bias force that extends the length of the support tube 540 (e.g., the spring element may move the second support tube 546b away from the first support tube 546a). Additionally, one or both of the support tubes 546a and 546b may include a mechanical stop (not shown) that limits the extent the second support tube 546b extends from the first support tube 546a. Furthermore, the first support tube 546a and the second support tube 546b may overlap in the unfolded configuration. For example,
Similar to the bassinet accessory 500a, the bassinet accessory 500b may be coupled to the top portion 302 of the soft goods 300 via multiple zipper mechanisms 527. In this manner, the caregiver may readily remove the bassinet accessory 500b from the playard 1000b for cleaning or storage.
In yet another example, the foldable playard may support one or more toppers to expand the utility of the playard beyond just providing a partially enclosed space to contain the child. The foldable playard may generally support various types of toppers including, but not limited to, a changing table, an organizer, a bassinet, and a bouncer. For example, a changing table may be mounted to the playard to provide the caregiver a convenient, elevated support platform to change the child's diaper. In another example, an organizer may be mounted to the playard to provide storage for various care items, such as diapers, toys, food, drinks, clothes, blankets, and/or baby powder. In another example, a bassinet topper (also referred to as a “lift-off bassinet”) may be placed onto the playard to support the child and provide the caregiver an easy to reach and/or easy to view platform supporting the child. The bassinet topper may be removed from the playard and deployed in other locations (e.g., other rooms of the caregiver's home) to keep the child nearby the caregiver.
The shape, dimensions, and/or materials of the soft goods 880a and the support platform 890a of the changing table topper 800a may be differentiated from the soft goods 980a and the support platform 990a of the bassinet topper 900a based on their respective functions. For example, the support platform 890a may be positioned at a relatively shallower depth and may have relatively larger dimensions to provide the caregiver a more accessible platform with sufficient space to change their child's diaper. In contrast, the support platform 990a may be positioned at a relatively deeper depth and may have relatively smaller dimensions to fit the child more snugly to reduce the likelihood of the child rolling over and/or falling off the topper 900a.
As shown in
When the child is placed onto one of the toppers 800a or 900a, the center of gravity of the playard 1000c together with the child maybe located above the interior space 102 or, preferably, within the interior space 102, which reduces or, in some instances, eliminates the risk of the playard 1000c tipping over. This arrangement maybe preferable for toppers configured to support the child (e.g., the toppers 800a, 900a). However, it should be appreciated that other toppers that are not configured to support the child, such as an organizer, may be disposed along the exterior of the playard. For example, the organizer section 804a of the topper 800c may extend laterally to the side of the playard 1000c away from the interior space 102 (see
The toppers may generally be shaped and/or dimensioned to provide sufficient space for the caregiver to perform the desired function of the topper (e.g., changing a diaper, supporting a sleeping child). In some implementations, the toppers may also be shaped and/or dimensioned based on the shape and/or dimensions of the top perimeter structure of the playard frame to provide (1) sufficient space for multiple toppers to be installed on the playard and (2) sufficient clearances between the topper frame and the playard frame in accordance with various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19).
For example,
In some implementations, the topper frames may have a tapered geometry. For example, the topper frames 810a and 910a may have rounded corners. As a result, the gaps formed between toppers 800a and 900a may be larger than the gaps formed between the respective toppers 800a and 900a and the playard 1000c and, hence, may create an entrapment hazard to the child. Thus, in some implementations, additional storage pockets may be added between the toppers to fill the gaps. For example,
In some implementations, the storage topper 780 may be integrally formed with one of the toppers 800a or 900a. For example, the storage topper 780 may be attached to one of the topper frames 810a or 910a. In some implementations, the storage topper 780 may be coupled to at least one of the topper frame 810a, the topper frame 910a, the soft goods 300, and the X-frame assembly 140b (e.g., via an opening in the soft goods 300). Various coupling mechanisms may be used including, but not limited to, a clip, a snap button, and Velcro straps. For example, once the toppers 800a and 900a are installed, the storage topper 780 may be clamped to both the topper frames 810a and 910a. The storage topper 780 may be formed from various materials including, but not limited to, soft goods and injection molded plastic.
As described above, the topper frames 810a and 910a may each include one or more corner assemblies 700a to securely couple the respective toppers 800a and 900a to the playard 1000c. Specifically,
In some implementations, each corner 130 of the frame 100c may have a topper mount socket 137, which provides the playard 1000c multiple spots to support one or more toppers (e.g., the toppers 800a and 900a). The corners 130 may further be identical to one another as described above, which may reduce manufacturing costs since only one type of corner is manufactured. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, only a subset of the corners 130 may include a topper mount socket 137. For example, the playard 1000c may only include two corners 130 with topper mount sockets 137 to support a topper on one side of the playard 1000c. Furthermore, one or more of the corners 130 of the frame 100c may also support a latch mechanism together with the topper mount socket 137 (see, for example,
As shown in
The topper mount socket 137 may generally be oriented to place the topper at a desired orientation with respect to the playard 1000c when the corner tube 730a of the topper is inserted into the topper mount socket 137. For example, the corner tube 730a of the toppers 800a and 900a may be oriented at a right angle with respect to the normal vector of the respective support platforms 890a and 990a. Thus, the topper mount socket 137 may be oriented vertically so that the support platforms 890a and 990a are oriented horizontally (i.e., the normal vector of the support platforms 890a and 990a is oriented vertically) when installed on the playard 1000c. In another example, the topper mount sockets 137 may be oriented at an angle with respect to the top horizontal plane 92 to accommodate a corner tube 730a mounted to a topper frame at an angle.
In some implementations, the topper mount socket 137 maybe integrally formed together with the base 131 of the corner 130. Additionally, the topper mount socket 137 may include an enclosed bottom portion to prevent the corner tube 730a from being inserted too far into the topper mount socket 137. In some implementations, the corner tube 730a and the topper mount socket 137 may also include keyed features to help the caregiver align the corner tube 730a to the topper mount socket 137 during setup. For example,
The base section 712 may define a cavity 711 and include a corner tube opening 714 into the cavity 711 configured to receive a top end 732b of the corner tube 730a. The base section 712 may further include a pair of fastener openings 718, which align with fastener openings 739 on the corner tube 730a and a fastener opening 743 on the latch lever 740a. A screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet (e.g., a rolled rivet) may thus be inserted through the respective openings 718, 739, and 743 to securely couple the latch lever 740a, the corner tube 730a, and the corner housing 710 together. The base section 712 may also include a latch lever opening 716 and the latch lever 740a may include a latch button 748 that protrudes at least partially through the opening 716 to allow the caregiver to actuate the latch lever 740a and release the corner tube 730a from the topper mount socket 137.
The latch lever 740a may include a base 742, which defines the fastener opening 743. When the latch lever 740a is coupled to the corner tube 730a and the corner housing 710 via a fastener or rivet, the latch lever 740a may rotate about the fastener or the rivet. As shown in
The latch lever 740a may also include a spring mechanism that generates a spring-bias force due to contact with the corner tube 730a, which maintains the latch button 748 through the opening 716 and the latch head 746 through the opening 733 when no external force is applied to the latch lever 740a (e.g., the caregiver pressing the latch button 748). Specifically,
When the corner tube 730a is inserted into the topper mount socket 137, the latch head 746 may initially contact the interior sidewalls of the topper mount socket 137, which causes the latch head 746 to be displaced into the cavity 731 of the corner tube 730a. In some implementations, the latch head 746 may include a lead-in portion to reduce the amount of force to displace the latch head 746. The latch head 746 may remain within the cavity 731 as the corner tube 730a moves into the topper mount socket 137. Once the corner tube 730a is sufficiently inserted into the topper mount socket 137 such that the opening 733 is aligned with an opening 137a on the topper mount socket 137, the internal restoring force generated by the flexible finger 754 causes the latch head 746 to pass through the opening 733 and the opening 137a. In this manner, the latch lever 740a may securely couple the corner tube 730a to the topper mount socket 137 and, hence, the topper to the playard 1000c. To remove the topper from the playard 1000c, the caregiver may press the latch button 748, which moves the latch head 746 into the cavity 731, and then move the corner tube 730a out from the topper mount socket 137.
It should be appreciated the latch lever is not limited to the flexible finger 754, but may include other spring mechanisms. For example,
The latch lever 740a may provide several benefits over conventional latch mechanisms. First, the latch button 748 is separate from the latch head 746, which provides greater flexibility in the placement of the latch button 748 on the corner assembly 700a. For example, the latch button 748 and the latch head 746 may be disposed on opposing sides of the corner tube 730a. In some implementations, the latch button 748 may face outwards away from the interior space 102 for greater ease of access (e.g., the caregiver does not have to insert their hand into a tight space) and visibility while the latch head 746 may face towards the interior space 102 and may further be covered by the soft goods 300 to prevent the caregiver or child from accidentally disengaging the latch lever 740a by pressing on the latch head 746 directly. Second, the latch button 748 may be positioned above the playard 1000c so that the caregiver does not have to bend over as much to reach the latch button 748.
As shown in
The X-frame assemblies, however, may still provide additional mechanical support for the toppers in the same manner as a rigid top rail in a conventional indoor playard. This may be accomplished, in part, by adding topper mounts onto one or more X-frame tubes. For example,
In some implementations, the bottom portion 163a may be shaped to conform with the geometry of the X-frame tube, which increases the contact area between the topper support 161a and the X-frame tube 142d, provides a more mechanically stable connection, and better alignment between the topper support 161a and the X-frame tube 142d during assembly. For example, the bottom portion 163a may have a concave shape that is complementary to the round exterior shape of the X-frame tube 142d. The bottom portion 163a may also be angled with respect to the top horizontal plane 92 to match the orientation of the X-frame tube 142d relative to the plane 92 in the unfolded configuration.
The topper support portion 162a may generally be oriented horizontally in the unfolded configuration. This enables the topper support 161a to emulate a rigid top rail in terms of the mechanical support it provides to the topper. In this manner, the topper supports 161a and 161b may enable the playard frame 100c, which includes X-frame assemblies 140a and 140b as the folding mechanism, to support one or more toppers.
In some implementations, the topper support portion 162a may have a rounded or convex shape, which makes the top portion 302 of the soft goods 300 also rounded in shape as shown in
In some implementations, different toppers may share a similar or, in some instances, the same topper frame, which may simplify manufacture and assembly of the toppers. For example, the topper frames 810a and 910a for the changing table topper 800a and the bassinet topper 900a, respectively, may be similar in construction, but may have different dimensions. For instance, the topper frames 810a and 910a may have the same overall length, but different overall widths. The topper frames 810a and 910a may further be assembled from top rails having the same size and/or shape (e.g., metal tubing with a circular cross-sectional shape and an outer diameter equal to or approximately 0.625 inches).
As shown, the top rails 812a and 812b may each support a corner assembly 700a. In particular, the top rails 812a and 812b may each include a pair of fastener openings 814 that align with corresponding fastener openings 724 of the corner housing 710 in each corner assembly 700a. Additionally, each of the top rails 812a-812c may be curved in shape. This may be accomplished, in part, by bending the top rails to the desired shape and/or assembling the top rails from smaller segments of tubing (e.g., curved tubing and straight tubing).
The top rail 812a may include a male connector end 816a that is inserted into a female connector end 816b. The male connector end 816a may further include a fastener opening 818a that aligns with the fastener opening 818b when assembled. Thus, a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet may be inserted through the respective openings 818a and 818b to securely couple the top rails 812a and 812b together.
The top rail 812b may include another female connector end 816c disposed at the opposite end from the connector end 816b. As shown in
The top rail 812a may also include another female connector end 816e. Similarly, a second support foot 820a may slide onto the connector end 816e and another male connector end 816f on the top rail 812c may be inserted into the connector end 816e. The connector end 816e, the connector end 816f, and the support foot 820a may also be coupled together via a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet inserted through respective fastener openings (not shown).
In some implementations, the top rails 812a-812c may have various cross-sectional shapes including, but not limited to a circle, an oval, and an oblong shape. In some implementations, the top rails 812a-812c may be formed from the same materials as the leg tubes 112 and/or the X-frame assemblies 140a-140c. For example, the top rails of the topper may be formed from steel, aluminum, or carbon fiber.
In some implementations, the same or similar topper frame may also be used for different variants of the same type of topper (e.g., a bassinet, a changing table). For example,
In another example,
Additionally,
In some implementations, one or more of the toppers installed onto the playard may be reconfigurable to provide additional functionality to the playard and/or convenience for the caregiver. For example,
The hub assemblies 830a-1 and 830a-2 may thus provide a mechanism for the caregiver to reconfigure the topper 800c after installation onto the playard 1000c. Specifically, the changing table section 802a may be rigidly coupled to the frame 100c while the organizer section 804a may be rotatable with respect to the changing table section 802a and the frame 100c about a rotation axis 806 defined by the hub assemblies 830a-1 and 830a-2 as shown in
For the topper 800c, the organizer section 804a is the only movable portion of the topper. In other words, the changing table section 802a remains statically fixed to the playard 1000c. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the changing table section may instead be movable while the organizer section remains stationary (see, for example, the topper 800d in
In some implementations, the top rail 812d may be assembled from smaller segments of tubing. In some implementations, the top rail 812d may be a single tube that is bent into the desired shape (e.g., a U-shaped top rail). The top rail 812d may generally be disposed over the interior space 102 of the frame 100c.
The top rail 812f may also be assembled from smaller segments of tubing or may be a single tube bent into the desired shape (e.g., a U-shaped top rail). In the first configuration shown in
The top rail 812f may generally support storage soft goods 870 that define the storage compartments 872a and 872b. In some implementations, the storage soft goods 870 may include a pocket (not shown) and the top rail 812f may be inserted through the pocket to attach the storage soft goods 870 to the top rail 812f. In some implementations, the storage soft goods 870 may include a stiffener (e.g., the stiffener 874) and the top rail 812f may include a channel (e.g., the channel 813) to receive the stiffener. In this manner, the storage soft goods 870 may be attached to the top rail 812f without covering the top rail 812f.
In some implementations, the top rail 812f may not form a closed-loop structure. For example,
In some implementations, the organizer section 804a may instead include a rigid component (e.g., a plastic part) that defines the storage compartments 872a and 872b. The rigid component may be coupled to the top rail 812d using various coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to, a snap-fit connection, a clamp, a rivet connection, and a screw fastener connection.
The changing table section 802a and the organizer section 804a may generally be shaped and/or dimensioned to suit their respective functions. For example, the changing table section 802a may be dimensioned to support a sufficiently large support platform for the child as described above with respect to the topper 800a. The top rail 812d may also be shaped and/or dimensioned to conform with the geometry of the top periphery of the playard 1000c in the unfolded configuration. In another example, the organizer section 804a may be dimensioned to provide sufficient space for multiple storage compartments 872a and 872b. However, in some implementations, the organizer section 804a may be dimensioned to cover a larger space than the changing table section 802a for the purposes of covering the changing table section 802a as shown in
In some implementations, the organizer section 804a may be configured to rotate via the hub assemblies 830a-1 and 830a-2 only when a sufficiently large torque is applied to rotate the organizer section 804a. Said in another way, the organizer section 804a may only rotate when an external torque applied to the organizer section 804a has a magnitude greater than or equal to a threshold torque. If the magnitude of the external torque is less than the threshold torque, the organizer section 804a remains stationary. In some implementations, the threshold torque may be chosen to be lower than the torque that causes the foldable playard to tip over. For example, the threshold torque may equal to a 30 lbf applied tangentially with respect to the rotation axis 806 to an end portion 808 of the changing table section 804a. The end portion 808 is located furthest from the rotation axis 806 and, hence, corresponds to the largest moment arm in the organizer section 804a.
The threshold torque locking mechanism may be beneficial in several ways. First, the locking mechanism may be simple to operate. For example, the caregiver may push or pull on the top rail 812f using only one hand to rotate the organizer section 804a. Second, the threshold torque may be readily tailored to reduce the likelihood of the organizer section 804a being accidentally rotated, for example, by the child. Third, the locking mechanism may provide a convenient, built-in breakaway feature. Specifically, the hub assemblies 830a-1 and 830a-2 may allow the organizer section 804a to rotate downwards towards the ground when an external torque with a magnitude greater than the threshold torque is applied as shown in
As shown, the hub assembly 830a-1 may include an organizer mount 832 and a changer mount 834 that are rotatably coupled to one another. Specifically, the organizer mount 832 may include an inner rotor 838 inserted into an outer rotor 839 of the changer mount 834 that constrains the organizer mount 832 to rotate about the rotation axis 806. The changer mount 834 may include a connector end 835 to couple to the top rail 812d and a base section 833a to support the corner assembly 700d and, in particular, the corner tube 730a. The organizer mount 832 may include a connector end (not shown) to couple to the top rail 812d.
The hub spring 840 is formed as a compliant component that allows the respective ends 840a and 840b to flex in and out of the respective pairs of detents 841a and 841b. For example,
In the first configuration, the end 840a may be constrained by the detents 841a and the end 840b may be constrained by the detents 841b. When the caregiver applies a torque to the organizer section 804a with a magnitude greater than the threshold torque, the initial rotation of the hub spring 840 relative to the detents 841a and 841b causes an increase in the contact force between the end 840a and at least one detent 841a and, similarly, between the end 840b and at least one detent 841b. The contact forces, in turn, causes the hub spring 840 to deform by flexing inwards as shown in
The caregiver may then rotate the organizer section 804a from the first configuration shown in
The breakaway feature of the hub assembly 830a-1 may operate in a similar manner. Specifically, when a torque with a magnitude greater than the threshold torque is applied to the organizer section 804a in a direction that causes the organizer section 804a to move downwards towards the ground, the hub spring 840 may deform to such an extent the ends 840a and 840b are released from the detents 841a and 841b, respectively, thus allowing the organizer section 804a to rotate. The organizer section 804a may then rotate downwards until the top rail 812f contacts the playard 1000c.
The threshold torque may thus generally depend on several factors including, but not limited to, the dimensions and profile of the detents, the shape, dimensions, and material of the hub spring 840, the number of pairs of detents, the number of ends of the hub springs that engage respective pairs of detents. In some implementations, the hub spring 840 be shaped and/or dimensioned such that the hub spring 840 primarily undergoes elastic deformation as it flexes inwards and outwards. For example, the hub spring 840 may be formed from a compliant material, such as injection-molded plastic.
In some implementations, the respective detents in each pair of detents may be mirror symmetric; hence, the threshold torque to move the organizer section 804a from the first configuration to the second configuration is the same as the threshold torque to move the organizer section 804a from the first configuration to the breakaway configuration. In some implementations, the respective detents in each pair of detents may have a different profile (e.g., different shaped peak) so that the threshold torque to move the organizer section 804a from the first configuration to the second configuration is different than the threshold torque to move the organizer section 804a from the first configuration to the breakaway configuration. For example, the threshold torque to move between the first and second configurations may be lower than the threshold torque to move from the first configuration to the breakaway configuration.
As described above, in some implementations, the changing table section may be movable while the organizer section remains rigidly affixed to the playard, which may provide the caregiver the ability to deploy the changing table of the topper as needed or to store the changing table when not in use instead of uninstalling the topper entirely from the playard. For example,
Similar to the topper 800c, the topper 800d may include a topper frame 810c with a top rail 812d defining the changing table section 802b and a top rail 812f defining the organizer section 804b. As before, the top rail 812d may support topper soft goods 880c and a support platform 890c to support the child. The top rail 812d may further include support feet 820a to support the changing table section 802b on the frame 100c via the topper supports 161a and 161b. The top rail 812f may support storage soft goods 870 defining storage compartments 872a. Specifically,
The changing table section 802b may rotate between a deployed configuration and a storage configuration. Specifically, the changing table section 802b may be disposed over and partially within the interior space 102 in the deployed configuration to support the child as shown in
The organizer mount 832 of the hub assemblies 830b-1 and 830b-2 may also include a connector end 833c to couple the top rail 812f to the respective hub assemblies 830b-1 and 830b-2. As shown in
The top rail 812d may include a pair of support feet 820a that are positioned to align with respective topper supports 161a and 161b on the frame 100c. The top rail 812d may include a male connector end 816g that is inserted into a corresponding socket opening 835a on the connector end 835 of the hub assembly 830b-1. The top rail 812d may include a fastener opening 818a that aligns with a fastener opening 836 such that a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet can then securely couple the top rail 812d to the hub assembly 830b-1. Similarly, the top rail 812d may include another male connector end 816h disposed at an opposite end from the connect end 816g that is inserted into a corresponding socket opening 835a on the connector end 835 of the hub assembly 830b-2 and coupled together via a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet.
Compared to the hub assemblies 830a-1 and 830a-2, the hub assemblies 830b-1 and 830b-2 may include a push button locking mechanism. In other words, the caregiver may push a button on the respective hub assemblies 830b-1 and 830b-2 to disengage the locking mechanism, thus allowing the caregiver to move the changing table section 802b. This locking mechanism may more securely lock the changing table section 802b to the organizer section 804b, thus reducing or, in some instances, preventing accidental rotation of the changing table section 802b via an external force or torque applied to the changing table section 802b.
As shown, the organizer mount 832 may include an inner rotor 838 and the changer mount 834 may include an outer rotor 839 to receive the inner rotor 838 and, in turn, enable rotation of the changer mount 834 relative to the organizer mount 832. The organizer mount 832 may further define a cavity 844 that abuts a corresponding cavity 848b of the changer mount 834. The cavities 844 and 848b may collectively contain a spring 854 and a gear 850 disposed between the spring 854 and the changer mount 834. As shown in
The spring 854 may apply a force that pushes the gear 850 against the partition 848c. The cavity 848b, however, may generally have a depth that is less than the thickness of the gear 850. Thus, the gear 850 may be partially disposed in both the cavities 844 and 848b when no forces are applied to the hub assembly 830b-2 (e.g., the caregiver is not pressing the push button 855). The organizer mount 832 and the changer mount 834 may further include gear teeth 843 and 847, respectively, disposed along the interior sidewalls forming the cavities 844 and 848b. The gear teeth 843 and 847 may generally be shaped and/or dimensioned to mesh with corresponding gear teeth 851 on the gear 850. Thus, when the gear 850 is disposed in both the cavities 844 and 848b, the changer mount 834 is locked to the organizer mount 832 (i.e., the changing table section 802b cannot be rotated).
The gear 850 may further include a pair of indexed gear teeth 851a and 851b disposed on opposing sides of the gear 850. The indexed gear teeth 851a and 851b may have a different (e.g., larger) pitch compared to the other gear teeth 851. The gear teeth 843 may include a pair of indexed recesses 843a and 843b and the gear teeth 847 may include a pair of indexed recesses 847a and 847b. The indexed recesses 843a, 843b, 847a, and 847b may be shaped and dimensioned to mesh with the indexed gear teeth 851a and 851b.
Thus, the changing table section 802b may be locked at certain orientations corresponding, for example, to the deployed and storage configurations based on the placement of the indexed recesses 843a, 843b, 847a, and 847b and the indexed gear teeth 851a and 851b. For example, in the first configuration, the indexed gear teeth 851a and 851b may be aligned with the indexed recesses 843a and 843b, respectively, and the indexed recesses 847a and 847b, respectively. When the caregiver presses the push button 855 with sufficient force (e.g., a force with a magnitude greater than the force generated by the spring 854), the legs 856 may press onto the gear 850, thus pushing the gear 850 entirely into the cavity 844. Thus, the gear teeth 851, 851a, and 851b may become disengaged from the gear teeth 847 and recesses 847a, and 847b, which allows the caregiver to rotate the changer mount 834 with respect to the organizer mount 832. Once the changer mount 834 is rotated approximately 180 degrees, the indexed recess 847a may align with the gear tooth 851b and the indexed recess 847b may align with the gear tooth 851a. It should be appreciated the 180 degree rotation is, in part, due to the indexed gear teeth 851a and 851b being disposed diametrically opposite to one another. Once the caregiver releases the push button 855, the spring 854 may then push the gear 850 back into the cavity 848b such that the gear teeth 851, 851a, and 851b mesh with the gear teeth 847 and recesses 847b, and 847a, respectively. For both the deployed and storage configurations, the indexed gear teeth 851a and 851b may remain aligned and engaged with the indexed recesses 843a and 843b, respectively. In other words, the gear 850 may not rotate relative to the organizer mount 832.
To limit the range of rotation of the hub assembly 830b-2, the partition 848c may also include a rib 849 that is inserted into a corresponding channel 853a formed around the opening 852 of the gear 850 as shown in
In some implementations, a rotatable changing table topper may be appreciably simplified by including a locking mechanism formed using the topper support of the playard frame and the support foot of the topper frame. For example,
In some implementations, the bottom portion of the corner tube 730b may be disposed within the topper mount socket 137 without a separate latch mechanism. In other words, the corner tube 730b may simply rest within the topper mount socket 137. In some implementations, the bottom portion of the corner tube 730b may be securely coupled to the topper mount socket 137 via a latch lever (not shown) with a latch button as described above.
The corner housings 860 may further support a topper frame 810d with a curved top rail 812g and a straight top rail 812e. The topper frame 810d, in turn, may provide support for topper soft goods (not shown) and a support platform (not shown) for the child. As shown in
The topper 800e may rotate between a deployed configuration and a storage configuration. In the deployed configuration, the topper frame 810d may be disposed over the interior space 102 of the playard 1000c and oriented to provide support for a child as shown in
The topper frame 810d may further include a support foot 820b supported by a topper support 161c. For the topper 800e, the support foot 820b and the topper support 161c may also form a latch mechanism to lock the topper 800e in the deployed configuration. Specifically,
In some implementations, the hook 828 may also include a lead-in portion to facilitate automatic engagement of the latch arm 826 to the latch receiver 164. Specifically, as the topper frame 810d is rotated to the deployed configuration, the lead-in portion may initially contact the exterior surface of the latch receiver 164, which causes the latch arm 826 to deflect outwards. As the latch arm 826 bends, an internal restoring force may be generated to return the latch arm 826 to its unbent form. The latch arm 826 may continue to deflect outwards until the hook 828 is aligned with the latch catch 166 at which point the internal restoring force may move the hook 828 into the latch catch 166. In this manner, the caregiver may engage the latch mechanism by pressing down on the topper frame 810d. In some implementations, the latch arm 826 may be sufficiently compliant (i.e., the bending stiffness is sufficiently small) such that the weight of the frame 810d, the topper soft goods, and the support platform alone is sufficient to deflect the latch arm 826 to engage the latch receiver 164.
The latch arm 826 may further include a handle 827 disposed at its end. To release the latch mechanism, the caregiver may pull the handle 827 outwards until the hook 828 is no longer disposed in the latch catch 166. Then, while holding the latch arm 826, the caregiver may rotate the topper frame 810d. Once the caregiver releases the handle 827, the latch arm 826 may return to its unbent form.
In some implementations, one or more of the toppers mounted to the playard may be used as a freestanding apparatus. For example, the topper maybe placed on the ground or on the foldable playard and used to safely support a child. One or more of the toppers may also be collapsible. For example, the caregiver may readily fold or disassemble a topper for storage when the topper is not in use and/or to improve portability when transporting the topper from one location to another location.
In one example,
As shown in
The bassinet topper 900d may be collapsed in a similar manner. If the carry handle 914 is deployed, the caregiver may first rotate the carry handle 914 via the pivot assemblies 920 such that the carry handle 914 is substantially parallel with the top rails 912d and 912e as shown in
The rail mount 926 may include a base end 927 with a through hole opening 928. The top rail 912e may include a female connector end 916b that is inserted through the through hole opening 928. The top rail 912d may include a male connector end 916a that is then inserted into the connector end 916b. The base end 927, the top rail 912e, and the top rail 912d further include fastener openings 929, 918b, and 918a, respectively, which may be aligned to receive a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet to securely couple the top rails 912d and 912e and the pivot assembly 920 together.
In some implementations, the connector end 915 may be bent at an approximately right angle (i.e., 90 degrees) with respect to the remaining portions of the top rails 912d and 912e. In other words, the top rails 912d and 912e may be oriented substantially horizontal when setup and the respective connector ends 915 may be oriented vertically. The top rail sockets 958a and 958b, in turn, may be oriented vertically as well as shown in
The shape of the top rail sockets 958a and 958b may generally conform with the shape of the connector ends 915. For example, the connector ends 915 of the top rails 912d and 912e may have a circular cross-sectional shape and the top rail sockets 958a and 958b may each have a circular shape as well. The top rail sockets 958a and 958b may also be dimensioned to be substantially similar or the same as the exterior dimensions of the connector ends 915 to ensure a tight fit between the connector ends 915 and the top rail sockets 958a and 958b. In some implementations, the depth of the top rail sockets 958a and 958b may be tailored to receive a substantial portion or, in some instances, the entirety of the connector end 915. Additionally, the length of connector end 915 and/or the depth of the top rail sockets 958a and 958b may also be chosen to provide appreciable overlap between the top rail sockets 958a and 958b and the connector end 915 to further constrain the top rails 912d and 912e to the housings 950a. For example, the length of connector end 915 and/or the depth of the top rail sockets 958a may range between about 1.5 inches and about 2 inches.
The leg tube 940a-1 may include a female connector end 944a at one end to receive a corresponding male connector end 944b at one end of the leg tube 940a-2. The leg tubes 940a-1 and 940a-2 may further include fastener opening 945a and 945b, respectively, that align and receive a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet to securely couple the bottom ends of the leg tubes 940a-1 and 940a-2 together.
The leg tube 940a-1 may further include a female connector end 943a that is inserted through a through hole opening 956 formed along a bottom portion of the base section 954 of the housing 950a. The leg tube 940a-2 may further include a male connector end 943b that is inserted into the female connector end 943a and, hence, also disposed within the through hole opening 956.
The leg tubes 940a-1 and 940a-2 may each further include a rotational stop 936 disposed proximate to the respective connector ends 943a and 943b, respectively, to limit the range of rotation of leg 940a with respect to the housing 950a. The rotational stop 936 may include a collar 937, a tab 938a disposed along the top of the leg tubes 940a-1 and 940a-2, and a tab 938b disposed along the bottom of the leg tubes 940a-1 and 940a-2. The tab 938a may include fastener openings 939a and 939b that align with respective fastener openings 946a and 946b on the leg tubes 940a-1 and 940a-2 and together may receive a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet to securely couple the rotational stops 936 to the leg tubes 940a-1 and 940a-2. The collar 937 and the tab 938b may limit the extent the respective connector ends 943a and 943b are inserted through the through hole opening 956. Said in another way, the pair of rotational stops 936 coupled to the leg tubes 940a-1 and 940a-2 may also act as mechanical stops to substantially reduce or, in some instances, prevent the connector ends 943a and 943b from sliding along the through hole opening 956 after assembly.
Specifically, the base section 932 and the flexible finger 933 may define and partially surround a channel 935 to receive a portion of the leg 940a. In some implementations, the channel 935 may be shaped and/or dimensioned to be similar or, in some instances, the same as the exterior shape of the leg 940a. In other words, a portion of the base section 932 and a portion of the flexible finger 933 may abut the leg 940a, thereby restraining the leg 940a to the support platform 990c. The flexible finger 933 may be a mechanically compliant feature that bends when engaging or disengaging the leg 940a. When engaging the latch 930 to the leg 940a, the flexible finger 933 may include a lead-in portion 934 that initially contacts the leg 940a. The contact may then cause the flexible finger 933 to bend away from the base section 932, which, in turn, allows the leg 940a to be inserted into the channel 935. When the flexible finger 933 is bent, an internal restoring force is generated. Thus, once the leg 940a is disposed within the channel 935, the internal restoring force may return the flexible finger 933 to its unbent form. To disengage the latch 930 from the leg 940a, the caregiver may pull on the lead-in portion 934 to bend the flexible finger 933 and then separate the latch 930 from the leg 940a. The latch 930 may be formed from various materials including, but not limited to, injection molded plastic.
The rotation mechanism of the housing 950a and the latch 930 of the support platform 990c described above constitutes one exemplary collapsing mechanism that may be employed in various inventive bassinet toppers described herein.
The housing 950b may include a top housing 951a that is rigidly coupled to the top rails 912d and 912e and a bottom housing 951b that is rigidly coupled to the leg 940b. The top rails 912d and 912e may be coupled to the top housing 951a in a similar manner as the housing 950a. For example, a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet may be inserted through respective fastener openings 957 on the top housing 951a and the respective connector ends (not shown) of the top rails 912d and 912e. Similarly, each leg 940b may be an assembly of a leg tube 940b-1 coupled to another leg tube 940b-2. In this implementation, however, the respective connector ends (not shown) of the leg tubes 940b-1 and 940b-2 disposed within the through hole opening 956 of the bottom housing 951b may also be rigidly coupled to the bottom housing 951b via a screw fastener, a Valco snap button, or a rivet.
The top housing 951a and the bottom housing 951b may be coupled together via a spring-biased sliding and rotation mechanism.
The bottom housing 951b may include a base section 965 that defines the through hole opening 956 and a narrow section 964 disposed on top of the base section 965. The base section 965 includes a top surface 953b that abuts the bottom surface 953a of the top housing 951a when the housing 950b is unfolded. The narrow section 964 may further include an insertion end 966 that is shaped and/or dimensioned to fit within a cavity defined by the top housing 951a when the housing 950b is unfolded. The rolled rivet 962 is inserted through a channel 967 formed on the insertion end 966. Thus, the bottom housing 951b is rotatable with respect to the top housing 951a about the rivet 962. The channel 967 also defines a path along which the bottom housing 951b may slide with respect to the top housing 951a. For example,
In some implementations, the top housing 951a may be shaped such that an exterior side of the top housing 951a disposed opposite from the interior side with the notch 960 acts as a mechanical stop to limit the rotation of the bottom housing 951b and, in particular, the insertion end 966. The interior surface of the exterior side of the top housing 951a may be further oriented to align the bottom housing 951b to the top housing 951a once contact between the insertion end 966 and the interior surface occurs.
To collapse the bassinet topper 900e, the caregiver may first pull on the bottom housing 951b with sufficient force (e.g., a force greater than the spring-bias force of the spring 969) to slidably displace the bottom housing 951b downwards with respect to the top housing 951a until the rolled rivet 962 contacts a top end of the channel 967.
The housing 950c may once again include a top housing 951a and a bottom housing 951b. However, in this implementation, the bottom housing 951b may be removably coupled to the top housing 951a via a snap-fit connection mechanism.
The bottom housing 951b may include a base section 965 with a narrow section 964 disposed on top of the base section 965. The base section 965 may define two leg socket openings 970a and 970b that extend through the bottom housing 951b. As shown in
As shown in
To collapse the bassinet topper 900f, the caregiver may push the hook 976 followed by pulling the bottom housing 951b from the top housing 951a. The support platform 990c then be raised towards the top rails 912f and 912g to fold the bassinet topper soft goods 980c and collapse the interior space 901. In some implementations, the various components of the bassinet topper 900f may then be placed into a container or a bag for ease of transport or storage.
All parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. It is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented primarily by way of example and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein.
In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of respective elements of the exemplary implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The use of a numerical range does not preclude equivalents that fall outside the range that fulfill the same function, in the same way, to produce the same result.
Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may in some instances be ordered in different ways. Accordingly, in some inventive implementations, respective acts of a given method may be performed in an order different than specifically illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously (even if such acts are shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments).
All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.
This application is a National Stage 371 Entry of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2021/031634, filed on May 10, 2021, which claims a priority benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/021,966, filed on May 8, 2020, entitled, “FREE STANDING PORTABLE BASSINET,” U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/022,009, filed on May 8, 2020, entitled, “PLAY YARD TOPPER RELEASE AND STORAGE,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/021,950, filed on May 8, 2020, entitled, “X-FRAME PLAYARD WITH TOPPERS.” Each of the aforementioned applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2021/031634 | 5/10/2021 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63021966 | May 2020 | US | |
| 63022009 | May 2020 | US | |
| 63021950 | May 2020 | US |
