AU2010100738A4 - A Bassinet - Google Patents

Description

A Bassinet FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to bassinet for receiving an infant, and in particular to a bassinet for an infant that has improved airflow characteristics. 5 BACKGROUND ART Bassinets are a popular form of bedding appropriate for infants and newborn babies. Bassinets are generally of a convenient size to accommodate a newborn baby and are portable to accommodate the needs of the parent or carer. Typically, in the first 1o few weeks of the infant's life, the bassinet may be positioned in close proximity to the parent or carer, so that the parent or carer is able to closely monitor the infant's needs. Over time the bassinet may be located in a dedicated room for night sleeping or daytime naps, and bassinets are typically provided with handles or are mounted on wheeled frames to provide such portability. 15 Bassinets also typically provide a safe sleeping environment for the infant. Unlike larger cots which are sized to accommodate a child from newborn to toddler, bassinets are typically designed to accommodate the infant from birth to a few months old. As such, bassinets enable an infant to be snugly wrapped or located therein in a confined environment. 20 For parents of newborn babies, a bassinet is often a centrepiece of a nursery or bedroom. For this reason, bassinets are typically constructed to provide a degree of aesthetic appeal and many parents decorate or fit out a bassinet to match the d6cor of the nursery. Often colourful or themed manchcster or linen or a cover is used in association with the bassinet to provide parents or carers with a means to 25 personalise the bassinet to their desired tastes. Over the recent times, much research has been conducted into the possible causes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Whilst no definitive cause of SIDS has been established, research suggests that SIDS may be reduced by increasing air flow around the infant as the infant sleeps. For this reason, it is recommended that 30 the presence of inserts, bumpers, and skirting around the walls of the bassinet be reduced to enhance air flow through the bassinet. Whilst a variety of breathable materials such as meshes or cotton inserts and skirts have been developed in order to enhance circulation through the bassinet, such arrangements are typically only positioned o the inside of the bassinet. As such, outer coverings are typically placed on the outside of the bassinet for aesthetic purposes which have the potential to reduce airflow through the bassinet and around the sleeping child. 5 As such, there is a need to provide a bassinet that is structure to enhance airflow around a sleeping infant and which maintains suitable aesthetic appeal. The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not 10 relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part. STATEMENT OF INVENTION Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a bassinet 15 comprising: a base configured to receive a mattress thereon; an upper frame member located above said base so as to form an upper periphery of the bassinet; and a cover portion adapted to be fitted over the upper frame member and 20 having an inner layer and an outer layer with both the inner layer and outer layer configured to extend from the upper frame member towards the base; wherein, the inner layer is configured to form an inner wall of the bassinet and the outer layer is configured to form an outer covering of the bassinet, and at least a portion of the inner layer and the outer layer are made from an 25 open mesh material such that when the cover portion is fitted over the upper frame member the portions of the inner layer and the outer layer made from an open material overlap to facilitate airflow through the bassinet. In one embodiment, the inner layer is configured to extend below said mattress such that the inner layer forms the inner wall of the bassinet extending from the 3o base to the upper frame member. The inner layer may be comprised substantially wholly of the open mesh material. The outer layer may extend over the inner layer and the portion of the outer layer made from the open mesh material may extend from the upper frame member to the region of the outer layer adjacent the base.

The cover portion may further comprise an intermediate layer arranged to extend between the inner layer and the outer layer. The intermediate layer may be configured to extend under the base. The intermediate layer may be attached to an underside of the base by way of one or more connection members. The 5 intermediate layer may be made at least partially from an open mesh material which overlaps with the open mesh material of the inner layer and the outer layer to facilitate airflow through the bassinet The upper frame member may comprise a substantially tubular structure supported above the base by one or more support members. The substantially tubular 1o structure may be shaped to substantially conform to the shape of the base. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which: Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a bassinet according to one 15 embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a top perspective view of the bassinet of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top side perspective view of the bassinet of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is an end perspective view of the bassinet of Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 20 Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention. Referring to Figures 1 - 4, there is shown a bassinet 10 in accordance with one 25 embodiment of the present invention. The bassinet 10 comprises a base 12, an upper frame member 16 that is located above the base 12. Whilst not specifically shown, the upper frame member 16 comprises an upper tubular bar arranged in a substantially rectangular configuration, which can be more readily appreciated from Figures 2 and 4, to form the upper most portion of the bassinet 10. The upper 30 frame member 16 is attached to the base 12 by way of support bars (not shown) which support the upper frame member 16 in a suspended manner above the base 12. As will be appreciated, the number and location of the support bars may vary and the support bars may be configured to collapse or fold as desired, for transport or storage. It will be appreciated that by folding or collapsing the support bars the upper frame member 16 can be positioned atop the base 12 to provide a more compact arrangement for storage or transport. In such a compact configuration, 5 the bassinet will not be suitable for accommodating an infant therein. The base 12 is sufficiently level and provides a surface upon which a mattress 13 is able to be received. The mattress 13 is typically of a conventional form that may be supplied with the bassinet or separately purchased for use with the bassinet. In this regard, the surface of the base 12 is of a conventional size to enable purchase 10 of conventional bassinet mattresses for use with the bassinet 10 of the present invention. The underside of the base 12 may be configured to be received by a conventional trolley (not shown) or the like to enable a degree of portability of the bassinet 10. As is conventional, the trolley or the like may have castor wheels or similar 1s wheels, to provide such portability. In this regard, the underside of the base 12 may be substantially flat or level so as to be supported in a stable manner on the trolley. Alternatively, the underside of the base 12 may be configured to enable the bassinet to be supported on a level surface, such as a floor or table, in a stable and safe manner. 20 A cover 15 is provided to extend over the upper frame member 16 of the bassinet 10. The cover 15 comprises an upper portion 22 that is shaped to fit over the upper frame member 16 so as to be located thereon with respect to the bassinet 10. A pair of handles 17 are attached to the upper portion 22 on opposing sides of the bassinet 10 by way of stitching or the like to provide a means for carrying the 25 bassinet 10. The cover 15 comprises an inner layer 20 that extends from an inner edge of the upper portion 22 towards the base 12 of the bassinet 10. The inner layer 20 is attached to the upper surface of the base 12 by way of attachment members (not shown), such as press studs or the like, located at intervals around the perimeter of 30 the base 12. The mattress 13 is then positioned on the base 12 to further locate the inner layer 20 in a taut position, to form the inner surface of the bassinet 10. The inner layer 20 is made, at least partially, from an open weave material or an open mesh material, such as an open mesh material having open pores of a size sufficient to permit the ingress of air but of a size that prevents insertion of an 35 infant's fingers and toes therethrough. When positioned, the inner layer 20 forms a mesh inner wall of the bassinet 10 that facilitates air flow across the mattress 13, upon which an infant is placed. The cover 15 also comprises an intermediate layer (not shown) that is also attached to the upper portion 22 so as to extend towards and under the base 12. The intermediate layer may be attached to the underside of the base 12 by way of 5 attachment members, such as press studs or the like, and is held taut by the support bars of the bassinet 10. The intermediate layer may also be made, at least partially, from an open weave material or an open mesh material having open pores of a size sufficient to permit the ingress of air but of a size that prevents insertion of an infant's fingers and toes therethrough. In one form, the portion of the intermediate 10 layer that extends under the base 12 may be made from a woven or non -- open weave material, such as cotton or the like. In such an arrangement the open weave or mesh material of the inner layer 20 and the intermediate layer overlaps when the cover 15 is positioned on the bassinet to provide a passage for air to flow across the mattress 13 and through the bassinet 10.. 15 The cover 15 further comprises an outer layer 21 that extends from an outer edge of the upper portion 22 so as to hang down along the exterior of the bassinet 10. The outer layer 21 forms a skirt portion and is made from an open weave material or an open mesh material as described above in relation to the inner layer 20. The open mesh material extends substantially to the base of the mattress 13 such that 20 the open mesh material of the inner layer 20, intermediate layer and outer layer 21 overlay each other to provide a free passage of air flow through the bassinet 10 and across the mattress 13. Such a free air passage ensures that an infant positioned on the mattress 13 is well ventilated with free flowing air in order to reduce the conditions which are thought to be related to SIDS. 25 As is shown in each of the figures, the distal region of the outer layer 21 is provided with a hem portion 23 made of a woven material such as cotton or the like. The hem portion 23 hangs below the base 12 of the bassinet and provides a degree of aesthetic enhancement to the bassinet10. In this regard the hem portion 23 may be ruffled, or made from a series of different colours or patterns as desired. 30 The bassinet 10 may also comprise a hood 18 that is attached to the upper frame member 16. The hood 18 is attached to the upper frame member such that it is pivotal with respect to the upper frame member 16. In such an arrangement the hood 18 is able to be moved between an active position as is best shown in Figure 3 and an inactive position (not shown) where the hood 18 is pivoted such that it is 35 substantially level with the upper frame member. This enables a parent or guardian to employ the hood if or when desired.

It will be appreciated that the bassinet of the present invention is configured such that the cover interacts with a frame of the bassinet to ensure that the side walls of the bassinet provide ready airflow through and across the surface of the mattress where an infant is typically positioned. The mesh arrangement of the cover of the 5 bassinet provides such airflow in both the inner and outer layers which are arranged to coincide. Such a bassinet ensures that the desired conditions to reduce the likelihood of SIDS is achieved whilst providing an aesthetic appealing arrangement. Throughout the specification and claims the word "comprise" and its derivatives 10 are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word "comprise" and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or 15 the context requires otherwise. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, 20 horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the bassinet uppermost.

Claims (10)

1. A bassinet comprising: a base configured to receive a mattress thereon; an upper frame member located above said base so as to form an upper 5 periphery of the bassinet; and a cover portion adapted to be fitted over the upper frame member and having at least an inner layer and an outer layer with both the inner layer and outer layer configured to extend from the upper frame member towards the base; 10 wherein, the inner layer is configured to form an inner wall of the bassinet and the outer layer is configured to form an outer covering of the bassinet, and at least a portion of the inner layer and the outer layer are made from an open mesh material such that when the cover portion is fitted over the upper frame member the portions of the inner layer and the outer layer made from 15 an open mesh material overlap to facilitate airflow through the bassinet.

2. A bassinet according to claim 1, wherein said inner layer is configured to extend below said mattress such that the inner layer forms the inner wall of the bassinet extending from the base to the upper frame member.

3. A bassinet according to claim 2, wherein the inner layer is comprised 20 substantially wholly of the open mesh material.

4. A bassinet according to claim 2 wherein the inner layer is attached to an upper surface of the base by one or more connection members arranged on the surface of the base.

5. A bassinet according to claim 4, wherein the one or more connection 25 members comprise one or more press stud arrangements.

6. A bassinet according to claim 2, wherein the outer layer extends over the inner layer and the portion of the outer layer made from the open mesh material extends from the upper frame member to the region of the outer layer adjacent the base. 30

7. A bassinet according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cover portion comprises an intermediate layer arranged to extend between the inner layer and the outer layer.

8. A bassinet according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate layer is configured to extend under the base.

9. A bassinet according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate layer is attached 5 to an underside of the base by way of one or more connection members.

10. A bassinet according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the intermediate layer is made at least partially from an open mesh material which overlaps with the open mesh material of the inner layer and the outer layer to facilitate airflow through the bassinet