AU2015101082A4

AU2015101082A4 - A playpen

Info

Publication number: AU2015101082A4
Application number: AU2015101082A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Laura-Kate Rutter; Sam Rutter
Original assignee: Rutter Laura Kate
Current assignee: Rutter Laura Kate
Priority date: 2014-09-01
Filing date: 2015-08-10
Publication date: 2015-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2023-08-10

Abstract

A playpen 1 including one or more wall portions 10. The wall portion(s) are formed of transparent impermeable material. 12a 121 13a

Description

P1227AU1I 1 A PLAYPEN FIELD The invention relates to playpens. BACKGROUND 5 Children typically become mobile during the first year or so of life. This mobility usually starts with some form of shuffling, such as a "commando crawl", followed by crawling and in turn followed by walking. During these early years, children are extremely inquisitive yet relatively small and fragile. Such a child loose in a typical home without close adult supervision is at risk of injury. Accordingly, such children are from time to 10 time enclosed in a playpen. A playpen is a wall arrangement for enclosing a play area, to constrain the movements of a child. Use of a playpen reduces but does not eliminate the need for adult supervision. A playpen (as opposed to fences and other wall structures) simply sits on top of the floor 15 without any form of fastening thereto. Playpens are thus typically relatively simple and easily relocatable. Some existing playpens include horizontally spaced balusters running vertically between top and bottom rails. Sometimes the balusters are formed of wooden dowels. Other playpens incorporate mesh. The inventor has recognised that both constructions have 20 significant drawbacks. Neither construction is particularly amenable to cleaning, and both constructions to some extent impede the supervising adult's view of the child. The invention aims to provide improvements in and for playpens, or at least to provide an alternative for those concerned with playpens.

P1227AU1I 2 It is not admitted that any of the information in this patent specification is common general knowledge, or that the person skilled in the art could be reasonably expected to ascertain or understand it, regard it as relevant or combine it in any way at the priority date. 5 SUMMARY One aspect of the invention provides a playpen including one or more wall portions, the wall portion(s) being formed of transparent impermeable material. The playpen is preferably at least predominantly formed of the at least one material. Most preferably, the playpen predominantly consists of the wall portion(s). 10 The wall portion(s) may be wall member(s), in which case preferably each of the wall member(s) includes a first side edge portion and a second side edge portion, and the first side edge portions are, or are configured to be, fastened to the second side edge portions. This aspect of the invention also provides an assembled playpen wherein the side edge 15 portions are so fastened. Preferably, each wall member is at least predominantly planar. Most preferably, each wall member is predominantly planar, and at least one of the side edges of each member includes a planar web inclined relative to the plane of the member, e.g. inclined relative to the plane of the member so as to define an included angle of about 1200. 20 In preferred forms of the playpen, each of the wall member(s) is integrally formed. Optionally, each of the wall portion(s) includes at least one airflow aperture. Preferably, a base of each of the wall portion(s) includes a horizontal flange. The playpen preferably includes a plurality (e.g. six) of the wall portions.

P1227AU1I 3 The wall portions may be substantially identical to each other. The at least one material may be colourless. The at least one material could be acrylic. This aspect of the invention also provides the use of the playpen to enclose a human. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 5 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a playpen enclosing a child. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wall member of the playpen of Figure 1. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary playpen 1 including a hexagonal arrangement of six wall portions, each of which is about 800 mm long. The wall portions 10 are arranged to, 10 in plan, define a closed loop. Other closed shapes are possible. By way of example, instead of a hexagonal playpen, the playpen may be circular and consist of a single long rectangular wall member, the short edges of which are mutually fastened. Whilst circular and other curved shapes are possible, polygons are preferred because they lend themselves to construction from multiple identical wall members, which may lend 15 themselves to flat packing and so minimise distribution costs. In addition to the distribution advantages, there are efficiencies during the manufacture of multiple identical panels. The playpen 1 defines a play area in the vicinity of 1.7 M 2 . Areas of 1.3 m 2 to 4.0 m 2 are thought to be practical. 20 The playpen 1 is formed of six wall members 10. Each wall member is a rigid panel and is integrally formed. For the avoidance of doubt, "integral" and variants of that term are used in their ordinary sense to refer to continuous bodies of material. Bodies of material may be integrated by welding, but do not become a single integral body through other P1227AU1I 4 fastening methods such as adhesives that result in two distinct yet mutually fastened bodies. Each member 10 is formed of a single sheet of acrylic that is transparent (i.e. through which light may pass with little or no interruption or distortion so that objects on the other 5 side can be clearly seen). In contrast to mesh, the acrylic is impermeable. The acrylic is about 8 mm thick. Each member 10 weighs about 4.7 kg. The member 10 is formed by first cutting a blank from sheet acrylic, and then a pair of folding operations. Desirably, the cutting edges are controlled to produce smooth edges that will not harm children. Member 10 is predominantly planar, its major portion 11 10 being a planar right quadrilateral when viewed in plan. In this example, the major portion 11 is longer than it is high, being about 800 mm long by about 580 mm high. The member 10 includes two side edge portions 12, 13. The side edge portion 12 is a lap in the form of a planar web of material projecting from an edge of the main portion 11 at an included angle a of about 1200. In this example, the portion 12 is about 100 mm 15 wide. The side edge portion 13 is a margin portion of the main portion 11. Each of the side edge portions 12, 13 includes a trio of vertically spaced holes. The holes 12a of the portion 12 are arranged to complement the holes 13a of the portion 13, such that when the portion 12 of the member 10 is moved to overlie the portion 13 of a similar member, the holes 12a of the member 10 are in register with the holes 13 of the 20 similar member. Through this arrangement of holes, the portion 12 is configured to be fastened to the portion 13 of the similar panel. Suitable fasteners such as bolts (which are to co-operate with nuts) are passed through the registered holes. In this example, the bolts are Allen key bolts. Of course, other forms of fasteners are possible. Indeed, it is contemplated that the edges of the panels may be formed with interlocking features to 25 permit fastenerless mutual fastening of the panels. A 40 mm wide flange runs along the bottom edge of the main portion 12. The flange is directed horizontally inwards, i.e. towards the centre of the playpen. The flange is a foot P1227AU1I 5 serving to increase the contact area with the underlying floor and thus reduces the potential for the panels to damage underlying hard floors. The flange also serves to stiffen the panel appreciably. Each panel 10 includes a pair of airflow apertures 14, which are about 450 mm high by 5 about 75 mm wide. It is of course important that the apertures be dimensioned to prevent small children escaping therethrough. The playpen 1 desirably provides a substantially obstruction-free view of the child. It is also easy to clean because its smooth, impermeable surfaces are easily wiped down. While the above description refers to one embodiment of the invention, it will be 10 appreciated that other embodiments can be adopted by way of different combinations of features. Such embodiments fall within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A playpen including one or more wall portions, the wall portion(s) being formed of transparent impermeable material.

2. The playpen of claim 1 being at least predominantly formed of the at least one 5 material.

3. The playpen of claim 1 or 2 at least predominantly consisting of the wall portion(s).

4. The playpen of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the wall portion(s) are wall member(s).

5. The playpen of claim 4 wherein each of the wall member(s) includes a first side 10 edge portion and a second side edge portion; and the first side edge portions are, or are configured to be, fastened to the second side edge portions.

6. An assembled playpen including the playpen of claim 5 wherein the side edge portions are so fastened. 15

7. The playpen of any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein each wall member is at least predominantly planar.

8. The playpen of claim 5 or 6 wherein each wall member is predominantly planar; and at least one of the side edges of each member includes a planar web inclined relative to 20 the plane of the member. P1227AU1I 7

9. The playpen of claim 8 wherein the planar web is inclined relative to the plane of the member so as to define an included angle of about 1200.

10. The playpen of any one of claims 4 to 9 wherein each of the wall member(s) is integrally formed. 5

11. The playpen of any one of clams 1 to 10 wherein each of the wall portion(s) includes at least one airflow aperture.

12. The playpen of any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein a base of each of the wall portion(s) includes a horizontal flange.

13. The playpen of any one of claims 1 to 12 including a plurality of the wall portions. 10

14. The playpen of any one of claims 1 to 12 including six of the wall portions.

15. The playpen of claim 13 or 14 wherein each of the wall portions is substantially identical to the other(s) of the wall portions.

16. The playpen of any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the at least one material is colourless. 15

17. The playpen of any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein the at least one material is acrylic.

18. The use of the playpen of any one of claims 1 to 17 to enclose a human.