AU2018278945A1 - A Bassinet - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a bassinet for an infant comprising: a cradle defining a space into which the infant is received; and a frame for supporting the cradle in a suspended position; wherein, the frame is configured to support the cradle such that a cradle is moveable in a longitudinal direction within the frame. iJP7 to o '1 CE fin wt

Description

A BASSINET

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention is a divisional application from Australian Patent Application No. 2014200902 which claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2013900569 filed on 20 February 2013. The entire contents of both are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an infant bed or cradle, and in particular, to a portable bassinet arrangement whereby the bassinet is able to be rocked to assist in providing comfort to a child located therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The provision of a safe and comfortable environment to place children, especially infants, for the purposes of sleeping and resting is an important consideration for most parents and care givers. In the early “new bom” stages of a child’s life, it is not only important that the infant is placed in a comfortable bed, but also that the bed is sufficiently portable to enable the sleeping child to be located in a convenient position in accordance with the parent or care givers needs.

For these reasons bassinets having a bed or cradle placed on a movable frame have been proposed. The bed or cradle is typically secured to the frame such that it is supported in an elevated position and the bed or cradle can be decorated through the provision of a hood, skirting and other types of bedding options to provide an aesthetically pleasing bedding option for the infant during the early stages of their life, typically before they are moved into a permanent cot bed. The frame is typically in the form of a steel or aluminium frame having castors or wheels that enable the frame and cradle to be movable so as to be located in a desired position or room to enable the child to sleep whilst being monitored by the parent.

To assist children in falling asleep, it is often common for a parent to ‘rock’ or apply a soothing rhythmic motion to the child, to assist them in relaxing. This ‘rocking’ motion may be applied when the parent or carer is holding the child so that the sleeping child can be transferred to the bassinet or cradle whilst asleep. In many instances the act of transferring the child from the parent or carer’s arms to the bassinet, may cause the infant to wake or become unsettled. For this

2018278945 13 Dec 2018 reason he ability to apply a further soothing rocking motion to the infant when placed in the bassinet is often desirable, to return the infant to the relaxed state where sleep is likely to occur.

A variety of rocking devices have been proposed to assist a parent or carer in 5 applying a rocking motion to the child’s bed. Many proposed devices include external devices attachable to bedding, either a cot or cradle that applies a vibration to the bedding which may result in the infant being rocked or swayed from side to side.

Whilst the success of such devices may vary from child to child, it is generally io undesirable to apply a side-to-side rocking motion to a sleeping infant located in a bassinet. Such a motion may cause the child to roll over and move in the area between the side walls of the basinet and the base, especially if the motion is applied with limited supervision or in the dark, as is often the case. Should the rocking motion cause the child to roll into such a position, the child may be is placed in a position where suffocation may occur, which is to be prevented.

Thus there is a need to provide a bassinet that is able to safely and securely receive an infant and which has the ability to apply a rocking or gliding motion to the infant present therein, whereby the rocking or gliding motion is not applied in a side-to-side manner which may compromise the safety of the sleeping child.

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 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

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in 30 the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a bassinet for an infant comprising:

a cradle defining a space into which the infant is received; and

2018278945 13 Dec 2018 a frame for supporting the cradle in a suspended position;

wherein, the frame is configured to support the cradle such that a cradle is moveable in a longitudinal direction within the frame.

In one embodiment, the frame may comprise at least two support members 5 mounted thereto by way of a plurality of pivot members. The at least two support members may be configured to support the cradle thereon.

The frame may comprise a pair of opposing leg members and the at least two support members extend between the opposing leg members. The leg members may have one or more wheels mounted thereon to facilitate movement of the io bassinet across a floor surface.

The pivot members may be suspended at a first end from an upper portion of the leg members by way of a first pivot connection. Each support member may be connected between a pair of pivot members at a lower portion thereof by way of a second pivot connection.

is The cradle may be received on the support members and a connector may be provided to facilitate removable connection of the cradle to the support member.

In one embodiment, the pivot members may extend substantially vertically from the upper portion of the leg members. In another embodiment, the pivot members may extend from the upper portion of the leg members at an angle to 20 the vertical.

In another embodiment, the frame may comprise one or more tracks for receiving and supporting the supporting the cradle. The cradle may comprise one or more rollers configured to be received within the one or more tracks, such that the cradle is able to roll on the tracks in said longitudinal direction.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bassinet for an infant comprising;

a cradle defining a space into which the infant is received;

at least one leg member mounted on opposing sides of the cradle; and a motion mechanism mounted between the at least one leg member and 30 configured to removably receive the cradle thereon such that the cradle is supported in a suspended position above a ground surface.

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The motion mechanism may comprise at least two substantially horizontally extending support members upon which the cradle may be received.

The at least two support members may be mounted between two arm members that extend from the at least one leg member mounted on opposing sides of the 5 cradle.

The arm members may be dropper members that extend substantially vertically from an upper portion of the at least one leg member. The dropper members may be mounted to the upper portion of the at least one leg member by a pivot connection such that the dropper members can swing about the pivot connection.

io The support members may be mounted between two dropper members by way of a pivot connection.

The support members may be in the form of an inverted U-shape and the pivot connection may be provided on a lower region of the substantially vertical portions of the support members.

is The motion mechanism may be configured to provide motion to the cradle in a longitudinally extending direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the infant is aligned within the cradle.

The motion mechanism may comprise one or more tracks configured to receive one or more rollers provided on an underside of the cradle to facilitate rolling 20 motion of the cradle with respect to the at least one leg member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a bassinet arrangement in accordance with an 25 embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the bassinet arrangement of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the bassinet arrangement of Fig. 1 in a forward rocking position;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the bassinet arrangement of Fig. 1 in a backward 30 rocking position;

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Fig. 5 is a side view of a bassinet arrangement in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the bassinet arrangement in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a side view of a bassinet arrangement in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the bassinet arrangement of Fig. 7 in a forward rocking position;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the bassinet arrangement of Fig. 7 in a backward io rocking position;

Fig. 10 is a side view of a bassinet arrangement in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 11 is a side view of a bassinet arrangement in accordance with still yet another embodiment of the present invention;

is Fig. 12 is a side view of a bassinet arrangement in accordance with still yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 13 is a perspective side view of an embodiment of a different style of bassinet arrangement incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 14 is a perspective side view of another style of bassinet arrangement incorporating the present invention; and

Fig. 15 is aside view of yet another embodiment of a bassinet arrangement in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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 Figs 1 - 4, a first embodiment of a bassinet 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

The bassinet 10 generally comprises a cradle portion 12 into which an infant is to

2018278945 13 Dec 2018 be received. The cradle portion 12 comprises a base 13 upon which the child is supported and the base 13 may have a mattress (not shown) for comfort.

Extending from the perimeter of the base 13 is a side wall 14 that extends around the child to define a contained space for receiving the child. The side wall 14 5 may be at least partially formed of a mesh material to promote ventilation of air through the side wall 14 and across a child located therein. A hood 15 may be optionally mounted to an upper region of the side wall 14 and a skirt 16 may extend from the side wall 14 of the cradle portion 12 to below the base 13.

The cradle portion 12 is mounted on a frame 20. The frame 20 is preferably io made from a metal material, such as aluminium or steel, and comprises a pair of leg members 21 configured to be positioned on opposing sides of the cradle portion 12, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Each leg member 21 has a pair of legs 21a having castors or wheels 22 that contact a floor surface 5. Such an arrangement enables the bassinet 10 to be is movable across the floor surface 5 such that the bassinet 10 can be moved to a variety of locations in accordance with the wishes of the parent/guardian. It will be appreciated that the provision of castors or wheels is not essential to the working of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, each leg member 21 has a pair of dropper members 23 20 suspended from an upper portion thereof. The dropper members 23 are in the form of metal plates that are pivotally mounted to the upper portion of the leg member 21 at pivot point 24, so as to be suspended from the pivot point 24. As can be more clearly seen in Fig. 2, a support member 25 is mounted to the distal end of each of the dropper members 23 via a second pivot point 26. The support 25 members 25 are configured to extend between the leg members 21 so as to support the base 13 of the cradle portion 12 thereon. Typically, two support members 25 are provided to extend between the leg members 21.

In the embodiment as shown, each support member 25 is in the form of an inverted U-shaped metal bar having a substantially level portion upon which the 30 cradle portion 12 is supported. Whilst not shown, a joining member may extend between the level portions of each support member to provide stability and ensure that the distance between the support members is maintained. The base 13 of the cradle portion 12 may have connectors 18 formed on an underside thereof to engage with the level portion of the support member 25 to securely retain the 35 cradle portion 12 in position. In a preferred form, the connectors 18 are a plastic clip members attachable to an underside of the base 13 of the cradle portion and

2018278945 13 Dec 2018 which extend around the support members 25 to provide a releasable connection therebetween. In another embodiment, the connectors 18 may be in the form of fabric having a connection means such as a hook and loop fastener or similar arrangement to be secured around the support member 25. As a result, the connectors 18 can be readily releasable to facilitate removal of the cradle portion from the frame portion 20, as desired.

The manner in which the cradle portion 12 is supported on the frame to facilitate a rocking motion will be described in relation to Figs. 3 and 4. In Figure 3, a gentle motion is applied to the cradle portion 12 in the direction of arrow ‘A’.

io This causes the cradle portion 12 to move along the longitudinal axis of the cradle portion 12 in the same direction. As the cradle portion 12 is securely connected to the support members 25 upon which it is mounted, the force applied to the cradle portion 12 causes the dropper members 23 to pivot about pivot point 24, thereby resulting in movement of the cradle portion 12 in the direction of is arrow ‘A’. As the support members 25 are each pivotally connected to the distal end of the dropper members 23 at pivot point 26, such movement applied to the cradle portion 12 will result in the base 13 of the cradle portion 12 remaining substantially horizontal throughout the motion, due to gravity equalisation forces present within the system. Due to the motion, there will be a rise in the vertical 20 position of the base 13 by a distance ‘a’ which may be around 50 mm and such a rise will be barely felt by the infant present thereon.

As is shown in Fig. 4, after application of a force applied in the direction of arrow ‘A’ a return motion of the cradle portion 12 in the direction of arrow ‘B’ will result. The dropper members 23 will pivot about pivot points 24 in the same 25 manner as discussed above, but in the opposite direction, as shown. Similarly, due to the manner in which the support members 25 are pivotally connected to the distal ends of the dropper members 23 at pivot point 26, the base 13 of the cradle portion 12 will remain substantially level throughout the return motion.

To prevent the cradle portion 12 from undergoing excessive motion in the 30 direction of arrows ‘A’ and/or ‘B’, stoppers 29 are provided on the inner surface of the leg members 2las shown. These stoppers 29 function to engage with the dropper members 23 when the dropper members 23 are caused to pivot to an excessive degree, thereby limiting the extent of rocking motion that can be applied to the cradle portion 12.

It will be appreciated that with the bassinet 10 of the present invention, by continually applying motion in the direction of arrows ‘A’ and/or ‘B’ a

2018278945 13 Dec 2018 longitudinal rocking motion can be achieved to provide a calming effect to an infant present within the cradle portion 12. Such a rocking motion is not from side to side and as a result will not increase the likelihood of the child rolling over as a result of the rocking motion, which is to be avoided.

In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 5, an alternative embodiment of the bassinet 10 is shown. This embodiment is substantially as described above in relation to Figs 1-4. However, rather than the leg members 21 comprising two separate pairs of legs 21a having castors 22 located at the ends thereof, the leg members 21 are in the form of a continuous loop with castors 22 provided along the base io thereof.

In each of the arrangements depicted in Figs. 1 - 5, a basket 11 may optionally be provided. Further, in each embodiment the provision of the skirt 16 is configured to extend below the cradle portion 12 so as to substantially cover the dropper members 23 such that the bassinet takes on the appearance of a conventional is bassinet design.

Figure 6 shows another variation of the embodiment of the present invention shown and described above in relation in Figs. 1-5. In this embodiment the supports 25 are considerably longer than that shown in Fig. 2 to reduce the vertical rise of the infant present therein, in a manner to be described in more 20 detail below.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figs. 7-9. In this embodiment, the bassinet 10 is configured in substantially the same manner as discussed above in relation to Figs. 1-4, with the difference being that the dropper members 23 are longer and extend further toward the floor 5. This also 25 results in the need for longer support members 25 as is shown in Fig. 8. The gliding motion of the cradle portion 12 with respect to the frame 20 is maintained, however, with longer dropper members, for example dropper members having a length of approximately 400mm, the amount of vertical motion or rise-and-fall transferred to the infant will be minimised.

Fig. 10 shows yet another embodiment of the bassinet 10 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the manner in which the cradle portion 12 and the frame 20 function to facilitate a sliding/rocking motion is also substantially the same as that discussed above. However, in this embodiment the dropper members 23 are substantially shorter; preferably having a length of around 200 mm. As discussed 35 above, the provision of shorter dropper members 23 results in the base 13 of the cradle portion 12 rising more than is the case with longer dropper members. The

2018278945 13 Dec 2018 lower pivot points are also attached to the base 13 of the cradle portion 12. In the embodiment of Fig. 10, during a rocking motion the base 13 of the cradle portion may rise around 100 mm.

In each of the embodiments shown in Figs. 1-10, the dropper members 23 5 extend substantially vertically from the leg members 21 and the base 13 of the cradle portion remains substantially level during the sliding or rocking motion.

In the embodiments of the present invention shown in Figs. 11 and 12, an alternative arrangement of the bassinet 10 is shown. For reasons of clarity, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same features of the present io invention as were used in Figs. 1 - 10.

Referring firstly to Fig. 11, rather than vertically disposed dropper members 23, the dropper members 23 are disposed at an angle to the vertical, such that they each extend substantially parallel to the legs 21a of the leg member 21. The upper end of the dropper members 23 are secured to the leg member via pivot is point 24 and support members (not shown) are each connected to the lower or distal end of the dropper members 23, in the manner as previously discussed.

By applying motion to the cradle portion 12 in the longitudinal direction as previously discussed, the base 13 of the cradle portion is caused to tilt backwards and forwards in the manner as shown by the dashed line. Fig. 11 shows that with 20 shorter angled dropper members 23, such as around 200mm in length, the base 13 is caused to tilt to a greater degree than with longer dropper members 23, such as the 500mm dropper members as shown in Fig. 12.

It will be appreciated that the bassinet arrangement of Figs. 11 and 12 provides a longitudinally directed rocking motion (from the infant’s head to feet) rather than 25 a lateral rocking motion (side - to - side). Such a motion reduces the likelihood of the child rolling over and placing themselves in a position where suffocation may be increased.

Referring to Figs. 13 and 14, an arrangement of a bassinet 10 is shown incorporating the present invention. As is shown in Fig. 13, the bassinet 10 can 30 be decorated with netting 50 which is mounted to the cradle portion 12 by way of a support mechanism 52. With such an arrangement, when a rocking motion is applied to the bassinet 10 in accordance with the present invention, the netting 50 will move with the cradle portion 12 thereby reducing the likelihood of the infant waking as a result of undesirable movement in their direct vicinity. As will also 35 be appreciated, the netting 50 and any other standard features may be simply

2018278945 13 Dec 2018 attached to the bassinet 10 without having an adverse effect on the functionality of the rocking mechanism of the bassinet 10.

Similarly, as is shown in Figure 14, the bassinet 10 can accommodate one or more cover members 60 that attach to the legs 21a of the leg members to 5 substantially conceal the rocking mechanism components. The cover member(s) may have a variety of pockets or storage components provided therein for storing infant related items to enhance the overall functionality of the device.

Referring to Figures 15, yet another embodiment of a bassinet 30 in accordance with the present invention is depicted.

io In this embodiment, the bassinet 10 comprises a cradle portion 12 as previously described which generally comprises a base 13 and an upstanding side wall 14 that extends about the perimeter of the base 13. The cradle portion 12 may include a skirt and/or hood as well as other adornments and accessories such as mesh and the like, which will be well understood in the art.

is A frame 45 is provided to support the cradle portion 12 in an elevated position with reference to a ground surface 5. The frame 45 generally comprises leg members 46 which extend from a support 49 which receives and supports the base 13 of the cradle portion 12 in a manner to be described in more detail below. At least one of the leg members 46 may have wheels 48, such as castors or the like, to enable the bassinet 30 to be movable with respect to the ground surface 5.

The support 49 generally comprises a pair of spaced apart rail members 52 that extend in a parallel manner in a longitudinal direction with respect to the cradle portion 12, as shown. Each of the rail members 52 define a track 53 which is able to receive one or more runners or wheels 62 mounted to an underside of the base 13 of the cradle portion 12. When the cradle portion 12 is supported on the frame 45, the wheels 62 are securely received within the tracks 53 of the support 49 such that the cradle portion is free to glide in a front to back motion in the direction of the arrows as shown. The amount of gliding motion possible by the cradle portion 12 may be limited through one or more limiters (not shown) located within the tracks 53. At the end of the tracks 53, one or more dampeners 54 may be provided to stop the motion of the cradle portion and impart a return force on the cradle portion to prevent the cradle from suddenly stopping and causing disruption to the sleeping infant. The dampeners 54 may be in the form of compression springs which are able impart a return motion to the cradle portion 12 to maintain the cradle portion in motion.

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It will be appreciated that whilst the embodiment depicted in Fig. 15 shows a roller and track arrangement, other means for facilitating sliding or gliding movement of the cradle portion 12 in a longitudinal direction with respect to the frame 45 are also envisaged.

It will be appreciated that in each of the above embodiments, the bassinet provides a simple means for applying a soothing motion to the cradle portion of the bassinet, to assist in comforting a sleeping child. The motion applied to the child is controlled between acceptable limits and ensures that it is delivered in a longitudinal manner along the length of the child, rather than in a lateral manner io or across the child.

The bassinet may be constructed from a variety of products. In this regard, the bassinet may be formed from a timber or plastic material or a combination of a variety of materials incorporating steel, timber and plastic as required.

It will also be appreciated that the motion applied to the cradle portion may be is applied automatically by a motorised device rather than manually by a parent or carer. In this regard, the motor of the device may be mounted to the body of the frame and a battery pack or power source may be provided to drive the motor when required. To facilitate the gliding motion of the device, one or more magnets may be provided in a series along the length of the unit for this purpose, 20 as may springs and the like.

It will be appreciated that the manner in which the dropper members are suspended from the frame enables the motion of the cradle portion to assume a perpetual-type motion whereby minimal energy is required to keep the cradle portion in motion. As such, the application of a small push will cause the cradle 25 portion to assume a gliding motion which will continue to oscillate back and forth with a gradual reduction in the intensity of the motion until the motion ceases after a period. This then functions to promote relaxation to the infant and aids in soothing the infant.

Throughout the specification and claims the word “comprise” and its derivatives 30 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 35 expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

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Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, 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 5 bassinet uppermost.

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.

Claims (20)

1. A bassinet for an infant comprising:

a cradle defining a space into which the infant is received; and a frame for supporting the cradle in a suspended position;

5 wherein, the frame is configured to support the cradle such that a cradle is moveable in a longitudinal direction within the frame.

2. A bassinet according to claim 1 wherein the frame comprises at least two support members mounted thereto by way of a plurality of pivot members, the at least two support members being configured to support the cradle.

10

3. A bassinet according to claim 2, wherein the frame comprises a pair of opposing leg members and the at least two support members extend between the opposing leg members.

4. A bassinet according to claim 3, wherein the leg members have one or more wheels mounted thereon to facilitate movement of the bassinet is across a floor surface.

5. A bassinet according to claim 3, wherein the pivot members are suspended at a first end from an upper portion of the leg members by way of a first pivot connection.

6. A bassinet according to claim 5, wherein each support member is

20 connected between a pair of pivot members at a lower portion thereof by way of a second pivot connection.

7. A bassinet according to claim 6, wherein the cradle is received on the support members and a connector is provided to facilitate removable connection of the cradle to the support member.

25

8. A bassinet according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the pivot members extend substantially vertically from the upper portion of the leg members.

9. A bassinet according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the pivot members extend from the upper portion of the leg members at an angle to 30 the vertical.

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10. A bassinet according to claim 1, wherein the frame comprises one or more tracks for receiving and supporting the supporting the cradle.

11. A bassinet according to claim 10, wherein the cradle comprises one or more rollers configured to be received within the one or more tracks, such

5 that the cradle is able to roll on the tracks in said longitudinal direction.

12. A bassinet for an infant comprising;

a cradle defining a space into which the infant is received;

at least one leg member mounted on opposing sides of the cradle; and a motion mechanism mounted between the at least one leg member and io configured to removably receive the cradle thereon such that the cradle is supported in a suspended position above a ground surface.

13. A bassinet according to claim 12, wherein the motion mechanism comprises at least two substantially horizontally extending support members upon which the cradle is received.

is

14. A bassinet according to claim 13, wherein the at least two support members are mounted between two arm members that extend from the at least one leg member mounted on opposing sides of the cradle.

15. A bassinet according to claim 14, wherein the arm members are dropper members that extend substantially vertically from an upper portion of the

20 at least one leg member.

16. A bassinet according to claim 15, wherein the dropper members are mounted to the upper portion of the at least one leg member by a pivot connection such that the dropper members can swing about the pivot connection.

25

17. A bassinet according to claim 14, wherein the support members are mounted between two dropper members by way of a pivot connection.

18. A bassinet according to claim 17, wherein the support members are in the form of an inverted U-shape and the pivot connection is provided on a lower region of the substantially vertical portions of the support members.

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19. A bassinet according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the motion mechanism is configured to provide motion to the cradle in a

2018278945 13 Dec 2018 longitudinally extending direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the infant is aligned within the cradle.

20. A bassinet according to claim 12, wherein the motion mechanism comprises one or more tracks configured to receive one or more rollers 5 provided on an underside of the cradle to facilitate rolling motion of the cradle with respect to the at least one leg member.