EP1867253B1 - Crib - Google Patents

Abstract

The crib has an activating button (28) placed remote from a lock (20), and a lever (30) placed between the button and the lock. The lock is placed on both sides of an upper edge in a sliding panel of a protection barrier and connected to the button by a cable (35). The panel slides with respect to a sleeping surface of the crib between a lower position and an upper position. The button activates the lock towards a releasing position from a locking position through rotation. The cable is surrounded around the button during the rotation of the button.

Description

The present invention relates to a child's bed.

Children's beds generally have a sleeping surface surrounded by a protective barrier. The purpose of the protective barrier is to prevent a child in the bed from getting out of bed on his own.

Some protective barriers have a vertically slidable pan for easy access to the sleeping surface, eg ex. US 5,072,464 . In this case, locking means are provided to maintain the sliding panel in position when in the up position.

For security reasons, the locking means must not be unlocked accidentally or by a child. In child beds, unlocking usually requires several steps and / or the application of a relatively large force, which ensures reliable locking.

However, the known unlocking systems have the disadvantage of being impractical to use or require additional specific elements to prevent access of a child to the locking means.

The present invention aims to provide a child's bed with a protective barrier provided with a sliding panel which avoids at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks and which allows a simple use and reliable locking of the sliding panel.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a child's bed comprising a sleeping surface and a protective barrier surrounding said sleeping surface, said protective barrier comprising at least one sliding panel capable of sliding relative to said sleeping surface. in a so-called vertical direction substantially perpendicular to said sleeping surface, between a low position and a high position, said child's bed comprising locking means operable between a locking position, wherein said locking means are able to maintain said sliding panel in said upper position, and a release position, wherein said locking means allow the displacement of said sliding panel from said high position to said low position, said bed comprising an actuating means adapted to actuate said means for locking between said locking position and said release position, said actuating means being disposed remote from said locking means, transmission means being disposed between said actuating means and said locking means, said locking means having two latches arranged on either side of the upper edge of the sliding panel, said actuating means being able to simultaneously actuate said two latches, each of said latches being connected to said actuating means by means of a cable, characterized in that that said actuating means is adapted to actuate said locking means to the release position by a rotation of said actuating means, said cable being able to wind around said actuating means during said rotation.

Advantageously, said actuating means is disposed on said sliding panel, substantially equidistant from the two lateral edges of said sliding panel.

According to one embodiment of the invention, said transmission means comprise a lever, a lock being traversed transversely by said lever, a first end of said lever being connected to said sliding panel by a first axis pivot connection perpendicular to the plane of said pan. slidably, said actuating means being adapted to act on a second end of said lever to cause a rotation of said lever relative to said first pivot connection, said rotation of said lever being able to cause a translation of said latch towards the release position.

According to one embodiment of the invention, said second end of said lever is connected to said actuating means by means of a cable.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique simplifiée en perspective d'un lit pour enfant selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique simplifiée de l'avant d'un pan latéral coulissant du lit pour enfant de la figure 1;
• la figures 3 est une vue schématique simplifiée en perspective montrant le bouton d'actionnement et une pièce d'assemblage du pan latéral de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue similaire à la figure 3, montrant l'intérieur de la pièce d'assemblage et du bouton d'actionnement ;
• les figures 5 à 7 sont des vues schématiques simplifiées en coupe du bouton d'actionnement et d'un verrou du pan latéral de la figure 2, montrant respectivement différentes positions du verrou entre la position de verrouillage et la position de libération ;
• la figure 25 est une vue schématique simplifiée de l'avant d'un lit pour enfant selon un quatrième mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 26 est une vue agrandie de la zone XXVI de la figure 25 ; et
• la figure 27 est une vue agrandie de la zone XXVII de la figure 25.

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will become more clearly apparent in the following detailed explanatory description of several embodiments of the invention given as examples. purely illustrative and non-limiting examples, with reference to the attached schematic drawings.
On these drawings:

• the figure 1 is a schematic simplified perspective view of a child's bed according to a first embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 2 is a simplified schematic view of the front of a sliding side pan of the child's crib from the figure 1 ;
• the figures 3 is a simplified schematic perspective view showing the actuating button and an assembly part of the lateral pan of the figure 2 ;
• the figure 4 is a view similar to the figure 3 , showing the inside of the assembly part and the actuating button;
• the Figures 5 to 7 are simplified schematic sectional views of the actuating button and a latch of the lateral pan of the figure 2 , respectively showing different positions of the lock between the locking position and the release position;
• the figure 25 is a simplified schematic view of the front of a child's bed according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 26 is an enlarged view of the XXVI area of the figure 25 ; and
• the figure 27 is an enlarged view of the XXVII area of the figure 25 .

Referring to the figure 1 we see a child's bed 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The bed 1 comprises a rectangular sleeping surface 2 intended to receive a mattress. The bed 1 comprises four rectilinear elements 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively fixed at the four corners of the coating surface 2, substantially perpendicular to the coating surface 2, and extending on either side of the sleeping area 2.

The portions of the elements 3, 4, 5, 6 extending under the coating surface 2 form the legs of the bed 1 and have a substantially identical length so that the coating surface 2 is arranged horizontally. The portions of the elements 3, 4, 5, 6 extending above the coating surface 2 form mounting elements for a protective barrier.

The protective barrier is disposed substantially perpendicular to the sleeping surface 2 and surrounds the sleeping surface 2. The barrier serves to prevent a child in the bed from getting out of bed by itself.

The protective barrier comprises two end panels 7 and 8. The end panel 7 (respectively the end panel 8) consists for example of a generally rectangular panel rigidly fixed to the elements 3 and 4 (respectively to the elements 5 and 6), for example by means of screws (not shown). The width of the end panel 7 (respectively the end panel 8) is substantially equal to the distance between the elements 3 and 4 (respectively the elements 5 and 6). The height of the end panel 7 (respectively of the end panel 8) is sufficient to prevent a child from getting out of bed by itself.

The barrier has two side panels 9 and 10. The side panel 9 (respectively the side panel 10) comprises for example a frame 11 of rectangular shape in which bars 12 are arranged in a substantially transverse direction of the frame 11, which corresponds to a vertical direction Z on the Figures 1 and 2 . The width of the frame 11 is substantially equal to the distance between the elements 4 and 5 (respectively the elements 3 and 6). The height of the frame 11 is substantially equal to the height of the panels 7, 8.

An assembly piece 13A, 13B is disposed at each upper corner of the frame 11, respectively. An assembly piece 14A, 14B is disposed at each lower corner of the frame 11, respectively. Note that the assembly parts 14A and 14B have not been shown on the figure 2 .

Each assembly piece 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B has a square shape, and is for example made by two half-shells attached to each other around the corresponding corner, so that the assembly parts 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B are integral with the frame 11.

Each assembly piece 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B has along its vertical wall a guide rail 15 (better visible on the figure 3 which shows the piece 13A) extending in the direction Z. A rib (not shown) of the element 3, 4, 5, 6, respectively, is slidably engaged in the corresponding guide rail 15. Thus, each pan 9, 10 can be translated in the Z direction relative to the sleeping surface 2, between a high position, in which the pan 9, 10, respectively, prevents a child from getting out of bed by him. same, and a low position, in which access to the sleeping surface 2 is facilitated. The low position may be such that the lower edge 39 of the pan 9, 10 is supported against the ground or stop means may be provided on the feet of the bed to limit the descent of the pan 9, 10. On the figure 1 , the pan 9 has been shown in the high position and the pan 10 in the low position. Alternatively, a side panel 9 or 10 could be rigidly attached to the elements 4, 5, or 3, 6, respectively, the second side panel 10 or 9, respectively, being slidable.

Referring to Figures 2 to 7 , we will now describe in more detail the pan 10. The pan 9 is made identically.

The panel 10 comprises locking means, represented on the Figures 3 to 7 , able to maintain the pan 10 in position when it is in the high position.

The locking means comprise a first latch 20. The latch 20 has a generally parallelepipedal shape and has a beveled end 21 adapted to engage in an orifice 22 of the element 3. The orifice has a flange 37 projecting.

The opposite end 19 of the latch 20 has a recess 23 in which is engaged an end of a spring 24, for example a coil spring. The opposite end of the spring 24 bears on a stop 25 ( figure 4 ) of the piece 13A, so that the latch 20 is resiliently biased towards the orifice 22.

The latch 20 is disposed inside the vertical portion 26 of the part 13A, the longitudinal axis of the latch 20 being in a direction X substantially parallel to the upper edge 27 of the panel 10, the beveled end 21 being oriented with the oblique part directed upwards. The lock 20 is adapted to be translated relative to the part 13A in the direction X, between a locking position, in which the end 21 projects from the part 13A through an opening 16 and is engaged in the orifice 22, and a release position, in which the end 21 is disengaged from the orifice 22.

The panel 10 includes an actuating means, which is an actuating button 28, for actuating the latch 20 between the locking position and the releasing position. The actuating button 28 has for example a section of rounded shape and is disposed substantially in the center of the upper edge 27 of the panel 10, that is to say, in the example, in the center of the upper bar of the frame 11 .

The button 28 is connected to the center of the upper edge 27 by a pivot connection of axis A of direction Y perpendicular to the plane of the panel 10. The button 28 is movable in rotation about the axis A relative to the pan 10, between a rest position, in which the latch 20 is adapted to be in the locking position, and an actuating position, in which the button 28 acts on the latch 20 to maintain it in the release position.

The button 28 has a child safety device. The safety device comprises for example a stop means (not shown) preventing the rotation of the button 28 when it is not pressed simultaneously.

In a variant, when the safety device does not comprise stop means, the force necessary to actuate the rotation of the button 28 is calibrated by the size of the lateral springs 24.

Transmission means are disposed between the lock 20 and the button 28. The transmission means comprise a lever 30 substantially L-shaped.

The latch 20 comprises a transverse recess 31 traversing in the direction Z. The recess 31 comprises a substantially rectilinear wall 31A oriented in the Z direction and an opposite wall 31B whose section in a plane parallel to the X and Z directions has a tip 31C . The large bar L 33 passes through the recess 31, the free end 33A of the bar 33 located on the opposite side of the latch 20 relative to the upper edge 27. The free end 33A of the bar 33 is connected to the workpiece 13A by a Y-direction axis B pivot connection. The distance between the tip 31C and the wall 31A is greater than the width of the bar 33 to allow tilting of the bar 33 with respect to the Z direction inside. of the recess 31.

The free end 34A of the small bar of the L 34 is fixed to one end of a cable 35. The other end of the cable 35 is fixed to the upper part of the button 28. For this, the button 28 is crossed by a 28A which is oriented substantially in the direction Z when the button 28 is in the rest position. The cable 35 is inserted into the port 28A from the upper end of the port 28A to the lower end of the port 28A. The end of the cable 35 has a bulge 35A which keeps it in the orifice 28A. The length of the cable 35 is such that, when the button 28 is in the rest position, the bar 33 is able to extend substantially in the Z direction, the cable 35 being in this position substantially tensioned.

The locking means comprise a second lock (not shown), identical to the first lock 20. The second lock is connected to the button 28 by second transmission means, similar to the first transmission means. The second transmission means comprise a cable (not shown), one end of which is connected to the lower part of the button 28, for example by insertion into the orifice 28A from the lower end of the orifice 28A to the end upper orifice 28A. The use of two locks arranged at the upper edge of the sliding panel is particularly effective, especially when a child is leaning on the pan.

We will now describe a lowering operation of the sliding panel 10, according to the first embodiment of the invention, starting from the high position of the pan and the locking position of the locks. A descent operation of the pan 9 is performed identically.

Starting from the rest position of the button 28 ( figure 5 ), when a user acts on the button 28 to move it to the actuating position, that is to say to make it rotate axis A in the trigonometric direction, this has the effect of winding a portion of the cable 35 around the button 28. The cable 28 then exerts on the end 34A of the lever 30 a force which causes a pivoting of the lever 30 about the axis B in the trigonometrical direction.

The bar 33 acts on the latch 20 through the tip 31C, which has the effect of translating the latch 20 to the release position.

When the user moves the button 28 to the actuating position, the lock 20 is in the release position, that is to say that the end 21 of the lock 20 is disengaged from the orifice 22 ( figure 6 ). The second latch is operated simultaneously and in a similar manner.

When the first latch 20 and the second latch are in the release position, the sliding panel 10 tends to translate downwards due to gravity ( figure 7 ). Counterweight elements (not shown) housed in the feet 3, 4, 5, 6 allow to ensure a progressive descent of the pan 10. Note that when the pan 10 is no longer in the high position, the locks are not more to the right of the corresponding orifices and therefore can not re-engage in the orifices. Thus, it is not necessary for the user to keep the button 28 in the operating position during the descent of the pan 10.

We will now describe a recovery operation of the pan 10 starting from the lower position of the pan 10.

Starting from this position, when the user acts on the pan 10 to drive it vertically upwards and the oblique portion of the bevel 21 arrives at the rim 37 of the orifice 22, the oblique portion of the end 21 is translated along the rim 37, which has for effect to translate the latch 20 to the release position. The beveled shape of the latch 20 thus allows it to automatically shift to the release position when the pan 10 is moved to the high position. The user does not need to press the button 28 to allow the pan 10 to be locked.

When the pan 10 has reached the high position, the end 21 is at the right of the orifice 22. At this moment, the spring 24 acts on the lock 20, which has the effect of moving the lock 20 to the locking position in which the end 21 is engaged in the orifice 22 ( figure 5 ). In this position, the pan 10 can not be translated down without actuating the button 28, which guarantees the safety of the barrier.

Referring to Figures 25 to 27 a fourth embodiment will now be described. The child bed elements identical to the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numeral increased by 300 and are not described again.

The first latch 320 has a beveled end 321 adapted to engage in an orifice 322 of the element 306.

One end of the spring 324 rests on the opposite end 319 of the lock 320. The opposite end of the spring 324 bears against a stop 325, so that the lock 320 is biased resiliently towards the orifice 322.

The end 319 has a recess 323 in which is engaged an end of a cable 335. The recess 323 has for example a substantially T-shaped section. The end of the cable 335 has a bulge 335B which makes it possible to maintain it. in the recess 323.

The other end of the cable 335 is fixed to the button 328. For this, the button 328 has an orifice 328A extending from an upper zone of the periphery of the button 328 to a central wall 328B of the button 328. The orifice 328A is inclined with respect to the Z axis in the rest position of the button 328. A bulge 335A of the cable 335 cooperates with the central wall 328B to hold the cable 335 in the orifice 328A. The pan 310 has an arcuate guide ramp 360 disposed between the button 328 and the latch 320. The cable 335 co-operates with the ramp 360 so that the cable 335 is slidable along the ramp 360.

The locking means comprise a second lock 361 identical to the first lock 320. The second lock 361 is connected to the button 328 by second transmission means, similar to the first transmission means. The second transmission means comprise a cable 362, one end of which is connected to the central wall 328B, by insertion of the cable 362 into a hole 328C of the button 328 extending from a lower zone of the periphery of the button 328 to the wall median 328B. An arcuate guide ramp 363 is disposed between the button 328 and the lock 361. The cable 362 cooperates with the ramp 363 so that the cable 362 is slidable along the ramp 363.

We will now describe a lowering operation of the sliding panel 310, according to the fourth embodiment of the invention, starting from the high position of the pan and the locking position of the locks.

Starting from the rest position of the button 328, when a user acts on the button 328 to move it to the actuating position, this has the effect of winding a portion of the cable 335 around the button 328. The cable 328 slides along the guide ramp 360. The cable 328 then exerts on the latch 320 a force which causes a translation of the latch 320 to the release position.

When the user moves the button 328 to the actuating position, the lock 320 is in the release position, that is to say that the end 321 of the lock 320 is disengaged from the orifice 322. second latch 361 is operated simultaneously and in a similar manner.

The other steps of the descent operation are identical to what has been described above. In particular, counterweight elements 365 housed in the feet allow to ensure a gradual descent of the pan 310.

A lift operation of the pan 310 is similar to what has been previously described.

Claims (4)

1. A crib (1), comprising a sleeping surface (2) and a protective barrier surrounding said sleeping surface, said protective barrier having at least one sliding panel (9, 10) capable of sliding with respect to said sleeping surface, in a so-called vertical (Z) direction, substantially perpendicular to said sleeping surface, between a bottom position and a top position, said crib having locking means (20, 320) operable between a locking position, wherein said locking means are capable of holding said sliding panel in said top position, and a release position, wherein said locking means allow for displacement of said sliding panel from said top position to said bottom position,
   said crib (1) comprising an operating means (28, 328) capable of operating said locking means between said locking position and said release position, said operating means being disposed at a distance from said locking means, with transmission means (30, 35) being disposed between said operating means and said locking means, said locking means having two locks (20, 320) disposed on either side of the upper edge (27) of the sliding panel (10, 310), with said operating means (28, 328) being capable of simultaneously operating said two locks, each of said locks (20, 320, 361) being linked to said operating means (28, 328) via a cable (35, 335, 362),
   characterized in that said operating means (28, 328) is capable of operating said locking means (20, 320) towards the release position by rotation of said operating means, said cable (35, 335, 362) being capable of wrapping around said operating means during said rotation.
2. The crib according to claim 1, characterized in that said operating means (28, 328) is disposed on said sliding panel (9, 10) substantially equidistantly from both side edges of said sliding panel.
3. The crib according to claim 1, characterized in that said transmission means comprise a lever (30), with a lock (20) being crossed transversely by said lever, a first end (33A) of said lever being linked to said sliding panel by a first pivot pin link (B) perpendicular to the plane of said sliding panel, said operating means being capable of acting on a second end (34A) of said lever for causing rotation of said lever with respect to said first pivot link, said rotation of said lever being capable of causing a translatory motion of said lock (20) towards the release position.
4. The crib according to claim 3, characterized in that said second end (34A) of said lever (30) is linked to said operating means (28) via said cable (35).

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