GB2387779A

GB2387779A - Folding baby crib

Info

Publication number: GB2387779A
Application number: GB0209386A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tsung-Ming Huang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-04-24
Filing date: 2002-04-24
Publication date: 2003-10-29
Also published as: GB0209386D0; DE20207294U1; FR2840517A3

Abstract

A folding baby crib comprises two frame rods 30 pivotally attached to a housing 10 and lockable in the extended position by the engagement of lugs 31 with curved surfaces 22 on a locking member 20. The member can be laterally displaced within the housing by operation of a spring-loaded pushbutton 23, thereby allowing the rods to pivot to a folded position.

Description

BANISTER ROD FOLDING APPARATUS FOR BABY CRIBS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib to shrink the size of the baby crib to facilitate 5 carrying and transportation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Baby cribs provide a safe area for infants or babies to sleep and play, and free the parents from unnecessary cares or distractions.

Most baby cribs have banister rods of a selected height to keep 10 babies within a confined area to avoid accidents and protect the babies from falling out of the bed.

Construction of a conventional baby crib mainly includes a bed frame assembled by four vertical posts and transverse bottom beams, and has four banister rods fastening to the vertical posts to form a 5 confined and safe area to accommodate the baby.

However most baby cribs now available on the market are not convenient to use. When the baby is awake and parents want to take the baby out from the baby crib, the banister rods cannot be folded and the baby crib cannot be shrunk to a smaller size. As the baby 20 crib occupies a very large space, it severely constrains effective utilization of household space. Moreover, when the parents want to take the baby to different rooms or outside the house, the fixedly constructed and bulky baby crib is difficult to carry or transport.

There are stillrooms for improvement.

2s

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore the primary object of the invention is to resolve aforesaid disadvantages. The invention provides a folding apparatus adopted for use on banister rods of a baby crib to allow the baby crib be 5 shrunk to a smaller size to facilitate carrying and transportation.

In order to achieve the foregoing objects, the banister rod folding apparatus of the invention includes a housing dock for pivotally engaging with two banister rods and a harness member coupling with the housing dock. The harness member has to sides each having a 10 swinging section to allow a banister rod to move thereon and an anchor section to anchor the banister rod on a desired location. The harness member may be pressed to move the anchor section away from the banister rods such that the banister rods may be folded and positioned above the swinging section, and the baby crib may be 5 shrunk to a smaller size.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the

. accompanying drawings.

20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are front and side views of the invention.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are sectional view of the invention in various

moving conditions.

FIGS. SA and SB are front and side views of the invention after movements are completed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the invention in a folding condition.

s DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Refer to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A and 3B for an embodiment of the banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib of the invention. The baby crib includes a plurality of banister rods 30 and vertical posts 50 pivotally engaging with each other through three-way couplers 60 to define a 0 housing space 2 for accommodating babies. There is a folding apparatus 1 located between a pair of banister rods 30. The folding apparatus 1 includes a first side plate 11 and a second side plate 11' which are integrally made to form a hollow housing dock 10. The housing dock 10 has two ends pivotally and respectively engaging 15 with one banister rod 30. Each banister rod 30 has a one end forming a brake element 31 which is housed in one end of the housing dock 10 and divides the housing dock 10 to a harness section 12 and a folding section 12'. There is a harness member 20 located in the harness section 12 corresponding to the brake element 31.

20 The harness member 20 has two sides each having a curved swinging section 21 to allow the brake element 31 to move therein and a curved anchor section 22 to confine and anchor the brake element 31. The swinging section 21 and the anchor section 22 are formed in a stepwise manner. On the harness member 20, there is a 2s pushbutton 23 which is exposed outside the housing dock 10 and an

elastic element 24 located in the housing dock 10 to couple with the pushbutton 23 and provide a restoring elastic force to the pushbutton 23. In order to provide a steady pressing effect for the harness member 20 and the pushbutton 23, the harness member 20 has a 5 buttonhole 25 to accommodate the pushbutton 23. The buttonhole 25 and the pushbutton 23 further have respectively a latch trough 26 and a latch section 231 engageable with each other for positioning and latching use. The first side plate 11 also has a center opening 111 to allow the pushbutton 23 to pass through. After the aforesaid elements lo are assembled, and an user presses the pushbutton 23 and compresses the elastic element 24, the anchor section 22 of the harness member 20 is moved away from brake element 31 and into the folding section 12'. Then the banister rod 30 may be folded and positioned in the swinging section 21. As a result, the baby crib may be shrunk to a 15 smaller size in a secure manner.

Referring to FIG. 3A, in order to avoid the banister rod 30 from loosely coupling with the housing dock 10 and affecting practical use, the side plates 11 and 11' have respectively first pin holes 112 and 112' to engage with second pin holes 32 formed in the banister rods 20 30 through first pintles 3. Furthermore, in order to allow the harness member 20 securely holding in the housing dock 10, the side plates 11 and 11' have respectively third pin holes 113 and 113' formed around the center opening 111 to couple with fourth pin holes 27 formed in the harness member 20 through second pintles 3'. The 25 folding apparatus thus constructed can achieve a secured and firm .. positioning.

Referring to FIG. 3B, a fastening element 4 may be fastened to the housing dock 10 to run through the elastic element 24 to hold the elastic element 24 steadily. The fastening element 4 has a diameter smaller than the center opening 111 and a sleeve 40 coupled with the s buttonhole 25 so that the elastic element 24 may be held steadily to perform the function desired.

Refer to FIGS 4A, 4B, 4C and 6 for the invention in various operating conditions. When there is a desire to fold the baby crib (as shown in FIG. 6), hold the banister rods 30 which engage with two 0 ends of the housing dock 10 and make the first pintle 3 as the pivotal axis, press the pushbutton 23 to compress the elastic element 24 located in a trough 232 of the pushbutton 23 to a desired compressing location, the harness member 20 may be moved from the harness section 12 to the folding section 12'. As the anchor section 22 is 15 moved away from the constraint of the brake element 31, through a displacement trough 311 and the brake section 31 moving respectively in the swinging section 21 and the harness section 12 (also referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B), the banister rods 30 may be moved upwards for folding, and the brake element 31 finally is 20 anchored on a contact surface 28 of the harness member 20 (as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B) to form a steady and secured positioning. On the other hand, when there is a desire to unfold and extend the baby crib, the two banister rods 30 may be turned downwards about the first pintles 3, through the displacement trough 311 and brake 2s element 31 moving in the swinging section 21 and the harness section 12, the brake element 31 which previously anchored on the contact

surface 28 may be moved away from the harness member 20. The harness member 20, driven by the restoring elastic force of the elastic element 24, may be moved from the folding section 12' to the harness section 12, thus the brake element 31 may be separated from 5 the harness member 20 and enters into the anchor section 22 to unfold the banister rods in an extended condition. The entire baby crib may also be extended. By means of the aforesaid construction, the folding apparatus of the invention enables the banister rods folding and unfolding reciprocally and easily to extend the baby crib 10 when in use, and to shrink the baby crib to a smaller size to save space and make carrying and transportation easier.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed

embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof 15 may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib for folding banister rods of the baby crib to allow the baby crib be shrunk to a smaller size, comprising: s a housing dock pivotally engaging with two banister rods, each of the banister rods having one end forming a brake element which is housed in one end of the housing dock and divides the end of the housing dock to a harness section and a folding section; and lo a harness member located in the harness section corresponding to the brake element having two sides forming respectively a swinging section to allow the brake element moving therein and an anchor section for anchoring the brake element, the harness member further engaging with a pushbutton 15 which is exposed outside the housing dock and an elastic element located in the housing dock for providing a restoring elastic force to the pushbutton; wherein the pushbutton is allowed to receive a pressing force from an user to compress the elastic element and to move the 20 harness member such that the anchor section is moved away from the brake element to the folding section to enable the banister rods to fold and anchor in the swinging section to shrink the baby crib to a smaller size.

2. The banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib of claim 1, 2s wherein the housing dock has a first side plate and a second side

plate integrally formed and corresponding to each other, the first side plate having a center opening to allow the pushbutton to pass through.

3. The banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib of claim 1, 5 wherein the pushbutton has a trough for holding the elastic element.

4. The banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib of claim 1, wherein the harness member has a buttonhole to couple with the I pushbutton, the buttonhole and the pushbutton having 0 respectively a latch trough and a latch section matching and engageable with each other.

5. The banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib of claim 1, wherein the anchor section and the swinging section are formed on each of two ends of the harness member is a stepwise manner.

5

6. The banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib of claim 2, wherein the housing dock has pinholes for pivotally engaging with the banister rods and the harness member through pintles.

7. The banister rod folding apparatus for a baby crib of claim 1, wherein substantially as described herein with reference to figure 20 1 to 6.