GB2416685A

GB2416685A - Cot with rotatable roller safety devices

Info

Publication number: GB2416685A
Application number: GB0417108A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kashmir Singh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-07-30
Filing date: 2004-07-30
Publication date: 2006-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 2024-07-30
Also published as: GB0417108D0; GB2416685B

Abstract

A cot having a support for a mattress or the like and upstanding walls located laterally of the support to define an open-topped confined space within the cot, and where at least some of the top edges or rails 2 of the walls of the cot are provided with one or more freely rotatable rollers 6, the axis of rotation of which is parallel or substantially parallel to the top edge of the wall. By incorporating a freely rotatable roller into at least some of the top rails of the cot sides it becomes much more difficult for an infant to climb over the walls of the cot. Hence, the risk of the child falling onto the floor on which the cot stands, with consequent injury, is reduced.

Description

241 6685 - 1

SAFETY DEVICES FOR COTS

This invention relates to safety devices for cots.

Cots are produced in a wide variety of shapes and sizes for babies and toddlers to sleep in. They generally consist of a framework supporting a mattress on which the child lies, the mattress being surrounded by parts of the framework which are sufficiently high to prevent the child falling out.

Some or all of these "walls" may be constructed so that the child can see through them, one common form of construction being a side wall formed of top and bottom rails connected together via a series of spaced posts, the spacing of the posts being sufficiently narrow that the child's head cannot be trapped between them.

The height of the side walls of the cot above the mattress is clearly a matter of design choice, but must compromise between being sufficient to prevent the child, particularly as it grows in stature and coordinated movement ability, from escaping and not being so high that it becomes inconvenient for the parent or other carer to place the child in, or remove the child from, the cot.

In many cots, the distance from the top of the mattress to the top of the rail - 2 is about 65 cm. This is more than sufficient to stop a small baby escaping, but, as the child grows, and even before the child can necessarily walk, the barrier to escape becomes less difficult to overcome. In particular, from a relatively early age, children are able to sit up, grasp the top of the side wall of a cot, and pull themselves into a standing position. From this, it is a short step to attempting to climb over the cot wall by raising one leg while standing on the other and hooking the raised leg over the top of the cot side wall.

As a result of this, one well-known form of accident is the child falling while attempting to escape from the cot. Falling back into the cot inside the side walls is generally non-injurious because the child falls on the mattress which, in any event, is what it was standing on to start with. On the other hand, if the child successfully gets a grip with one leg at the top edge, it can heave its body to a position where it falls outside the cot, i.e. generally on to the surrounding floor on which the cot stands. Particularly if the floor is hard, this can lead to substantial injuries.

According generally to the present invention, there is provided a cot having a support for a mattress or the like on which the child may rest and upstanding walls located laterally of the support to define an opentopped confined space within the cot, and wherein at least some of the top edges of the walls of the cot are provided with one or more freely rotatable rollers, the axis of rotation of which is parallel or substantially parallel to the top edge of the wall.

By locating one or more freely rotatable rollers at the top edge of a wall, it becomes considerably more difficult for the child to climb over that wall. The roller(s) stop(s) the child being easily able to grip the top of the rail as their hands tend to be easily pulled off once any pull is exerted as the roller turns.

Even if the child succeeds in pulling itself upright, it is still more difficult, while retaining a grip on the roller-equipped top rail, to place one leg on the top of the wall and lever its body up. The rotation of the roller(s) means that any - 3 part of the child tends to slip off the top of the wall. The rollers prevent the child securing any reasonable purchase on the top of the cot wall, and accordingly from climbing over it with any ease.

A major advantage of this structure is that it does not affect the ease with which a child may be placed in or removed from the cot by an adult.

Cots may include the roller feature as described above in one or more walls, but it is not necessary always to provide rollers along the entire extent of all four walls. Often the walls at the head and foot of the cot are slightly taller than the sides, and accordingly it is the sides that the child will attempt to climb over. If the cot is located adjacent the wall of a room, only the side remote from that wall needs to be fitted with one or more rollers.

The roller(s) may be incorporated in the top edge of the wall of the cot as desired during manufacture. Alternatively, they may be provided as an accessory, e.g. by setting a freely rotatable roller in an elongated base strip, which base strip is adapted to be a friction fit or to clip over the upper edge of a cot wall.

In this connection, it should be pointed out that plastics strips for friction fitting on to the upper edge of cot walls are already known and are sold as "crib rail teethers". The teething infant pulls itself up on the top of the wall into a position at which it can gnaw or chew at the top of the wall or the upper rail forming part of the wall. Crib rail teethers ensure that the occupant of the cot bites on relatively safe sterile plastics material rather than, e.g. biting on a wooden cot rail with the possibility of ingestion of varnish, paint, splinters of wood, etc. One or more rollers acting to make it much more difficult to climb out of the cot, in accordance with the present invention, may be incorporated into such a crib rail teether.

The invention is illustrated by way of example with reference to the - 4 accompanying drawing which shows in perspective one element of a modular system for fitting to an existing cot to render it one in accordance with the present invention, with the side wall of the cot being only shown in part.

Referring to the drawing, a side of a conventional cot is made up of an upper rail 2 connected by a set of slats 3 to a lower rail (not shown). Friction-fitted on to the upper edge of the rail 2 is a plurality of individual members 1, each of which consists of a resilient plastics base member 5 having a freely rotatable roller 6 set therein. The roller may be journaled into suitable recesses in the plastics base member 5 and, as can be seen, is a close fit, both at the sides of the roller and the ends, in order to avoid the possibility of anything, such as hair or clothing, becoming trapped between the roller and its housing.

The plastics base member 5 is generally U-shaped in cross-section, so that it consists effectively of a bridge piece which covers the top of the rail and two side limbs which grasp it resiliently and firmly, in particular sufficiently firmly to prevent its being simply pushed off the top of the rail by the child in the cot. For added security, a double- sided adhesive tape may be present between the tp of the rail and the centre section of the U-shaped base member 5.

By providing a plurality of such devices, as much of the cot rail as appears to be a danger for climbing over may be rendered much more difficult to climb over. As the infant tries, the rotation of the roller 6 prevents any secure purchase on the top of the cot side wall being achieved. - 5

Claims

1. A cot having a support for a mattress or the like and upstanding walls located laterally of the support to define an open-topped confined space within the cot, and wherein at least some of the top edges of the walls of the cot are provided with one or more freely rotatable rollers, the axis of rotation of which is parallel or substantially parallel to the top edge of the wall.

2. A cot according to Claim 1 wherein the walls at the head and foot of the cot are taller than the side walls, and only one side wall of the cot is fitted with one or more rollers.

3. A cot according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the roller(s) consist of a freely rotatable roller mounted in an elongated base strip, the base strip being a friction fit or clipped over the upper edge of a cot wall.

4. A cot according to Claim 3 wherein one or more rollers are incorporated into a crib rail teether.