GB2456021A

GB2456021A - Playpen

Info

Publication number: GB2456021A
Application number: GB0808566A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hong-Bo Chen; Chih-Wei Wang
Original assignee: Excellerate Enterprise Co Ltd
Current assignee: Excellerate Enterprise Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-12-28
Filing date: 2008-05-12
Publication date: 2009-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 2028-05-12
Also published as: CN201147078Y; GB2456021B; GB0808566D0

Abstract

A playpen includes a frame unit 3 and a fabric enclosure unit 2. The frame unit 3 includes a plurality of legs 31, a plurality of upper connecting rods 32, and a plurality of corner components 34. Each of the corner components is connected to a respective one of the legs and to a coresponding adjacent pair of the upper connecting rods. The fabric enclosure unit 2 is supported by the frame unit 3, defines an enclosure space 20, and includes a plurality of covering sections 21 and a plurality of closure components 22. The covering sections 21 are for covering the upper connecting rods 32, respectively, and each adjacent pair of the covering sections 21 cooperates to cover a respective one of the corner components 34. Each of the closure components is disposed between and interconnects a corresponding adjacent pair of the covering sections 21.

Description

* 1 2456O2 TITLE: PLAYPEN The present invention relates to a playpen, more particularly to a playpen providing covering for corner components.

Referring to Figure 1, a conventional playpen 1 comprises a frame unit 11 and fabric 12. The frame unit 11 includes a plurality of legs 111, a plurality of upper connectingrods 112, andapluralityofcornercomponents 13. Each of the corner components 13 is connected to a respective one of the legs 111 and to a corresponding adjacent pairof the upperconriecting rods 112. The fabric 12 is supported by the frame 11 and defines an enclosure space. Notably, the fabric 12 does not cover the corner components 13. The exposed corner components 13 as well as fasteners (not shown in Fig. 1) of the corner components l3poseariskof injuryto infants. Therefore, there is a need to improve the safety of the conventional playpen 1.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a playpen that is capable of overcoming the

aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.

Accordingtothe present invention, there isprovided a playpen that comprises a frame unit and a fabric enclosure unit.

The frame unit includes a plurality of legs, a plurality of upper connecting rods, and a plurality of corner components. Each of the corner components is connected to a respective one of the legs and to a corresponding adjacent pair of the upper connecting rods.

The fabric enclosure unit is supported by the frame unit, defines an enclosure space, and includes a pluralityof covering sections and a plurality of closure components. The covering sections are for covering the upper connecting rods, respectively, and each adjacent pair of the covering sections cooperates to cover a respective one of the corner components. Each of the closure components is disposed between and interconnects a corresponding adjacent pair of the covering sections.

Other features and advantages of the present inventionwillbecomeapparent in the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional playpen; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a playpen according to the present invention; Figure 3 illustrates a closure component of the preferred embodiment; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating an alternative closure component.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a playpen according to the present invention. The playpen 200 comprises a frame unit 3 and a fabric enclosure unit 2.

The frame unit 3 is foldable and includes four legs 31, four upper connecting rods 32, and four corner components 34. Each of the corner components 34 is connected to a respective one of the legs 31 and to a corresponding adjacent pair of the upper connecting rods 32.

The fabric enclosure unit 2 is supported by the frame unit 3, defines an enclosure space 20, and includes four covering sections 21 and four closure components 22.

The covering sections 21 are for covering the upper connecting rods 32, respectively, andeachadjacentpair of the covering sections 21 cooperates to cover a respective one of the corner components 34. Each of the closure components 22 is disposed between and interconnects a corresponding adjacent pair of the covering sections 21.

In this embodiment, each of the covering sections 21 covers an entire length of the respective one of the upper connecting rods 32. Inner side end portions of each adjacent pair of the covering sections 21 that meet at an interior angle formed by the respective ones of the upper connecting rods 32 are sewn together. In practice, aclosurecomponentmaybeusedtointerconnect the inner side end portions of each adjacent pair of the covering sections 21. The manner in which the inner side end portions are interconnected is not limited to what is disclosed herein.

In this embodiment, an outer side end portion of each of the covering sections 21 in each adjacent pair is provided with a flap 211 that extends along the respective one of the upper connecting rods 32 toward the respective one of the corner components 34, and each of the closure components 22 is disposed on the flaps 211 of the corresponding adjacent pair of the covering sections 21.

In this embodiment, the flaps 211 of each adjacent pair of the covering sections 21 cover an outer side of the respective one of the corner components 34, and each of the closure components 22 is disposed on the flaps 211 of the corresponding adjacent pair of the covering sections 21 outwardly of the respective one of the corner components 34.

Preferably, each of the closure components 22 is a hook-and-loop fastener including a hook body 221 disposed on one of the covering sections 21, and a loop body 222 disposed on the other of the covering sections 21 for engaging releasably the hook body 221. It is noted that since the closure components 22 are releasable, the closure components 22 do not interfere with the set up of the frame unit 3. In this embodiment, the hook body 221 is disposed on an inner side of one of the flaps 211, and the loop body 222 is disposed on an outer side of the other of the flaps 211 as shown in Figure 3.

Alternatively, each of the closure components 22 could beazipperasillustratedinFjgure4, abutton fastener, oranothertypeofclosurecomponent. Thetypeof closure component used is not limited to what is disclosed herein.

In use, the flaps 211 of each adjacent pair of the covering sections 21 overlap to cover the outer side of the respective one of the corner components 34, and the closure component 22 is then fastened to prevent the flaps 211 of the covering sections 21 from separating easily to expose the respective corner component 34, thereby ensuring that an infant will not come into contact with the exposed corner component 34 or an end of a fastener (not shown) disposed on the corner component 34.

It has thus been shown that the playpen 200 of the present invention ensures infant safety by providing covering for corner components 34. * J

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A playpen comprising: a frame unit including a plurality of legs, a plurality of upper connecting rods, and a plurality of corner components, each connected to a respective one of said legs and to a corresponding adjacent pair of said upper connecting rods; and a fabric enclosure unit supportedby said frame unit, defining an enclosure space, and including a plurality of covering sections for covering saidupper connecting rods, respectively, each adjacent pair of said covering sections cooperating to cover a respective one of said corner components, said fabric enclosure unit further including a plurality of closure components, each disposed between and interconnecting a corresponding adjacent pair of said covering sections.
2. The playpen as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of saidcoveringsectioris ineachadjacentpairisprovided with a flap that extends along the respective one of said upper connecting rods toward the respective one of said corner components, and each of said closure components is disposed on said flaps of the corresponding adjacent pair of said covering sections.
3.The playpen as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said closure components is a hook-and-loop fastener including a hook body disposed on one of said covering sections, and a loop body disposed on the other of said covering sections for engaging releasably said hook body.
4. The playpen as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said closure components is a zipper.
5. The playpen as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein said flaps of each adjacent pair of said covering sections cover an outer side of the respective one of said corner components, and each of said closure components is disposed on said flaps of the corresponding adjacent pair of said covering sections outwardly of the respective one of said corner components.
6. The playpen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of said covering sections covers an entire length of the respective one of said upper connecting rods.
7. The playpen substantially as hereinabove described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.