US2574079A

US2574079A - Play pen

Info

Publication number: US2574079A
Application number: US31899A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norman W White
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-06-09
Filing date: 1948-06-09
Publication date: 1951-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 1968-11-06

Description

N. w. WHITE:

Nov. 6, 1951 PLAY lPEN 2 i sr-IEETs-SHEET 1 Filed June 9, 1948 Elmo/wm Nov. 6, 1951 N. w. WHITE 2,574,079

PLAY PEN Filed June a, 194s 2 SHEETS-SHEET. 2

4 l l y ZVMA/v WW1/TE,

Patented Nov. 6, v195.1

UNITED STATESvv PATENT y OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a play pen and moreVAN partcularly to a play pen which may be folded into a compact unit to facilitate its storage and transportation.

In most instances vit is desirable that the play pens for infants be collapsible into a compact unit suitable for storage or transportation when the pen is not in use. Most of the play pens hitherto available have folded into a relatively long and wide, but thin, unit which will notv fit into a small storage space. In addition to the large amount of room required for storage, which generally is at a premium in many apartments, the long dimension of the folded play pen makes it awkward to handle. Moreover, the rigid floorboards with which most play pens are equipped add appreciably to the Weight of the pen.

It is an object of this invention to provide a play pen which may be folded into a compact bundle to facilitate its transportation and storage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a play pen which may be folded into a compact bundle for transportation and readily setup at the point of use'. l y

A further object of this invention is to provide a folding play pen of unitary structure in which the mat covering the oor of the pen folds with the pen.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a light-weight top folding play pen which -may be easily transported.

With these and other objects in mind which will become apparent in the following detailed description, this invention resides in a substan'l tially circular play pen in which horizontal rods extend substantially radially from a central supporting member to which they are rotatably connected. Posts pivotally attached to the outer end. of the rods normally extend upward to form the outer wall of the play pen. On folding the play pen, the horizontal rods rotate downwardly in an umbrella fashion and the posts rotate in an opposite direction to lie flat against the rods.

In the drawings: v n Figure 1 is a plan view, with portionsof the floormat removed, of the play pen in the upright position ready for use; c

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view'y along the. D

section line 2-,-2 in Figure 1 of the play pen in an upright position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the pen inthe folded position; 'l

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the structure ro-z face of the ring 3.

Vtatably supporting the posts at the end of the horizontal rods;

Figure 5 is also a detailed view along the section line 5-5 in Figure 4 illustrating the means of supporting the posts and the resilient means aiding in the folding of the play pen; and

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the means for attaching the horizontal rods to the central member. f

As is best illustrated in Figure 2, the play pen of this invention has a floor, indicated generally by I, with an outer wall formed by a plurality of spaced posts 2 extending upwardly from the floor I of the pen. A ring 3 is supported at the center of the floor I for the reception and support of aplurality of rods 4, substantially horizontal when the pen is in the upright position, which extend radially from the ring to the outer wall of the play pen. As is best illustrated in Figure 6, ring 3 may be broken at 5 for the reception of loops 6 at the inner end of the horizontal rods 4. A lug 1 is provided on the end of th'e ring 3 and prevent any twisting of the rods 4.about their longitudinal axes. The lower surface of the top plate 8 outside of the slots 9 engages the upper surface of the rods 4 to limit their upward rotation on ring 3 to the horizontal position illustrated in Figures 2 and 6.

A bottom plate I3 having a series of notches v II spaced in alignment with the slots 9 in the top plate 3 is held irmly against the lower Sur- Thc notches il receive the loops Ii of the rods t in much the same manner as slots 9. The absence of a rim surrounding the notches Ii allows the rods i to rotate downward from the horizontal position. The inner ends I2 of notches II engage the lug l at the f end of loop 6 to limit the downward rotation of the rods fi to approximately the vertical position illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

Thetop plate 8, ring 3 and bottom plate IQ may be supported by any suitable means such The block I 5 horizontal position when the play pen is in the normal upright position. Any suitable handle, such as a cord l engaging screw I3 and having a ring Il attached to its end should be secured to the top plate to facilitate the folding of the play pen in the manner hereinafter described.

A hook indicated generally by IB is provided at the outer end of each of the rods l for the rotatable mounting of one of the posts 2. The hooks i8, in the preferred form illustrated in the drawings, consist of a base i9 adjoining the rod and extending horizontally substantially at right angles to the rod. A diagonal rod 20 perpendicular to base i9, extends upward and outward from the base i9 toman outer arm 2l extending horizontally and generally paralei to the base I9. In the drawings, ,hooks. l 8 a re formed by bending the outer end of arm 4. They may, of course, be constructed in any suitable manner. Each of the posts 2 has a horizontal opening 22 passing laterally` therethrough near its lower end for the reception of the 3arm-2| which serves as an axis about which the posts rotate.

Posts 2 may be straight members or may be ofi-set at 23 to allow the play pen 'to fold into a slightly more compact bundle, vas illustrated in Figure 3. The lower ends 2li of the posts 2 rest on the floor or the "ground and support the rods thereabove when the play pen is in use. The posts 2 are apertured at 25 between their lower ends 2li and the openings 22 receiving arms 2|. A wire 2&5 passes through openings 25 in each of the posts and is drawn into a taut condition when the play pen is in the upright position to limit the outward Vrotation of the lower ends ofthe posts to the vertical position. The upper vends of the posts 2 are also apertured for the reception of Va cord 2l passing through each of the posts. Cord 2i llike wire 2E,

' isin a taut condition when the play pen is in the upright position and limits the outward movement of the upper ends vof the posts. Aplurality of varied colored beads 23 are strung on the cord 2l to space fthe upper ends of the posts 2 properly 'and preventlateral movement of the p osts v`2 when theplay pen is in use.- The 'beads 28 therefore contribute to the rigidity of the structure as well as providingk a source of entertainment forrthe infant. A further' si ipport of the posts 2 is provided 'by tightly Vdraw'ri l -stays 29 extending diagonally from the upper `end of some of the posts 2 to substantially the Ipo'int of attachment to the rods d of other iposts 2. In this manner, vposts vat regular intervals around the circumference of the play pen'fare held in position by stays 29 and lateral displacement of the other posts is prevented by the beads 28 on the tightly drawn cord 21.

A etorsion spring 30 is mounted on the arm 2|, which serves as an axis for the spring, and has one of its arms 3| hooked around the diagonal member 2G of the hook I8. The other arm 32 engages the posts 2 below their pointl of support on arm 2 l In the preferred form shown, the arm 32 of the torsion Vspring 'crosses vthe inner surface of the posts 2 and rvis bent back to loop around the arm 2l. In Vthis manner the torsion spring 30 holds the posts 2 in place on the arm 2! and prevents them fromsliding along the length of the arm.

The torsion spring 3l) constantly urg'es the lower end of the posts 2 outward and tends to rotate the upper end of the posts 2 against Vthe door surface l of the play pen. The force of the torsion spring 30 is opposed when the play pen is in the upright position by the wire 2t. rlhe wire 26 is prevented from pulling the lower ends of the posts inward beyond the vertical position by the bases I9 of the hooks l2 which serve as stops, engaging the posts 2 and thereby obstructing inward rotation of the lower end of the posts 2. Y

Y The floor of the play pen is formed by a sheet 33 of canvas or other stretch resistant material 'eiitending 'over the upper surface of the rods l .to form a support for a mat Sil. The sheet 33 should be apertured at 35 and equipped with grommets or other reinforcement to engage the hook I8 at theend of each of the rods 2. in this manner the sheet 33 is held in a tight con- .-ditionand forms a resilient floor for the play pen. Ihe mat' 313 is preferably of greater thickness jin the regions between the rods s than in the regions directly over the rods to form a flat playing Surface in the play pln.

Y If the play pen is in the upright position shown in Figure 42 and it -is desired to fold the pen to the position shown in Figure 3 the ring Sis lifted byV means of cord- I'G and ring Il. As the ring 3 is lifted, the weight of the posts 2 causes the rods 4 to rotate downwardly. yContinued lifting Zof the ring 2 will diminish the diameter of the circle formed by the outer ends of the rods and the wire 26 will become loose. As wire 26 is loosened, the torsion springs 32 rotate the upper ends vof the 'posts 2 inwardly towards the surfaces of the mat 313. Continued lifting of the ring Il will ultimately vbring the play pen into the condition illustrated in Figure 3. It will be ynoted that it Vis not necessary to remove the sheet 33 or the r'na'tL 3'4 as the play pen is folded. These members merely fold into the space between the rods '4 and the posts 2 and are 'thereby held Aiirmly in place.

The play pen is set up vby grasping two posts 2, and their respective rods 4, spaced about 9Do apart kat the region of the yarm 2l, and giving a'noutward pull vwhile the pen is held at an angle to cause the lowermost rods to fall away in a more or less fan-like fashion. The `pen is then set `on the I-floo'r and the opening completed by eX- 'erting pressure on the plate 8. As the pen is opened the wire 26 :becomes increasingly taut and rotates the posts 2, against the forces of springs "3D, to an upright position. The lcontinued exertion of pressure on the top plate 8 results in the posts 2 beingpulled by wire -26 against the base Y l`9 of the hooks I8 on the outer end of `the rod.

When the posts 2 Aare -in this condition vthe cord "'21 at the top of lthe 'posts and the stays 29 are taut and provide lateral support for the posts.

' sheet is Vheld ina Vtaut condition because of its engagement with the diagonal members 20 and provides a nat-resilient 4floor for the play pen.

The/novel play penfdescribed herein folds in anumbrellaflikefmanner into a unitary comp-act bundle which maybe stored `in asmall space and is easily carried. The unique method of folding allows one to dismantle the pen'easily by "si-mplyflifting the oor'itl"attached near the center :of the'floo'r of the pen. By vproviding a Vtaut sheet of canvas to support a floor mat, the weight `of the 'pen is greatly decreased, 'thereby further facilitating the carryingo'fithe pen.

While this invention has been described in detail with'r'espect to fa particular modification of the play pen, it is to be understood that the 'I5-@Concept of `this invention lis-*not limited to those details, but is determined by the scope of the 'appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a folding play pen a ring, a top plate on the upper surface of the ring, slots in the plate overlying the ring, a bottom plate on the lower surface of the ring and connected to the top plate, slots in the edge of the bottom plate in alignment with the slots in the top plates, rods rotatably engaging the ring at the slots and extending outwardly from the ring under the top plate, posts rotatably mounted on the outer ends of the rods, and resilient means urging the posts to rotate in a direction opposite the direction of rotationrof the rods to fold the pen as the top plate is lifted.

2. In a folding play pen a central ring, a plurality of rods, said rods being pivotally mounted at one end of said plurality in spaced relation on the ring to permit the rods to extend radially in the plane of the ring when the pen is in an open position and to be moved perpendicularly to the plane of the ring when the ring is raised, a plurality of vertically extending posts, one end of each post being rotatably secured to the remaining end of a rod, means urging the posts to rotate in a direction opposite to the rotationpof the rods to fold the pen when the ring is raised and means supported by the posts to form an enclosure for the pen.

3. In a folding play pen a pair of plates, a central ring secured between two' plates, Ia plurality of rods, said rods being pivotally mounted at one end of said plurality in spaced relation on the ring to permit the rods to extend radially in the plane of the ring when the pen is in an open position and to be moved perpendicularly to the plane of the ring When the ring is raised, a plurality of vertically extending posts, one end of each post being rotatably secured to the remaining end of a rod, means urging the posts to rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation of the rods to fold the pen when the ring is raised, means to maintain the posts in a vertical position when the pen is opened, and means supported by the posts to form an enclosure for the pen.

NORMAN W. WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 540,863 Lawson June 11, 1895 1,779,060 Choate Oct. 21, 1930 2,501,359 Stilson Mar. 21, 1950 2,523,422 Dunn Sept. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,193 Great Britain of 1908