US3924280A

US3924280A - Portable play pen

Info

Publication number: US3924280A
Application number: US477196A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vincent Vaiano
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-06-07
Filing date: 1974-06-07
Publication date: 1975-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-09

Abstract

A foldable, portable play pen comprising a floor of a plurality of hinged triangular foldable sections. Vertically erectable posts are hingedly secured to the floor''s corners. The walls of the play pen are formed of a netting of sturdy material secured to the posts and the floor edges. Bumper are secured between the top portions of the posts and top edges of the netting.

Description

Tigrett 5/98 R 0 United States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,924,280 Vaiano Dec. 9, 1975 [5 PORTABLE PLAY PEN 3,165,760 1/1965 Abajian 5/98 R 3,474,472 10/1969 Hamilton II... 5/98 R [76] Inventor" Vmcem south Ozone Park 3,777,321 12/1973 Hargett 5/99 (2 NY 3,789,439 2/1974 Berg et al 5/98 R [22] Filed: June 7, 1974 Primary ExaminerCasm1r R. Nunberg PP N04 477,196 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jacob L. Kollin 52 us. 01. 5/98 R; 5/99 R [571 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. A47D 9/00; A47D 7/00 A foldable, Portable play pen comprising a floor of a [58] Field of Search 5/97, 98 R, 99 C 99 R; plurality of hinged triangular foldable sections. Verti- 312/244 cally erectable posts are hingedly secured to the floors corners. The walls of the play pen are formed [56] References Cited of a netting of sturdy material secured to the posts and UNITED STATES PATENTS the floor edges. Bumper are secured between the top 2,781,527 2 1957 Landry 5/99 0 pomons of the posts and top edges of the netting 2,790,978 5/1957 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 9 1975 FIG. 2

PORTABLE PLAY PEN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to play pens for children in general and in particular to a play pen foldable to a compact unit that may be carried about and quickly opened to usable form.

An important object of the invention is to provide a foldable, portable play pen which can be manufactured and distributed at a reasonable cost.

These objects will become apparent from the following description and the drawing.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawing, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the play pen in erected, unfolded position;

FIG. 2 is a view from the bottom of the unfolded floor of the pen;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 is a cross-section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 7 shows a carrying case with a hendle for the convenient carrying of the play pen, and

FIG. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the invention in detail, there is shown in FIG. 1 a play pen 8 constructed in accordance with the objects of the invention. The play pen comprises a floor consisting of triangular sections of rectangular sections 16 of Masonite, beaverboard or plywood, and of spacers such as 40, 42 secured to a fabric sheet 18, so that they may be folded together along their adjacent edges indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2. A removable padding 19 with a cover 21 is placed over the floor 9. Four tubular posts 10, preferably of aluminum, for lightness, are hingedly secured at their lower ends to pairs of plates 12 which are formed with opposed integral hinge pins 14 extending into the lower ends of the posts. Plates 12 are secured to the corners of the bottom faces of triangular sections 16. When erected the posts 10 are held in a vertical position by means of a slotted slide 20 displaceable on screws 21 and terminating as a lock pin 22, which is ex tended through aligned holes 24 when the play pen is unfolded for use. The bottom ends of posts 10 are provided with semi-spherical resilient bumpers 26 and assymetrically positioned bumpers 27 on the

triangular floor sections

15,16, to space the floor sections from a supporting surface while providing rigidity for the latter when they are unfolded.

Two of the triangular sections 15 are each provided with an aperture 28, through which extends a handle 30. The handle 30 is adapted to lie flat on the

pad

19, 21 when the play pen is erected, so that it will not interfere with the movements of a child about the floor 9. Handle 30 may be pulled out however, after the posts 10 are unlocked, to pull the floor sections upward in order to fold these together.

Secured to the posts 10 and the peripheral edge of floor 9 is a netting 32, preferably of nylon or other sturdy synthetic material. The upper edge of net 32 is attached at 34 to an annular bumper 36 of suitable fabric enclosing a resilient core 38 of rubber or plastic material secured to the upper portions of posts 10.

In order to conveniently carry the folded play pen 8, there is provided a carrying bag or cover 40 having a zipper 42 and a carrying handle 44.

It will be noted that in addition to the main cut eges such as indicated by dotted lines 40, the triangular sections are also provided with additional cut edges such as 42. The purpose of the additional cuts is to provide spaces between the triangular sections, when folded, for receiving the posts 10.

I claim:

1. A portable, foldable play pen comprising a floor made of a plurality of flat triangular sections having a base and intersecting sides, a plurality of flat quandrangular sections arranged alternately of said triangular sections, a plurality of flat spacers disposed adjacent intermediate one of the sides of said triangular and said quadrangular sections, means permanently hingedly securing said sections to one another, a plurality of vertically erectable spaced posts hingedly secured to said quadrangular sections, hinge means for said posts, means for rigidly securing said posts in erected position, a netting secured to said posts and to the outer edges of said sections, said netting forming walls of said play pen and bumpers attached to the top portions of said posts and top edges of said netting, said triangular, said quadrangular sections, when folded in accordionlike fashion, forming chambers with spacers for receiving said posts, said hinge means being a pair of angularly disposed plates terminating as hinge pins opposed to one another said plates being secured to said foldable sections, posts having lower end portions provided with a first pair of aligned holes for receiving said hinge plns.

2. The play pen as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for securing said foldable section is a flexible fabric.

3. The play pen as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for rigidly securing said posts in rigid position is a lock pin slidably secured to one of said foldable sections; said lower end portions having a second pair of holes for receiving said lock pins.

4. The play pen as claimed in claim 1, wherein said posts are provided with semispherical bumpers on their lower end portions, and asymmetrically irregularly arranged semispherical bumpers on said hinged foldable sections.

5. The play pen as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bumpers are made of a resilient material core, enclosed in a fabric covering.

6. The play pen as claimed in claim 1, further provided with a flexible handle for folding said hinged foldable sections, a pair of said sections having apertures for the passage of the ends of said handle.

Claims

1. A portable, foldable play pen comprising a floor made of a plurality of flat triangular sections having a base and intersecting sides, a plurality of flat quandrangular sections arranged alternately of said triangular sections, a plurality of flat spacers disposed adjacent intermediate one of the sides of said triangular and said quadrangular sections, means permanently hingedly securing said sections to one another, a plurality of vertically erectable spaced posts hingedly secured to said quadrangular sections, hinge means for said posts, means for rigidly securing said posts in erected position, a netting secured to said posts and to the outer edges of said sections, said netting forming walls of said play pen and bumpers attached to the top portions of said posts and top edges of said netting, said triangular, said quadrangular sections, when folded in accordion-like fashion, forming chambers with spacers for receiving said posts, said hinge means being a pair of angularly disposed plates terminating as hinge pins opposed to one another said plates being secured to said foldable sections, posts having lower end portions provided with a first pair of aligned holes for receiving said hinge pins.