Play yard mattress
OwnerHenry F. Thorneinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a mattress base for a child's play yard and to a folding child's play yard with a mattress that utilize securing mechanisms to secure the mattress base upon installation and to prevent a child from lifting the mattress base.
Claims25
A mattress base system for securing a mattress base, having an upper side and a lower side with three or more corners, in a structure having three or more corner posts that define an inside perimeter of the structure and a floor, the system comprising:
- at least one stop and one bracket assembly attached to at least one corner post, wherein the bracket is located below and in close proximity to the lower side of the mattress base and wherein the stop is located above and in close proximity to the upper side of the mattress base at a predetermined distance to accommodate and secure the mattress base;
- and
- whereby at least one corner of the mattress base is inserted between the at least one stop and bracket assembly and, after insertion, the at least one corner cannot be lifted upward.
A method of installing a mattress base comprised of pivotably connected panels and having at least four corners and at least four edges, into a play yard having at least two securing mechanisms comprising:
- folding or unfolding the mattress base at least partially to insert at least one of the mattress base corners or edges into at least one securing structure;
- and
- unfolding the mattress base fully within the play yard to create a secured and supportive surface for a child, wherein the at least two securing mechanisms comprise at least two stops secured above and in close proximity to the mattress base.
A folding play yard for holding a child, the play yard comprising:
- at least four upper rails;
- at least four corner posts inter-connected by the at least four upper rails to form a rectangular play yard;
- a floor spanning the area between the at least four corner posts;
- a mattress base with at least four corners and that is comprised of a plurality of pivotably connected panels;
- at least two bracket and stop assemblies, wherein the brackets are attached to at least two diagonally opposing corner posts to support the mattress base and the stops are located on the at least two diagonally opposing corner posts at a predetermined position above the mattress base and that operate to receive and secure at least two corners of the mattress base from being lifted upward.
A mechanism to secure a mattress base having an upper side and at least four edges within a play yard having at least four sides and at least four corners, the mechanism comprising a plurality of stops located along the play yard's sides and in close proximity to the upper side of the mattress base so that the mattress base's edges are located under the stops when the mattress base is installed in the play yard.
A mattress base for use with a child's play yard, the play yard having a plurality of upper rails, a plurality of corner posts defining an inside perimeter of the play yard, and a floor, the mattress base comprising:
- a plurality of pivotably connected panels wherein each panel is configured in size and shape so that the plurality of pivotably connected panels cover the play yard floor when the panels are fully unfolded;
- and
- a plurality of hinges that connect the plurality of panels to one another, wherein all of the plurality of panels unfold in an inverted-V shape towards the play yard floor.
A mattress for use with a child's play yard comprising:
- a plurality of panels, wherein adjacent panels meet at a panel juncture;
- a plurality of anti-slip strips that are attached to the panels and configured to prevent the panels from slipping on top of one another;
- and
- a mattress cover that holds the panels adjacent to one another and wherein the cover is configured to fold at each panel juncture.
The mattress of claim 21, wherein each anti-slip strip is secured at one end to a panel adjacent to another panel and the opposing, unattached end extends at least two inches across the adjacent panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.