Collapsible playpen

A collapsible playpen movable between an upright operative position and a relatively compact collapsed position, comprising:

• (a) first and second collapsible end assemblies, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a supporting surface, an upper cross bar, and an articulated upright extending between the cross bar and the end base, each upright having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein at least one of the upper and the lower portions is substantially vertical in the operative position of the playpen;
• (b) first and second articulated side rails extending between the upper cross bars;
• and
• (c) lower articulated rails for connecting the end bases;
• the collapsible end frames, side rails and lower rails arranged so that the playpen can be collapsed by moving the end bases together and initially moving the upper cross bars away from each other so that the distance between the upper cross bars is greater than the distance between the end bases in the collapsed position of the playpen.

A collapsible playpen movable between a collapsed position and an operative position, the playpen defining an operative volume for occupancy, comprising:

• (a) a first end assembly and a second end assembly, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a support surface and an upper cross bar, wherein the operative volume is intermediate of the end assemblies upon orientation of the playpen in the operative position;
• (b) articulated uprights extending between the end base and the upper cross bar in each end assembly for positioning the upper cross bar relative to the end base in the collapsed position and the operative position, the uprights including a substantially vertical component in the operative position;
• (c) articulated lower rails extending between the end bases for disposing the end bases in a spaced apart orientation in the operative position;
• and
• (d) articulated upper rails extending between the upper cross bars for connecting the first and the second end assembly;
• the uprights and the upper and lower rails adapted to orient the upper cross bar and the end base of each end assembly in a spaced apart orientation in the operative position and an adjacent orientation in the collapsed position, wherein the distance between the upper cross bars is greater than the distance between the articulated uprights in the collapsed position of the playpen.

A collapsible playpen movable between a collapsed position and an operative position, the playpen defining an operative area for occupancy, comprising:

• (a) a first collapsible end assembly having an upper end portion and a lower end portion and a second collapsible end assembly having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, wherein the operative area is intermediate the first end assembly and the second end assembly in the operative position of the playpen;
• (b) first and second collapsible side rails extending between opposed upper end portions, the side rails separating the upper end portions by a first distance in the operative position of the playpen and a second shorter distance in the collapsed position for the playpen;
• and
• (c) lower articulated rails connecting the opposed lower end portions;
• the collapsible end assemblies, side rails and lower rails arranged so that the playpen can be collapsed by moving the lower end portions towards each other and initially moving the upper end portions away from each other, such that the lower end portions are intermediate of corresponding portions of the opposed side rails in the collapsed position.

A collapsible playpen frame, the playpen frame movable between a folded position and a self supporting open position, comprising:

• (a) a pair of end assemblies, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a support surface, an upper cross bar, and an articulated upright extending between each end base and the upper cross bar in each end assembly, each upright including a substantially vertical member in the open position of the playpen;
• and
• (b) articulated upper rails means extending between the end assemblies to interconnect the upper cross bar of one end assembly with the upper cross bar of the remaining end assembly;
• the upper rails and the uprights movable from the self supporting open position to the folded position such that upon orientation of the playpen frame in the folded position at least a portion of each end assembly is intermediate of same side outer portions of the upper rails.

A collapsible playpen frame, the playpen frame movable between a folded position and a self supporting open position, comprising:

• (a) a pair of end assemblies, each end assembly including an upper cross bar, an end base for contacting a support surface and an articulated upright assembly extending between each end base and the upper cross bar in each end assembly, each articulated upright assembly having an articulated section;
• and
• (b) upper rails extending between the end assemblies to interconnect the upper cross bars, each upper rail having an articulated portion wherein the articulated portion has a length substantially equal to the articulated section of each upright assembly;
• the upper rails and the upright assemblies movable from the self supporting open position to the folded position such that upon orientation of the playpen frame in the folded position the articulated sections of the upright assembly are intermediate of the upper rail articulated portions.

A method for collapsing a foldable playpen having a pair of opposed end assemblies, each end frame having an upper cross bar, an end base for contacting a supporting surface, and an articulated upright extending between the end base and the upper cross bar for each end assembly, each upright having an upper portion and a lower portion, at least one of the upper and lower portions being substantially vertical in an operative position of the playpen, the lower portions connected by articulated lower rails, comprising:

• (a) at least partially folding the lower rails to reduce the distance between the end bases;
• (b) moving the upper cross bars in substantially opposite directions;
• and
• (c) folding each frame so that the upper portions of the uprights are intermediate of same side outer portions of the upper rail means.

A collapsible playpen movable between a collapsed position and an operative position, the playpen defining an operative volume for occupancy, comprising:

• (a) a first end assembly and a second end assembly, each end assembly including an end base for contacting a support surface, an upper cross bar, and articulated uprights extending at each corner of the playpen between the end base and the upper cross bar for positioning the upper cross bar relative to the end base in the collapsed position and the operative position, wherein the operative volume is intermediate of the end assemblies upon orientation of the playpen in the operative position, each upright including an upper portion fixedly attached to an upper cross bar, and a lower portion fixedly attached to an end base, the upper and lower portions of each upright being connected to each other by a hinge and being substantially vertical in the operative position;
• (b) articulated lower rails extending between the end bases for disposing the end bases in a spaced apart orientation in the operative position, each lower rail includes two rail sections and a central coupler, at least one of said rail sections being connected to an end base via a ball and socket joint, the two rail sections of each lower rail being pivotally connected to each other via said central coupler;
• and
• (c) articulated upper rails extending between the upper cross bars for connecting the first and the second end assembly, each articulated upper rail including two outer segments and an intermediate segment pivotally connected to said outer segments, each upper rail outer segment being pivotally attached to an upper cross bar and an upper portion of an upright;
• and
• (d) the uprights and the upper and lower rails adapted to orient the upper cross bar and the end base of each end assembly in a spaced apart orientation in the operative position and an adjacent orientation in the collapsed position, wherein the distance between the upper cross bars is greater than the distance between the end bases in the collapsed position of the playpen.