EP0619969B1

EP0619969B1 - Child's folding cot

Info

Publication number: EP0619969B1
Application number: EP19940500052
Authority: EP
Inventors: Joaquin C/O Play S.A. Ronda Boada Jane Launes
Original assignee: Play SA
Current assignee: Play SA
Priority date: 1993-03-30
Filing date: 1994-03-21
Publication date: 1996-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-21
Also published as: DE69400454T2; DE69400454D1; EP0619969A1

Description

The present invention relates to a child's folding cot.
Various models of folding cots are available on the market for people who have to travel with young children. Some are more complete than others and some are more complex than others, both in structure and in the folding means.
Among the types of simple easily manageable folding cots there are those comprising an upper frame and a substructure for the mattress which are hingedly split crosswise in the middle. These cots also have telescopic legs for greater folding capacity. The same applicant is owner of EP-A-0 501 086 the object of which is a folding cot of this type and wherewith there is achieved a more compact and low volume folding of the cot, for which purpose the upper frame, the legs and the mattress substructure are provided with hingedly divided end portions to allow the cot to be folded down to approximately 1/3 of the volume achieved up to now.
It is an object of the invention also to achieve a reduced volume in the folded state of the cot but providing the latter with a more simplified structure whereby its manufacture will be cheaper and in turn the cot folding operation will be easier.
A further object of the invention is to achieve a better mattress support on the substructure to reduce the transverse flexing of the mattress in the cot.
To simplify the folding, the telescopic U-shaped legs are being replaced by normal integral U-shaped legs and characteristically the hinged divisions in the end portions of the two U-shaped members forming the upper cot frame, which are two in number for each of these members, are situated at the end portions of the transverse portion thereof, so that when the legs and the halves of the upper frame are folded together, the length equivalence of the arms of said U-shaped elements and of the upper portions of the hingedly divided legs allow said arms and said portions to be folded inwardly by approximately 90° which places them one on top of the other.
The improved mattress support is achieved with a substructure wherein the central portion of the stringers is provided with inwardly bent portions to bring the stringers closer together at said portions so as to reduce the sag or flexing of the mattress.
It is also contemplated that the central portion of the support substructure stringers are straight, without said inwardly bent portions, mainly where a mattress must bear weight and pressure during the use of the cot which could even bent said central portions downwardly with the consequent unreliable stability of the mattress, with danger for the child.
The said central portion is hingedly attached to the U-shaped end members of the substructure by clamps situating said substructure central portions slightly closer together than the rest of the stringers.
These and other features will be better understood from the following detailed description, to facilitate which there are provided sheets of drawings in which some embodiments cited only as a non limiting example of the scope of the invention have been ilustrated.
In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the overall cot framework,
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a detail of the hinging of the end portions of the legs, and of the connection of the mattress support substructure to the legs,
Figure 3 is a front elevation view of a first stage of folding of said framework,
Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the second stage of folding of the framework,
Figure 5 is a front elevation view of the fully folded framework,
Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views, respectively, of the unfolded and folded cot,
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the overall cot framework with the central portions of the mattress support substructure straight, and
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a detail of the hinged connection of the mattress support substructure stringers and of the coupling of said substructure to the cot legs, as seen in figure 8.

As shown in the drawings, the child's folding cot of the invention comprises an upper frame formed by two twin rectangular U-shaped members 1 and 1' hinged together through the corresponding pins 2 to a block 3 to which the rectangular U-shaped cot legs 5 and 5' are also pivotably connected by pins 4, there being hingedly inserted between the frame and legs corresponding struts 6 which pivot at a central point 7 around respective bushings 8 which slide along the legs. These struts allow the first stage of folding of the cot (figure 3) where the U-shaped members forming the halves of the upper frame become juxtaposed to the legs which are moved together.
Said U-shaped members 1 and 1' are provided at the end regions of the transverse portions 9 and 9', respectively, with respective hinged divisions 10 with an internal pin and the legs 5 and 5' are also hingedly divided at the end region by corresponding clamps 11 forming respective U-shaped end members 12 and 13. This allows the arms 14 of the U-shaped members 1 and 1' to be folded inwardly, together with the struts 6 and with the resulting upper portions 15 of the legs 5 and 5', rotating approximately in 90° until said portions and arms are mutually juxtaposed one on the other.
To the cross members 16 of the lower region of the legs there is releasably coupled the substructure 17 for the board forming the mattress. This substructure is provided with split stringers 18 hingedly connected to a box 19 which is provided on the lower side thereof with a support leg 20. The said stringers are divided in 21 at the end region thereof (figure 2) and hingedly connected by a clamp 22 forming U-shaped end members 23, which allows the upper portions of said stringers 18 to be folded inwardly (figure 4) in about 90° during the second stage. These portions are juxtaposed and are below the upper portions 15 of the legs and of the arms 14 of the U-shaped members of the upper frame.
The mattress support substructure stringers 18 are provided at the central portion 24 thereof with inwardly diverted portions which bring said stringers closer together, thereby reducing the transverse mattress support distance (not shown) on said substructure.
The cot is completed with a flexible container 25 forming a large padded hem 26 which is cut in the portions coinciding with the hinged blocks 3 to facilitate folding. This part is provided with a flap 27 concealing said cut and the block 3 with its hinged connections. Openings have been provided at the bottom of said container for the passage of the support legs 20 and for the grippers 28 (figure 2) for removable attachment of the substructure 17 to the cross members 23. These grippers are integral with the substructure stringer 18 hinge clamps 22.
Once the board forming the mattress or, where it is formed by three portions of which the end two will be attached to the U-shaped end members 23 of the substructure and the central portion may in turn be subdivided, at least the central portion thereof has been removed, the cot will be folded and will be reduced to a minimum volume as may be seen in figure 7.
To improve the stability of the unfolded cot, the base portion of the legs is provided at points on the end regions thereof with respective feet 29 which in the unfolded position thereof extend from the U-shaped arms widening the cot support base.
In the embodiment of figure 8, the stringers 18' of the mattress support substructure are provided with a straight central portion and at the free ends are hingedly connected to the half round cavity 22' of the corresponding clamp 22, which is provided parallel to said cavity with a longitudinal blind hole 22'' where the corresponding end of the U-shaped element 23 of the substructure is fixed, the ends of the central portions of the stringers of the substructure being parallel and internally co-planar relative to the ends of said members 23.

Claims

A child's folding cot, of the type comprising an upper frame formed by two U-shaped members (1 and 1') hingedly attached to a block (3) to which there are also hingedly attached (4) the also U-shaped legs (5 and 5') supporting the mattress support substructure 17, said U-shaped members (1 and 1') of the frame, the legs (5, 5') and the stringers (18) of said substructure being hingedly divided, characterized in that the hinged divisions (10) of the U-shaped members (1 and 1') of the upper frame are two in number and are situated in end regions of the transverse portion (9, 9') of said members (1, 1'), so that when the legs (5, 5') and the halves (1, 1') of the upper frame are folded together, the length equivalence of the arms (14) of the U-shaped members (1, 1') of the upper frame and of the upper portions (15) of the hingedly divided (11) legs (5, 5'), allow said arms (14) and said portions (15) to be folded inwardly in approximately 90° which places them one on top of the other.
The child's folding cot of claim 1, characterized in that the stringers (18) of the mattress support substructure (17) have the central portion thereof (24) provided with inwardly directed portions shortening the distance between the stringers (18) in said portions (24) so as to reduce the transverse distance in the mattress support on said frame (17).
The child's folding cot of claim 1, in which the stringers (18') of the mattress support substructure (17) are provided with straight central portion, which portions are hingedly connected at the end thereof by clamp (22) to the U-shaped end members (23) of said substructure (17).