GB2563034A - Baby nest - Google Patents

Abstract

A baby nest 1 comprising a head section 2 and a leg section 3 has a removable support 8 arranged to incline the head section 2 relative to the foot section 3. A wall 7 is provided around at least a portion of a peripheral edge of the nest 1. The support 8 may be wedge-shaped, defining an acute angle between its top and bottom faces. This angle may be adjustable. Attachment means or a pocket 17 may be provided on the underside of the nest 1 such that the support 8 props up the head section 2. The nest 1 may have a folding axis extending across its width, which may be defined by a line between two separated sections of the bumper 7. The wall 7 may be cushioned and may surround the entire periphery of the nest 1.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a baby nest, in particular to a baby nest suitable for infants. The baby nest may be arranged such that the upper body and head of an infant occupying the baby nest may be optionally supported in an inclined position.

Beds and baby nests for infants provide a safe and comfortable space in which an infant may lie, sit and/or sleep. The desired configuration of the baby nest may vary according to the situation. For example, it may be desired that the baby nest has a flat configuration suitable for a sleeping infant. Alternatively, it may be desirable that an infant is propped up for comfort, support, or to prevent reflux. As such, it may be necessary for a parent or carer to have multiple baby nests with different configurations for use in different situations. Furthermore, it may be necessary to store multiple baby nests when at a permanent residence, which requires the availability of suitable storage space, or to transport multiple baby nests, for example when travelling or staying away from a permanent residence.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved baby nest for infants which may be used in multiple situations.

According to the present invention, there is provided a baby nest comprising a head section and a leg section, and further comprising a removable support arranged to incline the head section relative to the leg section, and a wall provided around at least a portion of a peripheral edge of the baby nest.

The arrangement of the baby nest is such that an infant occupying the baby nest can be supported in a range of positions. An infant may be positioned within the baby nest such that the upper body and head are supported by the head section, and the lower body and legs are supported by the leg sections. The head section may be aligned substantially in the same plane as the leg section, such that the baby nest provides a substantially flat surface on which an infant can lie. Alternatively, the head section may be inclined relative to the leg section, such that the head and upper body of an infant occupying the baby nest may be propped up. The baby nest is provided with a removable support, which supports the head section in an inclined position relative to the leg section.

The baby nest is further provided with a wall formed around at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the baby nest. The wall provides an enclosed space in which an infant can lie, sit or be propped up.

Further preferred features of the baby nest are presented in the dependent claims.

According to the present invention in a further aspect, there is provided a baby nest comprising a wall provided around at least a portion of a peripheral edge of the baby nest, the baby nest having a folding axis extending across the baby nest in a width direction and provided between the distal ends of the baby nest in a length direction, wherein the baby nest is foldable about the folding axis. The wall preferably extends around substantially the entire peripheral edge of the baby nest and comprises two separated sections, wherein the folding axis is defined by a line extending across the baby nest in a width direction, which line is located between the two separated sections in a length direction of the baby nest.

The arrangement of the baby nest according to this further aspect of the invention allows the baby nest to be folded away for ease of storage and transportation, without causing damage to the shape of the baby test.

Non-limiting embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a baby nest according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the baby nest of Figure 1;

Figure 3a is a perspective view of a support according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3b is a top view of the support of Figure 3a;

Figure 3c is a side elevation of the support of Figures 3a and 3b;

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the baby nest of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the baby nest of Figure 1 in a folded configuration; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a section of the wall according to one embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to the figures, there is shown a baby nest 1 comprising a head section 2 and a leg section 3, the baby nest having a length L, and a width W. The head section 2 and the leg section 3 meet at an intermediate plane 4 indicated by a broken line in Figure 1. The head section 2 extends in the length direction from the intermediate plane 4 to one distal end 5 of the baby nest 1, and the leg section extends in the length direction from the intermediate plane 4 to the opposing distal end 6 of the baby nest 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the intermediate plane 4 is provided approximately halfway between the distal ends 5,6 of the baby nest 1 in the length direction, such that the length of the head section 2 is approximately equal to the length of the leg section 3. However, in alternative embodiments the intermediate plane 4 may be provided closer to either one of the distal ends 5,6 in the length direction, such that the head section 2 and the leg section 3 have different lengths. The head section 2 and the leg section 3 in combination form a base of the baby nest, which base may be padded or not.

The baby nest further comprises a wall 7, which is provided around a least a portion of the peripheral edge of the baby nest 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the wall is provided around the whole peripheral edge of the baby nest 1. The wall 7 protrudes from the base of the baby nest to form a barrier surrounding a central portion 1a of the baby nest 1. In preferred embodiments, the wall 7 is cushioned to provide a comfortable barrier surrounding an infant occupying the baby nest 1. To this end, the wall 7 may be soft-filled or foam-filled. In other embodiments, the wall 7 may be inflatable, moulded from plastic, or formed from any other suitable material. The wall 7 may be formed unitarily with the baby nest 1, or alternatively formed separately and attached thereto. The wall 7 may be rigid or flexible.

According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the wall 7 has a substantially curved profile. However, the profile of the wall 7 may alternatively have any other desirable shape, such as square or triangular. The shape of the profile of the wall 7 may be constant around the entire wall or the shape of the profile may be different in different portions of the wall 7. Preferably, the wall 7 protrudes to a height above the top surface of the base which is greater than the thickness of the base. More preferably, the height to which the wall 7 protrudes above the top surface of the base is at least twice the thickness of the base. In preferred embodiments, the height to which the wall 7 protrudes above the top surface of the base is greater than 5 cm.

As shown in Figure 2, the head section 2 is capable of being inclined relative to leg section 3. Thereby, the head and upper body of an infant occupying the baby nest 1 will be supported by the relatively inclined head section 2, and the lower body and legs of the infant will be supported by the relatively flat leg section 3. This allows the infant to be propped up when occupying the baby nest 1.

To this end, the baby nest 1 further comprises a removable support 8. Figures 3a to 3c show the removable support 8 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The removable support 8 is shaped as a wedge having a top face 9 and a bottom face 10, which faces meet at an acute angle at edge 11. As shown in Figure 2, the removable support 8 is attached to the underside of head section 2, thereby supporting head section 2 at an incline relative to the leg section 3. The angle of incline is thereby determined by the angle between the top face 9 and the bottom face 10 of the wedgeshaped removable support 8, which may be any acute angle. Preferably, the angle between the top face 9 and the bottom face 10 of the wedge-shaped removable support 8 is less than 45 degrees. More preferably, the angle between the top face 9 and the bottom face 10 of the wedge-shaped removable support 8 is less than 30 degrees. Most preferably, the angle between the top face 9 and the bottom face 10 of the wedge-shaped removable support 8 is less than 15 degrees. In further embodiments, the angle between the top face 9 and the bottom face 10 of the wedge-shaped removable support 8 may be adjustable, thereby allowing a user to incline the head section 2 relative to the leg section 3 at any desired angle. This may be achieved by forming the wedge-shaped support as a plurality of wedge-shaped sections, wherein the total angle of the wedge may be adjusted by inclusion or removal of one or more of the plurality of wedge-shaped sections. Alternatively, the angle between the top face 9 and the bottom face 10 of the wedgeshaped removable support 8 may be adjusted by any other suitable means.

In the embodiment shown, comprising a wedge-shaped support, the support 8 is configured to support the head section 2 along the entire length of the head section 2 in the length direction from the distal end 5 to the intermediate plane 4. Alternatively, the support 8 may be configured to support the head section 2 along only a portion of the length of the head section 2 in the length direction from the distal end 5 to the intermediate plane 4. In such cases it need not be wedge-shaped but could be square, round, triangular, or otherwise. In any arrangement it preferably extends across the entire width of the head section 2.

The removable support 8 is preferably formed of a foam material, however in alternative embodiments the removable support may comprise a hollow cover filled with polyester filling or any other suitable filling material. Alternatively, the removable support may be inflatable, moulded from plastic, or formed of any other suitable material.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 4, the baby nest 1 comprises a pocket 17 arranged to accommodate the removable support 8, thereby attaching the removable support 8 to the baby nest 1. The pocket 17 is provided on an underside of the head section 2. As shown in Figure 4, the pocket 17 has an opening 12 through which the removable support 8 may be inserted. The pocket 17 further comprises fastening means 13 arranged to secure the pocket to the underside of the baby nest 1, thereby closing the opening 12. The fastening means 13 may be hook and loop fasteners, as shown in Figure 4, or may alternatively be a zip arrangement, a snap fastener arrangement, a button arrangement, or any other suitable fastening means. The pocket 17 may alternatively, or additionally, be elasticated such that the pocket 17 may be stretched in order to allow insertion of the removable support 8, and subsequently allowed to contract to a relaxed state in order to secure the removable support 8 in place. The opening to the pocket may be provided in any suitable location, in particular it could be at either end or side of the head section.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the pocket 17 may be omitted and the removable support 8 may be attached directly to the underside of the baby nest 1 by any suitable means.

With reference to Figures 1 and 5, it is preferable that the baby nest 1 is foldable, such that the baby nest can be packed away into a relatively small space to facilitate storage within a home or a retail store. To this end, the baby nest 1 comprises a folding axis 14 extending across the baby nest 1 in a width direction and provided between the distal ends 5,6 of the baby nest 1 in a length direction. The baby nest 1 can be folded about the folding axis 14 as shown in Figure 5.

To facilitate folding of the baby nest 1, the wall 7 is formed as two separated sections 7a,7b. Each separated section 7a,7b has terminal ends 15a, 15b, as indicated in Figures 1, 5 and 6. The position at which the terminal ends 15a, 15b of the two separated sections 7a,7b meet in the length direction of the baby nest 1 defines the folding axis 14.

In the embodiment shown, the folding axis 14 is provided within the intermediate plane 4, at which the head section 2 and the leg section 3 meet. Thus, the baby nest 1 can be folded about the folding axis 14 such that the undersides of the head section 2 and the leg section 3 are moved towards each other in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in Figure 5. The removable support 8 is thereby sandwiched between the head section 2 and the leg section 3. Alternatively, the removable support 8 may be removed from the baby nest 1 prior to the baby nest 1 being folded.

In some embodiments, the terminal ends 15a,15b of the separated sections 7a, 7b may be spaced from each other in the length direction such that there is no physical contact between the corresponding terminal ends 15a, 15b of the separated sections 7a,7b. In such an arrangement, gaps are formed in the wall 7 between the corresponding terminal ends 15a,15b of the separated sections. The folding axis 14 may therefore be defined as an axis extending across the baby nest 1 in the width direction between the terminal ends 15a, 15b of the separated sections 7a, 7b.

In the embodiment shown, the folding axis 14 is provided within the intermediate plane 4, which is provided approximately halfway between the distal ends 5,6 of the baby nest 1 in the length direction. However, the folding axis 14 may be provided at any position between the distal ends 5,6 of the baby nest in the length direction. In further embodiments, the baby nest may comprise a plurality of folding axes and may thereby be foldable about each of the folding axes. In such circumstances, the wall 7 may comprise a plurality of separated sections, wherein the positions at which the separated sections meet in the length direction define the plurality of folding axes.

In embodiments where the base is padded, the padding may be omitted in the vicinity of the one or more folding axes in order to facilitate folding of the baby nest without causing damage to the padding.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the baby nest 1 has a substantially oval or elliptical shape, whereby each of the distal ends 5,6 are substantially semi-circular. However, the baby nest 1 may alternatively have any other shape as may be desired, such as circular, square or rectangular.

In order to be suitable for an infant, the length of the baby nest L is preferably less than 100 cm, and the width of the baby nest W is preferably less than 50 cm.

The invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, 5 given by way of example only. It will be appreciated that many different arrangements of the system are possible, which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims (15)

1. A baby nest comprising a head section and a leg section, and further comprising a removable support arranged to incline the head section relative to the leg section, and a wall provided around at least a portion of a peripheral edge of the baby nest.

2. A baby nest according to claim 1, wherein the removable support is shaped as a wedge having an acute angle between top and bottom faces thereof.

3. A baby nest according to claim 2, wherein the acute angle between the top and bottom faces of the removable support is variable.

4. A baby nest according to any preceding claim, wherein attachment means are provided for removably attaching the support to an underside of the baby nest.

5. A baby nest according to any preceding claim, wherein the baby nest comprises a pocket arranged to accommodate the removable support.

6. A baby nest according to claim 5, wherein the pocket is provided on an underside of the head section.

7. A baby nest according to any preceding claim, having a folding axis extending across the baby nest in a width direction and provided between the distal ends of the baby nest in a length direction, wherein the baby nest is foldable about the folding axis.

8. A baby nest according to claim 7, wherein the wall comprises two separated sections, wherein the folding axis is defined by a line extending across the baby nest in a width direction, which line is located between the two separated sections in a length direction of the baby nest.

9. A baby nest according to claim 8, wherein the line is located at a position in the length direction of the baby nest at which the separated sections meet.

10. A baby nest according to any preceding claim, having two or more folding axes extending across the baby nest in a width direction and provided between the distal ends of the baby nest in a length direction, wherein the baby nest is foldable about each of the two or more folding axes.

11. A baby nest according to claim 10, wherein the wall is separated in the vicinity of 5 each of the folding axes.

12. A baby nest according to any preceding claim, wherein the wall is cushioned.

13. A baby nest according to any preceding claim, wherein the wall is formed around 10 the whole peripheral edge of the baby nest.

14. A baby nest according to any preceding claim, wherein the width of the baby nest is less than 50 cm.

15

15. A baby nest according to any preceding claim, wherein the length of the baby nest is less than 100 cm.