GB2572318A

GB2572318A - A sleeping drawer for use with a cot

Info

Publication number: GB2572318A
Application number: GB1803768.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stara Lenka
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-03-08
Filing date: 2018-03-08
Publication date: 2019-10-02
Also published as: GB201803768D0

Abstract

A sleeping drawer 2 for use with a cot 4, comprising a rectangular base 6, first and second side end walls 16 and 18, movement-assisting means, and guide formations 22, 24 at both short sides of the rectangular base; wherein the guide formations guide the drawer with respect to the legs of the cot, and the drawer can be moved from under the cot in a non-use position to a use position in which the drawer is extended, allowing a first child to sleep in the cot and a second child to sleep in the drawer. The base may comprise a wall 32 along a long side forming a barrier preventing the base being completely pulled out. The base may comprise a wall 34 along a long side preventing the child from falling out. Preferably, wall 34 is split into two, forming an access gap. The guide formations may be slots, and the movement-assisting means may be wheels.

Description

A SLEEPING DRAWER FOR USE WITH A COT

This invention relates to beds and, more especially, this invention relates to a sleeping drawer for use with a cot.

Often parents have a problem in providing sleeping arrangements for their children in properties where space for sleeping arrangements is restricted. Usually the properties where the sleeping space is restricted will be the parents’ home, but the properties may alternatively be nurseries or hotels. Often the parents will have two children where one child is a baby and a cot is required, and the other child is older and around two years old. A two year age gap between children is common. The older child is too young to sleep in a bunk bed or a trundle bed.

It is an aim of the present invention to avoid or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a sleeping drawer for use with a cot, which sleeping drawer comprises:

(i) a base which is rectangular in plan view and which has first and second shorter sides and first and second longer sides;

(ii) first and second end walls adjacent the first and second shorter sides of the base;

(iii) movement-assisting means;

(iv) a first guide formation at the first shorter side of the sleeping drawer; and (v) a second guide formation at the second shorter side of the sleeping drawer, and the sleeping drawer being such that:

(vi) the first guide formation is for guiding the sleeping drawer with respect to a first leg of the cot;

(vii) the second guide formation is for guiding the sleeping drawer with respect to a second leg of the cot;

(viii) the first and second legs of the cot are along a front longer side of the cot;

(ix) the sleeping drawer is able to move on the movement-assisting means backwards and forwards underneath the cot such that the first and second legs of the cot act as guides for the sleeping drawer as the sleeping drawer is pushed under the cot to a nonuse position and is pulled out from under the cot to a use position;

and (x) in the use position, the base is able to receive the older of two babies, and the cot is able to receive the younger of the two babies.

The sleeping drawer of the present invention is advantageous in that the older of the two babies is able to be accommodated in the sleeping drawer, whilst the younger of the two babies is able to be accommodated in the cot. When the sleeping drawer is not required, it is able to be pushed underneath the cot to the non-use position, from where it does not occupy valuable space, for example in a space-deprived room.

The sleeping drawer may include a first side wall which upstands from the first longer side of the base, the first longer side of the base being the longer side which is first to extend underneath the cot when the sleeping drawer is pushed under the cot, and the first side wall being such that it forms a stop barrier for preventing the sleeping drawer from being pulled completely out and away from the cot. Additionally, the first side wall may form a barrier for preventing the baby on the base falling off the base via the first longer side of the base during use of the sleeping drawer. The sleeping drawer may have other stop barriers and at other positions. If desired, the cot can be lifted up so that the sleeping drawer becomes a free-standing unit which is able to be separated from the cot and used as a bed in its own right.

Additionally or alternatively, the sleeping drawer may include at least one second side wall which upstands from the second longer side of the base, the second side wall being such that it extends part way along the second longer side of the base, and the second side wall being such that it forms a barrier for preventing the baby on the base from falling off the base via the second longer side of the base during use of the sleeping drawer.

The sleeping drawer may be one in which there are two of the second side walls, in which the two second side walls extend inwardly towards each other, and in which the two second side walls do not meet and thereby define an access gap, for example for enabling the baby to crawl into and out of the sleeping drawer when the sleeping drawer is in the use position. In other embodiments of the invention, there may be only one of the second side walls, or there may be more than two of the second side walls.

The first and second guide formations may be formed by slots which are formed between opposite ends of the base and their respective first and second side walls. Other types of first and second guide formations may be employed.

The movement-assisting means may be wheel means or any other fixtures that contribute to easier pulling out and pushing in of the sleeping drawer. The wheel means may be casters. Other types of wheel means may be employed so that, for example, the wheel means may be rollers or wheels.

The sleeping drawer of the present invention may include a mattress on the base. Alternatively, if desired, the sleeping drawer may be sold without a mattress, in which the case the mattress may be separately purchased and then used with the sleeping drawer.

The present invention also extends to the combination of the sleeping drawer of the invention and the cot.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view from the above, front and; one side of a sleeping drawer of the present invention in use with a cot, with the sleeping drawer being in the use position;

Figure 2 is a view from the front and one side of the sleeping drawer and cot as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view like Figure 2 but with the sleeping drawer being in a non-use position;

Figure 4 is a view like Figure 3 but shows the underneath of the sleeping drawer and cot;

Figure 5 is a view from the side and underneath and shows the sleeping drawer and cot in the use position; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of part of the sleeping drawer and cot, and illustrates a guide formation.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a sleeping drawer 2 for use with a cot 4. The sleeping drawer 2 comprises a base 6 which is rectangular in plan view. The sleeping drawer 2 has first and second shorter sides 8,10, and first and second longer sides 12, 14. First and second end walls 16, 18 are adjacent but spaced apart from the first and second shorter sides 8, 10 of the sleeping drawer 2.

The sleeping drawer 2 includes movement-adjusting means in the form of wheel means 20. The sleeping drawer 2 includes a first guide formation 22 at the first shorter side 8 of the sleeping drawer 2, and a second guide formation 24 at the second shorter side 10 of the sleeping drawer 2.

The sleeping drawer 2 is such that the first guide formation 22 is for guiding the sleeping drawer 2 with respect to a first leg 26 of the cot 4. The second guide formation 24 is for guiding the sleeping drawer 2 with respect to a second leg 28 of the cot 4. The first and second legs 26, 28 of the cot 4 are along a front longer side 30 of the cot 4.

The sleeping drawer 2 is able to slide on the wheel means 20 backwards and forwards underneath the cot 4 such that the first and second legs 26, 28 of the cot 4 act as guides for the sleeping drawer 2 as the sleeping drawer 2 is pushed under the cot 4 to a non-use position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and is pulled out from under the cot 4 to a use position as shown in Figures 1 and

2. In the use position, the base 6 is able to receive the older of two babies. The cot 4 is able to receive the younger of the two babies. The younger of the two babies may be, for example, one week to one year old. The older of the two babies may be, for example, nine months to two and a half years old.

The sleeping drawer 2 includes a first side wall 32 which upstands from the first longer side 12 of the base 6. The first longer side 12 of the base 6 is the longer side which is first to extend underneath the cot 4 when the sleeping drawer 2 is pushed under the cot 4. As best appreciated from Figure 5, the first side wall 32 is such that it forms a stop barrier for preventing the sleeping drawer 2 from being pulled completely out and away from the cot 4. The first side wall 32 is also available for providing a barrier for preventing the baby on the base 6 from falling off the base 6 via the first longer side 12 of the sleeping drawer 2 during use of the sleeping drawer 2.

The sleeping drawer 2 includes at least one second side wall 34 which upstands from the second longer side 14 of the base 6. The second side wall 34 is such that it extends at least part way along the second longer side 14 of the sleeping drawer 2. The second side wall 34 forms a barrier for preventing the baby on the base 6 from falling off the base 6 via the second longer side 14 of the base 6 during use of the sleeping drawer 2. As can be seen from the drawings, there are two of the second side walls 34. The two second side walls 34 extend inwardly towards each other. The two second side walls 34 do not meet and they thereby define an access gap 36 for enabling the baby to crawl into and out of the sleeping drawer 2 when the sleeping drawer 2 is in the use position. If a baby (not shown) is positioned in the sleeping drawer 2 with its head nearest the second end wall 18, then the second end wall 18 becomes a headboard, the first end wall 16 becomes a footer, the second side wall 34 adjacent the first end wall 16 becomes a side footer, and the second side wall 34 adjacent the second end wall 18 becomes a side headboard.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the first and second guide formations 22, 24 are slots which are formed between opposite ends 8, 10 of the base 6 and their respective end walls 16,18. The legs 26, 28 extend through the slots 22, 24 and rest on the floor on which the cot 4 is standing.

The wheel means 20 are casters.

The sleeping drawer 2 is be provided with a mattress (not shown) on the base 6.

The cot 4 may be a standard known cot 4. The cot 4 may have a mattress 37 and a fabric enclosure wall member 38.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, alternative first and second guide formations, for example guide strips, may be provided on the inner faces of the first and second end walls 16, 18. The first and second longer sides 12,14 may alternatively be shortened so that the first and second end walls 16, 18 run inside the first and second cot legs 26, 28. In this case the first and second guide formations 22, 24 may be the outer faces of the end walls 16,18, or they may be guide strips on these outer faces of the end walls 16, 18. Any suitable and appropriate guide formations may be employed which enable the first and second legs 26, 28 of the cot 4 to act as guides for the sleeping drawer 2 as it is pushed underneath the cot 4 and pulled out from under the cot 4. Instead of the wheel means 20 being the illustrated casters, the wheel means 20 could alternatively be rollers, wheels or any other fixtures that contribute to easier pulling out and pushing in of the sleeping drawer 2. The cot may be of any desired size. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention. The invention also extends to the individual components mentioned and/or shown above, taken singly or in any combination.

Claims

1. A sleeping drawer for use with a cot, which sledping drawer comprises:

(iii) movement-assisting means;

(ix) the sleeping drawer is able to move on the movement-assisting means backwards and forwards underneath the cot such that the first and second legs of the cot act as guides for the sleeping drawer as the sleeping drawer is pushed under the cot to a nonuse position and is pulled out from under the cotto a use position; and (x) in the use position, the base is able to receive the older of two babies, and the cot is able to receive the younger of the two babies.

2. A sleeping drawer according to claim 1 and including a first side wall which upstands from the first longer side of the base, the first longer side of the base being the longer side which is first to extend underneath the cot when the sleeping drawer is pushed under the cot, and the first side wall being such that it forms a stop barrier for preventing the sleeping drawer from being completely pulled out and away from the cot.

3. A sleeping drawer according to claim 1 or claim 2 and including at least one second side wall which upstands from the second longer side of the base, the second side wall being such that it extends at least part way along the second longer side of the base, and the second side wall being such that it forms a barrier for preventing the baby on the base from falling off the base via the second longer side of the base during use of the sleeping drawer.

4. A sleeping drawer according to claim 3 in which there are two of the second side walls, in which the two second side walls extend inwardly towards each other, and in which the two second side walls do not meet and thereby define an access gap.

5. A sleeping drawer according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first and second guide formations are slots which are formed between opposite ends of the base and their respective first and second end walls.

6. A sleeping drawer according to any one of the preceding claims in which the movement-assisting means are wheel means.

7. A sleeping drawer according to any one of the preceding claims and including a mattress on the base.

8. The combination of a sleeping drawer according to any one of the preceding claims and the cot.