US2922169A - Playpen - Google Patents

Description

Jan; '26, 1960 S WERNER PLAYPEN Flled Deo 9, 1957 32,912,161 PLAYPEN Siegmund Werner, South Orange, NJ., assignor to Deeco ncorporated, Bloomfield, NJ., a corporation of New ersey Application December 9, 1957, Serial No. 701,653

3 Claims. (Cl. v5--98) This invention relates to a portable playpen construction of a type adapted to be quickly and easily collapsed or folded into a compact condition for convenient storage or carrying from one placeto another.

While a variety of types of foldable playpen constructions have heretofore been devised, in the usual case such constructions are relatively heavy and awkward to carry and the settingup or collapsing ofsame usually involves a somewhat complicated series of manipulations', and with the possibility of pinching the users iingersV in the various parts or of breakage of the parts if same are not manipulated in exactly the intended manner.

The present invention provides Ya construction avoiding the above mentioned ditliculties and the arrangement being such thatvthe whole structure may be collapsed or folded into position for .easy carrying away by VV.substantially aA single movement, that is, according to an important aspect of the invention, the playpen has a .bottom or lloor area formed of two parts hingedly secured together along a median vertical plane. A supporting collapsing frame structure is provided for such iloor as well panying drawings, illustrating by way of example a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an end elevational view of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view showing the structure in collapsed condition and being ready to be carried as shown by the user; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing certain details.

Referring to the drawings in further detail, the playpen as best shown in Figs. l and 2, comprises a floor made of two parts 10a and 10b of plywood or other sheet material, these parts being hinged together as by hinges 11, the hinge line running horizontally preferably substantially midway between the two sides of the pen.

A supporting frame is provided preferably largely formed of tubular metal material, for example aluminum tubing, there being four main supporting legs, as 1nd1- cated at 12, 13, 14 and 15, the legs of each pair normally converging and being pivotally connected as at 16 and 17, respectively, to two top rails 18 and 19 for the pen.

Each of these top rail sections extends halfway aroundv the periphery of the pen and their ends respectively are pivoted together as at 20 and 21.

The side wall portions as at 23 of the pen may be comprised of a single area of fabric or suitable open-mesh webbing made of nylon or other suitable strong material.

Patented Jen, .26 1960 The upper edges of such webbing may be sewn, adhered or otherwise secured to plastic coverings as at V24, 25 encircling the top rail portions. The lower portions of such webbing may extend as shown in Fig. 4, around and under the iloor area where such edges are sewn, adhered or otherwise secured as at 26 lto an area of cloth 27, if desired, which may be used to cover the bottom surface portions of the floor.

In order to support the rail portions 18 and 19, knuckle-like pivotable supporting connections may be provided as at 30, 31, 32 and 33, .each of these having their lower ends pivotally connected to one of the frame legs and their upper ends pivotally connected to one of the rails 18 or 19.

As further shown in Figs. 1 and 2, supporting legs 12 and 15 are connected as a pair by a strut as at 35 extending along beneath floor portion 10a, and supporting legs 13 and 14 are interconnected by a similar strut 36 extending along beneath floor portion 10b. These struts may be in effect rotatably connected to the floor portions as by cleats 37. Thepends of each strut as at 38extend outwardly and downwardly and terminate in a riveted connection as at 39 to the adjacent lower portion of a leg.

In order to support the midportion of the floor area at a predetermined position above the floor and to prevent weight on the oor areas from breaking the hinges at 1,1, there may be provided a plurality of short collapsible supporting structures, one of which is indicated generally at 40 in Fig. 1. Each of these may comprise two tubular leg portions as at 41, 42 pivotally connectedin anY X-formation intermediate their length and with their upper ends pivotally connected to the underside of the oor as indi'- cated.

In order to collapse the structure as shown .in Figs. 1 and 2, to secure a relationship of the parts as shown approximately in Fig. 3, one may irst inspect theknucklelike connections 30, 31, 32 and 33 and make sure that they are biased slightly in a direction to permit folding and then it is simply necessary. forthe user to grasp a handle or strap as indicated at 45 in themiddle of the floor area and pull upwardly. Thereupon the entire structure will all automatically collapse with the parts assuming the relationship shown in Fig. 3 and the user may continue to hold on to the strap or handle 45 for. conveniently carrying the structure away without any further manipulations. In this condition it will be noted that the supporting legs will have been brought closely together and that the rail portions or members 18 and 19 will have become swung downwardly into generally parallel relationship to the supporting legs whereas the small floor supporting leg structures 40 will have become collapsed, as indicated, in between the now collapsed opposed portions 10a and 10b of the floor.

On occasion, it may be desired to lower only one or the other of the rail portions 18 or 19, so as to permit anyone to have easy access into the playpen or even to permit a Y child to step into the playpen without being lifted. In

such event, this result may be readily accomplished by first putting two of the knuckle-like connecting means, for example 31 and 33, into condition so that they will not be biased against folding, whereupon ythe rail portion 19 may be swung down so that its outer portion will be fairly close to the floor, thus giving easy access into and out of the pen.

Although a certain particular embodiment of the invention is herein disclosed for purposes of explanation, furtherY modilications thereof, after study of this specication, will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Reference should accordingly be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: i

1. A collapsible playpen construction comprising in combination: a floor comprised of two parts hingedly secured together along adividing line extending along the mid-portion thereof; Ycollapsible fencing extending upwardly from the borders of `said floor when the playpen is in set-up condition; collapsible leg means supporting the fencing means hingedly secured at their upper ends with respect to each other and diverging downwardly and outwardly from saidupper ends beyond said Iloor, said collapsible leg means being secured to saidfloor parts respectively for supporting the same remote from said dividing line; said construction being collapsible upon lifting the hinged mid-portion of said floor; and additional collapsible supporting means for supporting said oor parts adjacent said dividing line when said playpen is in set-up condition, said additionalA supporting means comprising supporting structures pivotally connected together intermediate their ends and with their upper portions pivotally connected respectively -to 'the undersides of the two lloor parts adjacent said dividing line whereby to support said floor parts adjacent said dividing line when the playpen is set up and to fold together relatively to one another when said playpen is collapsed. t

2. A collapsible playpen construction comprising in combination: a floor comprised of two parts hingedly secured together along a dividing line extending along the mid-portion thereof; collapsible fencing extending upwardly from the borders of said oor when the playpen is in set-up condition; collapsible leg means supporting the fencing means hingedly secured at their upper ends with respect to each other and diverging downwardly and outwardly from said upper -ends beyond saidfiloor, said collapsible leg means being secured to said'floor parts respectively for supporting the same remote 'from said dividing line; said construction being collapsible upon lifting the hinged mid-portion of said o'or; and 'additional collapsible supporting means for supporting said floor parts adjacent said dividing line when said playpen is in set-up condition, said additional supporting means comprising pairs of supporting legs, the legs 'ofY cach pair being pivotally connected together intermediate their ends and with their upper portions pivotally connected respectively to the undersides of the two oor parts adjacent said dividing line whereby to support said oor parts adjacent said dividing line when the playpen isset up and to pivot towards one another about said pivotal connection therebetween when said playpen is collapsed.

3. A collapsible playpen construction comprising in combination: a oor comprised of two partshingedly secured together along a dividing line extending along the mid-portion thereof; collapsible fencing extending upwardly from the borders of said oor when the playpen is in set-up condition; collapsible leg means supporting the fencing means hingedly secured at their upper ends with respect to each other and diverging downwardly and outwardly from said upper ends beyond said oor, said collapsible leg means being secured to said oorparts respectively for supporting the same remote from said dividing line; said construction being collapsible upon lifting the hinged mid-portion of said oor; and additional collapsible supporting means for supporting said floor parts adjacent said dividing line when said playpen is in set-up condition, said additional supporting means comprising at least one pair of legs, each leg of each pair being pivotally connected respectively to one of said Hoor parts -ad jacent said dividing line and being inclined downwardly through a vertical plane passing through said dividing line when said playpen is set up, the legs of each such pair being connected by a pivot in said plane and which pivot is fixed relatively to said legs, whereby the free ends of said legs rest on a supporting surface to support said floor parts adjacent said dividing line when the playpen is set up, said legs rotating about said pivot towards one another to nest between the oor parts when said playpen is collapsed.

References Cited in the tile of this patent -UNITED STATES PATENTS 461,691 Trenholme Oct. 20, 1891 609,520 De Von Aug. 23, 1898 1,429,335 Gabriel Sept. 19, 1922 2,533,970 Sole Dec. 12, 1950 2,553,703 Ebersole May 22, 195,1 2,710,976 Martensen June 21, 1955 2,783,053 Sheldrick Feb. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,332 Great Britain 1883 19,252 Great Britain 1892 29,125 Sweden July 9, `1910 182,631 Great Britain July 13, 1922 640,023 France Mar. 19, 1929 958,555 France Sept. 12, 1949

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