Baby crib
People use baby cribs as a safe place to put their baby while the baby sleeps. The use and utility of baby cribs has long been established. The most widely used crib is a rigid four-wall structure standing on four legs, one of the walls being vertically slidable so as to permit easy access to the baby. Typically, baby cribs are used during the infancy stage of a child. During this period, the baby must be kept hygienically clean by changing the mattress coverings at least daily. The baby cribs typically have vertical rails to prevent the baby from falling out of bed while sleeping. These rails are usually located such that a baby can often put his or her head, arms and/or legs through the space between two rails or between the rails and mattress which may cause injury to the baby. The rails are also hard enough that when a baby falls against the rails it may injure the baby.
The frame structure for a baby’s crib as constructed may be made from wooden, aluminum or metal material. The crib having a generally rectangular, box shape characterized by an open top and an opposite flat rectangular floor that is supported by four vertical corner posts which also extend downwardly below the crib floor to provide legs to elevate the floor above ground level. It was realized that additional comfort and protection could be provided by means of upholstery or padding disposed within the crib railing, to provide a soft surface between a child within the crib and the crib railing. These devices are known as “bumpers”, and may include additional features such as decorative or educational elements, etc. To minimize the potential for discomfort or injury to an infant by contact with hard objects such as the walls or vertical bars of a crib, the crib is typically provided with bumpers for contact by infants. Typical crib bumpers are from about 6″ to about 10″ in height and are typically composed of a sponge rubber or polymer material having a thickness in the order of about 2″ and having a suitable covering of material such as fabric, polymer sheeting or the like. A typical infant crib is provided with a crib mattress and mattress support for comfortable support of an infant and is further provided with walls or vertical bars to confine an infant to the crib. Typical cribs have a rail or panel that is capable of sliding vertically. The raising and lowering of the side panel prevents any object, such as a wheelchair, from passing underneath the crib bed. A portable crib structure simply has four side walls which are pivoted together and is provided with straps so that it can be strapped to a normal size bed to provide a temporary confined area for a baby to sleep.
The need for safe, secure, and comfortable bedding for infants, toddlers, and small children has long been recognized. Baby cribs must be designed and constructed to provide a safe environment for the infant and to meet various government safety standards. Such safety standards have become increasingly more stringent over the years as concern about child safety has risen in public awareness. People developed baby crib bumpers to prevent babies from hitting the rails with their heads and injuring themselves. The baby crib bumpers also assist in reducing the possibility of a baby being able to put his or her head, arms, and/or legs through the spaces between the rails. Crib bumpers provide a soft lining about the sides and ends of a crib and, in many cases, crib bumpers are defined by a continuous length of bumper material that is jointed in such manner that it defines corners matching the corners of the crib. Many crib bumpers are held in place by tie cords that are tied to the vertical bars of a crib. Baby cribs have provided security for small infants but have not been satisfactory for infants after they have reached an advanced crawling or early walking stage.