GB2382522A

GB2382522A - Cot-mounted work surface

Info

Publication number: GB2382522A
Application number: GB0128603A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lee Roy Allen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-29
Filing date: 2001-11-29
Publication date: 2003-06-04
Also published as: GB0128603D0

Abstract

A folding baby changer 10 includes a work surface 12 mounted to a rectangular frame 26 attached to an upright wall of a cot. The surface is held in the frame by pins 68 slidably engaged with slots (68 Fig 2) in the uprights 28. When stored, the surface lies parallel to the cot wall; in use it slides upwards and then pivots about pins 66 so as to lie across the cot, using the opposite side wall of the cot as a support. The surface may include a changing mat 14 with harness 20. Frame 26 is mounted on cot frame 40 using clamps on the uprights 28 which have an L-shaped gripping bracket 42 tightened by a knob and screw arrangement 48,50 and also a flexible (possibly resilient) strap 54 firmly attached to the screw 48 and passing through a slot 56 in the frame member 28 to be gripped under washer 52. The straps have a slot 58 enabling their fixation round varying sizes of cot frame.

Description

Baby Changing Facility The present invention relates to a baby changing facility and more particularly to a work surface which may be mounted across at least two upright walls of a baby's cot providing a stable baby changing work surface.

It is well understood that most parents of babies and young children still wearing nappies employ a dedicated baby changing mat or surface upon which to undertake the operation of changing nappies. Mats of this type are substantially rectangular in shape comprising of a resilient material, such as foam, and are encased within a sealed plastic cover to allow for ease of cleaning. However, it will be appreciated that the essential element of these mats is to provide a dedicated work surface of an appropriate size convenient for changing a baby. Whilst mats of these types are portable, it is often desirable to have a dedicated baby changing facility within the nursery, which currently takes the form of baby changing trolleys having a flat work surface mounted on a table or chest of drawers. Whilst providing a suitable baby changing work surface, such dedicated work stations occupy a large floor area and provide a dedicated surface area that needs to be kept clear for use and cannot be used for permanent storage. Since the majority of modem homes use smaller rooms for nurseries, whereby space is at a premium, and it is

understood that modem families acquire large volumes of baby products such as clothing, toiletries, educational toys etc. it is desirable to use all storage areas efficiently. The use of a dedicated baby changing facility of the type previously discussed, utilises a large potential storage area within the nursery.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a baby changing device which alleviates the aforementioned problems and provides an operative work surface which does not permanently dedicate floor space to such use.

According to the present invention there is provided a displaceable baby changing device comprising a work surface for a mounting between and to be supported by at least two upright walls of a cot, wherein the work surface is pivotally mounted relative to a first upright wall so as to be pivotal about a fixed pivot axis from a first plane substantially parallel to the first upright wall to a second plane extending transverse to the first wall and extending between the two upright walls. This allows the worksurface to be displaced from a stored position substantially parallel to the first upright wall to a first operative position mounted on and extending between the two walls. In this manner, floor space occupied by the cot is converted to a work surface for baby changing operations.

Preferably, the work surface is displaceable from a first stored position in the first plane to a second intermediate position in said first plane to allow pivotal displacement about the pivot axis.

Usually, the pivot axis will define an intersection of the first and second planes, and the worksurface will be slideably mounted relative to the pivot axis so as to be extendable therefrom.

Usually, such a baby changing device will comprise of a support frame defining the pivot axis and having a first sliding means for cooperation with a second sliding means on the work surface to restrain the work surface in sliding engagement with this frame. Whilst it is preferable that the frame be releasably mounted to the first upright wall of the cot, it is also possible that such a frame may be formed integral with the wall of the cot. Where the frame is releasably mounted to the cot wall, the frame will usually comprise of at least one adjustable fixing member for mounting the frame to the first upright wall.

Usually such fixing members will comprise an adjustable bracket member for engagement with the upright wall together with an actuator member for operatively adjusting the distance of the bracket member relative to the frame

so that the cot wall can be held between the bracket and the frame in a relatively secure fit, with the fixing member capable of adjustment for various wall sizes and thicknesses. Since cots of this type usually employ walls in the form of rectangular frames having upright bars (allowing both for circulation of air throughout the cot whilst maintaining full visibility), a need for an adjustable fixed element is necessary to accommodate engagement with either the bars or the framework of such walls.

Preferable, the actuator member will comprise an elongate rotatable screw threaded member mounted on the frame and maintained in screw threaded engagement with the bracket so that actuation of the screw threaded engagement between the actuator member and the bracket will affect relative displacement between the two in the direction along the length of the screw threaded member. Usually this is achieved by having a rod or bolt secured to the bracket to restrict rotation relative thereto, with a rotatable member such as a knob or handle mounted on the frame having a cooperating internal screw thread so that rotation of the knob or handle relative to the elongated member affects the screw threaded engagement forcing the bracket in an elongated direction either towards or away from the frame member. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the rotatable knob or handle may have a elongated screw threaded member fixed thereto and the bracket member may have a reciprocal

internally threaded nut mounted thereon for receipt of the elongated member so that rotation of the threaded member by rotation of the knob is again converted to longitudinal displacement of the bracket along the axis of the threaded member.

Preferably the bracket member will be substantially L-shaped so as to be capable of being"hooked over"the tops of the upright wall or alternatively behind one of the vertical bars of the cot wall so as to engage the side of the wall remote from the frame, thereby allowing the wall to be compressed between the bracket and the frame. The fixing member may further comprise of an adjustable strap which is placed over the bracket and extended therefrom in a substantially closed loop fixing between the bracket and the actuator member. Preferably the adjustable strap is releasably secured to the actuator member so that in operation it may be released and passed completely around a bar or the framework of the cot wall before being re-engaged with the actuator member to form a completely enclosing fixing about the bar or framework of the cot wall. The strap will usually be formed of or coated with a substantially resilient material such as rubber, resilient plastics or leather so as to provide a protective cushioning layer about the substantially solid bracket.

Preferably, the actuator means itself is adjustable so as to compress the strap

member against the frame to hold the strap in a pre-determined position, wherein the frame may comprise a material insert having a high friction co efficient, such as rubber, which increases frictional engagement with the strap to provide an increased secure friction engagement there between.

Usually, one of the first or second sliding means will comprise an engagement member and the other of the first or second sliding means will comprise a co- operating channel for receiving this engagement member. Since the work surface will preferably be rectangular and the support frame will also be substantially rectangular, comprising of a least two elongated two support members one each disposed adjacent to two parallel sides of the work surface, it is preferred that each of the parallel sides of the work surface will have one of the first or second sliding means and each of the associated adjacent support members of the frame will have the other of the first or second sliding means.

In this way, the sliding relationship between the work surface and the frame is achieved on both sides of the supported work surface to provide more a stable sliding arrangement.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame member will have mounted thereon a cylindrical pin member co-axial with the pivot axis for rotational engagement with a recess, usually cylindrical, in the work surface to

allow the work surface to pivot about the cylindrical pin. Usually both of the elongated support members of the frame will have a cylindrical pin member, both pin members being mounted co-axially on the pivot axis, for engagement with associated recesses disposed in either side of the work surface, providing a more stable rotational platform for the work surface.

Alternatively the frame will have co-operating recesses for rotational engagement with the pin members mounted on the worksurface, whereby the co-operating recesses are co-axial with the pivot axis. This allows for the pin or pins to be received within the co-operating recess to allow the work surface to be rotated about the pivot access. Here, the frame member will usually have two cylindrical pin members extending co-axially, one from the opposed sides thereof.

In this manner, it is preferred that these pin members, whether disposed on the frame or on the work surface, will form the aforementioned engagement means to also allow the sliding engagement between the frame and work surface.

Where the pin members are mounted on the work surface, the co-operating recess will co-exist with the co-operating channel, usually lying therein.

It is preferred that the baby changing device will further comprise a restriction

means to restrain the work surface from rotational displacement relative to the frame until the pin member is aligned with the co-operating recess defining the pivot axis. It is usual that such restriction means will usually comprise projection members, such as struts extending across the frame, or other projections from the frame, which engage with the work surface to restrain it in the first plane. In one embodiment, the first upright wall itself may serve as a restriction means in combination with the arrangement of the pin member mounted on the work surface.

Preferably, the displaceable baby changing device will further comprise an adjustable restraint means on the work surface for adjustably restraining a baby or other item placed thereon when the work surface is in the first operative position. Such a restraint means may take the form of a conventional releasable harness or other commercially available child restraint means, such as straps with hook and loop type fastenings.

In addition, the baby changing device may further comprise a baby changing mat mounted on the work surface, either securely or removably. In this manner the work surface itself may be recessed so as to accommodate such a changing mat.

In addition, a further aspect of this present invention provides for a cot comprising a displaceable baby changing device as discussed above.

According to the second aspect of the present invention there is also provided an adjustable fixing member for mounting a frame to an upright wall comprising a substantially L shaped bracket member for engagement with the upright wall and an actuator member restrained on the frame for operatively adjusting the distance of the bracket member relative to the frame, the bracket member further comprising an adjustable flexible strap to form a closed loop fixing between the bracket and the actuator member. Preferably the actuator member will comprise an elongate a rotatable screw threaded member maintained in screw threaded engagement with the bracket, whereby actuation of the screw threaded engagement between the actuator member and the bracket affects relative longitudinal displacement there between.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which Figure 1 is a rear view of a displaceable baby changing device for mounting on a cot; and Figure 2 is the front view of the baby changing device of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 3a is a schematic view, from behind, of a frame of the baby changing device of Figure 1; Figure 3b is a schematic view of one of the support members of the frame of Figure 3a when viewed along the line A in Figure 3a; and Figure 4a is a schematic view of a work surface of the device of Figure 1; and Figure 4b is a side elevation of the work surface of Figure 4a; and Figure 5 is an exploded view from above of the engagement between the work surface and frame of the baby changing device of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the baby changing device of Figure 2 along the lines II-II with the work surface raised to an upper position relative to the frame; and Figure 7 is a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of a baby changing device; and Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of an adjustable fixing element of the device of Figure 1 taken along the lines m-m ; and Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of a third embodiment of a baby changing device.

Referring to Figure 1, an adjustable baby changing device 10 comprises a substantially flat, rectangular work 12 mounted on a rectangular frame 26. The worksurface has mounted thereon a conventional baby changing mat 14 being

substantially rectangular with a raised edge 16 providing a fluid barrier around the main working area 18 which is designed to accommodate a baby or small child for changing of nappies or other cleaning operations. The changing mat 14 may further comprise a releasable harness mechanism 20, which may either be secured to the mat or may be passed through the mat and secured to the work surface 12. Harness 20 is a conventional design having a buckle mechanism 22 which can be released to allow the harness to be placed over the baby and then reconnected to secure the baby in the desired position. Other types of child restraints may be used such as adjustable straps with fastenings (eg. hook and loop).

As shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4b, the mat may be housed within a recessed area of the work surface 12 so as to not project externally of the work surface, although this is not necessary and, if required, the mat itself may be removable and held in place by a conventional release means, such as by use of hook and loop fastenings. Alternatively, the device may employ the harness to pass through the mat to hold it in place. As well as the mat being held in a recessed position as in Figure 4b, this is not essential and the mat may remain proud of the work surface 12 if required.

The work surface 12 has further attached a handle 24 to allow a user to move

the work surface 12 relative to a frame 26 as will be described in more detail later.

This baby changing device 10 is for use with a conventional childs cot of the type having a substantially rectangular frame, with four upright walls, each wall usually comprising an array of vertical bars, allowing free circulation of air over the sleeping area and allowing full visibility to the child, but also providing a secure environment. Cots of this type are well known and will not be described further.

Referring now to Figure 3a, the frame member 26 is shown schematically to be a simple rectangular frame comprising two upright members 28 and two transverse support members 30 extended between the two upright members to support and strengthen the frame 26. For illustrative purposes in Figures 1 and 2, only the upper part of the frame member is shown.

Since this baby changing device is intended for use in a nursery and in particularly on a cot, the edges of the frame and work surface are suitably rounded to avoid potential injury to a baby or young child.

Referring now to Figures 3 & 8 each of the frame upright members 28 has

formed in an upper end, a substantially rectangular passage 32 extending all the way through the frame. This is clearly seen in Figure 8, showing a cross sectional view through the upright member 28 in this region. Towards the rear face 34 of the frame 26, the passage is restricted in size to form a narrowed portion 36 which serves to restrain a bracket member 42 from passing all the way through as will be described later. This narrowed portion is optional and can be omitted if required since engagement of the bracket member with a cot frame in use will also serve to restrain the bracket.

The passage 32 is primarily positioned for mounting an adjustable fixing member 38 to the frame, which fixing member 38 is adjustable to allow the frame to be releasably secured to the horizontal bar of 40 of a cot, which bar may be of various thicknesses and sizes.

The fixing member 38 comprises a substantially L shaped metal bracket 42 which is displaceable into and out of the frame member 28. This L shaped bracket 42 has an internal element 44 for engaging with an elongate screw threaded member 46. The screw threaded member 46 will usually take the form of a bolt which is securely attached to the internal element 44 of the bracket 42. Such fixing may include welding or frictional fitment of the screw threaded member 46 to the bracket 42 to prevent relative rotation therebetween.

The member 46 has a front screw threaded end 48 which passes through the narrow portion 36 of the passage 32 to be received in a screw threaded engagement with the internal screw thread of a rotatable knob or handle 50.

The handle 50 has an associated large diameter washer 52 associated therewith and mounted concentrically about the threaded member 46 so as to restrain the knob 50 from passing through the passage 32 whilst providing a large reaction area for the knob 50 to be compressed against.

In addition, the narrow portion 36 of the passage 32 serves to restrict the internal element 44 of the L shaped bracket 40 from passing all the way through such passage 32. In this manner, it will be appreciated that the fixing element 38 is restrained in engagement with the frame 26.

In use, the L shaped member is mounted over a bar, shown here as 40 and representing the cross sectional view through the upper bar or rail of the side of a cot. In this manner as the knob 50 is rotated about the screw threaded member 48 the screw threaded engagement causes the screw threaded member to be drawn towards or forced away from the knob 50, displacing the L-shaped member (42) in a right to left direction (or vice versa) as viewed in figure 8.

Displacement of the L-shaped member towards the knob 50 and, thus, frame 26 serves to compress the bar member 40 between the L-shaped member 42 and

the outside of the up-right member 28 of the frame. In this manner, it will be appreciated that the fixing member 38 provides an adjustable fixing to accommodate fixing the frame to bars 40 of different sizes.

It will also be appreciated that the fixing member 38 described herein, whilst used to engage a substantially horizontal bar 40, could equally be applied (by rotating through 90 ) to engage with a substantially vertical bar member of the cot would to achieve the same objective of securing the frame against the bar member and hence cot.

Again referring to Figure 8 a further feature of the fixing member 28 comprises of the use of an additional flexible strap member 54. This strap member 54 comprises a flexible and usually resilient material such as rubber or possibly leather and is securely fixed about the threaded member 48 so as to be held in overlying engagement with the bracket member 42 and further extends around the outer peripheral of the outside bracket 42 so as to pass through a second passage 56 through the upright member 28, whereby it is looped around so as to pass over the threaded member 48 so as to be compressed between the knob 50 and the upright member 58. As shown in Figure 1, the strap 54 has an elongate channel 58 allowing it to be fitted over the member 48 and displaceably retained between the knob and upright member 28 allowing it to

be moved vertically as viewed in Figures 8 or Figure 1 when the compressive force of the knob is released. In this manner, it will be appreciated that the strap 54 forms a substantially closed loop around the bracket 42 which is of adjustable length, by virtue of the channel 58, with freedom to move over the threaded member 48. Thus the strap is adjustable, allowing it to accommodate different sizes of bars 40. The adjustable end 60 of the strap 54 may be released from the fixing member by removing the knob 50 from the threaded member 48, (alternatively, the elongate channel 58 may be of sufficient length to be passed over the knob when the compressive force is released) and this adjustable end 60 drawn through the passage 56. In this manner, when the bracket member 42 is hooked over a bar 40 the strap is then passed all the way around the bar 40, back through the passage way 56 and reengaged between the knob 50 and the upright member 28 and drawn tight so as to wrap around the exposed part of the bar 40 to provide additional engagement therewith to restrain the frame adjacent to the bar 40. The strap 54 is then clamped into this tightened position by rotation of the knob 50 about the screw threaded member 48 to effect fictional engagement between the washer 52 and the frame 28 as shown in Figure 8. To further improve the frictional retention of the strap member 54 in this desired position, the outer surface of the upright member 28 is provided with a frictional retaining element 62 which will simply be material having a high friction coefficient,

such as rubber, so as to provide frictional retention of the strap 54 compressed against there. Thus, the strap 54 provides a dual function of providing additional retention of the fixing means to a bar 40 but also serves to provide a cushioning member about the rigid, often metallic, L-shaped bracket member 42 to protect the occupant of the cot to which the device is fixed from potential injury from any sharp or hard edges of the L-shaped bracket. As can be seen in the preferred embodiment, both upright members 28 of the frame 26 comprise of identical fixing members 38.

However, it will be also be appreciated that the frame 26 could be formed integral with the side of a cot or mounted thereon by a permanent fixing such as the use of bolts or screws. Alternative releasable fixings could also be used such as adjustable straps or male/female retaining means mounted on both cot and frame for releasable engagement there between. Such means are well known and will not be described further.

Referring now to Figures 4a and 4b it can be seen that the work surface 12 is substantially rectangular and has mounted on its two longer side edges 64 opposed cylindrical pin members 66 having a common axis A. Each of the upright members 28 of the frame 26 has, on their inwardly facing surfaces 67 a corresponding channel 68 for complimentary engagement with each of the

associated pin members 66 to allow pin members 66 to slide along this channel 68 to provide for a sliding fit between the work surface 12 and the frame 26.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be appreciated that the work surface 12 is maintained in a substantially vertical plane, parallel with the frame 26 by engagement with the support member 30 of the frame when the pin members 66 are disposed below this support member. In order to prevent the work surface falling away from the frame member (in a direction away from the support member 30 and away from the cot onto which the frame is to be mounted), an additional rearward support bracket 70 is mounted on at least one (and preferably both) upright members 28. Whilst this support bracket 70 may extend as a bar between the two upright members 28, it is only necessary to overlap with the work surface 12, as shown in the present embodiment in Figure 1. Figure 5, shows schematically the arrangement between the frame and work surface 12 whereby the support bar 70 and support member 30 effectively form a channel 72 for receiving the work surface 12, and allowing the worksurface to slide therebetween in the same plane as the frame 26.

In this manner, the work surface 12 is mounted by pin member 66 to the frame 26 and is restrained from pivotal displacement by the support bracket 70 and the support member 30. When the work surface is in a stored position and the

pin members 66 are disposed below the support member 30, the work surface 12 prevented from pivotal displacement within the channel 72.

However, referring now to Figure 6 it will be appreciated that when the work surface 12 is slideably displaced upwardly to the intermediate position shown in Figure 6 whereby the pin 66 engages with an uppermost stop 74 in channel 68, the work surface 12 whilst still in the first plane, is no longer restrained from pivotal displacement about the pin member 66 in the direction shown by arrow B, thereby allowing the work surface 12 to be pivotally displaced to a substantially horizontal plane where it is able to extend between two upright sides of the cot on which the baby changing device is mounted. In this position the work surface 12 will rest on an upper surface of the support member 30 and also the opposed side of the cot to which the frame 26 is mounted. Alternatively, the arrangement of the fixing member 38 relative to the support member 30 may be adjusted so that in the substantially horizontal position the work surface 12 may simply rest on and be supported by opposed sides of the cot. In either situation engagement of the work surface 12 with the cot walls will restrain the pivot member 66 in the upper most position shown in Figure 6.

Whilst not shown in the drawings, it will be appreciated that the work surface

12 may have additional cot restraint means for engagement with the remote side of the cot to which the frame is mounted which can then be connected to or around such frame to restrain the work surface 66 in this substantially horizontal position extending between and supported by two sides of the cot.

Examples of such cot restraint means will include adjustable flexible straps which can be looped around bars of the cot and secured by hook and loop or harness type fastenings. Alternatively, simple ties may be used to tie the frame in the substantially horizontal position between the two walls of the cot.

Thus, the cot then supports the work surface 12 in a substantially horizontal plane to allow a baby or small infant to be placed on the mat on the work surface 12 to be used as a baby changing work surface.

When the device 10 is no longer required and access to the cot is desired, the cot restraint means can be released and the work surface 12 pivoted about the pin members 66 back to the substantially vertical position shown in Figure 6, whereby engagement between the lower end 76 of the work surface 12 and the support member 30 defines this vertical position aligning the work surface with the channel 72 to allow it to be slideably received between the member 30 and the support bracket 70. This alignment enables the work surface to be slideably returned to the storage position whereby the support surface 12 again

lies in the same plane as the frame 26. (Figures 1 and 2).

It will be appreciated that whilst the use of pin members received within a channel, as described above, allows for pivotal displacement of the work surface 12 relative to the frame, the use of the support bar 70 and support member 30 restrict rotational displacement between the two unless the pins 66 are disposed in a predetermined maximum upper position shown in Figure 6 where rotational displacement is permitted. This upper position shown in Figure 6 defines a pivot axis between the two upright members 28 of the frame 26 about which the work surface 12 is enabled to pivot when the axis A between the pins 66 corresponds to this pivot axis C shown, in Figure 2.

It will be appreciated, that children's nurseries are often crowded and compact areas and this current invention provides a benefit in providing a stowable work surface which can be mounted on a cot to provide a displaceable work surface when required and which may be stored in a manner which does not occupy a great deal of space between the cot and a wall.

However, an alternative embodiment of the current invention envisages the situation whereby the cot itself may be placed in an area having a low ceiling which could restrain the vertical sliding displacement of the work surface as

previously described. Therefore, referring now to Figure 7, an alternative embodiment of the current invention is envisaged whereby the relationship between the pin members 66 and the channel 68 as described in Figures 3 and Figures 4 are now reversed so that the pin members 66 are each mounted on the frame upright members 28'and the work surface 12'has two opposed elongate channels 68'one each disposed on its opposed elongate sides. In this embodiment, the two pin members 66 are again co-axial and correspond to the pivot axis C defined in the previous embodiment.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, each of the upright members comprise an upper stop element 76 towards the upper edge of the upright member 28 to restrict vertical displacement of the work surface 12 relative to the upright member 28. In this manner, use of this embodiment of this baby changing device 10'can be undertaken where there is low vertical clearance above the cot (such as low ceiling) which would prevent the use of the embodiment described for baby changing device 10. Here the work surface 12 may be pivoted about the pin members 66'from the stowed position to a substantially horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Figure 7. The worksurface is then slideable displaced in the direction shown generally by arrow F in Figure 7 to an operative position where it is able to extend across and be supported by two opposed walls of a cot, the manner previously discussed. This embodiment

would require operational clearance to enable the work surface 12 to be pivoted upwardly from a plane adjacent to the cot wall into the substantially horizontal plane shown in Figure 7.

Alternatively, it is also possible that the upper stop 76 may be removed so that the pivoting of the work surface 12 about pin members 66'mounted on the frame 26'may be achieved simultaneously with sliding displacement of the work surface 12 over the pin member 66.

Furthermore, referring to the embodiment shown in Figures 1-6, it will also be appreciated that the pin member 66 and cooperating channel 68 between the work surface and the upright member 28 may be reversed to an arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 7 with the stop 76 has also been removed. In such an embodiment the work surface 12 would again be restrained to relative sliding displacement in a vertical plane by formation of the channel 72 between the support bracket 70 and support members 30 until the position of the worksurface in Figure 6 is achieved, thereby allowing pivotal displacement about the pivot access C in this predetermined alignment between frame and worksurface.

It will be understood that there any many possible variations to the foregoing

embodiments of the current invention. In particular, in its simplest form, the current invention could comprise of a work surface mounted about a first hinge member so as to be capable of rotational displacement about the hinge member through 270 degrees from a first plane, that is substantially parallel and adjacent to an upright wall of the cot, to a second plane extending between the two upright walls of the cot; simply using a hinge member in this manner would not be the preferred embodiment since it requires both vertical and horizontal clearance to allow the work surface to be pivoted through 270 degrees.

Another possible embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 9, showing illustratively how a dual pivot axis arrangement can be employed to displace a work surface 12 mounted on a cot wall 80 from a first stored position parallel to the cot wall 80'to an operative position extending between and mounted on two parallel cot walls. Here, the work surface 12'is mounted about a first rotational axis Y of a pivot member 100 (illustratively shown here as a cube shaped box) so as to be fully pivotal about such axis. The pivot member 100 is also rotatably mounted to the cot wall 80 about a second axis X. Figure 9 shows the arrangement between the cot wall and the pivot member and work surface 12'in an exploded view for clarity.

In operation, the work surface 12'is mounted in a stored position in a first plane substantially parallel to that of the cot wall 80"so as to lie parallel therewith. The pivot member 100 may then be rotated about the axis X in a direction 102 so as to rotate pivot axis Y about the axis X, so that axis Y will now lie substantially parallel with an upper edge of the cot wall 80. In this manner the work surface 12 has been maintained in a constant plane parallel with the cot wall 80 and may now be rotated in a direction 104 about axis Y to rotationally displace the work surface 12 out of this first plane to a second plane extending between the cot wall 80"and a parallel cot wall (not shown) to be mounted and supported thereon. In this manner the schematic baby changing device shown in Figure 9 operates similarly to that described with reference to Figures 1-6 in that the work surface 12 is maintained in the same plane whilst being displaced from a stored position to an intermediate position allowing pivotable displacement to a second plane, and thus maintaining the described advantages and alleviating the need for significant clearance transversely of the cot when moving the work surface from a stored to an operative position. It will be appreciated that Figure 9 shows the concept of using two pivot points and a pivot member 100 in a schematic manner and additional features may be readily derived from the foregoing description of the alternative embodiment to include restraint means for restraining the work surface 12 from displacement about the Axis Y when in the first stowed

position and also while the pivot me b position and also while the pivot member is being rotationally displaced about the axis X.

Claims

1. A displaceable baby changing device comprising a work surface for mounting between and to be supported by at least two upright walls of a cot, wherein the worksurface is pivotably mounted relative to a first upright wall so as to be pivotable about a fixed pivot axis from a first plane substantially parallel to said first upright wall to a second plane extending transverse to the first wall and extending between said two upright walls.

2. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said worksurface is displaceable from a first stored position in said first plane to a second intermediate position in said first plane to allow pivotal displacement about said pivot axis.

3. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in either of the preceding claims wherein the pivot axis defines an intersection of the first and second planes, and said worksurface is slideably mounted relative to the pivot axis so as to be extendable therefrom.

4. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of the

preceding claims comprising a support frame defining said pivot axis and having a first sliding means for co-operation with a second sliding means on said worksurface to restrain said worksurface in sliding engagement with said frame.

5. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the support frame is integral with said first upright wall.

6. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said frame is releasably mounted to said first upright wall.

7. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said frame comprises at least one adjustable fixing member for mounting said frame to said first upright wall.

8. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said adjustable fixing member comprises an adjustable bracket member for engagement with said upright wall and an actuator member for operatively adjusting the distance of the bracket member relative to the frame.

9. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the actuator member comprises an elongate rotateable screw threaded member mounted on said frame and maintained in screw threaded engagement with said bracket whereby actuation of the screw threaded engagement between the actuator member and the bracket effects relative displacement between the two along the length of the screw threaded member.

10. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 9 wherein the bracket member is L shaped and the fixing member further comprises an adjustable strap to form a closed loop fixing between said bracket and said actuator member.

11. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the actuator member is releasably engageable with said strap member to secure said strap in a required position.

12. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the actuator means is adjustable so as to compress the strap member against the frame and wherein the frame member comprises a material insert having a high friction coefficient to increase

frictional engagement with said strap.

13. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to claim 12 wherein one of said first and second sliding means comprises an engagement member and the other of said first and second sliding means comprises a co-operating channel for receiving said engagement member.

14. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in anyone of claims 4 to 13 wherein the worksurface is substantially rectangular and said support frame comprising at least two elongate support members one each disposed adjacent to two parallel sides of said worksurface.

15. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 14 when appended to claim 6 wherein each of said parallel sides has one of a first or second sliding means and each of the adjacent support members has the other of said first and second sliding means.

16. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 15 wherein said frame member has mounted thereon a cylindrical pin member co-axial with said pivot axis for rotational

engagement with a recess in said worksurface.

17. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 16 when appended to claim 8 having a cylindrical pin member associated with both elongate support members and both cylindrical pin members being mounted co-axially with said pivot axis.

18. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 15 wherein the worksurface has mounted thereon at least one cylindrical pin member and said frame has a co-operating recess for rotational engagement with said pin member which co-operating recess is co-axial with said pivot axis.

19. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18 when appended to claim 11 wherein said engagement means comprises said pin member.

20. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in claim 19 when appended to claim 18 further comprising restriction means to restrain said worksurface from rotational displacement relative to the frame until said pin member is aligned with said co-operating recess.

21. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the worksurface further comprises an adjustable restraint means for restraining a baby or other item placed thereon when said worksurface is in said first operative position.

22. A displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the worksurface has a baby changing mat mounted thereon.

23. A cot comprising a displaceable baby changing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

24. An adjustable fixing member for mounting a frame to an upright wall comprising an L shaped bracket member for engagement with said upright wall and an actuator member restrained on said frame for operatively adjusting the distance of the bracket member relative to the frame, the bracket member further comprising an adjustable flexible strap to form a closed loop fixing between said bracket and said actuator member.

25. An adjustable fixing member as claimed in claim 24 wherein the actuator member comprises an elongate rotateable screw threaded member maintained in screw threaded engagement with said bracket whereby actuation of the screw threaded engagement between the actuator member and the bracket effects relative longitudinal displacement therebetween.

26. An adjustable fixing member as claimed in claim 25 wherein the actuator member is engageable with said strap member to secure said strap in a required position.

27. An adjustable fixing member as claimed in claim 26 wherein the actuator means is adjustable so as to compress the strap member against the frame and wherein actuator member has associated therewith a material insert for mounting on said frame and having a high friction coefficient to increase frictional engagement with said strap.

28. A displaceable baby changing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

29. A cot comprising a displaceable baby changing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings

30. An adjustable fixing element as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.