US20040064887A1

US20040064887A1 - Foot of a baby bed

Info

Publication number: US20040064887A1
Application number: US10/265,625
Authority: US
Inventors: Pao-Hsien Cheng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-08
Filing date: 2002-10-08
Publication date: 2004-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 2022-10-08
Also published as: FR2851145A1; FR2851145B1; US6721970B1

Abstract

A baby bed has feet connected to lower ends of vertical supporting legs. Each of the feet has an upper fixed part, which is joined to corresponding leg when the baby bed is assembled in the factory, and a lower part, which is to be fitted to the upper part later by the user for the baby bed to be used. The upper part has elongated protrusions formed along the bottom, and the lower part has corresponding trenches on the top so that the lower part can be fitted to the upper part with the trenches being mounted onto the protrusions. All of the lower parts of the feet are placed in spare space of a packing box to save space in storage and transportation when the baby bed is folded and put in the box after assembling.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a foot of a baby bed, more specifically a foot, which is structured such as to help reduce size of package; the foot consists of an upper part attached to the frame of a baby bed, and a lower part which is separate from the upper part, and kept in spare space of a packing box of the baby bed until the baby bed is unpacked and stretched to be used.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

The present applicant has disclosed many inventions on baby beds and playing beds for babies up to now, for examples, U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,563 Joint for a playen, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/859,382.

Most of the above inventions are aimed at providing the users with more convenience and safety in use. Although most of the above baby beds and playing beds are structured to be foldable for saving space in storage and transportation after assembling in the factory, little effort has been made to further reduce dimensions of the products folded to smaller size. Because dimensions of the products are not reduced to an ideal degree, still there is room for reduction of dimensions of the baby bed products to save cost of storage and transportation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a foot to a baby bed, which is structured in such a manner that a packing box of the baby bed can be provided with reduced size for allowing easy storage and transportation.

The feet are connected to lower ends of vertical supporting legs of a baby bed. Each of the feet has an upper fixed part, which is joined to corresponding leg when the baby bed is assembled in the factory, and a lower part. Each of the upper parts has elongated guide rails formed along the bottom, and each of the lower parts has corresponding trenches on the top; the elongated guide rails, and the trenches have inverted T shaped cross-sections so that the lower part can be joined to the upper part with the guide rails being slid into the trenches.

All of the lower parts of the feet are disposed separate from the upper parts, and arranged in spare space of a packing box to save space in storage and transportation when the baby bed is folded and put in the box after assembling.

Each of the elongated guide rails has a hook hole on a bottom thereof, and each of the trenches has an engaging hook therein; the engaging hooks snapping into the hook holes of the fixed upper parts when the lower parts of the feet are fitted in position, preventing the lower parts from separating from the fixed upper parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein [0010]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a baby bed in stretched position with the feet according to the present invention, [0011]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a baby bed in folded position with the feet according to the present invention, [0012]
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the foot of a baby bed according to the present invention, [0013]
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the foot of a baby bed of the present invention under assembling process, [0014]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the foot of a baby bed of the present invention, [0015]
FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional view of the foot of a baby bed of the present invention, [0016]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a baby bed in folded position with the wheeled feet of the second embodiment, [0017]
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the wheeled foot of a baby bed according to the second embodiment, [0018]
FIG. 9 is a view of the wheeled foot of a baby bed according to the second embodiment under assembling process; and, [0019]
FIG. 10 is a view of the wheeled foot of a baby bed according to the second embodiment.[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and [0021] 3, a foot set of a baby bed according to the present invention includes four feet 2, each of which consists of a fixed upper part 21, and a lower part 22.
The foot set is to be used on a baby bed, which has a frame [0022] 1 consisting of four upper horizontal rods, four vertical rods 11, four lower horizontal rods 12, and a supporting base 13.
Referring to FIGS. [0023] 2, and 3, which shows the first embodiment of the invention, each of the fixed upper parts 21 is joined to the corresponding vertical rod 11, and the corresponding lower horizontal rod 12 of the baby bed frame 1; each of the fixed upper parts 21 has a holding room 211, a gap 213, a pair of first aligned through holes 214, and a pair of second aligned through holes 215; the lower ends of the vertical rods 11 are inserted into connecting compartments 212 (FIG. 4) of the holding rooms 211; connecting pins 216 are passed through the first through holes 214 of the fixed upper parts 21, and holes (not numbered) of the rods 11. Outer ends of the lower horizontal rods 12 of the frame 1 are passed through the gaps 213, and connecting pins 217 are passed through the second through holes 215 of the fixed upper parts 21, and holes of the horizontal rods 12. And, inner ends of the horizontal rods 12 are joined to the supporting base 13.
Furthermore, each of the fixed [0024] upper parts 21 has an elongated guide rail 218 along a bottom thereof and a hook hole 219 on the elongated guide rail 218. The guide rails 218 can be made to have inverted T-shaped cross-section as shown in FIG. 6.
Each of the [0025] lower parts 22 has an elongated guide trench 221 on an upper side, and a hook hole 222 in the guide trench 221 thereof. The guide trenches 221 are made to have inverted T-shaped cross-section as shown in FIG. 6.
When the baby bed is put in a packing box after production and assembly in factories, the [0026] lower parts 22 are disposed separate from the fixed upper parts 21, and arranged in spare space of the packing box together with the frame 1; thus, height of the packing box can be reduced for easy storage and transportation.
When the baby bed is unpacked and stretched to be used, referring to FIGS. [0027] 4, and 5, the lower parts 22 are joined to respective fixed upper parts 21 by means of sliding the tops of the lower parts 22 along the bottoms of the fixed upper parts 21 to mount the elongated guide trenches 221 onto the elongated guide rails 218. The engaging hooks 222 will snap into the hook holes 219 of the fixed upper parts 21 when the lower parts 22 are slid to the final position, preventing the lower parts 22 from separating from the fixed upper parts 21. Usually the users don't have to pack the baby bed again after unpacking it for use, therefore the foot is structured such that the lower part 22 cannot be separated from the fixed upper part 21 once attached to the upper part 21.
Referring to FIGS. [0028] 7, and 8, which shows the second embodiment of the invention, the foot set includes a pair of first feet, which are the same as the feet of the first embodiment, and a pair of second feet, which have wheeled lower parts 3 instead of the last lower parts 22 that are provided for preventing the baby bed from slipping in use. Each of the second feet further has an upper fixed part 21, which is different from the last fixed upper parts 21. In addition, each of the vertical rods 11 to be joined to the second feet has a lateral engaging hole 111.
In the second embodiment, the fixed [0029] upper parts 21 of the second feet are joined to corresponding vertical rods 11, and corresponding lower horizontal rods 12. And, the lower end of each of the vertical rods 11 has two engaging gaps 112. Two engaging elements 14 are provided, each of which has an upper portion 142, and a lower portion 141 wider than the inner diameter of the vertical rods 11. Each of the engaging elements 14 has engaging gaps 145 on the bottom, and a flexible plate 143, which sticks up from the upper side, and which has an engaging projection 144 on an upper end of an outward side thereof.
Each of the wheeled [0030] lower parts 3 includes a wheel supporting member having a connecting tube 31; each of the connecting tubes 31 has a lateral engaging hole 311, a guiding slope 312 on an inner side above the engaging hole 311, and two engaging posts 313 therein.
In combination, the [0031] upper portions 142 of the engaging elements 14 are inserted into lower ends of corresponding vertical rods 11 with the engaging projections 144 sticking out from the lateral engaging holes 111, and with the engaging gaps 145 being aligned with the engaging gaps 112 of the vertical rods 11; the lower portions 141 are kept under the lower ends of the corresponding vertical rods 11 because they are wider than the vertical rods.
When the baby bed is put in a packing box after production and assembly in factories, the wheeled [0032] lower parts 3, and the lower parts 22 are disposed separate from the fixed upper parts 21, 21 and arranged in spare space of the packing box together with the frame 1. When the baby bed is unpacked and stretched to be used, the vertical rods 11 with the engaging elements 14 are inserted into corresponding tubes 31 so that the engaging projections 144 also sticking out from the lateral engaging holes 311 of the tubes 31; thus, the wheeled lower parts 3 are joined to the vertical rods 11. The guiding slopes 312 can guide the engaging projections 144 into the lateral holes 311. And, the engaging gaps 112, 145 are mounted on the engaging posts 313 to help prevent the vertical rods 11 from moving relative to the wheeled lower parts 3.
From the above description, it can be easily understood that the foot set of a baby bed of the present invention has an advantage that the lower parts thereof can be disposed separate from the baby bed frame, and arranged in spare space of a packing box holding the frame, therefore a packing box for the baby bed can be provided with reduced size, saving space in storage and transportation. [0033]

Claims

What is claim is:

1. A foot set of a baby bed, comprising

a plurality of feet each including:

(i) a fixed upper part joined to a corresponding vertical rod and a corresponding lower horizontal rod of a frame of a baby bed; and,

(ii) a lower part provided for supporting the baby bed on a ground; the lower part being separate from the frame of the baby bed, and put in spare space of a packing case of the baby bed; the lower part being disposed under the fixed upper part when the baby bed is unpacked to be used.

2. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the baby bed frame has four vertical rods, and four lower horizontal rods, and each of the fixed upper parts has an elongated guide rail along a bottom thereof, and each of the lower parts has an elongated guide trench on an upper side thereof; the lower parts of the feet being joined to respective ones of the fixed upper parts by means of sliding the lower parts on the fixed upper parts to mount the elongated guide trenches onto the elongated guide rails.

3. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the elongated guide rails has a hook hole on a bottom thereof, and each of the elongated guide trenches has an engaging hook therein; the engaging hooks snapping into the hook holes of the fixed upper parts when the lower parts of the feet are fitted in position, preventing the lower parts from separating from the fixed upper parts when the lower parts are joined to the fixed upper parts.

4. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the elongated guide rails are made to have an inverted T-shaped cross-section, and the elongated guide trenches have same shape as the elongated guide rails.

5. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the baby bed frame has four vertical rods, and four lower horizontal rods, and the feet includes a pair of side-by-side arranged first feet, which have the lower parts thereof being shaped in such a manner as to prevent the baby bed from slipping, and a pair of side-by-side arranged second feet, which have the lower parts thereof being equipped with wheels for allowing the baby bed to be easily movable.

6. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 5, wherein lower ends of the vertical rods joined to the second side-by-side arranged feet are passed through the fixed upper parts, and are each connected to an engaging element, and each of the wheels has a supporting member including a tube; each of the engaging elements having a flexible plate sticking out from corresponding lateral holes of the vertical rods at an engaging projection of the flexible plate; each of the tubes having a lateral engaging hole; the lower ends of the vertical rods joined to the pair of second feet being inserted into the tubes of the supporting members of the wheels with the engaging projection of the flexible plate snapping into the lateral engaging hole to secure the wheels to the vertical rods.

7. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the engaging elements is inserted into the lower end of the corresponding vertical rod at an upper portion thereof, and has a lower portion being wider than the corresponding vertical rod to be kept under the lower ends of the corresponding vertical rod.

8. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the tubes of the supporting members of the wheels has a guiding slope on an inner side above the lateral engaging hole thereof for guiding the engaging projection of the corresponding flexible plate into the lateral engaging hole.

9. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 6, wherein gaps are formed on lower ends of the engaging elements plus the vertical rods joined to the pair of second feet, and engaging posts are formed in the tubes of the supporting members of the wheels; the gaps being mounted on the engaging posts to secure connection of the vertical rods with the wheels.

10. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the fixed upper parts of the pair of first feet has an elongated guide rail along a bottom thereof and each of the lower parts of the pair of first feet has an elongated guide trench on an upper side thereof; the lower parts of the feet being joined to respective ones of the fixed upper parts by means of sliding the lower parts along the fixed upper parts to mount the elongated guide trenches onto the elongated guide rails.

11. The foot set of a baby bed as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the elongated guide rails has a hook hole on a bottom thereof, and each of the elongated guide trenches has an engaging hook therein; the engaging hooks snapping into the hook holes of the fixed upper parts when the lower parts of the feet are fitted in position, preventing the lower parts from separating from the fixed upper parts.