Playyard

Details Playyard Playyard

2000-05-24

2001-07-10

Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)

Beds

Crib

Folding

C005S098100, C248S169000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06256814

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a juvenile playyard, and particularly to a collapsible frame for a juvenile playyard. More particularly, the present invention relates to a collapsible playyard frame including support rails and feet for elevating and supporting a floor mat in a juvenile playyard.
According to the present invention, a playyard floor support frame includes a rail mount and at least two floor support rails. Each floor support rail includes an inner end pivotably coupled to the rail mount to enable each floor support rail to be moved relative to the rail mount about a pivot axis between an erected configuration adapted to support a floor mat on the floor support rails and above the rail mount and a collapsed configuration adapted to facilitate storage of the floor support frame.
The playyard floor support frame further includes a rail lock apparatus coupled to the rail mount. The rail lock apparatus is configured to latch onto a stationary end piece mounted on the inner end of selected floor support rails to block pivoting movement of the selected floor support rails relative to the rail mount about the pivot axes to lock the selected floor support rails to the rail mount upon movement of the floor support rails relative to the rail mount to the erected configuration. The rail lock apparatus is arranged to underlie a floor mat supported in the playyard on the floor support rails.
In preferred embodiments, the rail mount includes a base and the rail lock apparatus includes two rail locks mounted for movement in the base between engaged positions engaging and locking the selected floor support rails against movement relative to the base to establish the erected configuration and released positions unlocking the selected support rails to allow pivotable movement of the selected floor support rails about the pivot axes to the collapsed configuration. The playyard floor support frame includes four floor support rails arranged to lie in an X-shaped pattern and each of the rail locks is movable relative to be base to engage one of the four floor support rails and lock it to the base of the rail mount.
The rail lock apparatus further includes spring means for yieldably biasing each rail lock to the engaged position. The spring means includes a coiled compression arranged to urge a first of the rail locks to engage and lock the inner end of one of the floor support rails and to urge a second of the rail locks to engage and lock the inner end of another of the floor support rails.
The rail lock apparatus further includes a lever pivotably coupled to the base for movement about a horizontal pivot axis (that is arranged to hie substantially parallel to the ground underlying the playyard when the playyard including the floor support frame is erected) between locked and unlocked positions. The lever is coupled to the two rail locks and configured to move the two rail locks toward one another to assume the released positions in response to pivoted movement of the lever relative to the base about the horizontal pivot axis of the lever.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 5699997 (1997-12-01), Huang
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patent: 5937457 (1999-08-01), Wang

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