Playyard

Details Playyard Playyard

2000-05-24

2003-01-28

Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3673)

Beds

Crib

C005S099100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06510568

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 floor support rails, feet for elevating and supporting a floor mat in a juvenile playyard, and lockable top rails.
According to the present invention, a playyard top rail includes a left rail and a right rail pivotably coupled to the left rail to enable pivotable movement of the right rail relative to the left rail about a pivot axis. The right rail is formed to include a locking aperture.
The playyard top rail further includes a lock coupled to the left rail. The lock includes a lock button arranged to move between locked and unlocked positions. In the locked position, the lock button is extended into the locking aperture formed in the right rail to block pivotable movement of the right rail relative to the left rail. In the unlocked position, the lock button is withdrawn from the locking aperture formed in the right rail to allow pivotable movement of the right rail relative to the left rail.
In preferred embodiments, the playyard top rail is adapted to be integrated into a playyard frame that includes four corner legs, a corner piece at the top end of each corner leg, and a corner foot at the bottom end of each corner leg. The playyard frame further includes a lockable playyard top rail in accordance with the present invention interconnecting each pair of adjacent corner pieces so that there are four such playyard top rails in all. Also in preferred embodiments, the lock includes a pair of lock buttons biased by a spring normally to extend into companion locking apertures formed in the right rail to establish the locked positions of the lock buttons upon pivoted movement of the right rail relative to the left rail to assume an in-line position.
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:
patent: 4811437 (1989-03-01), Dillner et al.
patent: 5279006 (1994-01-01), Teng
patent: 5358220 (1994-10-01), Yu-Kuang
patent: 5381570 (1995-01-01), Cheng
patent: 5504951 (1996-04-01), Yeh
patent: 5533215 (1996-07-01), Malofsky et al.
patent: 5561874 (1996-10-01), Malofsky et al.
patent: 5611634 (1997-03-01), Wang
patent: 5615427 (1997-04-01), Huang
patent: 5697111 (1997-12-01), Dillner et al.
patent: 5819342 (1998-10-01), Williams
patent: 5906013 (1999-05-01), Wang
patent: 6082922 (2000-07-01), Cheng
patent: 6223366 (2001-05-01), Cheng
patent: 6250837 (2001-06-01), Mariol et al.
Portion of prior art top rail assembly for use in a playyard, obtained from Lerado (Zhong Shan) Industrial Co. Ltd. (China), two photographs and two line drawings of assembly depicted in photographs.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Playyard does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Playyard, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Playyard will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3019368