Abstract:
A convertible baby cot/tote bag is provided having a rectangularly shaped main frame across which the baby supporting sheet is secured. The long sides of the main frame are medially pivoted about a horizontal axis to permit the main frame to be shifted from a horizontal cot position to a tote bag position wherein the main frame is divided into two vertically adjacent subframes. Sheet material is secured to the under surface of the baby supporting sheet so as to define pockets for the storage of baby accessories when the apparatus is to be used as a tote bag.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a bag or tote for baby supplies which additionally converts into a cot for sanitary support of the baby for diaper and/or clothes changing. 
     2. Background Information 
     As every mother knows, a baby requires constant care, wherever the baby is located. Providing the desired level of care necessitates use of baby care products such as diapers, powder, clothing, toys, bottles of milk, oil, and other items. The constant need for these baby care items makes it virtually impossible to transport an infant or baby without additional transport of the care products. 
     Recognizing the continuous need for this array of care items, parents or caregivers when travelling out of the home must carry some type of bag or tote for transporting and storing the items until needed. 
     Over the years, an assortment of &#34;diaper bags&#34; or totes have appeared on the market. Although identified as &#34;diaper bags&#34;, these bags are also typically used to transport the mountain of other required baby care items. Overstuffed and overused, however, these bags, or their handles, frequently tear or rip. 
     Even those parents who opt to carry some type of tote or bag, however, are still burdened with concerns regarding the sanitary changing of the baby&#39;s diaper or clothing. The parents or caregivers of the child are frequently in a location that does not lend itself to sanitary conditions. Typically in public rest rooms, the parents must choose between lying the baby on a floor or on a counter top for changing, neither of which provide a sanitary support. 
     In an effort to solve the problem concerning sanitary baby changing conditions, many makers of standard diaper bags introduced a changing pad, usually with a plastic exterior. This pad typically comes with the diaper bag, folding into a shape that can be placed inside the diaper bag for transport with the other care items. Although the pad fits inside the diaper bag, the pad is usually extremely bulky and cumbersome, taking up much of the room needed for the other child care products. 
     Ironically, these pads often contribute to poor sanitary conditions as lack of space in the diaper bag typically forces the parent to leave the dirty diaper behind after changing instead of allowing for storage until proper disposal. 
     Other concerns remain even after the introduction of the portable changing pad. Although the child can be placed on the changing pad, avoiding direct contact with the floor or dirty counter top, many parents are still hesitant to place the pad on the dirty surface since the pad frequently comes into contact with other baby items after changing. Although many parents do choose to use the changing pad, it is often only for lack of a better alternative. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of Applicant&#39;s invention to provide a bag for transporting child care items which, by incorporating a convertible structural frame, permits the conversion of the bag, upon a simple movement of the frame to/for a child supporting cot. 
     It is also an object of Applicant&#39;s invention to provide a convertible diaper bag/changing cot which has storage pockets that provide ample space for transporting and storing the required child care items. 
     Another object of Applicant&#39;s invention is to provide a convertible diaper bag/baby cot which prevents contact between the material of the cot and any supporting surface for increased sanitation. 
     Applicant&#39;s invention is a convertible diaper bag/baby cot which, through its unique frame structure allows the user to convert the diaper bag into a baby cot by a movement of the diaper bag handle. Applicant&#39;s invention consists of a rectangular frame which is transversely, medially pivoted between a closed position providing a bag frame, to an open position defining a cot frame. A child support sheet of flexible material is peripherally secured to the cot frame. Storage pockets are located on the underside of the transport sheet for transporting and storing the child care items. A dual action support leg is located at each end of the central frame. These dual action support legs act as a base for the diaper bag, and also provide supports for the ends of the frame when used as a baby cot. A center leg acts as the handle for the diaper bag, pivoting and locking into a 90° depending position relative to the frame structure when the frame is in the cot position. 
     Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the convertible diaper bag/baby cot embodying this invention, shown in its open, baby cot position. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the reversible diaper bag/baby cot, shown in its closed, upright diaper bag position. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken along the plane 4--4 of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the central pivot elements of the reversible diaper bag/baby cot. 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of connection of the handle support elements to the frame of the reversible diaper bag/baby cot. 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged scale elevational view of the medial pivotal connection of the two subframes of the convertible diaper bag/baby cot when positioned in the diaper bag configuration. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a convertible baby cot/tote bag 1 is shown in its baby supporting cot position. The convertible baby cot/tote bag 1 comprises a generally rectangular frame structure 10 having two short sides 11 and two long sides 12. A plurality of identical connectors 14 (later described) are provided for connecting the short sides 11 to the long sides 12. The short sides 11 and the long sides 12 preferably comprise identical elongated tubular elements 13 having a hexagonal cross-section, as shown in FIG. 4. Element 13 may have a circular or a cross-sectional configuration, if desired. 
     The short sides 11 preferably comprise a single length of the elongated tubular element 13 while the long sides 12 are each fabricated by the pivotal connection of the adjacent ends of two elongated tubular elements 13. 
     As best shown in FIG. 2, the pivotal connection between the two elongated structural elements 13 of the long sides 12 respectively comprise pivot pins 15. Pivot pins 15 are integrally formed on the free ends of the arms 16a of a U-shaped handle element 16 formed of an injection molded plastic (see FIG. 6). The adjacent ends of the longitudinal structural elements 13 are each provided with a plug 17 having a shank portion 17a configured to be snugly inserted within the ends of the structural tubular element 13. The shank portion 17a is integrally formed with an upwardly curved planar projection 17b. Each planar projection 17b defines an aperture 17c which is snapped over a slightly enlarged end 15a provided on the pin 15. Thus, the tubular structural elements 13 of the two long sides 12 may be folded through a 90° angle about the pivot pin 15. In the normal position of the handle 16, when the rectangular frame is in its cot defining position, the sides of the curved flanges 17b are in abutment with the sidewalls of the arms 16a of the handle 16 as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, further pivotal movement of the two structural elements 13 forming each of the long sides 12 of the rectangular frame is prevented, and the handle 16 thus can form a solid support for the medial portions of the rectangular frame 10. 
     At each corner of the rectangular frame 10, a U-shaped, injection molded plastic support element 18 is securely mounted to the connecting element 14. In the cot defining position of the frame 10, the U-shaped supports 18 are in vertically depending relationship to the rectangular frame 10 and thus cooperate with the handle 16 in supporting the frame 10 in a horizontal position above a suitable support surface, such as a counter top. 
     The baby support surface is provided by a sheet of flexible material 20, such as canvas, or a plastic material having similar durability and non-resilient characteristics of canvas. The baby support sheet 20 is of generally rectangular configuration except that it is cut away at its four corners as indicated at 20a in order to provide clearance of the connectors 14 and at 20b to clear the pivots 17a and 17b. The sheet 20 is peripherally secured to the structural elements 13 forming the short and long sides 11 and 12 of the frame 10 as shown in FIG. 4, and is preferably secured in an untensioned condition. Thus, the sheet 20 provides a suitable support for changing diapers or clothing of a baby laid on the baby support sheet 20. It will be noted from FIG. 2, that the underside of the support sheet 20 does not come in contact with the supporting surface upon which the frame 10 rests. 
     When it is desired to convert the apparatus from its baby supporting cot position to a tote bag for baby accessories, it is only necessary to turn the frame 10 over and apply an upward force to the handle 16. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 3, such upward force will cause a folding of the long sides 12 of the rectangular frame structure 10 into a configuration wherein two sub frames 10a and 10b are disposed in vertically adjacent relationship as shown in FIG. 3. The end supports 18 are then disposed in a generally horizontal position. They may be left in that position during the usage of the unit 1 as a tote bag. 
     The tote bag conversion is completed through the provision of at least one flexible sheet element 22 secured on three sides to the underside of the baby support sheet surface 20, as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, when the frame 10 is folded to the position indicated in FIG. 3, the sheets 22 respectively form bags which may be filled with baby accessories through an open side 22a. If desired, such open side may be detachably closed by an overlapping flap with or without a buckle 24 cooperating strips of hook and loop fasteners (not shown) 24 or a zipper (not shown) provided along the side of each sheet 22 and on the bottom surface of the baby supporting sheet 20. The end supports 18 can thus provide support for the bottom portions of the bag defining sheets 22 and also permit the tote bag configuration to sit in an upright position. The position of the handle 16 relative to the two subframes 10a and 10b is clearly shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 7. 
     There remains the detailed description of the corner connecting elements 14 which are best shown in FIG. 5. Each corner connector 14 is preferably formed of an injection molded plastic and defines two shank portions 14a and 14b projecting outwardly at right angles to each other which are snugly engageable within the bore of the adjacent end of the short side structural element 13 and the long side structural element 13. 
     Near the juncture of the shank portions 14a and 14b, a recess 14c is formed which is preferably in alignment with the axis of the structural element 13 of the respective short side 11. The walls of recess 14c are slotted at 90° intervals as indicate by slots or recesses 14d. 
     The support elements 18 are, as previously mentioned, of U-shaped configuration and having opposed arms 18a spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the total width of the short side 11 of the frame 10. The end of each arm 18a is provided with an integral plug portion 18c which has four peripherally spaced radial ribs 18d formed thereon which respectively cooperate with the recesses 14d in either of two 90° spaced positions. The ribs 18d and the slots 14d are dimensioned so as to produce a snug fit of these elements together. In one position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the connection is made so that the arm portions 18a of the support 18 are disposed in substantially perpendicular relationship to the frame 10, as shown in FIG. 1. If it is not desired to utilize the convertible baby cot/tote bag as a tote bag, the arms 18a can be pulled away from each other due to the resilience of the plastic material forming the base portion 18b of each support 18 and the arms 18a rotated 90° so as to engage the ribs 18d with a different 90° displaced set of slots 14d. This results in a very compact configuration of the entire apparatus as illustrated by the dotted line position of the arms 18a shown in FIG. 3 for convenient storage and transport. 
     Modifications of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred that the frame and support components of the aforedescribed structure be fabricated from a rigid plastic. It is, however, quite possible that the rectangular frame elements could be fabricated from a suitable metal, such as aluminum and the remainder of the components being fabricated from an injection molded rigid plastic. 
     Additionally, a plurality of bag defining sheets may be secured to the bottom face of the baby support sheet 20 if desired, in order to provide separation of diaper bags from clean clothes and food articles from all other articles. It should be particularly noted that the under surface of the baby support sheet 20, on which the bags 22 are formed, does not come in contact with any surface on which the apparatus is rested when in its cot defining position. Thus, no contamination will be picked up from the supporting surface. 
     Further modifications of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and it is intended that all such modifications be included within the scope of the appended claims.