Abstract:
An aerated bumper and liner system for a baby crib provides increased airflow into and out of the baby crib while creating a soft pad to guard the baby against injury. The bumper and liner system includes pads with apertures that allow for added air circulation. Each pad may further include ties for attaching the pad to the bars of the crib. Support stays are included in the liner pads to help ensure that the liner pad do not sag once put in place in the crib.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    A baby typically sleeps in a crib for the first 18 to 36 months of his life. Standard cribs include an elevated mattress surrounded by vertical bars that are joined by a balustrade at the top. The vertical bars are evenly spaced at an interval that is narrow enough that the baby&#39;s head and body cannot fit through but wide enough that sufficient air circulation is allowed across the mattress of the crib. Adequate circulation is extremely important for babies as their developing bodies are particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of carbon dioxide and other breathable chemicals. 
         [0002]    It is common for babies to shift and move while they are in their cribs. As such, a baby may wedge himself into a corner of the crib or against the bars. In an effort to prevent the baby from injuring himself against the bars of the crib, parents often line the crib with a padded bumper or with a liner. Such bumpers and liners are usually six to twelve inches tall and attach to the bars of the crib. The bumper or liner attaches to the inside of the crib and encompasses the perimeter of the mattress so that the baby is protected on all sides from injuring himself against the crib bars. 
         [0003]    A problem arises in that as a baby shifts toward the edge of the crib mattress, there is a risk that his face might become wedged against the bumper or liner, thereby smothering him. Also, the bumper or liner decreases the amount of air that circulates across the mattress of the crib. This means that less oxygen moves into the crib, while carbon dioxide pools around the baby lying in the crib. The reduced air flow across the mattress may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a major concern for very young children. 
         [0004]    Thus, there is a need for a baby crib bumper or liner that allows for increased air flow across the mattress while still providing a soft barrier around the interior of the crib such that the baby does not injury himself on the bars of the crib. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is directed to an aerated bumper and liner system for use in a baby crib. The system includes a series of pads created by attaching two pieces of fabric or other material together. Each pad features a plurality of apertures cut through both sides of the pad. Each pad also features a series of ties along the top and bottom of the pad, and spaced so that the placement of each tie corresponds with the position of a bar of the crib. This ensures that each pad can be securely fastened to the crib so that it will not fall over or shift sideways. The pad can either include filling, making it a bumper, or it can remain unfilled with support stays, making it a liner. 
         [0006]    In the preferred embodiment, the aerated bumper and liner system includes four pads that are sized to conform to the inner perimeter of a baby crib. The pads are positioned adjacent to the baby crib mattress against the bars of the crib. In this position, the bumper or liner pads create a barrier that guards the baby from injuring himself against the bars of the crib. 
         [0007]    When support stays are positioned in between the first and second pieces of fabric, the aerated pad is a liner. The support stays are horizontally spaced such that each pad resists sagging when tied to the baby crib. When the aerated pad includes a soft filling instead of support stays, it is a bumper and resists sagging because the soft filling provides the pad with enough structure to stay up-right. Each pad, whether a liner or a bumper, also includes a series of ties positioned along the top and bottom of the pad. These ties are preferably made of fabric and are long enough to be tied around the bars of the baby crib. The ties ensure that each pad is securely fastened to the bars of the crib such that there is no danger that the pad will fall over and smother the baby in the crib. The ties also ensure proper placement of the pad. 
         [0008]    The apertures of the present invention provide for increased airflow into the baby crib. The apertures in the preferred embodiment of the present invention are bordered by a stitched border. This stitched border ensures that the apertures cut through both sides of the pad remain correctly aligned. The stitched border also ensures that any filling in between the sides of the bumper stays in place without falling through the apertures and out of the pad. The stitched border of each aperture also creates a divot such that the surface of each pad is dimpled. These divots help reduce the danger that a baby might wedge his face against the pad and suffocate. The apertures are preferably grouped such that at least three apertures remain unblocked at all times in between each pair of bars surrounding the crib mattress. 
         [0009]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an environmental view of the present invention in use in a baby crib; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a side view of one pad from the present invention illustrating the placement of the apertures and ties; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side view of one pad of the present invention illustrating the different pad sizing; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a magnified view of the placement of the apertures illustrating the placement of the apertures for maximum airflow; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a top-down view of the present invention illustrating the divot created by the stitched border around each aperture in the filled bumper; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the present invention illustrating the placement of the support stays in the liner as well as the placement of the apertures around the support stays; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the present invention illustrating the placement of the support stays in the liner as well as the placement of the apertures around the support stays; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a magnified view of the placement of the apertures and the support stay; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a top-down view of the support stay illustrating its placement in-between the layers of the liner of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    The present invention is an aerated bumper and liner system for a baby crib. In  FIG. 1 , the baby crib  10  is shown with the pads  16  in place. The baby crib  10  includes an elevated mattress  12  surrounded by a plurality of vertical bars  14 . The bars  14  are spaced far enough apart to allow adequate airflow through the crib, but not so far apart that a baby&#39;s arms, legs, head, or torso could fit through and be injured. In the preferred embodiment, the pads  16  are tall enough to cover more than half the height of the bars  16  surrounding the crib  10 . This height ensures that if a baby moves to the side of the crib while left unattended, the baby will not injure himself against the bars. Other embodiments may include pads  16  that are even taller so as to cover all of the bars  14  of the crib  10 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  also illustrates the placement of the ties  18  and the apertures  20  of the present invention. The ties  18  are placed along the top and bottom of the pads  16  and are spaced so as to correspond with the placement of the bars  14  of the baby crib  10 . When each pad  16  is put in place along the inside perimeter of the bars  14 , each tie  18  lines up with a bar  14 . The ties  14  can then be tied to the bars  14  along the top and bottom of the pad  16 . The ties  14  ensure that the pads  16  stay in place without falling over or shifting sideways. More or less ties  14  can be included in different arrangements according the manufacturer&#39;s needs. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  shows the present invention as it is when not attached to a baby crib. The present invention includes a series of pads  16 . In the preferred embodiment, the pads  16  come in two sizes so as to fit the inside of a rectangular baby crib. In other embodiments, the pads  16  can be formed into any shape necessary to substantially conform to the inside perimeter of a given baby crib. Each of the pads  16  features ties  18 , placed in pairs along the top and the bottom of the pad  16 . Each of the pads  16  also includes multiple apertures  20  cut through the pad  16 . This allows for airflow to come through the pad  16  at any angle. 
         [0024]    The placement of the apertures  20  is best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The apertures  20  are stacked and spaced to allow a maximum amount of air to flow into and out of the crib while still providing a soft pad to protect the baby from injuring himself against the crib bars. The placement of the apertures  20  is designed so that at least three apertures remain unblocked between each pair of crib bars  14 . 
         [0025]    A close-up view of the apertures  20  is shown in  FIG. 5 . Here, the apertures  20  are shown in their preferred grouping. This figure shows the stitched border  22  that surrounds each aperture  20  in the preferred embodiment. In other embodiments, the apertures can be defined by a soft grommet, fusible web, or glue. In any embodiment, it is important that the apertures  20  be defined by a material that is soft and has no sharp edges. This is so the pad  16  will not create a danger for a baby inside the crib. 
         [0026]      FIG. 6  also shows the stitched border  22 . Here, it is shown how the stitched border  22  helps hold the first side  28  and the second side  30  of each pad together. Each pad is constructed with a first side  28  and a second side  30  preferably made of fabric. In the preferred embodiment, the fabric is breathable and machine washable. In other embodiments, the first side  28  and the second side  30  may be made of other materials that are suitable for use in a baby crib. 
         [0027]    The first side  28  and the second side  30  of each pad is held together by seams along the edges of each pad (not shown), but without extra stitching, the first side  28  may sag away from the second side  30  along the central portion of the pad. The stitched borders  22  of the apertures  20  provide for this extra support.  FIG. 6  also shows the filling  32  disposed in between the first side  28  and the second side  30  in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, creating a bumper. In the preferred embodiment, a soft filling  32  is included between the first side  28  and the second side  30  of the bumper pad  16  so as to provide even more cushioning against the bars  14  of the crib  10 . The stitched border  22  provides enough structure that the filling  32  stays in place and the apertures  20  remain un-obstructed. 
         [0028]    When the aperture  20  is stitched into place in a filled or unfilled pad  16 , the stitched border creates a divot  24 . The divot  24  is instrumental in ensuring that the surface of the pad  16  is not completely flat. If a baby were to wedge his head against a completely flat pad, there is a danger that his face would press up against the flat surface and his airway would become blocked. A dimpled surface created by multiple divots  24 , as in the present invention, ensures that there is no flat surface for a baby to press his face against. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 7 and 8  show the support stays  26  of the present invention. The support stays  26  are included to add extra support to unfilled pads  16 , creating liners. The support stays are provided to prevent the liner pads  16  from sagging. The support stays  26  are vertically placed in the liner pads  16  and are positioned to correspond with the placement of the pairs of ties  18  along the top and bottom of each of the liner pads  16 .  FIG. 9  shows that the support stay  26  is positioned in the liner pad  16  such that it does not interfere with the apertures  20 . The support stays  26  can be made of any material that is more rigid than the first side  28  and the second side  30  of the liner pad  16 , but not so rigid that it creates a hazard if a baby presses up against it. Such materials can include cardboard, fabric, plastic, and other similar materials. The placement of the support stay  26  is shown in the top-down view of  FIG. 10  where the support stay  26  is disposed in between the first side  28  and the second side  30  of the pad  16 . 
         [0030]    Although several embodiments have been described in some detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except by the appended claims.