Patent Publication Number: US-2022232995-A1

Title: Depth-adjustable bassinet

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/508,634 filed Jul. 11, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/083,487 filed Mar. 29, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/139,858 filed Mar. 30, 2015; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/152,845 filed Apr. 25, 2015; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/215,943 filed Sep. 9, 2015, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of infant and children&#39;s products, and more particularly to sleeping apparatuses for children. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Bassinets have long been used for safely holding infant children while they sleep. Bassinets typically have a frame configured to rest on a support surface (e.g., a floor) and an infant-receiving receptacle supported above the support surface by the frame. The infant-receiving receptacle includes a bottom forming a bed for the child to sleep upon and a peripheral sidewall surrounding the bottom and extending between the bottom and the frame. Also, some bassinets include a canopy or hood. 
     Oftentimes caretakers (e.g., parents) will place an infant child in a bassinet in the parent&#39;s bedroom at night for sleeping so they are nearby if the baby needs them and to maintain sound (e.g., voice) contact with the infant to enhance the bonding process. And many parents strive to maintain visual (i.e., eye to eye) contact and/or physical (i.e., touching) contact with their infant to enhance the bonding process. However, the peripheral sidewall of the standard-height bassinets impedes such visual and/or physical contact. Moreover, while conventional bassinets provide numerous benefits, there remains room for improvement in general in bassinet design. 
     Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for improvements in bassinets. It is to the provision of solutions meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Generally described, the invention relates to a child-sleeping apparatus such as a bassinet. The bassinet includes a frame that is configured to rest on a support surface (e.g., a floor) and an infant-receiving receptacle that is supported above the support surface by the frame. The infant-receiving receptacle includes a bottom floor panel forming a bed for the child to sleep upon and a peripheral sidewall surrounding the bottom panel and extending between the bottom panel and the frame. Optionally, the frame can also include wheels, rollers, or other mechanisms for rolling, sliding, or gliding the bassinet across the support surface. 
     In addition, the bassinet includes a depth-adjustment mechanism that enables a caregiver to selectively adjust the depth of the infant-receiving receptacle by raising or lowering the bottom of the infant-receiving receptacle. With the bottom panel in the raised position, the bassinet functions as a conventional bassinet. And with the bottom panel in the lowered position, the child can sit or stand up within the infant-receiving receptacle (without risk of falling out of the bassinet) and see over the peripheral sidewall to enhance parent-child bonding. Also, in some embodiments the bassinet can be positioned with the frame adjacent a bed and the child-receiving receptacle at least partially over the bed to position the child closer to the parent to enhance parent-child bonding. 
     Furthermore, in some embodiments the bassinet includes a frame height-adjustment mechanism, a downward-recessed front wall, and/or a longitudinal-axis folding canopy to assist in enhancing parent-child bonding with a child in the bassinet. Also, in some embodiments the bassinet includes a foot rest for use when raising the bottom of the infant-receiving receptacle and/or an inverted-eggcrate bed pad for enhanced comfort for the child lying on it. 
     These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will be understood with reference to the drawing figures and detailed description herein, and will be realized by means of the various elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following brief description of the drawings and detailed description of example embodiments are explanatory of representative embodiments of the invention, and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bassinet according to a first example embodiment of the invention, shown with the bottom/floor panel in a raised position for conventional use by a child lying down. 
         FIG. 2  shows the bassinet of  FIG. 1  with the bottom panel in a lowered position for use by a child lying down or standing/sitting up. 
         FIG. 3  is another perspective view of the bassinet of  FIG. 1  shown with the bottom panel in the raised position. 
         FIG. 4  shows the bassinet of  FIG. 3  with the bottom panel in the lowered position. 
         FIG. 5  is a front side view of the bassinet of  FIG. 1  shown with the bottom panel in the lowered position. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a frame assembly of the bassinet of  FIG. 1 , showing a depth-adjustment mechanism in the raised-bottom position. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a portion of the bassinet frame assembly of  FIG. 6  with the depth-adjustment mechanism in the raised-bottom position. 
         FIG. 8  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of the bassinet frame assembly taken at line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 2 , showing the depth-adjustment mechanism in the lowered-bottom position. 
         FIG. 9  shows the bassinet frame portion of  FIG. 8  with the depth-adjustment mechanism being operated to move the bassinet bottom panel to the raised position. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the bassinet taken at line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 1 , showing the child-receiving receptacle in the raised-bottom position. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the bassinet taken at line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 2  with the child-receiving receptacle in the lowered-bottom position. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the bassinet of  FIG. 1  shown in the raised-bottom position with the child-receiving receptacle positioned over a parent&#39;s bed. 
         FIG. 13  is a left side view of a frame of a bassinet according to a second example embodiment of the invention, showing the bassinet frame and the attached child-receiving receptacle adjusted between raised and lowered heights by a height-adjustment mechanism. 
         FIG. 14  is a left side view of a portion of the bassinet frame of  FIG. 13 , showing the height-adjustment mechanism in cross-section (as indicated in  FIG. 17 ) to reveal interior components thereof. 
         FIG. 15  shows a detail of the height-adjustment mechanism of  FIG. 13 , showing the height-adjustment mechanism holding the bassinet frame in the raised position. 
         FIG. 16  shows the height-adjustment mechanism of  FIG. 15  showing the height-adjustment mechanism being operated to move the bassinet frame to the lowered position. 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a portion of the bassinet frame of  FIG. 13 , showing a downwardly recessed front portion of the peripheral wall of the child-receiving receptacle according to another aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a bassinet according to a third example embodiment of the invention, showing a longitudinal-axis folding canopy for the child-receiving receptacle, with the canopy unfolded in a deployed/covering position. 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of a frame of the bassinet of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of a bed pad for the bottom/floor panel of a bassinet according to a fourth example embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of the bed pad of the bassinet taken at line  21 - 21  of  FIG. 20 . 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view of a bassinet according to a fifth example embodiment of the invention, showing a zipper-type depth-adjustment mechanism with the bassinet in the lowered position. 
         FIG. 23  shows the bassinet of  FIG. 22  in the raised position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions, or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed invention. Any and all patents and other publications identified in this specification are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. 
     Also, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. 
     Moreover, various innovative features of the present invention are described herein with respect to a bassinet. It will be understood that any or all of these innovative features can be implemented in other (than bassinets) apparatuses for supporting and containing a sleeping child, for example cradles, cribs, and play yards. 
     With reference now to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1-12  show a bassinet  100  according to a first example embodiment of the invention. The bassinet  100  includes a support-frame assembly  102  configured to rest on a support surface (e.g., a floor or the ground) and an infant-receiving receptacle  104  coupled to the support frame assembly and adapted to support a child (e.g., infant) therein. 
     The support frame assembly  102  includes a base portion  106  and an upright portion  108 . The base portion  106  is configured to rest on a support surface and provide a stable base on which to support the other components of the bassinet  100 . The upright portion  108  is coupled to and extends generally upwardly from the base portion  106 . In typical embodiments such as that depicted, the base portion  106  defines a horizontal-plane footprint sufficiently large to provide stability for the infant-receiving receptacle  104  elevated and supported above it. And the upright portion  108  can include a generally vertical portion  108   a  extending upward from (only) one side of the base portion  106  (e.g., the two upright tubes extending from the rear side of the base tube, as depicted) and an offset portion  108   b  (e.g., the two horizontal tubes) extending from the vertical portion to back over the base portion typically to at least the midpoints of the ends of the infant-receiving receptacle  104  so the receptacle is supported from its end midpoints not corners. In this way, the infant-receiving receptacle  104  is stably and safely supported above the support surface by the frame-support assembly  102 . And because of the one-side positioning of the upright portion  108 , an empty space is left between the base portion  106  and the bottom of the infant-receiving receptacle  104  (i.e., the bassinet  100  is open on the front side and both left and right opposite ends, with the vertical support structure only at the rear side), which empty space allows for receptacle-depth adjustment and over-bed positioning functionality as discussed below. 
     In addition, one or more conventional wheels (e.g., casters or rollers)  105  can be coupled to the base portion  106  to allow a caregiver to roll the bassinet  100  across the support surface. The support-frame assembly  102  can also include a cross bar  107  from which clothes, towels, blankets, and other items can be hung. Various embodiments can further include storage pockets or compartments (not shown) for storing accessories such as diapers, pacifiers, bottles, wipes, and the like. In typical embodiments such as that depicted, the support-frame assembly  102  is made of conventional materials such as aluminum tubes and plastic connections. 
     The infant receiving receptacle  104  is coupled to the upright portion  108  of the support-frame assembly  102  and thereby supported above the support surface. For example, midpoints of the opposite (e.g. left and right) ends of the infant-receiving receptacle  104  can be mounted to ends of offset extension portions  108   b  of the upright portion  108  of the support-frame assembly  102 . As shown in the depicted embodiment, the midpoints of the opposite ends of the infant-receiving receptacle  104  can be pivotally coupled to the offset portions  108   b  of the support-frame upright portion  108  at one or more pivot mounts  110  such that the infant receiving receptacle can pivot with respect to the frame assembly  102  and impart a soothing cradling motion to a child supported therein. Alternative embodiments of the infant-receiving receptacle  104  can be configured without the ability to pivot, or can be configured for additional or alternative motions, such as bouncing or rocking. Furthermore, example embodiments of the bassinet  100  can include a height-adjustment mechanism that allows a caregiver to selectively adjust the height of the infant-receiving receptacle  104  relative to the support surface, for example as described in detail below, and/or the bassinet can be configured to collapse for easy storage and portability. 
     The infant-receiving receptacle  104  includes a bottom/floor panel  112  and one or more peripheral sidewalls  114  that together define an enclosure with a depth within which a child can be received/supported and with an open side (e.g., the top) through which the child can be accessed. In a typical commercial embodiment, the infant receptacle  104  includes a receptacle-frame assembly  116  that supports the peripheral sidewalls  114  and the floor panel  112 , and that is mounted to the upright portion  108  of the support-frame assembly  102 . For example, the receptacle-frame assembly  116  can include an upper frame member  118 , a lower frame member  120 , and a pair of opposing (e.g., left and right) upright frame members  122  extending therebetween. The upper frame  118  can be generally horizontally arranged and extend all the way around and define the periphery of the infant receptacle  104  (e.g., for supporting the peripheral walls  114 ), the lower frame  120  can be generally horizontally arranged and extend only halfway around (for stabilizing and securing together the vertical frame members  122 ), and the upright frame members  122  can be generally vertically arranged and positioned at midpoints of ends of the infant receptacle (for smooth and balanced depth adjustment), as depicted, or other configurations can be used as desired. 
     The infant receptacle  104  can be made of conventional materials such as aluminum tubes and plastic connections for the receptacle-frame assembly  116  and a soft-goods shell (e.g., flexible fabric) for the peripheral sidewalls  114 . In other embodiments, the peripheral sidewalls are generally rigid and the receptacle-frame assembly is eliminated or integral to the sidewalls, the receptacle-frame assembly includes additional frame members connecting the upper and lower frames, or other variations are implemented. Example embodiments of the peripheral sidewalls  114  can include sections of a breathable see-through material (e.g., mesh fabric)  115  to allow for increased light and airflow into the receptacle  104  as well as for increased visibility into the receptacle by a caretaker. The receptacle  104  can further include a bed pad such as a mattress or other cushioning member (not shown) positioned over the floor panel  112  for supporting the child thereon, for example as described in detail below. 
     In addition, the bassinet  100  includes a depth-adjustment mechanism that enables a caregiver to adjust the depth of the infant receptacle  104  as desired. In typical embodiments, the depth-adjustment mechanism includes an adjustable frame member  124  and at least one releasable-lock mechanism  125  that releasably locks the adjustable frame to the receptacle-frame assembly  116 . The lock mechanism  125  is mounted to the adjustable frame  124  and slidably couples it to the receptacle-frame assembly  116  to permit it to slide up and down along the receptacle-frame assembly. And the floor panel  112  of the infant receptacle  104  is supported by the adjustable frame  124 , so it repositions up and down along with the adjustable frame. In example embodiments, the adjustable frame  124  extends all the way around and defines the periphery of the infant receptacle  104  (for supporting the floor panel  112 ), as depicted, or other configurations can be used as desired. In some embodiments, a lower adjustable frame is connected by vertical frame members to the adjustable frame  124  to provide additional support for the floor panel  112 . 
     In some embodiments such as that depicted, the depth-adjustment mechanism includes an actuator  126  that operates the lock mechanism  125 . For example, there can be two lock mechanisms  125 , with one at each midpoint of each end of the infant receptacle  104 , and with each lock mechanism having its own respective actuator  126 , as depicted. The actuators  126  are movable between locked and unlocked positions, to manipulate the lock mechanisms  125  between locked and unlocked positions, with the adjustable frame  124  locked securely in place when the lock mechanisms are in the locked position, and with the adjustable frame released and thus free for vertical repositioning when the lock mechanisms are in the unlocked position. In other embodiments, the lock mechanism secures the adjustable frame and the attached floor panel in the raised position, but not in the lowered position, and instead a mechanical stop supports the floor panel from further downward movement but does not lock it against upward movement. In yet other embodiments, the depth-adjustment mechanism does not include an actuator, or the actuator can be considered to be an integral element of the lock mechanism, by implementing conventional fastening and/or locking mechanisms for coupling and decoupling two parts as are known to persons of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The depth-adjustment mechanism can be operated to selectively reposition the adjustable frame  124  between a raised position and a lowered position. In some embodiments, the adjustable frame  124  is also positionable at one or more intermediate positions. When the adjustable frame  124  is positioned in the raised position ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ), the floor panel  112  is raised, reducing the depth of the infant receptacle  104 . When the adjustable frame  124  is positioned in the lowered position ( FIGS. 2 and 4-5 ), the floor panel is lowered, increasing the depth of the infant receptacle  104 . 
     When the adjustable frame  124  and thus the floor panel  112  are in the raised position, the depth of the infant receptacle  104  is shallower, so the infant receptacle is adapted for containing smaller and/or younger children who are unable to sit up. And when the adjustable frame  124  is in the raised position, the raised floor panel  112  of the infant receptacle  104  can be higher than the upper surface of an adult bed  180 . Depending on the height and thickness of the bed  180 , often times the infant receptacle  104  can be positioned at least partially over the bed, with the base portion  106  of the support-frame assembly  102  positioned at least partially under the bed, and with the bed received within the empty space between the infant receptacle and the support frame base (see  FIG. 12 ). 
     When the adjustable frame  124  and thus the floor panel  112  are in the lowered position, the depth of the infant receptacle  104  is deeper, so the infant receptacle is adapted for receiving larger and/or older children who are able to sit or pull themselves up. In this lowered position, the infant receptacle  104  can be positioned adjacent the bed  180 . In alternative example embodiments, depending upon the height of the adult bed  180  and the dimensions of the bassinet  100 , the infant receptacle  104  can be positionable over the bed in both the raised and lowered positions. 
     In typical embodiments, each of the lock mechanisms  125  includes a movable locking element  130  and a plurality of locked elements  132 , with the locking element movable between a locked position ( FIG. 8 ) in locking engagement with one of the locked elements (to define the raised or lowered position) and an unlocked position ( FIG. 9 ) released from locking engagement with the locked elements (to permit the adjustable frame  124  to move between the raised and lowered positions). For example, each locking member  130  can be provided by a male element (e.g., a pivotal tab as depicted, or a linear plunger, a rotary screw, or the like) movably mounted to a housing  134  of the depth-adjustment mechanism that slides along the respective vertical frame members  122 . And each locked member  132  can be provided by at least two female elements (e.g., holes in the respective vertical frame member  122  as depicted, recesses in the same or another part of the receptacle-frame assembly  116 , voids between two protrusions, or the like), with two female elements defining discrete raised and lowered positions, and optionally with one or more intermediate female elements defining intermediate positions with the female elements typically aligned in a series. It will be understood that other types of lock mechanisms of a conventional type can be provided, as are known to persons of ordinary skill in the art, for providing the functionality described herein. 
     In addition, the actuator  126  can be provided by a conventional actuation element such as a button, slide, knob, or the like configured for manipulating the locking member  130  for example, the actuator  126  can be provided by a pushbutton movable between a locked position ( FIG. 8 ) in which it biases or retains the locking element  130  in its locked position and an unlocked position ( FIG. 9 ) in which it biases or retains the locking element in its unlocked position. Typically, the actuator  126  is biased toward the locked position by a spring, for example such as that depicted. It will be understood that other types of actuators of a conventional type can be provided, as are known to persons of ordinary skill in the art, for providing the functionality described herein. 
     As noted above, the depth-adjustment mechanism includes an adjustable frame  124  that is slidably mounted to the receptacle-frame assembly  116  to adjust the floor panel  112  (supported by the adjustable frame) of the infant receptacle  104  between the raised and lowered positions. For example, the adjustable frame  124  can be generally horizontally arranged and slidably mounted and releasably locked to the vertical frame members  122  by the one or more lock mechanisms  125 , as depicted. In this way, the vertical frame members  122  function as guide tracks along which the adjustable frame  124  is able to slide vertically between the raised and lowered positions as it supports the floor panel  112  of the infant receptacle  104 . And the depth-adjustment mechanism can be configured to allow the adjustable frame  124  to travel up beyond the raised locking position, and the actuator  126  be released so the locking member  130  drops into the raised locking position and latches there to prevent false locking that if undetected could allow the adjustable frame to drop accidentally. 
     In other embodiments, the arrangement is vice versa, with the adjustable frame including vertical frame members that slide relative to fixed lock mechanisms. In other embodiments, the receptacle-frame assembly is integral to the peripheral sidewalls, for example the peripheral sidewalls can include at least an upper portion that is generally rigid with the receptacle frame considered to be defined by the peripheral wall. And in other embodiments, the peripheral sidewalls include rigid upper and lower portions with a guide track positioned between them and/or formed by one or both of them to enable the lower portion to slide vertically relative to the upper portion. It will be understood that other variations and configurations known to persons of ordinary skill in the art can be provided to enable the floor panel  112  of the infant receptacle  104  to move between the raised and lowered positions. 
     Furthermore, the peripheral sidewalls  114  can be provided in a variety of different configurations to enable the depth adjustment of the floor panel  112  of the infant receptacle  104 . In the depicted embodiment, the peripheral sidewalls  114  include an upper portion  114   a  and a lower portion  114   b , with the upper portion supported by the receptacle-frame assembly  116  (e.g., by the horizontal frame member  118 ), and with the lower portion  114   b  supported by the adjustable frame  124 . The floor panel  112  is attached to and supported by the peripheral sidewalls lower portion  114   b , and as such the floor panel is supported by and moves vertically with the adjustable member  124  between the raised and lowered positions. At least a portion of the peripheral sidewalls upper portion  114   a  is made of a flexible material (e.g., a fabric or other soft goods material) so that it folds over onto itself in a collapsed arrangement when the adjustable frame  124  (and thus also the peripheral sidewalls lower portion  114   b  and the floor panel  112 ) is moved to the raised position ( FIG. 10 ) and so that it straightens out in an extended arrangement when the adjustable frame  124  is moved to the lowered position ( FIG. 11 ). In other words, when the adjustable frame  124  is positioned in the raised position, the peripheral sidewalls  114  are shortened, reducing the depth of the infant receptacle  104 . And when the adjustable frame  124  is positioned in the lowered position, the peripheral sidewalls  114  are lengthened, increasing the depth of the infant receptacle  104 . 
     In addition, a valance  136  can be provided that extends between the upper frame  118  and the lower frame  120  of the receptacle-frame assembly  116  to form an outer wall of the infant receptacle  104  when in the raised position, and that is folded over the upper frame and extends down to adjacent the floor panel  112  to form an inner wall of the infant receptacle when in the raised position, with the valance thus covering the folded/bunched-up/collapsed peripheral sidewalls upper portion  114   a  in the raised position. That is, the inner wall of the valance  136  covers/contains the folded/bunched-up peripheral walls upper portion  114   a  as the floor panel  112  is moved up and down, and the outer wall of the valance covers the moving parts of the frame and adjustment assemblies. Optionally, the inner wall of the valance  136  (in its entirety, around the whole periphery of the infant receptacle  104 ) can be provided by a mesh fabric to provide breathability while still preventing child contact with the outer shell and the moving parts described above. Also, in embodiments with the depicted depth-adjustment mechanism, the outer wall of the valance  136  can include at least one vertically extending opening (e.g., one on each end of the infant receptacle  104 ) through which the lock mechanism  125  extends to couple the adjustable frame  124  to the receptacle frame and to permit the lock mechanism and adjustable frame to slide vertically along the receptacle frame. 
     In yet other embodiments, the peripheral sidewalls include a fixed rigid upper portion and a rigid lower portion that slides vertically relative to the upper portion, for example along a frame/guide track as described above. In other embodiments, the peripheral sidewall upper portion is not attached to the adjustable member, so it stays in its extended position when the peripheral sidewall lower portion and floor panel are moved to the raised position. In still other embodiments, the floor panel is fixed to the receptacle-frame assembly and an upper portion of the peripheral sidewall fixed to the adjustable frame so that the depth adjustment is achieved by raising the top of the infant receptacle instead of lowering its bottom. And in other embodiments, the peripheral sidewall upper sidewall portion and the inner or outer section of the valance are one and the same (i.e., only one of these elements is provided, regardless of the terminology used for it). It will be understood that other variations and configurations known to persons of ordinary skill in the art can be provided to enable the floor panel of the infant receptacle to move, relative to the open top of the infant receptacle, between the raised and lowered positions, with at least a portion of the peripheral sidewall attached to and vertically repositionable along with an adjustable member to decrease or increase the depth of the infant-receiving receptacle. 
       FIGS. 13-17  show a bassinet  200  according to a second example embodiment of the invention. The bassinet  200  includes a support-frame assembly  202  configured to rest on a support surface (e.g., a floor or the ground) and an infant-receiving receptacle (not shown) coupled to the support frame assembly and adapted to support a child (e.g., infant) therein. The bassinet  200  is thus substantially similar to that of the first example embodiment, so details are not repeated for brevity. As such, the bassinet  200  can include (or not) a depth-adjustment mechanism for adjusting the depth of the infant receptacle by adjusting the vertical position of its floor panel, for example as described with respect to the first embodiment. Also, the bassinet  200  can include (or not) any of the other features of the various embodiments described herein. 
     In this embodiment, the bassinet  200  includes a frame height-adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the support-frame assembly  202  and thus the attached infant receptacle (i.e., the vertical position of its top and bottom, not just its bottom/depth). In the depicted embodiment, the upright portion  208  of the support-frame assembly  202  includes lower upright frame in  208   a  and upper upright frame members  208   b  that extend and retract relative to the respective lower frame members (e.g., telescopically) between respective raised and lowered positions of the infant receptacle. The height-adjustment mechanism includes at least one lock mechanism to  242  for securing the upper and lower frame members  208   a  and  208   b  in the raised and lowered positions and for releasing them to permit movement between those positions. For example, two lock mechanisms  242  can be provided, one for each of the left and right upright frame members  208 . And each lock mechanism  242  can include a movable locking element  244  that is spring-biased toward locking engagement with at least one locked element  246  in a locked position and that is disengaged from the locked element to permit relative movement between the upper and lower frame members  208   a  and  208   b  in an unlocked position. The movable locking element  244  can be provided by a male lock element such as pivotal tab (as depicted), a reciprocal plunger, a rotary knob, or the like attached to one of the upper and lower frame members  208   a  and  208   b , and the locked element  246  can be provided by a plurality of female lock elements such as holes (as depicted), recesses, or the like defined by the other one of the upper and lower frame members. 
     Furthermore, an actuator  240  can be provided for manipulating the lock mechanisms  242  between the locked and unlocked positions. For example, two actuators  240  can be provided, each one for operating a respective one of the lock mechanisms  242 . Each actuator  240  can be provided for example by a pivotal arm (as depicted) or other conventional actuator (e.g., a slide, knob, pushbutton) that moves between locked and unlocked positions to manipulate the lock mechanism  242  between the lock and unlock positions. The actuator  240  can be operably connected to the movable locking element  244  by a mechanical link such as the depicted connecting cable or a mechanical linkage, or the actuator can directly contact the locking element in other embodiments. 
     In this way, the height-adjustment mechanism enables a caretaker to adjust the overall height of the infant receptacle to provide enhanced flexibility of use, particularly (but not only) when the bassinet also includes the depth-adjustment mechanism. For example, this enables the height and/or depth of the infant receptacle to be adjusted so that the infant receptacle can be positioned over (or adjacent) taller or shorter beds (or couches) and still have the infant positioned just above the bed for enhanced parental bonding. 
     In a typical commercial embodiment, the upper frame member is about 34 inches high, when fully extended/raised, and drops to a height of about 29 inches when the height-adjust is moved to its lowest setting. Also, at its shortest depth, the bassinet receptacle is about 12 inches deep, and adjusting the depth to the deepest setting adds about 9 inches of depth (for a total depth of about 21 inches). As such, the bottom/floor panel (the infant resting surface) has a top height of about 22 inches from the ground and a lowest height (with the frame at the lowest height setting, and the depth at the deepest setting) of about 8 inches from the ground. These dimensions are representative and provided for illustration purposes only, and as such are not limiting of the invention as claimed. 
     Furthermore, as shown particularly in  FIGS. 13 and 17 , in another aspect the bassinet  200  can include a downward recess in the top of the front wall panel of the peripheral sidewall to provide increased lateral visibility into the infant receptacle and to thereby assist in enhancing parent-child bonding. In the depicted embodiment, for example, the upper frame  218  of the receptacle-support frame  216  has a downwardly recessed segment  218   a  in its front side, and the front portion of the peripheral wall (not shown) that is supported by and extends downward from this segment is thus also downwardly recessed. In this way, the space between the plane defined by the recessed segment  218   a  and the rest of the upper frame  218  is open (not covered by the peripheral sidewalls) for enhanced visibility. Optionally, the front side of the upper frame can include the downwardly recessed segment and a flexible peripheral sidewall (not shown) can be stretched taut straight across it and thus not recessed with/by it (and not supported by the upper frame), enabling a caretaker to push down on the peripheral sidewall adjacent the recessed segment to downwardly recess it to a lowered position for visibility into the infant receptacle then release it to resiliently return it to its taut, straight across, raised position. 
     Moreover, as shown particularly in  FIG. 17 , in another aspect the bassinet  200  can include a foot rest  250  on the base portion  206  of the support-frame assembly  202 . For example, the foot rest  250  can be in the form of a pad or pedal fixed in place on a rear structural crossmember of the support-frame base  206 . In this way, a caregiver can rest their foot on the foot rest  250  when operating the depth-adjustment mechanism and/or the height-adjustment mechanism for repositioning the floor panel of the infant receptacle and/or the overall infant receptacle itself from respective lowered positions upward toward respective raised positions. 
       FIGS. 18-19  show a bassinet  300  according to a third example embodiment of the invention. The bassinet  300  includes a support-frame assembly  302  configured to rest on a support surface (e.g., a floor or the ground) and an infant-receiving receptacle  304  coupled to the support frame assembly and adapted to support a child (e.g., infant) therein. The bassinet  300  is thus substantially similar to that of the first example embodiment, so details are not repeated for brevity. As such, the bassinet  300  can include (or not) a depth-adjustment mechanism for adjusting the depth of the infant receptacle  304  by adjusting the vertical position of its floor panel, for example as described with respect to the first embodiment. Also, the bassinet  300  can include (or not) any of the other features of the various embodiments described herein. 
     In this embodiment, the bassinet  300  includes longitudinal-axis folding canopy  352  to assist in enhancing parent-child bonding. In typical embodiments, the canopy  352  includes a framework  354  attached (e.g., removably) to the bassinet  300  (e.g., to the support-frame assembly  302 ) and a shell  356  supported by the framework. For example, the framework  354  can include at least two (e.g., the three depicted) support ribs with one or more of the ribs pivotal between an extended/up position covering (relatively more of) the infant receptacle  304  (as depicted) and a collapsed/down position uncovering (covering relatively less of) the infant receptacle (not shown). As opposed to a conventional bassinet canopy that covers the head end (one of the relatively shorter peripheral sidewalls) of an infant receptacle and folds about a transverse/shorter axis (extending between the opposing longer sides) X of the infant receptacle, the canopy  352  folds about a longitudinal/longer axis (extending between the opposing shorter sides) Y of the infant receptacle  304 . For example, the support ribs of the framework  354  can attach, at attachments  358 , to the mounts  310  for the infant receptacle  304  to the support-frame assembly  302 , which mounts (and thus which attachments) can be positioned at approximate midpoints of (or other points along) the two opposing ends of the infant receptacle, as depicted. In this way, when the canopy  352  is deployed into the extended/up position, the bassinet  300  can be positioned over (or adjacent) a bed or couch, provide better visibility for a caretaker on the bed looking into the infant receptacle  304 , and still shade the child from bright light. In other embodiments, the longitudinal-axis folding canopy includes two frameworks and respective shells in a clamshell arrangement that in their extended/up positions are adjacent to each other to substantially cover the infant receptacle. 
       FIGS. 20-21  show a bed pad  460  of a bassinet (not shown) according to a fourth example embodiment of the invention. The bassinet can be of the same type is any described herein or it can be a conventional or other new bassinet. The bed pad  460  is supported on the floor panel (not shown) of the infant receptacle (not shown). For example, the bed pad  460  can rest upon the floor panel without being attached to anything, or it can be attached to the floor panel, the peripheral sidewalls, the adjustable frame, the receptacle-frame assembly, and/or another component of the bassinet, as may be desired. 
     The bed pad  460  includes a conventional “eggcrate” foam slab  461  of a type known in the art, for example acoustic/waffle foam. As such, the eggcrate foam  461  includes a first surface  462  with open cells  464  in a staggered/alternating row-by-row arrangement, and a second opposite surface  466  that is typically (but not necessarily) generally flat. Instead of the eggcrate foam  461  being oriented with the open cells  464  of the first undulating surface  462  facing upward, as is conventionally done, the eggcrate foam is oriented in an inverted position with its first undulating side and open cells facing downward. In addition, the inverted eggcrate foam  461  is positioned on top of batting  468  (with the open cells  464  receiving at least some of the batting), which in turn is positioned on top of a support board  470 , with the foam, batting, and board enclosed in a shell (e.g., fabric)  472 . In this innovative arrangement of components, the bed pad  460  provides more cushioning effect and/or less material/space for enhanced comfort for the child lying on it. 
       FIG. 22-23  show a bassinet according to a fifth example embodiment of the invention. The bassinet  500  includes a support-frame assembly  502  configured to rest on a support surface (e.g., a floor or the ground) and an infant-receiving receptacle  504  coupled to the support frame assembly and adapted to support a child (e.g., infant) therein. The bassinet  500  is thus substantially similar to that of the first example embodiment, so details are not repeated for brevity. As such, the bassinet  500  can include (or not) a depth-adjustment mechanism for adjusting the depth of the infant receptacle  504  by adjusting the vertical position of its floor panel, for example as described with respect to the first embodiment. Also, the bassinet  500  can include (or not) any of the other features of the various embodiments described herein. 
     In this embodiment, the peripheral sidewalls include upper and lower portions, with at least one of them having a flexible portion that collapses in the raised position and that extends in the lowered position. Also, the lock mechanism of the depth-adjustment mechanism is in the form of a conventional zipper mechanism  525  including two inter-engaging zipper strips spaced apart with the flexible sidewall portion between them. When the zipper head is moved through a zipping path to cause the two zipper strips to pull toward each other, the flexible portion is collapsed and the floor panel is thereby raised. In this way, when the zipper head is in the zipped position, the floor panel is locked in the raised position. And when the zipper head is moved through an unzipping motion to allow the two zipper strips to pull away from each other, the flexible sidewall portion is extended and the floor panel is thereby lowered. In this way, when the zipper head is in the unzipped position, the floor panel is unlocked and free to fall by gravity to the lowered position. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to typical and example embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications, additions and deletions are within the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.