Patent Publication Number: US-7716760-B1

Title: Baby crib pad with lower openings

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a baby crib pad with air gaps for use on a baby crib for the purpose of protecting a baby from bumping against the balusters of a baby crib while eliminating the danger of the baby being strangled or suffocated by the pad and lessening the possibility of sudden infant death syndrome. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   The current advice of most pediatricians is that mothers should not use any type of pads in their baby cribs. This advice is given because of several dangers that the traditional crib pads present to babies. A first threat is that the pad or the pad&#39;s fastening straps may become wound around the baby&#39;s neck and strangle the baby. A second threat is that the baby could roll so that its face was against the pad with both its mouth and nose obstructed by the pad and thereby suffocating the baby. Also, mothers who have both a baby and a toddler worry that the toddler might accidentally dislodge the pad so that the pad falls into the crib on top of the baby, and somehow cover the baby&#39;s face and suffocating the baby. Still another danger with use of current crib pads is that many are not tightly secured to the balusters of the crib and the baby can get its head wedged between the pad and the balusters and can be suffocated or strangled. 
   However, without any type of padding in use on the balusters of baby cribs, babies are in danger of striking their bodies against the balusters and becoming injured. And without the use of some type of pad on the crib, babies often extend their arms or legs between the balusters where the appendage can become stuck and require an adult to free the appendage. Some older types of cribs have balusters that are spaced too far apart and a baby can actually get its head through the opening between adjacent balusters when there is no pad to prevent this, resulting in the child being choked. 
   Another problem with current pads for baby cribs is that they are generally secured loosely at only a few points to the crib so that a baby can crawl up between the pad and the crib and suffocate. 
   Still a further problem with current pads is that they prevent air from moving freely into and out of the crib in the area near the surface of the mattress where the baby is laying. The heat buildup and buildup of carbon dioxide and lack of oxygen resulting from lack of air circulation has been cited as possible contributing factors to the tragic problem of sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. 
   There have been attempts to address this problem. One patent that attempts to address this problem is U.S. Pat. No. 6,13,216 issued to MacDonald Pine on Oct. 17, 2000. The Pine patent teaches some desirable features in a crib pad, such as various types of air openings provided in a crib pad and also ties to hold the pad to the crib&#39;s balusters. However, the air gaps taught by Pine, and specifically the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5  of that patent, do not have openings that are large enough in proportion to the pad area to prevent possible suffocation of a baby. The openings shown in that patent are half circles cut out of the lower portion of the pad, but the cut out half circles are not continuous in that the cut out portion of one half circle does not continue from its adjacent cut out half circle. Instead there is a distance between the cut outs that appears to be larger than the width of the cut outs themselves. This is due in part to the wide spacing of the cut outs and in part to the orientation of the cut outs which are of an inverted u-shape. The present invention improves over this design by making the lower portion of the pad a continuously repeating series of u-shaped crescents with the junction of the crescents forming the openings with the crib mattress, spacing the crescents so that they join each other in as continuous repeating fashion so that the openings formed between the crescent are closer together. Preferably the spacing of the crescents coincides with the spacing of the balusters on the crib. This arrangement of a series of continuously repeating u-shaped crescents on the pad insures larger proportions of opening area to pad area at the surface of the crib mattress. This larger proportion of opening area to pad area provides for better air flow, less heat retention within the crib and lessens the possibility that a baby could have both its mouth and nose simultaneously obstructed by the pad and the potential for sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. 
   The present invention addresses these problems by providing a pad that consists of a plurality of tightly padded segments with each padded segment provided with one or more cooperating pairs of vertical flaps secured to the back side of the segments. Each vertical flap is provided with at least one tie fastener that attach around one or more of the balusters of the crib on the outside of the baby crib and ties in a knot with a tie fastener on a cooperating vertical flap as a means of securing the segments to the crib. The padded segments are tall enough so that a baby will not be able to reach the tie fasteners from within the crib. Also, the tie fasteners are specifically designed to be short so that they are long enough to allow an adult to tie them into a knot to secure the segment to the crib&#39;s balusters, but sufficiently short so that the baby will not be in danger of having the tie fasteners become wound around the baby&#39;s neck and strangling the baby. Because the tie fasteners are tied into a knot, a toddler would find it difficult to untie them from the outside of the crib. 
   The padded portion of the segments is tightly padded so that it stands erect against the balusters when tied thereto. The lower border of the padded portion of the segments is formed into a repeating compact crescent shield or buffer shape so that the longer portions of the crescent shapes rest against the mattress of the baby crib and support the segments above the mattress while the shorter parts of the crescents and the short junction between adjacent crescents remains erect and forms lower openings between the crib mattress and the pad. These openings preferably coincide with the spacing of the balusters of the crib. These openings permit air to flow freely between the inside and outside of the crib at the surface of the crib mattress. 
   Also, because the crescent shapes are so narrow and closely spaced in the present invention, this prevents a baby from rolling over against a segment and having both its mouth and nose covered or blocked by one of the longer portions of the crescent shapes. This further reduces the chance that a baby could be suffocated by the present invention. 
   A further advantage of the present invention is that it is easy to manufacture and is an esthetically pleasing and marketable design. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a baby crib pad with lower openings forming air gaps therein for use on a baby crib for the purpose of protecting a baby from bumping against the balusters of a baby crib while eliminating the dangers of the baby being strangled or suffocated by the pad and while allowing free air flow into and out of the crib to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome. More specifically, the present invention is a pad consisting of a plurality of separate segments so that each segment is provided with a padded portion that remains inside the crib to protect the baby from banging against the balusters of the crib. 
   The segments are tightly padded so that they stand erect above a crib mattress when secured to the balusters. 
   Each segment is provided with pairs of cooperating vertical flaps that extend around individual balusters of the baby crib and are tied to together on the outside of the crib via short tie fasteners that are provided on the vertical flaps. 
   The short tie fasteners are purposefully made short so that they can only be tied in a knot to the adjacent short tie fastener to tightly secure the segments of the pad to the crib. The vertical flaps hold the segments from top to bottom so securely so as to prevent a baby from getting its head between the pad and the balusters of the crib. 
   The lower border of the padded portion is compact crescent shield or buffer shaped so that the longer portions of the crescents rest against the mattress of the baby crib and support the pad above the matters and the shorter portions of the crescents and the junctions between adjacent crescents are raised above the mattress to thereby form lower openings in the pad which serve as air gaps between the shorter portions of the crescent shapes and the surface of the mattress, permitting air and heat to flow freely between the inside and outside of the crib. These lower openings also allow an adult to look through the openings in order to check on a baby without being observed by the baby and thereby preventing the baby from being awakened or otherwise disturbed. This is particularly useful when trying to get a baby to settle down for a nap. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a baby crib to which is attached a baby crib pad with lower openings that is constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a front view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged rear view a portion of the pad contained within circle  5  of  FIG. 1 , shown removed from the crib. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a baby crib pad with lower openings  10  that is constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The pad  10  of  FIG. 1  is shown in use on baby crib  12 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 , the pad  10  consisting of a plurality of separate stiffly padded segments  14  that are employed on the inside  26  of the crib  12  with ends  15 A and  15 B of the segments  14  touching each other in an end-to-end or abutting fashion. The padded segments  14  are provided with squared off ends  21 , as best illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , which facilitates this abutting arrangement. As illustrated in  FIG. 2  for one segment  14 , the segments  14  may be of different overall lengths  11  so that different combinations of the segments  14  can be used for different sizes of cribs  12 . 
   Referring also to  FIG. 5 , each padded segment  14  is provided with a cooperating pairs of vertical flaps  13  located on its rear side  17 , i.e. the side of the pad  10  that faces the balusters  18  and faces away from the crib mattress  34 . The opposite front side  19  of the pad  10  faces a crib mattress  34  where the baby (not illustrated) will be located. Each vertical flap  13  is secured to the rear side  17  of the segment  14  and, when in use, extends around one or more of the balusters  18  of the crib  12  and is tied to the baluster  18  by short tie fasteners  16  that extend on the outside  20  of the baby crib  12 . Tie fasteners  16  of adjacent cooperating pairs of vertical flaps  13  can be tied together in a knot  22  around the balusters  18  to secure the segments  14  of the pad  10  to the crib  12 . Once they are thus secured to the balusters  18 , the stiffly padded segments  14  stand erect adjacent to the balusters  18  of the crib  12 . The tie fasteners  16  are specifically and purposefully designed to be only long enough to tie into a knot  22  to prevent the user from trying to tie them in some other manner which could then be more easily loosened and untied. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , each segment  14  is provided with a stiffly padded portion  24  that remains on the inside  26  of the crib  12  to protect the baby that occupies the crib  12  from banging against the balusters  18  of the crib  12 . Referring also to  FIG. 3 , a compact and repeating crescent shield or buffer shaped lower border  28  of the padded portion  24  is provided with longer portions  30  and shorter portions  32  where the adjacent crescent shapes join so that a shorter portion  32  is located between adjacent longer portions  30 . 
   As best illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the present invention improves over prior art designs by making the lower portion of the pad  10  a continuously repeating series of u-shaped crescents  28  that touch each other and with the junction between adjacent abutting crescents  28  forming the openings  36  with the crib mattress  34 . Because the crescents  28  touch each other, they join each other in as continuous repeating fashion so that the openings  36  formed between the crescents  28  form a pad with a larger proportions of opening area to pad area at the surface of the crib mattress  34 . In fact the opening area to pad area ratio for the present invention exceeds 1 to 4. 
   The spacing of the crescent shapes preferably coincides with the spacing of the balusters  18  of the crib  12 . This spacing is illustrated in  FIG. 3  which illustrated the location of the shorter portions  32  of the crescent shaped border  28  coinciding with the location of the balusters  18 . Although not illustrated, it is obvious that the pad  10  could instead be made so that the location of the longer portions  30  would coincide with the location of the balusters  18  or made so that neither the location of the shorter portions  32  nor the location of the longer portions  30  would coincide with the location of the balusters  18 . 
   The longer portions  30  of the repeating crescent shaped border  28  can only slide down on the balusters  18  until the longer portions  30  rest against the mattress  34  of the baby crib  12 , as best seen in  FIG. 3 . Because of the stiff padding provided in the padded portion  23 , the padded portion  23  is semi-rigid and resists bending or sagging which allows the pad  10  to be supported upon the mattress  34  via the longer portions  30 . Because the padded portion is so tightly padded, it will stand erect above the mattress  34 , thus holding the shorter portions  32  of the repeating crescent shaped border  28  above the mattress  34  and forming lower openings  36  which serve as air gaps between the mattress  34  and the shorter portions  32  of the padded portion  24 . These lower openings  36  permit air to flow freely between the inside  26  and outside  20  of the crib  12  at the upper surface  38  of the mattress  34  and allow an adult to visually check on the baby while the presence of the adult remains undetected by the baby. 
   Because the tie fasteners  16  are short, once they have been tied together into a knot  22  around one or more balusters  12 , they are not easily untied. This makes it unlikely that the tie fasteners  16  could be untied by either a baby or toddler. Also, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the height  23  of the padded portion  24  is sufficient to prevent a baby from reaching the tie fasteners  16 . Because the tie fasteners  16  are located on the outside  20  the crib  12  and because the tie fasteners  16  are located approximately half way between an upper border  40  of the padded portion  24  and the lower compact crescent shield or buffer shaped border  28  of the padded portion  24 , it is unlikely that a baby located within the crib  12  could even manage to reach the knots  22  formed in the tie fasteners  16 , let alone untie them. Also, because each segment  14  is tied to the balusters  18  at close intervals and because the vertical flaps  13  hold the padded portion  24  securely to the balusters from top-to-bottom of the padded portion  24 , this serves as a deterrent against the baby getting its head in between the segments  14  of the pad  10  and the balusters  18  where the baby could be trapped or suffocated. 
   While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for the purposes of exemplification, but is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claim or claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled.