Patent Publication Number: US-2001000362-A1

Title: Ventilated crib bumper

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
     1. This application is based on and claims priority of provisional application, Ser. No. 60/093,075, filed on Jul. 16, 1998.  
    
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       2. This invention relates generally to baby crib bumpers and, more particularly, to protecting an infant or a child from bodily impact against the sides of the crib while ventilating dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide out of the crib.  
       3. Crib bumper pads are widely used in baby cribs for protecting a child from injury caused by bodily impact against the sides of the crib that form the interior boundary of the crib. The accumulation of carbon dioxide or other dangerous gases inside the crib is a possible cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Existing crib bumper pads, however, tend to trap these dangerous gases inside the crib. Those bumper pads may pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of children.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       4. The present invention overcomes the difficulties and disadvantages of the prior art by providing a simple and effective way of ventilating the crib to minimize trapping of dangerous gases and ensure a supply of fresh air inside the crib. The invention provides a padded crib bumper having one or more ventilation portions with small openings that permit gas flow therethrough, particularly in the lower region of the crib. The ventilated crib bumper substantially eliminates trapping of dangerous gases, thereby lowering the risk of SIDS. At the same time, there is sufficient padding in the crib bumper to reduce bodily injury to the child caused by impact against the sides of the crib. The crib bumper can be used easily and conveniently to form a safer protective barrier around the interior boundary of the crib. The ventilated crib bumper can be inexpensively produced and does not require specialized manufacturing equipment.  
       5. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a ventilated bumper pad is provided in a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing. The ventilated bumper pad is configured to be supported in the spacing between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress. The ventilated bumper pad comprises an upper bumper section disposed above the upper surface of the mattress. The upper bumper section has at least one padded portion which includes padding and at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports.  
       6. In a specific embodiment, the at least one ventilated portion comprises a mesh fine enough so that the child&#39;s fingers do not get caught in the mesh and the child&#39;s limbs will stay confined inside the interior boundary of the crib. The ventilated bumper pad includes a lower bumper section coupled with the upper bumper section and disposed at least partly in the spacing between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress. The lower bumper section serves to hold the mattress covering in place when tucked firmly in the spacing, thereby preventing the mattress covering from coming loose and bunching to create pockets that trap dangerous gases. The upper bumper section includes a ventilated portion which extends at least substantially around the periphery of the mattress. The ventilated portion has a lower boundary which is generally aligned with the upper surface of the mattress. The upper bumper section includes a padded section which is disposed above and coupled with the ventilated portion and which extends at least substantially around the interior boundary of the crib.  
       7. Another embodiment of the invention is a ventilated bumper for a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing. The ventilated bumper comprises a lower pad disposed at least partially in the space between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress. A ventilated portion is coupled with the lower pad and disposed at least partly above the upper surface of the mattress. The ventilated portion includes at least one opening for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports. An upper pad is coupled with and disposed above the ventilated portion. In a specific embodiment, the ventilated portion extends at least substantially around the periphery of the mattress and has a generally uniform height between the lower pad and the upper pad of about 1-3 inches.  
       8. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a ventilated bumper pad is provided in a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing. The ventilated bumper pad is configured to be supported in the spacing between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress. The ventilated bumper pad comprises a plurality of bumper pad segments each extending along a portion of the periphery of the mattress. The bumper pad segments are releasably coupled with each other. The ventilated bumper pad has at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports.  
       9. Another embodiment of the invention is a kit for ventilating a bumper pad for a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing. The kit comprises a lower pad coupled with an intermediate section. The lower pad is configured to be disposed at least partially in the space between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress to support the intermediate section above the upper surface of the mattress. The intermediate section has at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports. The kit includes at least one fastener for fastening an upper edge of the intermediate section to a lower edge of the bumper pad. The kit is easy to use and makes it even more economical for those who already own a non-ventilated bumper pad to convert it into a ventilated crib bumper.  
       10. Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method of ventilating a bumper pad for a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing. The method comprises providing a lower pad coupled with an intermediate section. The intermediate section has at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports. The lower pad is placed at least partially in the space between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress to support the intermediate section above the upper surface of the mattress. An upper edge of the intermediate section is fastened to a lower edge of the bumper pad.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     11.FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a crib bumper installed in a crib with a mattress according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
     12.FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the crib bumper of FIG. 1 in a laid-open position;  
     13.FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the crib bumper of FIG. 2 along I—I;  
     14.FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the crib bumper of FIG. 1 along II—II illustrating the placement of the crib bumper relative to the mattress and the side supports of the crib;  
     15.FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the crib bumper of FIG. 1 installed in the crib overlapping with the mattress;  
     16.FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a crib bumper in a set-up position according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
     17.FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a crib bumper in a set-up position according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
     18.FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a crib bumper in a set-up position according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
     19.FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of a ventilation upgrade kit for non-ventilated bumpers.  
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS  
     20.FIG. 1 shows a typical crib  10  having a headboard  12 , a footboard  14 , and a bottom  16 . On each of the two sides of the crib  10 , a generally horizontal bottom rail  18  and a generally horizontal top rail  20  extend between the headboard  12  and the footboard  14 . A plurality of generally vertical support posts or bars  22  extend from the bottom rail  18  to the top rail  20  on each side of the crib  10 . The top rails  20  are typically attached to the headboard  12  and footboard  14  at a sufficient height above the bottom  16  so that the child cannot easily climb out of the crib  10 . A mattress  24  is disposed on the bottom  16  of the crib  10 , and has a periphery  26  which is surrounded by an interior boundary of the crib  10  defined by the headboard  12 , footboard  14 , and support posts  22  on the two sides.  
     21. A crib bumper  30  is placed in the crib  10  and is typically set up along the interior boundary of the crib  10  to surround the periphery  26  of the mattress  24 . As best seen in the laid-open position in FIG. 2, the crib bumper  30  has an upper pad  32 , a lower pad  34 , and a ventilation mesh  36  coupled between the upper pad  32  and the lower pad  34 . A plurality of upper tie strings  38  are attached to the top edge of the upper pad  32  for securing the upper pad  32  of the crib bumper  30  to the support posts  22  of the crib  10 , as best seen in FIG. 1. Lower tie strings  40  are provided at the bottom edge of the lower pad  34  for securing the lower pad  34  to the support posts  22  of the crib  10 .  
     22.FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional view of the crib bumper  30 . The upper pad  32  includes a filler material  44  inside a fabric cover  46 . The filler material  44  typically is a polyester filler material but may include other materials such as foam padding, soft rubber, and the like. The upper edge of the fabric cover  46  is stitched to form a top seam  48 . The upper tie strings  38  are stitched to the top seam  48 . The lower edge of the fabric cover  46  is stitched with the top edge of the ventilation mesh  36  to form an upper mesh attachment seam  50 . The lower pad  34  includes a filler material  54  inside a fabric cover  56 . The lower edge of the fabric cover  56  is stitched to form a bottom seam  58 . The lower tie strings  40  are stitched to the bottom seam  58 . The upper edge of the fabric cover  56  is stitched with the bottom edge of the ventilation mesh  36  to form a lower mesh attachment seam  60 . The material used in the crib bumper  30  is flexible so that it can be arranged into different shapes for installation in cribs of different sizes and shapes.  
     23. Referring to FIGS. 1, 4, and  5 , the crib bumper  30  is shown installed inside the crib  10  in the set-up position. The lower pad  34  is disposed in the space between the interior boundary of the crib  10  and the periphery  26  of the mattress  24 . The lower pad  34  overlaps with the side of the mattress  24 , and can be secured to the side support posts  22  by the lower tie strings  40 . The bottom of the ventilation mesh  36  is generally aligned with the upper surface of the mattress  24 , but may be slightly below or above the upper surface. The upper pad  32  is secured to the side support posts  22  using the upper tie strings  38 . In this embodiment, the ventilation mesh  36  has a generally constant height and extends around the entire periphery  26  of the mattress  24 . The height of the mesh  36  is typically less than about 5 inches so that there are sufficient areas of padding to protect the child from bodily impact against the sides of the crib  10 . In a specific embodiment, the height of the mesh  36  is about 1-3 inches. It is noted that the mesh  36  need not extend around the entire periphery  26  of the mattress  24  in alternative embodiments. For example, the mesh portions may be formed in rectangular patches alternating with padded portions. One advantage of having a continuous mesh  36  is that it is simpler and faster to manufacture, thereby reducing production time and cost. Another advantage is that the continuous mesh  36  provides better and more uniform ventilation so that trapping of dangerous gases in the crib  10  is reduced regardless of the position of the child. Further, a child may sometimes press its face into a corner while moving and crawling in the crib  10 . The continuous mesh  36  ensures that the child has a supply of fresh air in those potentially dangerous positions.  
     24. When installed in the crib  10  as shown in FIG. 1, the padding in the upper pad  32  of the ventilated bumper  30  prevents or at least reduces bodily impact of the child against the headboard  12 , footboard  14 , and support posts  22 . The ventilation mesh  36  keeps the child&#39;s body safely inside the interior boundary of the crib  10 . At the same time, the ventilation mesh  36  allows carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases to escape through openings therein from the interior of the crib  10 . The lower pad  34  is pressed down tightly in the space between the mattress  24  and the interior boundary of the crib  10  to anchor and support the ventilated bumper  30 . The lower pad  34  also functions to hold down and maintain the mattress cover sheeting firmly in place. This eliminates bunching of the mattress covering and the creation of pockets which may collect and hold carbon dioxide or other dangerous gases inside the crib  10 .  
     25.FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate two alternative embodiments of the crib bumper employing multiple ventilation ports or patches. In the crib bumper  70  of FIG. 6, circular ventilation mesh ports  72  are provided at different locations and surrounded by padded regions  74  of the crib bumper  70 . In FIG. 7, the crib bumper  80  includes spaced triangular ventilation mesh ports  82  surrounded by padded regions  84 . Of course, other shapes can be used for the ventilation mesh ports.  
     26. In another alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 8, a two-piece crib bumper has two bumper pieces  90   a,    90   b  each extending over a portion of the periphery  26  of the mattress  24 . Each bumper piece  90   a,    90   b  has a ventilation flap  92   a,    92   b  connected at one side by, e.g., stitching  94   a,    94   b.  The other side of the ventilation flap  92   a,    92   b  of each bumper piece  90   a,    90   b  is connectable with the other bumper piece using a hook and loop fastener  96   a,    96   b  or other fastening members.  
     27. A ventilation upgrade kit  100  for converting a non-ventilated bumper pad into a ventilated bumper is illustrated in FIG. 9. The kit  100  includes a ventilation panel  102  connected with a lower bumper pad  104 . The ventilation panel  102  is attachable to the bottom of a non-ventilated bumper pad by sewing or other methods to form a ventilated crib bumper similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-3. In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation panel  102  includes one or more hook and loop fasteners  106  near the upper edge for connecting the ventilation panel  102  to the non-ventilated bumper pad.  
     28. The ventilated crib bumpers of the present invention can be used easily and conveniently to form a safer protective barrier around the interior boundary of the crib  10  which reduces the trapping of carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases inside the crib. The crib bumper is easily removable for laundering. The crib bumper can be produced easily and inexpensively. An easy-to-install upgrade kit makes it even more economical for those who already own a non-ventilated bumper pad to convert it to a ventilated crib bumper.  
     29. The above-described arrangements of apparatus and methods are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention and many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. For instance, the ventilated mesh may be replaced by other types of ventilation panels having small openings. The ventilated crib bumper can be sized to fit day travel cribs, bassinets, or other sleeping apparatus. The ventilation mesh can have a variety of decorative shapes such as star and animal shapes. The ventilated crib bumper can be manufactured using various methods. One alternative way is to employ a single piece of mesh and fill portions of the mesh with padding or breathable filling material.