Patent Publication Number: US-6704951-B2

Title: Crib

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a crib or child&#39;s bed with high sides of which at least one is adjustable, and with a vertically adjustable mattress platform, and more particularly, to a crib or child&#39;s bed wherein an adjustable high side may have its top or upper portion lowered without adjustment of its bottom, and wherein the lowerable top may be secured in place by a child-proof double-action latch mechanism, and wherein the height of the mattress platform may be secured in place with a child-proof latch mechanism. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cribs with vertically adjustable sides to enable convenient servicing of a child in the crib, and with an adjustable raised mattress platform to accommodate children of different ages, are well known. The raised mattress platform provides storage space beneath the crib. Usually the whole adjustable side, formed with top and bottom railings interconnected with stiles or other barriers, translates vertically, with the result that in the lowered position permitting ready access to the child, access to the storage place below the raised mattress platform is blocked and precludes reaching articles commonly used during when the drop side is lowered. 
     Community Playthings, doing business of Community Products, LLC, already markets a crib “WAS G10 Small Crib”. It has two end panels each constituted alternatively of either clear plastic or wooden stiles mounted at its side edges in crib corner posts. Respective ones of the end panel posts are pivotally interconnected by side panels having appropriately-spaced wooden stiles between upper and lower railings. The bottom railings are a distance above the room floor, permitting the storage of baby materials below the crib. A mattress support is adjustably mounted in the crib between the side panels. 
     The pivotal interconnections of the end panels with the side panels enable sidewise collapse of the crib upon itself (after removal of the mattress support, and of course the mattress), and are achieved by pivotally mounting the ends of the railings in delrin plastic cups having upper and lower leaves formed internally of the cup with facing embossments co-acting with recesses formed in the upper and lower sides of each railing end, the ends of the leaves being urged together spring-like. The spring-like leaves also permit ready assembly and disassembly of the crib by enabling forceful insertion and removal of the railing ends therein. The present crib does not have a drop side. 
     PRIOR ART 
     Patents showing cribs with vertically translatable sides include U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,282 issued Jan. 27, 1976 to Bryant; U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,312 issued Nov. 17, 1987 to Shamie; U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,539 issued May 15, 1990 to Benoit; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,580 issued Jan. 2, 2001 to Draheim et al. In Bryant, the vertically translatable side slides on rods mounted on crib end posts. In Shamie, elements on the drop side extend into vertical slots in the crib end posts. In Benoit, special drop side guides and a double action device are built in and operate the slidable-up and -down drop side according to regulations. In Draheim et al, the vertically translatable drop side is secured to opposing pairs of tracks. 
     Recent patents showing cribs with high sides include the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,539 issued May 15, 1990 to Benoit; U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,452 issued Oct. 7, 1980 to Hoffman et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,493 issued Aug. 20, 1985 to Guillot; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,464 issued Dec. 17, 1991 to Draheim et al. 
     Recent patents showing cribs with adjustable mattress platforms include U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,482 issued May 2, 1989 to Paris; U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,880 issued Oct. 20,1992 to Schoonover et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,808 issued Jun. 1, 1993 to Schoonover et al. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to improve care for infants by facilitating access to the bottom of the Community Playthings crib “WAS G10 Small Crib” by their caregivers. 
     A particular object of the invention is to enhance gently easing a sleeping infant into the Community Playthings crib “WAS G10 Small Crib”, by the ability to temporarily reduce the reach necessitated by the operation. 
     A specific object of the invention to provide the Community Playthings crib “WAS G10 Small Crib” with a drop side. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a crib wherein the storage space beneath a drop-side crib remains accessible while a child in the crib is being conveniently serviced therein. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a crib drop side which can not be lowered by a child inadvertently or intentionally. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a crib drop side which can be easily lowered by the free hand of the mother holding the child with the arm of the other hand. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a drop-side crib which is collapsible sideways upon itself for storage after removable of the mattress support. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a crib having a removable mattress support with protection against inadvertent or intentional dislocation by a child. 
     A related object of the invention is the provision of a mattress support latch that cannot be operated by a child. 
     An object of the invention is to provide such a crib that complies with all safety regulations of the United States and the United Kingdom Still another object of the invention is to provide such a crib which is easy to use. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a drop-side crib which is still easy to assemble and disassemble. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a drop-side crib which is still simple of construction and easy and inexpensive of manufacture. 
     The objects of the invention are achieved by providing the drop side of a crib with a top or upper portion which can be lowered with respect to its bottom portion Specifically, the top railing of the drop side is vertically translatable with respect to the bottom railing which is operationally fixed with respect to the crib. Vertical translation of the drop-side top or upper railing is accomplished by employing stiles having telescoping sections between the drop-side top and bottom railings: when the top railing is unlatched, the telescoping sections attached to it slide down in or on their complementary sections affixed to the bottom rail to rest thereon; when the top railing is raised again to its latching position, the telescoping rod sections attached to it slide up in or on their complementary sections affixed to the bottom rail to form the drop side constituting a full barrier to a child on the mattress support in the crib. In the preferred embodiment, a hollow cylindrical telescoping section is affixed at its upper end to the drop side upper railing, whereas the complementary rod or interior telescoping section is affixed at its lower end to the lower railing. 
     A feature of the invention is that the rod or interior or lower telescoping sections of the stiles are formed of wood encased in plastic. This prevents the expansion of the wood from the absorption of moisture and hence minimizes the danger of the telescoping sections binding; this in turn enables a closer fit between the telescoping sections of the respective stiles in order to eliminate a child&#39;s exposure to any pinching by the relatively movable sections of a stile. 
     The drop side is secured in a vertical disposition and guided in its movements between raised and lowered positions by latch brackets mounted on the faces of the end-panel corner posts facing it, and by slides pivotally mounted on, the top-railing adjacent ends. The brackets extend vertically along the posts and have sidewise projections which are embraced by complementary grooves in the outer face of the slides. Thus the upper railing cannot be pulled inward or pushed outward by a child. 
     The drop side is rendered safe against operation by a child by employing double-action latch mechanisms. Two double-action latch mechanisms are used: one for each end of the drop side to latch it to the end-panel corner post adjacent that end. The two latch mechanisms are mounted in the upper railing. To this end, the drop-side upper railing is provided with an upper bar fixedly secured to a lower bar: the lower surface of the upper bar is provided with a longitudinally-extending groove slidably receiving rods of the two latch mechanisms that are biased outwardly from central triggers and extend beyond the outer ends of the railing to where they each engage on their free ends a shoulder-bearing latch bracket mounted on the opposing face of the associated corner post of the end panel; the upper surface of the lower bar retains the latch rods in the upper-bar groove. The upper bar reacts against the latch rods to support the drop-side top or upper portion in raised position when the free ends of the latch rods rest on top of their associated latch bracket shoulders. The two triggers extend downward from the inner free ends of the two latch rods through slots of length in the lower bar accommodating operational movement thereof, and are biased apart by a compression spring which thus also biases the latch rods outward to where they engage the latch brackets. 
     Movement of the two triggers inward (toward each other and against the spring bias), withdraws the free ends of the latch rods from over the associated corner-post latch-bracket shoulders to allow the drop-side top or upper portion to descend until the upper ends of the rods of the telescoping stiles are slid down upon by the associated tubes to where they engage the bottom surface of the upper-railing lower bar. The free ends of the latch rods and the latch brackets (of sufficient length) are formed of materials (e.g. delrin) facilitating free sliding contact with each other, thus enabling the triggers to be released after the initial unlatching and some beginning of the downward movement of the railing of the drop-side top or upper portion. 
     The latch mechanisms are rendered double action ones by forming the free ends of the latch bars wider, and by enlarging the width of the outer ends of the longitudinally-extending upper bar groove in two stages. In the first or outer stage, the grooves at each end are enlarged to their full heights for a short length, allowing the bar wider free-ends to be fully received therein under the upper-bar reflected weight of the drop-side upper portion when the free ends rest on top of the bracket shoulders, but restricting inward movement of the latch rods and hence preventing unlatching. In the second or inner stage, only the lower area of the groove is widened to accommodate withdrawal of the free ends of the latch rods when they are in their lower position in the groove due to sprig action and the drop-side having been lifted to take the its weight off of the latch rods. The weight of the drop-side top portion is such as to compress the first stage springs and allow the upper bar to descend upon the latch rod as the latch-rod wider free end portions enter the first stage wider portion of the groove. Withdrawal of the latch rod free ends by squeezing of the triggers together is thus prevented by the engagement of the enlarged free ends with the shoulders at the inner end of the first stage. However first lifting of the upper drop-side portion allows 1) the first stage springs to push the wider free end portions downward to where they are no longer aligned with the first stage shoulders, and 2) the operation of the triggers to withdraw the free ends into the second stage, whereupon the bar free ends clear the bar shoulders and the drop-side upper portion can be lowered Thus the drop side can only be lowered by first raising it. 
     A feature of the invention is that a mother holding a baby in one arm, can lower the drop side by grasping the triggers with the fore and index finger of the other arm hand to first raise the upper portion of the drop side and then squeezing the triggers together and momentarily holding them so until the free ends of the latch rods clear the top of the latch bracket shoulders during the downward translation. 
     Another feature of the invention is that pressure of the free ends of the latch rods on the latch brackets is minimized to reduce friction and thus facilitate up and down motion of the drop side top portion This allows stronger biases to be applied against trigger displacement to render the crib more child proof 
     To raise the drop-side top or upper portion and latch it in raised position, the top portion need merely be raised substantially evenly until the free ends of the latch rods pass over the latch bracket shoulders, the bottom of the latch shoulders being cammed to force the latch rod free ends inward as they approach the shoulders. 
     The mattress platform or bottom or floor of a crib is adjustable to different vertical positions. Adjustment of the mattress platform by a child is prevented by a unique latch arrangement. A plunger latch mechanism is mounted on the underside of each corner of the platform; but the plunger may be withdrawn to unlatching position only by inserting a tool through a narrow slot in the mattress platform. To this end, a slidable block in the latch mechanism and attached to the plunger is engageable through the narrow slot by a tool such as a key or pen to displace it to where the plunger is withdrawn from a recess in the corresponding corner post. 
     If the latch mechanism along one side edge of the mattress platform are operated and the mattress platform removed from the crib by raising that edge and pulling the plungers on the other edge from their recesses in their corner posts, this crib too can be collapsed onto itself. Pivotal action of the drop-side panel with respect to the end panels is enabled by the aforementioned pivotal mounting of the slides on the upper railing. The drop side lower railing is mounted on the end panel by the aforementioned delrin plastic cups having upper and lower leaves formed internally of the cup with facing embossments co-acting with recesses formed in the upper and lower sides of the other railing ends. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when considered with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a crib showing the drop side of the crib with its upper portion in its raised position; 
     FIG. 2 is the same view in perspective of a crib but showing the upper portion of the drop side of the crib in its lowered position; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in perspective of a portion of the crib showing its drop side with its upper portion raised and its stiles in greater detail; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in perspective of the central part of the upper portion of the drop side showing the drop side two-part top railing and the two triggers protruding from slots in the underside of the bottom part and which must be squeezed together to unlatch the railing for lowering; 
     FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of the central part of the upper portion of the drop side, showing the top railing with its upper part removed to leave behind and show the latching mechanism for securing the drop-side upper portion in raised position; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view in perspective of piece of the upper portion of the drop side, showing the upper part of top railing uncovered to leave behind and expose the associated latching mechanism for securing the upper portion in raised position on the latch bracket of the nearby corner post; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged up-side-down view in perspective of the latching mechanism shown in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged view in perspective of an intermediate portion of the latching mechanism showing a force reducing connection therein; 
     FIG. 9 is an orthogonal vertical cross-sectional view taken of the drop-side top railing taken along the line  9 — 9  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 10 is an orthogonal vertical cross-sectional view of the drop-side top railing taken along the line  10 — 10  of FIG.  6  and through the first stage, after it has been lifted for lowering, and showing the slide after it has been rotated 90 degrees; 
     FIG. 11 is an orthogonal vertical cross-sectional view of the drop-side top railing taken on a line just inward of the line  10 — 10  of FIG.  6  and through the second stage; 
     FIG. 12 is a view in perspective of the slide disposed on the upper end of the latch bracket; 
     FIG. 13 is a view in perspective of the back side (side mounted on the corner post) of the latch bracket, and showing the slide disposed in a partly lowered position; 
     FIG. 14 is an orthogonal vertical front view of the latch bracket of FIG. 13, with the slide removed, 
     FIG. 15 is an orthogonal vertical view of a side of the latch bracket shown in FIG. 14; 
     FIG. 16 is a top view in perspective of one of the four corners of the adjustable and removable floor or mattress support of the crib, mounting on its underside a safety latch for interacting with the associated crib corner post; and 
     FIG. 17 is a top view in perspective of the safety latch of FIG. 12, unmounted. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a crib constructed according to the invention. The crib includes four corner posts  10 ; four lower rigid railings  12 ; and three rigid upper railings  14 . Sets of two corner posts  10  are rigidly joined to sets of upper and lower rigid railings  14  and  12  to define rigid end panels which mount a glass such as plexiglass, or alternatively wooden stiles, therebetween to provide a suitable yet-see-through barrier to protect a child. 
     The end panels are interconnected by side panels: one being a relatively fixed panel; the other being the drop side. The back side panel employs conventional stiles  16 , suitably spaced to contain a child within the crib; they extend vertically between corresponding lower and upper railings  12  and  14 . (The stiles  16 , for the most part, are shown through the glass of the right hand end panel of FIGS. 1 and 2.) The back side panel is pivotally mounted, in conventional Community Playthings crib construction, via the ends of its railings  12  and  14  in delrin plastic cups having upper and lower leaves formed internally of the cup with facing embossments co-acting with recesses formed in the upper and lower sides of each railing end, the ends of the leaves being urged together spring-like; the pivotal mounting facilitating collapse of the crib upon itself. The spring-like leaves also permit ready assembly and disassembly of the crib by enabling forceful insertion and removal of the railing ends therein. A floor or mattress support  86  provides rectangular rigidity to the crib; rigidity of the crib before mounting the floor is somewhat obtained by suitably detenting the spring-like leaves and associated railing ends. 
     The front panel of the crib is the drop side. In FIG. 2 the drop side is shown in lowered position, and in FIG. 1 in raised position. The drop side has a vertically-translatable upper portion generally indicated by the numeral  20 , and a fixed lower portion generally indicated by the numeral  22  and which includes the front lower railing  12  similar to the lower railing  12  of the back side panel. Telescoping stiles, generally indicated by the number  24  and suitably spaced, interconnect the upper railing generally indicted by the numeral  26  of the drop-side vertically-translatable upper portion  20 , with railing  12  of the fixed lower portion  22 . 
     As best seen in FIG. 3, the telescoping stiles  24  are each partially formed of a tube  28  affixed as by nailing at its upper end in a recess in the bottom of a railing  26  of the vertically-translatable drop-side upper portion  20 ; the tubes are formed of a suitable wear-resistant plastic having a low coefficient of friction such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The telescoping stiles  24  are also each partially formed of a rod generally indicated by the numeral  32  affixed at its lower end as by nailing in a recess in the top of the railing  12  of the drop-side fixed lower portion  22 . Contrary to the hollow tubs  28 , each of the rods  32  is formed of an inner wooden dowel  34  (see the right-hand stile in FIG. 3) and an outer plastic tube  30  of a diameter that permits the rod  32  to be slidably received within the corresponding plastic upper tube  28 . The wooden dowel adds strength and rigidity to the bottom portion of a stile  24 , while its plastic tube  30  protects it from moisture and consequent swelling which would bind the rod  32  within the tube  28 . Thus the drop-side translatable upper portion  20  may always be made to slide down upon the telescoping tubes towards the drop-side fixed lower portion  22  and up to its raised or safety position. 
     Not only is the drop-side upper portion  20  guided in its up and down movements by the telescoping stiles  24 , hut also by a slide (FIGS. 6,  10 ,  12 , and  13 ), generally indicated by the numeral  38 , on each end of the top railing  26 ; and by a latch bracket (FIGS. 1,  2 ,  6 , and  12 - 15 ) generally indicated by the numeral  36  and secured on the opposing faces of the adjacent end-panel corner posts  10  of the crib (FIGS.  1 - 3 ). Thus the drop side is secured in a vertical disposition and firmly guided in its movements between raised and lowered positions by latch brackets  36  mounted as by screws on the surfaces of the end-panel corner posts  10  facing it, and the complementary slides  38  pivotally mounting the top railing  26  adjacent ends. A slide  38  is pivotally mounted on its end on the top of the upper railing  26  via a rotatable tubular lug  39  depending from a laterally extending flange and received in a complementary opening in the adjacent end of the top railing  26  to which it is suitably bolted. 
     A latch bracket  36  extends vertically along its post  10  and has sidewise projections  40  which are embraced by complementary grooves  42  in the outer face of a vertically-extending portion of the slide  38 . Thus the upper railing cannot be pulled inward or pushed outward by a child. 
     A ridge  44  in the center of the upper end of the outside face of the latch bracket  36  cooperates with a groove  46  in center of the outer face of the slide  38  to provide additional resistance to sidewise, displacement of the drop-side upper portion  20  when it is in its raised position where maximum leverage would obtain. Upward excursion of a slide  38  on its bracket  36 , as during lifting of the drop-side upper portion  20  to enable unlatching it, is limited by engagement of shoulders  41  (FIG. 13) in the slide  38  against the stop  35  at the top end of the bracket  36 . 
     The drop-side upper portion  20  is rendered safe against lowering by a child by incorporating double-action latch mechanisms in its upper railing  26 . Two double-action latch mechanisms are used: one for each end of the drop-side upper portion  20  to latch it securely to the end-panel corner post adjacent that end. The two latch mechanisms are mounted within the upper railing  26 . To this end, the upper railing  26  is provided with an upper bar  50  (FIGS.  4  and  9 - 11 ) fixedly secured as by screws upon a lower bar  52 : the lower surface of the upper bar  50  being provided with a longitudinally-extending groove  54  slidably receiving latch rods generally indicated by the numeral  56  of the two latch mechanisms and that are biased outwardly from centrally located triggers  58  secured to the inner ends of rods  56 , by a compression spring  57  (FIGS. 5 and 6) interposed between them, to beyond the outer ends of the railing  26  to where they can each engage on their free ends the upper side of a shoulder  60  (FIGS. 12,  14  and  15 ) on the associated latch bracket  36  mounted on the opposing face of the adjacent corner post  10  of an end panel; the upper surface of the lower bar  52  retains the latch rods  56  in the upper-bar groove  54 . The upper bar  50  reacts against the latch rods  56  to support the drop-side top portion  20  in raised position when the free ends of the latch rods  56  rest on top of their associated latch bracket shoulders  60 . The two triggers  58  extend downward from the inner ends of the two latch rods  56  through slots  62  (FIG. 4) of a length in the lower bar  52  sufficient to accommodate operational movement thereof; as noted above, they are biased apart by the compression spring  57  which thus also biases the latch rods  56  outward to where they engage the latch brackets  36 . 
     Movement of the two triggers  58  inward (toward each other and against the bias of spring  57 ), withdraws the free ends  64  (FIGS. 7,  10  and  11 ) of the latch rods  56  from over the associated corner-post latch-bracket shoulders  60  to allow the drop-side top portion  20  to descend until the upper ends of the rods  32  of the stiles  24  are slid-down upon by the associated tubes  28  to where they engage the bottom surface of the upper-railing lower bar  52 . The free ends  64  of the latch rods  56  and the latch brackets  36  (of sufficient length to accommodate the range of translation movement of the upper portion  20 ) are formed of delrin, a material facilitating free sliding contact with each other, and enabling the triggers  58  to be released after the initial unlatching and some beginning of the downward movement of the top railing  26 . 
     The latch mechanisms are rendered double-action ones first requiring raising of the top railing  26 , by forming the free ends  64  of the latch bars  56  wider and by enlarging the width of the outer ends of the longitudinally-extending upper bar groove in two stages. In the first or outer stage, the grooves  54  at each end are enlarged to their full heights as at  66  (FIG. 10) (at least twice the thickness of the bar free ends  64 ), allowing the bar wider free-ends  64  to be fully received (by rising) therein when the free ends rest on top of the latch bracket shoulders  60 . The upper area of the outer or first stage portion  66  of a groove  54  is not of a length to allow withdrawal of the wider free end  64  of the latch bar  56  therein when the trigger  58  is pulled. 
     However in the second or inner stage, the grooves  54  in the upper bar  50  at the end of the first or outer stages are too widened at their bottom to heights slightly higher than the thickness of the bar wider free ends  64 , as at  68  (FIG.  11 ), to permit withdrawal (and hence unlatching) of the free ends  64  of the latch rods  56  from above the corner-post latch-bracket shoulders  60  when the drop-side-upper portion railing  26  is raised A first-stage spring  72  (FIG. 10) biases each of the free ends  64  of the latch rods  56  downward to a position in which it rests upon the drop-side upper-portion railing lower part  52  and in alignment with the wider groove area  68  and can be moved inward upon operation of its trigger  58 . When the free ends  64  of the latch rods  56  rest on the latch bracket shoulders  60 , the weight of the drop-side top portion  20  is such as to compress the first stage springs and allow the upper bar  50  to descend upon the latch rod  56  as the latch-rod wider free end portions  64  enter the full-height first-stage wider portion  66  of the groove  54 . Withdrawal of the latch rod free ends by squeezing of the triggers together is then prevented by the limited length of the first stage wider groove. Lifting of the railing  26  of the upper drop-side portion  20  allows 1) the first stage springs  72  to push the wider free end portions  64  downward to where they are no longer limited by the shortness of the first stage wider groove, and 2) operation of the triggers  58  to withdraw the wider portions  64  into the second stage longer wider groove wherein the free end portions  64  clear the latch bracket shoulders  60  and the upper drop-side upper portion  20  can be allowed to lower. Thus the drop-side portion  20  can only be lowered by first raising it, and then operating the triggers  58 . 
     It will be evident that a mother can lower the drop-side upper portion  20  while holding a baby in one arm, by grasping the triggers  58  with the fingers such as the thumb and index ones of the hand of the other arm to first push upwards against the railing  26  to raise the upper portion  20  of the drop side and then squeezing the triggers together and momentarily holding them so until the free ends  64  of the latch rods  56  clear the latch-bracket shoulders  60  during the downward translation under the influence of gravity. 
     Pressure of the free ends  64  of the latch rods  56  on the latch brackets  36  is minimized to reduce friction and thus facilitate up and down motion of the drop-side top portion  20 . To this end the latch rod  56  is made in two relatively-movable interconnected parts, an inner part  74  secured to a trigger  58  on its inner end and an outer part  76  having the free end  64  on its outer end, and a relatively weak compression spring  80  (FIGS. 5-8) biasing the latch rod  56  to maximum length. The interconnection details (FIG. 8) involve widening the inner end of the outer rod part  76  sufficient to allow for an elongated inner opening  78  of a width sufficient to accommodate a T-shaped structure  82 , depending crosswise from the raised outer end of the inner part  74 , to be inserted therein when the parts  74  and  76  are held crosswise. The parts are then arranged rectilinearly and the compression spring  80  inserted between the T-shaped structure  82  and the end of the elongated opening  78  nearest the bar free end  64  to push the free end of the bar  76  outward to the maximum extent permitted by the length of the elongated opening  78 . Thus this spring  80  determines the pressure applied by the free end  64  of a latch rod  56  against the glide  84  (FIGS. 14 and 15) on the face of the latch bracket  36 . This allows stronger biases to be applied by the compression spring  57  against trigger  58  displacement and render the crib more child proof 
     To raise the top portion and latch it in raised position, the top portion  20  need merely be grasped as by its railing  26  so as to raise it substantially evenly until the free ends  64  of the latch bars  56  pass over the latch bracket shoulders  60 , the bottoms of the latch shoulders being sloped to cam the latch rod free ends  64  inward as they approach the shoulders to permit their movement there past. 
     The mattress platform or bottom or floor  86  (FIGS. 1,  2 , and  16 ) of a crib is adjustable to different level vertical positions. Adjustment of the mattress platform involves using a special latching arrangement. In the special latching arrangement, four plunger latch mechanisms, such as the one generally indicated by the number  88  (FIG.  16 ), are mounted respectively on the underside of four corners of the platform  86 ; furthermore they are mounted so that the plungers  90  of the two latch mechanisms along a side of the crib each extend in the same direction to engage recesses in the corner posts  10  on that side, whereas the plungers  90  of the two latch mechanisms along the other side each extend in the opposite direction to engage recesses in the corner posts  10  on that side. 
     A plunger  90  may be withdrawn to unlatching position only by inserting a tool such as a key or screwdriver through a narrow slot  92  in the related corner of the mattress platform  86 . Each latch mechanism  88  includes a slidable block  94  to which the plunger is secured and a compression spring  96  for biasing the sliding block  92  towards one end of the latch mechanism in which the plunger  90  extends thereout the maximum. The sliding block too contains a slot  98 , which in the range of movement of the block, is continuously in line with the mattress support slot  92 . Thus the sliding-block slot  98  can be engaged by a tool inserted through the mattress-support slot  92  to move the block  94  inward to remove the plunger  90  from an associated recess in the nearby corner post  10 ; when the second plunger extending in the same direction is withdrawn in the same manner from its corner post, the interconnecting edge of the mattress platform  86  can be raised somewhat and then the whole mattress platform  86  raised to remove the opposite-direction-extending plungers  90  on the other side, from their corner posts  10 . The latter plungers may now be inserted in a new set of the corner-post recesses at a desired mattress-support height and then the opposite edge of the mattress support lowered to the corresponding height recesses on the opposite posts, the plungers moving inward under the camming action of the posts  10 . 
     More specifically the child-proof mattress-support latch mechanism comprises a generally rectangular housing formed of a suitable wear-resistant plastic having a low coefficient of friction such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and generally indicated by the numeral  100  and having side walls which meet in a square corner to fit precisely under the square corner of the mattress platform  86 ; its opposite corner is rounded to save on materials and weight. The bottom of the housing is closed by a floor  104 ; the top is open and mounted as by screws against the underside of the mattress platform  86 . An inner wall  106  is parallel to one of the walls defining the square corner and extends in the general direction of the plunger  90  to define an area for slidably accommodating the block  94  to move parallel to it. The block  94  rigidly mounts the plunger  90  which projects out of the other square-corner wall  102  through a slot  108  formed therein. The compression spring  96  is seated behind the slidable block  94  and reacts against the end wall  102  opposite the end wall with the slot  108  to urge the block so that the plunger  90  carried thereby projects out of the housing  100  and into one of a series of recesses formed in the corresponding corner post  10  to support the mattress platform at that level with respect to the crib. Cylindrical structures  112  integral with the walls  102  defining the rounded corner of the housing receive screws for securing the latch mechanism  88  to the mattress support  86 . One of these cylindrical structures  112  is near an end of the compression spring  96  and serves to contain it and to define a space limiting movement of a protuberance  114  on the inner end of the slidable block  94  that engages the end wall to limit the range of sliding block movement and protect the compression spring  96 . 
     In manufacture, the drop-side crib is made as is the existing Community Playthings crib “WAS G10 Small Crib”, except for the drop side  20 . The drop side  20  replaces the front side of the existing crib, and the new crib can be packaged and shipped disassembled as the old crib was. Packaging and shipping involves making end panels with corner posts  10  rigidly attached and that bear plastic cups having embossed upper and lower leaves biased towards each other for forcibly receiving therebetween the free ends of the side panels upper and lower railings recessed to receive the leaf embossments for pivotal action. The end and side panels and mattress support are individually placed in one shipping carton, shipped, and then assembled by a shipped-to customer. 
     A customer on unpacking the carton, takes one end panel and inserts the set of railing free ends at one end of a side panel, in the plastic cups on the end panel Then either the other end panel is secured to the first side panel, or the second side panel is secured to the one end panel. Then the remaining end or side panel is attached to complete the borders of the crib and arrange them in rectangular fashion. The mattress support  86  is then mounted between the panels and secured at the desired height to the corner posts to complete the crib. 
     The new crib is assembled in much the same way. Because of the telescoping nature of the styles  24 , the drop side will arrive at the customer&#39;s site with the upper portion  20  lowered on the lower portion  22 . Thus it will be most convenient to mount the back side panel upon the end panels first. Then the drop-side upper-portion slides  38  would be slipped onto the lower ends of the latch brackets  36 , and the lower railing  12  of the drop-side lower portion would then be fitted into its plastic cups on the end posts  10 . The mattress support  86  would then be mounted. 
     In use, with a new baby, the mattress support  86  is normally installed in its highest position in the crib. Thus the plungers  90  of the latch mechanisms would normally be installed in the highest recesses in the respective corner posts  10 , and from the front with the drop-side upper portion  20  lowered as would be the case perhaps with a newly assembled crib. The plungers  90  on the back edge of the mattress support  86  would be aligned with the top level recesses in the back corner posts  10  and pushed via the mattress support therein. The near edge of the mattress support  86  would then be lowered, the plungers  10  camming inward until aligned with the top level recesses whereupon they spring into the recesses under the biases of the springs  96 . 
     After placement of a child in the crib, the upper portion  20  of the drop side would be raised as by centrally lifting the upper-portion railing  26  during which the telescoping stiles  24  elongate and the free ends  64  of the latch rods  56  slide up on the latch plate glides  84  and up and over the latch plate shoulders  60  to rest thereon and hold the upper railing  26  and hence the drop-side upper portion  20  in raised position when the mother releases the upper railing  26 . 
     When it is time to remove the baby from the crib, the mother would grasp the drop-side upper railing  20  two triggers  58 , as between her thumb and fore finger, to first raise the upper-portion  20  slightly and then squeeze them together to withdraw, against the bias of compression spring  80 , the free ends  64  of the latch rods  56  from over the latch bracket shoulders  60  to allow the drop-side upper portion to descend, as by gravity, on the styles  24  to where their rods  32  engage in their tubes  28  the bottom surface of the railing  26 . 
     It should be evident that the drop-side latch mechanisms  56  incorporate child-proof protection by requiring two serial motions for release. A child could not first lift latch mechanisms  56  by lifting the drop-side upper portion  20 , and then squeeze the triggers  58  to remove the free ends  64  the latch mechanisms  56  from above the corner-post latch-bracket shoulders  60 . 
     It should be noted that if the drop-side upper portion  20  has been raised for some reason during the interim of the baby&#39;s removal from the crib, that the mother readily could lower the drop-side upper portion  20  with her one free hand while holding the baby in the arm of the other hand. The mother would take her free hand to first lift latch mechanisms  56  by lifting the drop-side upper portion  20 , and then squeeze the triggers  58  to remove the free ends  64  the latch mechanisms  56  from above the corner-post latch-bracket shoulders  60 . Thereafter the upper portion  20  would drop by gravity with the stiles  24  telescoping together. 
     Raising the drop-side upper portion  20  fully, automatically resets the child-proof latch mechanisms  56  above the corner-post latch-bracket shoulders  60 . 
     It should also be noted that even when the drop-side upper portion  20  is in the lowered or dropped position, access to the storage space beneath the crib is unimpeded. 
     When the crib is not to be used for a while, the crib can be collapsed onto itself, with or without the drop-side upper portion  20  being lowered. The pivotal mounting of the ends of railings of the panel sides in the corner post mounted plastic cups enables this. The free ends of the upper and lower railings  14  and  12  of the back side panel and the lower railing  12  of the drop-side lower portion  20  are mounted directly in the cups. The upper railing  26  of the drop-side upper portion  20  are pivotally mounted via depending lug  39  on slide  38 . Collapse would be effected by folding the side panels to one side of an end panel, and the other end panel onto the side panels. 
     While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be clear to others experienced in the art, that other and different applications may be made of the principles of the invention. It is therefore desired to be limited only by the scope or spirit of the appended claims.