Abstract:
A crib set including a stationary and moveable crib is provided so as to form a respective upper and lower crib housed by a cabinet-like frame. The upper crib includes a foldable gate structure for allowing access to a child therein, while the lower crib is moveable relative to the frame so as to allow overhead access to a child using the crib.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 13/536,094 filed on Jun. 28, 2012, of which application Ser. No. 13/536,094 claims the benefit U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/503,664, filed Jul. 1, 2011 the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to cribs and crib sets for infants and toddlers, and more specifically, to a crib set having a stationary and moveable crib and in which neither crib is what are termed “drop-side” crib. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In many settings including day care centers and other institutions which maintain nurseries devoted to infant and toddler care, cribs are a mainstay used to house children while sleeping or during play. 
         [0004]    Among many of such cribs in use today, so called drop-side cribs in which a front side or front side gate is slidable downwardly to allow access to the child is prevalent. Such cribs, however, have been found to pose unnecessary risk to children housed by the cribs as a result of the slidability of the gate. As the drop-side gate slides down to permit access to the child injuries can occur if the child&#39;s hands or legs or even its head are extending through the gate as it is lowered. As a result, recent regulations impose new standards for cribs sold in the United States which no longer permit the sale of drop-side cribs. As a result, recent regulations impose new standards for cribs sold in the United States which no longer permit the sale of drop-side cribs. 
         [0005]    Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a crib or crib set that is of the non-drop-side type and that would be appealing to the above institutions and others for use in child care that they may offer. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Such an advantage is realized by the present invention that provides a crib and crib set without drop-side gates. 
         [0007]    More particularly, the present invention includes a set of cribs having an upper and lower crib. Together, the cribs form a crib stack so as to be nested together in a cabinet-like frame. This of course make s the crib set advantageous in situations such as a day care center where space is at a premium. The upper crib is stationary with the frame and includes a laterally and downwardly folding front gate that is foldable outwardly from the frame so as to allow access to a child without directing the gate toward the child thereby minimizing the risk of the child being injured by the gate as it is lowered. The lower crib does not include a gate, and is rollable so as to be moveable outwardly from the frame to allow overhead access to a child therewithin. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, the crib set of the present invention provides for and facilitates access to each of its cribs and the child therein without using a drop-side gate and, all the while, also provides a compact construction that allows for space-saving efficiency, thus making it attractive to those needing to accommodate small spaces or wishing to maximize capacity. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side and perspective view of the crib set of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is side and perspective view of the crib set according to  FIG. 1  and shows the foldable gate structure of the upper crib as well as the lower crib in a separated position from the upper crib; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary view of an enlarged portion of the structure shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The present invention provides a crib set including a stationary and a moveable crib, each without drop-side gating. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown the crib set  10  of the present invention. Therein, a three sided cabinet-like wooden frame  12  includes opposing sides  14  and a backside  16 , and serves as a housing for an upper wooden crib  18  and a lower wooden crib  20 . The frame  12  is assembled using conventional fasteners such as screws (not shown) or glue, though others means of fastening such as a tongue and groove arrangement are also contemplated. 
         [0013]    The upper crib  18  is a stationary crib and is formed by portions of the frame  12  opposing sides  14  and a backside  16 , and furthermore by wooden slatted top and bottom gate sections  24 ,  26  positioned at, and serving as, the front of the upper crib  18 . The frame  12  is also provided with a base portion  30  serving as a floor of the upper crib  18  so as support a mattress or pad (not shown) on which a child may be accommodated. 
         [0014]    Each of the gate sections  24 ,  26  comprises a series of equally spaced slats  34  sized to prevent passage of the torso, legs and head of a child. 
         [0015]    As best seen in  FIG. 3  the bottom gate section  26  is fixedly coupled to the frame  12 , and the top gate section  24  is pivotally moveable by a hinge  36  relative to the bottom gate section  26  between open and closed positions so as to allow access to a child within the upper crib  18 . In its open position, the top gate section  24  is pivoted laterally outwardly, relative to the interior of the upper crib  18 , and downwardly toward the bottom gate section  26  in the direction of arrow “A” of  FIG. 2 . When fully pivoted to its open position, the top gate section  24  seats against the bottom gate section  26  to provide access to a child in the crib  18 . In obtaining its closed position, the top gate section  24  is pivoted upwardly and is locked in position by slide locks  72 , which engage strike plates  73 . Flanges  70  prevent the top gate section  24  from moving into the interior of the upper crib  18 . 
         [0016]    The lower crib  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is a moveable crib comprising its own side sections  52 , backside  54  and floor  56 , as well a front side gate section  58  formed of fixed, equally spaced slats  60 . The lower crib  20  is supported upon a traditional caster  66  at each of its four corners so that the lower crib  20  is moveable into and out of an opening  64 , thereby enabling the lower crib  20  to be repositioned according to the need or desire of a caretaker. As also shown in  FIG. 2 , the lower crib  20  accommodates a mattress or pad (not shown) so as to accommodate a child therewithin. 
         [0017]    Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , it can be seen that lower crib  20  is stackable relative to upper crib  18  so as to be nestable within the opening  64  of frame  12  and opposing sides  14 . The lower crib is freely moveable into and out of the opening  64  (as shown by Arrow B) in  FIG. 2  on the casters  66  provided at the four lower corners of the lower crib  20  so as to allow overhead access to a child therein when necessary. The lower crib  20  can be positioned within the opening  64  beneath the upper crib  18  when access to the child is not required. 
         [0018]    It should be apparent a crib set of the present invention has been provided enabling access to a child within a respective crib thereof without the use of drop-side gating so as to avoid concerns associated with such use. Further, there is provided a crib set enabling use of a stationary and moveable crib that are positioned one beneath the other to minimize space requirements where multiple infants are cared for such as in day care centers and the like.