Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The instant application claims priority to, and incorporates expressly be reference, U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/483,642, filed on May 30, 2012, as if fully set forth herein, which remains pending as of the date of filing of this application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In recent years the safety of infant cribs has come into question. A variety of additional safety concerns have been identified and a new set of safety standards have been implemented. To this end, the previously, long known and used, drop-down sidewall has been disallowed for continued sale and use. Infant cribs now are required to have either fixed height side walls or sides that can be lowered but retain a minimum height above the mattress or mattress support deck. This has resulted in the redesign of infant cribs without a drop-down side for ease of access into the crib for the parent or caretaker. 
         [0003]    The infant crib has been designed to allow for the vertical repositioning of the mattress and support deck as the child grows such that the support deck is lowered as the infant grows into a toddler. Some of the infant cribs, in addition to the mattress height adjustment, also convert to a youth bed so that the furniture can be used for a longer period of time. Other versions of the new crib designs have fold-down sides which are horizontally hinged, above a fixed lower section of the sidewall, along the top of the entire lower section of the sidewall from corner post to corner post with locking latches positioned at each post. This provides for slightly better access to the bed surface and the infant or toddler, but still constitutes a pinching hazard at the hinge point as the sidewall is folded back and locked into its vertical position. 
         [0004]    It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide for greater ease of access to the infant bed surface and to the infant by creating either a partial or an entire sidewall opening along one side of the crib without the possibility of a pinching hazard. It is also an object of the present invention to provide only as much access to the infant bed surface as is required, so that only a part of the sidewall may be opened at any given time. 
         [0005]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide individual locking elements to permit each section of the sidewall to be opened or to remain in its locked and closed position. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a hinging system between each of the operable door sets and the infant crib that is pinch-proof so that this type of hazard is eliminated entirely. It is yet another object to provide latching mechanisms that are operable only from the exterior of the crib and that reset automatically when released. 
         [0006]    It is also another object of the present invention to provide temporary door retention mechanisms to retain one or more of the doors in the open position so that the door does not move and impede access to the crib. In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide door stops so the operable doors cannot be pushed into the crib and over the bed surface preventing any possible injury to an infant occupant. 
         [0007]    Other objects will appear hereinafter. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    An infant crib with a novel vertical door access system is presented to provide an increase in the ease of access to the bed space of the crib. Rather than a fixed front wall or a partial fold-down front wall, the paired door sets provide access to a portion or all of the bed space as may be desired by the parent or caretaker of the infant or toddler. Unique vertical hinging systems provide minimal interstitial spaces between the hinge and the doors or fixed corner posts to prevent pinching injury. Further, the hinges provide a fold-over overlap for the doors so that they can be moved out of the way for access to the bed space. The latching system permits the use of a single door for access, or more doors as is desired, and creates a substantially rigid front wall when latched in the closed and locked position. 
         [0009]    The infant crib has top and bottom sides, rear and front sides and a sleep surface support deck connected between four respective corner posts creating a bed space within the defined space. The front side of the crib extends between two of the corner posts and is segregated into lower and upper sections. The lower section includes a lower rail and an upper rail extending between and connected to the corner posts with spindles spanning the vertical distance between the lower and upper rails. The spindles are laterally arrayed along the rails at uniformly spaced apart positions. The upper section includes a plurality of doors extending across the space between the corner posts. Each of the plurality of doors has along its outward edge an elongate cylindrical hinge for mounting to the corner post and being operable to open outward from and provide access to the bed space of the crib. 
         [0010]    Each of the doors includes a latching means for securing the doors in a closed straight-line arrangement creating a substantially rigid upper front wall section for the infant crib. The latching means includes a spring operated latch pin that extends into a cooperating coaxially aligned receiving bore positioned in a reinforcing member atop the upper rail of the lower section. The latching means is mounted within each one of the plurality of doors and is manually operable by a handle extending through the surface of the door such that each latch pin can be retracted from said receiving bore and into each of said plurality of doors releasing each of said doors for outward rotational movement about said elongated hinges. 
         [0011]    The latching means for securing the plurality of doors also includes a combination spring operated locking pin and cooperating slide lock that secures the inward most edges of the plurality of doors to each other in said closed straight-line arrangement. The spring operated locking pin and the cooperating slide lock are mounted within the left side centrally located door of the plurality of doors. The spring operated locking pin and the cooperating slide lock are each manually operable by a handle extending through the surface of the door such that said slide lock can be retracted from a coaxially aligned receiving bore in the right side centrally located door situated in adjacent edge abutting position releasing said doors for outward rotational movement about said elongated hinges. The spring operated locking pin and the cooperating slide lock interact by retracting the locking pin from a first recess in the slide lock, slidingly engaging or disengaging the slide lock from the receiving bore in the adjacent door, and inserting the locking pin into a second recess in the slide lock to retain the slide lock in a locked or unlocked position. 
         [0012]    Each of the plurality of doors has a stop for preventing the doors from being pushed into the bed space of the infant crib. Each of the stops is positioned along the lower edge close to the inward facing edge of each of the doors and extends downward beyond the lower edge of the doors to contact the reinforcing member atop the upper rail of the lower section stopping each of the doors in alignment with the reinforcing member. 
         [0013]    The invention can be more aptly described as a displaceable side wall of an infant crib. The displaceable side wall includes a lower section and an upper section as described above. The said lower section includes a lower rail and an upper rail extending between and connected to adjacent corner posts of said crib with spindles spanning the vertical distance between the lower and upper rails, said spindles being laterally arrayed along the rails at uniformly spaced apart position. The upper section includes a plurality of doors extending across the space between the corner posts. Each of the doors is capable of outward rotational movement about an attached elongated cylindrical hinge. The plurality of doors includes latching means for securing the plurality of doors in a closed straight-line arrangement creating a substantially rigid upper section of the side wall for the infant crib. 
         [0014]    The plurality of doors are segregated into two opposite-hand opening groups of bi-fold doors, with each of said groups of bi-fold doors having inner and outer doors. Each of the inner and outer doors has along its edge closer to the nearest corner post an elongate cylindrical hinge for mounting to the adjacent door of the bi-fold door group or to the adjacent corner post. This hinge mounting enables the doors to be operable about said elongate cylindrical hinge so as to open outward from and provide access to the bed space of said crib. 
         [0015]    The latching means also serves to secure the two opposite-hand opening groups of bi-fold doors and includes a combination spring operated locking pin and cooperating slide lock that secures the inward most adjacent edges of the inner doors to each other in said closed straight-line arrangement. The spring operated locking pin and said cooperating slide lock are mounted within a first one of said inner doors and are each manually operable by a handle extending through the surface of the door such that said slide lock can be retracted from a coaxially aligned receiving bore in a second one of said inner doors situated in adjacent edge abutting position to said first one of said inner doors releasing said doors for outward rotational movement. The spring operated locking pin and said cooperating slide lock interact by retracting said locking pin from a first recess in said slide lock, slidingly engaging or disengaging said slide lock from said receiving bore in said second one of said inner doors, and inserting said locking pin in a second recess in said slide lock to retain the slide lock in a locked or unlocked position. 
         [0016]    The opposite-hand opening groups of bi-fold doors each have a stop for preventing said individual doors from being pushed into the bed space of the infant crib. Each of said stops is positioned along the lower edge close to the inward facing edge of each of the doors and extends downward beyond the lower edge of the doors to contact the reinforcing member atop the upper rail of the lower section stopping each of the doors in alignment with the reinforcing member. The outer doors of the groups of bi-fold doors have retention means for retaining the stop mounted to the inner door of the bi-fold doors in close proximate attachment when the bi-fold doors are overlaid one against the other. 
         [0017]    An alternative latching system for securing the plurality of doors includes an interlocking locking and release means having a cooperating slide lock and an inwardly extending backstop along the rear inward facing edge of a first one of the center doors of the plurality of doors with a coaxially aligned receiver for accepting the extended pin of the slide lock and a cutaway bevel for receiving the backstop along the rear inward facing edge of a second one of the center doors of the plurality of doors. Also as part of the interlocking locking and release means is a spring operated latch pin mounted within the second one of the center doors with a coaxially aligned receiving bore positioned in a reinforcing member atop the upper rail of the lower section that secures the inward most edges of the plurality of doors to each other in the closed straight-line arrangement. The cooperating slide lock is manually operable by a handle extending to the surface of the first one of the center doors such that the slide lock can be retracted from the coaxially aligned receiver in the second one of the center doors situated in adjacent edge abutting position to the first one of the center doors for partially releasing the doors for outward rotational movement about said elongated hinges. The spring operated latch pin is manually operable by a handle extending to the surface of the door such that the latch pin can be retracted from the receiving bore and into the second one of the center doors releasing the second one of the center doors for outward rotational movement about the elongated hinge. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a side plan view of the infant crib of the present invention showing the paired sets of vertically hinged doors extending along an entire sidewall of the crib. 
           [0020]      FIG. 1A  is an enlarged view of the latch mechanism for retaining the right-most door in its closed and locked position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the infant crib of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the sidewall of the infant crib of the present invention showing the paired sets of vertically hinged doors in various operational states. 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a side plan view of the infant crib showing an alternative locking arrangement for the paired sets of vertically hinged doors. 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the infant crib of  FIG. 4  with the right center door in the open position to show the top latch extension and the cooperating backstop and matching cutout of the two center doors. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. The description is not intended in a limiting sense, and is made solely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. The various features and advantages of the present invention may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         [0026]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, where like numerals refer to like parts or elements, there is shown in  FIG. 2  the infant crib  10  of the present invention. The structure of the crib  10  is rectangular in shape and includes four corner posts  12   a - d,  a top wall  14 , a bottom wall  16 , a backside or rear wall  18  and a front wall  20 . The top wall  14  is composed of a top rail  22 , a bottom rail  24  and a series of spindles  26  extending between the top rail  22  and the bottom rail  24  across the entire width of the top wall  14  between the corner posts  12   b  and  12   c.  Likewise, the bottom wall  16  is composed of a top rail  28 , a bottom rail  30  and a series of spindles  32  extending between the top rail  28  and the bottom rail  30  across the entire width of the bottom wall  16  between the corner posts  12   d  and  12   a.  The backside or rear wall  18  is also composed of a top rail  34 , a bottom rail  36  and a series of spindles  38  extending between the top rail  28  and the bottom rail  30  across the entire width of the rear wall  18  between the corner posts  12   c  and  12   d.  The front wall  20  is composed of two sections vertically arrayed one on top of the other. The lower section of the front wall  20  is composed of an upper rail  40 , a bottom rail  42  and a series of spindles  44  extending between the upper rail  40  and the bottom rail  42  across the entire width of the front wall  20  between the corner posts  12   a  and  12   b.  The distance between each spindle of the grouping of spindles  26 ,  32 ,  38  and  44  and any spindle and a corner post  12   a - d  is less than the required minimum distance of the safety standard to prevent any entrapment of arms, legs or head of the occupant of the crib. 
         [0027]    Spanning across the rectangular opening existing within the assembled structure of the infant crib  10  is a support deck  46  that will support the mattress or sleep surface  48  (not shown in this view). The lower section extends upward from the support deck  46  beyond the minimum vertical distance required by the new safety standard even with a mattress or sleep surface  48  in position on top of the support deck  46 . The upper rail  40  of the lower section is configured to mate with and to support the interlocking of the paired door segments of the upper section of the front wall  20  as described below. 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , the upper section of the front wall  20  is composed of two sets of paired doors, a right side door set  50 R and a left side door set  50 L. Between each corner post  12   a  and  12   b  and the right and left side door sets  50 R,  50 L are mounting blocks  52  to which the outer cylindrical hinges  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  are mounted. The outer doors  50 R- 1  and  50 L- 1  of each of the door sets  50 R,  50 L are also mounted to the outer cylindrical hinges  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  along their vertical sides closest to the corner posts  12   a,    12   b.  The outer cylindrical hinges  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  extend along the entire vertical distance of each door  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  and the opposing mounting block  52 . The space between the outer surface of each hinge  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  and the opposing mounting block  52 , and the space between the hinge  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  and the opposing door  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  is on the order of less than 0.125 inches, much less than the space that any finger could penetrate and become trapped. The design of the hinge as an elongated cylinder provides for the ease of movement of the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  about the hinge such that the respective doors will open to at least a perpendicular position that will be described more fully with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0029]    The doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  extend upward from the lower section of the front wall  20  to a height equivalent to the rear wall  18  relative to the corner posts  12   a - d.  Each of the doors in the door sets  50 R,  50 L are constructed of a frame surrounding a rectangular shatterproof transparent center piece for viewing the bed space of the infant crib  10 . The doors  50 R- 1  and  2  and  50 L- 1  and  2  are approximately of the same width dimension and are separated by another vertically mounted elongated cylindrical hinge  54 R- 2 ,  54 L- 2  that extends the entire distance from the bottom to the top of the doors as described above. However, in this instance, in view of the additional requirement for the door sets  54 R,  54 L to fold over each other, the hinges  54 R- 2 ,  54 L- 2  are mounted within opposing bevels or chamfers cut into the inward facing outer surface of each of the doors  50 R- 1  and  2  and  50 L- 1  and  2 . In this manner, the operation of the doors about the hinge point permit the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 R- 2  and  50 L- 1 ,  50 L- 2  to fold over the other of the same door set as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0030]    Each of the outer doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  has a latching mechanism  56   a,    56   b  positioned at their respective inward edges. Each latching mechanism  56   a,    56   b  is comprised of a spring  58   a,    58   b  and a latch pin  60   a,    60   b  with a handle  62   a,    62   b  that protrudes outward through each of the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1 . The latch pins  60   a,    60   b  are attached to the bottom ends of the springs  58   a,    58   b  and are housed within vertical bores in each of the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  extending upward from their bottom surfaces. The springs  58   a,    58   b  exert a downward force on the latch pins  60   a,    60   b  such that the pins extend through the bottom of the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1 , and into a coaxially aligned cylindrical recess  66   a  ( 66   b  not shown) in the top rail reinforcement  64  covering the upper rail  40  of the lower section of the front wall  20 . In this manner, the latch pins  60   a,    60   b  are constantly extending downward and outward from the bottom of the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  by the spring force unless manually raised to release the door from its closed and locked position or to reposition the door in its closed and locked position.  FIG. 1A  shows the latch pin  60   a  extending into the cooperating recess  66   a  in the upper rail  40  of the lower section of the front wall  20 . The outer surface of doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1 , along the inner bottom edge, carry a stop  68   a,    68   b  that prevents the doors from being folded inward into the crib bed space stopping the door in alignment with the top rail reinforcement  64 . The stops  68   a,    68   b  extend downward over the top rail reinforcement  64  assisting in retaining the paired door sets  50 R,  50 L in vertical alignment with the lower section to form the front wall  20  of the infant crib  10 . 
         [0031]    As in the case of the outer doors, each of the inner doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2  also has a latching mechanism  56   c,    56   d  positioned at their respective inward edges. Each latching mechanism  56   c,    56   d  is comprised of a spring  58   c,    58   d  and a latch pin  60   c,    60   d  with a handle  62   c,    62   d  that protrudes outward through each of the doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2 . The latch pins  60   c,    60   d  are attached to the bottom ends of the springs  58   c,    58   d  and are housed within vertical bores in each of the doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2  extending upward from their bottom surfaces. The springs  58   c,    58   d  exert a downward force on the latch pins  60   c,    60   d  such that the pins extend through the bottom of the doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2 , and into respective coaxially aligned cylindrical recesses  66   c,    66   d  in the top rail reinforcement  64  covering the upper rail  40  of the lower section of the front wall  20 . In this manner, the latch pins  60   c,    60   d  are constantly extending downward and outward from the bottom of the doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2  by the spring force unless manually raised to release the door from its closed and locked position or to reposition the door in its closed and locked position. The outer surface of doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2 , along the inner bottom edge, carry a stop  68   c,    68   d  that prevents the doors from being folded inward into the crib bed space stopping the door in alignment with the top rail reinforcement  64 . The stops  68   c,    68   d  extend downward over the top rail reinforcement  64  assisting in retaining the paired door sets  50 R,  50 L in alignment to form the front wall  20  of the infant crib  10 . The distance between the bottom of the doors  50 R,  50 L and the top rail reinforcement  64  is approximately less than 0.125 inches so that there can be no entrapment of little hands or fingers between the doors and the fixed lower section of the front wall  20  of the infant crib  10 . 
         [0032]    Along the top of the inner doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2  is a separate horizontally oriented slide latch mechanism  70  comprised of a latch pin  72  that extends outward from door  50 L- 2  and into a cooperating aligned bore in door  50 R- 2 . The latch pin carries handle  74  that extends outward from the surface of door  50 L- 2 . Since this slide latch mechanism  70  could possibly be reached from the interior of the crib space, a locking mechanism  78  mounted vertically within the innermost frame section of door  50 L- 2  is used to retain the latch mechanism  70  in a first locked position or a second unlocked position. The locking mechanism  78  is comprised of a spring  80  attached to an elongated locking pin  82  that extends upward through the frame of door  50 L- 2  and comes into contact with the latch pin  72 . The distal end of locking pin  82  mates with either of two cutouts  76   a,    76   b  that correspond to the locked and unlocked positions of slide latch mechanism  70 , respectively. The handle  84  of locking mechanism  78  extends outward from the door  50 L- 2  and is operable by moving the handle  84  and locking pin  82  downward against the spring force of spring  80  removing the distal end of locking pin  82  from the latch pin  74 . The latch pin  74  is then moved right or left, depending upon the desired action of locking or unlocking the latch, and the locking pin  82  is returned to either of the two cutouts  76   a,    76   b.  With the locking pin  82  extending into the cutout  76   b,  the slide latch mechanism  70  will be in the open position with the latch pin  74  retracted into door  50 L- 2 . With the locking pin extending into cutout  76   a,  the slide latch mechanism  70  will be in the closed and locked position with the latch pin extending outward from door  50 L- 2  and into the cooperating bore in door  50 R- 2  creating a joined top rail for the front wall  20 . The release of the handle  84  of the locking mechanism  78  causes the locking pin  82  to engage the latch pin  74  in either of the cutouts  76   a,    76   b  retaining the latch pin  74  in that position until the locking mechanism  78  is reengaged to reverse the procedure. The distance between the inner doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2  is also approximately less than 0.125 inches so as to avoid any entrapment or pinching injury by the occupant of the infant crib  10 . 
         [0033]    Utilizing the structure described above, particularly the doors  50 R,  50 L comprising the upper section of front wall  20  of the infant crib  10 , access to the bed space of the crib  10  is easily achieved without bending or straining over a non-moveable crib wall. Access is also easier in that the release mechanisms are placed more towards the center of the front wall  20  rather than at the corner posts as is the situation with currently available fold-down side cribs. Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the operability of the upper section of the sidewall  20  will be described in greater detail. To gain access to the bed space of the infant crib  10 , one must operate the latching system described above in connection with each of the paired sets of doors  50 R,  50 L. Each of the doors has a separate latch mechanism  56   a - d  as well as a door locking mechanism  70 ,  78  extending between the inner doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2 . Following the release of the locking mechanism  70 ,  78  and the retraction of the latch pin  72 , the doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L 2  are ready for unlatching. Either of these doors can be unlatched, for example, door  50 L- 2  may be unlatched and rotated about elongated cylindrical hinge  54 L- 2  to a 90° open position as shown in  FIG. 3 . This operation gives immediate access to the bed space of the infant crib  10 . If greater access is desired, door  50 R- 2  can be unlatched and folded over its paired outer door  50 R- 1  and secured in place by magnet  86   a  to retain the door  50 R- 2  in a folded overlapping position to door  50 R- 1 . The magnet cooperates with the stop  68   c  such that until a sharp tug by the user the door  50 R- 2  will remain in position against door  50 R- 1 . If still greater access is required to the bed space of the infant crib  10 , the outer door  50 R- 1  can be released by operating the latch mechanism  56   a  and the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 R- 2  rotated outward about the elongated cylindrical hinge  54 R- 1  as far outward as desired. Depending upon whether the hinge  54 R- 1  is mounted directly between flat surfaces of the door  50 R- 1  and the cooperating mounting block  52 , or mounted in a bevel or chamfer of the door edge of door  50 R- 1 , the door will rotate outward at least 90° with a greater angle of opening possible if the hinge  54 R- 1  is mounted to a chamfer on the door  54 R- 1 . The other door set is also capable of folding over one another as shown in the phantom lines to the left side of  FIG. 3  for total access to the bed space. A cooperating magnet  86   b  is positioned in the lower left corner of door  50 L- 1  to retain the stop  68   d  of door  50 L- 2  against it and retain the doors in folded over position until tugged apart. The described actions taken in reverse order for each of the doors  50 R,  50 L will reposition these doors with the latch mechanisms  56   a - d  and the locking mechanism  70 ,  78  engaged and the sidewall  20  fixed in position above the rigid lower section creating a substantially rigid upper section of the front wall  20 . 
         [0034]    Alternatively, the door sets  50 L and  50 R can be configured with a different, and easier to operate, latching system. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the upper section of the front wall  20  is composed of two sets of paired doors, a right side door set  50 R and a left side door set  50 L. Between each corner post  12   a  and  12   b  and the right and left side door sets  50 R,  50 L are mounting blocks  52  to which the outer cylindrical hinges  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  are mounted. As above, the outer doors  50 R- 1  and  50 L- 1  of each of the door sets  50 R,  50 L are also mounted to the outer cylindrical hinges  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  along their vertical sides closest to the corner posts  12   a,    12   b.  The outer cylindrical hinges  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  extend along the entire vertical distance of each door  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  and the opposing mounting block  52 . The space between the outer surface of each hinge  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  and the opposing mounting block  52 , and the space between the hinge  54 R- 1 ,  54 L- 1  and the opposing door  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  is on the order of less than 0.125 inches, much less than the space that any finger could penetrate and become trapped. The design of the hinge as an elongated cylinder provides for the ease of movement of the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  about the hinge such that the respective doors will open to at least a perpendicular position that was described with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0035]    The doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  extend upward from the lower section of the front wall  20  to a height equivalent to the rear wall  18  relative to the corner posts  12   a - d.  Each of the doors in the door sets  50 R,  50 L are constructed of a frame surrounding a rectangular shatterproof transparent center piece for viewing the bed space of the infant crib  10 . The doors  50 R- 1  and  2  and  50 L- 1  and  2  are approximately of the same width dimension and are separated by another vertically mounted elongated cylindrical hinge  54 R- 2 ,  54 L- 2  that extends the entire distance from the bottom to the top of the doors as described above. As discussed above, in view of the additional requirement for the door sets  54 R,  54 L to fold over each other, the hinges  54 R- 2 ,  54 L- 2  are mounted within opposing bevels or chamfers cut into the inward facing outer surface of each of the doors  50 R- 1  and  2  and  50 L- 1  and  2 . In this manner, the operation of the doors about the hinge point permit the doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 R- 2  and  50 L- 1 ,  50 L- 2  to fold over the other of the same door set as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0036]    Each of the outer doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1  has a latching mechanism  56   a,    56   b  positioned at their respective inward edges that is operated in the same manner as described above. The only change is that the latch handle  62   a,    62   b  is recessed within a cooperating cutout  63   a,    63   b  in the respective door  50 R- 1  and  50 L- 1 . The outer surface of doors  50 R- 1 ,  50 L- 1 , along the inner bottom edge, carry a stop  68   a,    68   b  that prevents the doors from being folded inward into the crib bed space stopping the door in alignment with the top rail reinforcement  64 . The stops  68   a,    68   b  extend downward over the top rail reinforcement  64  assisting in retaining the paired door sets  50 R,  50 L in vertical alignment with the lower section to form the front wall  20  of the infant crib  10 . The lower section of the front wall, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  is comprised of a rectangular shatterproof transparent view piece  45  that is mounted in place of the spindles  44  of the other embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0037]    In this alternative latching arrangement, only inner door  50 R- 2  has a latching mechanism  56   c  positioned at its inward edge that is operated in the same manner as described above. The only change is that the latch handle  62   c  is recessed within a cooperating cutout  63   c  in the door  50 R- 1  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The outer surface of doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2 , along the inner bottom edges, also carry a stop  68   c,    68   d  that prevents the doors from being folded inward into the crib bed space stopping the door in alignment with the top rail reinforcement  64 . The stops  68   c,    68   d  extend downward over the top rail reinforcement  64  assisting in retaining the paired door sets  50 R,  50 L in alignment to form the front wall  20  of the infant crib  10 . The distance between the bottom of the doors  50 R,  50 L and the top rail reinforcement  64  is approximately less than 0.125 inches so that there can be no entrapment of little hands or fingers between the doors and the fixed lower section of the front wall  20  of the infant crib  10 . 
         [0038]    Along the top of the inner door  50 L- 2  is a separate horizontally oriented latching mechanism  70 ′ comprised of a latch pin  72 ′ that extends outward from door  50 L- 2  and into a cooperating aligned receiver  75 ′ in door  50 R- 2  as shown in  FIG. 5  for engagement with door  50 R- 2  and be in its locked position. The latch pin carries handle  74 ′ that is recessed within a cooperating cutout  73 ′ in the door  50 L- 1  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Since this slide latch mechanism  70 ′ could possibly be reached from the interior of the crib space, an operational interlocking occurs with the latching mechanism  56   c  housed in the right center door  50 R- 2 . An additional backstop  88  is added along the inward facing interior edge of door  50 L- 2  that extends rightward toward door  50 R- 2 . A cooperating cutaway bevel  90  along the rear inner surface of door  50 R- 2  mates precisely with the backstop  88 . With the doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2  in the closed position, and with the latching mechanism  56   c  engaged, even in the event that the slide latch  70 ′ is disengaged from door  50 R- 2 , door  50 L- 2  is prevented from being opened by door  50 R- 2  remaining latched and blocking the outward passage of backstop  88  past the opposing door  50 R- 2 . Likewise, door  50 L- 2  cannot be pulled inward into the crib because the stop  68   d  prevents movement in that direction as well. With the alternative latching system described immediately above the distance between the inner doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2  is virtually non-existent so entrapment or pinching injury by the occupant of the infant crib  10  is unlikely. 
         [0039]    With the alternative latching system, in order to operate the center doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2  to gain entry to the crib space, the slide latch  70 ′ is moved to the left from its rightward locking position, the spring latch  56   c  in door  50 R- 2  is released and door  50 R- 2  is swung outward releasing door  50 L- 2  for outward movement. Door  50 L- 2  is then moved outward and the crib space becomes fully accessible to the parent or caregiver. To lock the doors  50 R- 2 ,  50 L- 2 , door  50 L- 2  is swung to its closed position, door  50 R- 2  is swung to its closed position and latch  56   c  is engaged, and slide latch  70 ′ is moved rightward to complete the interlocking engagement of the two doors. 
         [0040]    In the manner described above, access to the bed space of the infant crib can be small or as large as the parent or caretaker desires. The doors are maintained with the latch mechanism extended until retracted for release for access or for securing when closing the door and recreating the front wall. The unlocking of the upper latch mechanism across the top of the two centrally oriented doors requires either the simultaneous action of retracting the latch pin and sliding the locking pin inward or outward depending upon the desire to open or secure the doors or the alternative interlocking as described immediately above. All of the latch release handles are accessible only from the exterior of the crib and are located on the doors in positions that are not readily accessible from inside the crib. When the doors arrayed across the front wall opening of the crib are secured to the lower section and, at the center, to each other, the front wall again becomes a rigid structure similar in strength to the other wall of the infant crib. 
         [0041]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as being illustrative and not restrictive, with the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing detailed description, as indicating the scope of the invention as well as all modifications which may fall within a range of equivalency which are also intended to be embraced therein.

Technology Category: 1