US2896224A - Convertible folding play-yard - Google Patents

Description

July 28, 1959 H. J. LANDRY 2,896,224

CONVERTIBLE FOLDING PLAY-YARD Filed NOV. 19, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 o o n o l IITI'l-' |||||||I o e mhh ||||l||I o a n u'.

o o lNVENTOR HENRY J. LANDRY ATTORNEY July 28, 1959 H. J. LANDRY 2,896,224

A CONVERTIBLE FOLDING PLAY-YARD Filed Nov. 19, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HENRY J. LANDRY 5 7' n' ATTORNEY July 28, 1959 H. J. LANDRY 2,896,224

CONVERTIBLE FOLDING PLAY-YARD Filed Nov. 19, 1956 Y 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 26 25 :NVENTOR 28 25/ Y6 HENRY J. LANDRY ATTORNEY Unit@ r[his invention relates to a new and improved folding play-yard which is convertible to different shapes or outlines as to the door plan and railing or fence thereof, and in the particular case illustrated includes a construction which may be Varied from a six-sided play-yard to a rectangular play-yard without adding or subtracting parts thereto to make the changes, as well as being foldable into a very small volume.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a six-sided play-yard which has a folding floor and is easily folded and stored in a very small space but wherein the outside wall of the 4play-yard which connes the infant is continuous and articulated so that it cannot -be taken apart and the floor is so made as to enable the folding thereof without the necessity of disrupting or disconnecting the wall in any way.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a convertible play-yard which may assume either of two diiferent forms and yet which is easily foldable into compact shape for storage, wherein the construction is such that .the folded shape and volume of the play-yard is the same regardless of the extendedfor-use condition thereof; and the provision of a playyard as above stated which is foldable in two different ways but in which the shape and volume of the folded yard is the same regardless of the way it is folded.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a convertible folding play-yard which may include a six-sided iloor plan and side walls and which is very sturdy and strong and including means whereby two pairs of opposite sides of the six-sided figure may be rigidly secured together to provide a longer, narrower rectangular play-yard.

It is to be understood that the play-yard of the present invention is provided with upper and lower spaced horizontal rails in each side wall thereof, said rails being connected with the usual spindles in order to form a continuous walled piece of furniture and connected as will be described below with oor parts which are folding in nature with respect to said side walls in order to provide a folding play-yard.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the invention showing the same unfolded ready for use in one form, parts being broken away;

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views on the respective lines in Fig. l; l

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the play-pen as shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the play-pen shown unfolded ready for use in a different form, parts being broken away;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view, looking in the direction of arrow 8, Fig. 7;

States Patent O Fig. 9 is an enlarged section on the line 9-9 in Fig.

Figs. 10 and l1 are vertical sectional views through the play-pen showing the respective door units in folded condition;

Figs. 12 and 13 are plan views showing the play-pen folded in each of two different ways respectively; and

Figs. 14 and 15 are diagrammatic views illustrating two ways of folding the play-yard side walls.

Referring now to Fig. l, the play-pen of the present invention is shown as provided with six separate sides. One of these sides is indicated generally at 10 and is provided at one end thereof with a miter at 12, there being provided outside hinges 14 at this corner for conf nection to a similar but reversed or complementary side wall generally indicated at 16. It will be seen that the miter at 12 and the hinges at 14 provide that the walls 10 and 16 may be folded inwardly but Vthey are prevented from folding any farther outwardly and are rmly located in the position shown.

The opposite ends of both walls 10 and 16 are provided with square cut ends 18 and 20 respectively. At these ends, the side walls are provided with hinges 22 and 24 which are shown as flatly extended, and it will be appreciated that the hinges 24 allow walls 10 and 16 to swing inwardly but not outwardly.

For convenience, the wall 25 may be referred to as the front wall of the play-pen. This wall is provided with singularly-extended ends 26 and 28 which conjoin with the square cut ends of the next adjacent side walls, one being indicated at 20 as to wall 16 and at 30 with respect to the side wall generally indicated at 32. Side wall 32 corresponds to but is opposite to side wall 16.

Side wall 32 is provided with hinges 34 connecting it to the in-turned end 28 in the same manner that hinges 24 connect wall 16 to the end 26. Wall 32 is also provided with the hinges 36 which are similar to but reversed with respect to hinges 14, and this connects wall 32 to a wall generally indicated at 38 similar to but reversed with respect to wall 10.

The opposite end of wall 38, which is square cut similarly to that at 18, is provided with hinges 40 connecting the same to the inclined end 42 ofthe rear wall generally indicated at 44, and the rear wall 44 isprovided with the opposite inclined end 46 which is joined by hinge 22 to the square cut end of the wall.

Hinged .to front wall 25, there is provided a square or rectangular floor-piece indicated at 43, and wall 44 has a similar complementary floor-piece 50.` These floor-pieces are connected to their respective walls by the usual hinges indicated at 52.

Each floor part 48 and 50 is mitered at the corners adjacent the inclined end portions 26, 28, 42 and 46 in order to accommodate these portions, it being noted that the width of the floor- pieces 48 and 50 is greater than the width of the front and rear walls between the inclined end portions, and substantially equals the length of the front and rear walls between the ends of the 70 attached to the lower surfaces of the triangular wing` members as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

One square or rectangular Hoor member 48 or S0, in this case shown as member 48, is provided with an extension oorpiece indicated at 72 which is hinged to the free end of door member 48 by conventional hinges 74. It is to be understood that the floor hinges described are located substantially underneath the oor elements and do not appear at the top of the floor. Also,the floor parts 48 and 50 are provided with flat hooked members 76 and 78 respectively which are similar to those at 68 and are received in apertures kS in the oor members 54 and S6. The same is true as to the rectangular door member 50 as at 82. These hooks are co-planar with the oor members and also with the hook members 68 and they have no function in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Appropriate stepped pivoting latches which are generally indicated at 84 and 86 (see Figs. 2 and 5) are provided to hold the floor parts 72, 54, 56, 58 and 60 in folded condition as shown in Figs. and 1-1. In Fig. 1l, it is to be noted that the floor parts 54 and 56, being in-folded and held in place by their pivoting latches 84 (Fig. 7) also may hold in'place in folded position door part 72, merely by overlapping the same.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the play-pen is shown in operative position but the lioor part 72 is held by the pivoted latches 84 in un-used folded condition under its respective oor part 48. The play-pen is completely extended and it is to be particularly noted that all of the floor parts are solidly supported in a horizontal plane.

In order to fold the play-pen, one main oor member such as 48 is pivoted upwardly about its hinges and the triangular floor members 54 and 56 hinged thereto are in-folded and held by the respective pivoted latches 84 as above described. These latches are used to hold the floor part 72 folded at the same time, see Fig. 11.

The opposite iloor part 50 is then folded up and the triangular oor parts S8 and 60 are in-folded as described and shown in Fig. 10. Thereupon the side walls 32 and 38 may be swung in and brought adjacent to front wall 25, and side walls 10 and 16 are in-folded to overlie folded walls 32 and 38 as shown in Fig. l2.

It is to be emphasized, however, that this is not the only way that the play-pen folds but as shown in Fig. 13, the combined walls 10 and 16 may underlie the walls 32 and 38 as shown in Fig. 13, see also Figs. 14 and 15.

In any event, the important function derived from the construction of the folding play-pen above described resides in the fact that the six-sided play-yard is foldable into a very small space which is muchshorter than the length of the usual folding play-yard. It may be folded and placed in even a small closet which cannot be done with the usual play-yard. In addition, the folding playyard of the present invention is provided with continuous articulated side walls which do not need to be and cannot be disengaged in any respect whatsoever, and therefore they provide a much safer play-yard. The occupant is unable to disengage one wall from another and thus escape, but is always safely held within the side walls even though the play-pen is completely foldable and is provided with a large area due to its shape.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 7, the construction of the play-pen here is exactly the same as above described` but illustrates how it may be folded into an elongated rectangular play-yard having a completely different shape from that shown in Figs. 1 and 6. In the form of the device as shown in Fig. 7, the play-yard has a lateral dimension small enough to allow the same to be trundled through the ordinary doorway and it is pointed out that neither the six-sided play-yard nor the conventional square play-yard can be moved through a door while still maintaining the lioor in horizontal position.

In Fig. 7, the triangular floor parts 54 and 56 are infolded under the rectangular'part 48 and are held in this position by the pivoted catches 84. The floor part 72 is extended and is held horizontal by a pair of lugs 90 and a center post 92 which are attached to the under side of the oor part 50, supporting the free edge at 94 of the central extension floor part 72.

The triangular floor parts 58 and 60 are folded under oor part 50 and are held in this folded position by the pivoted latches 86.

The lioor parts 48 and 50 are rmly supported at their edges by means of the plates described above, and indicated at 76 and 78, and they rest on plates 66 (see Fig. 9) to hold the entire oor solidly in the extended position of Fig. 7.

There is also provided at each side of the play-yard a sliding latch generally indicated at 98 for the purpose of rigidly securing wall portions 10 to 16 and 32 to 38. This latch is best shown in Fig. 8 wherein it is shown as of angle form, being provided with an elongated side slot 100 guided by a headed fastener 102 in its sliding action between positions wherein it is completely received on the respective walls 38 and 10; or selectively is moved into overlapping position with the ends of walls 32 and 16 to rigidly secure the same together by means of headed fasteners 104 working in top slots 106. Other guide slots 108 may be utilized if desired in order to make the sliding action more positive.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A folding play-yard comprising a plurality of side wall sections and a plurality of floor parts pivotally associated with the respective side wall sections, said floor parts being foldable against the side wall sections and said side wall sections being foldable in order to fold the entire play-yard, certain of said side wall sections being arranged in angular relation with respect to each other in one extended condition of the yard, releasable means to hold said certain side wall sections in aligned relation with the play-yard extended in a selected different shape, said floor parts being movably associated with each other to form a oor for the play-yard in either selected playyard shape.

2. A folding play-yard comprising a plurality of articulated side wall sections and a plurality of folding door parts pivotally associated with the respective side wall sections, said side wall sections being foldable to fold the entire play-yard, certain of said side wall sections being angularly arranged with respect to each other in one extended condition of the yard, and releasable latch means to hold said certain side wall sections inv parallel, aligned extension of each other with the play-yard extended in a different selected shape as to the oor plan thereof, certain of said floor parts being swingable with respect to adjacent oor parts for conversion of the playyard floor from one shape to the other.

3. A folding convertible play-yard comprising a plurality of articulated side walls and a plurality of folding tloor parts pivotally associated with the respective side wall sections, certain of said side walls being angularly arranged with respect to each other in one extended condition of the yard, latches to hold said side walls in aligned extension of each other with the play-yard extended in a different shape as to the floor plan thereof, certain different floor parts being swingable under adjacent oor parts in one form of the extended play-yard, and releasable means to hold the swung under oor parts in position.

4. A folding convertible play-yard comprising a series of articulated side walls and a plurality of folding door parts pivotally associated with the respective side wall sections, said oor parts being extensible to form selectively at least two separate and different shaped oor plans, the floor parts holding the side walls at angles to each other in one oor plan of the yard, and separate means holding certain of said side walls in aligned extension in another floor plan, said floor parts forming the floor in both plans.

5. The play-yard of claim 4 wherein the one floor plan is six-sided and the other floor plan is rectangular.

6. A folding convertible play-yard comprising a series of articulated side walls and a plurality of folding floor parts, said floor parts being movably associated with respective side walls, said oor parts being extensible to form selectively at least two separate and diierent shaped oor plans, the floor parts holding certain of the side walls at angles to each other in one floor plan of the yard, and separate means holding said certain side walls in aligned extension in another floor plan, the latter floor plan being generally rectangular, others of said side Walls having end portions extending generally toward each other and the certain side walls extendingvbetween and connected to the outermost end portions of said side wall ends.

7. A folding play-yard comprising a plurality of side walls and a plurality of folding oor parts, said floor parts being movably associated with respective side walls, a pair of said side walls located opposite each other, a xed, short angularly arranged extension at each end of each of said opposite side walls, said extensions extending at angles toward the other side Wall of the pair, certain others of said side walls being hingedly secured to the extensions of the first-named pair of side walls in hinged relationship therewith, said side Walls cooperating to form selectively a rectangular or selectively hexagonal enclosure, and the ioor parts selectively aiding in maintaining the side walls in either position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Alling Nov. 24, Freid Feb. 16, Eckert Jan. 31, Anderson Mar. 14, Biernat Oct. 19, Feldman Feb. 12, Swanson Oct. 27, Schulz Aug. 23, Leibo Oct. 11, Landry Nov. 22, Peebles Feb. 19, Fournier Feb. 24, Pond Mar. 2, Hatton June 8, Carlson Sept. 14, Landry Aug. 14,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain France Oct. 1, Great Britain May 4, Germany Aug. 18,

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