Ventilated crib bumper

Abstract

A ventilated crib bumper is provided for forming a safer protective barrier around the interior boundary of a crib. The crib typically has side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib. The periphery of the mattress is spaced from the interior boundary by a spacing. The ventilated bumper is supported in the spacing. The ventilated bumper includes an upper bumper section disposed above the upper surface of the mattress and a lower bumper section disposed at least partly in the spacing between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress. The upper bumper section has at least one padded portion which includes flexible padding and at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib. In a specific embodiment, the ventilated portion includes a continuous strip of mesh extending substantially around the periphery of the mattress and disposed between the lower bumper section and the padded portion of the upper bumper section. A ventilation upgrade kit can be used to convert a non-ventilated bumper pad into a ventilated crib bumper easily and economically.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing, a ventilated bumper pad configured to be supported in the spacing between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress, the ventilated bumper pad comprising an upper bumper section disposed above the upper surface of the mattress, the upper bumper section having at least one padded portion which includes padding and at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports.  
     
     
         2 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 1    wherein the at least one ventilated portion comprises a mesh.  
     
     
         3 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 1    wherein the at least one ventilated portion includes a boundary surrounded by the at least one padded portion.  
     
     
         4 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 3    wherein the boundary of the at least one ventilated portion is circular, triangular, or rectangular.  
     
     
         5 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 1    wherein the upper bumper section includes a plurality of ventilated portions which are spaced from each other.  
     
     
         6 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 1    wherein the upper bumper section includes a ventilated portion which extends at least substantially around the periphery of the mattress.  
     
     
         7 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 6    wherein the upper bumper section includes a padded section which is disposed above and coupled with the ventilated portion and which extends at least substantially around the interior boundary of the crib.  
     
     
         8 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 6    wherein the ventilated portion has a lower boundary which is generally aligned with the upper surface of the mattress.  
     
     
         9 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 8    wherein the ventilated portion has an upper boundary which is spaced from the lower boundary by less than about 5 inches.  
     
     
         10 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 9    wherein the upper boundary of the ventilated portion is spaced from the lower boundary by about 1-3 inches.  
     
     
         11 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 1    further comprising a lower bumper section coupled with the upper bumper section and disposed at least partly in the spacing between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress.  
     
     
         12 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 11    wherein the lower bumper section includes padding.  
     
     
         13 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 1    wherein the padding comprises polyester filler material.  
     
     
         14 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 1    further comprising a plurality of tie strings for fastening the bumper pad to the side supports of the crib.  
     
     
         15 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 1    comprising a plurality of bumper pad segments each extending along a portion of the periphery of the mattress, the bumper pad segments being releasably coupled with each other.  
     
     
         16 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 15    wherein the bumper pad segments are releasably coupled with each other by hook and loop fasteners.  
     
     
         17 . A ventilated bumper for a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing, the ventilated bumper comprising: 
 a lower pad disposed at least partially in the space between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress;    a ventilated portion coupled with the lower pad and disposed at least partly above the upper surface of the mattress, the ventilated portion including at least one opening for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports; and    an upper pad coupled with and disposed above the ventilated portion.    
     
     
         18 . The ventilated bumper of    claim 17    wherein the ventilated portion extends at least substantially around the periphery of the mattress.  
     
     
         19 . The ventilated bumper of    claim 18    wherein the ventilated portion has a generally uniform height between the lower pad and the upper pad.  
     
     
         20 . The ventilated bumper of    claim 19    wherein the generally uniform height is less than about 5 inches.  
     
     
         21 . The ventilated bumper of    claim 20    wherein the generally uniform height is about 1-3 inches.  
     
     
         22 . The ventilated bumper of    claim 17    wherein the ventilated portion comprises a mesh.  
     
     
         23 . In a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing, a ventilated bumper pad configured to be supported in the spacing between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress, the ventilated bumper pad comprising a plurality of bumper pad segments each extending along a portion of the periphery of the mattress, the bumper pad segments being releasably coupled with each other, the ventilated bumper pad having at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports.  
     
     
         24 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 23    wherein the bumper pad segments each include a ventilated portion.  
     
     
         25 . The ventilated bumper pad of    claim 23    wherein the ventilated bumper pad has a lower boundary and an upper boundary, and the at least one ventilated portion extends from the lower boundary to the upper boundary of the ventilated bumper pad.  
     
     
         26 . A kit for ventilating a bumper pad for a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing, the kit comprising: 
 a lower pad coupled with an intermediate section, the lower pad configured to be disposed at least partially in the space between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress to support the intermediate section above the upper surface of the mattress, the intermediate section having at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports; and    at least one fastener for fastening an upper edge of the intermediate section to a lower edge of the bumper pad.    
     
     
         27 . The kit of    claim 26    wherein the intermediate section comprises a ventilated portion extending at least substantially around the periphery of the mattress.  
     
     
         28 . The kit of    claim 27    wherein the ventilated portion has a height of less than about 5 inches.  
     
     
         29 . The kit of    claim 28    wherein the ventilated portion has a height of about 1-3 inches.  
     
     
         30 . The kit of    claim 26    wherein the at least one fastener includes a hook and loop fastener.  
     
     
         31 . A method of ventilating a bumper pad for a crib having spaced side supports defining an interior boundary extending around the periphery of a mattress disposed in the crib and being spaced from the periphery of the mattress by a spacing, the method comprising: 
 providing a lower pad coupled with an intermediate section, the intermediate section having at least one ventilated portion which includes a plurality of openings for ventilating between the interior of the crib and the exterior of the crib through the spaced side supports;    placing the lower pad at least partially in the space between the interior boundary of the crib and the periphery of the mattress to support the intermediate section above the upper surface of the mattress; and    fastening an upper edge of the intermediate section to a lower edge of the bumper pad.