Umbrella crib cover

Abstract

A cover for the protection of an infant comprises a central hub member which is pivotally connected at one end to an extendable and collapsible support frame made up of link arms and pivotally, flexible connected frame ribs. The ribs reside in channels in an exterior surface covering of mesh cloth or transparent or opaque material. The hub member is connected, at its other end, to a string-like line which extends through an opening on the top of the cover. The line is attached to a handle. With the cover in a collapsed position, the handle is pulled upwards, which causes the attached line and the hub to move upward. This results in the link arms pivoting the frame ribs outward and upward. Upon continued pulling on the handle, the hub is pulled into and secured within the opening, causing the frame and surface covering to become fully extended. The cover forming the resulting enclosed space is lightweight and can readily be secured to a crib or simply placed on a bed, the ground, or other unprotected area. The surface covering is provided with a zippered opening to allow for internal access to the cover. By simply pushing down on the hub when the cover is extended, the cover will be caused to collapse.

1 . A cover for the protection of infants, said cover comprising; 
 (a) exterior surface means configured to form an enclosed space, said surface means being collapsible;    (b) extendible and collapsible frame means for maintaining the surface means as an enclosed space when the frame means is extended and for supporting the surface means when it is collapsed;    (c) hub means connected to the frame means for moving the surface means from its collapsed position to an enclosed space;    (d) actuating means secured to the hub means for pulling the hub means towards the surface means, whereby when the actuating means is pulled, the hub means compels extension of the frame means and the surface means, forming the enclosed space.    
     
     
         2 . The cover as in  claim 1  wherein the actuating means extends through and out of the cover when the surface means is collapsed.  
     
     
         3 . The cover as in  claim 1  wherein the actuating means comprises a line and attached handle.  
     
     
         4 . The cover as in  claim 2  wherein the actuating means comprises a line and attached handle.  
     
     
         5 . The cover as in  claim 1  wherein the frame means is pivotally connected to the hub means.  
     
     
         6 . The cover as in  claim 5  wherein as the hub means is pulled towards the surface means, the frame means extends by pivoting outward and upward.  
     
     
         7 . The cover as in  claim 1  wherein the hub means is connected at one of its ends to the actuator means and at its other end to the frame means.  
     
     
         8 . The cover as in  claim 1  wherein when the frame means is collapsed, the hub is supported by the cover solely at one end by the actuating means and at its other end by the frame means.  
     
     
         9 . The cover as in  claim 1  wherein when the frame means is extended, the hub means is secured to the top of the cover.  
     
     
         10 . The cover as in  claim 1  further comprising an opening means for insertion of the hub means when the frame means is extended.  
     
     
         11 . The cover as in  claim 10  wherein the opening means is positioned at the top of the cover and, when the frame means is extended, the hub means is secured within the opening means.  
     
     
         12 . The cover as in  claim 1  wherein the surface means comprises a surface covering material.  
     
     
         13 . The cover as in  claim 12  further comprising means to access the enclosed space through the surface covering material.  
     
     
         14 . The cover as in  claim 1  wherein the frame means comprises link arms and frame ribs, the link arms being pivotally connected to the frame ribs and to the hub means.  
     
     
         15 . The cover as in  claim 14  wherein the frame ribs are flexibly resilient and are positioned in channels in the surface means.  
     
     
         16 . A cover for the protection of infants, said cover comprising: 
 (a) hub means for controlling the opening and closing of the cover;    (b) extendible and collapsible frame means supporting an exterior surface means, said surface means configured to form an enclosed space when the frame means is extended and to collapse when the frame means is collapsed;    (c) actuating means for pulling the hub means towards the surface means, the hub means being supported within the cover solely by connection to the actuating means and the frame means when the frame means is collapsed, the hub means being further secured to the top of the cover when the frame means is extended.    
     
     
         17 . The cover as in  claim 16  wherein the actuating means extends through and out ofthe cover when the surface means is collapsed.  
     
     
         18 . The cover as in  claim 16  wherein the actuating means comprises a line and attached handle.  
     
     
         19 . The cover as in  claim 17  wherein the actuating means comprises a line and attached handle.  
     
     
         20 . The cover as in  claim 16  wherein the frame means is pivotally connected to the hub means.  
     
     
         21 . The cover as in  claim 20  wherein as the hub means is pulled towards the surface means, the frame means extends by pivoting outward and upward.  
     
     
         22 . The cover as in  claim 16  wherein the hub means is connected at one of its ends to the actuator means and at its other end to the frame means.  
     
     
         23 . The cover as in  claim 16  further comprising an opening means for insertion ofthe hub means when the frame means is extended.  
     
     
         24 . The cover as in  claim 23  wherein the opening means is positioned at the top of the cover and, when the frame means is extended, the hub means is secured within the opening means.  
     
     
         25 . The cover as in  claim 16  wherein the surface means comprises a surface covering material.  
     
     
         26 . The cover as in  claim 25  further comprising means to access the enclosed space through the surface covering material.  
     
     
         27 . The cover as in  claim 16  wherein the frame means comprises link arms and frame ribs, the link arms being pivotally connected to the frame ribs and to the hub means.  
     
     
         28 . The cover as in  claim 27  wherein the frame ribs are flexibly resilient and are positioned in channels in the surface means.  
     
     
         29 . A cover for the protection of infants, said cover comprising: 
 (a) a hub connected at one end to an extendible and collapsible frame and at its other end to actuating means for pulling the hub to extend the frame;    (b) an exterior covering surface secured to the frame;    (c) an opening means into which the hub is inserted when the frame is fully extended, whereby upon insertion of the hub into the opening means, the covering surface forms an enclosed space.    
     
     
         30 . The cover as in  claim 29  wherein the actuating means extends through and out of the cover when the surface means is collapsed.  
     
     
         31 . The cover as in  claim 29  wherein the actuating means comprises a line and attached handle.  
     
     
         32 . The cover as in  claim 30  wherein the actuating means comprises a line and attached handle.  
     
     
         33 . The cover as in  claim 29  wherein the frame is pivotally connected to the hub.  
     
     
         34 . The cover as in  claim 33  wherein as the hub is pulled, the frame extends by pivoting outward and upward.  
     
     
         35 . The cover as in  claim 29  wherein when the frame is collapsed, the hub is supported by the cover solely at one end by the actuating means and at its other end by the frame.  
     
     
         36 . The cover as in  claim 29  wherein when the frame is extended, the hub is secured to the top of the cover.  
     
     
         37 . The cover as in  claim 29  wherein the covering surface comprises a covering material.  
     
     
         38 . The cover as in  claim 29  further comprising means to access the enclosed space through the covering surface.  
     
     
         39 . The cover as in  claim 29  wherein the frame comprises link arms and frame ribs, the link arms being pivotally connected to the frame ribs and to the hub.  
     
     
         40 . The cover as in  claim 39  wherein the frame ribs are flexibly resilient and are positioned in channels in the covering surface.