Collapsible crib

Abstract

A folding headboard collapsible crib is provided including front and rear walls and collapsible left and right end walls. Safety hinge mechanisms are provided at the left and right end wall portions of the crib and a stop block system on the mattress support to eliminate pinch points and snag points at the foldable headboard and/or footboard locations. A mattress support platform is hingedly connected to a rear wall of the crib and is supported substantially around its entire periphery for enhanced maximum load bearing capacity. A strangulation proof strap system is carried on the mattress support platform for holding the crib in a collapsed configuration when not in use.

1 . A collapsible crib comprising: 
 a pair of rear corner posts;    a rear wall attached with the pair of rear corner posts, the rear wall including a lower rail;    a pair of front corner posts;    a front wall attached with the pair of front corner posts, the front wall including a front wall lower rail;    left and right end walls extending between and connecting said rear and front corner posts to define a rectangular enclosure having a central opening, each said end wall having a lower rail, a pair of end panels, and a plurality of hinges attaching the end panels to each other and to the adjacent corner posts, the end panels of the left and right end walls being pivotally movable on said hinges inwardly towards said central opening to collapse the crib and outwardly away from the central opening to open the crib;    a mattress platform having opposite front and rear edges and opposite left and right edges, the rear edge of the mattress platform being operatively connected with said rear lower rail for pivotal movement between a vertical folded position and a horizontal opened position; and,    a stop block system operatively associated with the mattress platform and the left and right end walls for holding the pair of end panels of the left end wall and the pair of end panels of the right end wall in mutually coextensive orientations, respectively, when the mattress platform is in said horizontal position.    
   
   
       2 . The crib according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 said stop block system is operatively associated with the mattress platform and the lower rails of the left and right end walls for urging the left and right end walls outwardly away from said central opening when the mattress platform is moved toward said horizontal opened position to reduce contact between ends of the mattress platform and the left and right end walls.    
   
   
       3 . The crib according to  claim 2  wherein: 
 said stop block system engages the lower rails of the left and right end walls as the mattress platform is moved from said vertical position towards said horizontal position.    
   
   
       4 . The crib according to  claim 2  wherein: 
 said stop block system includes a pair of spaced apart block members carried on a bottom surface of the mattress platform, each said block member having a first vertical blocking surface and a first ramp surface, the first vertical blocking surface being adapted to engage said lower rails of the left and right end walls to prevent the left and right end walls from moving inwardly when the mattress platform is in said horizontal opened position, and    the first ramp surface being adapted to urge the left and right end walls outwardly away from said central opening while the mattress platform is moved toward said horizontal opened position.    
   
   
       5 . The crib according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 said stop block system includes a pair of spaced apart block members carried on a bottom surface of said mattress platform, the block members being adapted to engage said lower rails of the left and right end walls when the mattress platform is in said horizontal opened position to prevent the left and right end walls from moving inwardly.    
   
   
       6 . The crib according to  claim 1  further including: 
 a Y-shaped strap fastener for selectively connecting said front wall with said mattress platform to hold the left and right end walls between the front wall and the mattress platform.    
   
   
       7 . The crib according to  claim 6  wherein the Y-shaped strap fastener includes: 
 a base portion at a proximal end of the strap, the base portion being connected with said mattress platform;    a pair of extension members at a distal end of the strap and converging at an end of the base portion; and,    fasteners carried on free ends of the pair of extension members for selectively connecting the free ends to form a closed loop adapted to surround a portion of said front wall.    
   
   
       8 . The crib according to  claim 7  wherein: 
 the fasteners include hook and loop fastener patches carried on the free ends of said extension members; and,    said closed loop defines a predetermined circumference of less than about 8 inches to reduce entanglement and strangulation hazards.    
   
   
       9 . The crib according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 said plurality of hinges are mortised into said end panels to a depth sufficient to prevent snags by associated articles passed against the hinges on a side of the crib opposite said central opening.    
   
   
       10 . The crib according to  claim 1  further including: 
 a mattress platform support area adapted to engage and support the mattress platform in said horizontal opened position, the mattress platform support area being defined by the lower rails of the front wall, the rear wall, and the left and right end walls.    
   
   
       11 . The crib according to  claim 10  wherein the mattress platform support area supports the mattress platform substantially around the entire periphery of the mattress platform.  
   
   
       12 . A safety hinge system in an infant crib, the safety hinge system comprising: 
 first and second elongate members adapted to be movable relative to each other between a first position in extension of each other and a second position in a side-by-side relationship, the first and second elongate members each having a butt end surface and a primary surface, the buft end surfaces of the first and second elongate members being disposed in a confronting relationship in said first position and the primary surfaces of the first and second members being disposed in a confronting relationship in said second position;    a hinge connecting said first and second elongate members, the hinge including a first plate, a second plate, and at least one hinge joint portion coupling the first plate with the second plate for pivotal movement about at least one pivot axis defined by the hinge joint;    a first anchor area on the first elongate member for receiving the first hinge plate and fastening the first hinge plate with the first elongate member; and,    a second anchor area on the second elongate member for receiving the second hinge plate and fastening the second hinge plate with the second elongate member.    
   
   
       13 . The safety hinge system according to  claim 12  wherein: 
 said first anchor area includes a first recess adapted to receive the first hinge plate therein; and,    said second anchor area includes a second recess adapted to receive the second hinge plate therein.    
   
   
       14 . The safety hinge system according to  claim 13  wherein: 
 in said first position, the primary surfaces of the first and second elongate members are co-planar.    
   
   
       15 . The safety hinge system according to  claim 13  wherein: 
 the first recess is defined in the primary surface of the first elongate member; and,    the second recess is defined in the primary surface of the second elongate member.    
   
   
       16 . The safety hinge system according to  claim 15  wherein: 
 the primary surface of the first elongate member defines a first plane; and,    the pivot axis defined by the hinge joint extends along said first plane.    
   
   
       17 . The safety hinge system according to  claim 16  wherein: 
 the primary surface of the second elongate member defines a second plane; and,    the pivot axis defined by the hinge joint extends along said second plane.    
   
   
       18 . The safety hinge system according to  claim 17  wherein: 
 said pivot axis, said first plane, and said second plane, are coincident when the first and second elongate members are disposed in said first position.    
   
   
       19 . The safety hinge system according to  claim 12  further including: 
 a relief interface at an area of abutment between said first and second elongate members, the relief interface defining a transition gap to enable withdrawal of objects from between the butt end surfaces of the first and second elongate members as the first and second elongate members are moved from said second position to said first position.    
   
   
       20 . The safety hinge system according to  claim 19  wherein the transition gap of said relief interface includes: 
 a first tapered surface on the butt end surface of the first elongate member; and,    a second tapered surface on the butt end surface of the second elongate member.