Cots for babies

Abstract

A cot is designed to be used positioned against the side of a parent bed. A folding leg arrangement enables the height of the cot sleeping base to be matched with the parent bed. The leg arrangement uses support struts and sliding connections to the cot support base to maintain its footprint at all heights. The end walls and side walls are all foldable relative to the sleeping base. The cot can be folded flat by folding the side walls onto the base and the end walls in on top of them. The leg arrangement can also fold flat. One side wall can be folded out to lie on the adjacent parent bed, bridging the gap. It can also be folded at half height to provide partial access when upright, or a shorter bridge when folded out.

1 . A cot suitable for use positioned adjacent the side of a parent bed, the cot comprising a sleeping base to be positioned substantially level with the parent bed, and having a side wall mounted pivotably at or adjacent the sleeping base level so that it can be pivoted outwardly and down to lie on the parent bed. 
     
     
         2 . A cot according to  claim 1  including a stand with an extensible leg arrangement adjustable in height. 
     
     
         3 . A cot according to  claim 1  comprising securement means for holding it against the side of a parent bed in use. 
     
     
         4 . A cot according to  claim 1  in which said side wall is itself foldable along a fold line extending along the side wall at an intermediate height thereof so that a top portion of the side wall can be folded down. 
     
     
         5 . A cot according to  claim 1  comprising a release mechanism at the bottom of said side wall which is adjustable, by lifting the side wall, from a locked condition in which the mechanism holds the side wall upright to a released condition in which the side wall can be pivoted down and outwardly. 
     
     
         6 . A cot according to  claim 5  in which said release mechanism comprises first and second interfitting components on respective ones of the side wall and adjacent structures of the cot, one said component having an upright slot cross-section with a mouth, and the other having a rigid bar mounted pivotally and projecting into the mouth of the upright slot, wherein in the released condition the bar is aligned with the operational pivot axis of the side wall while in the locked condition the bar extends transversely to that axis, the bar being pivoted between the transverse and aligned orientations by said lifting of the side wall. 
     
     
         7 . A cot according to  claim 1  in which said side wall has a fabric covering. 
     
     
         8 . A cot according to  claim 1  in which said side wall comprises one or more rigid frame elements defining one or more openings occupied by flexible fabric material. 
     
     
         9 . A cot according to  claim 1  having a support base which is the sleeping base, or on which the sleeping base may rest, the support base having first and second extensible leg arrangements respectively at first and second ends thereof,
 each extensible leg arrangement comprising a main leg member and a support strut, 
 the main leg member having at its lower end a transversely-extending foot, and at its top end being connected to the support base at a pivot connection which is longitudinally slidable along a track of the support base and lockable at a selected position on the track, corresponding to a desired height, 
 the support strut having a lower end connected pivotally to the main leg member at an intermediate point thereof, and an upper end connected to the support base at a fixed pivot proximal to the respective end of the support base. 
 
     
     
         10 . A cot according to  claim 9  in which the main leg members and support struts are shaped such that the leg arrangements can be folded flat against the support base without mutual superimposition of the main leg members or support struts, the support struts lying in recesses or clearances of the main leg members. 
     
     
         11 . A cot according to  claim 1  in which the cot comprises a discrete stand providing a support base on which a sleeping base of the cot is removably positionable, preferably by means of pegs on one of the support base and sleeping base fitting into corresponding holes on the other, and/or by bottom parts of opposed end walls of the cot projecting down below the level of the sleeping base and fitting around corresponding edges of the support base. 
     
     
         12 . A cot according to  claim 1  having discrete opposed end walls and opposed side walls, the side walls being releasable from an upright position to lie on the sleeping base overlapping one another, preferably by means of pivoting along their bottom edges, and the end walls being pivotably mounted to the sleeping base and releasable from the upright position to fold inwardly and down and overlie the sleeping base and the side walls lying on it. 
     
     
         13 . A cot according to  claim 12  in which the end walls have inner faces which are recessed in shape for containment of the space above the sleeping base in the folded-down condition. 
     
     
         14 . A cot comprising a sleeping base, opposed side walls and opposed end walls, each said wall having a stable upright condition in which in combination said walls form an upstanding surround for the cot, and each wall being releasable from its upright condition to lie over the sleeping base in a folded or collapsed condition in which the side walls lie on the sleeping base overlapping one another, the end walls being pivoted relative to the sleeping base and foldable down to overlie the sleeping base and the overlapped side walls lying on it, and the end walls having side edges which project forwardly relative to their central parts so that in the folded position they project down adjacent the sides of the sleeping base to enclose the space above it. 
     
     
         15 . A cot comprising a support having an extensible leg arrangement of adjustable height, the leg arrangement comprising first and second extensible legs respectively at first and second ends of the support,
 each extensible leg comprising a main leg member and a support strut,   the main leg member having at its lower end a transversely-extending foot, and at its top end being connected to the support at a pivot connection which is longitudinally slidable along a track of the support and lockable at a selected position on the track, corresponding to a desired height,   the support strut having a lower end connected pivotally to the main leg member at an intermediate point thereof, and an upper end connected to the support at a fixed pivot proximal to the respective end of the support.