Protective liner

Abstract

A multilayer protective liner in the form of a cot bumper is provided to protect infants when sleeping or resting in a bedding arrangement such as a cot or crib. In one form, the cot bumper has two outer surfaces of a quilted padded mesh material which not only provides protection against accidental or inadvertent contact with exposed hard surfaces of the cot or crib, but also provides for air circulation around and through the protective layer so as to produce a healthier environment for the sleeping or resting infant. The cot bumper has at least one inner core layer of a perforated resilient panel located in a pocket or envelope of mesh material formed by rows of transverse stitching at spaced apart locations. The advantage of the cot bumper is that it provides more or less continuous protection whilst allowing air movement around and through the cot or crib.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A barrier suitable for location within the interior of a bedding arrangement having one or more unyielding structural components, comprising a first outer layer made from an air permeable first material located on one side of the barrier, a second outer layer made from an air permeable second material located on the other side of the barrier, and at least one intermediate layer located intermediate the first outer layer and the second outer layer to form a core layer, the intermediate layer having a greater thickness than either of the first or second outer layers in order to provide a barrier between an infant located in the sleeping arrangement and the one or more unyielding structural components of the sleeping arrangement, said first outer layer being connected to said second outer layer at spaced apart locations to form segments along one dimension of the barrier in order to maintain the location of the intermediate layer between the first and the second outer layers, to provide protection for the infant against contact with the unyielding components, wherein said intermediate layer is air permeable such that when the protective barrier is located in place with respect to the bedding arrangement, air is able to move across and/or around the bedding arrangement to provide a safe and/or healthy environment for the person using the bedding arrangement. 
     
     
         2 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the bedding arrangement is a cot, crib, bassinet, carry cot, portable cot or other device in which infants, babies or young children can be located to sleep, rest or relax. 
     
     
         3 . A barrier according to  claim 2  in which the barrier is located around the inside of the cot to protect infants form contacting exposed hard surfaces of structural or rigid parts or components of the cot. 
     
     
         4 . A barrier according to  claim 3  in which the protective liner is a cot bumper in which the cot bumper is a single item or two or more items which can be joined together to form the cot bumper. 
     
     
         5 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the first and second outer layers are air permeable layers being made from an open weave mesh material having a plurality of cavities, spaces, voids or the like defined between threads or filaments forming the mesh. 
     
     
         6 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which either the first outer layer or the second outer layer, or both, is a flexible layer made from a fabric or fabric-like material including natural or synthetic materials such as cotton, hemp, bamboo, polyester or any other suitable material which is breathable. 
     
     
         7 . A barrier according to  claim 5  in which the mesh material is a knitted material. 
     
     
         8 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the first or the second or both outer layers are each a single layer, a double layer, a triple layer, or a multiple layer having a number of layers of material joined together. 
     
     
         9 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the outer layer is formed from a single sheet of suitable material by being folded back upon itself to form two or more layers superposed on one another. 
     
     
         10 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the outer layer is made from a multitude of separate sheets or strips joined together to form a laminate structure of multiple layers. 
     
     
         11 . A barrier according to  claim 5  in which the voids, cavities or similar of the mesh of each layer of the outer layer are superposed upon each other either wholly or partially so as to be in register with each other, or in partial overlapping or staggered relationship caused by the offsetting of the voids of the separate layers with each other to form a network of voids providing air circulation through the outer layer. 
     
     
         12 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the first and second outer layers are connected or fastened to one another by suitable fastening arrangement. 
     
     
         13 . A barrier according to  claim 12  in which the suitable fastening arrangement includes being sewn together by suitable threadlike or filamentary material, including cotton thread, silk thread or the like, by being bonded together using a suitable bonding agent such as an adhesive, glue, or the like, or the fastening arrangement includes a mechanical fastener. 
     
     
         14 . A barrier according to  claim 13  in which the two outer layers are fastened together by permanent fixed fasteners, by releasably securable fasteners, by removable fasteners, temporary fasteners or similar. 
     
     
         15 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the outer layer is in the form of a sheet, strip or the like, of a rectilinear shape in which one end of the sheet or strip is joined to the other end of the sheet or strip to form the protective liner. 
     
     
         16 . A barrier according to  claim 15  in which the sheets or strips of the outer layer are connected to each other at a plurality of spaced apart locations. 
     
     
         17 . A barrier according to  claim 16  in which the connection of the two outer layers is by stitching extending from one longitudinal side to the other longitudinal side so as to form a transverse row or line of stitching. 
     
     
         18 . A barrier according to  claim 17  in which the outer layers at least are divided into segments by spaced apart lines or rows of stitching extending transversely between two longitudinal sides to form enclosed or sealed pockets, envelopes, compartments or the like. 
     
     
         19 . A barrier according to  claim 18  in which the rows or lines of transverse stitching form a plurality of pockets arranged in side-by-side relationship to one another along the length of the barrier to form a segmented array or sections or panels. 
     
     
         20 . A barrier according to  claim 18  in which the rows of transverse stitching form hinges allowing two adjacent sections or segments of the barrier to hingedly move with respect to each other to allow the protective liner to be folded upon itself for storage, transportation or similar and to adopt an extended configuration for use with the sleeping arrangement. 
     
     
         21 . A barrier according to  claim 18  in which the intermediate layer is received within the pocket, envelope or similar formed between the two outer layers. 
     
     
         22 . A barrier according to  claim 18  in which the intermediate layer is a multitude or plurality of individual panels in which the individual panels are located in respective pockets or envelopes formed between the two outer layers. 
     
     
         23 . A barrier according to  claim 18  in which the pockets, envelopes or compartments are closed or sealed along all four edges to contain and confine the panels within the pockets. 
     
     
         24 . A barrier according to  claim 1  further including one or more reinforcing elements or reinforcements along one or both of the longitudinally extending side edges of the barrier to strengthen the barrier and provide additional protection by way of additional layers or thickness of fabric contributing to the padding and protective characteristics of the barrier. 
     
     
         25 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the intermediate layer in the form of individual panels has a thickness greater than the combined thickness of the two outer layers. 
     
     
         26 . A barrier according to  claim 22  in which the individual panels are perforated such as for example, by having a multiplicity of vents, apertures, perforations, holes, voids, cavities, channels, pores, open cells, or the like through the thickness of the panel allowing air to pass through the panel and to move across the sleeping space of the bedding arrangement to be circulated around the infant thereby reducing the concentration of carbon dioxides in the vicinity of the face or head of the infant. 
     
     
         27 . A barrier according to  claim 26  in which the size of the individual perforations of the panels or of intermediate layer is greater than the size of the voids of the mesh of the outer layers. 
     
     
         28 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the intermediate layer is made from a material which is resiliently deformable, elastically deformable, or the like. 
     
     
         29 . A barrier according to  claim 26  in which the apertures of the intermediate layer are arranged in a pattern or array having a multiplicity of rows and a multiplicity of columns. 
     
     
         30 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the intermediate layer is made from soft material, padded material, resilient material, flexible material, elastomeric material, foamed material, elastically deformable material, resiliently deformable material or similar for providing a soft feel barrier. 
     
     
         31 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which the intermediate layer is in the form of a core panel in which the core panel is made from a foam material, including a polyester foam, a polyether foam, a polyurethane foam, or other suitable foam material having an open or closed cellular structure or reticular structure or a combination of open and closed cell structures. 
     
     
         32 . A barrier according to  claim 31  in which the intermediate layer is made from a foam material having a range of densities, typically the range of densities of the foam is from 15 to 20 dpi. 
     
     
         33 . A barrier according to  claim 1  in which one or both of the outer layers is a quilted material. 
     
     
         34 . A cot bumper for use with a cot to provide protection for an infant located within the cot, said cot bumper having a first outer layer of a breathable mesh material on one side of the cot bumper, a second outer layer of a breathable mesh material located on the other side of the cot bumper and an intermediate layer located intermediate the first outer mesh layer and the second outer mesh layer, said intermediate layer forming the core of the cot bumper and having the form of a multiplicity of perforated panels, at least some of the perforated panels having a multiplicity of air vents, wherein said first and second outer layers are connected to one another at spaced apart locations to form pockets for receiving individual perforated panels to form a segmented array of interconnected panels so that the cot bumper is permeable to air thereby allowing air to pass through and/or around the cot bumper to provide a safe and/or healthy environment for the infant. 
     
     
         35 . A method of protecting an infant in a bedding arrangement from potential injury from contacting a structural component of the bedding arrangement comprising the steps of locating a protective barrier around at least part of the interior of the bedding arrangement so as to provide a protective barrier preventing or reducing contact by the infant with the structural component of the bedding arrangement and locating the infant in the bedding arrangement in which the protective barrier comprises a first outer breathable mesh layer located on one side of the barrier, a second outer breathable mesh layer located on the other side of the barrier, and an intermediate core layer located intermediate the first and second outer breathable mesh layers, wherein the intermediate core layer is in the form of a plurality of individual perforated panels, each panel having a multiplicity of air vents, and said intermediate core layer is in the form of a plurality of perforated panels wherein the perforated panels are received in pockets defined by the first and second outer mesh layers such that the barrier is air permeable to allow movement of air through the barrier.