Cot or play pen bumper

The present invention relates to a cot or play pen bumper.

Known bumpers for cots or play pens typically comprise three or four padded side panels which are placed around the inside of the cot or play pen. While these bumpers are effective at preventing a baby injuring themselves by banging their heads against the bars of the cot or play pen, their use introduces a number of additional safety concerns.

For example, if the baby is to roll over such that their face is against one of the side panels, or one of the side panels falls on top of the baby's face, there is a greater risk of suffocation or sudden infant death syndrome.

Also, surrounding the baby with three or four padded panels prevents air flowing through the cot or play pen and over the baby's face. This results in an undesirable increase in temperature around the baby. Also, by preventing air flowing through the cot or play pen, dangerous levels of carbon dioxide can build up within the cot or play pen.

Furthermore, the side panels do not allow someone to see the baby through the bars of the cot or play pen. This is inconvenient when monitoring the position of the baby in the cot or play pen, as the person has to physically go to the cot or play pen to see the baby. This is inconvenient for the person monitoring the baby _*

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cot or play pen bumper which obviates or mitigates one or more of the disadvantages referred to above.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cot or play pen bumper comprising: at least one padded body portion adapted to be detachably mountable to at least a portion of a bar of the cot or play pen such that the padded body portion surrounds the at least a portion of the bar of the cot or play pen.

Preferably, the padded body portion surrounds between 50% and 100% of the outer circumferential distance of the at least a portion of the bar or the cot or play pen.

Preferably, the padded body portion is elongate with a longitudinal axis.

Preferably, the padded body portion is adapted such that it may be wrapped around at least a portion of the bar of the cot or play pen.

Preferably, the padded body portion further includes fastening means for fastening the padded body portion to the bar of the cot or play pen.

Preferably, the padded body portion includes an elongate channel adapted to receive at least a portion of the bar of the cot or play pen therein and secure the padded body portion thereto.

Preferably, the padded body portion includes an elongate slit which allows access to the elongate channel.

Preferably, the elongate channel is located substantially along the central longitudinal axis of the padded body portion.

Preferably, the padded body portion has a substantially circular transverse cross section.

Preferably, the padded body portion has a substantially rectangular transverse cross section.

Preferably, the padded body portion has a substantially c-shaped transverse cross section.

Preferably, the elongate channel is substantially cylindrical.

Preferably, the elongate channel is substantially cuboid shaped.

Preferably, the comers of the padded body portion are chamfered.

Preferably, the padded body portion has a decorative outer surface.

Preferably, the padded body portion is manufactured from a polyester foamed material.

Preferably, the padded body portion includes a detachable cover.

Preferably, the cover has a decorative outer surface.

Preferably, the bumper comprises a plurality of padded body portions, wherein each padded body portion is adapted to be detachably mountable to at least a portion of a bar of a cot or play pen such that the padded body portion surrounds the at least a portion of the bar of the cot or play pen.

Preferably, each padded body portion is attached to an adjacent padded body portion by an attachment means.

Preferably, the attachment means includes a mesh material.

Preferably, the mesh material attaches along the full length of each padded body portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a cot or play pen comprising a cot or play pen bumper according to the first aspect.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cot or play pen bumper according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a plurality of bumpers according to figure 1 attached to the bars of a cot; and

Figures 3a to 3d are perspective views of alternative embodiments of the bumper of figure 1.

With reference to figure 1 , a cot or play pen bumper 10 comprises a padded body portion 12. The body portion 12 is elongate with a central longitudinal axis 14 and is cylindrical in shape with a substantially circular transverse cross section 16.

The body portion 12 has an elongate cylindrical channel 18 located substantially along the central longitudinal axis 14 thereof and an elongate slit 20 which allows access to the channel 18. The channel 18 is adapted to receive at least a portion of a bar of a cot or play pen.

The body portion 12 is therefore adapted to be detachably mountable to at least a portion of a bar of a cot or play pen such that the body portion surrounds the at least a portion of the bar of the cot or play pen. The body portion 12 may be secured to the bar of the cot or play pen by pushing the body portion 12 onto the bar with the slit 20 facing the bar. As the body portion 12 is pushed against the bar, the slit 20 parts and allows the channel 18 to receive the bar therein and secure the body portion 12 thereto.

The portion of the bar of the cot or play pen may be a portion of the length of the bar and/or a portion of the perimeter of the bar. That is, the portion of the bar of the cot or play pen does not necessarily include the whole bar in terms of either length or perimeter. It therefore follows that the padded body portion does also not necessarily surround the whole of the bar of the cot or play pen.

The body portion 12 may be manufactured from a polyester foam material. However, it should be appreciated that the body portion 12 may be manufactured from any material which provides suitable padding.

The body portion 12 may have a decorative outer surface. Additionally or alternatively, the body portion 12 may have a detachable cover (not shown) which may have a decorative outer surface.

With reference to figure 2, the bumper 10 may comprise a plurality of padded body portions 12, each body portion 12 being adapted to be detachably mountable to at least a portion of a bar 21 of a cot or play pen 22 such that the body portion 12 surrounds the at least a portion of the bar 21 of the cot or play pen 22.

Each body portion 12 may be attached to an adjacent body portion 12 by an attachment means 24. The attachment means 24 may be a mesh material which attaches along the full length of each body portion 12. The mesh material allows air to flow through the cot or play pen 22 but prevents the baby's arms or legs getting caught between the bars 21.

The cot or play pen bumper 10 therefore obviates or mitigates the disadvantages of previous proposals by providing at least one padded body portion 12 which is adapted to be detachably mountable to at least a portion of a bar 21 of a cot or play pen 22 such that the padded body portion 12 surrounds the at least a portion of the cot or play pen 22.

If a baby rolls over such that their face is against the side of the cot or play pen 22, or the padded body portion 12 falls on top of the baby, there is a reduced risk of suffocation or sudden infant death syndrome.

Furthermore, since the padded body portion 12 surrounds the bar 21 of the cot or play pen 22 and a mesh material is provided between each adjacent body portion 12, air can flow therethrough and over the baby's face. The temperature around the baby is therefore prevented from increasing and carbon dioxide is prevented from building up.

Also, the mesh material prevents the baby's arms or legs getting caught between the bars 21. Furthermore, the mesh allows a person to see the baby through the bars 21 of the cot or play pen 22.

Modifications and improvements may be made to the above without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, although the body portion 12 has been described and illustrated above as being cylindrical in shape having a substantially circular transverse cross section 16 and an elongate cylindrical channel 18, it should be appreciated that the body portion 12 may have a number of alternative shapes. Figures 3a to 3d illustrate some alternative embodiments of the body portion 12. As illustrated in figure 3a, the body portion 12a may be cuboid in shape with a substantially rectangular transverse cross section 16a and an elongate cuboid shaped channel 18a. As illustrated in figure 3b, the body portion 12b may be cylindrical in shape with a substantially cuboid shaped channel 18b. As illustrated in figure 3c, the body portion 12c may have chamfered corners. As illustrated in figure 3d, the body portion 12d may have a substantially c-shaped transverse cross section 16d with a cuboid shaped channel 18d.

Furthermore, although the body portion 12 of figure 1 is illustrated as being capable of surrounding the entire circumferential surface of a bar 21 of a cot or play pen, it should be appreciated that the body portion 12 may be modified such that it surrounds between 50% and 100% of the circumferential surface of a bar 21 of a cot or play pen. In this case there would be an gap between opposing faces of the elongate slit 20, as illustrated in figures 3c and 3d.

Also, although the body portion 12 has been illustrated and described above as being secured to the bar 21 of a cot or play pen by the elongate

channel 18 and an elongate slit 20, it should be appreciated that the padded body portion may simply be wrapped around the at least a portion of the bar 21 of a cot or play pen and fastened thereto with fastening means.

Furthermore, although the bumper 10 has been illustrated in figure 2 as being shorter than the length of the bars 21 of the cot or play pen 22, it should be appreciated that the bumper 10 could be the same length as the bars 21.