Compact Portable Bedding System

Abstract

A multipurpose bed for young children, toddlers and infants includes a two piece foldable mattress surrounded by a soft enclosure wall. Portions of the enclosure wall can be removed or laterally pivoted on zippers which serve as hinges to configure the mattress for placement in a crib, for use as a play mat or for sharing with an adult, such as during nursing. The bed can be folded from a flat horizontal sleeping position to a folded clam-shell position which defines a storage space for storing bedding accessories.

Claims

1. A bed for infants, toddlers, and children, comprising: a mattress comprising a first mattress portion and a second mattress portion; a central fastener releasably coupling said first and second mattress portions; a first pair of side walls; a first pair of zippers respectively releasably coupling said first pair of side walls to said first mattress portion; a second pair of side walls; a second pair of zippers respectively releasably coupling said second pair of side walls to said second mattress portion; a first end wall; a first end wall zipper releasably coupling said first end wall to said first mattress portion; a second end wall; a second end wall zipper releasably coupling said second end wall to said second mattress portion; and said first and second mattress portions each adjustable from a flat horizontal sleeping position to a folded clam-shell storage position defining a storage space.

2. The bed of claim 1, further comprising a sheet of flexible material coupling said first and second mattress portions and allowing spacing between said first and second mattress portions.

3. The bed of claim 2, wherein said storage space is defined between said first and second pairs of side walls, said first and second end walls and said sheet of flexible material.

4. The bed of claim 2, wherein said sheet of flexible material comprises a wear-resistant fabric material permanently coupled between said first and second mattress portions.

5. The bed of claim 2, wherein said first and second mattress portions respectively comprise first and second adjoining central surface portions and wherein said sheet of flexible material forms a protective exterior cover over said first and second adjoining central surface portions while in said folded clam-shell storage position.

6. The bed of claim 1, wherein said central fastener, said first pair of zippers, said second pair of zippers, said first end wall zipper and said second and wall zipper each comprises an open-end zipper comprising two rows of fully releasable and separable zipper teeth.

7. The bed of claim 1, further comprising a first pair of releasable fasteners respectively provided between said first pair of side walls and said first end wall, and a second pair of releasable fasteners respectively provided between said second pair of side walls and said second end wall.

8. The bed of claim 1, further comprising a first pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners respectively extending between said first pair of side walls and said first end wall and a second pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners respectively extending between said second pair of side walls and said second end wall.

9. The bed of claim 8, wherein said first pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners comprises a first pair of fabric flaps and said second pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners comprises a second pair of fabric flaps.

10. The bed of claim 8, wherein said first pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners further comprises a first pair of fabric flaps respectively comprising a first pair of hook and loop fasteners and said second pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners further comprises a second pair of fabric flaps respectively comprising a second pair of hook and loop fasteners.

11. The bed of claim 1, further comprising a first pair of beveled joints formed between opposite end portions of said first end wall and said first pair of side walls, and a second pair of beveled joints formed between opposite end portions of said second end wall and said second pair of sidewalls.

12. The bed of claim 1, further comprising a releasable closure zipper provided between said first and second end walls releasably holding said first and second mattress portions in said folded clam-shell storage position.

13. The bed of claim 1, wherein said first and second mattress portions, said first and second pairs of side walls and said first and second end walls comprise compacted polyester fill material.

14. The bed of claim 1, further comprising at least one bedding accessory selected from the group consisting of a sleeping pad, a blanket, a comforter, a head support wedge and a pillow, and wherein said at least one bedding accessory is stored in said storage space.

15. The bed of claim 1, wherein said central fastener is fastened in said flat horizontal sleeping position and unfastened in said folded clam-shell storage position.

16. A bed for infants, toddlers and children, comprising: a mattress comprising a first mattress portion and a second mattress portion, said first and second mattress portions respectively comprising first and second adjoining central portions; a sheet of flexible material permanently coupling said first and second mattress portions between said first and second adjoining central portions, said sheet of flexible material allowing said first and second mattress portions to move apart and fold together from a flat, horizontal sleeping position to a folded clam shell storage position; and wherein said sheet of flexible material forms a protective exterior cover over said first and second adjoining central mattress portions in said folded clam-shell storage position.

17. The bed of claim 16, wherein said sheet of flexible material is disposed under said first and second mattress portions with said mattress in said flat, horizontal sleeping position.

18. A bed for infants, toddlers and children, comprising: a mattress comprising a first mattress portion coupled to a second mattress portion; a first pair of side walls coupled to said first mattress portion; a second pair of side walls coupled to said second mattress portion; a first end wall coupled to said first mattress portion; a second end wall coupled to said second mattress portion; a first pair of joints formed between opposite end portions of said first end wall and said first pair of side walls; a second pair of joints formed between opposite end portions of said second end wall and said second pair of side walls; a first pair of releasable fasteners respectively provided in said first pair of joints; a second pair of releasable fasteners respectively provided in said second pair of joints; a first pair of flaps comprising a first pair of releasable flap fasteners coupling said opposite end portions of said first end wall with said first pair of side walls; and a second pair of flaps comprising a second pair of releasable flap fasteners coupling said opposite end portions of said second end wall with said second pair of side walls.

19. The bed of claim 18, wherein said first and second pairs of joints comprise beveled joints.

20. The bed of claim 18, wherein said first and second pairs of releasable fasteners and said first and second pairs of releasable flap fasteners comprise hook and loop fasteners.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic top right perspective view of a bed arranged in an unfolded sleeping configuration and showing representative bedding accessories in accordance with a representative embodiment of this disclosure ;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bed shown in FIG. 1 and arranged in a folded portable configuration for travel or for storage and showing a closed storage space in dashed lines;

[0022] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the bed of FIG. 1; and

[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bed of FIG. 1 in a partially folded configuration with mattress portions released and spaced apart.

[0024] Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present disclosure will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] A representative embodiment of a multipurpose bed 10 is shown in FIGS. 1-4. The bed 10 can be easily folded in half from the flat, horizontal sleeping configuration shown in FIG. 1 to the compact folded clam-shell configuration shown in FIG. 2. The bed 10 can be adjusted and modified in shape and size for accommodating infants, toddlers and young children up to five years of age or more, all hereinafter collectively referred to as a “child” or “children”.

[0026] The bed 10 can also be quickly and conveniently adjusted and configured for shared use by both adults and children. That is, an adult can share a portion of the bed 10 with a child while both are playing, resting, sleeping or nursing.

[0027] The bed 10 includes a mattress 12 having a first mattress portion 18 coupled to a second mattress portion 20 with a releasable central fastener 24. As seen in FIG. 3, the central fastener 24 can take the form of an open-ended zipper 26 having a first strip of zipper teeth 28 provided along a first central end portion 30 of the first mattress portion 18 and a second strip of zipper teeth 34 provided along a second central end portion 36 of the second mattress portion 20.

[0028] When the zipper 26 is zipped together as shown in FIG. 1, the central end portions 30, 36 (FIG. 3) are closely coupled to each other to form a substantially continuous planar mattress 12. As further seen in FIG. 3, the first strip of zipper teeth 28 extends along the top central edge 40 of the top surface portion 44 of the first mattress portion 18, and the second strip of zipper teeth 34 extends along the top central edge 48 of the top surface portion 52 of the second mattress portion 20.

[0029] A zipper pull tab 54 is provided on the zipper 26 for quickly and easily coupling and uncoupling the first and second mattress portions 18, 20. Throughout this disclosure, each zipper is shown as an open-ended zipper having a pair of releasable and completely separable zipper strips and a zipper pull tab 54.

[0030] The central fastener 24 is shown fastened in the flat horizontal sleeping position in FIG. 1, and unfastened in the folded clam-shell storage position shown in FIG. 2.

[0031] As further shown in FIG. 1, a protective upstanding removable enclosure wall 60 is secured on the top surface portions 44, 52 of the mattress 12. The enclosure wall 60 surrounds the interior portion of the mattress 12 and provides a soft buffer around a child located inside the enclosure wall 60.

[0032] The enclosure wall 60 includes a first pair of side walls 62, 64 releasably and removably coupled to the top side edge portions 66, 68 of the first mattress portion 18 with a first pair of open-ended zippers 72, 74. In this example, the enclosure wall 60 is preferably substantially rectangular in shape, but other shapes are possible.

[0033] Zipper 72 is shown in a dashed line in FIG. 1, and includes a zipper strip 78 shown in a dashed line in FIG. 3. The zipper strip 78 is secured along an outer bottom edge portion 80 of the first side wall 62 and a complementary zipper strip 82 is secured along the top side edge portion 66 of the first mattress portion 18. Zipper 74 (FIGS. 1 and 2) includes a zipper strip 84 (FIG. 3) secured along an outer bottom edge portion 86 of the side wall 64 and a zipper strip 88 secured along the top side edge portion 66 of the first mattress portion 18.

[0034] The enclosure wall 60 further includes a second pair of side walls 90, 92 releasably and removably coupled to the top side edge portions 96, 98 of the second mattress portion 20 with a second pair of open-ended zippers 100, 102 (FIGS. 1 and 2) in the same manner as the first pair of side walls 62, 64. Zipper 100 is shown in a dashed line in FIG. 1.

[0035] The zipper 100 includes a zipper strip 108, shown in a dashed line in FIG. 3, secured along an outer bottom edge portion 112 of the side wall 90 and a zipper strip 116 secured along the top side edge portion 96 of the second mattress portion 20. Zipper 102 (FIG. 1) includes a zipper strip 120 (FIG. 3) secured along an outer bottom edge portion 124 of the side wall 92 and a zipper strip 126 secured along the top side outer edge portion 98 of the second mattress portion 20.

[0036] As seen in FIG. 4, the first pair of side walls 62, 64 has a first pair of central walls 132, 134 that confront and abut a second pair of central walls 136, 138 on the second pair of side walls 90, 92 when the bed 10 is configured as shown in FIG. 1. When the bed 10 is configured as shown in FIG. 4, the first and second mattress portions 18, 20 can be separated apart from their abutting flat horizontal sleeping position shown in FIG. 1 for facilitating folding the bed 10 into the folded clam-shell storage position shown in FIG. 2.

[0037] When the bed 10 is configured as shown in FIG. 1, the first and second pairs of central walls 132 through 138 and the first and second mattress portions 18, 20 confront and abut and contact one another along a pair of central wall joints 144, 148. In FIG. 1, the first pair of side walls 62, 64 is secured in an upright vertical position by a first end wall 150, and the second pair of side walls 90, 92 is secured in an upright vertical position by a second end wall 152.

[0038] The first end wall 150 and the second end wall 152, when secured to the first and second pairs of side walls 62, 64 and 90, 92 and to the first and second mattress portions 18, 20 complete the upstanding removable enclosure wall 60, as described more fully below. In the example of the bed 10 shown in the drawings, the first and second end walls 150, 152 are releasably and removably coupled to the first and second mattress portions 18, 20 with first and second end wall zippers 160, 162 (FIG. 2).

[0039] The first end wall zipper 160 includes a first zipper strip 166 (FIG. 3) secured to an outer bottom edge portion 170 of the first end wall 150 and a complementary zipper strip 172 secured to a top side outer end portion 174 of the first mattress portion 18. In a similar fashion, the second end wall zipper 162 includes a zipper strip 166 secured to an outer bottom edge portion 178 of the second end wall 152 and a complementary zipper strip 180 secured to a top side edge portion 182 of the second mattress portion 20.

[0040] As further shown in FIG. 3, the first pair of side walls 62, 64 can be secured to opposite end portions of the first end wall 150 with a first pair of releasable fasteners 190, 192. In the example shown in FIG. 3, each of the pair of releasable fasteners 190, 192 includes a hook and loop fastener provided between the first pair of side walls 62, 64 and the first end wall 150.

[0041] One end portion of each of the first pair of side walls 62, 64 can be beveled or mitered, such as at a forty-five degree angle. The opposite end portions of the first end wall 150 can be similarly beveled or mitered, such as at a forty-five degree angle. In this manner, a first pair of releasable ninety degree beveled corner joints 200, 202 (FIG. 1) can be formed by releasable pressured contact between the first pair of releasable fasteners 190, 192 and the opposite end portions of the first end wall 150.

[0042] Similarly, the second pair of side walls 90, 92 can be secured to opposite end portions of the second end wall 152 with a second pair of releasable fasteners 208, 210. In this example, each of the second pair of releasable fasteners 208, 210 includes a hook and loop fastener provided between the second pair of side walls 90, 92 and the second end wall 152.

[0043] One end portion of each of the second pair of side walls 90, 92 can be beveled or mitered, such as at a forty-five degree angle. The opposite end portions of the second end wall 152 can be similarly beveled or mitered, such as at a forty-five degree angle. This construction provides a second pair of releasable ninety degree beveled corner joints 216, 218 which can be formed by releasable pressured contact between the second pair of releasable fasteners 208, 210 and the opposite end portions of the second end wall 152.

[0044] As described above, the first pair of releasable fasteners 190, 192 is provided in the first pair of corner joints 200, 202 and the second pair of releasable fasteners 208, 210 is provided in the second pair of corner joints 218, 218. The first and second pairs of fasteners 190, 192 and 208, 210 maintain the enclosure wall 60 in a sturdy, upright, upstanding vertical position on top of the mattress 10.

[0045] To add further support, rigidity and strength to the enclosure wall 60, a first pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners 222, 224 is provided between the first pair of side walls 62, 64 and opposite end portions of the first end wall 150 and a second pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners 228, 230 is provided between the second pair of side walls 90, 92 and opposite end portions of the second end wall 152.

[0046] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners 222, 224 includes a first pair of fabric strips or fabric flaps 234 fixed and flexibly hinged to opposite end portions of the first end wall 150. The second pair of flexible releasable flap fasteners 228, 230 includes a second pair of fabric strips or fabric flaps 236 fixed to and flexibly hinged to opposite end portions of the second end wall 152.

[0047] The first and second pairs of fabric flaps respectively extend between adjoining inner wall surface portions of the first and second pairs of side walls 62, 64 and 90, 92. Hook and loop fasteners are shown provided on the first and second pairs of fabric flaps 234, 236 and the adjoining inner wall surface portions of the first and second pairs of side walls 62, 64 and 90, 92.

[0048] Pulling apart and releasing selected hook and loop fasteners which secure and support the corner joints 200, 210, 216 and 218 allows any one or more of the side walls 62, 64, 90 and 92 and/or either or both end walls 150, 152 to pivot outwardly and downwardly around their respective zippers, as represented by the directional arrows 238 in FIG. 1. This allows selective access directly to the mattress 12 by lowering and optionally removing (unzipping) any one or more of the side walls and end walls that form the enclosure wall 60.

[0049] Leaving the side walls and end walls in their outwardly pivoted positions from on top of the mattress 12 to a lowered position adjacent to and coplanar with the mattress 12 extends the “footprint” or soft horizontal support area of the bed 10. This provides a larger rest, sleep and play area.

[0050] In order to transform the bed 10 from the flat horizontal sleeping position shown in FIG. 1 with the central fastener 24 fastened between the first and second mattress portions 18, 20, into the folded clam-shell storage position shown in FIG. 2, the central fastener 24 is unfastened and the first and second mattress portions 18, 20 are separated and rotated or folded toward each other as shown in FIG. 4.

[0051] As further shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a sheet of flexible material 240 is fixed to the central bottom portions 242, 244 of the first and second mattress portions 18, 20. In this example, the sheet of flexible material 240 permanently couples the adjoining central end portions 30, 36 of the first and second mattress portions 18, 20. The sheet of flexible material 240 allows a limited amount of spacing between the first and second mattress portions 18, 20 when the central fastener 24 is unfastened. The sheet of flexible material also allows the first and second mattress portions 18, 20 to move apart and fold together from the flat horizontal sleeping position of FIG. 1 to the folded clam-shell storage position shown in FIG. 2.

[0052] As further seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the sheet of flexible material 240 forms a protective exterior cover over the first and second adjoining central mattress end portions 30, 36 and the first and second pairs of central walls 132, 134 and 136, 138 on the first and second pairs of side walls 18, 20 and 90, 92 when the bed 10 is placed into the folded clam-shell storage position shown in FIG. 2. The sheet of flexible material can be formed of a durable, waterproof, slip-resistant fabric material such as a polyester material.

[0053] When the bed 10 is configured in the folded clam-shell storage position shown in FIG. 2, a releasable closure fastener such as a releasable closure zipper 248 can be fastened together to securely hold the bed 10 in its folded clam-shell storage position. Zipper 248 can include a first strip of zipper teeth 252 secured along an outer top edge portion of the first and wall 150 and a second complementary strip of zipper teeth 254 secured along an outer top edge portion of the second end wall 152. A pair of carrying handles or carrying straps 260, 262 (FIG. 2) can be provided on the first and second mattress portions 18, 20 to facilitate the carrying and ease of portability of the bed 10.

[0054] It can be appreciated that when the bed 10 is configured in the folded clam-shell storage position of FIG. 2, the top surfaces 264, 266 of the first pair of side walls 62, 64 confront and abut the top surfaces 270, 272 of the second pair of side walls 90, 92. In addition, the top surfaces 278, 280 of the first and second end walls 150 152 also confront and abut each other. This abutment and contact between the first and second pairs of side walls and the first and second end walls creates a closed compartment or storage space 282 (FIG. 2) between the first and second mattress portions 18, 20, the inner surfaces of the first and second pairs of side walls 62, 64, the inner surfaces of the first and second end walls 150, 152 and the sheet of flexible material 240.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 1, any one or more bedding accessories can be included with the bed 10 and stored in the storage space 282 (FIG. 2). For example, a sleeping pad 284, a blanket 286, a head support wedge 288 and a pillow 290 can be stored and carried within the storage space along with any other accessories such as toys, diapers and baby bottles.

[0056] The sleeping pad 284 can be releasably secured to the four corner portions of the mattress 10 with, for example, snap fasteners 296 provided on the four corner portions of the sleeping pad 284 and four corner portions of the mattress 12. The corners of the sleeping pad 284 can be releasably fastened under fabric tabs or pockets 298 provided on each corner portion of the mattress 12 under which complementary snap fasteners 296 are fixed to receive the snap fasteners 296 on the sleeping pad.

[0057] Although the mattress 12, side walls 62, 64, 90, 92 and end walls 150, 152 can be manufactured with conventional materials such as foam rubber, it is preferred to use a compacted cotton material or a compacted polyfiber such as polyester fiber and poly fill. Compacted poly fiber and poly fill retains its shape longer than foam rubber, does not turn yellow with age as does foam rubber and is considered healthier to use around children than conventional foam rubber.

[0058] Other variations are within the spirit of the present disclosure. Thus, while the bed 10 is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain embodiments thereof have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.