Granted Patent B2

US 7,055,192 · App. 10/738,616 · Granted Jun 6, 2006

Abstract

Claims (31)

1. A crib shield system for a crib, wherein the crib comprises a first and second side rail, a headboard, and a footboard connected and sized for receiving a mattress therein, wherein at least one of the first and second side rails comprises a top bar and a plurality of spaced support elements, wherein the crib shield system comprises:

a first and second side panel, wherein each of the first and second side panels is configured as a separate panel to cover at least a substantial portion of a corresponding side rail with a mesh-type material comprising openings too small to permit an infant to insert a finger or toe therethrough, wherein the first panel is not connected to the second panel, wherein each of the first and second side panels comprises at least one fastening apparatus that extends along an entire edge of the side panel to attach the side panel to the top bar of a corresponding side rail, and further wherein each of the first and second side panels comprises at least one other fastening apparatus for securing the side panel to the corresponding side rail.

2. The crib shield system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises:

at least one of a first and second end panel, wherein each of the at least one first and second end panels is configured as a separate panel to cover at least a substantial portion of a corresponding headboard or footboard with a mesh-type material having openings too small to permit an infant to insert a finger or toe therethrough, wherein each of the first and second end panels comprises at least one fastening apparatus that extends along an entire edge of the panel to attach the panel to a spaced support element of a corresponding headboard or footboard, and further wherein each of the first and second end panels comprises at least one other fastening apparatus for securing the panel to the corresponding headboard or footboard.

3. The crib shield system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one other fastening apparatus of each of the first and second end panels is provided at one or more positions along an edge opposite the entire edge to allow a user to pull the panel taut across the corresponding headboard or footboard when the at least one fastening apparatus extending along the entire edge of the panel is attached to the spaced support element of the corresponding headboard or footboard and is configured to secure the panel to another spaced support element of the corresponding headboard or footboard using the at least one other fastening apparatus.

4. The crib shield system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second side rails is movable relative to a remainder of the crib when one of the first and second side panels is fastened to the at least one of the first and second side rails.

5. The crib shield system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one other fastening apparatus of each of the first and second side panels is provided at one or more positions along an edge opposite the entire edge to allow a user to pull the panel taut across the corresponding side rail when the at least one fastening apparatus extending along the entire edge of the panel is attached to the top bar of a corresponding side rail and is configured to secure the panel to another portion of the corresponding side rail using the at least one other fastening apparatus.

6. The crib shield system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fastening apparatus comprises a hook and loop fastener.

7. The crib shield system of claim 1 , wherein the mesh-type material comprises a breathable integrated padded mesh material.

8. The crib shield system of claim 7 , wherein the mesh-type material comprises a front substructure, a back substructure, and a pile substructure integrated with and extending between the front and back substructures, wherein each of the substructures allows air to substantially move effectively therethrough.

9. A crib shield system for a crib, the crib comprising a first and second side rail, a headboard, and a footboard connected and sized for receiving a mattress therein, wherein each of the first and second side rails extend along a length of the crib between the headboard and the footboard, and further wherein at least one of the first and second side rails is formed of a top bar and a plurality of spaced support elements, the crib shield system comprising:

a first panel, wherein the first panel is configured to cover at least a portion of the first side rail and to extend along substantially the length of the crib, wherein the first panel is formed substantially of a mesh-type material having openings too small to permit an infant to insert a finger or toe therethrough, wherein the first panel comprises at least one fastening apparatus to attach a first end of the first panel to a first portion of the first side rail, and further wherein the first panel comprises at least one other fastening apparatus for securing a second end opposite of the first end of the first panel to a second portion of the first side rail; and

a second panel separate from and not connected to the first panel, wherein the second panel is configured to cover at least a portion of the second side rail and to extend at least along the length of the crib, wherein the second panel is substantially formed of a mesh-type material having openings too small to permit an infant to insert a finger or toe therethrough, wherein the second panel comprises at least one fastening apparatus to attach a first end of the second panel to the crib, and further wherein the second panel comprises at least one other fastening apparatus for securing a second end opposite of the first end of the second panel to the crib.

10. The crib shield system of claim 9 , wherein the second panel is further configured to cover at least a portion of the headboard and footboard, wherein the at least one fastening apparatus of the second panel is configured to attach the second panel to one of the headboard and footboard, and further wherein the at least one other fastening apparatus of the second panel is configured to secure the second panel to the other of the headboard and footboard.

11. The crib shield system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one fastening apparatus of the second panel is configured to attach the second panel to a spaced support element that forms a part of the headboard, and further wherein the at least one other fastening apparatus of the second panel is configured to attach the second panel to another spaced support element that forms a part of the footboard.

12. The crib shield system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one fastening apparatus of the first panel is configured to attach the first end of the first panel to a spaced support element of the first side rail proximate the headboard, and further wherein the at least one other fastening apparatus of the first panel is configured to attach the second end of the first panel to another spaced support element of the first side rail proximate the footboard.

13. The crib shield system of claim 9 , wherein at least the first panel comprises a width that is less than the length of a spaced support element of the first side rail.

14. The crib shield system of claim 13 , wherein the at least the first panel comprises a width that is less than one half the length of a spaced support element of the first side rail.

15. The crib shield system of claim 9 , wherein the first side rail is movable relative to a remainder of the crib when the first and second panels are fastened to the crib.

16. The crib shield system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the fastening apparatus comprises a hook and loop fastener.

17. The crib shield system of claim 9 , wherein the mesh-type material comprises a breathable integrated padded mesh material.

18. The crib shield system of claim 17 , wherein the mesh-type material comprises a front substructure, a back substructure, and a pile substructure integrated with and extending between the front and back substructures, wherein each of the substructures allows air to substantially move effectively therethrough.

19. A crib shield system for a crib, wherein the crib comprises at least a first side rail, a headboard, and a footboard, wherein at least the first side rail comprises a plurality of spaced support elements for use in defining an interior boundary extending proximate and around a periphery of a mattress disposed within the crib, wherein the system comprises at least one panel configured to cover at least a portion of the plurality of spaced support elements of the first side rail and to extend along at least a portion of the interior boundary, wherein the at least one panel is formed substantially of a breathable integrated padded mesh material, wherein the at least one panel comprises at least one fastening apparatus for securing the at least one panel to the crib, and further wherein the at least one panel comprises a width that is less than the length of a spaced support element of the first side rail that is in a vertical position as part of the crib.

20. The crib shield system of claim 19 , wherein the breathable integrated padded mesh material comprises a front substructure, a back substructure, and a pile substructure integrated with and extending between the front and back substructures, wherein each of the substructures allows air to substantially move effectively therethrough.

21. The crib shield system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one panel comprises:

a first panel, wherein the first panel is sized to cover at least a portion of die plurality of spaced support elements that form a part of a first side rail that defines at least a part of the interior boundary and to extend along a substantial portion of a length of the first side rail from a headboard to a footboard of the crib, wherein the first panel comprises at least one fastening apparatus to attach a first end of the first panel to one of the plurality of spaced support elements of the first side rail, and further wherein the first panel comprises at least one other fastening apparatus for securing a second end of the first panel to another one of the plurality of spaced support elements of the first side rail; and

a second panel separate from and not connected to the first panel, wherein the second panel is sized to cover at least a portion of the plurality of spaced support elements that form a part of a second side rail that defines at least a part of the interior boundary and to extend at least along a substantial portion of a length of the second side rail from a headboard to a footboard of the crib, wherein the second panel comprises at least one fastening apparatus to attach the second panel to one of the plurality of spaced support elements of the crib, and further wherein the second panel comprises at least one other fastening apparatus for securing the second panel to another one of the plurality of spaced support elements of the crib.

22. The crib shield system of claim 21 , wherein the second panel is further sized to cover at least a portion of the headboard and the footboard that defines at least a part of the interior boundary, wherein the at least one fastening apparatus of the second panel is configured to attach the second panel to a spaced support element of the headboard, and further wherein the at least one other fastening apparatus of the second panel is configured to secure the second panel to a spaced support element of the footboard.

23. The crib shield system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one panel comprises a width that is less than one half the length of the spaced support element that is in a vertical position as part of the crib.

24. The crib shield system of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of spaced support elements, that are covered, at least in part, by the at least one panel, form a part of a side rail that is movable relative to a remainder of the crib.

25. The crib shield system of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the fastening apparatus comprises a hook and loop fastener.

Assignments (21)