CRADLE THAT CAN BE PLACED ALONGSIDE A BED FOR ADULTS

Abstract

 A cradle that can be placed alongside a bed for adults, which comprises a frame adapted to support a cradle body and provided with a pair of supporting bases, the supporting bases being provided with feet for resting on the ground; the feet are connected to the ends of a tube that is adapted to slide telescopically within the corresponding supporting base of the frame.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cradle that can be placed alongside a bed for adults. More specifically, the invention relates to a cradle that can be placed alongside a bed for adults so as to have access to the cradle substantially in contact with the bed proper.

[0002] As is known, there are cradles on the market that can be brought as close as possible to a bed for adults in order to ensure that the cradle is accessible directly from the bed for adults, without the person needing to get up, and that at the same time the child inside the cradle runs no risk for its safety.

[0003] The solutions currently in use entail for example the use of cradles with supporting legs that can be folded inward so as to be able to place the cradle alongside the bed even if the latter is a storage type bed i.e. with a solid base.

[0004] However, in order to perform this operation it is necessary to bend down in order to release the supporting foot and rotate it inward. Furthermore, this solution has the drawback that the stability of the cradle is diminished since the size of the supporting base decreases when the supporting foot is folded inward.

[0005] The aim of the present invention is to provide a cradle that can be placed alongside a bed for adults without the supporting legs of the cradle interfering with the structure of the bed proper and without the stability of the cradle being diminished.

[0006] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a cradle that can be placed alongside a bed for adults without the user in order to do so needing to bend down in order to release and fold inward the supporting feet of the cradle that are directed toward the bed for adults.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cradle that not only can be placed alongside a bed for adults, but can also be opened at the side in order to ensure that the adult has direct access to the cradle from the bed for adults proper.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cradle that is highly reliable, easily and practically implemented and low cost.

[0009] This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a cradle that can be placed alongside a bed for adults, which comprises a frame adapted to support a cradle body and provided with a pair of supporting bases, said supporting bases being provided with feet for resting on the ground, characterized in that said feet are connected to the ends of a tube that is adapted to slide telescopically within the corresponding supporting base of said frame.

[0010] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the cradle according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cradle according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the cradle of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cradle according to the invention with the feet of one side of the cradle extracted;

Figure 4 is a side view of the cradle shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cradle according to the invention in the condition of rocking;

Figure 6 is a side view of the cradle according to the invention in the configuration of Figure 5.

[0011] With reference to the figures, the cradle according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a frame 2 provided with two supporting bases 3 and 4, which are respectively arranged at the right-hand side and at the left-hand side of the cradle.

[0012] The frame 2 supports a cradle body 5 which is adapted to accommodate the child.

[0013] Conveniently, the supporting bases 3 and 4 rest on the floor by way of respective feet 6 and 7, which are connected to the ends of a tube 8 and 9, which can slide into the supporting bases 3 and 4, respectively.

[0014] In substance, the feet 6 and 7 can be made to protrude telescopically from the supporting bases 3 and 4.

[0015] Advantageously, the supporting bases 3 and 4 have a lower arc-like profile so as to make it possible to rock the cradle on its base, so as to rock the child to sleep.

[0016] Conveniently, the feet 6 and 7 are made so as to be able to rotate upward, so that the feet in this configuration no longer touch the ground and the cradle can be used while resting on the bases 3 and 4 which are arc-shaped below.

[0017] The feet 6 and 7 are provided with wheels 11 which are arranged at right angles with respect to the longitudinal extension of the supporting bases 3 and 4, so that the cradle can be pushed, actuated from one side, in the direction of its longitudinal extension, i.e. at right angles to the extension of the supporting bases 3 and 4.

[0018] Therefore, the cradle according to the invention can have three different configurations, the first of which is a cradle configuration, wherein the feet 6 and 7 touch the ground, and can be made to retract telescopically within the supporting bases 3 and 4, in order to be able to place the cradle alongside the bed of an adult.

[0019] The retraction of the feet 6 and 7 on one side corresponds to the exit of the feet 6 and 7 on the opposite side, since the feet are connected to the ends of the tube 8, 9.

[0020] With the configuration proposed above, the supporting base of the cradle does not change when the feet are retracted on one side, since they protrude further on the opposite side, with the advantage that the footprint of the cradle will always be the same.

[0021] It should be noted that, in the configuration wherein the feet 6 and 7 are resting on the ground, the wheels of the feet do not touch the ground but are slightly raised. The wheels in fact will touch the ground only when the cradle is lifted at one side by the user in order to be able to move it.

[0022] In such cradle configuration, the cradle can be used either with the cradle body 5 closed, thus forming a closed structure on four sides, or with the cradle body 5 open on one side, i.e. the side directed toward the bed for adults, so as to enable an adult to freely access the cradle while remaining directly on the bed.

[0023] In a third configuration, the cradle is used as a rocking cradle and in this case the feet 6 and 7 are rotated upward so as to no longer touch the ground, and the cradle rests directly on the supporting bases 3 and 4 which are arc-shaped below, and thus can be moved with a rocking action.

[0024] Conveniently, the release of the feet 6 and 7 in order to be able to move them telescopically within the supporting bases 3 and 4 occurs by acting on pedal-operated means 10, which are provided at the respective supporting bases 3 and 4, so that the user can, without needing to bend down, act directly with his/her foot in order to make the feet 6 and 7, connected to the tubes 8 and 9, enter inside the supporting bases 3 and 4 on one side and therefore make them protrude on the opposite side.

[0025] In practice it has been found that the cradle according to the invention fully achieves the set aim and objects, since it can be placed alongside a bed for an adult, without the supporting bases interfering with the base of the bed for adults, and especially without the user needing to bend down in order to adjust the supporting bases.

[0026] The cradle thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0027] Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

[0028] In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

[0029] The content of Italian patent application no. 102015000074805 (UB2015A005758), the priority of which is claimed in the present application, is incorporated as a reference.

[0030] Where the technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference numerals and/or signs, those reference numerals and/or signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference numerals and/or signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference numerals and/or signs.

Claims

1. A cradle (1) that can be placed alongside a bed for adults, which comprises a frame (2) adapted to support a cradle body (5) and provided with a pair of supporting bases (3, 4), said supporting bases being provided with feet (6, 7) for resting on the ground, characterized in that said feet (6, 7) are connected to the ends of a tube (8, 9) that is adapted to slide telescopically within the corresponding supporting base (3, 4) of said frame (2).

2. The cradle according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises pedal-operated release means (10) for releasing the movement of said tube (8, 9) within said supporting base (3, 4).

3. The cradle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said feet (6, 7) can be rotated upward so that said feet do not touch the ground.

4. The cradle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting bases (3, 4) have a lower arc-like profile adapted to make contact with the ground and allow a rocking of the cradle.

5. The cradle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said feet (6, 7) are provided with wheels (11) which do not touch the ground in the condition in which the foot is rested on the ground and the cradle is in a horizontal condition with respect to the ground, said wheels (11) being arranged at right angles with respect to the longitudinal extension of said supporting bases (3, 4).

6. The cradle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (5) of the cradle can be opened at the side of the cradle adapted to be faced toward the bed for adults.

7. The cradle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said release means (10) are arranged at said supporting bases (3, 4) of the cradle and can be released by way of the foot of the user, without his/her needing to bend down.

8. The cradle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upward rotation of said feet (6, 7) moves said feet so that they are axially aligned and parallel to said supporting bases (3, 4).

Drawing