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CribRelated Patent Categories: Beds, Crib, Movable GuardsCrib description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050251909, Crib. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/571,451 filed May 13, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Field of Invention [0003] The present invention relates to baby cribs, and in particular to a locking mechanism for a baby crib. [0004] Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. [0005] 2. Background Art [0006] Cribs have a long and fascinating history dating back to the drawings on catacomb walls of early Christendom. Contemporary cribs, like other items for babies including toys, car seats, and strollers, undergo rigorous governmental and safety agency tests and have to meet minimum safety standards. Parents are not only concerned about a crib passing all these rigorous tests, but are also concerned about the aesthetics of the crib and furniture advantages, such as locking mechanisms and capability for conversion from a baby crib into a toddler or a regular twin size bed. [0007] Even though contemporary cribs come in many finishes and styles, they often have certain common safety features. The locking mechanism of the guard rail is sometimes placed on an exterior surface of the guard rail making it an eyesore. Another drawback with some prior art locking mechanisms is that significant pressure has to be applied to release the locking mechanism to raise and lower the guard rail. What is needed is a locking mechanism that is relatively maintenance free, can be engaged to lock the guard rail without being both an eyesore and a tedious process, and can be released to raise or lower the guard rail without being a cumbersome process. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0008] Described herein is a locking mechanism for a baby crib and a crib with a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is intended to be implemented into the front and rear guard railings of various crib designs. The locking mechanism allows for the crib guard railings to be easily secured to the top of the crib frame, released and lowered, as well as lifted completely up and out. In order to secure the railing to the top of the crib from it being in a lowered position, the user needs to first lift the railing to the height of the crib frame. Then, the user must move two knobs located on the inside of the railing, or, in alternate embodiments, on the outside of the railing to the "locked" position. Once this is done, the guard rail will be secured at the height of the crib frame. If the user wants to lower the crib railing from this position, the user must simultaneously move the two knobs to the "release" position. Once this is done, the guard rail will be able to slide down approximately eight to ten inches. Additionally, if the user desires to remove the crib guard rails completely off of the crib, the knobs need to both be in the "release" position and the user need only lift the railings up and off. [0009] The locking mechanism is typically incorporated into a crib design by using two pairs of locking mechanisms per crib. One pair is located on either side of the top horizontal member of the front guard rail, and the other pair is located on either side of the top horizontal member of the rear guard rail. The knob components of the locking mechanism can be positioned on the outside of the horizontal top bar of the front and/or back guard railing, or in alternate preferred embodiments, on the inside of the top bar. Alternatively, a single pair may be incorporated with only one of the railings. Each locking mechanism preferably includes a rectangular shaped bar that can be slid back ("lock" position) and forth ("release" position) in order to lock and unlock the crib guard rail. The end of the rectangular bar that slides in and out of the frame of the crib preferably has a notch that covers a protruding complimentary section within the frame of the crib in order to keep the guard rail from sliding down. There is a slit on the inside of the top horizontal member of each guard rail through which a protruding knob, or actuator, is exposed. The user typically simultaneously grasps each of the knobs on one of the railings, and then slides each bar back and forth. The crib guard rail is slightly lifted to disengage the notch at the end of the bar from its complimentary part before sliding the knob of both locking mechanisms in a single guard rail to the release position in order to move the rail down. Preferably in some embodiments, each crib rail can be lowered to about ten inches from the topmost position, and easily be completely removed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present crib and locking mechanism will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings where: [0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective side view of a crib utilizing the present locking mechanism, according to the first embodiment. [0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a different side view of a crib utilizing the present locking mechanism, according to the first embodiment. [0013] FIG. 3 depicts components of the present locking mechanism in the "locked" position, according to the first embodiment. [0014] FIG. 4 is an illustration of another view of components of the present locking mechanism in the "locked" position, according to the first embodiment. [0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the hook closure feature of the present locking mechanism being inserted into a cavity on the crib wall, according to the first embodiment. [0016] FIG. 6 is an illustration of the components of the present locking mechanism in the "release" position and the crib guard rail in a lowered position, according to the first embodiment. [0017] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the hook closure feature of the present locking mechanism being locked down to secure the crib guard rail, according to an alternate embodiment. [0018] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the hook closure feature of the FIG. 7 embodiment being lifted up to release the crib guard rail. [0019] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 7 embodiment with the hook in a retracted position. [0020] FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 7 embodiment with the rail being lowered. Continue reading about Crib... Full patent description for Crib Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Crib patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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