Fisher-price, Inc.

James P Bicheler

Thomas Alan Garland

Charles W Paddock

Robert A Kolich

Kenneth P Morton

A ball and socket joint for connecting one end of a rail member to a base member includes a ball mounted on the end of the rail member. A socket and a radial slot in the base member permit pivoting of the rail section relative to the base between a first position and a second position. The socket also permits rotation of the ball in the socket to permit rotation of the rail member about its longitudinal axis relative to the base member between a locked orientation and a unlocked orientation. When the rail section is in the locked orientation it cannot pivot relative to the base member and when the rail section is in the unlocked position it is free to pivot relative to the base member.

Ball and socket joint, useful with collapsible playpens

A collapsible playpen having a pair of spaced apart articulated end frames, wherein the end frames are separated by articulated upper and lower rails. The end frames and rails are constructed so that the playpen is collapsed by folding the lower rails to draw lower portions of the end frames together and simultaneously rotating the upper portion of the opposing end frames away from each other such that the distance between the upper portion of the end frames is greater than the distance between the lower portion of the end frames.

Collapsible playpen

An infant carrier and harness combination in which the infant carrier is formed of a soft body having a back section for supporting the back of an infant, and spaced apart side sections and side bolsters for supporting the sides of an infant. The infant carrier has a seat section connected to the back section, and a front panel connected to the seat section for releasably connecting the front panel and seat section to the side sections, for forming a pouch for an infant. The front panel and seat section further define leg openings through which the legs of an infant can extend. A safety band extends from the lower end of one of the side sections to the lower end of the other side section. The back section is further provided with a pocket for slidably supporting a head and back support panel for stiffening the back section. The harness is further provided with shoulder straps having bib attachment straps for releasably securing a bib, in a position opposite the face of an infant in the carrier.

Growing community of inventors

Alden, NY, United States of America

James P Bicheler