Playard with Compact Folded Configuration and Storage Latch

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/797,296, filed Aug. 3, 2022, which is a National Stage Entry of Application of PCT/US2021/019085, filed on Feb. 22, 2021, which claims a priority benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/979,728, filed on Feb. 21, 2020, entitled, “X-Frame Playard with Offset Frame Members.” The aforementioned applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

A playard (also referred to herein as a “playpen” or a “game bed”) is a framed enclosure that provides a safe and comfortable space for a young child (e.g., an infant, a toddler) to sleep and play without significant supervision from a caregiver. The playard typically includes a support structure (e.g., a frame) that outlines an interior space of the playard; the playard also includes soft padding (also referred to herein as “soft goods”) placed within the interior space to provide a partially enclosed cushioned space to contain the child. Playards are generally foldable and/or collapsible to improve portability. For example, the caregiver may fold the playard for storage and/or transport and unfold the playard for use. Various types of playards have been manufactured and commercialized over the years with designs that have evolved, in part, depending on whether the playard is used primarily in outdoor settings or indoor settings.

shows one example of a conventional outdoor playardin an unfolded configuration. As shown, the playardincludes a framewith multiple X-frame assembliesthat outline an interior space. Each X-frame assemblyincludes X-frame tubesandthat form a crossing pattern. In this example, the X-frame assembliesare pivot-only X-frame assemblies where the X-frame tubesandare only rotatably coupled to each other and to other X-frame tubes to such that the frameis foldable. As shown in the exploded-view inset in, the playardis provided with a latchthat attaches to the X-frame tubesandto lock the X-frame assembliesin place when unfolded. Soft goodsare attached to the X-frame assembliesand disposed along the sides and the floor of the interior spacefor providing a partially enclosed spacefor the child that is shaped and/or dimensioned to be similar to or smaller than the interior spaceof the frame. As shown, the soft goodsincludes webbingalong a top edge of the partially enclosed spacethat functions as a top rail to increase the mechanical rigidity and stability of the playardwhen the playardis deployed.also shows the playardincludes a canopy coverdisposed above the partially enclosed spaceand mounted to the X-frame assembliesto provide shade for a child.

shows another example of a conventional outdoor playard. As shown, the playardincludes a framewith multiple pivot and slidable X-frame assembliescoupled to adjoining leg support assemblies. Each leg support assemblyincludes a leg tube, a corner (hidden beneath the soft goods) at the top of the leg tube, and a sliderorthat slides along the leg tube. The X-frame tubesandof each X-frame assemblyare coupled to respective slidersand/orand corners of the leg support assemblies. Thus, when the playardis being folded or unfolded, the X-frame tubesandundergo both rotation and displacement along the leg tubesvia the slidersand/or. Compared to the pivot-only X-frame assembliesof the playard, the pivot and slidable X-frame assembliesof the playardenable the playardto be folded more compactly thus occupying less space in a folded configuration; additionally, the pivot and slidable X-frame assembliesallow the frameto provide a larger interior spaceand, hence, a larger partially enclosed spacefor a child when the playardis in an unfolded configuration.

As before, the soft goodsmay be attached to the leg support assembliesand/or the X-frame assemblies. The playardalso includes a pair of latchesandrespectively mounted to sliderson leg support assembliesdisposed on opposing sides of the playard. As shown in the inset of, the slidersare different from the slidersdue to including features to lock the latchesand. The playardalso includes a canopy coverdisposed above the partially enclosed spaceand mounted to the corners of the leg support assemblies.

shows an example of a conventional indoor playard. As shown, the playardincludes a frameformed from multiple legsand rigid top railsto provide a rigid frame supporting soft goods. The framealso includes a bottom support structureso that the floor of the partially enclosed spacedefined by the soft goodsis suspended off the ground. Compared to the outdoor playardsand, the indoor playarddoes not include X-frame assemblies to facilitate folding and/or unfolding. Instead, the top railsare coupled to a hinge, which allows the playardto be collapsed into a smaller form as shown in. Additionally, the bottom support structureis also foldable. Thus, to fold the playard, the caregiver needs to first remove some of the soft goods, pull up a bottom hub to fold the bottom support structure(step ‘A’ in), and then unlock and fold the top rails(step ‘B’ in). The caregiver needs to perform these steps in reverse to setup the playard

also shows the playardincludes a bassinet accessorydisposed within the partially enclosed spaceto provide an elevated surface above the ground to support the child. The elevated surface may reduce the physical strain experienced by a caregiver when placing their child into the playardand/or when taking their child out of the playardby providing a more accessible and easier to reach space compared to the bottom of the playard. The elevated surface of the bassinet accessoryalso allows the caregiver to more easily monitor their child as well. Conventional bassinet accessories are typically configured to support infants and/or children weighing less than 15 lbs.

The Inventors have recognized and appreciated that a foldable playard provides a caregiver a convenient and safe space for their child to play and/or sleep once the playard is setup, which alleviates the caregiver from having to continuously monitor their child. However, the Inventors have also recognized that conventional playards in some instances may be cumbersome to setup and/or stow away due, in part, to complicated mechanisms for folding, unfolding, latching and/or unlatching the playard (and correspondingly protracted procedures that the caregiver needs to perform while generally caring for their child). The complexity of conventional playards also results in a bulkier product, which is more difficult to handle and more expensive to manufacture and purchase as a consumer.

First, the Inventors have observed that conventional playards typically include various support structures, in addition to their frames, to provide more rigid boundaries outlining the interior space, so as to better contain the child and/or to increase the mechanical rigidity and stability of the frame. In many instances, one or more additional support structures are added to the frame of a conventional playard to ensure the playard meets various consumer safety standards related to the mechanical properties of the frame (e.g., American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F406-19 entitled, “Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs/Play Yards”).

With reference again toand, as noted above the respective framesof the playardsandinclude X-frame assembliesandto facilitate folding and/or unfolding of the frames. When unfolded, the X-frame assembliesandare disposed along the respective sides of the frames, thus providing a mechanically rigid and stable structure.

However,shows the X-frame tubesandof the X-frame assemblyin the playard, when unfolded, span the sides of the frame; this results in a top portionof the interior spaceabove the X-frame assemblythat is not mechanically supported by the frame. If flexible, compliant soft goodsare placed over the frameas shown in, a child could potentially climb out of the playardthrough the top portionby folding and/or collapsing the soft goods. In view of the foregoing, as an additional support structure, the soft goodsincludes an integrated webbingthat is pulled taut when the frameis unfolded such that the webbingmechanically functions as a top rail. In this manner, the webbingprovides a more rigid boundary spanning the top portionsof the interior spaceto support the soft goods and to better keep the child within the playard

similarly shows that the X-frame tubesandof the X-frame assemblyin the playard, when unfolded, do not mechanically support the top portionsof the interior spaceabove the X-frame tubesand. Thus, similar to the playard, the playardincludes webbingthat is directly coupled to the leg support assembliesas an additional support structure. When the frameof the playardis unfolded, the webbingis once again pulled taut to form a top rail and thereby provide a more rigid boundary spanning the top portionsof the interior space. It should be appreciated that without the webbing, the playardsandare unlikely to comply with various consumer safety standards, such as ASTM F406-19.

As noted above in connection with, the playardincludes rigid top railsthat connect adjacent legs. In this manner, the frameof the playardprovides mechanical support structures that span the top and side boundaries of the interior space. However, a frame that only has vertical or nearly vertical legs and top rails is often prone to mechanical instability. For example, the frame may tilt to one side due to the bottom portion of the legs being mechanically unconstrained and/or due to backlash or slop between the joints connecting the rails and the legs together. This mechanical instability may be further exacerbated if the legs and the rails are configured to move relative to one another, e.g., to facilitate folding of the playard. Given this mechanical instability, to reinforce the framethe playardincludes an additional bottom support structurethat connects the legslocated at opposing corners of the frame.

The various support structures added to conventional playards as discussed above, and the various modifications made to the playards to accommodate these support structures, increase the complexity, number of parts, and cost of these playards.

For instance, the webbingfor the playardsandneeds to be sewn directly into the soft goodsor the X-frame assembliesand, and/or the leg support assembliesneed to incorporate additional structural features to directly attach to the soft webbing—both of which increase design complexity resulting in higher manufacturing costs. For the playard, the rigid top railsand the bottom support structureneed to include additional mechanisms (e.g., the hinge, hinges connecting the various members of the bottom support structure) to facilitate tear down and folding of the playard, which increase the number of parts for manufacture and assembly. As shown in, these additional mechanisms also make it more difficult for the caregiver to setup and tear down the playardby adding additional steps (e.g., steps ‘A’ and ‘B’). In particular, the playardis especially difficult to unfold since the playardtends to tip over and/or partially collapse when partially unfolded.

The Inventors have also recognized that conventional playards often include frames with folding mechanisms tailored to improve the ease of folding and/or unfolding the frame at the expense of creating potential new safety hazards for the child.

For example, the playardsandinclude X-frame assembliesand, respectively, which makes folding and/or unfolding the respective framesappreciably easier for the caregiver. However, the X-frame tubesandand/or the leg tubesform V-shaped and/or diamond-shaped openings, which can change in shape and/or size when the X-frame tubesandand the leg tubesmove relative to one another, thus creating a scissoring, shearing, and/or pinching hazard that can result in the entrapment of the child's neck.

Conventional playards with X-frame assemblies typically address potential entrapment hazards using two approaches depending, in part, on whether the frame is folded or unfolded. In the unfolded configuration, the openings in the frame may be sufficiently large to allow a child to insert their head through one of the openings of the frame. To reduce the risk of neck entrapment, the openings formed by the rigid components of the frame may be positioned towards the top of the playard to make the openings less accessible to the child. Additionally, the rigid components may be arranged to have sufficient clearances that also reduce the likelihood of the child's neck getting pinched. For example, the respective bottom portions of the X-frame tubesandin the playardmay each form a V-shaped opening with the leg tube. When the frameis unfolded, the X-frame tubesandare disposed in the upper half of the frameand oriented with respect to the leg tubesto form a relatively wide V-shaped opening.

In the folded configuration, the openings in the frame may be positioned lower towards the ground due to the displacement of the rigid components of the frame. However, the openings are typically reduced in size to such an extent that a child is unable to insert their head through an opening in the frame, which in turn reduces the risk of neck entrapment. Returning to the example of the V-shaped openings formed between the leg tubeand the respective X-frame tubesandin the playard, the width of the V-shaped opening may be appreciably smaller than the average size of a child's head when the frameis folded, thus preventing a child from inserting their head through an opening in the frame.

Although these two approaches are effective in reducing the risks of neck entrapment, the Inventors have recognized conventional playard frames typically benefit from these two approaches only when the frame is fully folded or fully unfolded. In other words, neck entrapment hazards may still exist when the playard is transitioning from the unfolded configuration to the folded configuration (or vice-versa). This may occur when a child playing outside the playard has access to the playard frame in a partially folded or partially unfolded state. This may also occur when the child is contained within the playard where the child may accidentally unlock and fold the frame from within the playard. For example, a child may be able to insert their head through the V-shaped openings in the playardwhen the frame is at or near the unfolded configuration. If the frame were to fold thereafter, the size of the V-shaped openings decrease, which can result in the child's neck becoming pinched between the leg tubeand the X-frame tubesor

show another conventional playardwith pivot and slidable X-frame assembliesin a partially folded state (i.e., neither fully unfolded for use or fully folded for storage). Similar to the playard, the frameof the playardincludes multiple X-frame assembliesthat each include X-frame tubesandand multiple leg support assembliesthat each include a leg tube, a corner (hidden beneath the soft goods), and a slideror. The playardalso includes a pair of latches disposed on opposing sides of the frameand integrated, in part, in the sliders

As shown in, the slidersandmove downwards along the respective leg tubesas the playardis folded, which causes the X-frame tubesandto rotate.shows that as the playardis folded, the gap between one X-frame tubeand one leg tubedecreases to such an extent that a probeinitially inserted between the X-frame tubeand the leg tubebecomes clamped between the X-frame tubeand the leg tube. For reference, the probeis used to evaluate head and neck clearances in accordance with various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19 and/or F1004-09). Specifically, the probeis shaped as rectangular prism with dimensions of 1.5 inches (W) by 1.5 inches (H) by 3.0 (L) inches.

The risks of entrapment posed by the X-frame assembliesandmay be further exacerbated by the manner in which the playards are folded. For example, the playardis folded when a downward force is applied to the X-frame tubesand. Similarly, the playardsandare folded when a downward force is applied to the X-frame tubesandor the slidersand. If the playards,, andare left in a partially folded state, the weight of a child's head may be sufficient to fold the playard, which can result in entrapment. The risks for entrapment may be further increased when the soft goodsare partially or fully removed when, for example, washing the soft goodsas the child may have greater access to the openings and/or gaps between the rigid components of the frame.

The Inventors have further recognized the folding mechanisms implemented in conventional playards may also have detrimental effects on other aspects related to the practical use of the playard.

For example, the X-frame assembliesandboth span an appreciable portion (if not all) of the sides of the respective framesas described above, which may interfere with the visibility of a child in the partially enclosed spaceand thereby impede or obstruct a caregiver's ability to easily see the child in the playard.

More specifically, with reference again to, the soft goodsin the playardincludes see-through portions along the sides of the partially enclosed space, which are intended to allow the caregiver to see their child. However, the X-frame tubesandin the pivot-only X-frame assembliesspan the entire sides of the partially enclosed space, thus obstructing the see-through portions of the soft goodsand, hence, limiting a caregiver's ability to visually check on their child in the partially enclosed space. For the playard, the pivot and slidable X-frame assembliesdo not span the entire sides of the partially enclosed space. However,shows the combination of the X-frame assembliesand the soft goodsinstead covers nearly the top half of the partially enclosed space, thus limiting the areas in which the caregiver can see into the partially enclosed space.

In another example, the frameof the playardallows the caregiver to readily see into the partially enclosed spaceat the expense of using a more complicated folding/unfolding mechanism as described above. Indoor playards are also typically designed to be aesthetically pleasing for indoor settings (e.g., the indoor playard should match other indoor furniture), which can often lead to compromises in other areas such as ease of use. For instance, X-frame assemblies are often only used for outdoor playards because the appearance of X-frame tubes clashes with most indoor furniture.

The Inventors further have also observed that conventional playards often include complex latches that are expensive to manufacture and difficult for consumers to use. For example, conventional playard frames that utilize pivot and slidable X-frame assemblies, such as the playardsorshown in, often include multiple latches disposed on opposing sides of the playard to prevent any one side of the playard frame from sagging downwards when locked in the unfolded configuration. In particular, as noted aboveshows the playardincludes a pair of latchesanddisposed on opposing sides of the playard. To lock or unlock the playard, the caregiver needs to manually actuate each latchone at a time, on different sides of the playard, which is inconvenient and cumbersome. In another example, the conventional indoor playardshown inincludes separate latches for each hinge. As described above, the caregiver needs to first lock each latch for each hingebefore unfolding the bottom support structure, during which the playardmay tip over and/or partially collapse if not held up properly by the caregiver.

The inclusion of multiple latches increases the number of parts and, hence, the cost for manufacture. This drawback may be further exacerbated based on the placement and complexity of a given latch. For example, the latchesandin the playardare mounted to the sliders of the leg support assemblies; as a result, the playardneeds to include different types of sliders, i.e., the slidersforming part of the latchesand, and the different slidersfor the remainder of the leg support assemblies. Accordingly, this playard design increases the number of unique parts that need to be manufactured, which in turn increases manufacturing cost.

Additionally, the Inventors have observed conventional playards typically do not include a latch to lock the playard in the folded configuration, which may increase the risk of the child being exposed to a playard in a partially unfolded or folded state. For example, if a child is left alone with the playards,, and, the child may pull on the X-frame tubesandor, in the case of the playardsand, pull on the leg tubesor the slidersandin a manner that causes the frameto unfold and/or fold. Thus, an entrapment hazard may be created if the child unfolds the playard to such an extent that they are able to insert their head through an opening in the frame.

The Inventors have also observed that conventional playards also include various accessories to augment the functionality and/or environment for the child.

For example, the playardshown inincludes a bassinet accessoryto provide an elevated surface above the ground to support the child for their first several months of life. The Inventors have recognized and appreciated that a bassinet accessory provides caregivers a more convenient and accessible platform to place their child into the playard and/or to take their child out of the playard compared to the interior space of the playard (i.e., when the playarddoes not include the bassinet accessory). The Inventors have also recognized a removable bassinet accessory effectively extends the lifetime use of the foldable playard from birth up until the child is typically able to climb out of the playard or weighs more than 30 lbs. However, the Inventors have also recognized that conventional bassinet accessories for playards often have to compromise between the accessibility of the elevated surface (e.g., how far the caregiver should reach into the playard to place their child into the bassinet accessory), ease of use (e.g., the procedure to fold and/or unfold the bassinet accessory and the foldable playard), and the overall size of the foldable playard and the bassinet accessory particularly when folded.

Bassinet accessories typically include a support structure to provide a flat surface for the child to sleep upon in order to meet various compliance standards (e.g., ASTM F2194 entitled, “Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bassinets and Cradles”). For many conventional bassinet accessories, the support structure is a rigid structure that is not foldable (or unfoldable) with the playard frame. Thus, the bassinet accessory should be removed before folding the playard and/or installed when unfolding the playard, which adds additional steps for the caregiver to setup and/or tear down the playard. Additionally, the removal of the bassinet accessory requires the caregiver to provide extra space to store and/or transport the foldable playard and the bassinet accessory as separate items and may also increase the likelihood of the caregiver forgetting or losing the bassinet accessory especially when transporting the playard from one location to another location.

Bassinet accessories that fold and unfold together with the playard frame have been previously demonstrated to address, in part, the limitations associated with the rigid bassinet accessories described above. However, the Inventors have recognized conventional foldable bassinet accessories often achieve foldability with the playard by compromising other aspects of the bassinet accessory.

For example, the bassinet accessoryprovides the playardwith a relatively shallower elevated space to support the child (e.g., the top surface of the mattress is offset from the top railof the playardby a distance less than or equal to about 10 inches). This is achieved, in part, by utilizing a more complex folding mechanism that requires the user to assemble and disassemble part of the bassinet accessoryto facilitate unfolding and folding. For instance,shows the bassinet accessoryfor the playardincludes bassinet soft goodsand two support tube assembliesforming a support structure to support a mattress. As shown, each support tube assemblyincludes support tubes,, andmounted to a bottom portion of the bassinet soft goods.

To setup the bassinet accessory, the caregiver should manually connect the support tubeto the support tube, and connect the support tubeto the support tube, to form a rigid support tube assemblyspanning the length of the bassinet accessory. To tear down the bassinet accessory, the caregiver should manually disconnect the support tubes-from one another. These additional steps not only make the bassinet accessorymore difficult to fold and/or unfold, but may also increase the likelihood of lost parts (e.g., the caregiver misplaces one of the support tubes separately from the mattress) and/or an improper setup especially if the caregiver does not properly connect the support tubes-together.

In some conventional foldable bassinet accessories, simpler folding mechanisms (e.g., a mechanism that does not require assembly of two or more components for deployment or disassembly for storage) have been used to simplify setup and/or tear down. However, these simpler folding mechanisms often result in an increase to the overall size of the playard in the folded configuration (e.g., a portion of the bassinet accessory extends appreciably beyond the envelope of the playard when folded) or results in a relatively deeper bassinet accessory (e.g., the top surface of the mattress is offset from the top railof the playardby a distance appreciably greater than 10 inches) to ensure the folding mechanism remains within the envelope of the folded playard. For the latter case, a deeper bassinet accessory results in the caregiver having to bend over further to place their child into the bassinet accessory and/or to take their child out of the bassinet accessory resulting in greater physical strain.

In another example, the playardsandshown inandboth include a canopy coverto provide shade for a child when the playard is deployed in outdoor settings. However, the Inventors have recognized and appreciated that in some instances various accessories, and in particular canopy covers, often are prone to misuse and premature detachment from the playard, and/or may compromise the safety of the child.

Generally, conventional canopy covers are supported by a separate canopy cover frame that directly mounts onto a top portion of the playard (e.g., the corners), which is already covered with soft goods. The presence of the soft goods can make it difficult for a caregiver to determine the proper location(s) on the playard where the canopy cover should be mounted, which can often result in incorrect canopy cover installations. Additionally, conventional canopy covers often are not attached securely to the playard due, in part, to the stack of multiple fabric layers in the soft goods. As a result, conventional canopy covers for outdoor playards are often prone to premature detachment due, for example, to a gust of wind.

Conventional canopy covers are also prone to being detached by a child placed within the partially enclosed space of the playard. For example,shows the playardofwith the canopy coverpulled off a cornerby a child in the playard. As shown, a canopy bowsupports the canopy coverover the playard. The canopy bowis attached to a canopy clip, which in turn should attach to the cornercovered by the soft goods. However, the combination of the canopy clipnot being securely attached to the cornerand the child's accessibility to the canopy clipcan lead to the removal of the canopy coverby the child as shown in.shows another example where the child can further pull the canopy coverinto the partially enclosed spaceof the playardby pulling on the canopy bowand/or the canopy clip.

In view of the foregoing observations by the Inventors, the present disclosure is thus directed to various inventive implementations of a foldable playard that is easier to operate (e.g., fold, unfold, latch and/or unlatch) as compared to conventional playards, structurally simpler with fewer parts for manufacture, provides desired clearances between the rigid components of the playard, and nonetheless sufficiently stable and rigid in structure so as to readily comply with various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19, referenced above).

In various inventive implementations, a foldable playard may generally include a frame that defines an interior space when unfolded, and soft goods that are mounted to the frame and partially disposed within the interior space to define a partially enclosed space for a child. In some implementations, a foldable playard includes an improved canopy cover assembly to cover the partially enclosed space (e.g., when the playard is deployed in an outdoor setting).

In one example of a frame for a foldable playard according to the present disclosure, the frame may be a closed frame that includes multiple leg support assemblies and X-frame assemblies arranged such that each leg support assembly is disposed along a side edge of the interior space, with the X-frame assemblies disposed between adjacent leg support assemblies along a side face of the interior space. The leg support assemblies enable the foldable playard to stand on the ground and the X-frame assemblies provide the structural support for the leg support assemblies as well as the mechanism to facilitate folding and/or unfolding of the playard. In some implementations, the leg support assemblies and the X-frame assemblies may define an interior space having a cross-section in the plane parallel to the ground that is polygonal in shape (e.g., a square, a rectangle, a hexagon).

Each leg support assembly of the frame of a foldable playard may include a leg tube, a corner mounted to a top end of the leg tube, a foot mounted to a bottom end of the leg tube, and a slider that slides between the corner and the foot. The top and bottom ends of the leg tube may align with top and bottom vertices of the interior space, respectively. Each X-frame assembly may include at least one pair of X-frame tubes (also referred to as a “X-tube”) where each X-frame tube is rotatably coupled to at least another X-frame tube, the corner, and/or the slider. By coupling at least one of the X-frame tubes to the slider, the X-frame assembly becomes a pivot and slidable X-frame assembly in which the X-frame tubes are rotationally and translationally displaced when folding and/or unfolding the playard. In this manner, the combination of the X-frame assemblies and the leg support assemblies allows for a playard that folds into a smaller form occupying less volume and/or unfolds to provide a larger interior space and, hence, a larger partially enclosed space for the child as compared to conventional playards.

In one aspect, the X-frame assemblies of the frame of the foldable playard may be positioned sufficiently near a top portion of the interior space when the playard is deployed in an unfolded configuration such that each X-frame assembly effectively functions as a rigid top rail that mechanically connects adjacent leg support assemblies in the frame. Said in another way, the respective X-frame tubes of each X-frame assembly form a top perimeter structure that spans the top of the playard frame, thus outlining a top opening of the interior space. For example, each pair of X-frame tubes in each X-frame assembly may form a sufficiently shallow X-frame structure such that the X-frame tubes are mechanically similar to the rigid top rails in previous playards (e.g., the top railin the playard).

However, unlike previous playards, the frames of the foldable playards disclosed herein are sufficiently rigid and stable with only X-frame assemblies coupling the leg support assemblies together. In other words, in example implementations, the frames of the foldable playards disclosed herein do not include a separate top rail (e.g., the webbingof the playardsandshown inand, or the top railof the playardshown in) or a bottom support structure (e.g., the bottom structureof the playardshown in). Accordingly, the innovative frames described herein result in a more refined playard with sound mechanical stability using fewer parts.

In one aspect, the foldable playard frames disclosed in various examples herein achieve mechanical stability using fewer parts by reducing the length of the leg tubes as compared to conventional playards so as to make the frames less prone to being tilted and/or rotated (e.g., the resultant torque applied to a frame for a given force is reduced due to a shorter moment arm). As explained in greater detail below, in some implementations the length of a leg tube may be dimensioned based only on the portions of the foot and the corner that overlap with the leg tube and the distance the slider travels to sufficiently fold and/or unfold the frame.

In another aspect, the foldable playard frame may provide clearances in accordance with various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19 and/or F1004-09). For example, each X-frame tube may be separated from a leg tube by a gap greater than or equal to 1.5 inches, which corresponds to the width of a partially bounded opening (e.g., a V-shaped opening, a diamond-shaped opening) below which the risk of neck entrapment is considered unacceptable as set forth in ASTM F406-19 and ASTM F1004-09. The partially bounded opening is considered to be an opening that is sufficiently large enough to fit a child's head in at least one configuration of the foldable playard (e.g., the unfolded configuration). In another example, each pair of X-frame tubes may be laterally offset from one another by a distance that is sufficiently small such that a child is unable to insert their head laterally between the X-frame tubes. For example, each pair of X-frame tubes may be laterally offset by a gap less than 1.5 inches.

In some implementations, the frame may be structurally designed to maintain the desired clearances when the foldable playard is in the deployed unfolded configuration, the compact folded configuration, and between the unfolded and folded configurations (e.g., while the foldable playard is being folded or unfolded). In some implementations, the frame may include various safety features, such as a mechanical stop, to reduce the likelihood or, in some instances, prevent the clearances from falling outside the desired range. For example, a Valco snap button disposed on the leg tube below the slider in the unfolded configuration may act as a mechanical stop to prevent the frame from being accidentally folded to such an extent that the desired gap between the X-frame tube and the leg tube falls below the desired range.

For example, each leg support assembly may be coupled to a X-frame assembly such that no portion of a X-frame tube is separated from a leg tube by a gap less than 1.5 inches. This may be accomplished, in part, by utilizing sliders and corners with arms (also referred to herein as “extended portions”) that extend along the side faces of the interior space and rotatably couple to the respective X-frame tubes of the X-frame assemblies. The respective arms of each slider and corner may be shaped and/or dimensioned to position the X-frame tubes at a set distance from the leg tubes independent of the position of the slider along the leg tube. For instance, the respective arms of each slider may have a length, l, defined as the distance from a base of the slider to a pin joint where the X-frame tube is coupled to the slider, greater than or equal to 1.5 inches. In other words, the portion of the X-frame tube coupled to the arm of the slider, which is located closest to the leg tube and, hence, forms the narrowest portion of a V-shaped opening, may be separated from the leg tube by a distance greater than or equal to 1.5 inches. The respective arms of each corner may also have a length, l, defined as the distance from a base of the corner to a pin joint where the X-frame tube is coupled to the corner, that is also greater than or equal to 1.5 inches.