Bassinet Accessory for a Playard

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/792,847 filed Jul. 14, 2022, which is a National Stage 371 Application of PCT Application No. PCT/US2021/013831, filed on Jan. 18, 2021, which claims a priority benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/021,950, filed on May 8, 2020, entitled, “X-Frame Playard with Toppers,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/962,435, filed on Jan. 17, 2020, entitled, “X-Frame Playard.” Each of the aforementioned applications is incorporated by reference herein in its 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-tubesandthat form a crossing pattern. In this example, the X-frame assembliesare pivot-only X-frame assemblies where the X-tubesandare only rotatably coupled to each other and to other X-tubes to such that the frameis foldable. As shown in the exploded-view inset in, the playardis provided with a latch mechanismthat attaches to the X-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-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-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 latch mechanismsandrespectively 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 latch mechanismsand. 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-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-tubesandof the X-frame assemblyin the playard, when unfolded, do not mechanically support the top portionsof the interior spaceabove the X-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 also have recognized that conventional playards often include frames that compromise between the ease of folding and/or unfolding the frame and other aspects related to the practical use of the playard. 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 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-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-tubes clashes with most indoor furniture.

The Inventors further have observed that conventional playards often include complex latch mechanisms 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 playardshown in, often include multiple latch mechanisms 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 latch mechanismsanddisposed on opposing sides of the playard. To lock or unlock the playard, the caregiver needs to manually actuate each latch mechanismone at a time, on different sides of the playard, which is inconvenient and cumbersome. In another example, the conventional indoor playardshown inincludes separate latch mechanisms for each hinge. As described above, the caregiver needs to first lock each latch mechanism 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 latch mechanisms 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 mechanism. For example, the latch mechanismsandin 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 latch mechanismsand, 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.

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, 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-tubes where each X-tube is rotatably coupled to at least another X-tube, the corner, and/or the slider. By coupling at least one of the X-tubes to the slider, the X-frame assembly becomes a pivot and slidable X-frame assembly in which the X-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-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-tubes in each X-frame assembly may form a sufficiently shallow X-frame structure such that the X-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.

Additionally, the dimensions and/or materials of the X-tubes employed in foldable playard frames disclosed in various examples herein may be chosen to provide sufficient mechanical rigidity to the frame. For example, the X-tubes may be formed from steel tubing with an exterior diameter of about 0.625 inches and a total length of about 24.5 inches. However, it should be appreciated the X-tubes may be formed from other materials (e.g., aluminum, carbon fiber) having different dimensions depending, in part, on the mechanical properties of the material and the desired dimensions of the interior space provided by the frame. In some implementations, as noted above, a frame comprising only leg support assemblies and X-frame assemblies as disclosed herein, without additional support structures, may satisfy the various mechanical rigidity, stability, and/or strength requirements set forth in various consumer safety standards (e.g., ASTM F406-19, 7.3.3, 7.11).

It should be appreciated that soft goods may be coupled at various points along the frame so that the partially enclosed space formed by the soft goods opens properly when the playard is unfolded. However, the soft goods may generally be a compliant, flexible component that remains loose instead of being pulled taut and, hence, does not appreciably improve the mechanical rigidity and/or stability of the frame.

Additionally, by placing the X-frame assemblies of the frame near the top portion of the interior space, the sides of the frame are more exposed to provide a larger window for the caregiver to see their child when the child is placed within the interior space. Furthermore, soft goods attached to the frame may more readily cover the X-frame assemblies using less material. In some implementations, the soft goods may partially cover the X-frame assemblies to provide access to a latch mechanism (described in more detail below), while in other implementations the soft goods may completely cover the X-frame assemblies such that no portion of the X-frame assemblies are observable when the playard is unfolded (which may improve, in part, the aesthetic appearance of the playard for both outdoor and indoor settings).

As discussed in greater detail below, the “top portion” of foldable playard frame in a given example implementation may generally refer to the portion of the frame proximate to the top ends of the leg tubes and/or the corners of each leg support assembly. The leg tubes of the respective leg support assemblies may generally have substantially identical lengths. In some implementations, the top portion of the frame may be defined as having: 1) a top horizontal plane that intersects the top ends of the leg tubes and/or the corners; and 2) a bottom horizontal plane that is offset vertically from the top horizontal plane such that the X-tubes are located entirely within the top and bottom horizontal planes when the X-frame assembly is unfolded. In some implementations, the bottom horizontal plane may be offset from the top horizontal plane by a distance less than or equal to 30% of the total length of the leg tubes and, more preferably, less than or equal to 20% of the total length of the leg tubes.

As noted above, in some implementations a foldable playard frame may include one or more X-frame assemblies forming a single X-frame structure with one pair of X-tubes. Each X-tube in the pair of X-tubes may be rotatably coupled to a corner of one leg support assembly, a slider of another leg support assembly, and the other X-tube in the pair of X-tubes. In other example implementations, a foldable playard frame may include one or more X-frame assemblies forming a double X-frame structure with two pairs of X-tubes. In examples employing this double X-frame structure, each X-tube is coupled to either a slider or a corner of one leg support, the X-tube within the same pair of X-tubes, and another X-tube from another pair of X-tubes. In this manner, the frame may provide an interior space having a horizontal cross section in which the sides have different dimensions (e.g., an interior space with a rectangular shape).

In another aspect, a foldable playard frame according to the present disclosure may include a latch mechanism to maintain the frame in an unfolded configuration. In some implementations, the frame may only include a single latch mechanism to maintain the frame in the unfolded configuration. In some implementations, the single latch mechanism is configured such that, as a caregiver unfolds the frame (e.g., by moving the slider in one leg support assembly towards the corner), the single latch mechanism is automatically actuated to lock the frame in the unfolded configuration. In this manner, the process of unfolding and locking the playard may be readily accomplished with the caregiver positioned at one side and/or one corner of the playard (i.e., the caregiver does not have to move around the playard to actuate multiple latch mechanisms). Furthermore, the caregiver may unfold and lock the playard using a single hand. For example, the single latch mechanism may automatically lock when the slider is displaced a sufficient distance along the leg tube.

In some implementations, the latch mechanism may be preferably disposed in the top portion of the frame as defined above. For example, the latch mechanism may include a latch member having a first end coupled to the corner of one leg support assembly and a second end that couples to a X-tube of one X-frame assembly or the slider. In this manner, the latch mechanism may be partially covered or, in some instances, fully covered by the soft goods.

The latch mechanism may also be coupled to various components of the frame including, but not limited to, an X-tube, a leg tube, a slider, and a corner. In some implementations, the latch mechanism may be coupled to the components of the X-frame assembly and/or the leg support assembly without having to modify the respective components of the X-frame assembly and the leg support assembly. For example, the latch mechanism may include a latch member that is rotatably coupled to the corner of one leg support assembly via a pin joint that also serves to rotatably couple an X-tube to the corner. In this manner, the playard may include a smaller number of unique parts for manufacture. In some implementations, the playard may include identical corners and/or identical sliders for the multiple leg support assemblies.

In some implementations, the latch mechanism may be a tool-less mechanism that is actuated in one or two steps by the caregiver. In one example, the latch member may couple respective components of the X-frame assembly and/or the leg support assembly to maintain an unfolded configuration via various attachment mechanisms including, but not limited to, a snap-fit connection, a spring-loaded pin, and a spring-loaded rotational lock off mechanism.

In some implementations, the latch mechanism may be a double-action latch that includes a latch member (e.g., mounted to the corner of one leg support assembly) and a latch boss (e.g., mounted to a X-tube of one X-frame assembly). The latch boss may include an undercut portion and the latch member may include a latch opening to receive the latch boss with a tab disposed within the latch opening to engage the undercut portion. In some implementations, the tab may include a slot and the undercut portion may include a rib to align the latch member and the latch boss when locking the latch mechanism. The undercut portion and the tab may be shaped such that the caregiver is unable to unlock the latch mechanism by pulling the latch member without applying an excessive amount of force (e.g., greater than 10 lbs of force). Instead, the caregiver may first squeeze the respective X-tubes of the X-frame assembly to displace the latch boss within the latch opening of the latch member to disengage the tab from the undercut portion. While squeezing the X-tubes together, the caregiver may then pull the latch member off the latch boss, thus unlocking the latch mechanism.

In yet another aspect, the foldable playard may include soft goods to define the partially enclosed space in which the child may play and/or sleep. Generally, the soft goods may cover a portion of the frame (e.g., the corners of the leg support assembly, a portion of the X-frame assemblies). In some implementations, the soft goods may be coupled directly to the frame (e.g., a corner) via one or more snap-fit connections. The soft goods may further include a semi-rigid tab disposed near the top edge of the soft goods to support a snap-fit connector to ensure the soft goods remain flush against the frame when attached (i.e., the top edge of the soft goods does not flip upwards to expose an interior portion of the soft goods). The soft goods may further include a floor portion that directly rests on the ground, as well as side portions, where the floor and side portions define the bottom and sides of the partially enclosed space. In some implementations, the side portions may be transparent and/or see-through (e.g., a mesh) to allow the caregiver to readily see their child in the playard.

In yet another aspect, a foldable playard according to the present disclosure may also include a canopy cover assembly, disposed on top of the playard frame and soft goods, to provide shade for the child within the playard. The canopy cover assembly may generally include multiple canopy support assemblies that provide a canopy cover frame or support structure. Each canopy support assembly may generally include a canopy bow that supports the canopy cover and a canopy clip to mount the canopy support assembly to the frame. In some implementations, different types of canopies (e.g., a half canopy, a full canopy) may be mounted onto the playard depending on the coverage desired by the caregiver.

In some implementations, the canopy clip may include snap-in features to directly couple the canopy clip the leg tube of one leg support assembly. In this manner, the canopy clip may be more securely attached to the frame (i.e., the canopy clip does not attach to a portion of the frame covered by soft goods), thereby reducing the likelihood the canopy cover assembly is accidentally detached from the frame. Each canopy clip may be further disposed outside the interior space along an exterior portion of one leg support assembly (e.g., proximate to the corner and/or the slider when the playard is unfolded). Additionally, the canopy bow may couple to the canopy clip such that a portion of the canopy bow is also disposed outside the interior space near the corner and/or the slider of the leg support assembly. The particular placement of the canopy clip and the portion of the canopy bow that overlaps the exterior portion of the frame may further limit the child's access to the various components of the canopy cover assembly, thus reducing the likelihood the child can detach and pull the canopy cover into the playard.