Foldable Play Yard Apparatus Including a Clamp and a Method of Attaching a Flexible Sheet to the Clamp

Abstract

A foldable play yard apparatus is provided. The play yard includes a frame having a plurality of upright posts. The posts have a top, a bottom, and a clamp connected to at least one longitudinal side of the post. The play yard further includes a flexible enclosure having a plurality of edges inserted in the clamps to form walls between the upright posts. The clamp includes: a housing having an opening for receiving the edge of the enclosure and defining an interior channel within the housing; a flag piece, which is positioned in the interior channel of the housing, connected to the edge of the enclosure; and a locking piece positioned across the interior channel from the flag piece. A frictional engagement between the locking piece and the flag piece maintains the flag piece and the edge connected thereto within the interior channel.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for attaching an edge of a sheet to a clamp, the method comprising:
 providing a clamp that includes an interior channel accessible through a longitudinal opening;   attaching the edge of the sheet to a flag piece;   inserting the flag piece and the edge of the sheet attached thereto into the interior channel of the clamp, such that a portion of the sheet extends outward from the longitudinal opening of the clamp; and   inserting a locking piece in the interior channel to establish a frictional engagement between the flag piece and locking piece for maintaining the flag piece and the locking piece within the clamp.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, when inserted in the interior channel, the locking piece is positioned across the interior channel from the flag piece. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, when the flag piece and the locking piece are inserted in the interior channel, the portion of the sheet in the interior channel has a curved path. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the locking piece includes a projection portion and a recessed portion and wherein, when inserted in the interior channel of the clamp, the projection portion extends into the interior channel of the clamp farther than the recessed portion. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the flag piece includes a projection portion and a recessed portion that, when the flag piece and the locking piece are inserted in the interior channel, are positioned opposite from the projection and recessed portions of the locking piece thereby defining a curved path of the interior channel. 
     
     
         6 . A method for constructing a play yard apparatus, the method comprising:
 providing a frame, the frame comprising a plurality of upright posts having a top, a bottom, and longitudinal sides extending therebetween and a flexible enclosure having a plurality of edges extending therefrom;   providing a clamp along a longitudinal side of at least one of the upright posts, the clamp comprising an opening and an interior channel;   attaching a flag piece to an edge of the flexible enclosure;   inserting the flag piece and the edge attached thereto into the interior channel of the clamp, such that a portion of the edge of the enclosure extends through the longitudinal opening of the clamp, and   inserting a locking piece into the interior channel,   wherein a frictional engagement between the locking piece and the flag piece maintains the flag piece, the locking piece, and a portion of the edge of the enclosure within the interior channel.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the opening of the clamp is a longitudinal slit that extends along the clamp parallel to the longitudinal side of the at least one of the upright posts. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the clamp has a u-shaped cross section and comprises a proximal arm connected to the longitudinal side of the at least one of the upright posts and a distal arm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the proximal arm of the clamp includes a notch adapted to receive a corresponding rib of the locking piece to maintain the locking piece within the clamp. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein an end of the distal arm of the clamp located nearest the opening of the clamp includes an inward projecting lip adapted to be received within a recess of the flag piece for maintaining the flag piece within the clamp. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the locking piece includes a projection portion and a recessed portion and wherein, when inserted in the interior channel of the clamp, the projection portion extends into the interior channel of the clamp farther than the recessed portion. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the flag piece includes a projection portion and a recessed portion that, when the flag piece and the locking piece are inserted in the interior channel, are positioned opposite from the projection and recessed portions of the locking piece thereby defining a curved path of the interior channel. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising attaching a corner cover over the top of the at least one of the upright posts that covers an upper opening of the clamp to maintain the flag piece, the locking piece, and the portion of the edge of the enclosure within the clamp. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising attaching upper arm members between the tops of the upright posts and attaching a covering of the enclosure to the upper arm members to provide additional support for the enclosure. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising attaching legs to the bottom of the upright posts to elevate the frame from a surface.