Convertible enclosure system

Abstract

A convertible enclosure system includes a rigid structure covered by a flexible liner. The rigid structure includes an upper frame with a first side bar, a second side bar, a front bar, and a rear bar, and legs extending downward from the upper frame and terminating at foot ends. The front and rear bars are adjustable in length between a retracted length and an extended length. The flexible liner includes an upper member surrounding upper frame, a bottom member operably connected to foot ends of each of the legs, and a sidewall extending between the upper member and the bottom member. The flexible liner is configured to adjust in size as the length of the front bar and the length of the rear bar is adjusted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A convertible enclosure system, comprising:
 an upper frame including
 a first side bar, 
 a second side bar substantially parallel to the first side bar, 
 a front bar with a first front member connected to the first side bar and a second front member connected to the second side bar, the second front member slideably connected to the first front member such that the front bar is adjustable in length, and 
 a rear bar with a first rear member connected to the first side bar and a second rear member connected to the second side bar, the second rear member slideably connected to the first rear member such that the rear bar is adjustable in length; 
   legs extending downward from the upper frame and terminating at foot ends; and   a liner including
 an upper member operably connected to the upper frame, and 
 a sidewall extending downward from the upper member; 
   wherein, the liner is configured to adjust in size as the length of the front bar and the length of the rear bar is adjusted.   
     
     
         2 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein the second front member is coaxially arranged with the first front member. 
     
     
         3 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein the second rear member is coaxially arranged with the first rear member. 
     
     
         4 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein, the front bar further includes a locking member to selective maintain the front bar at an extended length and the rear bar further includes a locking member to selective maintain the rear bar at an extended length; and
 wherein the upper member of the liner includes indicia at the locations of the locking members when the front bar is at the extended length and the rear bar is at the extended length.   
     
     
         5 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein the liner is a flexible liner that further includes:
 a bottom member operably connected to the foot ends of each of the legs with the sidewall extending between the upper member and the bottom member,   a first line of connectors running from the upper member of the flexible liner adjacent to the front bar of the upper frame, down a front of the sidewall of the flexible liner, across the bottom member of the flexible liner, up a rear of the sidewall of the flexible liner, and to the upper member of the flexible liner adjacent to the rear bar of the upper frame, and   a second line of connectors running parallel to the first line of connectors from the upper member of the flexible liner adjacent to the front bar of the upper frame, down the front of the sidewall of the flexible liner, across the bottom member of the flexible liner, up the rear of the sidewall of the flexible liner, and to the upper member of the flexible liner adjacent to the rear bar of the upper frame, the second line of connectors configured to selectively connect to the first line of connectors;   wherein, when the first line of connectors are connected to the second line of connectors, the front bar has a retracted length and the rear bar has a retracted length; and   wherein, when the first line of connectors are unconnected to the second line of connectors, the second front member is able to slide relative to the first front member until the front bar has an extended length and the second rear member is able to slide relative to the first rear member until the rear bar has an extended length.   
     
     
         6 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 5 , wherein, when the first line of connectors are connected to the second line of connectors, the flexible liner prevents the second front member from sliding relative to the first front member, thus maintaining the front bar at the retracted length and the flexible liner prevents the second rear member from sliding relative to the first rear member, thus maintaining the rear bar at the retracted length. 
     
     
         7 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 5 , wherein the first line of connectors comprise the teeth of one half of a zipper and the second line of connectors comprise the corresponding teeth of the other half of the zipper. 
     
     
         8 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 5 , wherein the upper member of the flexible liner includes a first portion operably connected to the first side bar and a second portion operably connected to the second side bar;
 wherein, when the first line of connectors are connected to the second line of connectors, the first line of connectors and the second line of connectors directly connect the first portion of the upper member to the second portion of the upper member; and   wherein, when the first line of connectors are unconnected to the second line of connectors a central portion of the upper member extends between the first portion of the upper member and the second portion of the upper member.   
     
     
         9 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 5 , wherein the bottom member of the flexible liner comprises a first portion operably connected to two of the legs and a second portion operably connected to two other legs;
 wherein, when the first line of connectors are connected to the second line of connectors, the first line of connectors and the second line of connectors directly connect the first portion of the bottom member to the second portion of the bottom member; and   wherein, when the first line of connectors are unconnected to the second line of connectors a central portion of the bottom member extends between the first portion of the bottom member and the second portion of the bottom member.   
     
     
         10 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 9 , wherein the sidewall of the flexible liner comprises a first portion extending between the upper member and the first portion of the bottom member and a second portion extending between the upper member and the second portion of the bottom member;
 wherein, when the first line of connectors are connected to the second line of connectors, the first line of connectors and the second line of connectors directly connect the first portion of the sidewall to the second portion of the sidewall; and   wherein, when the first line of connectors are unconnected to the second line of connectors a central portion of the sidewall extends between the first portion of the sidewall and the second portion of the sidewall.   
     
     
         11 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a mattress that substantially covers the bottom member of the flexible liner when the front bar has a retracted length and the rear bar has a retracted length; and   a playmat that substantially covers the bottom member of the flexible liner when the front bar has an extended length and the rear bar has an extended length.   
     
     
         12 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein the first side bar includes a front-side member connected to the front bar and a rear-side member connected to the rear bar, the rear-side member pivotally connected to the front-side member such that the first side bar is foldable between an aligned configuration and a folded configuration; and
 wherein, the second side bar includes a front-side member connected to the front bar and a rear-side member connected to the rear bar, the rear-side member pivotally connected to the front-side member such that the second side bar is foldable between an aligned configuration and a folded configuration.   
     
     
         13 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 1 , wherein the legs are pivotally connected to the upper frame and foldable between a deployed position and a folded configuration. 
     
     
         14 . A convertible enclosure system, comprising:
 an upper frame including
 a front bar, 
 a rear bar substantially parallel to the front bar, 
 a first side bar with a front-side member connected to the front bar and a rear-side member connected to the rear bar, the rear-side member pivotally connected to the front-side member such that the first side bar is foldable between an aligned configuration and a folded configuration, and 
 a second side bar with a front-side member connected to the front bar and a rear-side member connected to the rear bar, the rear-side member pivotally connected to the front-side member such that the second side bar is foldable between an aligned configuration and a folded configuration; 
   legs pivotally connected to the upper frame and terminating at foot ends, the legs foldable between a deployed position and a folded position; and   a flexible liner including
 an upper member operably connected to the upper frame; 
 a bottom member operably connected to foot ends of each of the legs; and 
 a sidewall extending between the upper member and the bottom member; 
   wherein, when the first side bar is in the aligned configuration, the second side bar is in the aligned configuration, and the legs are in the deployed position, the flexible liner defines an area above the bottom member and surrounded by the sidewall configured to contain a child.   
     
     
         15 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 14 , wherein, when the first side bar is in the folded configuration and the second side bar is in the folded configuration, the front bar of the upper frame is adjacent to the rear bar of the upper frame. 
     
     
         16 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 14 , wherein, when and the legs are in the folded position, the legs are substantially contained within the upper frame. 
     
     
         17 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 14 , wherein the first side bar further includes a locking member that rotatably connects the rear-side member of the first side bar to the front-side member of the first side bar, and the second side bar further includes a locking member that rotatably connects the rear-side member of the second side bar to the front-side member of the second side bar; and
 wherein, the upper member of the flexible liner includes indicia at the locations of the locking members of the first side bar and the second side bar.   
     
     
         18 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 14 , wherein the front bar includes a first front member connected to the first side bar and a second front member connected to the second side bar, the second front member slideably connected to the first front member such that the front bar is adjustable in length; and
 wherein, the rear bar includes a first rear member connected to the first side bar and a second rear member connected to the second side bar, the second rear member slideably connected to the first rear member such that the rear bar is adjustable in length.   
     
     
         19 . A convertible enclosure system, comprising:
 a rigid structure including
 a first side bar foldable between an aligned configuration and a folded configuration, 
 a second side bar foldable between an aligned configuration and a folded configuration, 
 a front bar extended between and connecting the first side bar and the second side bar, the front bar adjustable in length between a retracted length and an extended length, 
 a rear bar extended substantially parallel to the front bar between and connecting the first side bar and the second side bar, the rear bar adjustable in length between a retracted length and an extended length, and 
 legs terminating at foot ends, the legs foldable between a deployed position and a folded position; 
   a flexible liner including
 an upper member surrounding the first side bar, the second side bar, the front bar, and the rear bar, 
 a bottom member operably connected to foot ends of each of the legs, the bottom member configured to adjust in size as the length of the front bar and the length of the rear bar is adjusted, and 
 a sidewall extending between the upper member and the bottom member; 
   a mattress that substantially covers the bottom member of the flexible liner when the front bar is the retracted length and the rear bar is the retracted length; and   a playmat that substantially covers the bottom member of the flexible liner when the front bar is the retracted length and the rear bar is the retracted length.   
     
     
         20 . The convertible enclosure system of  claim 19 , wherein, the mattress including two equally sized sections that can fold next to one another, and the playmat including four equally sized sections that are substantially the same size as the two sections of the mattress and that can fold next to one another; and
 wherein, when the front bar is the retracted length, the rear bar is the retracted length, the first side bar is in the folded configuration, the second side bar is in the folded configuration, and the legs are in the folded position, the rigid structure is substantially the same size as the folded mattress and the folded playmat.