Bedside Crib Base with Spring-Loaded Telescoping Caster Legs

The problem

A bedside crib needs a wide base so it does not tip when a parent leans on its rail or a child pulls on it. But the same wide base hits the frame of the adult bed and leaves a gap between the two mattresses. According to the patent, the goal is feet that are wide enough to keep the crib from tipping in normal use, yet can shorten so the crib sits tight against the adult bed.

The solution

1. The crib’s bed body (1) stands on upright poles (2) with a foot (3) at the bottom of each side.
2. Each foot is a foot tube (4) with a fixed wheel (5) at one end and a telescoping wheel (6) at the other.
3. The telescoping wheel is mounted on a wheel seat (7) at the end of a telescoping tube (8), whose inner end slides inside the foot tube on a piston (11).
4. Inside the foot tube, a telescoping outer tube (9) holds a sliding telescoping inner tube (10), whose other end runs through the piston into the telescoping tube.
5. A spring (12) around the inner tube is held between the piston and the outer tube, so it pushes the telescoping wheel back out after it has been pushed in. A stop (13) at the end of the foot tube limits the piston.
6. In the bedside position, the crib is pushed against the adult bed (14) with the telescoping wheels retracted and is fastened with safety straps (15).

Who it is for

• Juvenile furniture brands making bedside sleepers and co-sleeper cribs.
• Baby registry and retail private labels looking for a bedside crib with a clear fit-to-bed feature.
• Nursery furniture makers adding a bedside model to crib and bassinet lines.
• Online baby brands whose customers complain about gaps between crib and parents’ bed.

How it works

The main parts

Using it

1. Standalone - the springs keep the telescoping wheels out, so the base is at full width.
2. Bedside - roll the crib to the bed; the bed-side wheels slide in as the crib is pushed in under the bed frame.
3. Strap it to the adult bed with the safety straps.
4. Move it away - unstrap and roll the crib out; the springs push the wheels back to full width.

Applications

Bedside sleepers

The main use: a crib that sits flush to the parents’ mattress for night feeds.

Night-time and daytime crib

The same crib rolls into the living room by day and back to the bedside at night.

Small bedrooms

Shorter feet on the bed side save floor space where the room is tight.

Hotel and travel cribs

A bedside travel crib can fit different bed frames in hotels and grandparents’ homes.

Where it is less suitable

• Beds with solid bases to the floor - platform beds without space underneath leave nowhere for the feet to slide.
• Older toddlers - bedside sleepers have weight and age limits; larger children move to a full-size crib.
• Uneven floors - the spring-loaded wheels need a reasonably level floor to sit flat.