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Original poster

New cot invention - would you use it?

26 replies

zephyrcat · 21/10/2004 14:35

Hi everyone! I have recently patented a new invention for cots, and would love some feedback on the basic idea of it and whether or not you would use it .....
It consists of two or four sides (4 if the cot ends have bars) of the mesh material that is used on the sides of travel cots. It fits on the inside of the cot bars and stops your precious ones getting their arms and legs caught in the bars and also stops dummies falling through the bars in the night!! (I've spent hours looking for them in the dark!!) The sides will have all kinds of patterns or pics on them or plain blue/pink or even personalised.
Let me know what you think!!!

OP posts:
bunnyrabbit · 21/10/2004 15:37

How much did it cost you to patent this as I went down this route and it was very expensive.

BR

Original poster
zephyrcat · 21/10/2004 15:41

it costs anywhere from £500 - £5000 depending on the patent searches - and its far from over yet!!!

OP posts:
bunnyrabbit · 21/10/2004 15:56

Would really appreciate it if you would CAT me and tell me how you went about it as I have some ideas, one in particular, that I woul like to Patent.

Cheers,
BR

Oooggs · 21/10/2004 16:06

Yes I would have been interested when DS was very small. He was always trapping his legs and arms. Very good idea

Original poster
zephyrcat · 21/10/2004 16:08

BR I have just CAT you! Hopefully will come through on your email soon so we can chat
ZC

OP posts:
Original poster
zephyrcat · 21/10/2004 16:44

BR my email is [email protected]
(have sent and received a few cats today but none come through so this is easier!!)

OP posts:
MissusWoman · 21/10/2004 16:46

I don't have babies any more ZC but it sounds a great invention to me, in fact I can't believe such a thing isn't already available! Good luck with it,hope you make a million

lou33 · 21/10/2004 16:49

the speed of receiving cats depends on if anyone at mn hq is about, and when they can get to send them. Sometimes it takes a bit longer. You will get them though

Original poster
zephyrcat · 21/10/2004 16:50

sorry lou just me being impatient!

OP posts:
Tissy · 21/10/2004 17:04

do you know, I was thinking the other night that the way to stop dd's dummy falling out of the cot would be to get a panel of stretchy mesh and weave it in and out of the cot bars!!

Great minds think alike. I would probably use it, depending on the price, as most of my ideas never materialise due to lack of motivation to take them further! Good luck

redshoes · 21/10/2004 19:58

yes good idea - my nearly-2yo is always getting limbs stuck...could you make it rigid enough to be used as bed-guard thingy afterwards?

unicorn · 21/10/2004 20:26

sounds really good... very sensible and shouldn't cost too much either... Go for it!!

NQWWW · 21/10/2004 20:55

Yes I'd definitely use one - don't have a problem at the moment as dd is in a sleeping bag which seems to keep her quite still, but in the summer she was constantly waking up due to a limb caught in the bars, and I was extremely tempted (but too scared of suffocation) to get cot bumpers to try to prevent it.

acnebride · 21/10/2004 21:10

ds once got his leg caught in the bars and i didn't realise, so I lifted him up energetically... HOWLS. aarrgh. I'm not sure if I would have bought this I'm afraid but i think it's a great idea. Maybe talk to cot manufacturers about offering it as an extra to order at time of purchase, like rain covers on push chairs. sorry that's probably obvious. best of luck.

pooka · 22/10/2004 13:47

Hi there

Was wondering - is there such a thing as a cot-bed that incorporates your mesh panel idea, that would have lockable slots up the four corner posts and would let you have really varied height to drop-down, and could, like you have said, include patterns on the mesh (and no bars - solid ends, open sides with mesh roller panels). The integral mesh part could be on 2 sides only, and would enable the cot to be used as a bed with practically no adjustment. Would be like the kiddiguard stair gate, only with a vertical roller blind like action instead. I would have bought that , I think, if such a thing had been available.

secur · 22/10/2004 13:50

Message withdrawn

clairabelle · 22/10/2004 13:59

Yes I would use it dependent on the price. I too am fed up of searching for dummies at 3am

Twiglett · 22/10/2004 14:03

Personally I've never really had a problem with limbs going through (DS is 3.8 and DD 5 months) .. it does happen occasionally but I just push them back / sorted them out .. I thought it was all part of them learning to sleep in the middle so that when they move to a bed they fall out less ... but am probably completely wrong

still I think its a good idea and you will definitely have a market .. but I think I'd take it to mothercare once patent is through and see if they want to do it

bunnyrabbit · 22/10/2004 14:30

Z,
Still not received the CAT yet so will mail you....

BR

steppemum · 23/10/2004 11:14

sorry, wouldn't appeal to me, when the dummy thing became a pain, we just decided it was time to ditch the dummy, and he always seemed to untangle his limbs without a problem. Also, he really liked the bars, and when we use a travel cot, hates the mess which he can't pull up on, so I would be loathe to close off the bars.

steppemum · 23/10/2004 11:15

that was - he hates the mesh -

geekgrrl · 23/10/2004 13:22

it's a fab idea but I am very certain that I've seen it in a baby catalogue, PHP or JMB methinks - not actually to buy, the picture was to show one of those things that stops baby from rolling over, but the wooden cot in the picture did have an inside mesh bumper. I remember wondering where I could buy one. I'll try to find the picture.
Don't want you to fork out £1000s for the patent only to find this a year later (happened to us - dh patented some software and spent £20,000 on it, the searches all came back clear. We then stumbled across software which had been published 2 months before dh's patent application )

geekgrrl · 23/10/2004 13:26

Here it is. Sorry.

Original poster
zephyrcat · 23/10/2004 13:46

Now I've seen that pic i remember seeing that before in jojo (although must admit i had forgotten about it!!) Mine is different to that tho in the sense it is all the way up so that when they're a bit older they couldnt pull themselves up on it tho or get behind it. Really glad you pointed that out tho!!
Thanks everyone for the input too - its just what we need - keep it coming!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
zephyrcat · 23/10/2004 13:59

BTW geekgrrl - with your husbands idea how did he get granted patent with clear searches when it had already been done? Is that because the other software wasn't patented?

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