it is to be understood that the present invention may be used with a variety of beds and the like including cribs , bassinets , play pens , hospital beds , youth beds and conventional beds . one specific embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to an infant &# 39 ; s crib . referring now to fig1 there is shown a perspective of a child &# 39 ; s crib 10 having a mattress 12 therein , and further including a bumper pad 14 of the present invention . as illustrated , the bumper pad 14 includes a plurality of sections , each having a width w and a length l . the sections are joined at corners of the crib 10 so as to surround a portion of the interior side walls of the crib . within the context of this disclosure , the side walls of the crib are defined as including the head board 16 , foot board 18 , and side rails 20 of the crib 10 ; whether they are of an open , slatted structure as shown , or if they are solid members . referring now to fig2 there is shown a cross sectional view of a pad 14 , generally similar to that shown in fig1 . the pad 14 of fig2 is disposed so as to be retained by a mattress 12 and side wall , for example rail 20 of the bed of fig1 so as to shield a portion of the side wall 20 . as illustrated in fig2 the bumper pad 14 includes a retention portion 14a which is configured to fit between an edge of the mattress 12 , and a portion of the side wall 20 . the retention portion 14a , in the illustrated embodiment , includes a notch defined therein which is configured to engage the edge of the mattress 12 . the retention portion 14a further includes a projecting bottom lip portion 14c , which wraps around the bottom of the mattress 12 and further prevents displacement of the pad 14 . the pad 14 of fig2 includes a shield portion 14b which extends transversely from the retention portion 14a ; by transverse extension is meant that the shield portion 14b extends laterally away from the retention portion 14a , in the width dimension w , and transverse to the length dimension l . as illustrated , the retention portion 14a and shield portion 14b are generally co - planar . when the bumper pad is in use , the shield portion 14b extends above the mattress 12 so as to overlie a portion of the side wall 20 above the mattress . in this manner , the shield portion 14b protects the infant from contact with the side wall 20 . furthermore , the fact that the retention portion 14a is disposed between the mattress and side wall precludes a child from pushing an arm or a leg beneath the pad and through the side of the crib . the width &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; of the pad will depend upon the thickness of the mattress , and the portion of the sidewall above the mattress which is to be protected in general , the pad will be in the range of 10 - 30 inches wide . the pad of the present invention is fabricated from a body of soft , flexible material . most preferably , the material has sufficient resiliency so as to permit the retention portion thereof to be compressed by , and expand against the mattress and side wall . among some of the preferred materials are foamed polymers such as urethane foam , polyethylene foam , foam rubber and the like . one preferred material includes a self - skinning polymeric foam such as a urethane foam . foams of this type may be cast into a variety of configurations , and comprise an interior having a flexible , cellular structure , and an exterior skin comprised of a smooth , flexible , impervious surface . referring now to fig3 there is shown yet another embodiment of bumper pad 22 structured in accord with the present invention . the pad 22 of fig3 includes a cover 24 thereupon enclosing an interior core 26 . the cover 24 can be comprised of a flexible sheet material , such as cloth , synthetic polymeric material and composites thereof . the cover 24 may be made replaceable so as to permit cleaning thereof . in some instances , the cover 24 may be provided with design indicia thereupon so as to harmonize with room decor , bedding or the like . the core 26 may be fabricated from a polymeric foam material as previously described , or it may comprise body of fiber fill , upholstery stuffing , granular polymeric foam or the like which is retained by the cover 24 . it will further be noted that the pad 24 of fig3 further includes a fastener 28 thereupon . while the pad of the present invention is self - retaining , in some instances , it may be desirable to include another fastener to firmly affix the top shield portion of the pad to a bed rail or the like . in the illustrated embodiment , the fastener 28 comprises a pair of tapes which may be tied to the bed rail . it is to be understood that snaps , hooks and loop fastener material and other such fasteners may be similarly employed . also , the fastener 28 may be placed at the top of the pad 24 , or at any other convenient location thereupon . referring now to fig4 there is shown another embodiment of bumper pad 30 structured in accord with the present invention . the pad 30 of fig4 is generally similar to that of fig1 except that it includes a textured surface 32 on the portion thereof which contacts the side wall of the bed . this textured surface 32 helps to further retain the bumper pad 30 against the bed railings . fig5 depicts yet another embodiment of bumper pad 34 structured in accord with the present invention . the pad 34 of fig5 is also generally similar to that of fig2 except that the retention portion 34a thereof does not include a bottom lip . referring now to fig6 there is shown yet another embodiment of bumper pad 36 structured in accord with the principles of the present invention . the bumper pad 36 is configured to be utilized in connection with a preexisting bumper pad 38 , which is of the type known in the prior art , and does not include any section which projects into the space between the edge of the mattress 12 and side wall 20 of a bed as does the bumper pad of the present invention . the pad 36 of the fig6 embodiment includes a retention portion 36a , which fits between the side wall 20 and mattress 12 , and further includes a shield portion 36b as previously described . in the pictured embodiment , the retention portion 36a includes a notch which engages the mattress 12 , and the shield portion 36b also includes a notch which allows for the presence of the preexisting bumper pad 38 . as in the foregoing embodiments , a bottom lip may be included . a number of sections , typically four , may be joined together to form a unit configured to fit a particular bed . the sections may be separate members which are joined together at the corners of the bed . for example , the members may be encased in a cover generally similar to the fig3 embodiment , and the cover may function to hingedly join the members . alternatively , a single f long member may be folded at the corners to provide wrap around protection for a bed . folding may be facilitated by notching the members at the corners ; for example , by forming a groove therein running in the width dimension and parting through the thickness of the member . while the invention has been primarily described with reference to cribs , it may likewise be adapted to play pens , car beds , cradles , bassinets , adult beds and the like , all of which are collectively referred to herein as beds . other modifications and variations of the present invention may be implemented by one of skill in the art . accordingly , it is to be understood that the foregoing drawings , discussion and description are merely meant to illustrate particular embodiments of the present invention , and are not meant to be limitations upon the practice thereof . it is the following claims , including all equivalents , which define the scope of the invention .
a self - retaining bumper pad for a bed is fabricated from elongated body of a soft , flexible material and includes a retention portion which fits between a side wall of the bed and an edge of the mattress and functions to hold the bumper pad in place . the pad further includes a shield portion which projects from the retention portion and overlies the side wall of the bed . the bumper pad cushions the side wall and also prevents a person who is in the bed from pushing an arm or a leg through the side wall of the bed .