US20130161984A1

US20130161984A1 - High chair bib

Info

Publication number: US20130161984A1
Application number: US13/336,181
Authority: US
Inventors: Dina Yaghmai; Houri Shafaie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-12-23
Filing date: 2011-12-23
Publication date: 2013-06-27

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a high chair bib. More specifically, the invention relates to a bib and bib system for protecting a child's skin, clothes and area surrounding the child from food, liquid, waste, and other debris produced during feeding.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a high chair bib. More specifically, the invention relates to a bib and high chair system for protecting a child's skin, clothes and area surrounding the child from food, liquid, waste, and other debris produced during feeding.

BACKGROUND

Protective bibs have long been used to protect a child's clothing from food and liquid spills, which typically occur during feeding. The basic construction of a traditional bib generally comprises a piece of material for covering the child's chest and a mechanism for attaching or securing the bib to the child—typically around the child's neck.
Over the years, various mechanisms for attaching bibs to children have been used. An exemplary bib configuration generally comprises a body section having a body protection panel and two strings or extending flaps. The strings or flaps may extend up to the child's shoulders and around the child's neck. The two extending flaps may then be secured behind the child's neck using one or more securing mechanisms. Exemplary securing mechanisms include, but are not limited to, magnets, adhesive tape, tie strings, buttons, snaps, or a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners, such as those available from Velcro® (http://www.velcro.com/). Unfortunately, problems may still arise when using such conventional configurations.
A first improvement suggests modifying the neckline to reduce or eliminate food spillage onto clothing through the neckline. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,089 to Kelly (the “'089 patent”) discloses a bib with a protective neckline. The bib protects the child's clothes and skin from spilled food. As disclosed by the '089 patent, the protective neck strap scrunches under a child's neck to ensure that the neckline is adequately covered and protected from food and liquid spilled or drooled out of a child's mouth when feeding. Back straps may be used to secure the bib to the torso of the child, such that the bib is removed without moving or disturbing the child. The bib of the '089 patent may be constructed from either waterproof and washable materials or disposable materials. Other features of the bib may include various accessories such as pockets, tear-off attachments, and a fastening system.
As expected, the primary purpose of a bib is to prevent food and liquid from making contact with the child's clothes and body. As noted by the '089 patent, parents and caregivers spend considerable money on a child's clothing, and considerable time changing and laundering it. Similarly, a significant amount of time is also spent by parents and caregivers to clean the seat of the high chair as well as the floor and area surrounding the high chair. Given the inefficiency of the bibs described in protecting the clothing during feeding, the child's clothing not only becomes wet but often becomes stained, thus defeating the primary protection purpose of the bib. It also leads to more frequent clothing changes than would be necessary with an efficient bib, and a corresponding increase in laundering the clothing, not to mention unnecessary discomfort to the child.
While the '089 patent aims to prevent food from being dropped through the neck line, it still suffers from at least one major drawback, once food falls onto the bib's body protection panel, the food has no place to go other than the child's lap or the floor. This spillage is only made worse if the child fidgets and moves about. Thus, there needs to be an improved means for preventing food from sliding off the body protection panel. In response, certain bib manufacturers have therefore started manufacturing bibs with small pouches or shallow pockets (“crumb collectors”) at the bottom edge of the body protection panel. The theory is that as food slides down the bib, it will be captured by the crumb collector and not fall onto the child or the floor.
An exemplary bib having a crumb collector at the bottom edge is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,289 to Lehrer (the “'289 patent”). The bib of the '289 patent includes a first panel being of an elongated construction and having a pair of opposed leg segments extending upwardly to serve as a closure about the neck of the wearer. A neck liner embraces a portion of the periphery of the panel in the upper area, including at least a portion of the legs, and is constructed to provide a snug and flexible line of contact between the bib and the neck. A second panel of an absorbent material may be removably mounted on the first panel. The first panel includes a pocket located at a lower edge to collect materials that fall onto the bib and are not caught by the second panel.
Despite the various advancements in bib construction, there remains a need for an effective bib that can reduce or prevent food, or other waste, from sliding off the body protection panel and onto the child or the floor. Specifically, there is a need for a bib that may be removably attached to a child, a chair, and a tray table, thereby forming a pouch for collecting all debris. The bib may be used to keep the child, the child's clothes, the high chair seat, and the floor surrounding the high chair clean.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is a need for a bib that may be removably attached to a child, a chair, and a tray table, thereby forming a pouch for collecting all debris.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a bib for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, the bib comprises: a body protection panel, wherein the body protection panel has an upper-side, an under-side, a top portion and a bottom portion and is configured to cover a child's torso and legs; one or more extending flaps configured to extend from the body protection panel over a child's shoulders and substantially around the child's neck; and one or more fastening mechanisms positioned at the bottom portion of the body protection panel and configured to attach the bottom portion of the body protection panel to a high chair's arms or tray table, wherein the upper-side of the body protection panel is attached to the underside of the tray table.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a disposable bib for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, the bib comprises: a body protection panel, wherein the body protection panel has an upper-side, an under-side, a top portion and a bottom portion and is configured to cover a child's torso and legs; one or more extending flaps configured to extend from the body protection panel over a child's shoulders and substantially around the child's neck; and one or more fastening mechanisms for attaching the body protection panel to a high chair having a tray table.
In certain aspects, the one or more fastening mechanisms may include at least one of the following: (i) adhesive tape, (ii) hook-and-loop fasteners, (iii) zippers, (iv) magnets, (v) snaps, (vi) buttons, and (v) tie strings.
In certain aspects, the body protection panel may be constructed from a machine washable, environmentally friendly and non-hazardous material that is free of vinyl, phthalate, PVC, and BPA.
In certain aspects, the body protection panel may include a thermal insulating layer.
In certain aspects, the body protection panel may be disposable and/or include a water-resistant material or water repellant.
In certain aspects, the one or more fastening mechanisms may be attached to both the upper-side and under-side of the body protection panel and/or may be attached to the under-side of the high chair's tray table.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a system for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, comprises: a body protection panel, wherein the body protection panel has an upper-side, an under-side, a top portion and a bottom portion and is configured to cover a child's torso and legs; one or more extending flaps configured to extend from the body protection panel over a child's shoulders and substantially around the child's neck; and one or more fastening mechanisms positioned at the bottom portion of the body protection panel and configured to attach the bottom portion of the body protection panel to a high chair's arms or tray table, wherein the upper-side of the body protection panel is attached to the underside of the tray table.
In certain aspects, the one or more fastening mechanisms may be attached to the body protection panel and configured to couple with a chair's integrated attachment points.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a high chair system for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, comprising: a high chair, wherein the high chair is configured to support a child and includes one or more arms and a tray table, each of the arms and tray table being equipped with one or more fastening mechanisms; a body protection panel, wherein the body protection panel has an upper-side, an under-side, a top portion and a bottom portion and is configured to cover a child's torso and legs; one or more extending flaps configured to extend from the body protection panel over the child's shoulders and substantially around the child's neck; and one or more fastening mechanisms positioned on the body protection panel's bottom portion and configured to couple with the one or more fastening mechanisms located on the one or more arms and tray table, wherein the upper-side of the body protection panel is positioned on the underside of the tray table.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a high chair system for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, comprises: a high chair, wherein the high chair is configured to support a child and includes one or more arms and a tray table, each of the arms and tray table being equipped with one or more fastening mechanisms; one or more panel fastening mechanisms integrated with the one or more arms and the underside of the tray table and configured to couple with the one or more fastening mechanisms located on a bib's body protection panel, wherein the bib is attached to the underside of the tray table.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily understood with reference to the following specification and attached drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 a and 1 b are top views of the upper-side of two exemplary bibs according to a first aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 1 c is a top view of the under-side of the bib of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b;

FIG. 2 a is top view of the upper-side of an exemplary bib according to a second aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 b is a top view of the under-side of the bib of FIG. 2 a;

FIGS. 2 c and 2 d illustrate top views of the bib of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b in the folded position;

FIG. 3 a illustrates an exemplary attachment point configuration for attaching the lower potion of the bib's top side to the under-side of the tray table;

FIGS. 3 b through 3 e are exemplary diagrams of the bib in use;

FIG. 4 a is a top plan view of a bib having a plurality of crumb collectors for receiving expelled food and waste; and

FIG. 4 b is a side cut away view of a bib having a plurality of crumb collectors for receiving expelled food and waste.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described at length because they may tend to obscure the invention in unnecessary detail. The bib and high chair system of the present invention are designed to collect all food, liquid, waste, and other debris dropped by a child sitting in a high chair so that the waste does not dirty the child's clothes, the chair, or the surrounding area (e.g., the floor).
Referring now to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, top plan views of the upper-side of two exemplary bibs 100 according to a first aspect are shown. The material 104 used to form the bib's body protection panel 102 is preferably a material that is waterproof, water resistant, or another material treated with a durable water repellant. In certain aspects, the upper-side may be water absorbent (e.g., terrycloth or toweling), while the under-side may include a water repellent or water resistant layer (e.g., a plastic liner) to prevent contact with the child. To enhance usability, the material 104 and any hardware should also be odor resistant, durable, and machine washable. In certain aspects, based on the needs and demands of the consumer, it may further be advantageous to construct the bib 100 from a material 104 that is free of vinyl, phthalate, PVC, and BPA. Exemplary materials may include, for example, cotton, polyester with elastaine, microfiber, or virtually any other non-hazardous material. In certain aspects, the material may be environmentally friendly (e.g., “Green”) thereby reducing negative effects on the environment during production and disposal. Exemplary environmentally friendly fabrics and materials are sold by Fabric.com, available at http://www.fabric.com/apparel-fashion-fabric-eco-friendly-fabric.aspx?Source=LeftNav. As discussed by Fabric.com, environmentally friendly fabrics (i.e., “Eco-Friendly fabrics”) are the wave of the future. Eco-Friendly fabrics include, for example, natural fibers such as cotton, hemp or bamboo which has been grown without the use of pesticides in soil that has not been treated for at least three years. If the eco-friendly fabric is dyed, it is preferably dyed using a low-impact dye. Recycle plastic is also considered as eco-friendly material. The fabrics in eco-friendly category have met these conditions to be a “green fabric”.
While the bib 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 a through 1 c has a height-to-width ratio of about five to four, the bib 100 may be manufactured in various sizes and dimensions, depending on the particular application. For example, some high chairs may have large tray tables, and thus it may be advantageous for the body protection panel to have a large bottom portion to ensure sufficient contact with the tray table's under-side without restricting the child's movement. Similarly, large children may require large bibs or ones having different dimensions. For example, if a child is larger, the body protection panel may be elongated and may require that the top portion be wider to ensure sufficient coverage. Accordingly, the bib 100 is preferably long enough to allow trouble-free and comfortable movement of the child while also being secure enough to catch all food particles and liquids from both the sides and the front. For instance, a 12-month old child's bib, which should be used with an average-sized high chair, may have a length of about seventeen inches from the lower neck line 110 to the bottom edge 112 of the bib's body protection panel 102. Naturally, the size of the bib 100 will depend on many variables, such as the size and shape of the child and the chair.
In certain situations, it may be advantageous to use disposable materials when constructing the bib 100, especially the bib's body protection panel 102. For instance, when dining at a restaurant, a user may prefer to use a disposable bib because it may be inconvenient for the user to transport or clean a dirty bib. In such a scenario, temporary fastening mechanisms, such as adhesive tape and/or hook-and-loop fasteners attachments, may be provided to enable temporary attachment to the arms and under-side of public furniture (e.g., restaurant high chairs). Exemplary disposable materials may include, for example, paper based materials, plastic backed paper materials (e.g., 2-ply paper with a 1-ply polyethylene (“PE”) film to promote water resistance), light weight plastic materials, etc. Unlike the more permanent solutions disclosed in more detail below, adhesive used to temporarily adhere the hook-and-loop fasteners, which may be in the form of patches, to public high chairs should be capable of being easily removed and/or reused. Exemplary adhesives for temporarily adhering the hook-and-loop fasteners may include, for example, Command Adhesive™, available from 3M (http://www.3m.com/). While the size of the hook-and-loop fastener will depend on the bib size, an average-sized bib may use hook-and-loop fasteners that are about one inch by one inch. Alternatively, the bib may include straps or ties that may be tied to the chair (e.g., around it's frame or arms), thereby eliminating the need for adhesive. In certain aspect, the straps may use hook-and-loop material to speed up chair attachment an detachment time by eliminating the burden associated with tying a knot or bow in the strap material.
Depending on the material 104 used to form the bib's body protection panel 102, the edges of the bib's body protection panel 102 may be folded and/or stitched to prevent the material 104 from fraying or easily ripping. For instance, if a woven material is used, folding the edges may help to maintain the integrity of the material at the edges, thus preventing disintegration of the material 104 over time. Alternatively, when certain synthetic materials and/or plastic are used, the edges of the material 104 may be folded and fused using known heat-fusing techniques. Naturally, other modifications and variations of the bib 100 and bib's body protection panel 102 will be readily ascertainable to those of skill in the art of sewing, or bib and clothing manufacturing.
To secure the bib 100 to a child, two extending flaps or strips of material may be extended around the child's neck and secured using one or more securing mechanisms. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 a-1 c, the securing mechanism may include, for example, a tie string or narrow strip of fabric 108. Alternative securing mechanisms may include any securing mechanism known in the art of clothing, bib and sewing design. Exemplary securing mechanisms may include, for example, magnets, buttons, buttons with hooks, hook buckles, suspender buckles (e.g., loop and button), adhesive tape, plastic pinch buckles, snaps, zippers, or a pair of patches of hook-and-loop fasteners, such as Velcro®. Furthermore, while FIGS. 1 a through 1 c illustrate a first aspect in which a tie string or narrow strip of fabric 108 may be tied around the child's neck using a securing mechanism or a simple bow or knot, as will be discussed in more detail below, FIGS. 2 a and 2 b illustrate a second aspect in which the bib 200 uses extending flaps 208 that may be secured at their ends using a securing mechanism 210, including the above-referenced securing mechanisms. The extending flaps 208 may be configured to extend from the bib's body protection panel 202, over a child's shoulders and substantially around the child's neck.
Turning back to FIG. 1 a, a top view shows the upper-side of an exemplary bib according to a first aspect of the present invention. The upper-side of the bib 100 may include a continuous fastening mechanism 106 for attaching the bottom portion of the upper-side of the bib 100 to the under-side of the tray table and to any surface of the chair's side arms. The fastening mechanism 106 may be sewn, adhered, or otherwise attached to the bib's body protection panel 102 using known techniques. Exemplary fastening mechanisms 106 may include, for example, adhesive tape, hook-and-loop fasteners, zippers, magnets, snaps, or buttons. For instance, a hook-and-loop fastener may be sewn or adhered to the bib's body protection panel 102 and configured to couple with one or more corresponding hook-and-loop fastener mounted on the chair's tray table and arms. Alternatively, magnets may be sewn into the material (e.g., between the bib's material layers) and configured to attach to a metal surface of the high chair, or, if a plastic chair is used, magnets may be adhered to the chair and/or table at corresponding connection points and configured to received the magnet installed in the bib 100. As will be discussed below in greater detail, a high chair may even be fabricated with integrated bib fastening mechanisms that may be configured to couple with the bib's fastening mechanisms 106.
Referring now to FIG. 1 b, a top view shows the upper-side of a second exemplary bib 100 according to the first aspect of the present invention. Rather than using a single fastening mechanism 106, the upper-side of the bib's body protection panel 102 may include a plurality of fastening mechanisms 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, 106 d, 106 e for attaching the bottom portion of the upper-side of the bib's body protection panel 102 to the under-side of a tray table and chair arms. As with the fastening mechanism 106 of FIG. 1 a, the plurality of fastening mechanisms 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, 106 d, 106 e may be sewn, adhered, or otherwise attached to the bib's body protection panel 102 using known techniques. Employing a plurality of fastening mechanisms 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, 106 d, 106 e may reduce material costs while allowing for adjustments—this may be useful because not all high chairs have the same dimensions. As in the bib of FIG. 1 a, exemplary fastening mechanisms may include, at least, hook-and-loop fasteners, magnets, snaps, or buttons. For instance, as mentioned above, hook-and-loop fasteners may be sewn or adhered to the bib's body protection panel 102 and configured to couple with one or more corresponding hook-and-loop fastener mounted on the chair's tray table and arms. Alternatively, magnets may be sewn into the material (e.g., between the bib's material layers) and configured to attach to a metal surface of the high chair, or, if a plastic chair is used, magnets may be adhered to the chair and/or table at corresponding connection points and configured to received the magnet installed in the bib 100. As noted above, a high chair may even be fabricated with integrated bib fastening mechanisms that may be configured to couple with the bib's fastening mechanisms 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, 106 d, 106 e.
Turning now to FIG. 1 c, the under-side of the bib 100 is shown. In certain aspects, the under-side of the bib's body protection panel 102, which may be padded and comprise of multiple layers of material, may also include one or more liners of insulation to keep a child warm. For example, the under-side of the bib's body protection panel 102 may include a soft, quilted layer for enhancing comforting while simultaneously providing a thermal insulating layer. Exemplary thermal insulating layers may include, for example, cotton, synthetic material, coat and jacket lining, including CS150 Thinsulate™, available from 3M (http://www.3m.com/).
FIGS. 2 a and 2 b illustrate an exemplary bib 200 according to a second aspect of the present invention. The construction of bib 200 of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b is nearly identical to the bib 100 of FIGS. 1 b and 1 c, except that the bib 200 of the second aspect uses extending flaps 208 to enable attachment to the child in lieu of narrow strips or strings 108. These extending flaps 208 may be secured at their distal ends using a reusable securing mechanisms 210. As noted above, exemplary securing mechanisms may include, for example, magnets, buttons, buttons with hooks, hook buckles, suspender buckles (e.g., loop and button), adhesive tape, plastic pinch buckles, snaps, zippers, or a pair of patches of hook-and-loop fasteners, such as Velcro®. The extending flaps 208 may be configured to extend from the bib's body protection panel 202, over a child's shoulders and substantially around the child's neck, The bib's body protection panel 202 and extending flaps 208 are preferable constructed as a single article such that the extending flap are integral, thereby eliminating the need to sew multiple articles together. Under this construction, they would be constructed from the same one or more materials. However, it would be entirely possible to combine multiple articles, being of the same or different materials, to yield the same effect. For example, combining multiple articles may be useful in situations where the designer wishes to construct the extending flaps 208 from a material that is different from the bib's body protection panel 202.
Employing extending flaps 208 in lieu of strings 108 enhances child comfort by allowing for greater contact with the child's skin, thereby eliminating any potential burrowing or abrasion caused by a narrow strip or string 108. Employing extending flaps 208 also provides the added benefit of covering the child's shoulders, which will not only keep the shoulders clean, but will also keep them warm.
Turning to FIG. 2 a, a top plan view of the upper-side of an exemplary bib 200 according to another aspect of the present invention is shown. As the figure shows, the upper-side of the bib's body protection panel 202 may include a plurality of fastening mechanism 206 a, 206 b, 206 c, 206 d, 206 e for attaching the bottom portion of the upper-side of the bib 200 to the under-side of a tray table and chair arms. As noted in the description for FIG. 1 b, employing a plurality of fastening mechanisms 206 a, 206 b, 206 c, 206 d, 206 e may reduce the material costs while allowing for adjustments—this may be useful because not all high chairs have the same dimensions. As in the bib of the prior examples, exemplary fastening mechanisms may include hook-and-loop fasteners, magnets, snaps, or buttons. For instance, as mentioned above, hook-and-loop fasteners may be sewn or adhered to the bib's body protection panel 202 and configured to couple with one or more corresponding hook-and-loop fastener mounted on the chair's tray table and arms. Alternatively, magnets may be sewn into the material (e.g., between the bib's material layers) and configured to attach to a metal surface of the high chair, or, if a plastic chair is used, magnets may be adhered to the chair and/or table at corresponding connection points.
Turning now to FIG. 2 b, the under-side of the bib 200 is shown. In certain aspects, the under-side of the bib's body protection panel 202, which may be padded and comprise of multiple layers of material, may also include one or more liners of insulation to keep a child warm. For example, the under-side of the bib's body protection panel 202 may include a soft, quilted cotton layer for enhancing comforting while simultaneously providing a thermal insulating layer. In use, the top portion of the bib 200 may be folded over a child's shoulders.
Turning now to FIGS. 2 c and 2 d, the upper-side and under-side of the bib's 200 body protection panel 202 are illustrated in said folded position. When in use, the bib 100 is typically folded near the neck hole such that the bib 100 folds over and partially around the child's' shoulders.
FIG. 3 a illustrates an exemplary method for attaching the bib 300 to a chair having a tray table 310 and side arms 312 a, 312 e. In operation, the top side of the lower portion of the bib's body protection panel 302 may be attached to the under-side of the tray table 310 and the side arms 312 a, 312 e at a plurality of attachment points—each attachment point having an fastening mechanism. While the bib 300 is preferably attached to the under-side of the tray table 310, the bib 300 may be attached at other locations, including, for example, the edges. Similarly, the bib 300 may be attached to the side arms 312 a, 312 e on virtually any side of the side arms 312 a, 312 e.
The lower portion of the bib's body protection panel 302 may be defined as the portion of the bib's body protection panel 302 that includes the fastening mechanisms 306 a, 306 b, 306 c, 306 d, 306 e—approximately the lower half of the bib 300, as illustrated in the figures. Once aligned, the fastening mechanisms 306 a, 306 b, 306 c, 306 d, 306 e on the bib's body protection panel 302 may be joined at their corresponding attachment points using the tray table's 310 fastening mechanisms 308 b, 308 c, 308 d and the side arms' 312 a, 312 e fastening mechanisms 308 a, 308 e. Once in place, attachment mechanism 306 a would be joined with 308 a, 306 b would be joined with 308 b and so forth. As noted above, exemplary fastening mechanisms may include, for example, tie strings, adhesive tape, hook-and-loop fasteners, a zipper, magnets, snaps, buttons, or combinations thereof.
In operation, once a child 314 has been placed in the seat of high chair 304, the bib 300 may be secured around the child's neck using known techniques (e.g., the string 108 of FIGS. 1 a-1 c, the flaps 208 of FIGS. 2 a, 2 b and so forth). Once the bib 300 is secured to the child 314 and in place, the tray table 310 may be placed in position in front of the child 314 and secured to the chair 304 in the traditional manner.
Once the tray table 310 has been secured, the bottom portion of the bib's body protection panel 302 may be extended underneath the tray 310 for attachment. To facilitate attachment to virtually any chair, the bib 300 may be provided with hook-and-loop fastener patches for use (1) on the under-side of the tray table 310, (2) on the top side of the lower portion of the bib's body protection panel 302, and (3) at the side arms 312 a, 312 e. The hook-and-loop fastener patches may be attached to the bib's body protection panel 302, the tray table 310 and side arms 312 a, 312 e using, for example, an adhesive, stitching or any other known technique for adhering hook-and-loop fasteners. By providing fastening mechanisms with the bib 300, a user is able to retrofit an existing high chair to work with the bib 300. For example, the bib may be sold as a kit along with one or more fastening means. However, in certain situations a chair manufacturer may try to accommodate bib attachment by integrating fastening mechanisms into the chair's construction. In this situation, the fastening mechanisms on the bib would preferably be configured to couple with the style and configuration of the fastening mechanism on the chair.
To detach the bib 300, the user may detach the bib's body protection panel 302 from the tray table 310 by, for instance, merely pulling apart the hook-and-loop fasteners. Once the bib's body protection panel 302 has been detached from the tray table 310, the user may simply fold or roll the bib's body protection panel 302 toward the child 314 while detaching bib's body protection panel 302 from the side arms 312 a, 312 e. The final step would simply require detaching the bib 300 from the child's neck and placing the bib 300 in a receptacle for washing. When, however, a disposable bib is used, the user may simply dispose of the bib. In certain aspects, the upper portion of the bib may be designed with arm holes, akin to a vest or smock, thereby providing the child's shoulders and/or arms with additional coverage. An exemplary vest type bib is illustrated in FIG. 3 e. The vest or smock may be secured to the child along the child's spine or around the neck using one or more securing mechanisms, including, for example, hook and loop fasteners, magnets, snaps, buttons, zippers, adhesive tape, etc. When this configuration is employed, an additional step of removing the child's arm from the arms holes would need to be accomplished once bib has been detached from the child.
Turning back to FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, FIG. 3 b illustrates an exemplary diagram of the bib 300 in use. As seen in the figure, a pocket 306 may be formed when the bib 300 is attached to the chair 304 and the child 314. As noted above, the bib 300 may be connected to the child's neck using techniques known in the art; however, the lower portion of the bib's body protection panel 302 is preferably connected to the chair 304 at three or more points—the tray table 310 and each side arm 312 a, 312 e.
FIG. 3 c illustrates a cutaway drawing of the diagram of FIG. 3 b. As illustrated in the figure, the bib 300 may be attached to both the chair 304 and the child 314. During use (e.g., feeding), waste particles 308 expelled from the child 314, such as food, drool and the like, slide down the bib's body protection panel 302, which is covering the child's chest and lap, to the pocket 306 formed between the body protection panel 302 and under-side of the tray table 310. The waste particles 308 may be held in the pocket 306 until emptied by an adult. Thus, the child 314, the child's clothes, and the floor remain free of mess. While the bib 300 of FIG. 3 c is shown attached to the tray table at the outer edge, it may be advantageous to attach the bib 300 to the inner edge of the tray table 310 as illustrated in FIG. 3 d. For instance, in certain situations it may be easier to attach the bib's body protection panel 302 at the inner edge if, for instance, the tray table 310 is locked in place or is otherwise difficult to move.
The versatility of the bib design illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 makes it compatible with various high chair styles and models. Indeed, the bib may be adjusted depending on the particular high chair. Adjustment would simply require that the fastening mechanisms be relocated as required by the chair's design. For instance, certain fastening mechanisms may even be relocated to the under-side of the bib's body protection panel to ease attachment to certain portions of the chair, such as the arms.
Using this configuration, the bib 300 may be placed in the child's lap, and the edges of the bib's body protection panel adjacent to the arms 312 a, 312 e may be folded upward and attached to the side of each arm 312 a, 312 e using an fastening mechanisms 306 a, 306 e, which are now located on the under-side of the bib's body protection panel 302. Using a reusable fastening mechanisms, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, allows the bib 300 to be readily attached and detached, thus eliminating setup time. While the bib is shown in the various figures as being attached to the chair and tray at exemplary points, it would be obvious to those of skill in the art in view of the present application to adjust the location of the attachment points depending on the chair's design and the preference of the user. Accordingly, the bib may be attached to the chair and/or tray table at numerous points.
Furthermore, in instances where a high chair manufacturer has incorporated one or more built-in, or integrated, fastening mechanisms, which may be located at, for example, the underside or edge of the tray table, the bib's attachment points may be configured to couple with said integrated attachment points. For example, a manufacturer may fabricate a high chair with one or more built-in fastening mechanisms that eliminates the need for the user to install aftermarket fastening mechanisms on the chair. Accordingly, the bib may be designed, configured or adjusted to accommodate a particular location and/or attachment point pattern employed by the manufacturer.
Turning now to FIGS. 4 a and 4 b, the bib 400 may be provided with one or more shallow pockets (e.g., “crumb collectors”) 406 a, 406 b, 406 c, 406 d for collecting food and other debris 410 as it slides downward across the bib's body protection panel 402. The pockets 406 a, 406 b, 406 c, 406 d may be situated on the upper portion (e.g., the upper half) of the upper-side of the bib's body protection panel 402, i.e., on the child's chest. FIG. 4 b illustrates how the pockets 406 a, 406 b, 406 c, 406 d capture debris as it falls downward. As seen in the figure, debris 410 may be collected before even reaching the lower portion of the bib's body protection panel 402, thus adding an additional line of defense. Providing a plurality of pockets 406 a, 406 b, 406 c, 406 d increases the effectivness of its ability to collect crumbs. Nevertheless, while FIGS. 4 a and 4 b illustrate a bib 400 having a plurality of pockets, a single pocket may also be used. For instance, a single large pocket may be similarly configured to catch crumbs and other debris 410.
100561 Although various embodiments have been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts, features, and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features—indeed, many other embodiments, modifications, and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art. All U.S. and foreign patent documents, and all articles, brochures, and other published documents discussed above are hereby incorporated by reference into the Detailed Description.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A bib for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, the bib comprising:

a body protection panel, wherein the body protection panel has an upper-side, an under-side, a top portion and a bottom portion and is configured to cover a child's torso and legs;

one or more extending flaps configured to extend from the body protection panel over a child's shoulders and substantially around the child's neck; and

one or more fastening mechanisms positioned at the bottom portion of the body protection panel and configured to attach the bottom portion of the body protection panel to a high chair's arms or tray table, wherein the upper-side of the body protection panel is attached to the underside of the tray table.

2. The bib of claim 1, wherein the one or more fastening mechanisms includes at least one of the following: (i) adhesive tape, (ii) hook-and-loop fasteners, (iii) zippers, (iv) magnets, (v) snaps, (vi) buttons, and (v) tie strings.

3. The bib of claim 1, wherein the body protection panel is constructed from a machine washable, environmentally friendly and non-hazardous material that is free of vinyl, phthalate, PVC, and BPA.

4. The bib of claim 1, wherein the body protection panel includes a thermal insulating layer.

5. The bib of claim 1, wherein the body protection panel includes a water-resistant material or water repellant.

6. The bib of claim 1, wherein the bib is disposable.

7. A disposable bib for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, the bib comprising:

one or more fastening mechanisms for attaching the body protection panel to a high chair having a tray table.

8. The bib of claim 7, wherein the one or more fastening mechanisms includes at least one of the following: (i) adhesive tape, (ii) hook-and-loop fasteners, (iii) zippers, (iv) magnets, (v) snaps, (vi) buttons, and (v) tie strings.

9. The bib of claim 7, wherein the body protection panel is constructed from a machine washable, environmentally friendly and non-hazardous material that is free of vinyl, phthalate, PVC, and BPA.

10. The bib of claim 7, wherein the body protection panel includes a water-resistant material.

11. The bib of claim 7, wherein the one or more fastening mechanisms are attached to the upper-side of the body protection panel.

12. The bib of claim 7, wherein the one or more fastening mechanisms are attached to both the upper-side and under-side of the body protection panel.

13. The bib of claim 7, wherein the body protection panel lower portion is attached to the under-side of the high chair's tray table.

14. A system for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, comprising:

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more fastening mechanisms includes at least one of the following: (i) adhesive tape, (ii) hook-and-loop fasteners, (iii) zippers, (iv) magnets, (v) snaps, (vi) buttons, and (v) tie strings.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the body protection panel is constructed from a machine washable, environmentally friendly and non-hazardous material that is free of vinyl, phthalate, PVC, and BPA.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more fastening mechanisms are attached to the upper-side of the body protection panel.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more fastening mechanisms are attached to the body protection panel and configured to couple with a chair's integrated attachment points.

19. A high chair system for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, comprising:

a high chair, wherein the high chair is configured to support a child and includes one or more arms and a tray table, each of the arms and tray table being equipped with one or more fastening mechanisms;

one or more extending flaps configured to extend from the body protection panel over the child's shoulders and substantially around the child's neck; and

one or more fastening mechanisms positioned on the body protection panel's bottom portion and configured to couple with the one or more fastening mechanisms located on the one or more arms and tray table, wherein the upper-side of the body protection panel is positioned on the underside of the tray table.

20. A high chair system for protecting the clothes and skin of a child, comprising:

one or more panel fastening mechanisms integrated with the one or more arms and the underside of the tray table and configured to couple with the one or more fastening mechanisms located on a bib's body protection panel, wherein the bib is attached to the underside of the tray table.