GB2178298A - Bib - Google Patents

Abstract

A disposable bib comprises an absorbent portion (11) which, in use, lies beneath a user's chin, means (17a, 17b) for securing the bib to the user, and a pocket (20) to retain particles of food or liquid dropped by the user. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bib Descríptfan oftEreA.nveF7trcs6} This invention relatesto a shielding garment of the kind adapted to be positioned temporarily beneath a user's chin, generally over the user chest and any normal clothing thereon, during consumption of food and drink, in orderto shield the user and/or such clothing from spillages, e.g. crumbs, drink, saliva or otherfluids, arising from consumption of such food or drink. Garments ofthis kind are especially suitable for useinfeeding babies, children, the infirm or the elderly, and are commonly known as "bibs".

Certain conventional bibs comprise woven cloth which usually becomes soiled by spillages during use and must therefore be washed frequently, resulting in considerablework. Other conventional bibs comprise plastic shields with integrally moulded channels capable of collecting spillages, and whilst such shields are relatively easy to keep clean, they can be clumsy and uncomfortableto wear.

It is an object ofthe invention to provide a new and improved bib.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a bib comprising a main part including an absorbent portion which, in use, lies beneath a user's chin,meansforsecuringthebibtothe user, and a pocket to retain particles offood or liquid dropped by the user.

Thus the bibs can be made at relatively low-cost material, so that users will considerthe cost of throwing away the bib to be justified in ordertoavoid the inconvenience of having to wash or otherwise clean the bib after use.

The tray retains the advantages of plastic shield type bibs, whilst overcoming their clumsiness and discomfort.

The pocket may be provided by a portion ofthe bib which is movable between an inoperative position close to the main part ofthe bib and-an operative position in which the pocket projects outwardly of the main part of the bib to catch said particles offood or liquid.

The pocket may be provided by foldable elements which are foldable to move the pocket between said positions. Because the pocket isfoldable,the absorbent bib can befoldedsubstantiallyflattherebyaiding packaging and storage. The absorbent portion may comprise porous tissue which is liable to deteriorate irreversibly at least on becoming wet.

Preferablythetissue is micro-porous (as herein defined).

The term "micro-porous" is used herein to mean thatthetissue comprises very many cells or passages which are generally sufficiently small or narrow for them to be capable of absorbing water or other liquid by capillary action.

In this manner, efficient absorption of water/fluid from spillages may be achieved, yet the bib will generally be rendered non-reusable by such deterioration, and so will usually be thrown away after use.

Papertissuemay be used which is capable of absorbing more water, faster, than a cloth having the same dry weighs Where the strength of the tissue is anisotropic, then preferablyits greatest strength is arranged to lie in a gèneraffy upward direction, in relationtotheorienta- tion ofthe bib in use, in orderthat it may supportthe weightofabsorbedwater/liquid or other spillages accrued thereon.

Preferably, the bib comprises a rear layer of relatively low permeability to water or other liquids and which, in use, lies between the absorbent portion and the user, in orderto shield the userorthe user's clothing from any water or other liquid which may seep completely through the absorbent portion during use.

Such a rear layer is preferably of low-cost material; it may comprise, for example, cardboard orthick relatively non-porous paper, or thin plastics sheet material.

Preferably the absorbent portion and said rear layer are secured together, e.g. laminated together using a suitable adhesive, during manufacture.

Preferably the securing means comprises elements at least one ofwhich is adapted to be passed around the user's neck in order to securethebibtothe user.

Thus,forexample, one such element may comprise a sticky portion, initially concealed by peel-ofl backing paper, which may be adhered to another ofthe elements after one or both of the elements has or have been passed around or behind the user's neck.

Alternatively, such elements may comprise respective slotsformedtherein, via which the elements may be interfittedwitheach other in order to secure the bib aroundthe neck.As a further alternative, such elements may be elongate and capable of being tied together behind the neck of the user. Said elements may, for example, be integrally formed with said rear layer. Alternatively, a separate fastening, supplied with a pack of bibs and reusable with each bib, may be used to secure each bib around the neck.

Preferably the bib, or at least a partthereofwhich, in use, contacts auser, is of a material unlikely to cause irritation.

One embodiment ofthe invention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspectivefrontviewofa bib embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a sectioned side elevation of the bib of Figure 1, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;; Referring to the drawings, a bib 10 embodying the invention comprises a main part including an absorbent portion 11 and elements 12a, 12bwhich may be usedtosecurethe bib temporarily beneath auser's chin, generally over the user's chest and any normal clothing thereon, during consumption offood and drink, inorderto shieldthe userand/orsuch clothing from spillages, e.g. crumbs, drink, saliva or other fluids, arising from consumption ofthe food or drink.

Assuch,the bib is especially suitable for use in feeding babies, children, the infirm or the elderly.

The absorbent portion 11 comprises a plurality of layers 140f micro-porous (as herein defined) paper tissue, and a rear layer 15 of relatively non-permeable material, in this case cardboard. The layers 14 are secured together bya crimping and gluing operation around their peripheries, i.e. around the periphery of the portion 11 as indicated at 12 in figure 1, and the rearmostofthe layers 14 is laminated, using a suitable adhesive, to the rear layer 15 during manufacture.

Thesecuringelements 12a,l2bareetongateand are integrallyformed with, and extend from, opposite upper corners ofthe rear layer 15. The elements 12a, 12bcomprise respective oppositely directed slots 17a, 17b.

In use, for example during feeding of a baby, the elements 12a are passed around opposite sides ofthe baby s neck and interfitted, via interfitting of the slots 17a, 17b, behind the baby's neck, so thatthe portion 11 lies beneaththe baby s chin, overthe baby schest, with the rear layer 15 (which is preferably of a non-irritant nature) againstthe baby or the baby's clothing, andwith the tissue layers 14facing outwards.

During consumption of food by the baby, spillages such as crumbs, drink, saliva or otherfluids tend to fall onto the portion 1 f, and any water or other liquid in such spillagetendsto be absorbed bythe layers 14 in succession. Any such spillage whichdoes not fall onto the absorbent portion 11 may fall into a pocket 20 described below.

The layers 14, by virtue of being formed from a paper tissue, are liable to deteriorate irreversibly, at least on becoming wet during such use, so that whilst the tissue may be capable of absorbing more liquid, faster,than e.g. a cloth having the same dry weight, the bib loins generally rendered non-reusable by such deterioration and so should usually bethrown away after use.

The papertissue is a relatively low-cost material, so that a userwill considerthe cost of throwing away the bib lotto be justified, in orderto avoid the inconvenience of having to wash or otherwise clean the bib after use.

The rear layer 15 shields the baby or the baby's clothing from any liquid which may seep completely through the absorbent layers 14 during use.

It will be appreciated that achievement of low cost for the bib is facilitated by use of low-cost material such as cardboardforthe rear layer 15. Although alternatively other low-cost material, e.g. thin plastics material, or simplythick paper, may be usedforthe rear layer 15.

The strength of most paper tissue is anisotropic, and in the bib 10, the layers are oriented such that their greatest strength lies in a generally upward direction in use, in orderthatthey may support the weight of absorbed water/liquid or other spillages accrued thereon. Alternatively, successive layers may be arranged orthogonally to each other, to afford a reasonable combined strength in any direction.

As an alternative to the slots 17a, 17b illustrated, one ofthe securing elements may comprise a sticky portion, initially concealed by peel-off backing paper, the sticky portion being capable of adhering to the other of the elements after one or both ofthe elements has or have been passed around the user's neck, and then pressed together.

As a further alternative, the securing elements may be elongate and capable of being tied together behind the neck of the user.

Alternatively, a separate fastening capable of con necting together the securing elements, and supplied with a pack of bibs, may be reusable with each bib in the pack.

The pocket 20 is provided to catch any food which is dropped by the user and any liquid which is dropped which is not absorbed by the bib The pocket 20 comprises relatively rigid front and rearwalls 21,22rthe rear wall 22 being fastened to the remainder ofthe bib or being an integral partthereof.

The pocket 20 has a base wall 23 which is foldable relative to the front and rear walls about axes 25,26 and is foldable about a central axis 27. The pocket also has side walls 28 foldable relative to the front and rear walls about axes 29,30 respectively and also foldable about axes 31 which are inclined at 45 to the adjacent axes 29,30. Each side wall 28 is also foldable about a central axis 32 which is perpendiculartoan axis B aboutwhich each sidewall isfoldable relative to the base wall 23.

Before use the pocket 20 is in an inoperative position in which the front wall 21 is closely adjacent the rear wall 22 i.e. closely adjacent the main part of the bib with the two parts of the base wall 23 on opposite sides ofthe axis 27 extending downwardly from the axis 27 with the, in use, undersidesthereof is face-to-face relationship and with the, in use, top side thereof face-to-face with the inwardly facing front and rear walls 21,22.The parts A oftheside walls 28 on opposite sides ofthe vertical axis 32 are bent inwardly about the axis 33 buttheir, in use, inner surfaces are face-to-face with the top surfaces of the hereinbefore mentioned parts of the baseball 23.At the same time the parts B are folded along the axes 3f so thatthe, in use, outersurface of the parts A is face-to-face with the outer surface ofthe corresponding part B.

To move the pocket 20 to its operative position it is merely necessary to pull the front wall 21 awayfrom the frontwatl 22 which hasthe effect offlattening the base and side walls to the position shown in Figure 3.

The pocket or tray may be made of the same material as the remainder ofthe bib or of other waterproof material such as plastics material, or suitable paper.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, orthefollowing claims, orthe accompanying draw ings, expressed in their specific forms orinterms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or processfor attainingthe disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (19)

1. A bib comprising a main part including an absorbent portion which, in use, lies beneath a user's chin, means for securing the bib to the user, and a pocket to retain particles offood or liquid dropped by the user.

2. A bib according to Claim 1 wherein the pocket is provided by a portion ofthe bib which is movable between an operative position close to the main part ofthe bib and an operative position in which the pocket projects outwardly of the main part ofthe bib.

3. A bib according to Claim 2 wherein the pocket is provided by foldable elements which are foldable to move the pocket between said positions.

4, Abibaccordingto Claim 1 or Claim 2 or Claim 3 whereinthe absorbent portion comprises porous tissue which is liableto deteriorate irreversibly at least on becoming wet.

5. A bib according to Ciaim 4 wherein the tissue is micro-porous (as herein defined).

6. A bib according to Claim 4or Claim 5 wherein the tissue ispapertissue.

7. A bib according to any one ofClaims4to 6 wherein the strength ofthe tissue is anisotropic, its greatest strength being arranged to lie in a generally upward direction, in relationtotheorientationofthe bib in use.

8. A bib according to any one ofthe preceding claimswhereinthe bib comprises a rear layerof relatively low permeability to water or other liquids and which, in use, lies between the absorbent portion and the user.

9. Abib according to Claim 8 wherein the rear layer comprises cardboard or thick relatively nonporous paper, orthin plastics sheet material.

10. A bib according to Claim 8or Claim 9 wherein the absorbent portion and the rear layer are laminated together using a suitable adhesive, during manufacture.

11. A bib according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the securing means comprises elements at least one of which is adapted to be passed aroundthe user's neck in orderto secure the bib to the user.

12. A bib according to Claim 11 wherein one such element comprises a sticky portion, initially concealed by peel-off backing paper, which may be adhered to another of the elements after one or both of the elements has or have been passed around or behind the user s neck.

13. A bib according to Claim 11 wherein such elements comprise respective slots formedtherein, via which the elements may be interfittedwith each other in order to secure the bib a round the neck.

14. A bib according to Claim 11 wherein such elements are elongate and capable of being tied together behind the neck of the user.

15. A bib according to any oneof Claims 11 to 14 wherein said elements are integrally formed with said rear layer.

16. A bib accordingtoanyoneofthe preceding claims wherein the bib, or at least a partthereof which, in use, contacts a user, is of a material unlikelyto cause irritation.

17. Abibaccordingto anyone ofclaims II to 16 wherein a separate fastening, supplied with a pack of bibs and reusable with each bib, is used to secure each bib around the neck.

18. A bib substantially as hereinafter described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

19. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.