HEAT-RESISTANT AND/OR LIQUID-RESISTANT COVERING

Abstract

A covering worn by a user, the covering including a body portion having a first side, a second side; and a first neck flap attached to and extending from the first side of the body portion, the first neck flap having a first concave portion to receive a neck of the user such that the body portion covers at least a portion of a body of the user; wherein the body portion and the first neck flap include a material that is at least one of a heat-resistant material and a liquid resistant material, the material having an outer surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application number 61/703,465, filed Sep. 20, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a heat-resistant shield or covering and, more particularly, to a heat-resistant and/or liquid-resistant cover worn by a caregiver feeding or holding an infant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the recommended period for nursing an infant is increased, nursing mothers may find themselves in a circumstance where the time during which the infant is nursing is also an optimal time for them to consume food or a beverage. Additionally, an infant may rest or sleep in a caregiver's arms for a period of time during which the caregiver may wish to consume food or a beverage. The caregiver typically attempts to protect the infant from spills, particularly spills of hot beverages like tea or coffee or hot foods like soup. As such, these hot foods or beverages are positioned away from the infant. In order to consume them, the caregiver must attempt to consume them from an uncomfortable position that moves their mouth far from the infant toward the hot food or beverage rather than bringing the hot food or beverage toward the infant. In the alternative, the caregiver may refrain from consuming food or beverages while holding or feeding an infant.

Modesty covers are known for nursing mothers. These generally teach away from a material strong enough to resist heat and liquids. Liquid-resistant bibs may be worn by infants to protect their clothes and/or bodies from spills. These teach away from the present invention because they are designed to resist spills and stains made by the infant and not to protect the infant from accidental harm from a spilled beverage or food.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention is directed to a covering worn by a user, the covering comprising: a body portion having a first side, a second side; and a first neck flap attached to and extending from the first side of the body portion, the first neck flap having a first concave portion to receive a neck of the user such that the body portion covers at least a portion of a body of the user; wherein the body portion and the first neck flap comprise a material that is at least one of a heat-resistant material and a liquid resistant material, the material having an outer surface.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a covering worn by a user, the covering comprising: a body portion having a first side and a second side; a first neck flap extending from the first side of the body portion, the first neck flap having a first concave portion to receive a neck; a second neck flap extending from the second side of the body portion the second neck flap having a second concave portion to receive the neck of the user; and a fastener configured to attach the first neck flap to the second neck flap such that the first concave portion and the second concave portion form an opening for the neck of the user, wherein the body portion, the first neck flap and the second neck flap comprise a material that is at least one of a heat-resistant material and a liquid resistant material

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the covering positioned over at least a portion of a user and an infant;

FIGS. 2a-2c are top views of the covering;

FIG. 3a is a partial top view of one embodiment showing a button fastening around the neck;

FIG. 3b is a partial top view of one embodiment showing a hook-and-loop fastening around the neck;

FIGS. 4a and 4b are cross sectional views of the covering;

FIGS. 5a and 5b are top views of the covering; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of a user wearing the covering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown generally in FIGS. 1-6, a covering 10 may be worn by a user 12. The covering 10 may be worn by the user 12 to cover at least a portion of a body 14 of the user. The covering 10 protects the user and/or clothing worn by the user from food and/or liquid spilled by the user. Alternatively, the covering may be worn by the user 12 while the user is feeding, nursing or otherwise holding an infant 16.

When worn by the user 12 while holding, nursing or feeding an infant 16, the covering 10 is positioned over and covers at least a portion of the body 14 of the user and at least a portion of the infant. The term “infant” is used herein to broadly encompass a child of any age as well as pets, such as, for example, dogs and cats.

The covering 10 includes a body portion 18 having a first side 18a and a second side 18b. In one embodiment, shown best in FIG. 2a, the body portion 18 terminates at an end 18c with an upturned end or lip 20 that extends away from the body portion. The lip 20 can catch food or liquid that is spilled by the user 12 and prevent the spilled food or liquid from falling on the floor or from falling on the infant 16.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2a, the lip 20 extends across a width W1 of the end 18c of the body portion 18c. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2b, the lip 20 only extends across a portion of the width W1 of the end 18c of the body portion 18. In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2c, the lip extends around a perimeter P of the body portion 18. While FIGS. 2a-2c illustrate only a first neck flap 22, it is contemplated that the covering 10 having two neck flaps may also have the lip 20 as described above.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the covering 10 includes the first neck flap 22 that is attached to and extends from the first side 18a of the body portion 18. The first neck flap 22 may be integrally formed with the body portion 18, or the first neck flap 22 may be made separately and attached via stitches, glue, or the like, to the body portion 18.

The first neck flap 22 has a first concave portion 24 to receive a neck 26 of the user 12. The placement of the first neck flap 22 around the neck 26 of the user 12 allows the body portion 18 to cover at least a portion of the body 14 of the user. It is contemplated that having only the first neck flap 22 allows the user 12 to be able to place the covering 10 around the neck 26 using only one hand. In one embodiment, the first neck flap 22 is formed into a predetermined shape that may be rigidly structured. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2a-2c, the first neck flap 22 may be have a “J” shape or a hook-like shape. This allows the user 12 to hold an infant 16 in one hand while placing the covering 10 around their neck 26 and positioning it over at least a portion of their body 14 and at least a portion of the infant 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, the body portion 18 of the covering 10 covers at least a portion of the chest of the user 12 and the abdomen of the user 12. It is contemplated that the portion of the body 14 of the user 12 that is covered by the body portion 18 of the covering 10 will depend on the size of the body portion of the covering. The size of the body portion 18, and the size of the covering 10, is not limited since the overall dimensions of the covering 10 can be altered or varied to fit a particular user. While the body portion 18 of the covering 10 is shown in the Figures as having a circular, oval or oblong shape, the invention is not limited in this regard as the body portion of the covering can be any shape that permits at least a portion of the covering to be position over and cover at least a portion of the body 14 of the user 12 and/or at least a portion of the infant 16.

In one embodiment, the body portion 18 and the first neck flap 22 are made of one material being a heat-resistant and/or a liquid resistant material and having an outer surface 28. In one embodiment, the material having outer surface 28 is a contiguous piece of flexible plastic material without perforations. For example, the material having outer surface 28 is food-grade silicone as described in 21 CFR §177.2600 et seq. that has a working temperature of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and a resistance to both aqueous and oil-based liquids with a moderate pliability and a durometer hardness rating of 40-65. In one embodiment, the material having outer surface 28 is a flexible heat- and liquid-resistant material such as, for example, FDA Grade Silicone which is commercially available from a variety of vendors including Rubber-Cal (Santa Ana, Calif., USA). It is contemplated that the material having outer surface 28 may be stain-resistant.

As shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, in one embodiment the covering 10 includes a second neck flap 30 attached to and extending from the second side 18b of the body portion 18. The second neck flap 30 has a second concave portion 32 to receive the neck 26 of the user 12. While the second neck flap 30 as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b appear to be substantially similar in length as the first neck flap 22, it is contemplated that the first neck flap may be shorter or longer than the second neck flap, and vice versa.

In one embodiment, the second neck flap 30 is made integrally with the body portion 18; however, it is contemplated that the second neck flap can be made separately and then attached to the body portion 18. In one embodiment, the second neck flap 30 is made of the same material as the first neck flap 22 and the body portion 18 and thus includes the outer surface 28 as described in detail above. It is contemplated that the second neck flap may be made separately from the first neck flap 22 and the body portion 18 and be of a different material, for example, the second neck flap 22 may be made of a fabric material so as to lessen the weight of the second neck flap as compared to the first neck flap.

The first neck flap 22 and the second neck flap 30 may be attached to one another by using at least one fastener 34. The fastener 34 could be any type of device that allows the first neck flap 22 and the second neck flap 30 to be attached to one another. For example, the fastener 34 could be any one of a hook and loop fastening system (for example, Velcro™ hook and loop fastener, a product of Velcro Industries B.V. LLC, Amsterdam, Netherlands), a snap, a button, a hook and eye, and the like. When the first neck flap 22 and the second neck flap 30 are attached using the fastener 34, the first concave portion 24 and the second concave portion 32 form an opening 36 for the neck 26 of the user 12.

It is understood that a variety of sizes of openings 36 may be required for users 12 of different sizes and that having a fastener 34 that can accommodate different sized users is desirable. Accordingly, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3a, the first neck flap 22 and the second neck flap 30 are attached by the fastener 34, which is a button 38 affixed to the second neck flap 30 and a plurality of button holes 38a positioned on the first neck flap 22. The plurality of button holes 38 makes the size of the opening 36 adjustable to accommodate the neck 26 of the user 12. While not shown in the Figures, it is contemplated that the button 38 may be affixed to the first neck flap 22 and the button holes 38a may be positioned on the second neck flap 30.

As shown in FIG. 3b, the fastener 34 is a hook-and-loop fastener 40. The first neck flap 22 is turned up to show an inner surface 42 of the covering 10 which is positioned opposite from the outer surface 28. It is contemplated that either the hooks or the loops can be positioned on the inner surface 42 of one neck flap and the complementary portion of the hook-and-loop fastener can be positioned on the outer surface 28 of the opposing neck flap.

The adjustability of the size of the opening 36 can also be accomplished by having one or more snaps or rivets as the fastener 34. In another embodiment, the fastener may be strings or pieces of fabric or other material that can be tied around the neck 26 of the user 12 to obtain an appropriately sized opening 36.

A cross-section of a portion of the covering 10 is shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a, the covering 10 includes the material having the outer surface 28 and the inner surface 42, which is opposite the outer surface. In one embodiment a liner 44 is disposed on at least a portion of the inner surface 42. The liner 44 engages with either or both the body 14 of the user 12 and the infant 16. In one embodiment, the liner 44 is made of a relatively soft material, for example, cotton or other breathable fabric. It is contemplated that the liner 44 may be a material that provides heat resistance, such as, for example, Insul-Bright® material, available from the Warm Company, Lynwood, Wash. USA. In another embodiment, the liner 44 is padded with cotton batting.

In one embodiment, the liner 44 is contiguous with the entirety of the inner surface 42. In another embodiment, the liner 44 is contiguous with only a portion of the inner surface 42. The liner 44 may be fixedly attached to the inner surface 28, or alternatively, the liner may be detachable to permit cleaning, replacement, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 4b, in one embodiment, the outer surface 28 of the covering 10 is coated with a liquid-resistant coating 46. The liquid-resistant coating 46 may include materials such as, but not limited to poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE, e.g., TEFLON™ available from E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Wilmington, Del., USA; expanded PTFE, e.g., GORTEX®, available from W. L. Gore & Associates, Maryland, USA), polyolefins, polyurethanes, foamed neoprene rubber, and the like. Materials having properties rendering them substantially impermeable to liquids such as water and oil are well known in the art, and are readily commercially available.

In another embodiment, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the covering 10 includes a transparent panel 48 extending a width W2 between the first side 18a and the second side 18b of the body portion 18. The transparent panel 48 may be made of any type of material that allows the user 12 to see through at least a portion of the covering 10 to view the infant 16. While FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate that the transparent panel 48 may be across the entire width W2 of the body portion 18, it is contemplated that the transparent panel may be across only a portion of the width W2 of the body portion.

Referring to FIG. 6, the user 12 is seated and holding the infant 16. The covering 10 is fastened with the fastener 34 around the caregiver's neck 26. The covering 10 is draped to cover the infant 16. The stiffness of the material forming the covering 10 substantially prevents the bib 10 from collapsing about and smothering the infant 16, as shown by the gap G.

A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A covering worn by a user, the covering comprising:

a body portion having a first side, a second side; and

a first neck flap attached to and extending from the first side of the body portion, the first neck flap having a first concave portion to receive a neck of the user such that the body portion covers at least a portion of a body of the user;

wherein the body portion and the first neck flap comprise a material that is at least one of a heat-resistant material and a liquid resistant material, the material having an outer surface.

2. The covering of claim 1, wherein the body portion at least partially covers an infant held at the body of the user.

3. The covering of claim 1, further comprising:

a second neck flap attached to and extending from the second side of the body portion, the second neck flap having a second concave portion to receive the neck of the user.

4. The covering of claim 3, further comprising a fastener configured to attach the first neck flap with the second neck flap, wherein when the first neck flap and the second neck flap are attached, the first concave portion and the second concave portion form an opening for the neck of the user.

5. The covering of claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a transparent panel extending a width between the first side and the second side of the body portion.

6. The covering of claim 1, wherein the material is food grade silicone in compliance with 21 CFR §17.2600 et seq.

7. The covering of claim 1, the material further comprising an inner surface opposite the outer surface.

8. The covering of claim 7, further comprising:

a liner disposed on at least a portion of the inner surface.

9. The covering of claim 8, wherein the liner is detachable.

10. The covering according to claim 8, wherein the liner comprises a heat-resistant material.

11. The covering according to claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a lip positioned to catch food and liquid.

12. A covering worn by a user, the covering comprising:

a body portion having a first side and a second side;

a first neck flap extending from the first side of the body portion, the first neck flap having a first concave portion to receive a neck;

a second neck flap extending from the second side of the body portion the second neck flap having a second concave portion to receive the neck of the user; and

a fastener configured to attach the first neck flap to the second neck flap such that the first concave portion and the second concave portion form an opening for the neck of the user,

wherein the body portion, the first neck flap and the second neck flap comprise a material that is at least one of a heat-resistant material and a liquid resistant material.