COMBINATION BIB AND BAG GARMENT PROTECTOR

Abstract

A disposable combination bib and bag garment protector having straps configured to secure around a neck of a person, a first bag or a material collection bag located on a first side and a second bag or a material stowage bag located on a second side. The bib and bag garment includes the first side that is worn by a person to shield food and/or oral contents released by that person from garments occupying the upper torso and to collect any food and/or oral contents sliding off the first side into the material collection bag. Upon being removed from the person, rolled to a point of closure of the material collection bag, the material stowage bag is exposed and opened to create a stowage space suitable for receiving used diapers or other trash item for convenient disposal.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/442,134 filed on Feb. 11, 2011. The foregoing application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

This disclosure is protected under United States and International Copyright Laws.© 2012 Donna L. Smith. All Rights Reserved. A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure after formal publication by the U.S. Patent Office, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Disclosure herein is generally directed to the field of garment protectors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Infants, small children, and some compromised adults make messes when eating. Bibs overlaid across a child's upper torso usually adequately shield a child's upper garment, but under other circumstances does not protect a user's lower garments as food and/or vomit slopped onto the upper torso located bib surface often slides off and lands on the child's pants, dress, or surrounding environment. Meanwhile for the same persons oftentimes a diaper change and its subsequent disposal is urgently required, sometimes when such persons are also covered with bib-splattered material. The preferred embodiments solve these and related problems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings depicted in FIGS. 1-6:

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a top view of a front side 14 of a combination disposable bib and bag garment protector 10 with a front bag 18 un-deployed;

FIG. 2 schematically depicts the front side combination bib and bag garment protector 10 with the front bag 18 deployed in the open position to create a catching volume 30;

FIG. 3 schematically depicts a perspective view of the front side combination bib and bag garment protector 10 with the bag 18 deployed in the open position;

FIG. 4 schematically depicts a perspective view from the child's viewpoint of the front side combination bib and bag garment protector 10 with the bag 18 deployed in the open position;

FIG. 5 schematically depicts a top view of a back side 54 of a combination disposable bib and bag garment protector 10 showing a back bag 58 un-deployed; and

FIG. 6 schematically depicts a perspective view of the back side 54 of the combination bib and bag garment protector 10 with the back bag 58 deployed in the open position to create a stowage space 130.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Described herein is a disposable combination bib and bag garment protector having straps configured to secure around a neck of a person, a first bag or a material collection bag located on a first side and a second bag or a material stowage bag located on a second side. The combination bib and bag disposable protector provides a dual purpose functionality. The disposable protector can function as a bib to keep splattered material from reaching upper torso garments and to collect into a first deployable bag near the bottom of the bib to collect any splattered material that slides off the bib, thus protecting lower torso garments and surrounding environments. This first deployable bag serves to be a waste collector, a waste catcher, or a material collection bag for those materials that slide off the bib surface. When the disposable garment protector is removed from a wearer or user, another built-in deployable bag, a second bag, residing on the opposite side of the disposable protector, can serve as a waste stowage bag or material stowage bag for other items not necessarily related to the material splattered on the bib—for example, soiled diapers or other waste materials. The second bag may have a larger volume than the first bag and can also serve as a receptacle for receiving ejected stomach contents for passengers suddenly experiencing motion sickness.

The bib and bag garment includes the first side that is worn by a person to shield food and/or oral contents released by that person from garments occupying the upper torso and to collect any food and/or oral contents sliding off the first side into the material collection bag. Upon being removed from the person, rolled to a point of closure of the material collection bag, the material stowage bag is exposed and opened to create a stowage space suitable for receiving uneaten food, used diapers or other trash item for convenient disposal.

This embodiment also concerns a disposable combination bib and bag garment protector having straps configured to secure around a neck of a person, a first bag or a material collection bag located on a first side and a second bag or a material stowage bag located on a second side. The opening of the material collection bag is configured to aim towards the straps and the opening of the material stowage bag is configured to aim away from the straps. The bib and bag garment includes the first side that is worn by a person to shield food and/or oral contents released by that person from garments occupying the upper torso and to collect any food and/or oral contents sliding off the first side into the material collection bag, thereby eliminating or minimizing the exposure of lower torso garments and surrounding environments. The disposable bib and bag garment protector having any food and/or oral contents located within the material collection bag may be removed from the person, rolled to a point of closure of the material collection bag, and exposing and opening up the material stowage bag to create a stowage space suitable for receiving uneaten food, used diapers or other trash item for convenient disposal.

Exemplary embodiments of the disposable combination bib and bag garment protector just described are called out in further detail with reference to FIGS. 1-6 below.

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a top view of a front side 14 of a combination disposable bib and bag garment protector 10 with a front bag 18 un-deployed. The front side 14 may include a decoration 22. In this example decoration 22 includes a stylized smiley face with the statement that reads “I love my wonderful child!” Other decorations and/or information statement may be encompassed by the decoration 22. The protector 10 includes a first strap 26 and a second strap 28 configured to tie around the neck of a user. The front bag or front container 18 opens upward towards the front side 14 to catch food/slop or oral cavity material that slides off the surface of the front side 14. A first bag edge 29 demarcates the face region of the front bag 18 that overlays onto the front side 14. The first bag 18's front edge 29 is located near the bottom portion of the protector 10 or diametrically from the straps 26/28. In alternate embodiments sticky tab closures (not shown) may be added to the straps 26/28 to facilitate securing the protector 10 around the neck. The sticky tab closures may be adhesive based.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts the front side combination bib and bag garment protector 10 with the front bag 18 deployed in the open position to create a catching volume 30 to receive the food/slop and/or oral cavity contents that slide off the surface of the front side 14. The front edge 29 opens the front bag 18 to create the catching space or catching volume 30.

FIG. 3 schematically depicts a perspective view of the front side combination bib and bag garment protector 10 with the front bag 18 deployed in the open position to show another view of the collection volume 30.

FIG. 4 schematically depicts a perspective view from the child's or wearer's viewpoint of the front side combination bib and bag garment protector 10 with the front bag 18 deployed in the open position to show another view of the material collection volume 30.

FIG. 5 schematically depicts a top view of a back side 54 of a combination disposable bib and bag garment protector 10 showing a back bag 58 un-deployed. A warning label 62 reads “Warning! Do not place plastic on child's face. Danger of Suffocation. Never leave child unattended.” Different warning labels may be substituted, for example “Refrain from placing bag on face—risk of suffocation.” The back bag 58 is the second bag or second container that serves to create a material stowage volume or space 130 described in FIG. 6. The second bag 58's back edge 129 is located near the bottom portion of the protector 10 or diametrically from the straps 26/28. The second or back bag edge 129 demarcates the face region of the second bag 58 that overlays onto the back side 54. The back edge 129 will open away from the straps 26/28.

FIG. 6 schematically depicts a perspective view of the back side 54 of the combination bib and bag garment protector 10 with the back bag 58 or back container 58 deployed in the open position in that the back edge 129 is lifted upward to create a stowage space 130. The stowage space 130 is demarcated by sealant line 100 that established the perimeter of the back bag 58. The back bag 58 may have a larger volume for receiving materials than the front bag 18 or from elsewhere. The stowage space 130 illustrates (for example purposes) a diaper residing therein. The stowage space 130 serves to receive disposable diapers or other trash for convenient disposal.

The combination disposable bib and bag garment protector 10 may be folded in a compact volume and be individually packaged or packaged in multi-pack groups, for example, 10 for a small package and 72 for a larger package. Other package combinations may be established. The garment protector 10 may be constructed of light weight, thin, foldable plastics, including biodegradable plastics, and be used in the home, restaurants, or travel industries. The combination dual purpose functionality of the preferred embodiment eliminates the need for the parent or other caregiver to carry two separate items for the different functions. Another advantage is that waste in manufacturing, materials and disposal is thereby avoided.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a single partition or multiple partitions may be included in the front bag 18 and the back bag 58. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A disposable garment protector wearable by a user comprising:

a first side having a material collection bag;

a second side having a material stowage bag transversally located from the material collection bag; and

straps to secure the first side outwardly to cover the upper torso of the user.

2. The disposable garment protector of claim 1, wherein the opening to the material collection bag is configured to aim upwards toward the straps.

3. The disposable garment protector of claim 1, wherein the opening of the material stowage bag is configured to aim downwards away from the straps.