BIB GARMENT ADAPTED TO RESIST REMOVAL FROM A FRONT TORSO OF A WEARER THEREOF AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME
A bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer, and a method of manufacturing the garment is disclosed. The garment includes a front panel covering the front torso of an infant, and an optional “crumb catcher” protruding from the front panel to protect the infant's clothing from soiling by liquid and solid food falling from the infant's mouth. The garment is anchored to the infant by straps and anchor arrangements. Fastener arrangements inaccessible to the infant are provided for fastening the garment to the infant. Thus, the garment is configured to resist removal by the infant while being fed, even when the infant repeatedly pulls or tugs on the garment. An embodiment of the garment for adults, such as an adult suffering from dementia who may attempt to remove the garment, allows feeding without soiling the adult's clothing and resists removal by the adult.
This invention generally relates to garments, and more specifically to bibs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTypically, an infant is unable to feed himself because he lacks eye and hand coordination to manipulate eating utensils. Therefore, the infant is fed by a parent or caregiver capable of properly feeding the infant. However, even when being fed by the parent or caregiver, food will fall from the infant's mouth and possibly soil and stain the infant's clothing. This necessitates removing and washing the infant's clothing after the infant is fed.
For the reason mentioned hereinabove, it is known to cover the infant's chest with a “bib” to prevent food contacting the infant's clothing, so that soiling and staining of the infant's clothing are avoided. A “bib” is an item, usually cloth or plastic, secured under the chin and worn on the chest, especially by infants, to protect underlying clothing while eating. However, it has been observed that, in some cases, an infant will instinctively attempt to remove the bib, such as by repeatedly pulling on the bib. The infant may even be successful in detaching the bib from his chest. This behavior by the infant, in turn, causes the parent or caregiver to constantly work to prevent the infant from detaching the bib. Also, if the infant is successful in repeatedly detaching the bib, the parent or caregiver must constantly reattach the bib to the infant. Therefore, constantly attempting to prevent the infant from detaching the bib and constantly reattaching the bib to the infant unnecessarily prolongs the feeding process and distracts the parent's or caregiver's attention from communicating and interacting with the infant in a more nurturing manner during the feeding process.
In addition, some conventional bibs include tie strings that are used to secure the bib to the infant. However, such tie strings may loosen and become undone as the infant attempts to remove the bib. Free ends of the tie strings that are undone may thereafter become entangled with nearby objects, such as the structure of a high chair in which the infant may be sitting. In addition, snap buttons and Velcro® brand fasteners can also become detached. This causes the parent or caregiver to attend to untangling the tie strings from the nearby structure and, at least momentarily, distracts the parent or caregiver from devoting full attention to feeding the infant.
In addition, some commercially available bibs include tie strings located about the neck of the infant. The infant might access the bib tie strings located about his neck. Due to this activity of the infant, the tie strings around the neck of the infant may loosen and become entangled with nearby structures, such as the frame of the high chair, and possibly tighten to choke or otherwise injure the infant. Moreover, if the bib having the tie-string configuration remains on the infant when the infant is put to bed or in a playpen, the tie strings located about the neck of the infant may present a strangulation risk, if the infant or nearby structure becomes entangled in the tie strings.
In addition to infants, bibs are also often used when feeding elderly individuals. Such “senior bibs” find particular use in nursing homes and senior care centers. More specifically, elderly individuals are at risk of developing ailments, such as Alzheimer's disease or other senile dementia, that impair cognitive functioning and motor skills. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurologic disease of the brain that leads to irreversible loss of neurons and loss of cognitive function and motor skills. An individual afflicted with this disease may eventually become apraxic, which is the total or partial loss of an ability to perform coordinated muscular movements or manipulate objects. An individual afflicted with Alzheimer's disease or other senile dementia may even refuse to open his mouth, chew, or swallow. This condition requires a caregiver to assist feeding the individual, and may result in food particles soiling and staining the individuals clothing and surroundings, including the clothing of the caregiver. Soiling and staining of the individual's clothing and surroundings, including the clothing of the caregiver, increases operating costs for the nursing home or senior care center because the clothing must be washed more frequently. Therefore, senior bibs are sometimes placed on the elderly individual to avoid soiling and staining clothing being worn by the elderly individual and caregiver. However, such bibs also typically use tie strings that may become inadvertently entangled with nearby structures (e.g., bed frames) and pose a health risk to the elderly individual. In addition, elderly individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other senile dementia may become combative and attempt to remove the bib. In this case, the caregiver's attention is distracted from the feeding process because the caregiver must constantly attend to preventing the elderly individual from detaching the bib, and attend to reattaching the bib if the elderly individual is successful in accessing the tie strings and detaching the bib. This results in more time required to feed the elderly individual. This situation arises in environments in addition to nursing homes and senior care centers. For example, this situation arises in psychiatric wards, or any environment where adults may be more apt to resist wearing of a bib. Such individuals may be mentally handicapped (e.g., brain damaged), but still have some mobility to remove the bib. In the case of nursing homes, senior care centers and psychiatric wards, the increase in feeding time increases operating costs.
Bibs are also useful when feeding invalid individuals of any age. For example, invalid adults of virtually any age may suffer from Parkinson's disease, which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by death of brain neurons. Parkinson's disease adversely affects an individual's coordination and motor skills and, thus, an individual suffering from Parkinson's disease will eventually require feeding assistance by a caregiver. However, the uncoordinated movements of the individual suffering from Parkinson's disease may cause a bib placed on the individual to become displaced and therefore cause the caregiver to constantly readjust the bib on the individual. Also, some conventional bibs use tie strings, including tie strings about the neck, to secure the bib to the individual. The uncoordinated movements of the individual suffering from Parkinson's disease or other similar affliction may cause the tie strings to become entangled with objects present on the individual's body, such as writing pens, buttons, jewelry, and other objects. These tie strings may even become entangled with other nearby objects, such as wheel chair structure. Such entanglement of tie strings with nearby objects and structure presents a health risk to the individual suffering from Parkinson's disease, or other similar affliction. This is particularly true in the case of tie strings that are accessible by the individual and located about his neck.
In home care and hospital environments, bibs are useful when feeding patients recovering from debilitating injuries, or who are partially or completely paralyzed. For example, an individual may have suffered a stroke, which is characterized by sudden non-functioning of brain cells in a localized area of the brain due to inadequate blood flow. A stroke may cause paralysis and other effects that impair an individual's ability to properly feed himself or herself. Thus, effects of a stroke may require a caregiver's assistance in feeding the stroke victim. Therefore, bibs are often used when feeding a stroke victim patient to avoid soiling and staining the patient's clothing and bedding. However, bibs are sometimes left on the patient even when the patient is not being fed a meal. That is, bibs are sometimes purposefully left on the patient to avoid soiling and staining of patient clothing and bedding when the patient is periodically administered oral medications, particularly oral medications in liquid form. However, common medical practice is to periodically “turn” or rotate the patient after prolonged periods in bed to avoid development of bed sores on the patient. In this situation, conventional bibs left on the patient semi-permanently and having tie strings may present a health risk to the patient as the patient is rotated, if the tie strings were to become entangled with bed frame structure or caregiver clothing or adjacent medical apparatus, such as intravenous or tracheal breathing tube apparatus.
Attempts have been made to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to bibs worn by infants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,424,000 titled “Protecting And Restraining Garment” and issued Jul. 15, 1947 in the name of Meyer W. Shanker, relates to a garment such as an apron or a bib so constructed as to retain a child in a desired position in a chair without uncomfortably binding or chocking the body of the child. According to this patent, the garment is so constructed as to provide neck pieces which are positioned and which are secured comfortably about the neck of the child so that the restraining functions of the garment are completed. However, it appears that the neck pieces can be accessed by the child, who can unfasten or separate the neck pieces. The separated neck pieces can then injure the child if the neck pieces are caught in nearby structure, such as the high chair mentioned hereinabove.
Another attempt to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to bibs worn by infants is U.S. Pat. No. 7,526,815 B1 titled “Baby Bib With Protective Neckline” and issued May 5, 2009 in the name of Shea Kelly. This patent discloses protective bibs worn around a baby's neck protecting the baby's skin and clothes from food and liquid during feeding. According to this patent, the bib has a body section with a protection panel for protecting the baby's clothes and skin from spilled food. The bib also has shoulder straps and a protective neck strap to secure the bib around the baby's neck. The protective neck strap scrunches under the child's neck to ensure that the neckline is adequately covered and protected from food and liquid spilled or drooled out of the baby's mouth when feeding. A free end of the protective neck strap is attachable to a Velcro® brand fastening strip on the protection panel of the bib. The fastening strip allows tightness of the neck strap to adjust depending on the size of the baby's neck. However, the protective neck strap disclosed by this patent may present a risk that a parent or caregiver might over-tighten the protective neck strap, thereby resulting in discomfort for the baby. Also, it appears that the baby has access to the free end of the protective neck strap when the free end of the protective neck strap is attached to the fastening strip. This is so because the fastening strip is located on the front protection panel of the body of the bib and is therefore readily accessible by the baby. Thus, there is a risk that the baby can detach the free end of the neck strap from the fastening strip. When the free end of the protective neck strap is detached from the fastening strip, the free end of the protective neck strap may become inadvertently caught in nearby structure and tighten about the neck of the baby in a manner that risks injury to the baby.
Yet another attempt to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to bibs worn by infants and adults is U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2009/0172857 A1 titled “Bib With A Belt” and published Jul. 9, 2009 in the name of Lorri-Anne Schneider. This patent application relates to a bib especially useful for teething and feeding infants, toddlers and adults. According to this patent application, a bib includes a head section which goes over the head of the user and around the neck of the user. Optionally, the head section may include an overlap section, where portions have a first portion of the head section that overlaps a second portion of the head section. The first portion of the head section is detachably connected to the second portion of the head section by a Velcro® or buttons, or other suitable attachment devices. However, this bib configuration may present an increased risk that a caregiver could over-tighten the portions of the head section when overlapping the first portion of the head section onto the second portion of the head section. This, in turn, could lead to discomfort for the wearer of the bib. The wearer may be unable to communicate this discomfort to the caregiver if the wearer is an infant, an adult suffering from dementia, or anyone having difficulty speaking or who is otherwise afflicted with an ailment that interferes with effective communication with the caregiver. In addition, if the wearer successfully detaches the first portion of the head section from the second portion of the head section, either the first portion or the second portion of the head section may become caught in nearby structure and undesirably tighten about the neck of the wearer, thereby posing a health risk to the wearer of the bib.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer thereof, and a method of manufacturing same.
The bib garment cannot be removed by the wearer due at least in part to the location of the fastened straps below the rib cage (i.e., at or near the mid-plane of the rear torso). Another benefit of this location of the fastened straps is that the wearer (child or adult) is thereby prevented from pulling the bib OVER his/her head.
In a first embodiment, the bib garment is configured to protect clothing worn by an infant from soiling and staining due to food spilling from the mouth of the infant while the infant is fed by a parent or caregiver. However, the infant may instinctively attempt to remove the bib garment, such as by repeatedly pulling on the bib garment, particularly the areas of the bib garment where the bib garment has fasteners. Removal of the bib garment by the infant would cause the parent or caregiver to interrupt the feeding process in order to reattach the bib garment to the infant. Interruption of the feeding process unnecessarily prolongs the feeding process.
The bib garment is configured to resist attempts by the infant to remove the bib garment. In this regard, the first embodiment of the bib garment includes a front panel for covering the front torso of the infant. The front panel includes a yoke portion that extends partially about the neck of the infant. The yoke portion defines a pair of oppositely-disposed, spaced-apart shoulder portions integrally formed with the yoke portion and that can be positioned on either side of the neck of the infant. The shoulder portions will lay on respective ones of the shoulders of the infant while the shoulder portions are positioned on either side of the neck of the infant. Attached to opposite vertical sides of the front panel are a first anchor arrangement and a second anchor arrangement. The first and second anchor arrangements are spaced-apart and laterally disposed opposite each other for reasons provided hereinbelow. The first embodiment bib garment further includes a “crumb catcher”, pocket or pouch connected to the front panel for receiving food particles (e.g., food crumbs) or liquid falling or drooling from the mouth of the infant while the infant is being fed.
An elongate and flexible first strap has a first end portion attached to the first shoulder portion of the bib. The first strap also has a second end portion that is a free end. In addition, the first embodiment bib garment includes an elongate and flexible second strap having a first end portion attached to the second shoulder portion. The second strap also has a second end portion that is a free end. Affixed to the second end portion of the first strap is a male portion of a hook-and-loop fastener. Also, affixed to the second end portion of the second strap is a female portion of the hook-and-loop fastener. The female portion and the male portion cooperate to define a hook-and-loop first embodiment fastener arrangement for releasably securing the end portions of the first strap and the second strap together. However, the fastener arrangement may take various alternative forms, such as a button and button hole fastener, a snap-in fastener, a buckle fastener, or the like.
The first embodiment bib garment is releasably secured to the infant in a manner denying the infant access to the fastener arrangement mentioned hereinabove, so that the infant cannot unfasten the fastener arrangement and detach the bib garment. To obtain this result, the first strap is extended diagonally across a rear torso of the infant and through a medial region of the rear torso. The second end portion of the first strap is then manually passed slidably through a ring-shaped anchor member, so that the first strap may be securely anchored to the front panel at the location of the ring-shaped anchor member. The second end portion is thereafter folded inwardly from the first anchor arrangement to terminate at a vertical mid-plane of the rear torso at a lower portion of the rear torso. Inwardly folding the second end portion in this manner presents the male portion of the hook-and-loop fastener arrangement for engagement with the female portion of the hook-and-loop fastener arrangement.
The second strap is extended diagonally across the rear torso and through the medial region of the rear torso of the infant. The second end portion of the second strap is then manually passed through another ring-shaped anchor member, so that the second strap may be securely anchored to the front panel. The second end portion of the second strap is thereafter folded inwardly from the first anchor arrangement to terminate near a vertical mid-plane of the rear torso at a lower portion of the rear torso. Inwardly folding second end portion in this manner presents the female portion of the hook-and-loop fastener arrangement for releasable engagement with the male portion of the hook-and-loop fastener arrangement. In this manner, locating the hook-and-loop fastener arrangement near the mid-plane of the rear torso of the infant denies the infant access to the hook-and-loop fastener arrangement, so that the infant cannot remove the bib garment. This is so because the infant cannot reach the hook-and-loop fastener arrangement located at his rear torso.
A second embodiment bib garment is substantially similar to the first embodiment bib garment, except a first slit and an oppositely, laterally disposed second slit are cut in the front panel for receiving the second strap and the first strap, respectively. In other words, the first slit and the second slit are substituted for respective ones of the previously mentioned ring-shaped members. Use of slits rather than ring-shaped members may reduce material and labor costs associated with manufacture of the bib garment.
A third embodiment bib garment is configured to substantially cover an upper front torso of an adult for preventing soiling and staining of underlying clothing being worn on an upper front torso by the adult. The third embodiment bib garment is also resistant to being removed by environmental protrusions that might catch or snag on the fabric comprising the upper torso front panel of the third embodiment bib garment. For example, such protrusions might outwardly project from cooking utensils and other equipment found in residential or industrial kitchens, machine shop tools, and other items. In any of these situations, the fastener arrangements will cause the bib garment to resist removal from the adult wearer of the bib garment. The bib garment will resist removal because such protrusions that catch or snag on the front panel will not have access to the fastener arrangements located on the upper rear torso of the adult wearer of the bib garment. In this manner, the adult wearer will save time that otherwise would be spent reattaching the bib garment.
A fourth embodiment bib garment is substantially similar to the first embodiment bib garment, except the fourth embodiment bib garment lacks the pouch of the first embodiment bib garment. Elimination of the pouch during manufacture of the fourth embodiment bib garment may reduce material and labor costs.
A fifth embodiment bib garment is substantially similar to the first embodiment bib garment, except the second end portion of the first strap and the second end portion of second strap each includes a strap elastic portion. The strap elastic portions allow the first strap and the second strap to elastically expand and contract for adjusting the straps to the size of the rear torso of the infant or the adult wearer, as the case may be. Any of the embodiments of the bib garments may include the strap elastic portions.
A sixth embodiment bib garment is substantially similar to the first embodiment bib garment, except the front panel includes a front panel elastic portion adapted to elastically expand and contract for adjusting the front panel to the size of the front torso of the infant.
A seventh embodiment bib garment is substantially similar to the first embodiment bib garment, except the front panel includes a neck-line elastic yoke portion integrally formed therewith in combination with the front panel elastic portion. The elastic yoke portion may be generally semi-circular in shape and circumferentially extends at least partially about the neck of the infant. The elastic yoke portion is adapted to elastically expand and contract for adjusting the elastic yoke portion to the size of the neck of the infant. Alternatively, only the elastic yoke portion may be present and the front panel elastic portion may be absent, if desired, in order to reduce material and labor costs during manufacture.
An eighth embodiment bib garment is substantially similar to the third embodiment bib garment, except the pouch includes an elastic strip integrally formed therewith. The elastic strip is adapted to expand and contract to accommodate size and number of articles placed in the pouch.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer thereof, including: a front panel; a first anchor arrangement attached to the front panel; a second anchor arrangement attached to the front panel; a first strap attached to the front panel and adapted to diagonally extend across a medial region of a rear torso of the wearer, into engagement with the second anchor arrangement and therefrom to terminate near the medial region; a second strap attached to the front panel and adapted to diagonally extend across the medial region, into engagement with the first anchor arrangement and therefrom to terminate near the medial region; and a fastener arrangement attached to the first strap and the second strap.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer thereof, including: a front panel for covering the front torso of the wearer, the front panel having a first shoulder portion and a second shoulder portion spaced-apart from the first shoulder portion; a first anchor arrangement attached to the front panel; a second anchor arrangement attached to the front panel and disposed laterally opposite the first anchor arrangement; a first strap attached to the first shoulder portion and adapted to diagonally extend across a medial region of a rear torso of the wearer, into sliding engagement with the second anchor arrangement and slidably therefrom to terminate near the medial region; a second strap attached to the second shoulder portion and adapted to diagonally extend across the medial region and cross the first strap, into sliding engagement with the first anchor arrangement and slidably therefrom to terminate near the medial region; and a fastener arrangement attached to the first strap and the second strap for releasably fastening the first strap to the second strap.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer thereof, including the steps of: providing a front panel; attaching a first anchor arrangement to the front panel; attaching a second anchor arrangement to the front panel; attaching a first strap to the front panel, the first strap being adapted to diagonally extend across a medial region of a rear torso of the wearer, into engagement with the second anchor arrangement and therefrom to terminate near the medial region; attaching a second strap to the front panel, the second strap being adapted to diagonally extend across the medial region, into engagement with the first anchor arrangement and therefrom to terminate near the medial region; and attaching a fastener arrangement to the first strap and the second strap.
A feature of the present invention is the provision of first and second straps connected to a front panel of a bib garment, the first and second straps being extendable diagonally across a medial region of the rear torso of the wearer to be attached to each other at the rear torso of the wearer.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a fastener arrangement for connecting the first strap and the second strap together near the medial region of the rear torso of the wearer after the first and second straps have diagonally crossed the medial region of the rear torso of the wearer.
An additional feature of the present invention is the provision of a first anchor arrangement attached to the front panel and an oppositely disposed second anchor arrangement attached to the front panel for anchoring the first strap and the second strap, respectively, to the front panel.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a pouch attached to the front panel for catching food that inadvertently spills from the wearer's mouth while the wearer is being fed.
In addition to the foregoing, various other method and/or device aspects and features are set forth and described in the teachings, such as text (e.g., claims and/or detailed description) and/or drawings of the present invention.
The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications, generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissions of detail. Consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described hereinabove, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the Detailed Description, in conjunction with the following figures, wherein:
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from either the spirit or scope of the invention.
In addition, the present patent specification uses formal outline headings for clarity of presentation. However, it is to be understood that the outline headings are for presentation purposes, and that different types of subject matter may be discussed throughout the application (e.g., device(s)/structure(s) may be described under process(es)/operations heading(s) and/or process(es)/operations may be discussed under structure(s)/process(es) headings; and/or descriptions of single topics may span two or more topic headings). Hence, the use of the formal outline headings is not intended to be in any way limiting.
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An illustrative method associated with an exemplary embodiment for manufacturing a bib garment according to the invention will now be described.
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Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. For example, a lap panel may be attached to a lowermost portion of front panel 50, the lap panel being outwardly extendable to cover the legs and pants of infant 30, so that food particles missing pouch 130 do not contact the legs and pants of infant 30 to soil the legs and pants of infant 30. As another example, any of embodiments of the bib garment disclosed herein may be fabricated from a disposable material, such as paper, so that a soiled bib garment may be merely discarded rather than require washing. In addition, the parent or caregiver is more apt to let the infant feed himself, if the parent or caregiver knows that the infant cannot detach the bib. Accordingly, the description hereinabove is not intended to limit the invention, except as indicated in the following claims.
The claims will be interpreted according to law. However, and notwithstanding the alleged or perceived ease or difficulty of interpreting any claim or portion thereof, under no circumstances may any adjustment or amendment of a claim or any portion thereof during prosecution of the application or applications leading to this patent be interpreted as having forfeited any right to any and all equivalents thereof that do not form a part of the prior art.
All of the features disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is only an example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Thus, from the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for the purpose of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims and the present invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
The specific methods and compositions described herein are representative of preferred embodiments and are exemplary and not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Other objects, aspects, and embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of this specification, and are encompassed within the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the claims. The invention illustratively described herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, or limitation or limitations, which is not specifically disclosed herein as essential. Thus, for example, in each instance herein, in embodiments or examples of the present invention, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “containing”, etc. are to be read expansively and without limitation. The methods and processes illustratively described herein suitably may be practiced in differing orders of steps, and that they are not necessarily restricted to the orders of steps indicated herein or in the claims.
The terms and expressions that have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intent in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalent of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as claimed. Thus, it will be understood that although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by various embodiments and/or preferred embodiments and optional features, any and all modifications and variations of the concepts herein disclosed that may be resorted to by those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.
The invention has been described broadly and generically herein. Each of the narrower species and subgeneric groupings falling within the generic disclosure also form part of the invention. This includes the generic description of the invention with a proviso or negative limitation removing any subject matter from the genus, regardless of whether or not the excised material is specifically recited herein.
It is also to be understood that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the term “X and/or Y” means “X” or “Y” or both “X” and “Y”, and the letter “s” following a noun designates both the plural and singular forms of that noun. In addition, where features or aspects of the invention are described in terms of Markush groups, it is intended and those skilled in the art will recognize, that the invention embraces and is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.
Other embodiments are within the following claims. The patent may not be interpreted to be limited to the specific examples or embodiments or methods specifically and/or expressly disclosed herein. Under no circumstances may the patent be interpreted to be limited by any statement made by any Examiner or any other official or employee of the Patent and Trademark Office unless such statement is specifically and without qualification or reservation expressly adopted in a responsive writing by Applicant(s).
Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.
Therefore, provided herein are a bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer thereof and a method of manufacturing same.
Claims
1. A bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer thereof, the bib garment including:
- (a) a front panel;
- (b) a first anchor arrangement attached to the front panel;
- (c) a second anchor arrangement attached to the front panel;
- (d) a first strap attached to the front panel and adapted to diagonally extend across a medial region of a rear torso of the wearer, into engagement with the second anchor arrangement and therefrom to terminate near the medial region;
- (e) a second strap attached to the front panel and adapted to diagonally extend across the medial region, into engagement with the first anchor arrangement and therefrom to terminate near the medial region; and
- (f) a fastener arrangement attached to the first strap and the second strap.
2. The bib garment of claim 1, further including a pouch attached to the front panel.
3. The bib garment of claim 1,
- (a) wherein the first strap has a first strap elastic portion; and
- (b) wherein the second strap has a second strap elastic portion.
4. The bib garment of claim 1, wherein the front panel has a front panel elastic portion.
5. The bib garment of 1, wherein the front panel is formed of a material impervious to liquid absorption.
6. The bib garment of claim 1, further including a liquid-absorbing backing layer attached to the front panel.
7. A bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer thereof, including:
- a front panel for covering the front torso of the wearer, the front panel having a first shoulder portion and a second shoulder portion spaced-apart from the first shoulder portion, the front panel being formed of a material creating a substantially impervious barrier to liquids;
- a first anchor arrangement attached to the front panel, the first anchor arrangement including a first ring-shaped member;
- a second anchor arrangement attached to the front panel and disposed laterally opposite the first anchor arrangement, the second anchor arrangement including a second ring-shaped member;
- a first strap attached to the first shoulder portion and adapted to diagonally extend across a medial region of a rear torso of the wearer, into sliding engagement with the second anchor arrangement and slidably therefrom to terminate near the medial region, the first strap having a first strap elastic portion for adjustably conforming the first strap to the rear torso of the wearer;
- a second strap attached to the second shoulder portion and adapted to diagonally extend across the medial region and cross the first strap, into sliding engagement with the first anchor arrangement and slidably therefrom to terminate near the medial region, the second strap having a second strap elastic portion for adjustably conforming the second strap to the rear torso of the wearer; and
- a fastener arrangement attached to the first strap and the second strap for releasably fastening the first strap to the second strap.
8. The bib garment of claim 7, further including a pouch attached to the front panel for receiving an article thereinto.
9. The bib garment of claim 8, wherein the pouch has a pouch elastic portion for elastically expanding the pouch.
10. (canceled)
11. The bib garment of claim 7, wherein the front panel has a front panel elastic portion for adjustably conforming to the front torso of the wearer.
12. (canceled)
13. The bib garment of claim 7, further including a liquid-absorbing backing layer attached to a back of the front panel for absorbing a liquid passing through the front panel.
14. The bib garment of claim 7, further including:
- (a) a liquid-absorbing backing layer attached to a back of the front panel for absorbing a liquid passing through the front panel; and
- (b) a liquid-impervious backing layer attached to a back of the liquid-absorbing backing layer for preventing the liquid from contacting the wearer.
15. (canceled)
16. The bib garment of claim 7,
- (a) wherein the first anchor arrangement is a first loop defined by a first slit cut in the front panel; and
- (b) wherein the second anchor arrangement is a second loop defined by a second slit cut in the front panel.
17. The bib garment of claim 7, wherein the fastener arrangement includes a hook-and-loop fastener.
18. The bib garment of claim 7, wherein the fastener arrangement includes a snap fastener.
19. The bib garment of claim 7, wherein the fastener arrangement includes a buckle fastener.
20. A method of manufacturing a bib garment adapted to resist removal from a front torso of a wearer thereof, the method including:
- (a) providing a front panel;
- (b) attaching a first anchor arrangement to the front panel;
- (c) attaching a second anchor arrangement to the front panel;
- (d) attaching a first strap to the front panel, the first strap being adapted to diagonally extend across a medial region of a rear torso of the wearer, into engagement with the second anchor arrangement and therefrom to terminate near the medial region;
- (e) attaching a second strap to the front panel, the second strap being adapted to diagonally extend across the medial region, into engagement with the first anchor arrangement and therefrom to terminate near the medial region; and
- (f) attaching a fastener arrangement to the first strap and the second strap.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 6, 2012
Publication Date: Mar 6, 2014
Inventors: Vivian Hennessey (New York, NY), Sean Hennessey (New York, NY)
Application Number: 13/604,882