Apparel – Garment protectors – Aprons
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-02
2001-07-10
Vanatta, Amy B. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Garment protectors
Aprons
C002S052000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256788
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Disposable bibs are well known in the art. Many such bibs, intended to be used once and discarded, are adapted to use by infants during feeding, by patients of dentists or other health practitioners, by patrons of beauty salons or diners in a restaurant, persons handling messy or staining materials and the like. A variety of means are employed to secure the bib to the wearer including tie cords, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, leads with clips on each end and, in some examples, adhesive-backed straps or tabs.
For example, the bib disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,157, issued to Marder, et al., secures the neck opening of the bib around the wearer's neck but does not secure the rest of the bib to the wearer's person so that it can resist pulling on the bib material and exposing the clothing intended to be protected, particularly near the shoulders. Gruenwald, U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,776, discloses a bib which uses adhesive straps to secure the bib to the wearer's shoulders. It also permits exposure of the protected area, particularly around the neck if the wearer moves or pulls at the bib. In general, bibs secured only from the top leave the rest of the bib unsecured and thus, most of the functional portion of the bib is readily pulled to one side or the other by the wearer's movements. Johnson, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,321, discloses a disposable bib having a food catching pocket which is held open by adhesive tabs secured to a supporting surface such as a table and an adhesive tab to secure the bib's neck closure. While the lower end of the bib may be held in place by attachment to the table, the adhesive tabs do not permit the bib to be secured to the wearer's person so that the bib remains in place when the wearer moves or shifts position. Kehl, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,844, discloses a disposable bib for use by dental patients having a strip of pressure sensitive adhesive across the top edge of the back of the bib but lacks means to secure the rest of the bib to the wearer.
There is thus a need for a disposable bib adapted to the numerous uses noted above that has the ability to fully protect the wearer despite pulling at the bib or movement of the wearer. In particular, both a good seal of the bib, near the neck, and secure attachment to the wearer at the lower portion of the bib is needed to maintain the bib in position, to keep it disposed against the wearer substantially over its entire surface and to fully utilize the protective properties of the bib surface such as its absorbency, liquid repellence and the like. Moreover, an improved disposable bib must be easy to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing problems are solved and an advance in the art is realized by the present invention wherein a disposable bib of absorbent sheet material having a neck cut-out employs a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed over substantially the entire back surface of the bib except for an un-coated border surrounding the neck cut-out. A peel-off backing may be used to preserve the adhesive until ready for use. The adhesive is releaseable from the wearer without leaving an adhesive residue on the wearer when the bib is removed after use. In other embodiments, the bib may also include a moisture barrier or a pouch across the lower end of the bib for catching spills or debris.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensitive adhesive is applied in strips running from top to bottom near the sides of the back side of the bib to fully attach the bib to the wearer in applications, for example, where a close seal entirely around the neck cut-out is not important or as a means of reducing manufacturing cost. In other embodiments, the pouch may be formed by folding an extension of the lower end of the bib material against the front or back surface of the bib and secured to the sides of the bib. When the pouch is formed by an extension flap folded against the back side of the bib, the top edge or lip of the pouch is formed by a slit which may be a line of perforations in the front or main panel of the bib. The top edge or lip of the pouch may then be pulled away from the bib to provide a basin for spills and debris.
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Kothmann Sarah Ann
Loewer Kathryn M.
Mosher Stephen S.
Vanatta Amy B.
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