Abstract:
A baby bib with a protective neckline is disclosed. The bib protects the baby&#39;s clothes and skin from spilled food. A protective neck strap scrunches under a child&#39;s neck to ensure that the neckline is adequately covered and protected from food and liquid spilled or drooled out of a baby&#39;s mouth when feeding. Back straps secure the bib to the torso of the baby. The bib is removed without moving or disturbing the baby. The bib is constructed from either waterproof and washable materials or disposable materials. Other features include various accessories such as pockets and tear-off attachments and a fastening system.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
   The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/810,482, filed on Jun. 2, 2006, and entitled “Baby Bib With Protective Neckline” to the same inventor under U.S.C. section 119(e). This application incorporates U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/810,482, filed on Jun. 2 nd , 2006, and entitled “Baby Bib With Protective Neckline” to the same inventor by reference in its entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
   The present invention relates generally to baby bibs. More specifically, the invention relates to protective bibs worn around a baby&#39;s neck protecting the baby&#39;s skin and clothes from food and liquid during feeding. 
   BACKGROUND  
   Protective bibs have long been available to protect a baby&#39;s clothing from spilled food and liquid during feeding. The basic configuration of a bib is a piece of material covering the baby&#39;s chest with some means for attaching or securing the bib to the child. Various attachment means have been used. 
   One common configuration is a bib with a clothing protective front panel and two extending flaps which extend up to the child&#39;s shoulders and around its neck. The two extending flaps are then secured behind the baby&#39;s neck by some securing means. Common securing means include a tie string, buttons or a pair of patches of hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro. Because the securing means are located at the back of the baby&#39;s neck, the person applying the bib can either see the securing means or the tightness of the bib around the baby&#39;s neck, but not both. Numerous problems arise when using these configurations. 
   First, a dangling tie string is an attractive nuisance which presents a hazard for a child. Infants grab and play with anything they can reach. When using a tie-string bib, infants pull their bibs lose as soon as they can get their hands on the string. Also, a baby can inadvertently get their bib wrapped around an arm of a high chair or some other protrusion resulting in the sting being pulled tight around the baby&#39;s neck and the child being injured. 
   Second, when such a bib is secured with buttons, snaps or fasteners, the tightness of the bib cannot be adjusted beyond the geometry of the securing means. As such, the tightness of the bib cannot be personally tailored, resulting in either a choking hazard when the bib is too tight or a spill hazard when the bib is too loose. 
   A bib that is too loose around a baby&#39;s neck is a considerable and frequent problem. A loose bib allows food and liquid to be spilled onto the baby&#39;s skin or clothes. It is especially problematic when liquid drips into a baby&#39;s neckline where a newborn may have folds of sensitive skin. When liquid is in contact with a baby&#39;s sensitive skin for a prolonged period of time, the baby is likely to develop a rash which is able to irritate an infant. 
   Also, no matter what securing means is used, children are often irritated with wearing a bib, and they will pull at any accessible part of the bib. The above configurations allow the child to either remove their bibs by tugging, to tighten them to a dangerous level by pulling the tie rope, or to tighten them so that the bib is difficult to untie. 
   Furthermore, bibs with flaps and an around the neck securing means are difficult to remove from a sleeping baby. It is most desirable to remove the soiled and wet bib immediately after a feeding to prevent the baby from getting wet, dirty and cold. Children, especially infants, often fall asleep after feeding. Bibs configured to only be removable from the back requires a caregiver to lift the baby&#39;s head, reach around the child, fumble with the securing means, remove the bib and move their child back into a comfortable position. Such maneuvering often times wakes up and irritates the baby. 
   Another common configuration is an “over the head” bib. An “over the head” configuration is a simple and common bib design. This configuration has major drawbacks. First, the “over the head” bib must be manufactured to be one-size-fits-all, and is therefore not customizable to fit a particular baby. Furthermore, to be comfortably placed over the head of a baby, the opening in the “over the head” bib must be larger than the baby&#39;s head and their delicate facial features. The result of this need for a large opening is that the bib will never be comfortably secure around a baby&#39;s neck, or perhaps even their upper chest. The problem with removal of this type of bib is even more problematic as with the previous configuration, and waking or disturbing a sleeping baby is almost inevitable. 
   Parents and caregivers spend considerable money on baby clothing, and considerable time changing and laundering the baby&#39;s clothing. Given the inefficiency of the bibs described in protecting the clothing during feeding, clothing not only gets wet but often stained, defeating the primary protection purpose of the bib. It also leads to more frequent clothing changes than would be necessary with an efficient bib, and a corresponding increase in laundering the clothing, not to mention unnecessary discomfort to the child. 
   Another problem associated with traditional bibs is that babies grow quickly and tend to grow out of their bibs. This problem is compounded if an attempt is made to procure a bib that fits well enough to adequately protect the child&#39;s neck. Since such a bib should cover the baby&#39;s neckline, a small amount of growth will render the bib too tight and useless. 
   Furthermore, parents and caregivers will feed an infant multiple times each day, especially in the child&#39;s earliest stages in which feedings occur as many as 10-12 times per day, with much of those times in the middle of the night. As such, the irritation associated with common bibs listed above are compounded after numerous occurrences. Also, using inefficient bibs, which do not protect the baby&#39;s skin, especially the neckline, can lead to significant frustration on the part of the feeder and results in skin irritation on the part of the child. 
   SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
   The present invention is a baby bib with a protective neckline. The bib has a body section with a protection panel for protecting the baby&#39;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&#39;s neck. The protective neck strap scrunches under a child&#39;s neck to ensure that the neckline is adequately covered and protected from food and liquid spilled or drooled out of a baby&#39;s mouth when feeding. The protective scrunch neck also allows the bib&#39;s size to be customizable and adaptable. In some embodiments of the present invention a parent or caregiver is able to remove the bib without moving or disturbing the baby. In some embodiments one protective neckline strap secures the bib. In other embodiments, two straps are used to secure the bib. In some embodiments of the present invention the baby bib is constructed from waterproof or water resistant materials. In some embodiments the baby bib is constructed from washable materials. In other embodiments, disposable baby bibs are used. In some embodiments, back straps secure the bib to the torso of the baby. Various accessories are disclosed to further achieve the objects of the invention such as pockets and tear-off attachments. Also, a fastening system is disclosed which prevents the baby from removing the bib. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     The novel features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. However, for the purpose of explanation, several embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following figures. 
       FIG. 1A  is a front view of one embodiment of the baby bib according to the present invention with the strap unattached. 
       FIG. 1B  is a front view of one embodiment of the baby bib according to the present invention with the strap attached. 
       FIG. 2  is a back view of another embodiment of the baby bib according to tile present invention. 
       FIG. 3  shows the baby bib according to the present invention fitted on an infant, and illustrates its novel and useful features. 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates the baby bib of the present invention with various accessories and accessory attachments. 
       FIG. 4B  illustrates the baby bib of the present invention with various accessories. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention with two straps to secure the bib around a baby&#39;s neck. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     FIG. 1A  shows the basic configuration of the baby bib  100  according to some embodiments of the present invention. A body portion  101  has a body protection panel  110  and shoulder straps  115 . The body portion  101  is designed to ergonomically fit the bodies of babies. As shown, the baby bib according to this particular embodiment has an exemplary hourglass shape. However, it will be clear to one ordinarily skilled in the art that other shapes are also contemplated. The shoulder straps  115  are designed to extend over a baby&#39;s shoulders and around its neck, thus forming an enclosure around the baby&#39;s neck. 
   The multi-purpose neck strap  120  is shown in an open position. The multi-purpose neck strap is preferably an absorbent and soft material and is more than thick enough to cover a baby&#39;s neckline. At the end of the multi-purpose neck strap  120  is one side of a fastening means  125  (on the underside of the strap, shown as stitching). The corresponding fastening means is shown on the body  101  of the bib as a long fastening strip  130 . The long fastening strip  130  allows the tightness of the multi-purpose neck strap  120  to adjust depending on the size of the baby&#39;s neck. The fastening means can include, but is not limited to the following embodiments: adhesives, buckles, buttons, clips, hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro, pins, snaps, straps, stitching, ties, zippers or the like. Preferably, the fastening means is a highly durable and strong hook and loop fastener. Using a highly durable hook and loop fastener helps prevent a child from removing the strap and also allows the bib to be laundered without the fastener becoming ineffective. 
     FIG. 1B  shows the baby bib  100  with the multi-purpose neck strap  120  in the closed position. The fastening means (not shown in  FIG. 1B ) is fastened on some portion of the long fastening strip  130 . The multi-purpose neck strap  120  substantially encircles the baby&#39;s neck. Once the multi-purpose neck strap  120  is wrapped around a baby&#39;s neck and its&#39; tightness adjusted to be comfortable but also snug enough to prevent baby food from sliding down the baby&#39;s chin and neck, the fastening means is fastened on the fastening strip  130 . Such a configuration achieves a number of important objects of the present invention. 
   First, the multi-purpose neck strap  120  provides a scrunch-neck barrier. Typical baby bibs provide a protective panel over the chest of a baby, but do nothing to stop the baby&#39;s neck from getting wet and dirty. As stated above, the multi-purpose neck strap  120  covers the neck and supplies additional material into the neck area. This additional material can be adjusted, or “scrunched up” beneath the baby&#39;s chin before feeding. Any liquid spilled or drooled out of the baby&#39;s mouth will be absorbed in the scrunch-neck barrier. This feature provides the baby greater comfort, cleanliness and health. 
   Next, the multi-purpose neck strap  120  allows a caregiver to apply and remove the bib from the baby, without lifting the baby&#39;s head or jostling the baby. Typical bibs are put on by placing the bibs over the baby&#39;s head or by wrapping shoulder straps around the baby&#39;s neck and fastening the straps behind the baby&#39;s head. Babies very frequently fall asleep after a feeding and these typical bibs create a challenge to caregivers who want to the remove the bib from a sleeping baby after a feeding. Requiring the caregiver to pull the bib over a baby&#39;s head or lift their head to unfasten the bib would risk waking and irritating the baby. The multi-purpose neck strap  120  of the present invention avoids this problems. Since the fastening means  125  is fastened on the fastening strip  130  on the front side of the bib  100 , the caregiver can simply unfasten the strap and pull it forward from behind the baby&#39;s head. 
   Also, the multi-purpose neck strap  120  allows the bib  101  to be adjustable according to baby&#39;s size. Such a feature allows the bib  101  to be used for a longer period than traditional baby bibs which quickly become too small as the baby grows. 
   A number of washable and reusable materials can be used to construct the bib and to help achieve the objects of the present invention. In some embodiments, a highly absorbent material such as microfiber is used for the front of the body portion  101 . In some embodiments a rib knit microfiber is used for the multi-purpose neck strap  120 . In other embodiments, the front panel of the bib or the neck strap is constructed of a material selected from among: acrylic, cotton, flannel, linen, polyester, terrycloth, and wool. However, it will be readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art that any other suitable material can be used to construct the bib. In addition to washable and reusable bibs, disposable scrunch-neck bibs are also conceived. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates other inventive features of the present invention.  FIG. 2  shows the back side of a scrunch-neck bib  200 . On the back of the scrunch-neck bib  200  are two optional rows of fasteners  205 ,  210 . Preferably, the fasteners  205  and  210  are durable, high quality snaps. Also included are two waist band straps  215 ,  230 . On one end of the waist band strap  215  is a snap  220  which corresponds with the fasteners in row  205 . On the other end of waist band strap  215  is another fastener  225 , in this case the hooks in a hook and loop fastener. On one end of the waist band strap  230  is a snap  235  which corresponds with the fasteners in row  210 . On the other end of waist band strap  230  is another fastener  2240 , in this case the loops in a hook and loop fastener. 
   The optional waist band straps  215  and  230  are used to secure the bib  200  to the body of a child. The fasteners  205  and  210  allow the waist band straps to be appropriately positioned around the waist of a child according to its height. The fasteners  225  and  235  allow the tightness of the bib to be adjusted around the baby&#39;s body. The ease and scope of adjustment allows the bib of the present invention to be used with babies of all ages and sizes and adequately protects the child&#39;s neckline in each case. Furthermore, the waist strap allows a baby to move around and play while wearing a bib, without it getting in the baby&#39;s way. 
   The back side of the scrunch-neck bib  200  can be made with a number of materials and configurations. Preferably, the back side of the scrunch-neck bib is made with a waterproof material or another material treated with a durable water repellant. 
     FIG. 3  shows the baby bib  300  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention fitted on an infant. As shown, the bib  301  fits securely around an infant though the neck strap  320  and the waist band strap  350 . The neck strap  330  fastens to fastener  325 . Such a fastening means allows a caregiver to take off the bib  301  from the front. The bib  301  covers the child&#39;s torso and shoulders and the neck strap  320  cover the child&#39;s entire neck. Furthermore, the neck strap  320  contains additional material needed to cover the child&#39;s neck. This additional material is scrunched up beneath the child&#39;s chin. This ensures that liquid spilled out of the child&#39;s mouth is absorbed by the neck strap before it has an opportunity to dribble down onto the child&#39;s skin or clothes. 
   In some embodiments of the invention, the baby bib with protective neckline has various accessories to further improve the objects of the invention.  FIG. 4A  illustrates the baby bib  401  of the present invention with a pocket  440  for catching food and with fasteners  445  for attaching a tear-off attachment (not shown). 
     FIG. 4B  shows the bib  401  with pocket  440  and with a tear-off attachment  450  attached. The tear-off attachment  450  is centrally located on the bib  401  to catch the majority of spilled food. In some embodiments of the present invention the tear-off attachment  450  is a bib cover which helps keeps the bib clean and dry. In some embodiments, the tear-off attachment  450  is a disposable material which serves as bib cover. Alternatively, the tear-off attachment  450  can also be laundered in standard washers and dryers. In some embodiments of the present invention, the tear-off attachment  450  is a pocket for catching spilled food. In some embodiments of the present invention, the tear-off attachment  450  is a cloth extension for wiping a baby&#39;s mouth or face. Although specific examples are given for the tear-off attachment  450 , it will be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art that any appropriately sized attachment commonly associated with child feeding or, more generally, to child care can be used as the tear-off attachment  450 . 
   In some embodiments of the present invention, two straps to secure the bib around a baby&#39;s neck.  FIG. 5  illustrates the baby bib  501  with two straps  520 ,  521  to secure the bib  501  around a baby&#39;s neck. In this embodiment, strap  520  is wrapped around the baby&#39;s neck and secured to fastener  530  and strap  521  is wrapped around the baby&#39;s neck and secured to fastener  531 . In this embodiment, the bib  501  can be removed from the front of the baby by removing straps  520  and  521 . 
   The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of the principles of construction and operation of the invention. Such reference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Specifically, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the device and method of the present invention could be implemented in several different ways and have several different appearances.