Patent Publication Number: US-2005120457-A1

Title: Table placemat and protective covering

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application is a Continuation in Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/813,928, which claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/472,916 entitled “Table Placemat” filed on May 23, 2003 and which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a table placemat.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Managing a small child is especially difficult when dining out in a restaurant. Typically, in a restaurant, parents have to eat their food while simultaneously trying to feed their child. This can result in an unsatisfying experience for everyone involved.  
      High chairs that are typically used for seating a child, whether in a restaurant or elsewhere, are often unsanitary because of their repetitive use by different children during the day and the lack of attention paid to clean them thoroughly. Another problem is the mess created by the leftover food crumbs, smears, and spills left behind when the family has finished dining. These crumbs, smears and spills, consisting of foods and beverages dropped by the child, may fall to the floor through the naturally existing gap between a table and a high chair, or may fall on the seat, arms and back of a high chair. Additionally, children may drag plates, bowls and the like from tables, allowing them to fall to the floor, resulting in spilled food and possible broken dishware.  
      Spilled food and beverages may also damage table tops and table linens. Similarly, cutlery and dishware struck on or dragged across table tops may also damage table tops or table linens. Children seated at tables may be especially prone to behaviors which lead to such damage.  
      To be practical for modern-day parents, any device which seeks to lessen or eliminate the foregoing issues must be portable and easy to use. Parents traveling with one or more children, particularly into crowded restaurants and similar spaces, often are not able to carry cumbersome or heavy accoutrements. Likewise, these parents are ill-equipped to set-up complicated or unwieldy mechanical devices.  
      Finally, in order to maintain a sanitary condition, a device devised to prevent or eliminate spills, dropped implements, table-top damage, and so on must be easily washable or disposable. Devices which are incapable of being easily and adequately washed will quickly become unsanitary, thus presenting a potentially unhealthy condition for the child and defeating an important goal of the device.  
      Several proposed solutions to the foregoing problems have been suggested in the past; however, no suggestion has provided a suitable solution.  
      One class of proposed solution may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,631,950, 6,428,098, 6,237,998 and other similar patents. Each of these patents discloses a seat liner; that is, a covering for high chairs or other infant seats wherein the covering is placed on or about the high chair or other infant seat. None of these coverings provide any protection for an eating surface on a table, nor do any provide protection for the floor around the base of the high chair or other infant seat. Additionally, several of these coverings are adapted to fit only a limited number of high chair designs, or in some instances, only a single high chair design. Additionally, these devices must be fitted to a high chair or infant chair prior to placing an infant in the seat, and an infant must be removed from its seat prior to removing the device.  
      Still other proposed solutions are designed to prevent food and other items from dropping to the floor. Two examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,848,834 and 4,659,143. Each of these devices is specifically adapted to operate with cantilever type infant chairs that attach directly to a table top. The two devices are secured to a table and catch falling items in a surface formed beneath the infant seat. These devices suffer from several significant limitations, including being of use with cantilever type seats only, cumbersome set-up, and poor portability. Furthermore, these devices do not protect table surfaces nor high chair surfaces such as high chair arms.  
      As parents have become increasingly conscious of germ protection for their children, there has been an increase in demand for products that would make the experience of dining out more pleasurable for the parents and more sanitary for the babies.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, a placemat and protective covering is disclosed. The placemat and protective covering is intended to protect a baby from an unsanitary table and high chair, whether in a restaurant or elsewhere, and further to protect table surfaces, high chair surfaces and floors from food, drinks and other items which a child may drop. The placemat and protective covering includes a main placemat area (which acts as a main protective portion) which may be placed on the table to provide a clean eating surface. The placemat and protective covering may be coupled to the side arms of a high chair or other child seat to provide a cover for the side arms to protect the baby. If desired, the placemat and protective covering may be coupled to the front arm of the high chair or other child seat to provide a cover for the front arm to protect the baby. Thus, almost all surfaces of the high chair or other child seat and table with which the baby comes into contact during eating may be covered to provide a sanitary and safe surrounding for the baby. Likewise, the floor directly beneath and around the high chair or other child seat may be protected. In an exemplary embodiment, the placemat also prevents the baby from pulling items, such as gum, that may be stuck to the bottom of the table.  
      In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a placemat and protective covering comprises a main placemat area, at least one flap extending from the main placement area and operable to releasably couple the main placement area with a chair, and at least one coupling element operable to releasably couple the at least one flap with the chair.  
      In a preferred embodiment, a protective covering for use with a table top and child&#39;s chair having a front arm portion is disclosed. The protective covering has a main protective portion and a front protective portion which is attached to the main protective portion and adapted to operatively attach to the front arm portion of the child&#39;s chair. The front protective portion is adapted to extend from the table top to the child&#39;s chair.  
      The protective portion may include a bottom side for contacting the table top and a top side. The bottom side may have skid resistant portions for resisting skidding of the protective covering across the table top. The main protective portion may include a pocket formed therein. This pocket may be formed by cutting into the surface of the protective covering or by attaching an additional piece of material to the top surface of the protective covering, among other methods.  
      In certain preferred embodiments, the front protective portion may include a coupling element for coupling the front protective portion to the front arm portion of the child&#39;s chair. The coupling elements may be selected from the group comprising: adhesive portions, hook-and-loop fabric (such as Velcro brand hook-and-loop fabric); mutually attracting magnetic portions; ball-and-socket snaps; hook and loop fasteners; ribbon ties; and traditional button closures (that is, traditional button/button hole pairs).  
      In certain preferred embodiments, the child&#39;s chair further has two side arm portions and the protective covering has two side protective portions attached to and extending from the front protective portion. The side arm portions may be substantially orthogonal to the front protective portion.  
      In these embodiments, each of the side protective portions may be adapted to operatively attach to (i.e., be maintained with) one of the side arm portions. Each of the side protective portions may include a coupling element for coupling the side protective portion to the side arm portions of the child&#39;s chair. The coupling elements may be selected from the group comprising: adhesive portions, adhesive portions, hook-and-loop fabric; mutually attracting magnetic portions; ball-and-socket snaps; hook and loop fasteners; ribbon ties; and traditional button closures.  
      The main protective portion may include a bottom side for contacting the table top and a top side, the bottom side having skid resistant portions for resisting skidding of the protective covering across the table top.  
      An alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a protective covering for use with a table top and child&#39;s chair having a front arm portion. The protective covering has a main protective portion, an intermediate portion (that is, a portion interposed between the main protective portion and a front protective portion) extending from the main protective portion and a front protective portion extending from the pocket portion and adapted to operatively attach to (i.e., be maintained with) the front arm portion of the child&#39;s chair. In these embodiments, the pocket discussed in the previous embodiments may be formed in the intermediate portion. Similarly, the front and side protective portions may be as previously described except that these portions would extend from the intermediate portion, not the main protective portion.  
      These and other aspects of the subject invention will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings described herein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the objects and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a table placemat/protective covering;  
       FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of the table placemat/protective covering of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the table placemat/protective covering of  FIG. 1  coupled to a chair; and  
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of a table placemat/protective covering.  
       FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of a table placemat/protective covering and wearable bib.  
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of a table placemat/protective covering and wearable bib.  
       FIG. 7  is a plan view of a table placemat/protective covering and wearable bib, with the wearable bib removed from the placemat/protective covering portion.  
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention, including a seat-mounted dispenser operatively mounted on a seat back.  
       FIGS. 9 and 10  are perspective views of an alternate embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      The preferred embodiments of the present invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to the Figures of the drawings, like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings. The terms “table placemat” and “protective covering” are used interchangeably herein.  
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a table placemat  10 ,  FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of table placemat  10  and  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of table placemat  18  coupled to a chair  12 . Placemat  10  comprises a top surface  11  ( FIG. 1 ) and a bottom surface  13  ( FIG. 2 ). Placemat  10  comprises a main placement area  14  which may be placed on a table  25  and could serve as an eating area. In the illustrated embodiment, main placement area  14  is rectangular. However, it could be of any shape. Placemat  10  also comprises at least one side flap  16  extending from a side of main placement area  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, placemat  10  comprises two side flaps  16 .  
      If desired, placemat  10  may also comprise a front flap  18  ( FIG. 1 ) extending between side flaps  16  from a side of main placement area  14 . The front flap may be split in order to accept a vertical member or strap extending from the seat of the highchair to the front arm of the highchair. Preferably, side flaps  16  and front flap  18  extend from the same side of main placement area  14 . Furthermore, preferably side flaps  16  are longer than front flap  18 . As illustrated, side flaps  16  and front flap  18  form a U-shape with the opening of the U-shape facing away from main placement area  14 . If desired, a pocket  20  may be provided in main placement area  14  on top surface  11  in proximity to side flaps  16 . Preferably, pocket  20  extends along the width of main placement area  14 . If desired, pocket  20  may extend only along a portion of the width of main placemat area  14 . Pocket  20  may be used to catch food or other items falling from table  25  ( FIG. 3 ).  
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Placemat  10  comprises a top surface  11  and a bottom surface, not shown. Placemat  10  comprises a main placement area as shown and described in  FIG. 1 . Placemat  10  also comprises intermediate portion  22  and at least one side flap  16  extending from the intermediate portion  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, placemat  10  comprises two side flaps  16 . Pocket  21 , with opening  20 , are formed in the intermediate portion  22 .  
      Top surface  11  of placemat  10  may serve as an eating area on which the food of the child may be placed. Top surface  11  of placemat  10  is preferably made of an easy to clean material, such as vinyl or food-grade poly vinyl, or other materials having a similar coating. Other materials may also be utilized, ideally being light in weight, soft to the touch, relatively thin, non-toxic, low “linting”, waterproof and sufficiently strong for the application. Also, it is possible for the placemat to be waterproof even if the top surface is permeable and a lower layer is waterproof such that the top layer is permeable and absorbent and another layer, such as the ultimate layer, acts as a waterproof plastic barrier. The material selected should have sufficient resistance to tearing forces, ideally greater than an un-perforated paper towel. By way of example, Tyvek brand material, manufactured by the DuPont company, as well as materials used in the fabrication of disposable table cloths and the like, may be utilized in whole or in part in the fabrication of the instant invention.  
      Bottom surface  13  of placemat  10  preferably comprises or is made of skid resistant material, such as a tacky rubber-like material, to prevent slipping or skidding of placemat  10  from table  25 . Preferably, the bottom surface of only area  14  is comprised or made of skid resistant material, although if desired, the bottom surface of other portions of placemat  10  may be made of skid resistant material. Additionally, one or more suction cups may be provided on bottom surface  13  for coupling placemat  10  with the surface of table  25 . If desired, an intermediate layer (not shown) may be provided between the top and bottom surfaces. The intermediate layer may be made of fabric or other material which includes an aesthetic print to make placemat  10  aesthetically pleasing. For example, the intermediate layer may display the child&#39;s favorite cartoon characters or may be used to display messages or advertisements.  
      Side flaps  16  may be used to releasably couple placemat  10  to or around side arms  24  of chair  12  ( FIG. 3 ). Furthermore, side flaps  16  may be used to cover the side arms of chair  12  for both sanitary and safety reasons. Side flaps  16  may be coupled around side arms  24  of chair  12  by one or more coupling elements  26  ( FIG. 2 ). Any suitable coupling element, such as hook and loop segments, metal brads, magnets, sticking pads, buttons, and other coupling elements now known or developed in the future, may be used. Although in the illustrated embodiment, four coupling elements  26  are shown, two on each side flap  16 , the invention is not so limited and if desired fewer or greater number of coupling elements may be used. Coupling elements  26  are preferably attached to bottom surface  13  of placemat  10 . In an exemplary embodiment, a first part of one or more hook and loop segments comprising of two parts each is attached to one corner of one of the side flaps  16  while a second part of the hook and loop segments is attached to another corner of the same side flap.  
      Front flap  18  may be used to releasably couple placemat  18  to or around a front arm of chair  12  ( FIG. 3 ). Furthermore, front flap  18  may be used to cover the front arm of chair  12  for both sanitary and safety reasons. Front flap  18  may be coupled around the front aim of chair  12  by one or more coupling elements  28  ( FIG. 2 ). Any suitable coupling element, such as hook and loop segments, metal brads, magnets, sticking pads, buttons, and other coupling elements now known or developed in the future, may be used. Although in the illustrated embodiment, two coupling elements  28  are shown, the invention is not so limited and if desired fewer or greater number of coupling elements may be used. Coupling elements  28  are preferably attached to bottom surface  13  of placemat  10 . In an exemplary embodiment, a first part of one or more hook and loop segments comprising of two parts each is attached to one end of front flap  18  while a second part of the hook and loop segments is attached to another end of front flap  18 .  
      In use, the child is placed on the seat of chair  12  ( FIG. 3 ). Main placement area  14  of placemat  10  is placed on table  25  in front of the child. Side flaps  16  are coupled to side arms  24  of chair  12  such that side flaps  16  substantially cover the surface of side arms  24 . If desired, front flap  18  may be coupled to the front of chair  12  such that front flap  18  substantially covers the surface of the front arm. In this position, side flaps  16  and front flap  18  prevent injury to the baby and also provide protection against germs that may be present on the side arms and the front arm of chair  12 . Side flaps  16  and front flap  18  also prevent chair  12  from becoming dirty thereby making the job of wait staff at restaurants easier. Furthermore, because placemat  10  extends from table  25  to chair  12 , food crumbs do not fall on the floor but instead fall in a trough  30  formed by placemat  10 . Trough  30  may be made deeper by moving chair  12  closer to table  25 . If placemat  10  comprises pocket  20 , then pocket  20  hangs over the edge of table  25  with an opening  21  of pocket  20  extending along the edge of table  25  or in proximity to the edge. The food crumbs may be caught in the pocket thereby preventing the food crumbs from falling on the floor. Pocket  20  may also be used to store other things.  
      Placemat  10  provides a protective barrier between the child and his or her surroundings, specifically while the child is seated in a chair, such as those used in restaurants. The side and front flaps facilitate coupling of placemat  10  with chair  12  and also protect the child from the side arms and front arm of the chair with which the child would normally come in contact.  
      Placemat  10  may be folded in a manner such that the dirty or bottom surface  13  does not touch the clean or upper surface  11  that faces the child. If desired, other articles, such as an unused diaper may be placed on placemat  10  before it is folded to eliminate the need to carry a diaper bag.  
      In an alternative embodiment, placemat  18  may comprise a seat liner (not shown). The seat protector may be releasably coupled to placemat  10 .  
      Yet another embodiment is illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In this embodiment, the protective placemat and covering  10  includes an integrated removable bib  50  with back portion  52  and front portion  53 . Integrated removable bib  50  is attached to placemat and covering  10  by means of perforation  56 . Bib  50  includes neck opening  54 , securing elements  56  and  57 , and perforation  55 , whereby securing elements  56  and  57  may be placed around the neck of a user by opening perforation  55 , thereby permitting the user&#39;s neck to be placed in opening  54 . Opening  54  may then be closed by closing means  43 , which may be comprised of adhesive strips, hook-and-loop fasteners, and the like, used to join the ends of securing elements  56  and  57 . Adhesive strip  44  or other suitable means may be utilized to operatively attach the bottom end of bib  50  to center flap  18  of the placemat and covering  10 , thereby further minimizing the chance of spills reaching the user, the seat or other undesirable locations.  
      In addition to the structure depicted in the figures, securing elements may comprise ties, straps or the like. These ties, straps or the like may be formed integrally with bib  50  and partially detached by means of perforations or the like. Likewise, neck opening  54  may be eliminated without departing from the instant invention.  
      Placemat and covering  10  includes bottom surface  13 , which includes skid resistant portions  40 , which may be adhesive strips or any other material which increases the coefficient of static friction between the covering  10  and the surface on which it rests, such as a table. Coupling elements  41 , which may be adhesive portions, hook and loop fabric, hook and loop fasteners, mutually attracting magnetic portions, ball-and-socket snaps, ribbon ties, traditional button closures and the like, are disposed on side flaps  16  so that in use, the opposing sides of each of slide flaps  16  may be coupled together around an arm of a seat. Side flaps  16  are separated from center flap  18  by incisions  46  (which may alternatively be perforations, or may be omitted completely, thereby eliminating center flap  18 ). Center flap  18  may include perforation  45  which may be separated to permit center flap  18  to accommodate certain seat configurations, for example, a high chair having a vertical member or strap extending from the seat of the highchair to the front arm of the highchair. Center flap  18  may wrap around a structure of the seat to which it is attached such as a lap bar of a high chair and attached thereto via coupling element  42 , which may be an adhesive strip or other similar material.  
       FIG. 7  illustrates the embodiment previously described in connection with  FIGS. 5 and 6 ; however, the removable bib  50  is shown detached from protective placemat and covering  10 , and perforation  55  has been separated to permit user access to neck opening  54  between securing elements  56  and  57 .  
       FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate a seat mounted dispenser for dispensing protective coverings including, among others, those of the instant invention as previously disclosed. Dispenser  100  includes housing or body  102  having face  112 , a back (not shown) and one or more sides  111 . Body  102  is coupled to one or more clips  101 . Housing  102  may be coupled to clip  101  in a releasable or non-releasable manner; that is, by way of example they may be glued, stitched, riveted or welded together in a non-releasable fashion or attached by means of hook-and-loop fasteners, double sided tape, hook and eye assemblies, tab-and-slot assemblies and the like in a releasable fashion.  
      Housing  102  forms a central cavity (not shown) which contains one or more protective covers  106 . These protective covers are dispensed through aperture  103 . Aperture  103  may be sized so as to maintain a single protective cover  106  in position to be retrieved by a user, or may be larger. In instances where aperture  103  is larger than necessary to so maintain the protective cover  106 , membrane  104  with membrane slit  105  may be situated within the aperture. Membrane  104  may be of a sufficiently elastic material such that, when held in tension in aperture  103  and protective cover  106  is passed through membrane slit  105 , membrane  104  clamps protective cover  106  in place but yields sufficiently to release cover  106  when a user pulls cover  106  outward from aperture  103 .  
      Clips  101  may comprise a single clip, multiple discreet clips, or a continuous clip. As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , clip  101  includes back portion  108 , front portion  109 , and cavity  110  formed therebetween. In operation, seat back  201  may be inserted into cavity  110  and clamped therein by back  108  and front  109 , which may be biased towards one another such that cavity  110  is slightly narrower than seat back  201 . The material of clip  101  may be sufficiently elastically deformable such that seat back  201  is securely held between back  108  and front  109  by means of the elastic return force of deformed clip  101  when seat back  201  is inserted therein.  
       FIG. 11  illustrates an alternate seat mounted dispenser in the form of a mounted roll type dispenser  300 . In this embodiment, protective coverings are formed from a continuous sheet of materials with appropriate means for dividing each individual covering. These means may include perforations and the like, or any other dividing means which readily permits a user to remove individual protective coverings from the roll. The continuous sheet is formed into cylinder  304 , through the center of which is placed rod member  302 . Cylinder  304  is free to rotate around rod member  302  to facilitate the removal of individual protective coverings.  
      Rod member  302  may be supported at its proximal and distal ends by hanger members  301 , each of which terminates in a hooked end  303 . Hooked ends  303  are shaped so as to be readily attachable to chair  200  as illustrated.  
      While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the pertinent art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects.