Patent Publication Number: US-2022225690-A1

Title: Infant Bib Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to bib devices and more particularly pertains to a new bib device for inhibiting an infant from dropping a pacifier. The bib device includes a wire extending around a collar of the bib thereby facilitating the collar to be shaped around the infant&#39;s neck. In this way the pacifier can be positioned near the infant&#39;s mouth when the bib is worn. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to bib devices including a variety of bibs that have a flap integrated therein for engaging a ring of a pacifier. The prior art discloses a bib that has a pacifier mounted adjacent to a collar of the bib for positioning the pacifier near the infant&#39;s mouth when the bib is worn. The prior art also discloses a variety of bibs that have a strap coupled thereto when can releasably engage a pacifier. In no instance does the prior art disclose a bib that has a wire shaped collar and a pacifier that is removably attachable to the bib. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a bib that has a collar being integrated therein to extend around the infants&#39; neck when the bib is worn for retaining the bib on the infant. A wire is integrated into the bib thereby facilitating the collar to be shaped. In this way the wire facilitates the collar to be shaped around the infant&#39;s neck to inhibit the bib from falling off of the infant. A pacifier is removably attachable to the bib to inhibit the pacifier from being dropped when the bib is being worn and the infant is suckling on the pacifier. In this way a caregiver does not have to continually retrieve the pacifier when the infant drops the pacifier. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an infant bib assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a back perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a front phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a back exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 3  of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new bib device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the infant bib assembly  10  generally comprises a bib  12  that is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to protect an infant&#39;s clothing from liquid when the infant  13  wears the bib  12 . The fluid impermeable material might be plastic, a woven synthetic material or other type of flexible material that is also fluid impermeable. A collar  14  is integrated into the bib  12  to extend around the infant&#39;s neck  16  when the bib  12  is worn thereby retaining the bib  12  on the infant  13 . The bib  12  has a first surface  20  and a perimeter edge  22 , and the perimeter edge  22  has a top side  24  and a bottom side  26 . The top side  24  has a slot  28  extending toward the bottom side  26  such that the slot  28  defines the collar  14 , and the slot  28  is centrally positioned on the top side  24 . The slot  28  has a lower bounding edge  30 , a first lateral bounding edge  32  and a second lateral bounding edge  34 . 
     A wire  36  is integrated into the bib  12  and the wire  36  extends around the collar  14 . The wire  36  is comprised of a bendable material thereby facilitating the collar  14  to be shaped. In this way the wire  36  facilitates the collar  14  to be shaped around the infant&#39;s neck  16  to inhibit the bib  12  from falling off of the infant  13 . The wire  36  extends along each of the first lateral bounding edge  32 , the second lateral bounding edge  34  and the lower bounding edge  30  of the slot  28  in the top side  24  of the bib  12 . The wire  36  extends along the top side  24  on opposite sides of the slot  28 . As is most clearly shown in  FIG. 7 , an enclosure  37  may be coupled to the bib  12  and the enclosure  37  may extend around the perimeter edge  22  of the bib  12 . Additionally, the wire  36  may be positioned in the enclosure  37 . 
     A pair of first mating members  38  is provided and each of the first mating members  38  is coupled to the bib  12 . Each of the first mating members  38  is positioned adjacent to the collar  14  and each of the first mating members  38  is positioned on the first surface  20  of the bib  12 . Each of the first mating members  38  is positioned adjacent to the lower bounding edge  30  of the slot  28  thereby facilitating each of the first mating members  38  to be positioned proximate the infant&#39;s face when the bib  12  is worn. Each of the first mating members  38  may comprise hook and loop fasteners or the like. Additionally, the first surface  20  of the bid and the first mating members  38  are directed toward the infant  13  when the bib  12  is worn. 
     A pacifier  40  is removably attachable to the bib  12  such that the pacifier  40  is inhibited from being dropped when the bib  12  is being worn and the infant  13  is suckling on the pacifier  40 . The pacifier  40  includes a panel  42  and a nipple  44  extending away from a front surface  46  of the panel  42 . Moreover, panel  42  and the nipple  44  may be constructed in a similar fashion to a variety of different manufacturers of pacifiers. 
     A pair of second mating members  48  is each of the second mating members  48  is coupled to the pacifier  40 . Each of the second mating members  48  is releasably matable to a respective one of the first mating members  38  for retaining the pacifier  40  on the bib  12 . In this way the pacifier  40  is aligned with the infant&#39;s mouth  50  when the bib  12  is worn. Each of the second mating members  48  is positioned on a back surface  52  of the panel  42  associated with the pacifier  40 . Additionally, each of the second mating members  48  may comprise a hook and loop fasteners or the like. 
     In an alternative embodiment  54  as is most clearly shown in figure the slot  28  has a bounding edge  56 , and the bounding edge  56  is concavely arcuate with the top side  24  of the perimeter edge  22  of the bib  12 . Continuing in the alternative embodiment  54 , the bib  12  is comprised of a loosely woven material thereby facilitating each of the second mating members  48  on the pacifier  40  to engage the bib  12  rather than the first mating members  38 . The loosely woven material may include, but not be limited to, terry cloth or fleece. 
     In use, the collar  14  is placed around the infant&#39;s neck  16  and the wire  36  is shaped to retain the bib  12  on the infant  13 . The pacifier  40  is coupled to the bib  12  thereby facilitating the infant  13  to suckle on the pacifier  40 . Additionally, the first mating members  38  and the second mating members  48  inhibit the infant  13  from dropping the pacifier  40 . In this way a caregiver does not have to continually retrieve the pacifier  40  for the infant  13 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.