Patent Publication Number: US-11044952-B1

Title: Protective overlay with integral crumb catcher

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit of provisional application 62/680,771 filed on Jun. 5, 2018. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     None. 
    
    
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Anyone who has fed an infant or had the opportunity to observe a baby eat knows all too well the difficult task of getting food into the child&#39;s mouth. Quite often, the goal in feeding an infant is simply to get more food into his or her mouth than on the child and surrounding eating area. Food, almost inevitably then, finds its way onto the child&#39;s clothes, which can soil and permanently stain the clothing. Bibs, therefore, are often used to minimize the scattering of food and to protect the child&#39;s clothing from food stains. 
     Conventional bibs are formed from cloth or other absorbent material and typically have two strings, which tie around the child&#39;s neck to hold the bib in place. Other bibs are formed from plastic and use snaps, ties, strings, hook and loop fasteners, or the like to attach around the child&#39;s neck. More recently, some bibs have eliminated the strings and ties altogether and have instead used adhesive strips. These strips are located near the shoulder area on the backside of the bib and are used to adhere the bib to the wearer. 
     Particularly with younger children and infants, the bibs heretofore known in the art have not always adequately kept food and other stains from reaching the child&#39;s clothing. One common problem encountered with feeding infants, in particular, is keeping the bib on the front of the child in an orientation, which actually protects the clothing. This task is not always that simple. Infants almost instinctively tend to put everything in their mouth. Often, then, the first thing an infant wants to do is remove the bib from its useful location to his or her mouth. In other instances, the infant or child simply may not want to wear the bib and attempt to move it. Even children capable of feeding themselves may, after determining they are finished, reach down to prematurely remove their bib. The removal of the bib, however, may occur before the child&#39;s hands, face, and eating area have been cleaned. In other instances, the bib may accidentally catch on the child&#39;s hand or otherwise lift up and expose the child&#39;s clothing to food. In these situations, an extra hand for a parent, baby sitter, or caretaker faced with the responsibility of holding the bib down with one hand and feeding the child with the other would be helpful. Since such added help, or extra hands, are typically not available, food often ends up on the infant and the infant&#39;s clothes despite the bib. 
     Another prior encountered problem is that many bibs are unable to effectively and completely prevent food and saliva from staining the infant&#39;s cloths near the neck region. Infants, for example, cannot easily control salivation, and it is not uncommon for food and saliva to run down their cheek to their clothes through openings in the neck portion of the bib. Many bibs use strings, ties, straps, or the like to fasten around the baby&#39;s neck. In order to assure a comfortable fit, however, the bib must be fastened somewhat loosely, so as not to choke the child. Inevitably then, a gap is created through which food may fall or drop. A similar problem exists with bibs that use adhesive straps to secure the bib to the infant. These bibs commonly only have adhesive at the shoulder areas. As such, food may pass through openings along the neck portions, which are not directly adhered to the overlay. 
     Compared to children, adults are much less apt to spill or splatter food onto their clothing. Napkins, then, are typically used instead of bibs to protect clothing. However, certain foods, such as shelled lobster and spaghetti, tend to be quite messy even for adults eating with care. In these situations, a napkin may not adequately keep food off clothing. Bibs would be practical but are often not used because of the stereotype associated with wearing a bib. A bib that not only fully protects the wearer but also remains inconspicuous would be especially welcome by adult diners. 
     Such a bib is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,879. A problem even with this unique bib is the food that spills down onto the bib. While the user is protected, some of the spilled food can slide down and onto the lap of the user. It is to such problem that the current disclosure is addressed. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to a self-adhering protective overlay such as a bib, apron, napkin, or the like which securely adheres to a wearer or wearer&#39;s clothes without the addition of snaps, ties, strings, or the like. A flexible sheet is employed which has a front surface, a back surface, and a periphery. A pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) is applied to at least substantially the entire periphery on the back surface for adhering the flexible sheet to the wearer. The entire back surface of the bib may be coated with the PSA. Once this adhesive is adhered to the wearer, the protective overlay may not readily be removed and, as such, is particularly advantageous for use on infants and small children. 
     In one embodiment, a removable release sheet is adhered to the pressure sensitive adhesive prior to use for protecting against unwanted adhesion. After the release sheet is removed, the flexible sheet may be used and then re-adhered to the release sheet for subsequent use. Alternatively, once the flexible sheet is used, it may be discarded. 
     As an additional advantage, the protective overlay may be manufactured from a durable, lightweight material, which is extremely inexpensive. Further, graphics such as designs, emblems, prints, or alphanumeric characters may be placed or printed on the protective overlay to enhance its aesthetic value. Alternatively, the protective overlay may be transparent so that it is virtually unnoticeable when worn. 
     As another feature, a plurality of flexible sheets are arranged to form a protective overlay dispensing system. In this system, flexible sheets, without the addition of the release sheet, are arranged in a stack. Individual sheets may be removed from the stack, used, and re-adhered to the stack for subsequent use. In one embodiment, the flexible sheets are superimposed on one another to form a vertical stack. In another embodiment, the flexible sheets are attached at adjacent ends to form a rolled stack. 
     The integral crumb catcher may be formed by folding up a small section at the bottom of the bib. Then the two corners on either side of the bib bottom are folded inwardly to form a gusset. The release liner, however, is not removed from the backside of the bib forming the crumb catcher. The release liner, then, becomes a stiffener for the crumb catcher such that no adhesive or other securing means are required (but are optional) in order to keep the crumb catcher in its structural and useful configuration. 
     Other advantages of the disclosure will, in part, be obvious and will appear hereinafter. The disclosure, accordingly, comprises the apparatus and method possessing the construction, combination of elements, and arrangements of parts that are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of the disclosed bib with integral crumb catcher; 
         FIG. 2  also is a front view of the upside down disclosed bib showing the crumb catcher side gussets; 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the backside of the disclosed bib with the release liner(s) being partially removed; and 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the integral crumb catcher again showing the integral gussets of the crumb catcher; 
         FIG. 5  shows a stack of protective overlays; 
         FIG. 6  shows a roll of protective overlays housed in a container whereby protective overlays are pulled out of the container separately and torn off for use. 
     
    
    
     The drawings are described in detail below. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Foods and drinks tend to stain clothes, and in some instances, these stains are not readily removed. During meals and eating time, then, protective overlays such as bibs, napkins, aprons, or the like are commonly worn around the neck, on the lap, over the shoulder, or on the chest over clothing to protect from unwanted contact with food or drink. Any food, drink, or other material not sticking to the bib slides down the front surface of the bib and into the integrally formed crumb catcher. The present disclosure is directed toward such a protective overlay with integral crumb catcher. 
     Looking to  FIG. 1 , the disclosed bib,  10 , contains a U-shaped cutout at its top to fit around the neck of a user. The front surface,  12 , is imprinted with graphics and is, in fact, an infant or toddler&#39;s bib, as shown. An integral crumb catcher,  14 , terminates the bottom of bib  10 . While the drawings and instant description is for a bib, broadly, it is a flexible sheet with an adhesive back. 
     From  FIG. 2 , folding up a section of the bottom of bib  10  forms integral crumb catcher  14 . The sides are folded inwardly for forming gussets,  16  and  18 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , a release liner,  20 , is removed from the back surface of bib  10  to reveal the adhesive,  22 , on the back surface of bib  10 . Such release liner  20  can be scored and come in separate sections for removal. Importantly, a release liner section,  24 , on the rear side of bib  10  is not removed and for that purpose, a score is made in the release liner so that such release liner section  24  stays in place and is not removed. Release liner  24  provides stiffness to crumb catcher  14  and to gussets  16  and  18 . 
     Looking to  FIG. 4 , a portion of release liner section  24  inside gusset  16  could be cut out and removed to reveal adhesive to assist in keeping gusset  16  in its folded state. Alternatively, an adhesive dot or other adhesive could be applied at this location for the same purpose. With the presence of release liner  20  on the rear side of crumb catcher  14 , such adhesive to secure the gussets are unnecessary, but permissive. 
     Bibs and the like are worn to protect wearers, and in particular, clothing from food, drink, soil, and related stains. In this regard, flexible sheet  10  may be formed of various materials, which protect wearers from food, drink, and soils. Protective overlay system  10 , for example, may be made from multi-ply paper stock, cloth, polymers, or other suitable material, alone or in combination, for protecting the wearer. Flexible sheet  10  may be formed from a high density polyethylene, a polyester, or a polyester blend. For example, front surface  12  of flexible sheet  10  preferably is made of a material sufficient to inhibit the penetration of food, drink or soil to the clothing of the wearer such absorbent paper, thermoplastic, or other polymeric material. Preferably, flexible sheet  10  is formed from Tyvek® spunbonded olefin (a random mat of bonded high density polyethylene fibers, 0.5-10 micrometers, E.I. duPont deNemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.). Alternatively, flexible sheet  10  could be formed from Reprofilm® sheet (1 mil clear polyester matte top coat with acrylic permanent adhesive, Rayven, Inc., St. Paul, Minn.). Additionally, flexible sheet  10  could be formed from Sontera® spunlaced fabric (100% polyester, 70% rayon/30% polyester, or 55% woodpulp/45% polyester fabric, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Old Hickory, Tenn.). 
     Not shown in the drawings, graphics, such as, for example, decorative designs, prints, alpha-numeric characters, or the like may be placed or printed on front surface  12  to improve the aesthetics of flexible sheet  10 . Additionally, flexible sheet  10  may be made in a variety of colors or, alternatively, made transparent. 
     Transparent flexible sheets are advantageous in that they are virtually inconspicuous when worn and, as such, may be worn by adults or children. Flexible sheets of nominally 1 mil or so thickness contribute to their inconspicuous nature due to their being light in weight. The inventive sheets are virtually unnoticeable to the wearer. Instructions may be packaged with protective overlay system  10  and, for example, printed directly on either flexible sheet  10  or release sheet  20 . Alternatively, instructions may be printed on a separate sheet (not shown) or otherwise supplied with protective overlay system  10 . 
     Pressure sensitive adhesives are a class of adhesives that exhibit initial tack and peel performance when pressure-applied to a substrate. When the PSA coated sheet is removed from the substrate, removal must be clean, i.e. no visible trace of the adhesive should remain on the substrate. Reuse of the PSA coated sheet, accordingly, is contemplated. Most PSA compositions are based on one or more acrylate compounds optionally admixed ethylene, acrylamide, and like compounds. PSA compositions are replete in the art and widely available commercially. 
     One important feature of this disclosure is that flexible sheet  10  may be soiled and thereafter cleaned and reused numerous times. After flexible sheet  10  has been soiled with food, for example, it may be washed with soap and water or wiped off and then reused. In this regard, flexible sheet  10  is durable so as to withstand numerous cleanings, and after each use it may be re-adhered to release sheet  20  and stored for subsequent use. Alternatively, after flexible sheet  10  has been used, it, along with release sheet  20 , may be thrown away or otherwise disposed. Protective overlay system  10  is manufactured inexpensively and, therefore, may be disposed or discarded without substantial cost. 
     Another important feature is that flexible sheet  10  securely adheres to the wearer and may not thereafter be easily removed. Infants, toddlers, and small children, who require a bib during feeding, are prone to remove their bib or otherwise adjust its position, either accidentally or purposely. Flexible sheet  10 , however, is not prone to facile removal or repositioning. Its light weight also makes it unnoticeable to the toddler wearers so that they readily forget that they have it on. 
     Another important aspect of this invention is shown in  FIG. 5  in which protective overlays are arranged without the addition of any release sheets. In this embodiment, a protective overlay dispensing system is generally shown at  50 . System  50  consists of a plurality of flexible sheets  52  arranged in a stack.  FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of one such stack  54  in which flexible sheets  52  are vertically disposed such that each flexible sheet is superimposed on another flexible sheet. Each of the flexible sheets  52  has a front surface  56  and a back surface  58  and is similar to flexible sheet  12  described in  FIGS. 1-4 . Flexible sheets  52 , however, do not employ release sheet  20  shown in  FIG. 3 . Instead, each of the flexible sheets  52  is adhered to another flexible sheet within stack  54 . In this regard, a first or top flexible sheet  60  has its back surface  58  (not shown) adhered to front surface  56  (not shown) of a second flexible sheet  62 . Front surface  56  of each flexible sheet is formed from a material able to repeatedly adhere to a pressure sensitive adhesive  64  (shown as a dashed line) located on back surface  58  of each flexible sheet. Top flexible sheet  60  may be separated from second flexible sheet  62  and stack  54  for use. Thereafter, once top flexible sheet  60  is used, it may be re-adhered to second flexible sheet  62  or, alternatively, discarded. 
       FIG. 6  depicts an alternate embodiment of stack  54  shown in  FIG. 5 . In  FIG. 6 , a protective overlay dispensing system is shown generally at  70 . System  70  has a plurality of flexible sheets  72  arranged in a stack  74  formed as a roll. Each of the flexible sheets  72  has a top portion  76  and a bottom portion  78  and are generally similar to flexible sheets  12  described in  FIGS. 1-4 . Stack  74  may be housed or stored in a container or housing  80  which is, for example, made from paper-board, card-board, polymeric material, combination thereof, or the like. Two flexible sheets  82   a  and  82   b  are shown extending from stack  74 . A bottom portion  78   a  of flexible sheet  82   a  is adjacent to a top portion  76   b  of flexible sheet  82   b  such that stack  74  is formed from a continuous roll of flexible sheets  72 . In this regard, flexible sheets  72  of stack  74  are preferably attached at adjacent ends, as shown with bottom portion  78   a  attached to top portion  76   b . A perforated line  86  is provided in order to separate one flexible sheet from stack  74 . Bottom portion  78   a  of flexible sheet  82   a , for example, may be pulled and thus separated from top portion  76   b  of flexible sheet  82   b  along perforated line  86 . Thereafter, flexible sheet  82   a  may be discarded or re-adhered onto stack  74  and subsequently re-used. 
     Tyvek®, Reprofilm®, and Sontera® films, for example, are polymeric papers that can have a PSA applied to one side while the other side retains its release properties. Alternatively, front surface  12 , then, may be formed from a release material which then is laminated to an adhesive backing or is treated to exhibit release properties for enabling the pressure sensitive adhesive of another flexible sheet to repeatedly adhere thereto. In fact, a double-sided adhesive sheet could be laminated to a polymeric film or paper sheet (e.g., Tyvek®, Reprofilm®, and Santera® films) to form the inventive protective overlay. 
     While the apparatus, system, and method have been described with reference to various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope and essence of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material in accordance with the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. In this application all citations referred herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference.