Disposable Bib and Method for Making the Same

The invention relates to disposable bibs having a head opening adjacent the upper end and a pocket at the lower end. In the prior art there have been bibs with pockets and head openings, but they have been relatively complicated and as a result relatively expensive, particularly where attempts have been made to provide a pocket that will stand open. In the present invention, a pocket that continually stands open during use has been provided in a very simple manner. The bib can be manufactured at a low cost because of its simplicity, and can be made for repeated use.

According to the invention, a disposable bib is provided that is easy to put on anyone through the head opening, and which has a continuously open pocket at the lower end.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved disposable bib which eliminates washing of bibs, cleaning of the wearer's clothing underneath the bib, and cleaning of the surrounding area. The bib is adapted for use in the home, travel, in hospitals, on picnics and in restaurants.

The bib may be typically made of absorbent paper backed with sealing, polyethelene sheet material. The paper absorbs any liquid and the polyethelene prevents the wearer from becoming wet, and also strengthens a very thin bib so that it will hold the weight of liquids or other materials which may be received into the pocket. Because the bibs may be made extremely thin, they are easily packaged in rolls.

In addition to the primary utilitarian function, the bibs may employ designs, including educational subject matter, from which a young child may learn, each bib having different information thereon.

The structure of the present invention is such that it may be easily put on anyone, and tucked into the wearer's collar. It is particularly beneficial for use by very young children and by handicapped children, and in hospitals and convalescent homes.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be brought out in the following part of the specification wherein small details have been described for the competence of disclosure, without intending to limit the scope of the invention which is set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the bib according to the invention, shown in position for use on a wearer;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bib folded along the longitudinal center line and enclosing the front face thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective front view of the bib;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the lines 4--4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the open pocket of the bib, taken substantially along the lines 5--5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective front view illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a view of a roll of sheet material for use in the process in making the bibs and illustrating the cut and fold lines;

FIG. 8 is a view of a cut and folded bib of sheet material removed from the roll in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a view of the folded bib showing the lower edges sealed together.

Referring again to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a bib, generally designated as 10, being worn for use. As shown in FIG. 2, because of the thinness of the material from which the bibs may be made, they may be distributed in rolls of the bibs folded as shown. Such bibs can be made, for example, from polyethelene material alone, or soft absorbent paper backed by polyethelene.

In FIG. 3 the bib is shown open in the form made from a generally oblong sheet having an upper end 12 and an upper lateral edge 14, parallel longitudinal side edges 16 and 18, and a lower end 20 on which there is a V-shaped pocket, generally designated as 22. A central longitudinal fold is shown in a broken line 24, the bib in FIG. 2 being folded on the line, enclosing the front. As best seen in FIG. 3 there are shown a plurality of slits which are cut into the upper end to provide a head opening 26, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Two of the slits 28 and 30 are in the form of spaced arcs, approximately equal to one-quarter of a circle or less, having their convex edges facing each other. At the ends of the arcs are three short slits 32, 34 and 36 provided to increase the size of the head opening as needed and to tend to eliminate stress against tearing in any one direction. Extending between the arced slits is a straight line slit 38 in substantial alignment with the centers of the arcs. The arrangement of the slits provides two flaps 40 and 42 spaced between the arced slits and having concave edged formed by the arcs. The center fold 24 has perforations 39 extending from the slit 38 to the edge 14. By pulling the perforations open, the bib can be removed without going over the head.

The arced slits provide shoulder fitting areas 44 and 46, the upper edge 14 extending down over the back, as may be seen in FIG. 1. The arced slits provide size variations; that is, if the head opening is the approximate size for the neck the edge of the arcs will fit close thereto, as shown in FIG. 1, but if the neck is larger, the areas 44 and 46 will curl upwardly or can be folded inwardly. The flaps 40 and 42 provide the advantage of being easily tucked into the wearer's clothing, under the collar, to make the bib secure on the wearer. The concave edges on the flaps 40 and 42 make it easier and neater to tuck the flaps under the wearer's collar.

In FIG. 2, where the bib is shown folded, the pocket not being formed, and in FIG. 3, the pocket being formed, bias cuts on both sides of the lower end 20 are shown at 48 and 49. The material cut away removed the lower corners of a rectangular sheet and was in the form of a right triangle, shown in phantom outline in FIG. 2, having a relatively short base 50 in the lateral direction and a relatively long right angle leg 52 in the longitudinal direction. Extending between the upper end 54 at the cutoff and the central fold line 24 at 56 are fold lines 58 and 60, as shown in FIG. 3. At the lower end, the remaining lateral portion areas in the form of triangles 61 and 63 have their lower edges 62 and 64 on both sides of the central fold line secured together by sealing material 66, the triangles having a common side at the seal. The edges 48 and 62 and 49 and 64 form respective obtuse angles of the triangles and the edges at 58 and 16 and 60 and 18 also form obtuse angles.

The sealing material may be a suitable glue applied during manufacture, adhesive tape, or may be in the form of a pressure sensitive adhesive. The seal may also be effected on various plastic materials by means of the application of heat.

When the bib is unfolded from the position in FIG. 2, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the pocket 22 is formed and stands open at all times, and particularly when the bib is held vertically because of the structure resulting from bias cuts at 48 and 49. The triangle sides 58 and 60 and 48 and 49 form respective lower and upper V's of the pocket.

In FIG. 6 another embodiment 11 of the invention is shown where the difference is in the head opening formed by means of a semicircular slit 70 having its center on the central fold line 24. At the ends of the slit 70 are three short straight line slits 72, 74 and 76, provided to increase the size of the opening as necessary. With this opening a flap 78 formed within the slit 70 may be tucked into the collar of the wearer, or otherwise under the bib, the semicircular arc fitting against the back of the neck of the wearer or close thereto.

In FIGS. 7-9 a method of making the invention is illustrated. In FIG. 7 there is shown a roll of the material 80, such as polyethelene, or a soft absorbent paper backed by polyethelene, for example, from which the bibs may be made. All of the cutting and forming of fold lines can be accomplished in one operation. As the material comes off the roll, at the proper intervals the material is perforated at 82 to provide for easy separation of the individual bibs; all the slits can be cut into the material; and the right triangle areas 84 at the lower ends can be cut off along the bias lines 48 and 49. Similarly, the central fold line 24 and the diagonal fold lines 58 and 60 can be formed by heat or pressure or both.

After the foregoing has been accomplished, the material can be folded on the longitudinal fold line 24, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, either before the separation of the individual bibs or after. Before separation, the material from the roll can be continuously moved along on a conveyor and folded after the fold lines have been inserted so as to maintain the bibs in a continuous sheet. As the continuous sheet is moved, it can be sealed at 66, as shown in FIG. 9, by a heat sealing method or by various types of conventional adhesives.

Because of the very thin material, the bibs can be rolled when completed into a single roll of folded bibs, and each one may be pulled off separately along the perforation line 82. Similarly, if desirable, the bibs can be severed and distributed in stacks of folded bibs or stacks of unfolded bibs and sold in tissue type boxes. When the bibs are unpackaged and unfolded, the pocket will automatically open and will be in position to receive material dropped during the eating and drinking of the user.

Another method of making the bibs is to fold the sheet prior to putting it on the roll. As may be visualized from FIG. 2, this permits the use of a die one half the size required in the method illustrated in FIG. 7 and requires only one die to cut off the triangles 84. By having the material prefolded in the roll, it is ready for sealing at 66 when it has been cut.

The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the forms, construction and arrangements of the parts of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or sacrificing its material advantages, the arrangements hereinbefore described being merely by way of example. I do not wish to be restricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned except as defined in the accompanying claims, wherein various portions have been separated for clarity of reading and not for emphasis.