Patent Application
20250057263
The present invention relates to an apron having multiple features and functions, and more particularly, an clothing protector apron for use in protecting clothes from soiling by food and liquids.
Many different types of bibs, garment protectors, and aprons exist which include pockets for catching the solids and liquids inadvertently dropped by the individual wearing the article. However, it is difficult to design an apron or bib with a simple pocket-forming device with the flexibility to be shaped to a user's preference while providing ease of cleaning and storage.
The most common use of a bib or apron is in feeding babies and young children, senior citizens, mentally and physically handicapped persons, and patrons of restaurants also use bibs or aprons. Bibs have been modified to make them more efficient at catching spills such as by including pockets, attaching the bib to a table, or tray of an infant's chair, or attaching a tray to the bib.
Eating and drinking in one's car while traveling has become ever more popular, as people continually seek ways to save time while performing various tasks necessary to daily life. Many fast-food chains have “drive-through” sections where customers do not leave their vehicle to buy and consume food and liquids. Inevitably, food and liquids are spilled on the driver's clothing and/or the front seat of the vehicle.
This is especially true of many commuters, who will often skip meals at home, stop at a fast food outlet on their way to work, at lunch and/or having their dinner on their drive home. The use of convenience stores, fast food outlets, and other establishments for lunch meals and evening meals by commuters and others with busy schedules, is also common in today's culture.
Auto manufacturers have come to realize the popularity of eating and drinking while driving, and accordingly virtually all cars manufactured today are available with cup holders and the like to assist the motorist. However, spillage of food and drink while the vehicle is in motion is also an occasionally expected, if undesirable, byproduct of this eating/drinking and driving or commuting combination. Spillage of food or drink in the interior of the vehicle is bad enough, but perhaps worse is the possibility of spillage on one's clothing during such a commute to work, with the resulting need to wear stained or soiled clothing for the entire workday.
Most commonly, bibs are made from cloth and only serve to protect a small portion of clothing directly below the bib or are merely decorative in nature therefore not providing adequate protection to the wearer. Also, cloth bibs need to be washed frequently creating a need for multiple cloth bibs for each wearer. Some other bibs made from rigid, plastic type materials with permanently formed troughs in the lower body, are able to catch and retain solids and liquids, but unfortunately can be both uncomfortable and potentially unsafe to the user due to the nature of the rigid material used which extends to the upper sections to secure the bib around the wearer's neck.
In view of the above descriptions, Clothing protectors are frequently worn by small children because they lack the motor skills necessary to prevent food from falling onto their clothes while they are eating. But this is not the only use for clothing protectors. People eating messy meals such as lobster or wings use clothing protectors to prevent liquids from getting on their clothing. Elderly and disabled persons, who lack fine motor control, also use bibs during meals. Most bibs comprise a clothing shield and two long strands that can be tied together around a user's neck. For robust people with good coordination, tying a bib around the neck is not a problem, but for people with poor motor skills or a limited range of motion a standard bib can be difficult to use. Disposable clothing protectors pose another problem in that they are often made of thin plastic and become easily knotted. Knotted plastic can be extremely difficult to remove without tearing or cutting the plastic.
There is a need therefore for clothing protector apron that can be easily put on over one's clothing, by the driver while operating the vehicle and which can provide protection against such mishaps and It is an object therefore of this invention to provide easily applied waterproof bib-apron that covers the chest waist, and legs of the wearer.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a reusable, adjustable clothing protector apron that acts as a protective cover for individual's clothes from liquid and solid materials while eating, drinking, when traveling in a vehicle, train, plane, bus, boat, or the like and that can be easily folded/collapsed into itself when not in use.
More Specifically the clothing protector apron is a soft flexible, waterproof and durable travel accessory that protects clothing in multiple settings as used by adults, babies and special needs individuals during mealtimes.
In order to achieve this aspect, the present invention includes an upper section which can be fastened to the neck of an individual and protecting the shoulder area, a stain resistant middle section with the spill control ribs and side barriers controlling the flow of any liquid and food debris from getting onto your clothes and the sturdy pocket incorporated into the lower section designed to catch and retain the liquid and food debris from leaking on the individual clothing and/or the seat of the vehicle.
It is therefore, a primary object of the present invention to enable an individual a simple, efficient, convenient economical and comfortable means for protecting one clothes by having an flexible non-stick silicone surface designed with an adjustable neck band, and spill control ribs, elongated barriers strip and a study pocket to catch and hold any inevitably spilled food or liquids.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof and reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
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