Bib with customized decorations

Abstract

A bib preferably for young children to be worn around the neck and to protect the chest from soiling usually by spilled food during feeding features a transparent window in the chest protecting area of a front facing panel. A back panel forms gap behind the front panel creating a pocket into which can be placed a detached sheet bearing a decorative graphic design. The design is positioned such that it can be seen by a viewer looking through the window when the sheet is inserted in the pocket. The back side of the bib can also be formed by a lower, middle panel partially overlapping the upper back panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bib comprising a thin, flexible front panel defining an outwardly facing front side of the bib and a thin, flexible back panel positioned behind and substantially coextensive with the front panel, in which the front panel has (i) an elongated shape adapted to overlie the chest region of a wearer (ii) a pair of arms extending upwardly from opposite lateral sides of the front panel to define a neck opening therebetween, the arms operative to removably secure the bib around a neck of a wearer, and (iii) a window of a transparent film positioned in the front panel, in which bib the front panel and the back panel are joined together along a portion of their common peripheral edges, thereby forming a pocket defined by a gap between mutually facing surfaces of the front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         2 . The bib as in  claim 1  in which the front panel and back panel are joined along their entire common peripheral edges except for at least one of two lateral sides of the bib. 
     
     
         3 . The bib as in  claim 1  in which the back panel is coextensive with only an upper portion of the front panel, the bib further comprising a thin, flexible middle panel having (a) a base behind and coexistensive only with a lower portion of the front panel being complementary to the upper portion, and (b) a flap extending upwardly from the base and positioned between the front panel and the back panel, and in which the front panel and the middle panel are joined together along their common peripheral edges. 
     
     
         4 . The bib as in  claim 3  which further comprises a profiled reclosable fastener adapted to revertibly join the second panel to the third panel. 
     
     
         5 . The bib as in  claim 1  in which the flap has a surface area adjacent the window. 
     
     
         6 . The bib as in  claim 5  in which the flap has a surface bearing a graphic design that is visible by observation through the window. 
     
     
         7 . The bib as in  claim 1  in which the window is coextensive with the entire front panel. 
     
     
         8 . The bib as in  claim 1  which further comprises a decorative sheet within the pocket, the sheet having a surface adapted to bear a graphic design that is visible by observation through the window. 
     
     
         9 . The bib as in  claim 8  in which the decorative sheet bears a preselected graphic design. 
     
     
         10 . The bib as in  claim 8  in which the decorative sheet is detached from the bib. 
     
     
         11 . The bib as in  claim 10  in which the pocket has a shape and juxtaposition with the window selected such that a decorative sheet of about 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) wide and about 5.5 inches (14 cm) high inserted into the pocket stably mates substantially precisely in central alignment adjacent the window. 
     
     
         12 . The bib as in  claim 8  in which the decorative sheet is adapted to bear a graphic design customized by a user. 
     
     
         13 . A kit for a bib having replaceable, customized graphic designs, comprising
 (A) a bib comprising a thin, flexible front panel defining an outwardly facing front side of the bib and a thin, flexible back panel positioned behind and substantially coextensive with the front panel, in which the front panel has (i) an elongated shape adapted to overlie the chest region of a wearer (ii) a pair of arms extending upwardly from opposite lateral sides of the front panel to define a neck opening therebetween, the arms operative to removably secure the bib around a neck of a wearer, and (iii) a window of a transparent film positioned in the front panel, in which bib the front panel and the back panel are joined together along a portion of their common peripheral edges, thereby forming a pocket defined by a gap between inward facing surfaces of the front panel and the back panel, and   (B) at least one decorative sheet bearing a graphic design, the sheet having a shape adapted to mate with the pocket such that the graphic design is visible by observation through the window with the at least one decorative sheet inserted into the pocket.   
     
     
         14 . The kit as in  claim 13  in which the back panel is coextensive with only an upper portion of the front panel, the bib further comprising a thin, flexible middle panel having (a) a base behind and coexistensive only with a lower portion of the front panel being complementary to the upper portion, and (b) a flap extending upwardly from the base and positioned between the front panel and the back panel, and in which the front panel and the middle panel are joined together along their common peripheral edges. 
     
     
         15 . The kit as in  claim 13  comprising a plurality of the decorative sheets. 
     
     
         16 . The kit as in  claim 13  further comprising an apparatus operative to produce a plurality of decorative sheets. 
     
     
         17 . The kit as in  claim 16  in which the apparatus includes a tracing template displaying a traceable image comprising an outline of the decorative sheet and an outline of an area corresponding to the position of the window. 
     
     
         18 . The kit as in  claim 16  in which the apparatus includes a die cutter operative to pressure cut a decorative sheet from a stock sheet. 
     
     
         19 . The kit as in  claim 16  in which the apparatus includes computer software operative to enable a user to create a customized graphic design and print the customized graphic design with a computerized printer on a stock sheet such that the graphic design is of a size coextensive with the window. 
     
     
         20 . The kit as in  claim 19  in which the computer software is further operative to print with the computerized printer on a stock sheet the customized graphic design in a position registered with an outline of the decorative sheet such that a decorative sheet excised from the stock sheet along the outline and inserted into the pocket renders the customized graphic design visible by observation through the window.