Careful - This Bib is Patented

I have seen a few children's accessory designers make this bib. I can't say for sure if they have made it exactly, but there is enough similarities that caution should be advised. There are a few children's apparel/accessory products that have been patented. I don't generally like the idea of patenting these kinds of products because they are usually so simple. With a quick search I found over 200 patents on bibs and related items and some of them are extremely simple products. If you do register a patent, you also must be willing to defend it legally. This bib is patented by Nancy Sell with the bib being sold at Wal-Mart.

Other things to consider with patents. They take time and money to prepare. This bib was "invented" in 1993 and the patent filing wasn't completed until 1996. There are some interesting related inventions of a coat and an apron that had similar pockets.

This style of bib is called a "crumb catcher". It has a folded pocket on the bottom that is secured with strategically placed snaps. The bib is made of a vinyl type material on the face and a fuzzy fabric on the back.





Here is a close-up of the folding used to create the pocket.

I haven't decided if this was really worth going through the process of obtaining a patent. It is interesting enough that I traced it off for further study and that is when I noticed the label with patent info. If you do patent a design you must include the patent info on a label. Anyway, if you do make a "crumb catcher" bib, just make sure it doesn't violate this patent.