Apron for a person to wear when consuming food and / or drinks, and method for producing such an apron

Abstract

An apron (S) to be worn when consuming food or drinks has an upper region (OB) with a cutout to be fit around the neck of a person (P) and a lower region (UB) to cover the upper body of the person (P). The apron (S) has two sheets (110, 120) connected to one another along a lower edge (101) and two lateral edges (102, 103), but not along an upper edge (104). An opening (140) is formed and the upper region (OB) of the apron (S) extends from the opening (140). At least one sheet (110, 120) has a cutout (150*, 150) for the neck of the person (P). A lower region of one sheet (110) has a partial cutout (111) that can be folded toward the thigh of the person (P) about a fold-over zone (K1) running parallel to the lower edge (101).

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is the national phase of PCT / DE2023 / 000028 filed May 3, 2023.BACKGROUND

[0002] Field of the Invention. The invention relates to an apron for a person to wear when consuming food and / or drinks or beverages and to a method for producing such an apron.

[0003] Related Art. There are numerous types of aprons that protect people from soiling themselves, including disposable aprons or bibs made from plastic foil. Bibs are used in particular when consuming food and / or drinks, but only protect the upper part of the upper body from soiling. The usual aprons are often very long and awkward to use. For this reason, the following situations in particular do not lend themselves to the use of conventional aprons.

[0004] The occupants of vehicles (cars, commercial vehicles, but also ships, boats, etc.) or airplanes are often involved in eating during their ride of stay on the vessel; this also applies to drivers who (have to) consume drinks, food, snacks, etc. during the journey. Thus, there is the problem that passengers soil themselves or their clothing, sometimes considerably. The same applies to participants or spectators at an event, such as at a baseball or American football event, who would like to eat and drink during the game. The problem actually exists for all people who are in a seated position when consuming food and / or drinks and are exposed to the risk of soiling; examples include wheelchair users, elderly or disabled people.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,968 discloses such an apron that is intended to protect a vehicle driver from soiling while consuming food and / or beverages. The apron has an upper region or region with a cut-out for attaching the apron to the neck of the wearer and a lower region for covering the neck of the wearer, of at least the wearer's upper body. The neckline is smaller than the wearer's head and the apron is made of a flat plastic material (PE) with a certain material thickness, which makes it necessary to provide a slit with a fastener (“slit 24” and “adhesive tape 26” in FIG. 1) at the neckline so that the wearer can put the apron on his neck. Furthermore, the lower region of the apron can be folded upwards to form a pocket-shaped collection area (“lower front pocket 30”) for falling food residues (solid or liquid). For this purpose, however, the lower region or portion of the apron, which is folded upwards, must have a concave cut-out (“28” in FIG. 1) and its edges must be connected to the opposite edges (“32” and “34”) after folding down, i.e. glued or hemmed (see column 5, lines 26-41). The construction and application of this apron is therefore quite complicated.

[0006] A further, complicatedly designed apron is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,692. Further publications on the background of the invention to be mentioned are the following: DE 20 2013 009 525 U1, DE 76 14 288 U1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,740,552 A and 3,815,153 A. The object of the invention is to further develop an apron for a person to wear when consuming food and / or beverages in such a way that the above-mentioned disadvantages are overcome. In particular, an apron of the type mentioned above is to be further developed in such a way that it is easy to manufacture or produce and protects the wearer from soiling when consuming food and / or drinks. The apron should be particularly suitable for a vehicle or aircraft occupant or event participant in order to protect them from soiling when consuming food and / or drinks.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The apron according to the invention is characterized in that the apron is made of a foil bag or similar structure that consists of a first and a second substantially rectangular foil. The two foils are arranged in two layers and are joined together at a lower edge and two lateral edges but are not joined together at any upper edge, whereby an opening of the foil bag is formed. The upper region of the apron extends from the opening of the foil bag and at least one of the two foils in the upper region has a partial or full cut-out for the neck of the person or the wearer. The upper region of the apron extends from the opening of the foil bag. of the wearer, and the lower region of the apron extends from the lower edge of the foil bag and only one foil of the two foils in the lower region has a prepared partial cut-out that can be folded down towards the thigh region of the person or of the wearer by a folding zone extending parallel to the lower edge.

[0008] This means that the apron can be made with little effort from an existing foil bag or larger foil bag. In particular, by cutting out or providing a partial or full cut-out on at least one foil (in particular the rear foil) in the upper region of the apron, the cut-out can rest against the neck of the wearer or even fully enclose it. Thus, the apron can be worn immediately by simply placing the partial cut-out on the neck or pushing the head through the full cut-out or slipping through. In addition, by cutting out or perforating a partial cut-out in the lower region of the apron and only on one of the two foils, namely on the forward-facing foil or front foil, a part of the foil that can be folded forward over the wearer's lap and thighs is created, whereby the total area of the apron can be significantly enlarged in a simple way, in particular to protect the lower region area of the wearer. When cutting out the cut-outs, it is crucial that the prepared partial cut-out (continuous cut or perforated) is provided in the lower region, i.e. the area of the foil bag that extends from the lower closed end of the foil bag and not from its opening. This is because the lower edge area can then be used as a collection area for food and / or drink residues when the apron is used. The invention offers every person effective protection against soiling themselves when consuming food and / or drinks. The apron is particularly suitable for wearers who are exposed to a greater risk of soiling themselves, such as elderly or disabled persons, but also drivers or other passengers who are traveling in a vehicle or aircraft and want to consume food and / or drinks safely and securely while doing so. Vehicle is also understood to mean any type of watercraft, although the invention is likely to be used primarily in land vehicles. The apron according to the invention is also suitable as an advertising medium and / or as a bonus accessory for customers of a restaurant, in particular a drive-in, or for passengers of an airline, or for spectators at an event. The apron can also be made of environmentally friendly, preferably compostable material. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing such an apron is disclosed.

[0009] In some embodiments, the prepared partial cut-out provided in the lower region of the apron is formed by three incisions (continuous or perforated), two of which run parallel to one of the lateral edges of the foil bag, in particular at a distance of 3-15 cm from the respective edge. In this way, elongated, vertically extending collecting pockets are also formed in the two lateral edge areas in order to collect food and / or drink residues and drain them downwards into the collecting pocket located at the lower end.

[0010] The collecting pockets can be lined with an absorbent material, such as paper kitchen towels, by inserting a filling material, in particular a liquid-absorbent filling material, at the lower edge and / or at the lateral edges between the foils.

[0011] To dimension the lower collection pocket, the fold-over zone or the crease area, that forms the upper edge of the lower collection pocket, preferably runs parallel to the lower edge of the foil bag at a distance of 5 -25 cm. For dimensioning the lower collecting pocket, the two incisions running parallel to one of the lateral edges in each case preferably have a length of 20-60 cm.

[0012] For the dimensioning and positioning of the slip-through for the head of the wearer, the full cut-out has an elliptical, in particular round, shape. The edge of the elliptical cut-out of some embodiments runs at a minimum distance of 5-10 cm from the upper edge and at a minimum distance of 10-25 cm from the respective lateral edge.

[0013] The partial cut-out of the apron can also be formed by a curved incision.

[0014] The foil sack or bag of some embodiments is made from a bio-based plastic, in particular bio-polyethylene (bio PE) or polyethylene furanoate (PEF), or from a biodegradable plastic, in particular polylactide (PLA) or polybutylene succinate (PBS). Furthermore, the foil bag can also be made of a compostable foil material, whereby the term foil bag is to be understood generally and also includes, for example, a paper bag. In particular, materials made from renewable raw materials such as lactic acid, corn starch, potato starch, sugar cane, sugar beet or cellulose are to be mentioned. For example, a sack made of paper can be used and can be provided with beeswax or another sustainable, biodegradable substance on the inside to make the apron as impermeable as possible against moisture and wetness.

[0015] In a further advantageous embodiment, the fold-down partial cut-out is printed with information on its surface facing the inside of the foil bag in an orientation that can be read by the occupant when wearing the apron. This allows advertising imprints, but also instructions for use or menu cards, drinks or price lists to be printed, which the wearer can read very easily when using the apron.

[0016] In the following, the invention is described in detail by means of examples of embodiments, with reference being made to the accompanying schematic drawings, which reproduce the following schematic representations.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a first embodiment of the apron.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apron shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates the wearing of the apron of FIG. 1.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a front plan view of a second embodiment of the apron.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the apron.

[0022] FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c show detailed side views of a corner in the lower region of the apron of FIG. 5.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a front plan view of a fourth embodiment of the apron.

[0024] FIG. 8 is a flow chart for a method of manufacturing such an apron.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] A first embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 1-3. As shown in the figures, the apron S is made from a foil bag 100 that is essentially rectangular in shape and consists of two foils 110 and 120 lying one on top of the other. Three of its edges are joined together (welded), namely the two lateral edges 102 and 103 and the lower edge 101. At the upper end, the edges 104 are not joined together, as a result of which the opening 140 of the foil bag 100 is located there. The upper region OB extends downwards from the opening 140 of the foil bag and the lower region UB extends upwards from the lower edge 101.

[0026] A full cut-out 150 is now formed in the upper region OB, on both foils, i.e. both foils 110 and 120 have a round, in this case elliptical cut-out, through which the wearer, i.e. vehicle occupant for example, passes his head in order to put the apron on.

[0027] A foldable partial cut-out 111 is formed in the lower region UB, namely on only one of the two foils, namely on the front foil 110. The three incisions E2, E3 and E4 are dimensioned so that a fold-over zone or edge KI is formed in the vicinity of the lower edge 101 and parallel thereto, around which the partial cut-out 111 can be folded downwards (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Thus, the folded-down portion 111 of the front foil 110 forms a protection for the lap and thighs of the wearer P (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The inside of the upper foil 110 is now openly visible to the wearer P, so that a text or other information can also be printed or attached there, such as advertising, instructions for use of the apron, etc. For this purpose, the text on the fold-down part or portion of the inner side is aligned so that it is easy to read when the apron is worn (see FIG. 3).

[0028] For example, the apron has the dimensions of a normal garbage bag, i.e. it is about 40-70 cm wide and 60-110 cm long when folded in. When the partial cut-out 111 is folded or unfolded, for example, it has a length of about 50 cm, which increases the overall length of the apron by about 50%.

[0029] The fold-over zone or edge KI runs at a distance DA of about 5-20 cm (here about 15 cm) parallel to the lower edge 101 of the foil bag 110 (see dashed line KI in FIG. 1), forming a lower collecting pocket. And the incisions E2 and E3 run parallel to the lateral edges 102 and 103 respectively at a distance DB of about 3-15 cm (here about 4-5 cm), so that lateral collecting pockets are also formed. The catching or collecting pockets can safely catch falling food or drink residues and prevent them from getting onto the clothing of the wearer P (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The collecting pockets can optionally be equipped with a filling material, in particular a liquid-absorbent filling material F.

[0030] The full cut-out 150 provided for the head or neck of the wearer has here, for example, an elliptical shape, the edge of which extends at a minimum distance DD of 5-10 cm from the upper edge 104 and at a minimum distance DC of 10-25 cm from the respective lateral edge 102, 103.

[0031] The apron P can therefore simply be slipped over the head of the wearer P and is immediately ready for use (see FIG. 3).

[0032] An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 4, whereby this apron S has a somewhat differently designed foldable partial cutout 111′ in the lower region, which is formed only by an arcuate cutout E*, whereby the cutout is not continuous but perforated. In addition, at least one strip-shaped partial cutout 112, which runs parallel to the lateral edges and extends from the opening 140, has been cut out from the foil that does not have the partial cutout 111′, i.e. from the rear foil 120. In the example shown in FIG. 4, two strips 112 are cut out, which can be folded upwards and thus serve as additional fastening strips, with which the wearer P can tie the apron S′ even more firmly to his body (shoulder, neck), so that the apron is secured against slipping and the lower region of the full cut-out 150 lies as close as possible to the neck of the wearer P.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a further example of an apron in which only the rear foil 120 has a cut-out for the neck of the person, in this case a full cut-out 150, although a partial cut-out or a recess, as shown in FIG. 7, would also be possible. The front foil HO has the partial cut-out 111 that can be folded down; since both foils 110 and 120 are of the same length, the fold-down area 111 is particularly long and can cover the person's thighs and knees particularly well or protect them from soiling when the apron is used. The partial section 111 that can be folded around the folded edge KI is conical, so that the edge areas widen towards the bottom, which improves the catching function of the lower region. In addition, the lower corners of the foil bag are folded inwards in the form of a triangle, whereby the front foil 110 stands out from the rear foil 120 in these corner areas 105, so that an effective catchment area is automatically formed. This is illustrated with reference to FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c:

[0034] FIG. 6a shows a partial view of the corner area 105 of the right-hand corner, i.e. the area at the lower end of the right-hand edge 103 (cf. FIG. 5), whereby the folding in of the corner tip is indicated by arrows. The corner tip is then located between the two foils after it has been hammered in, thereby creating a gap between these foils which widens the collection area. This effectively prevents the two foils from lying directly on top of each other and the user having to create the catchment area by widening the gap between the foils. FIG. 6b shows a view of the side of the right-hand edge 103 and the folded-down foil section 111 (quasi as a protective bib for the thighs) before the corner tip is folded in; therefore, both foils are still lying close together. FIG. 6c shows the situation after the corner tip has been folded in, whereby the distance between the foils is formed in the respective corner area 105. This means that a catchment area is always created automatically.

[0035] FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of an apron that has only a partial cut-out 150* or a recess for the neck of the person on the rear foil. Here, the rear foil 120 is longer than the front foil 110, i.e. it is not a conventional foil bag from which the apron is formed, but a bag-shaped structure with a longer rear foil 120 and a shorter front foil 110, i.e. with foils of unequal length.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows a flow chart for a method M for producing an apron according to the invention (see also the preceding figures), i.e. an apron S for a person P to wear when consuming food and / or drinks. The apron has an upper region OB with a cut-out for attaching the apron S to the neck of the person P and a lower region UB for covering at least the upper region of the person P. The method M has at least the following steps (S1 to S3). Step S1 includes preparing or using a foil bag (100) comprising a first and second rectangular foil (HO, 120). The two foils (HO, 120) are arranged in two layers and are joined together at a lower edge (101) and two lateral edges (102, 103) while not being joined together at any upper edge (104), as a result of which an opening (140) of the foil bag (100) is formed. Step S2 includes inserting or forming a partial cutout (150*) or full cutout (150) in at least one of the two foils (110, 120) at the neck of the person (P) into the upper portion (OB) of the apron(S) extending from the opening (140) of the foil bag (100). Step S3 includes inserting or forming a prepared partial cutout (111) on only one foil (HO) of the two foils in the lower region (UB) of the apron(S), which extends from the lower edge (101) of the foil bag (100). The partial cutout (111) is designed to be folded down towards the thigh region of the person (P) by a fold-down zone (KI) running parallel to the lower edge (101).

[0037] Numerous other variants are conceivable. As the description also reveals, the apron is very inexpensive to manufacture and is immediately ready for use (full cut-out for putting on); in addition, it can be extended immediately and without effort by folding down the partial cut-out; moreover, it is particularly effective in preventing soiling of its wearer, not least because of the formed catch pockets. The apron is therefore particularly suitable for wearers who do not want to or cannot consume food and / or drinks at a table or similar due to given circumstances (consumption during a journey, flight or stay at an event). In this sense, the apron is also suitable for patients in hospitals or residents of retirement homes or visitors to day care centers.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0025]A first embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 1-3. As shown in the figures, the apron S is made from a foil bag 100 that is essentially rectangular in shape and consists of two foils 110 and 120 lying one on top of the other. Three of its edges are joined together (welded), namely the two lateral edges 102 and 103 and the lower edge 101. At the upper end, the edges 104 are not joined together, as a result of which the opening 140 of the foil bag 100 is located there. The upper region OB extends downwards from the opening 140 of the foil bag and the lower region UB extends upwards from the lower edge 101.

[0026]A full cut-out 150 is now formed in the upper region OB, on both foils, i.e. both foils 110 and 120 have a round, in this case elliptical cut-out, through which the wearer, i.e. vehicle occupant for example, passes his head in order to put the apron on.

[0027]A foldable partial cut-out 111 is formed in the lower region UB, namely on only one of the two foils, nam...

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is the national phase of PCT / DE2023 / 000028 filed May 3, 2023.BACKGROUND

[0002] Field of the Invention. The invention relates to an apron for a person to wear when consuming food and / or drinks or beverages and to a method for producing such an apron.

[0003] Related Art. There are numerous types of aprons that protect people from soiling themselves, including disposable aprons or bibs made from plastic foil. Bibs are used in particular when consuming food and / or drinks, but only protect the upper part of the upper body from soiling. The usual aprons are often very long and awkward to use. For this reason, the following situations in particular do not lend themselves to the use of conventional aprons.

[0004] The occupants of vehicles (cars, commercial vehicles, but also ships, boats, etc.) or airplanes are often involved in eating during their ride of stay on the vessel; this also applies to drivers who (have to) consume drinks, food, snacks, etc. during the journey. Thus, there is the problem that passengers soil themselves or their clothing, sometimes considerably. The same applies to participants or spectators at an event, such as at a baseball or American football event, who would like to eat and drink during the game. The problem actually exists for all people who are in a seated position when consuming food and / or drinks and are exposed to the risk of soiling; examples include wheelchair users, elderly or disabled people.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,968 discloses such an apron that is intended to protect a vehicle driver from soiling while consuming food and / or beverages. The apron has an upper region or region with a cut-out for attaching the apron to the neck of the wearer and a lower region for covering the neck of the wearer, of at least the wearer's upper body. The neckline is smaller than the wearer's head and the apron is made of a flat plastic material (PE) with a certain material thickness, which makes it necessary to provide a slit with a fastener (“slit 24” and “adhesive tape 26” in FIG. 1) at the neckline so that the wearer can put the apron on his neck. Furthermore, the lower region of the apron can be folded upwards to form a pocket-shaped collection area (“lower front pocket 30”) for falling food residues (solid or liquid). For this purpose, however, the lower region or portion of the apron, which is folded upwards, must have a concave cut-out (“28” in FIG. 1) and its edges must be connected to the opposite edges (“32” and “34”) after folding down, i.e. glued or hemmed (see column 5, lines 26-41). The construction and application of this apron is therefore quite complicated.

[0006] A further, complicatedly designed apron is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,692. Further publications on the background of the invention to be mentioned are the following: DE 20 2013 009 525 U1, DE 76 14 288 U1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,740,552 A and 3,815,153 A. The object of the invention is to further develop an apron for a person to wear when consuming food and / or beverages in such a way that the above-mentioned disadvantages are overcome. In particular, an apron of the type mentioned above is to be further developed in such a way that it is easy to manufacture or produce and protects the wearer from soiling when consuming food and / or drinks. The apron should be particularly suitable for a vehicle or aircraft occupant or event participant in order to protect them from soiling when consuming food and / or drinks.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The apron according to the invention is characterized in that the apron is made of a foil bag or similar structure that consists of a first and a second substantially rectangular foil. The two foils are arranged in two layers and are joined together at a lower edge and two lateral edges but are not joined together at any upper edge, whereby an opening of the foil bag is formed. The upper region of the apron extends from the opening of the foil bag and at least one of the two foils in the upper region has a partial or full cut-out for the neck of the person or the wearer. The upper region of the apron extends from the opening of the foil bag. of the wearer, and the lower region of the apron extends from the lower edge of the foil bag and only one foil of the two foils in the lower region has a prepared partial cut-out that can be folded down towards the thigh region of the person or of the wearer by a folding zone extending parallel to the lower edge.

[0008] This means that the apron can be made with little effort from an existing foil bag or larger foil bag. In particular, by cutting out or providing a partial or full cut-out on at least one foil (in particular the rear foil) in the upper region of the apron, the cut-out can rest against the neck of the wearer or even fully enclose it. Thus, the apron can be worn immediately by simply placing the partial cut-out on the neck or pushing the head through the full cut-out or slipping through. In addition, by cutting out or perforating a partial cut-out in the lower region of the apron and only on one of the two foils, namely on the forward-facing foil or front foil, a part of the foil that can be folded forward over the wearer's lap and thighs is created, whereby the total area of the apron can be significantly enlarged in a simple way, in particular to protect the lower region area of the wearer. When cutting out the cut-outs, it is crucial that the prepared partial cut-out (continuous cut or perforated) is provided in the lower region, i.e. the area of the foil bag that extends from the lower closed end of the foil bag and not from its opening. This is because the lower edge area can then be used as a collection area for food and / or drink residues when the apron is used. The invention offers every person effective protection against soiling themselves when consuming food and / or drinks. The apron is particularly suitable for wearers who are exposed to a greater risk of soiling themselves, such as elderly or disabled persons, but also drivers or other passengers who are traveling in a vehicle or aircraft and want to consume food and / or drinks safely and securely while doing so. Vehicle is also understood to mean any type of watercraft, although the invention is likely to be used primarily in land vehicles. The apron according to the invention is also suitable as an advertising medium and / or as a bonus accessory for customers of a restaurant, in particular a drive-in, or for passengers of an airline, or for spectators at an event. The apron can also be made of environmentally friendly, preferably compostable material. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing such an apron is disclosed.

[0009] In some embodiments, the prepared partial cut-out provided in the lower region of the apron is formed by three incisions (continuous or perforated), two of which run parallel to one of the lateral edges of the foil bag, in particular at a distance of 3-15 cm from the respective edge. In this way, elongated, vertically extending collecting pockets are also formed in the two lateral edge areas in order to collect food and / or drink residues and drain them downwards into the collecting pocket located at the lower end.

[0010] The collecting pockets can be lined with an absorbent material, such as paper kitchen towels, by inserting a filling material, in particular a liquid-absorbent filling material, at the lower edge and / or at the lateral edges between the foils.

[0011] To dimension the lower collection pocket, the fold-over zone or the crease area, that forms the upper edge of the lower collection pocket, preferably runs parallel to the lower edge of the foil bag at a distance of 5 -25 cm. For dimensioning the lower collecting pocket, the two incisions running parallel to one of the lateral edges in each case preferably have a length of 20-60 cm.

[0012] For the dimensioning and positioning of the slip-through for the head of the wearer, the full cut-out has an elliptical, in particular round, shape. The edge of the elliptical cut-out of some embodiments runs at a minimum distance of 5-10 cm from the upper edge and at a minimum distance of 10-25 cm from the respective lateral edge.

[0013] The partial cut-out of the apron can also be formed by a curved incision.

[0014] The foil sack or bag of some embodiments is made from a bio-based plastic, in particular bio-polyethylene (bio PE) or polyethylene furanoate (PEF), or from a biodegradable plastic, in particular polylactide (PLA) or polybutylene succinate (PBS). Furthermore, the foil bag can also be made of a compostable foil material, whereby the term foil bag is to be understood generally and also includes, for example, a paper bag. In particular, materials made from renewable raw materials such as lactic acid, corn starch, potato starch, sugar cane, sugar beet or cellulose are to be mentioned. For example, a sack made of paper can be used and can be provided with beeswax or another sustainable, biodegradable substance on the inside to make the apron as impermeable as possible against moisture and wetness.

[0015] In a further advantageous embodiment, the fold-down partial cut-out is printed with information on its surface facing the inside of the foil bag in an orientation that can be read by the occupant when wearing the apron. This allows advertising imprints, but also instructions for use or menu cards, drinks or price lists to be printed, which the wearer can read very easily when using the apron.

[0016] In the following, the invention is described in detail by means of examples of embodiments, with reference being made to the accompanying schematic drawings, which reproduce the following schematic representations.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a first embodiment of the apron.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apron shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates the wearing of the apron of FIG. 1.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a front plan view of a second embodiment of the apron.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the apron.

[0022] FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c show detailed side views of a corner in the lower region of the apron of FIG. 5.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a front plan view of a fourth embodiment of the apron.

[0024] FIG. 8 is a flow chart for a method of manufacturing such an apron.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] A first embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 1-3. As shown in the figures, the apron S is made from a foil bag 100 that is essentially rectangular in shape and consists of two foils 110 and 120 lying one on top of the other. Three of its edges are joined together (welded), namely the two lateral edges 102 and 103 and the lower edge 101. At the upper end, the edges 104 are not joined together, as a result of which the opening 140 of the foil bag 100 is located there. The upper region OB extends downwards from the opening 140 of the foil bag and the lower region UB extends upwards from the lower edge 101.

[0026] A full cut-out 150 is now formed in the upper region OB, on both foils, i.e. both foils 110 and 120 have a round, in this case elliptical cut-out, through which the wearer, i.e. vehicle occupant for example, passes his head in order to put the apron on.

[0027] A foldable partial cut-out 111 is formed in the lower region UB, namely on only one of the two foils, namely on the front foil 110. The three incisions E2, E3 and E4 are dimensioned so that a fold-over zone or edge KI is formed in the vicinity of the lower edge 101 and parallel thereto, around which the partial cut-out 111 can be folded downwards (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Thus, the folded-down portion 111 of the front foil 110 forms a protection for the lap and thighs of the wearer P (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The inside of the upper foil 110 is now openly visible to the wearer P, so that a text or other information can also be printed or attached there, such as advertising, instructions for use of the apron, etc. For this purpose, the text on the fold-down part or portion of the inner side is aligned so that it is easy to read when the apron is worn (see FIG. 3).

[0028] For example, the apron has the dimensions of a normal garbage bag, i.e. it is about 40-70 cm wide and 60-110 cm long when folded in. When the partial cut-out 111 is folded or unfolded, for example, it has a length of about 50 cm, which increases the overall length of the apron by about 50%.

[0029] The fold-over zone or edge KI runs at a distance DA of about 5-20 cm (here about 15 cm) parallel to the lower edge 101 of the foil bag 110 (see dashed line KI in FIG. 1), forming a lower collecting pocket. And the incisions E2 and E3 run parallel to the lateral edges 102 and 103 respectively at a distance DB of about 3-15 cm (here about 4-5 cm), so that lateral collecting pockets are also formed. The catching or collecting pockets can safely catch falling food or drink residues and prevent them from getting onto the clothing of the wearer P (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The collecting pockets can optionally be equipped with a filling material, in particular a liquid-absorbent filling material F.

[0030] The full cut-out 150 provided for the head or neck of the wearer has here, for example, an elliptical shape, the edge of which extends at a minimum distance DD of 5-10 cm from the upper edge 104 and at a minimum distance DC of 10-25 cm from the respective lateral edge 102, 103.

[0031] The apron P can therefore simply be slipped over the head of the wearer P and is immediately ready for use (see FIG. 3).

[0032] An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 4, whereby this apron S has a somewhat differently designed foldable partial cutout 111′ in the lower region, which is formed only by an arcuate cutout E*, whereby the cutout is not continuous but perforated. In addition, at least one strip-shaped partial cutout 112, which runs parallel to the lateral edges and extends from the opening 140, has been cut out from the foil that does not have the partial cutout 111′, i.e. from the rear foil 120. In the example shown in FIG. 4, two strips 112 are cut out, which can be folded upwards and thus serve as additional fastening strips, with which the wearer P can tie the apron S′ even more firmly to his body (shoulder, neck), so that the apron is secured against slipping and the lower region of the full cut-out 150 lies as close as possible to the neck of the wearer P.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a further example of an apron in which only the rear foil 120 has a cut-out for the neck of the person, in this case a full cut-out 150, although a partial cut-out or a recess, as shown in FIG. 7, would also be possible. The front foil HO has the partial cut-out 111 that can be folded down; since both foils 110 and 120 are of the same length, the fold-down area 111 is particularly long and can cover the person's thighs and knees particularly well or protect them from soiling when the apron is used. The partial section 111 that can be folded around the folded edge KI is conical, so that the edge areas widen towards the bottom, which improves the catching function of the lower region. In addition, the lower corners of the foil bag are folded inwards in the form of a triangle, whereby the front foil 110 stands out from the rear foil 120 in these corner areas 105, so that an effective catchment area is automatically formed. This is illustrated with reference to FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c:

[0034] FIG. 6a shows a partial view of the corner area 105 of the right-hand corner, i.e. the area at the lower end of the right-hand edge 103 (cf. FIG. 5), whereby the folding in of the corner tip is indicated by arrows. The corner tip is then located between the two foils after it has been hammered in, thereby creating a gap between these foils which widens the collection area. This effectively prevents the two foils from lying directly on top of each other and the user having to create the catchment area by widening the gap between the foils. FIG. 6b shows a view of the side of the right-hand edge 103 and the folded-down foil section 111 (quasi as a protective bib for the thighs) before the corner tip is folded in; therefore, both foils are still lying close together. FIG. 6c shows the situation after the corner tip has been folded in, whereby the distance between the foils is formed in the respective corner area 105. This means that a catchment area is always created automatically.

[0035] FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of an apron that has only a partial cut-out 150* or a recess for the neck of the person on the rear foil. Here, the rear foil 120 is longer than the front foil 110, i.e. it is not a conventional foil bag from which the apron is formed, but a bag-shaped structure with a longer rear foil 120 and a shorter front foil 110, i.e. with foils of unequal length.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows a flow chart for a method M for producing an apron according to the invention (see also the preceding figures), i.e. an apron S for a person P to wear when consuming food and / or drinks. The apron has an upper region OB with a cut-out for attaching the apron S to the neck of the person P and a lower region UB for covering at least the upper region of the person P. The method M has at least the following steps (S1 to S3). Step S1 includes preparing or using a foil bag (100) comprising a first and second rectangular foil (HO, 120). The two foils (HO, 120) are arranged in two layers and are joined together at a lower edge (101) and two lateral edges (102, 103) while not being joined together at any upper edge (104), as a result of which an opening (140) of the foil bag (100) is formed. Step S2 includes inserting or forming a partial cutout (150*) or full cutout (150) in at least one of the two foils (110, 120) at the neck of the person (P) into the upper portion (OB) of the apron(S) extending from the opening (140) of the foil bag (100). Step S3 includes inserting or forming a prepared partial cutout (111) on only one foil (HO) of the two foils in the lower region (UB) of the apron(S), which extends from the lower edge (101) of the foil bag (100). The partial cutout (111) is designed to be folded down towards the thigh region of the person (P) by a fold-down zone (KI) running parallel to the lower edge (101).

[0037] Numerous other variants are conceivable. As the description also reveals, the apron is very inexpensive to manufacture and is immediately ready for use (full cut-out for putting on); in addition, it can be extended immediately and without effort by folding down the partial cut-out; moreover, it is particularly effective in preventing soiling of its wearer, not least because of the formed catch pockets. The apron is therefore particularly suitable for wearers who do not want to or cannot consume food and / or drinks at a table or similar due to given circumstances (consumption during a journey, flight or stay at an event). In this sense, the apron is also suitable for patients in hospitals or residents of retirement homes or visitors to day care centers.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0025]A first embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 1-3. As shown in the figures, the apron S is made from a foil bag 100 that is essentially rectangular in shape and consists of two foils 110 and 120 lying one on top of the other. Three of its edges are joined together (welded), namely the two lateral edges 102 and 103 and the lower edge 101. At the upper end, the edges 104 are not joined together, as a result of which the opening 140 of the foil bag 100 is located there. The upper region OB extends downwards from the opening 140 of the foil bag and the lower region UB extends upwards from the lower edge 101.

[0026]A full cut-out 150 is now formed in the upper region OB, on both foils, i.e. both foils 110 and 120 have a round, in this case elliptical cut-out, through which the wearer, i.e. vehicle occupant for example, passes his head in order to put the apron on.

[0027]A foldable partial cut-out 111 is formed in the lower region UB, namely on only one of the two foils, nam...

Claims

1. An apron (S) for a person (P) for wearing when consuming food and / or drinks, the apron (S) having an upper region (OB) with a cut-out for attaching the apron (S) to the neck of the person (P) and a lower region (UB) for covering at least the upper region of the person (P), the apron (S) being made of a foil bag (100) having two rectangular foils (HO, 120) arranged in two layers and being connected to one another at a lower edge (101) and two lateral edges (102, 103) and not being connected to one another at any upper edge (104), thereby forming an opening (140) of the foil bag (100), the upper region (OB) of the apron (S) extending from the opening (140) of the foil bag (100) and at least one of the two foils (110, 120) in the upper region (OB) has a partial cutout (150*) or full cutout (150) for the neck of the person (P), and the lower region (UB) of the apron (S) extending from the lower edge (101) of the foil bag (100) and only one foil (HO) of the two foils in the lower region (UB) has a prepared partial cutout (111) that can be folded down towards the thigh region of the person (P) by a fold-down zone (KI) extending parallel to the lower edge (101).

2. The apron (S) of claim 1, wherein the prepared, foldable partial cutout (111) is formed: by three perforated or continuous incisions (El, E2, E3), of which two incisions (E2, E3) each run parallel to one of the lateral edges (102, 103) of the foil bag (100), in particular run at a distance (DB) of 5-15 cm from the respective edge; or by an arcuate, perforated incision (E*) or continuous incision.

3. The apron (S) claim 2, wherein the two incisions (E2, E3) running parallel to one of the lateral edges (102, 103) in each case have a length of 20-60 cm.

4. The apron (S′) of claim 1, wherein only the rear (120) of the two foils in the upper region (OB) has the partial cutout (150*) in the form of a recess for fitting to the neck of the person (P), the apron having at least one strip-shaped structure (113) that encloses the neck when the apron is used.

5. The apron (S′) of claim 1, wherein at least one strip-shaped partial cutout (112) that runs parallel to the lateral edges and extends from the opening (140) is cut out of the foil (120) that does not have the partial cutout (111′).

6. The apron (S) of claim 1, wherein the fold-down zone (KI) runs parallel to the lower edge (101) of the foil bag (100) at a distance (DA) of 5-20 cm.

7. The apron (S) of claim 1, wherein the full cut-out (150) has an elliptical or rounded shape with an edge that extends at a minimum distance (DD) of 5-10 cm from the upper edge (104) and at a minimum distance (DC) of 10-25 cm from the respective lateral edge (102, 103).

8. The apron (S) of claim 1, further comprising a liquid-absorbent filling material (F) introduced at the lower edge (101) and / or at the lateral edges (102, 103) between the two foils (110, 120).

9. The apron (S) of claim 1, wherein the foil bag (100) is made of a bio-based plastic or a biodegradable plastic.

10. The apron (S) of claim 1, wherein the foil bag (100) is made from a compostable foil material or from a renewable raw materials, comprising lactic acid, maize starch, potato starch, sugar cane, sugar beet or cellulose.

11. The apron (S) of claim 1, wherein the fold-down partial cut-out (111) provides information (I) printed on its surface facing the inside of the foil bag (100) in an orientation that is legible for the wearer (P) when wearing the apron (S).

12. (canceled)13. A method (M) for producing an apron (S) for a person (P) to wear when consuming food and / or beverages, the apron (S) having an upper region (OB) with a cut-out for attaching the apron (S) to the neck of the person (P) and a lower region (UB) for covering at least the upper region of the person (P), the method comprising:making or providing a foil bag (100) having two rectangular foils (HO, 120), the two foils (110, 120) being arranged in two layers and joined together at a lower edge (101) and two lateral edges (102, 103) and not being joined together at an upper edge (104), thereby forming an opening (140) of the foil bag (100),forming a partial cutout (150*) or full cutout (150) on at least one of the two foils (110, 120) at the neck of the person (P) into the upper portion (OB) of the apron (S) extending from the opening (140) of the foil bag (100); andforming a partial cutout (111) in the lower region (UB) of the apron (S), which extends from the lower edge (101) of the foil bag (100), the partial cutout (111) being configured to be folded down towards the thigh region of the person (P) by a fold-down zone (KI) running parallel to the lower edge (101).

14. The apron (S) of claim 1, wherein the foil bag (100) is made of bio-polyethylene (bio-PE), polyethylene furanoate (PEF) polylactide (PLA) or polybutylene succinate (PBS).

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