Bib with Collapsible Support Structure for Food Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bibs fail to protect an infant's seating area from food stains as they allow food to slide down, necessitating a design that forms a pouch to contain spills and stains.
Innovation Solution
A bib system featuring a liquid-resistant flexible body member with a collapsible support structure that forms an open pouch at the bottom when worn, utilizing a closure system and integrated stiff flexible ribs to create a pocket for containment, which can be easily washed and folded for storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional flat bibs are used, then the bib is simple and easy to manufacture, but food slides down to the seating area and fails to provide adequate protection
Solution Approach 1:
The bib incorporates a collapsible support structure that transitions from a flat state during storage to a three-dimensional pouch-forming structure when worn. This dynamic transformation allows the bib to adapt its shape based on usage conditions, providing effective food containment when needed while maintaining simplicity during storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms the bib from a two-dimensional flat surface to a three-dimensional pouch structure by adding a collapsible support structure. This dimensional change creates depth and volume, enabling the bib to contain food spills effectively while maintaining a compact form when not in use.
2Reliability
If a rigid support structure is added to form a pouch, then food containment is improved, but the bib becomes difficult to store and wash
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible support structure dynamically changes between an extended configuration that forms a food-containing pouch and a collapsed flat configuration for easy storage and washing. This dynamic property resolves the contradiction by providing rigidity only when needed for food containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible support structure is designed to nest within itself or within the pouch when collapsed, similar to nested dolls. This nesting capability allows the rigid structure to be compacted into a small space, making the bib easy to store and handle during washing.
3Shape
If the collapsible support structure is integrated permanently, then the pouch shape is maintained, but cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The bib is segmented into separable components: the flexible pouch body and the collapsible support structure. This segmentation allows the support structure to be removed from the pouch, enabling thorough cleaning of the pouch interior while maintaining the pouch shape when the support structure is reinserted.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible support structure is extracted as a separate, removable component from the pouch. This extraction allows the pouch to be cleaned independently without the obstruction of the support structure, while the support structure can be reinserted to restore the pouch shape after cleaning.
Data Source
AI summary
A bib system includes a liquid resistant flexible body member having a bottom configured to cover a torso of a user extending a lower periphery. A closure system is configured to engage the flexible body member with the torso of the user. A collapsible support structure is integrated with the flexible body member and is coupled to the closure. The collapsible support structure is configured to support the lower periphery of the flexible body member when the closure is engaged so that the bottom of the flexible body member forms an open pouch at the bottom of the flexible body member. The collapsible support structure is also configured not to form the pouch when the flexible body member is not applied around the torso of the user.