Adjustable Hood System
An adjustable hood system comprising a single drawstring attached to a plurality of first pull tabs for adjusting a size and/or shape of the hood in a first direction and a plurality of second pull tab for adjusting the size and/or shape of the hood in a second direction generally opposite the first direction is provided. In one embodiment, the adjustable hood system comprises a tightening pull tab for tightening a cord about a periphery of a hood and a loosening pull tab for loosening the cord about a periphery of the hood. The cord, for example, may extend around a face opening, an inner volume or a neck opening formed by the hood.
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The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/524,943, pending, filed Nov. 24, 2003, titled Adjustable Hood System, and incorporated herein as if set out in full.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is related to an adjustable hood system, more particularly to an adjustable hood system for providing convenient adjustment of a hood.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONHoods for outerwear garments typically have a face opening and a drawstring provided in a passageway around the face opening. The ends of the drawstring extend out of the passageway and are used to adjust the size of the face opening. When the ends of the drawstring are pulled and tightened, the face opening of the hood is made smaller.
Other conventional hoods include a drawstring disposed around the periphery of the hood. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,418 issued to Rindle, incorporated herein by reference as if set out in full, discloses an adjustable hood system providing simultaneous adjustment of the shape and volume of the hood in directions having longitudinal, lateral, and vertical components. The adjustable hood system of the Rindle patent discloses a front drawstring passageway and a back drawstring passageway with a single drawstring extending through each passageway. However, the Rindle patent as well as the references discussed by the Rindle patent use multiple drawstrings to adjust the hood.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides an adjustable hood system comprising a single drawstring attached to a plurality of first pull tabs for adjusting a size and/or shape of the hood in a first direction and a plurality of second pull tab for adjusting the size and/or shape of the hood in a second direction generally opposite the first direction. In one embodiment, the adjustable hood system comprises a tightening pull tab for tightening a cord about a periphery of a hood and a loosening pull tab for loosening the cord about a periphery of the hood. The cord, for example, may extend around a face opening, an inner volume or a neck opening formed by the hood.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
As shown in
An embodiment of the present invention is shown in
Cord lock 38 is optional because eyelets 42, described below, may be sized to provide sufficient friction to hold the cords 30 and 32 in the adjusted position. The friction, while sufficient to hold the cords in place during normal use, is easily overcome by a user pulling on first tabs 36 and or second tabs 40, explained further below.
In one particular embodiment, such as shown in
In operation, the first tabs 36 are pulled in direction 44 pulling the first adjustment cord portion 30 and the second adjustment cord portion 32 through openings 32, such as the eyelets, and the optional cord lock 38 in a first direction 46 (e.g., towards the first tab 36). By pulling the first adjustment cord portion 30 and the second adjustment cord portion 32 towards the first tab, the volume of the hood 20 and the size of the face opening 26 defined by the hood 20 are decreased simultaneously.
The second tab 40 is pulled in direction 48 pulling the first adjustment cord portion 30 and the second adjustment cord portion 32 through the cord lock 38 in a second direction 50 generally opposite the first direction 46 (e.g., towards the second tab 40).
The cord lock 38 or openings 42 provide resistance (e.g., friction) to the first adjustment cord portion 30 and the second adjustment cord portion 32 sliding through the cord lock 38 or the openings 42. The resistance of the cord lock 38 and/or openings 42 is preferably sufficient to hold the first adjustment cord portion 30 and the second adjustment cord portion 32 in place while the hood is in use on a wearer, but can be overcome by pulling the tabs 36 and 40 to slide the first and second adjustment cord portions 30 and 32 through the cord lock 38. In one embodiment, such as shown in
The first and/or second adjustment cord portions may comprise a stretchable material such as an elastic cord or may comprise a non-stretchable material. The first and second adjustment cord portions 30 and 32 may be formed by a single cord looped around both sections of the hood to be adjusted, may be formed by two or more cords connected together to form the first and second adjustment cord portions or may comprise two or more independent cords. In the embodiment shown in
The hood 20 may also comprise a brim 66 as shown in
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An adjustable hood system comprising:
- a hood comprising a flexible material defining a face opening and an inner volume for receiving a head of a wearer;
- a cord having a first point and a second point, the first point remote from the second point such that the cord extends around at least a portion of the face opening and a portion of the inner volume;
- at least a first tab connected to the cord at the first point;
- a second tab connected to the cord and displaced from the first tab along a length of the cord; and
- means for frictionally engaging the cord to inhibit the cord from movement,
- wherein pulling the cord using the first tab through the means for frictionally engaging in a first direction causes the cord to move such that the face opening and the inner volume decrease in size substantially simultaneously, and wherein pulling the cord using the second tab through the means for frictionally engaging in a second direction causes the cord to move allowing the face opening and the inner volume to increase in size substantially simultaneously.
2. The adjustable hood system of claim 1, wherein the at least the first tab comprises a plurality of first tabs, at least one other of the plurality of first tabs connected to the second point.
3. The adjustable hood system of claim 2, wherein the second tab comprises a plurality of second tabs.
4. The adjustable hood system of claim 1, wherein the hood comprises a channel extending around at least a portion of the hood, and the cord extends at least partially through the channel.
5. The adjustable hood system of claim 1, wherein the cord comprises an elastic cord.
6. The adjustable hood system of claim 1, wherein the cord is attached to a portion of said hood.
7. The adjustable hood system of claim 6, wherein the cord is attached to the portion of the hood at the second point.
8. The adjustable hood system of claim 6, wherein the cord is attached to a portion of the hood at a front place located substantially symmetrical to the hood.
9. The adjustable hood system of claim 6, wherein the cord is attached to a portion of the hood at a rear place located substantially symmetrical to the hood.
10. The adjustable hood system of claim 1, wherein the means for frictionally engaging the cord comprises a plurality of eyelets.
11. The adjustable hood system of claim 1, wherein the means for frictionally engaging the cord comprises at least a cord lock.
12. The adjustable hood system of claim 1, wherein the hood further comprises a flap at least partially covering one or more element of the group selected from: the first tab, the second tab and the means for frictionally engaging the cord.
13. An adjustable hood system comprising:
- a hood comprising a flexible material defining a face opening and an inner volume for receiving a head of a wearer, the hood comprising a left side and a right side about a center plane;
- a cord extending around at least a portion of the face opening and the inner volume;
- a first tab connected to the cord on the left side;
- a second tab connected to the cord on the left side and displaced from said first tab along said cord;
- first means for frictionally engaging the cord coupled to the cord between the first tab and the second tab, the first tab being located on a first left side of the first means for frictionally engaging such that pulling on the first tab overcomes the frictional engagement allowing the cord to move in a first direction and the second tab being located on a second left side of the first means for frictionally engaging such that pulling on the second tab overcomes the frictional engagement allowing the cord to move in a second direction generally opposite the first direction;
- a third tab connected to the cord on the right side and displaced from the first tab and the second tab along the cord;
- a fourth tab connected to the cord on the right side and displaced from the first tab, the second tab and the third tab along the cord intermediate the second tab and the third tab;
- second means for frictionally engaging the cord coupled to the cord between the third tab and the fourth tab, the third tab being located on a first right side of the second means for frictionally engaging such that pulling on the third tab overcomes the frictional engagement allowing the cord to move in the first direction and the fourth tab being located on a second right side of the second means for frictionally engaging such that pulling on the fourth tab overcomes the frictional engagement allowing the cord to move in the second direction generally opposite the first direction.
14. The adjustable hood system of claim 13, wherein the first means for engaging comprises a cord lock.
15. The adjustable hood system of claim 14, wherein the second means for engaging comprises a cord lock.
16. The adjustable hood system of claim 13, wherein the first means for engaging comprises a plurality of eyelets.
17. The adjustable hood system of claim 16, wherein the second means for engaging comprises a plurality of eyelets.
18. The adjustable hood system of claim 13, wherein the hood comprises at least one channel extending around at least one a portion of the hood selected from the group of: the face opening or inner volume, and said first cord extends at least partially through said channel.
19. The adjustable hood system of claim 13, wherein the cord comprises an elastic cord.
20. The adjustable hood system of claim 13, wherein the cord is attached to a portion of the hood.
21. The adjustable hood system of claim 20, wherein the cord is attached to the portion of the hood substantially aligned with the center plane.
22. The adjustable hood system of claim 21, wherein the portion of the hood is a front.
23. The adjustable hood system of claim 11, wherein the hood further comprises a flap at least partially covering one or more element of the group selected from: the first tab, the second tab, the third tab, the fourth tab, the first means for frictionally engaging, and the second means for frictionally engaging.
24. An adjustable hood system comprising:
- a hood comprising a flexible material defining a face opening and an inner volume for receiving a head of a wearer;
- a cord comprising a first cord part, a second cord part, and a control part;
- the first cord part extending around at least a portion of the face opening of the hood;
- the second cord part extending around at least a portion of the inner volume of the hood, at least a portion of the second cord part being angularly offset from the first cord part;
- the control cord part extending from the first cord part and the second cord part, the control cord part have a distal end opposite a proximal end, the proximal end adjacent the first cord part and the second cord part;
- a first tab connected to the distal end;
- a second tab connected to the proximal end;
- means for frictionally engaging the cord coupled to the control cord part, at least a portion of the means for frictionally engaging residing between the first tab and the second tab,
- wherein pulling on the first tab overcomes the means for frictionally engaging and allows the cord to be moved in a first direction, and pulling on the second tab overcomes the means for frictionally engaging and allows the cord to be moved in a second direction generally opposite the first direction.
25. The adjustable hood system of claim 24, wherein the means for frictionally engaging is a cord lock.
26. The adjustable hood system of claim 24, wherein means for frictionally engaging is a plurality of eyelets.
27. The adjustable hood system of claim 24, wherein the first cord comprises an elastic cord.
28. The adjustable hood system of claim 24, wherein the hood further comprises a flap at least partially covering one or more element of the group selected from: the first tab, the second tab and the means for frictionally engaging.
29. The adjustable hood system of claim 1, wherein a part of the cord comprises a band.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 18, 2004
Publication Date: May 26, 2005
Applicant: SPYDER ACTIVE SPORTS, INC. (Boulder, CO)
Inventor: Trent Bush (Boulder, CO)
Application Number: 10/904,614