Cold weather garment

Abstract

A garment to provide protection and shading from the sun or other bright objects and protection from rain, snow, and other precipitation. The garment includes a shell and an opening generally defined by a periphery. The garment includes a flexible member that extends forwardly of the garment and is secured to an upper portion of the periphery. The garment also includes a mask having a flexible membrane that protects the face of the user.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/647,209, filed on Jan. 26, 2005. The entire contents of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/647,209 are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Garments, such as, hats, gloves, and scarves, are worn when the weather gets cold. These cold weather garments are worn to keep the wearer warm and insulated from the effects of cold temperatures. Prior art garments generally use materials that have insulative characteristics which decrease when exposed to moisture. These same materials often have surface texture characteristics which may irritate the skin of the wearer if the garment is worn in contact with the surface of the skin for extended periods of time. In addition, prior art garments often have surface texture characteristics such that when they are individually brushed against other objects, tend to produce audible noise, which is an undesirable characteristic when participating in certain sports, such as, hunting.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the invention provides a garment that can be worn on the head of a person. The garment is comfortable to wear for prolonged periods of time, has insulative characteristics, and resists moisture.

The garment generally includes a shell and an opening generally defined by a periphery. The garment includes a flexible member that extends forwardly of the garment and is secured to an upper portion of the periphery to provide protection and shading from the sun or other bright objects and protection from rain, snow, and other precipitation. The garment also includes a mask having a flexible membrane that protects the face of the user from cold weather elements.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cold weather garment according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cold weather garment illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is right side view of the cold weather garment illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is top view of the cold weather garment illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the cold weather garment illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the cold weather garment illustrated in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

FIGS. 1-6 illustrate a garment 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. The garment 10 includes a shell 14 having an upper portion 18 that generally conforms to the head of the wearer and a lower portion 22 that generally conforms to the neck of the wearer. The lower portion 22 includes an opening 26 that allows the wearer to slip the garment 10 over his or her head and neck. The shell 14 can be manufactured with assorted fabrics and materials, which can include both natural and synthetic fibers.

The garment 10 also includes a periphery 30 that generally defines an opening 34 and the location of the face of the wearer when the garment 10 is positioned on the head of the wearer. The garment 10 also includes a member 38 that extends forwardly (see FIGS. 3 and 5) of the garment 10. The member 38 is generally secured at an upper portion 42 of the opening 34 and is configured to be positioned above the eyes of the wearer when the garment 10 is positioned on the head of the wearer. The member 38 is generally semi-circular-shaped in the form of, for example, a bill on a sports cap. The member 38 is flexible and conformable to the desires of the wearer and can be adjusted to provide protection and shading from the sun or other bright objects and protection from rain, snow, and other precipitation. The member 38 is stitched to the periphery 30 of the opening 34. The member 38 can be manufactured with assorted fabrics and materials, which can include both natural and synthetic fibers. In one embodiment, the member 38 includes two layers of Dacron® polyester fleece fabric formed over a foam core. The foam core provides enough rigidity to form the member 38 and support the Dacron polyester fleece fabric. The Dacron polyester fleece fabric is folded over the edge of the member 38 to form a smooth shape. Dacron is a registered trademark of the DuPont Company.

The garment 10 further includes a mask 46, which is operable to shield or otherwise insulate the skin and face of the wearer. The mask 46 can provide protection and shading from the sun or other bright objects and protection from rain, snow, and other precipitation. The mask 46 is generally secured to a lower portion 50 of the opening 34. A top portion 54 of the mask 46 is not secured to the opening 34 and extends from one side of the periphery 30 to an opposite side of the periphery 30. The top portion 54 of the mask 46 includes a flexible band 58, such as, for example, elastic or the like. The flexible band 58 is stitched into the top portion 54 of the mask 46.

The mask 46 is configured to be generally positioned over the nose, mouth, cheeks, and chin of the wearer when the garment 10 is positioned on the head of the wearer and provides enough room that there is space between the mouth of the wearer and the fabric of the mask 46. The mask 46 is further configured to be adjustable as the flexible band 58 can extend over the nose of the wearer or be pulled down below the chin of the wearer. The wearer can move the mask 46 to any desired location on the face. The mask 46 is secured in the desired location by the flexible band 58. The mask 46 can be positioned on the nose of the wearer and allow ample room for the wearer to breathe. The mask 46 also can be maneuvered such that the mask 46 does not contact the cheeks and mouth of the wearer other than at the location of the flexible band 58. The mask 46 can also be maneuvered to a location below the chin of the wearer. The mask 46 can be manufactured with assorted fabrics and materials, which can include both natural and synthetic fibers. In one embodiment, the mask 46 includes Dacron® polyester fleece fabric. The Dacron polyester fleece fabric is folded over the flexible band 58 such that the top edge of the mask 46 is smooth. Dacron is a registered trademark of the DuPont Company.

The garment 10 is an article for sportsmen and sportswomen, such as hunters, and for other outdoor activities. The Dacron polyester fabric operates as a protective shield and as an insulative material. The Dacron polyester fabric has a characteristic tendency to retain very little moisture. In addition, the Dacron polyester fabric has a desirable characteristic of the ability to dry quickly and insulate effectively in the event it gets wet. Further, the Dacron polyester fabric possesses a soft finish, which permits it to be worn in contact with the surface of the skin for long periods of time without causing irritation. This soft finish has an additional benefit in that it does not produce audible nose when it is brushed against other objects. Dacron polyester fabric also provides the added benefit of being not as bulky as down insulation and other synthetic fiberfills, and yet offers approximately the same insulation effect.

One or more independent features and independent advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A garment comprising:

a knit shell including an opening, the shell configured to be worn on an individual's head;

a forwardly extending and flexible member integral with an upper portion of the opening, the member including a fleece material; and

a mask integral with a second portion of the opening, the mask including the fleece material and a flexible band configured to conform to a facial feature of the individual.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the mask is configured to cover at least the individual's mouth and a portion of the individual's nose.

3. The garment of claim 1 wherein the flexible band is configured to be moveable from a first position to a second position.

4. The garment of claim 3 wherein the mask in the first position is configured to cover at least the individual's mouth and a portion of the individual's nose.

5. The garment of claim 3 wherein the flexible band in the first position is configured to traverse the individual's nose.

6. The garment of claim 3 wherein the mask in the second position is configured to be below the individual's chin.

7. The garment of claim 3 wherein the flexible band is configured to traverse the underside of the individual's chin.

8. The garment of claim 1 wherein the facial feature is one of a nose, a cheek, an upper lip, a lower lip, and a forehead.

9. The garment of claim 1 wherein the forwardly extending member is semi-circular shaped.

10. The garment of claim 1 wherein the forwardly extending member is a bill.

11. The garment of claim 1 wherein the forwardly extending member is configured to be flexible.

12. The garment of claim 1 wherein the forwardly extending member comprises a fleece-like material and a foam core.

13. (canceled)

14. The garment of claim 1 wherein the fleece material comprises a double-sided brushed polyester fiber.

15. The garment of claim 1 wherein the mask is configured to allow ample room for the wearer to breathe.

16. A garment comprising:

a knit hood including an opening, the hood configured to be worn on an individual's head;

a flexible bill integral with an upper portion of the opening, the bill comprising a fleece material and a foam core; and

a mask integral with a portion of the opening, the mask including a flexible band configured to extend from one side of the portion of the opening to an opposite side of the portion of the opening, the mask adapted to cover at least a mouth of the individual.

17. The garment of claim 16 wherein the mask comprises a fleece-like material.

18. The garment of claim 17 wherein the fleece-like material comprises a double-sided brushed polyester fiber.

19. A garment comprising:

a knit hood adapted to be worn on an individual's head, the hood including an opening;

a forwardly extending and flexible member integral with a portion of the opening; and

means for concealing at least a portion of the individual's head, the concealing means being integral with at least a portion of the opening.

20. The garment of claim 19, wherein the concealing means includes a mask adapted to conceal at least one of the individual's nose, cheek, upper lip, lower lip, and forehead.