HOOD AND METHOD OF USE

Abstract

A clothing accessory is provided to be worn on the head of a user and is provided with an upper end portion, an open lower end portion, a forward portion and a rearward portion. The forward portion is provided with at least one eye opening. The rearward portion is provided with a rear opening that is shaped and sized to permit the user to pass the user's head from within an interior portion of the clothing accessory through the rear opening. A removable visor may be coupled with the clothing accessory above the eye opening. One or more flaps may be positioned near the rear opening for covering the rear opening.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

The invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional patent application No. 60/990,500 entitled HOOD AND METHOD OF USE by COBY R. ROWE, PAOLO DELLA BORDELLA, and JAIME DARETTA, filed on Nov. 27, 2007, which Provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Clothing accessories, such as hats and masks have been previously used for a variety of reasons, including fashion, temperature control, and to protect users from the elements. Some clothing accessories have been provided to cover the top of a user's head, while others have been provided to also cover portions of the user's face or neck. Such clothing accessories, however, have provided little variance to the positions in which they may be worn.

Where an accessory has been provided, for example, to cover the top of the user's head, the user has had to remove the clothing accessory completely to gain access to the top of the user's head. Clothing accessories have not been typically crafted in a manner that permitted an alternate use position on the user that provided the user with easy access to the top of the user's head. This has also been the case where the clothing accessory has been provided to cover the user's face. In order to gain access to the user's face to eat, for example, the clothing accessory typically should be removed from the user.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary, and the foregoing Background, is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In some embodiments, a clothing accessory is provided that may be worn on the head of a user like a hood. The clothing accessory has a body portion with an upper end portion, a lower end portion, a forward portion and a rearward portion. The lower end portion of the body is preferably provided with a neck hole that is shaped and sized to permit the user to pass the user's head through the opening and into an interior portion of the body. The forward portion of the body may have at least one eye hole that is positioned to expose at least one eye of the user when the clothing accessory is positioned in a first use position on the user's head. The rearward portion of the body is preferably provided with a rear opening that is shaped and sized to permit the user's head to pass through the rear opening from within the interior portion of said body.

In certain embodiments, the clothing accessory is formed from a flexible fabric. Perforated material may be positioned along the forward portion of the body to provide greater airflow adjacent the user's mouth when the clothing accessory is worn in the first use position.

The rear opening may be provided in various shapes and orientations to permit the user's head to easily pass through the opening from the first use position. Gathers may be provided along a peripheral edge portion of the rear opening to help bias the opening toward a closed position when the clothing accessory is in the first use position on the user's head. A rear flap may be coupled with the rearward portion of the body, near the rear opening, so that the flap substantially covers the rear opening when the clothing accessory is in the first use position.

In some embodiments, a user may place the clothing accessory on the user's head, into the first use position, by passing the user's head through the neck hole and positioning the forward portion so that the eye hole exposes at least one of the user's eyes. From the first use position, the user may pass the user's head through the rear opening from the interior portion of the body to expose the user's head, leaving at least a substantial portion of the body around the user's neck. Accordingly, the user may move the clothing accessory to a second use position that permits the user to eat and drink, among other activities without completely removing the clothing accessory. The clothing accessory is returned to the first use position or removed by first passing the user's head back through the rear opening.

In some embodiments, the clothing accessory may be formed from a variety of materials that assist in blocking sun, wind and other elements from the user's head and neck. In one aspect, the materials used to construct the clothing accessory are sufficiently porous to provide the user with adequate ventilation, while continuing to shield the user from the sun and other weather elements.

These and other aspects of the present system and method will be apparent after consideration of the Detailed Description and Figures herein. It is to be understood, however, that the scope of the invention shall be determined by the claims as issued and not by whether given subject matter addresses any or all issues noted in the Background or includes any features or aspects recited in this Summary.

DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention, including the preferred embodiment, are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 depicts: one embodiment of the clothing accessory and one manner in which it may be worn by a user.

FIG. 2 depicts a front elevation view of the clothing accessory of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a rear elevation view of the clothing accessory of FIG. 1 and shows one embodiment of the rear opening and flap.

FIG. 4 depicts a side elevation view of the clothing accessory of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts a top plan view of the clothing accessory of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 depicts one embodiment of an interior portion of the clothing accessory depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 depicts a side elevation view of one manner in which the clothing accessory depicted in FIG. 1 may be moved from a first use position to a second use position by passing the user's head through the rear opening of the clothing accessory.

FIG. 8 depicts a side elevation view of the user and clothing accessory of FIG. 7 after the user has moved the clothing accessory to a second use position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the technology. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

With reference to FIG. 1, a clothing accessory 10 may be provided to be worn about the head and neck areas of a user. The clothing accessory 10 is provided with a body portion 12, having an upper end portion 14, a lower end portion 16, a forward portion 18 and a rearward portion 20. The lower end portion 16 is formed to have a neck hole 22 that is shaped and sized to permit the user to pass the user's head through the neck hole 22 and into an interior portion 24 of the body portion 12. The forward portion 18 of the body portion 12 is formed to have at least one eye hole 26 that is positioned to expose at least one eye of the user when the clothing accessory 10 is positioned in a first use position on the user's head. It is contemplated, however, that one or more eye holes 26 may be provided, depending upon the desired coverage of the user's face. It is further contemplated that the eye holes 26 may be formed to have nearly any shape, including round, oval, or various polygonal shapes, depending upon the desired end product.

In one embodiment, a mesh or perforated material may be positioned within the forward portion 18 of the body portion 12 to form a mouth or mouth and nose area 28 of the clothing accessory 10. Use of the mesh or perforated material increases the ease with which the user may breathe through the clothing accessory 10 when it is worn in its first use position. The mesh or perforated material further increases the clarity in which a user's words are understood while the user is speaking and wearing the clothing accessory 10 simultaneously.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, the rearward portion 20 of the body portion 12 may be provided with a rear opening 30 that is shaped and sized to permit the user's head to pass through the rear opening 30 from within the interior portion 24 of the body portion 12. While the rear opening 30 is generally depicted as an elongated, generally horizontally disposed slit, it is contemplated that the shape and orientation of the rear opening 30 may vary greatly from one embodiment to another, depending upon the desired aesthetic and functional attributes of the clothing accessory 10. One or more flaps 32 may be coupled with the rearward portion 20 of the body portion 12, adjacent the rear opening 30, so that the one or more flaps 32 are biased toward a closed position that conceals the rear opening 30. While it is contemplated that the rear opening 30 may be provided with various elastic materials or reinforcements to urge the rear opening 30 toward a closed position, the flap 32 may provide a reduced likelihood that sun and other such weather elements will pass through the rear opening 30 when the clothing accessory 10 is worn by the user. Various mechanical fasteners, including hook and loop materials, snaps, buttons, or the like are contemplated for securing the flap 32 in a closed position against the rearward portion 20 of the body portion 12.

The clothing accessory 10 may be assembled from one or more panels of generally flexible material. The edge portions of such panels of flexible material may be coupled to one another by sewing the panels to one another. Adhesives and other methods of mechanically coupling the panels with one another are contemplated. The type of material selected to form the clothing accessory 10 may be dependent upon the intended use of the clothing accessory 10. For example, heavier weight materials, including wool, fleece, and the like, may provide an increased level of warmth to a user in cool climates. Similarly, various mesh or perforated materials will allow the clothing accessory 10 to breathe more freely with the ambient air while significantly reducing the likelihood of contact between the user's head and sunlight or other weather elements. It is further contemplated that one or more natural or synthetic waterproof materials could be used to construct the clothing accessory 10. Such materials may be laminated to or coated with one or more known waterproofing substances, such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, and wax. Various colors or patterns, including camouflage, may be utilized in order to expand the usage of the clothing accessory 10 in one or more various activities that include hunting in different seasons.

An optional visor, formed from various semi-rigid and flexible materials, may also be provided above the one or more eye holes 26. In this manner, additional protection from sunlight and weather elements are provided to the partially exposed eyes of the user. It is contemplated that such a visor structure may be permanently or removably secured to the body portion 12, as desired.

In one aspect, the user may put the clothing accessory 10 on the user's head by first passing the user's head through the neck hole 22 of the body portion 12 and into the interior portion 24. The user may need to adjust the position of the one or more eye holes 26 to properly align with the user's eyes. Likewise, any mouth and nose areas of the clothing accessory 10 may be adjusted to be aligned with the user's mouth and nose. The lower end portion 16 of the clothing accessory 10 may be draped about the neck of the user and may, depending upon the length of the clothing accessory 10, be tucked into other garments worn by the user, such as a shirt or jacket.

With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the user may move the clothing accessory 10 from its first use position to a second use position that provides the user access to the user's face and head. In doing so, the user may open the rear opening 30, pushing the one or more flaps 32 away from the rear opening 30. The body portion 12 of the clothing accessory 10 may then be pulled in a forward direction over the face of the user, causing the user's head to pass from the interior portion 24 of the body portion 12 through the rear opening 30. With reference to FIG. 8, the second use position of the clothing accessory 10 disposes the clothing accessory 10 about the neck of the user, leaving the user's face and significant portions of the user's head exposed. In disposition, the user is free to eat, drink or the like without completely removing the clothing accessory 10 from the user's body. In doing so, the user leaves the clothing accessory 10 in a readily accessible location for reversing the procedure to move the clothing accessory 10 back into its first use position around the user's head.

Although the clothing accessory has been described in language that is specific to certain structures, materials, and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures, materials, and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions, such as those expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, etc. used in the specification (other than the claims) are understood as modified in all instances by the term “approximately.” At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter recited in the specification or claims which is modified by the term “approximately” should at least be construed in light of the number of recited significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or any and all individual values subsumed therein. For example, a stated range of 1 to 10 should be considered to include and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or individual values that are between and/or inclusive of the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less (e.g., 5.5 to 10, 2.34 to 3.56, and so forth) or any values from 1 to 10 (e.g., 3, 5.8, 9.9994, and so forth). Expressions such as “up,” “down,”, “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “left,” “right,” and the like are used, where applicable, to provide some clarity of description when dealing with relative relationships but these terms are not intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and/or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, an “upper” surface can become a “lower” surface simply by turning the object over. Nevertheless, it is still the same object.

Claims

1. A clothing accessory to be worn on the head of a user, the clothing accessory comprising:

a body having: (i) an upper end portion; (ii) an open lower end portion defined by a neck hole; (iii) a forward portion; (iv) a rearward portion; and an interior,

the forward portion of the body having at least one eye hole between the upper end portion and the open lower end portion;

the rearward portion of the body having a rear opening between the upper end portion and the lower end portion; the rear opening being in open communication with the interior of the body.

2. The clothing accessory of claim 1 wherein the forward portion of the body includes a portion of perforated material between the open lower end portion and the at least one eye hole.

3. The clothing accessory of claim 2 wherein the portion of perforated material defines a mouth area of the forward portion of the body.

4. The clothing accessory of claim 1 wherein the rear opening is provided as an elongated slit that extends transverse with a long axis of the hood that extends between the upper end portion and the open lower end portion.

5. The clothing accessory of claim 1 further comprising one or more flaps coupled with the rearward portion of the body, adjacent the rear opening, and movable between an open position that exposes the rear opening and a closed position that conceals the rear opening.

6. The clothing accessory of claim 5 wherein the at least one of the one or more flaps is biased toward the closed position.

7. The clothing accessory of claim 6 further comprising an elastic material that is coupled with the rearward portion of the body, adjacent the rear opening, whereby the at least one of the one or more flaps is biased toward the closed position.

8. The clothing accessory of claim 6 further comprising one or more fasteners coupled with the rearward portion of the body, adjacent the rear opening and the one or more flaps, whereby the one or more fasteners may secure the at least one of the one or more flaps in the closed position.

9. The clothing accessory of claim 1 wherein the body is comprised of a waterproof material.

10. The clothing accessory of claim 1 further comprising a visor that is operatively coupled with the forward portion of the body, between the upper end portion and the at least one eye hole.

11. The clothing accessory of claim 10 wherein the visor is comprised of a semi-rigid material.

12. The clothing accessory of claim 11 wherein the visor is removably coupled with the body.

13. A method of using a clothing accessory, the method comprising:

providing clothing accessory comprising a body having: (i) an upper end portion; (ii) an open lower end portion defined by a neck hole; (iii) a forward portion; (iv) a rearward portion;

and an interior, the forward portion of the body having at least one eye hole between the upper end portion and the open lower end portion; the rearward portion of the body having a rear opening between the upper end portion and the lower end portion; the rear opening being in open communication with the interior of the body;

positioning the clothing accessory on a user's head by passing the user's head through the neck hole of the body and into the interior of the body; and

positioning the clothing accessory about a neck of the user by passing the user's head through the rear opening of the body and pulling the body into a position about the user's neck.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

prior to positioning the clothing accessory about a neck of the user, moving the clothing accessory into a first use position whereby the user's head is substantially disposed within the interior of the body and at least one eye of the user is exposed by the at least one eye opening.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

after positioning the clothing accessory about a neck of the user, moving the clothing accessory into a first use position whereby the user's head is substantially disposed within the interior of the body and at least one eye of the user is exposed by the at least one eye opening.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing the clothing accessory with one or more flaps that are coupled with the rearward portion of the body, adjacent the rear opening, and movable between an open position that exposes the rear opening and a closed position that conceals the rear opening; and

moving the one or more flaps into an open position before passing the user's head through the rear opening.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing the clothing accessory with one or more flaps that are coupled with the rearward portion of the body, adjacent the rear opening, and movable between an open position that exposes the rear opening and a closed position that conceals the rear opening; and

moving the one or more flaps into a closed position after moving the clothing accessory into the first use position.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing the clothing accessory with one or more fasteners adjacent the one or more flaps and the rear opening; and

securing the one or more flaps in a closed position using the one or more fasteners.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing the clothing accessory with a visor; and

removably coupling the visor with the forward portion of the body, between the upper end portion and the at least one eye hole, after moving the clothing accessory into the first use position.