Insect Protection Garment

Abstract

A one piece, self-supporting total body covering for protection against insects to be used by campers, hikers, fisherman, hunters or by professionals who work in the outdoors such as scientists and photographers. The garment will be mostly made of a see-through material impervious to insects. What is new and different about this garment is that it will create and area inside the netting large enough to eat, read, etc, and keep the user protected from insects and comfortable for long periods of time. It will be easy to deploy, wear, remove and transport.

Description

This invention is for protection from bothersome and biting insects normally occurring in outdoor areas. It is a one piece, self-supporting total body covering. It will be made mostly of see-through netting material impervious to insects. Most importantly it will create a large enough space, inside the netting, to allow the wearer to eat, drink and relax while doing normal activities, without having to remove the garment, thus reducing exposure to annoying and harmful insects. The netting will be well away from the face making it comfortable to wear for long periods of time. It will be easy to deploy, wear, remove and transport.

DESCRIPTION

Background of the Invention

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is an improvement on all other types of insect protection garments for anyone in an outdoor area where bothersome insects are present. It is designed to be easy to use and comfortable to wear.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Previously users of the outdoors have had to use either a head net or a head net in combination with a full body suit to protect themselves from insects. Head nets are uncomfortable, especially if you have to wear one for hours, or all day, or day after day as is the case when working or camping outdoors. The netting is only inches from the face, which gets annoying very quickly and makes activities such as eating very difficult. To eat, the head net must either must be removed thus exposing the person to the insects, or the user can try to pull the neck elastic out far enough to get a fork full of food into the mouth, which is difficult, and also creates an opening for insects to enter, thus undermining the protective aspect of the head net. Some try to solve this problem by eating in a tent, this is not recommended because animals are attracted to food smells and bears, skunks etc may come to the tent looking for a meal.

Suit type body protection must be worn over full length clothing as the netting cannot be held away from the skin. This makes suit types very uncomfortable on hot days when insects are present. They also must be used in conjunction with a head net which fails to address the problem of how to eat and perform other necessary tasks without creating an opening for insects to enter or removing the head net.

Some users of the outdoors rely on chemical repellants on their skin or clothing. Recent reports on these chemicals safety on the body make many reluctant to place it on the skin or inhale the vapors given off by these harsh chemicals even when placed on clothing. Some have label warnings of chemical stains if placed on clothing, and have to be re-applied frequently to be effective.

The Alquist et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,990 is a hood arrangement, and fails to address the need for a larger inside area to eat, read etc. The Alquist hood also hangs very close to the face which is annoying. It also fails to address the ability to be folded into a small and more pack able size. Also the crown piece is made of mesh material that provides little shade and no rain protection. It can be raining hard enough to get a person wet, yet not deter the insects. It also appears that the reinforcing cross strips on top lay directly on the head potentially making it uncomfortable after many hours of use. The Alquist et al hood has no openings for convenience, necessitating it to be opened or removed frequently to perform simple tasks.

The Merrill, U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,993 and Myers U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,781 are both suit type of garments that would be extremely hot on even moderately warm days. The face netting can be opened for eating etc, but there is nothing to prevent insects from flying inside the head piece while opened, thus undermining the protective aspect of the garment.

So what is desired is a garment that is one piece, light weight, covers the whole body and has a large enough inside space so you can eat, read etc and has openings for convenience so the garment will need to be removed as little as possible. It has a top that not only blocks insects from entering, but also provides shade and rain protection and allows the user to wear shorts and tee shirt on hot days.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is intended to be worn to provide protection from insects and to be easy to deploy, wear, remove and transport. It is to used by people who wish to engage in outdoor activities where enjoyment of such activities may be compromised by bothersome or biting insects.

It can also be used by military personnel deployed in areas where biting insects are a big problem and they are faced with long exposure times and where the possibility of contracting malaria is a factor. This invention could also help the populations in poorer countries or any place where there is a danger of malaria. There are bug nets for the heads and beds but none for the body, this invention fills that need.

A key of this invention is to have insert protection that can be worn over regular clothing, including light weight shirts and shorts that are normally worn outdoors when the weather is hot. Biting insects thrive in hot weather and having to wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants on 90 degree plus days is dreadful and possibly dangerous as such clothing could facilitate heat stroke.

It is the object of this invention to provide a large enough inside space as to not be annoyed by netting close to the face. Also to allow a large enough inside space for activities such as eating, drinking, smoking, sewing, repairing, cleaning gear or reading a map or book or writing in a journal, without fear of biting bugs.

A key of this invention is the spring steel, or plastic ring of the top to be the only support necessary for this garment. Also that the ring of the top will hold the netting well away from the face of the wearer creating a space inside impervious to bugs. Another key to this invention is that the ring on top will be sewn into the outer edge of the top material so as to allow it to be twisted and folded to approximately one third of it's unfolded size to make it much easier to pack and transport.

Another important aspect to this invention is the opening in the front, at approximately waist level, will have a Velcro™ or similar closure that is large enough to pass a plate of food, a book, etc inside. The opening for men will be located where a zipper on a regular pair of men's pants is located to facilitate the use of a restroom as needed. This will also have a Velcro™ or similar closure.

The seating area, which is in back, at waist level, extending down to just above the back of the knee, will be made of a durable material such as nylon so as to reduce the possibility of wear and tear when sitting on abrasive surfaces such as rocks or logs. The opening in the seating area will also be large enough to allow the use of a restroom without removing the garment and will have a Velcro™ or similar closure.

There will also be a round piece of cotton or other soft material sewn onto the inside of the top to deny insects the ability to bite the wearer on the head. There will also be a chin strap made of elastic strap material or cloth string with a cord lock, permanently attached to the round piece of cloth material attached to the top. It will be long enough to comfortably reach under the chin of the wearer to hold the garment in place.

There will be a strip of the durable nylon material at the bottom to prevent wear if dragged on the ground. There will be elastic straps sewn to the bottom strip that can be looped under the shoes to hold the garment down far enough to prevent insects from entering from the bottom.

The garment can be rolled up to waist level or to shoulder or neck level depending on how much of the body the wearer wants to protect.

The entire bottom of the garment will be open to allow entry into the garment and make removal easy. Also the garment can be closed at the bottom around the shoes to keep insects from getting inside. This also will allow the wearer to walk around the campsite, etc. Also, if the wearer prefers to bring the feet inside, the entire bottom of the garment can be sealed with the Velcro™.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the front elevation of the garment.

FIG. 2 is the right elevation of the garment.

FIG. 3 is the rear elevation of the garment.

FIG. 4 demonstrates how a nylon strip of material should be attached to the top and the bottom of the netting material.

FIG. 5 demonstrates how the spring steel or plastic hoop should be sewn into the material on the top piece of the garment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 the front elevation of the garment for the protection from insects is illustrated, it is a one piece total body covering. It can be made as a large size for adults or smaller sizes for smaller adults or children. It will be constructed mostly out of see-through insect barrier netting and nylon. The top piece 1 is made of nylon or other similar material that will provide a barrier from insects and shade and rain protection for the wearer. Sewn into the outer edge of top piece 1 is preferably a narrow spring steel hoop, but maybe a strong plastic hoop 2 that will provide support for the garment and should have the ability to be twisted and folded for packing convenience.

The top piece 1 will be made of a circular piece of nylon or similar material that is commonly used to make outdoor clothing or tents. The edge will be sewn in such a way as to prevent fraying.

The spring steel or plastic hoop 2 will be sewn into the outer edge of top piece 1. Top piece 1 will be folded over at the edge so the hoop 2 will be between the layers of material. Double stitching for strength is recommended.

The netting 11, that extends down below the top piece 1 will be sewn to the outer edge of the top piece 1. Before sewing the netting 11 to the top piece 1, a strip of nylon 12 should be sewn to the top of the netting 11 where it will be attached to top piece 1. The strip of nylon 12 should be folded over so the top of the netting 11 will be between the layers of the folded nylon 12 and then double stitched for strength. Then the strip of nylon 12 with the netting 11 attached can be sewn to top piece 1 and double stitched for strength.

The arm openings 3 and 7 may have a permanently attached sleeve (not shown) and allows the wearer to extend the hand and arm outside of the netting to cook, operate a camera, set up a tent, etc. If a sleeve is attached to openings 3 and 7, a strip of nylon should be sewn on the end of the sleeve that will be attached to the garment and then the nylon sewn to the garment. The sleeve should be made of netting or nylon material. With or without the sleeve the opening can be closed, preferably with Velcro™, or with a zipper or other types of fabric closing systems. The upper front opening 4 should be large enough to pass a plate of food or an article of clothing, etc, inside the garment or passing such items outside of the garment. This opening will be closable with Velcro™ or similar system. The lower front opening 5 will be for the males convenience when using the restroom and can be closed with Velcro™ or similar system.

The bottom opening 6 can be opened to a size large enough to allow the wearer to put the garment on and off. It can also be closed at the bottom with Velcro™ or similar system. It will have a strip of nylon sewn around the entire bottom to prevent wear. It should be sewn to netting 11 the same way as the nylon strip 12 is sewn to netting 11 in FIG. 4. Velcro™ can then be attached to the bottom strip of nylon so the entire bottom of the garment can be opened or closed. If the wearer wishes to pull the feet inside the garment the entire bottom of the garment can be closed with Velcro™. If the wearer wishes to walk with the garment on, the bottom opening can be closed around the tops of the shoes and remain closed between the feet to allow mobility while still denying insects entry. The bottom strip may have two loops of elastic (not shown) that can be looped under the shoes to hold the garment down close to the shoes.

Before Velcro™ is attached to the garment it should be sewn to a piece of nylon first rather than sewing Velcro™ directly to the garment. Then the nylon with the Velcro™ attached can be sewn to the garment. Double stitching for strength is recommended everywhere anything is attached.

The circular cloth piece 8 is sewn to the top piece 1 to keep insects from reaching the wearers head and as an attachment for chin strap 9. The chin strap 9 keeps the garment from sliding around and keeps the garment in place if wind is present. It can be made of an elastic material or cotton, like a shoe string with an adjustable stop so the wearer can adjust for comfort under the chin.

FIG. 2 shows the garment from the right elevation, the left elevation is a mirror image of the right elevation. The circular cloth piece 8 is shown and should be sewn to the inside center of top piece 1 and should be large enough and thick enough to prevent insects from reaching the head when trying to bite through from the top of top piece 1.

Chin strap 9 is made of either of thin elastic material or cotton material such as a shoe string that has adjustable cord lock, like the type found on stuff sacks, so the chin strap can be adjusted for comfort. It will be sewn to cloth piece 8 just above the ears. It will prevent the garment from sliding around and keeps the garment in place if wind is present.

The arm opening 7 is shown for the right arm to extend out as needed and close with Velcro™.

FIG. 3 shows the rear elevation. The rear convenience flap 10 is shown. It will be a flap type or trap door type opening similar to the rear opening seen in one piece long underwear. It will have Velcro™ or similar closer on the left, right and bottom that can be opened for restroom use. The Velcro™ should be sewn to the nylon flap along the left, right and bottom edges, and Velcro™ sewn to nylon strips and then sewn to the left, right and bottom edges of the opening in the garment. The top of flap 10 will be sewn to the garment.

FIG. 4 shows the way the nylon strip of material 12 is folded over netting material 11 so that the netting material 11 is sandwiched between the folded piece of nylon strip 12. Then with double stitching die folded piece of nylon strip 12 with the netting material 11 between the fold of nylon strip 12 is all sewn together. Then nylon strip 12 can be attached along the outer edge of top piece 1, double stitching is recommended.

FIG. 5 demonstrates how spring steel hoop 2 is sandwiched between the folded over edge of top piece 1. The folded over edge of top piece 1 with spring steel hoop 2 between the fold of the edge of top piece 1 is all sewn together. Double stitching is recommended on both sides of spring steel hoop 2.

It should be understood that the descriptions of the invention were made as specific as possible and that changes in materials, openings, support systems and closer systems, fall within the true scope of the invention and are covered by the stated claims.

Claims

1. The body portion of the garment will be made mostly of see-through insect barrier netting or similar material.

2. The top and seating area of the garment will be made of nylon or similar material.

3. The support for the garment will be made from a spring steel or plastic ring or hoop sewn into the outer edge of the nylon top of the garment.

4. There will be a chin strap made of elastic or cotton string or other similar materials to hold the garment in place.

5. There will be various openings for convenience made from Velcro™ or similar closer.

6. There will be a circular piece of cotton or similar soft material sewn into the inside of the top so when placed on the head will provide enough distance between the top and the wearers head that insects can not reach the wearer. It will also be an attachment point for the chin strap.

7. The garment can be worn over regular clothing, including shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.

8. The spring steel or plastic ring of the top will be thin enough to be twisted and folded to reduce the size of the top to approximately one third of it's original size.

9. When worn, the garment will create a large interior space for the wearer to eat, drink and perform normal simple tasks in comfort for many hours.