Hood Apparatus
A hood apparatus has structure to be removably engagable to a jacket and further structure to help eliminate reduced user peripheral vision from the hood via the user turning their head side to side. The structure of the hood is to create a slackened removable engagement between the hood and the jacket. Further structure of the hood is to provide multiple axes of adjustability for the hood to form around a user's head in effect causing the hood move in lockstep to the user's side to side head movement. These multiple axes of adjustability include a circumferential elastic drawstring positioned about the user's face periphery and an added independent lateral elastic drawstring that is partially parallel to the circumferential elastic drawstring for about an upper one-third of the user's face periphery wherein the lateral elastic drawstring is routed laterally toward the rear of the hood.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/816,734 filed on Apr. 27, 2013 by Sirena Rolfe of Westminster, Colorado, U.S.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to an apparatus for an adjustable hood system for outerwear. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of a portable, stowable, and removably engagable hood apparatus for providing optimal hood adjustability thus providing a custom type fit for the hood to accommodate various head sizes and shapes thus increasing the user's comfort and usability of the hood during extended time periods for sports activities outside than would normally be available with the built in hood that the user's desired coat would have included with it.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONA typical hood that is included with a coat or jacket is usually a design afterthought in the amount of design utility that the hood could possess, as typically the included hood with the coat or jacket usually has a face opening having a periphery with a circumferential elastic drawstring positioned within a fold about the user's face within a margin passageway of the hood face opening. The drawstring has a free end extending beyond the termination of the margin passageway at each end of the hood face opening that faces downward, resulting in two drawstring free ends. Wherein the drawstring free ends typically are able to be “cinched up” at each free end to add axial tension to the drawstring thus resulting in a reduction in the face opening via reducing the periphery to wrap the hood around the front of the user's face thus limiting environmental exposure of the user's face to eyes, nose, and mount of the user. This face opening periphery adjustment is usually the sole adjustment available on a typical hood.
There are numerous problems with the above mentioned single drawstring adjustment hood system, primarily being that the hood has a substantially rigid attachment to the jacket about a long axis that goes through the user's head, neck, torso, and legs, such that when the user turns their head from side to side, the hood keeps the face opening periphery in a single orientation facing forward thus causing the user to lose their peripheral vision quickly as their head turns within the substantially rigid hood assembly, that is caused from the hood having a loose fit to an outer surface of the user's head with the face opening periphery being reduced in size or area resulting in limiting the user's access through the hood to the external environment to be facing forward only, thus being very inconvenient for the user in sporting activities wherein the user turns their head side to side quite frequently. The loose fit of the hood to the user's head outer surface is of necessity to accommodate the largest head size of any user and to accommodate other items that are adjacent to the user's outer head surface such as eye glasses, sunglasses, headphones or earphones, hats, earmuffs, headbands, and the like.
A way to help alleviate this problem is to leave the drawstring in a loose state, thus resulting in a larger face opening periphery to expand the ability of the user to have increased peripheral vision when turning their head side to side, however, doing this causes another problem in that the hood has opening gaps around the user face periphery that can destroy the function of the hood to help keep the user's head warm, in allowing inside of the hood cold wind, snow, sleet, or rain to enter the hood through the opening gaps around the user's face periphery, this issue is especially acute when the user is moving forward through the external environment when running, bicycling, and the like. So basically the typical jacket hood is really only useable when the user is only facing forward and not turning their head side to side, being usually not the case. Wherein, the typical hood assembly that comes with a jacket is only of minor benefit to the user.
Of course an alternative could be for the user to use a stocking cap for head warmth that does not have the problem of the loss of user peripheral vision when the user turns their head side to side as the stocking cap is not attached to the jacket and rotates with the head, however, this brings on another problem in that the stocking cap fails to provide warmth or shelter for the user's neck, being a problem in cold wet weather, further if the user in engaged in high head movement activities, the stocking cap will not stay attached to the head well, unless of course a chin strap is used with the stocking cap, however, still having the aforementioned problem of the user's neck being exposed to wet and cold weather.
These hood problem issues have been somewhat identified in the prior art with a summary given below.
Starting with U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,746 to Shelton, et al., disclosed is an article of clothing including a vest portion and a detachable hood having a polyacrylamide copolymer filler that cools the body by activating the cooling stage, which is done by placing the vest and hood in water for the required time or placing the vest and hood in ice water for required time. In Shelton, the top and bottom pieces of material will dry and the filler will remain cool and moist for use in hot weather, the top and bottom pieces are worn by placing on the body and attaching fasteners and will keep the individual user cool for hours and the top and bottom pieces are made of materials that can be washed by the individual user, wherein they can be stored for days in plastic bags in the refrigerator. Also, in Shelton, if long-term storage is needed, the top and bottom pieces can be line-dried and then put away until ready for use again.
Further, in the prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 1,485,392 to Halek, disclosed is a long loose overcoat to which a hood or helmet is detachably affixed by three buttons—intermediate the shoulders immediately beneath the rear side of a soft single-ply collar bordering the neck opening of the coat, see column 2, lines 65-71. In addition, Halek teaches elements 9 and 10, wherein the hood is sewed for side vision being a fixed relationship as between elements 9 and 10, see
Continuing, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,692 to Duyn, et al. disclosed is a waterproof garment that includes a jacket and a hood which is convertible into a ventilated carrying bag for storing the jacket. In Duyn, a ventilated waterproof hood includes an inner ventilated material and an outer waterproof layer having an interior surface and an exterior surface. Wherein the outer waterproof layer in Duyn includes at least two side portions; a top of the head portion abutting the side portions, the top of the head portion comprising a front of the head portion and a back of the head portion; a base of the neck portion; and a back portion, the back portion extending from the back of the head portion to the base of the neck portion and extending from one side portion to the other side portion, as best shown in
Next, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,809 to Hall, disclosed is an adjustable hood system including a pair of drawstrings, see element 16 in
Further, in Hall, the drawstrings 16 are completely independent from the conventional drawstrings 36, thus resulting in in the drawstrings only are cinched tight the crown area element 19 is not secured at all to the user's head, especially the user's forehead area, in fact Hall teaches the use only of the drawstrings 16 by stating that a simple single singular motion by the user is used for hood adjustment, wherein the conventional drawstrings 36 are optional to use, see column 2, line 40 to column 3, line 10, this teaching in Hall would leave the shell area element 24, 26 as shown in
Next, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,014 to Little, et al. disclosed is a combination jacket and hood in which the hood is attached to the neckline of the jacket by a strip of flexible fabric, such as a knitted piece or termed a strip element 8, as shown in
What is needed is a portable, mobile, and easily removably engagable hood apparatus that doesn't any loose or separate require straps, clasps, fasteners, hooks or any other type of hardware for removably engaging the hood to a jacket of the user's choice, thus greatly simplifying putting on and taking off of the hood apparatus from the jacket, also resulting in a much smaller, lighter, and easy to carry hood apparatus. Further as previously identified in the cited prior art, overcoming the reduced user peripheral vision due to the hood from the user turning their head side to side about the long axis while having the hood provide maximum protection from external environment weather elements would be highly desirable.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONBroadly, the present invention of the hood apparatus accomplishes the goals of being easily removably engagable, helping to eliminate the reduced user peripheral vision due to the hood from the user turning their head side to side about the long axis, while having the hood provide maximum protection from external environment weather elements is achieved by several unique structures. The first structure is to create a loose removable engagement as between the hood apparatus and the user's desired jacket that allows easy attaching and removing of the hood to and from the jacket respectively with a relatively loose attachment as between the hood apparatus and the jacket, thus allowing the hood apparatus to have some degree of free movement relative to the jacket about the long axis. Also, to provide multiple axes of adjustability for the hood to form around the user's head outer surface in effect causing the hood apparatus to mimic the movement of a stocking cap, such that the hood apparatus moves with the user's side to side head movement about the long axis. These multiple axes of adjustability include a traditional circumferential elastic drawstring positioned within a fabric fold about the user's face periphery within a margin passageway of the hood face opening and an added independent lateral elastic drawstring that is partially parallel to the circumferential elastic drawstring for about an upper one-third of the user's face periphery wherein the lateral elastic drawstring is routed laterally toward the rear of the hood apparatus through a pair of independent lateral passageways around the user's head with the ability of the lateral elastic drawstring being able to be cinched tight thus resulting in the hood pulling downward and tight as against the user's forehead and temples, wherein the sides of the hood are pulled back toward the user's ears resulting in several things, first; the user's peripheral side vision is maintained and second; with the hood cinched tight around the entire user's head, when the user turns their head side to side and with the hood apparatus having a loose attachment to the jacket, the hood apparatus turns with the user's head to preserve the user's side peripheral vision when the user turns their head side to side.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which;
- 50 Hood apparatus
- 55 External environment
- 60 Human head
- 65 Movement of the human head 60
- 70 Crown of the human head 60
- 75 Forehead of the human head 60
- 80 Facial area of the human head 60
- 85 Vertical side of the facial area 80
- 90 Ear of the human head 60
- 95 Upper ear lobe of the ear 90
- 100 Lower ear lobe of the ear 90
- 105 Nose of the human head 60
- 110 Mouth of the human head 60
- 115 Eyes of the human head 60
- 120 Neck
- 125 Front upper portion of the neck 120
- 130 Front lower portion of the neck 120
- 135 Nape lower portion of the neck 120
- 140 Flexible planar member
- 145 Formed hood shape of the flexible planar member 140
- 150 Head crown portion of the formed hood shape 145
- 155 Lower forehead margin of the formed hood shape 145
- 160 Lengthwise axis of the lower forehead margin 155
- 165 Transitions for the lower forehead margin 155
- 170 Parallel terminating vertical margins of the formed hood shape 145
- 175 Continuation position of the terminating vertical margin 170
- 180 Long axis of the vertical margin 170
- 185 Laterally positioned semi-circular terminating margin
- 190 Opposing end portion of the semi-circular terminating margin 185
- 200 Circumferential axis of the semi-circular terminating margin 185
- 205 Adjacent position of the semi-circular terminating margin 185 to the nape 135 of the neck 120
- 210 Joining or transition of the semi-circular terminating margin 185 and the pair of terminating vertical margins 170
- 215 Surrounding sidewall defined as adjacent to the nape portion 135 of the formed hood shape 145
- 220 Adjoining point or border of the sidewall portion 215 to the head crown portion 150
- 225 First void
- 230 First passageway of the first void 225
- 231 Axis of the first passageway 230
- 235 Coincident position of the first passageway 230 to the lengthwise axis 160
- 240 Termination of the first passageway 230 at opposing ends at the lower forehead margin 155 transitions 165
- 245 Second voids
- 250 Second passageways of the second voids 245
- 255 Axis of the second passageway 250
- 260 Opposite positioning of the second passageways 250 to one another
- 265 Continuous therethrough passageway communication loop
- 270 Junction as between the first 230, second 250, and third 365 passageways
- 275 Juxtapose position of second passageway axes 255 with the circumferential axis 200
- 280 Termination of the second passageways 250
- 285 Position of the second passageways 250 termination 280 in the surrounding sidewall
- 215 positioned opposite of the lower forehead margin 155
- 290 Single second passageway 250 termination
- 295 Opposing second passageway 250 termination
- 300 Single first elastic member
- 305 Slidable engagement of the single first elastic member 300
- 310 Loop formed in the single first elastic member 300
- 315 Termination ends of the single first elastic member 300
- 320 Termination ends of the single first elastic member 300 extending beyond the surrounding sidewall 215
- 325 First means for retaining the first single elastic member 300 two ends 320 to one another that is preferably a spring loaded elastic string cinching clamp
- 330 Selectably tensioning the first single elastic member 300
- 335 Laterally securing of hood 50 or in particular the surrounding sidewall portion 215 about the human head 60
- 340 Perpendicular orientation of the lengthwise axis 160 and the second passageway axis 255
- 345 Drawing downward of the head crown portion 150 on the forehead 75
- 350 Positioning of the second passageways 250 to be proximate to the lower ear lobes 100
- 355 Drawing downward of the surrounding sidewall 215 on the human head 60
- 360 Third void
- 365 Third passageway of the third void 360
- 370 Axis of the third passageway 365
- 375 Parallel positioning of the third passageway axes 370
- 380 Coincident position of the third passageways axes 370 to the long axes 180
- 385 Continuous tertiary therethrough passageway communication loop
- 390 Termination of the third passageways 365 therethrough at the surrounding sidewall 215
- 395 Single second elastic member
- 400 Slidable engagement of the single second elastic member 395
- 405 Loop formed in the single second elastic member 395
- 410 Termination ends of the single second elastic member 395
- 415 Termination ends of the single second elastic member 395 extending beyond the third passageways 365 and the surrounding sidewall 215
- 420 Second means for retaining the single second elastic member 395 to the termination
- 390 of the third passageways 365 at the surrounding sidewall 215 that is preferably a spring loaded elastic string cinching clamp
- 425 Selectably tensioning the single second elastic member 395
- 430 Securing of the lower forehead margin 155 and the pair of parallel terminating vertical margins 170 about the facial area 80 and to pull the surrounding sidewall 215 tighter around the neck 120
- 435 Third means for removably attaching the surrounding sidewall 215 to a jacket
- 440 Slackened condition of the third means 435 allowing for relative movement as between the surrounding sidewall 215 and the jacket while attached
- 445 Flexible strap
- 450 Affixment of the flexible strap 445 to the surrounding sidewall 215
- 455 Loop formed from the flexible strap 445
- 460 Structure to selectably open and close the flexible strap loop 455 about the coat hook loop
With initial reference to
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Also included in the hood apparatus 50, as best seen in
In addition, included in the hood apparatus 50, also as best seen in
Further included in the hood apparatus 50, as best seen in
Additionally included in the hood apparatus 50, as best seen in
As a further option, on the hood apparatus 50, wherein the first passageway 230 lengthwise axis 231 and the second passageway 250 axis 255 are in a perpendicular orientation 340 to one another at each of the pair of junctions 270, see
Another option on the hood apparatus 50, involves the pair of junctions 270 that are positioned at the continuation position 175, see
Another option of the hood apparatus 50, in looking at
A further option on the hood apparatus 50, in looking at
Another option on the hood apparatus 50, in looking at
Alternatively on the hood apparatus 50, it can further comprise a third means 435 for removably attaching the surrounding sidewall portion 215 to a jacket such that the surrounding sidewall portion and the jacket have a slackened connection 440 while attached allowing for relative movement as between the surrounding sidewall portion 215 and the jacket while attached, see
Further, optionally on the hood apparatus 50, in looking at
Accordingly, the present invention of the hood apparatus has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated, though; that the present invention is defined by the following claims construed in light of the prior art so modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the inventive concepts contained therein.
Claims
1. A hood apparatus for outerwear for use with a human head that includes a crown, a forehead, a facial area, an ear with upper and lower ear lobes, a nose, a mouth, eyes, front upper and lower portions of a neck, and a nape lower portion of the neck, said hood apparatus comprising:
- (a) a flexible planar member forming a hood that is defined functionally in a shape for covering the human head that includes the hood planar member covering the head crown, the head forehead, the nape of the neck, the ears and extending from the head crown to the front portion of the neck, said flexible planar member formed hood shape is defined structurally by a head crown portion terminating laterally in a lower forehead margin having a lengthwise axis, said lower forehead margin transitions into a pair of parallel terminating vertical margins on each vertical side of the facial area wherein each said terminating vertical margin continues to extend beyond the facial area at a continuation position to the front lower portion of the neck, each said vertical margin having a long axis, wherein each of said vertical margin transitions into each of an opposing end portion of a laterally positioned semi-circular terminating margin that has a circumferential axis, said semi-circular terminating margin is adjacent to the nape lower portion of the neck, wherein said semi-circular terminating margin joins said pair of terminating vertical margins, wherein said flexible planar member includes said head crown portion and a partially surrounding sidewall nape portion defined by said pair of parallel terminating vertical margins, said semi-circular terminating margin, and adjoining to said head crown portion;
- (b) a first void disposed within said lower forehead margin, said first void forming a first passageway having a first passageway axis, said first passageway axis is coincident to said lengthwise axis, said first passageway terminating at two opposing ends at said lower forehead margin transitions;
- (c) a pair of second voids disposed within said surrounding sidewall portion, said pair of second voids forming a pair of second passageways having a second passageway axis, said second passageways are positioned opposite to one another in said surrounding sidewall portion, said second passageways are each in therethrough passageway communication with said first passageway at a pair of junctions, wherein each of said first passageway opposing ends is in said therethrough passageway communication with a single second passageway at each of said junctions, said second passageways axes are in a juxtapose position with said circumferential axis, said second passageways terminate therethrough said surrounding sidewall portion to an external environment, said second passageways terminate said surrounding sidewall portion at a location positioned opposite of said lower forehead margin, wherein a continuous therethrough passageway communication loop is formed at said second passageways termination at said surrounding sidewall portion in going from a single second passageway termination through a second passageway to said first passageway and continuing therethrough said opposing second passageway to a termination of said opposing second passageway;
- (d) a first single elastic member slidably disposed therethrough said continuous therethrough passageway communication loop, such that said first single elastic member forms a first single loop, wherein said single elastic member terminates in two ends that extend beyond said second passageways surrounding sidewall termination to the external environment; and
- (e) a first means for retaining said first single elastic member two ends to one another adjacent to said second passageways surrounding sidewall termination to operationally allow said first single elastic member loop to be selectably tensioned resulting in said hood to be laterally secured about the human head such that said hood and the human head are in lockstep movement with one another to preserve the eyes, nose, and mouth exposure therethrough said lower forehead margin and said pair of parallel terminating vertical margins to the external environment during head movement.
2. A hood apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first passageway lengthwise axis and said second passageway axis are in a perpendicular orientation to one another at each of said pair of junctions to operationally cause said head crown portion to be drawn downward on the forehead and simultaneously said surrounding sidewall portion to be laterally secured about the human head when said first single elastic member is selectably tensioned.
3. A hood apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said pair of junctions are positioned at said continuation position to operationally facilitate said pair of oppositely positioned second passageways to be located proximate to the lower ear lobes to help secure said crown portion and said surrounding sidewall portion to be drawn downward upon the head and to protect the ears from the external environment.
4. A hood apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pair of parallel terminating vertical margins each further comprise a third void forming a third passageway having a third passageway axis, wherein each said third passageway is disposed within each said parallel terminating vertical margin forming a pair of third passageways axes that are positioned parallel to one another and coincident to said long axis, said third passageways are each in a tertiary therethrough passageway communication with said first passageway at said pair of junctions, wherein each of said first passageway opposing ends is in said tertiary therethrough passageway communication with a single third passageway at each of said junctions, said third passageways terminate therethrough said surrounding sidewall portion to the external environment at said opposing end portions of said laterally positioned semi-circular terminating margin, wherein a continuous tertiary therethrough passageway communication loop is formed from a third passageway termination through a third passageway to said first passageway and continuing therethrough said parallel third passageway to a termination of said parallel third passageway.
5. A hood apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a second elastic member slidably disposed therethrough said tertiary therethrough passageway communication loop, such that said second elastic member forms a single loop, wherein said second elastic member terminates in two ends that extend beyond said third passageways terminations such that each third passageway termination has a single second elastic member extension into the external environment.
6. A hood apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a pair of second means for retaining each said second single elastic member extension to each said third passageway surrounding sidewall termination to operationally allow said second single elastic member loop to be selectably tensioned resulting in said lower forehead margin and said pair of parallel terminating vertical margins securing about the facial area and to pull said surrounding sidewall portion circumferentially tighter around the neck to further prevent the neck to be exposed to the external environment.
7. A hood apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a third means for removably attaching said surrounding sidewall portion to a jacket such that said surrounding sidewall portion and the jacket have a slackened connection while attached allowing for relative movement as between said surrounding sidewall portion and the jacket while attached.
8. A hood apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said third means is constructed of a flexible strap that is affixed to said surrounding sidewall portion at said semi-circular terminating margin, said flexible strap is formed into a loop that engages a coat hook loop affixed to the jacket, wherein said flexible strap loop has structure to selectably open and close said flexible strap loop about the coat hook loop.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 27, 2014
Publication Date: Oct 30, 2014
Inventor: Sirena Rolfe (Westminster, CO)
Application Number: 14/262,799
International Classification: A42B 1/04 (20060101);