The field of this disclosure relates generally to garments and more particularly, a garment having a vented hood and a pair of integrated hand coverings.
Garments, e.g., vests, ponchos, jackets, coats, are used to cover portions of wearers' bodies for protecting the wearer against inclement weather, such as, cold, precipitation, and wind. Some known garments include hoods for covering the wearers' heads. However, many known garment hoods are bulky and ill-fitting. Further, most conventional hoods are designed to trap heat from the wearers' heads and, thereby, inhibit the body's natural dissipation of heat. As a result, most known hoods may contribute to overheating the wearers. Wearers may also wear separate articles, such as gloves or mittens, to protect their hands. However, these articles can be bulky making them problematic to store when not used.
Individuals who participate in outdoor activities (e.g., runners, hikers, cyclists) will often wear garments having a hood to protect them from the weather while exercising outdoors. The individuals may also wear hand coverings to protect their hands. As the individuals exercise or otherwise participate in the activity, his or her body will often generate heat. As mentioned above, most known garments trap this heat around the individual's head, which causes the individual's body to heat up. This heat may not be desired by the individual (e.g., in mild or moderate temperatures). As a result, the individual may have to decide between exposing his or her head to the environment or coping with undesired body heat.
Additionally, many individuals participating in outdoor activities often choose to not wear or carry hand covers (e.g., mittens or gloves) because of their bulk. In addition, if the individual does not wish to use the hand covers, which are most often separate from the garment, the individual must carry the hand covers. The hand covers can be carried in the hands of the individual or stowed in a pocket of the garment or other article worn by the individual. Placing the hand covers in the garment or other article (e.g., pants pocket, shorts pocket, waist belt, backpack) may make the hand covers difficult to access and put on while participating in the activity. For example, a runner may find it difficult to remove a pair of gloves from a waist belt and don the gloves while running.
Accordingly, a need exists for a garment with a hood that allows natural dissipation of body heat and hand coverings that are integrated into the garment for easy donning and storage. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a close-fitting hood that will protect the wearer's head from the weather and also facilitate natural dissipation of heat from the head.
In one aspect, a hood for use with a garment that includes a shell for covering a wearer's head is provided. The shell includes a solid portion, a vented portion, an interior surface, and an exterior surface. The hood further comprises a cover connected to the exterior surface to overlap the vented portion and define a channel for air to flow past a wearer's head. The channel includes an air intake configured to direct air into the channel and an air outlet configured to discharge the air out of the channel.
In another aspect, a garment that includes a pair of sleeves for covering a wearer's arms and a pair of hand coverings is provided. Each of the sleeves comprises a sleeve inner surface, a sleeve outer surface, and a wrist portion. Each of the hand coverings is connected to the wrist portion of a respective one of the sleeves. Each of the hand coverings comprises a first panel having a first surface and a second surface. A second panel is connected to the first panel to form a pouch. The hand coverings are positionable between a first position where the first surface is in face-to-face engagement with the sleeve outer surface and a second position where at least a portion of the wearer's hand can be inserted inside the respective hand covering such that the first surface contacts the wearer's hand.
In a further aspect, a garment is provided. The garment includes a hood for covering a wearer's head, the hood including a vented portion. A cover is connected to the hood to overlap the vented portion and define a channel for air to flow past the wearer's head, wherein the channel includes an air intake configured to direct air into the channel and an air outlet configured to discharge the air out of the channel. The garment further includes a pair of sleeves connected to the hood for covering a wearer's arms, each of the sleeves comprising a sleeve surface and a wrist portion. A pair of hand coverings is connected to the wrist portion of a respective sleeve of the pair of sleeves. Each of the hand coverings includes a first panel having a first surface and a second surface. A second panel is connected to the first panel to form a pouch. The hand coverings are positionable between a first position where the first surface is in face-to-face engagement with the sleeve surface and a second position where at least a portion of the wearer's hand can be inserted inside the respective hand covering such that the first surface contacts the wearer's hand.
Described below is a garment including a vented hood and a pair of integrated, selectively positionable hand coverings. The vented hood protects a wearer's head from the elements (i.e., sun, cold, precipitation, wind) while facilitating the natural dissipation of body heat from the wearer's head. The positionable hand coverings selectively provide protection for a wearer's hands. The hand coverings are easily positionable between a first position where they are stowed against a respective sleeve and a second position where they cover at least a portion of the wearer's hands. In some embodiments, the hand coverings form an easily accessible pocket in the first, stowed position for storage of small items, such as keys. The hand coverings, in an embodiment, are integrated into the garment for easy donning and storage.
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to
In one suitable embodiment, the garment 100 is substantially water and/or wind resistant. That is, the garment 100 impedes water (e.g., precipitation) and wind from penetrating the garment 100 and contacting the portions of the wearer's body covered by the garment 100. It is understood that the inner surface 102 and the outer surface 104 may be any suitable material, e.g., without limitation, nylon, cotton, polyester, rayon, and combinations thereof. It is also understood that the inner surface 102 and the outer surface 104 can be disposed on separate layers (not shown), which may be made from different materials. In some embodiments, insulation (not shown) may be disposed between the layers (not shown) to provide warmth and softness to the garment 100.
The body portion 106 of the garment 100 covers at least a portion of the wearers' torso. In the illustrated embodiment, the body portion 106 extends from a neck portion 112 configured to fit around the wearer's neck to a waist portion 114 configured to fit around the wearer's waist (not shown). The neck portion 112 defines an opening 116 for the wearer's neck (not shown) to extend through. The body portion 106 defines a front side 118 and a back side 120 of the garment 100. On the front side 118, the body portion 106 covers the wearer's chest and stomach (neither shown). On the back side 120, the body portion 106 covers the wearer's back (not shown).
The body portion 106 defines a longitudinal opening 122 extending from the neck portion 112 to the waist portion 114 on the front side 118. In other suitable embodiments, the longitudinal opening 122 can extend along only a portion of the body portion 106 or can be entirely omitted, e.g., the garment 100 may be a pullover. A closure 124 closes the longitudinal opening 122 such that the body portion 106 enwraps the wearer's torso. While the closure 124 may be any suitable fastener, e.g., without limitation, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, and/or ties, the closure 124 is a zipper in the illustrated embodiment.
The body portion 106 may include any number of pockets or alternately, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, be substantially free of pockets to provide a streamlined appearance and better fit. As will be discussed in more detail below, each of the sleeves 110 of the garment 100 provide storage, which facilitates the body portion 106 being free from pockets. The body portion 106 further includes seams 126 that facilitate a proper fit of the garment 100 for the wearer. Overall, the body portion 106 provides a covering for the wearer's torso while enabling movement. Therefore, the garment 100 is suitable for wearing while a wearer engages in activities, such as exercising (running, cycling), in any environment.
Each of the sleeves 110 extends from the body portion 106 of the garment 100 for covering a respective one of the wearer's arms (not shown) during donning of the garment by the wearer. Each of the sleeves 110 comprises elongate tubes having a sleeve inner surface 128 and a sleeve outer surface 130. The sleeve inner surface 128 faces the wearer's arm and the sleeve outer surface 130 faces the exterior, i.e., away from the wearer's arm. The sleeves 110 can be made of any material or materials, and are suitably made of the same material(s) as the body portion 106. Suitably, the sleeves 110 are made of flexible materials that allow the wearer full range of motion for his or her arms.
In the illustrated embodiment, each of the sleeves 110 extends from a shoulder portion 132 to a wrist portion 134 for covering substantially the full length of the wearer's arms during use of the garment 100. The shoulder portion 132 of each sleeve 110 is connected to the body portion 106. The body portion 106 defines armholes 136, one on each of the left and right sides of the garment 100 (as viewed in
A hand covering 144 is connected to the wrist portion 134. The hand covering 144 includes a first panel 146 and a second panel 148 connected to the first panel 146 to form a pouch 150. The first panel 146 has a first surface 158 and a second surface 159. The first panel 146 and the second panel 148 may be made of any material, e.g., without limitation, nylon, cotton, polyester, rayon, and combinations thereof. It is understood the first panel 146 and the second panel 148 may be made of the same material and may be formed together. In one suitable embodiment, the first and second panels 146, 148 are made from a suitable elastic material or a material that was rendered elastic (e.g., by adding elastic strands). It is understood, however, that in other suitable embodiments the first and second panels 146, 148 can be inelastic.
As shown in
In the first position 152, the outer cuff 140 and the elastic member 138 are folded with the hand covering 144 over the sleeve 110. The elastic member 138 holds the hand covering 144 and the outer cuff 140 in the first position 152 until the user manually unfolds the hand covering 144 into the second position 154. Therefore, a fastener to hold the hand covering 144 in the first position 152 and to secure the pouch 150 or compartment is unnecessary. Due to the hand covering 144 being free from fasteners, the wearer can easily position the hand covering 144 and access items stowed in the pouch 150. It is understood, however, in other suitable embodiments, the hand covering 144 may include any number of fasteners of any type. In the illustrated embodiment, the wearer may also tuck the hand covering 144 while in the first position 152 into the outer cuff 140.
In the second position 154, the second surface 159 remains in face-to-face engagement with the second panel 148 and the hand covering 144 is extended away from the sleeve 110. In an embodiment, the hand covering 144 rotates or folds away from the sleeve 110 and toward the wearer's hands. In this position, the back of the wearers' hand, i.e., the side of the hand opposite the palm, is in direct contact with the second panel 148. The second panel 148 and the back of the wearer's hand may remain in direct contact in the third position 156. Thus, the second position 154, which is an intermediate position between the first and third positions 152, 156, is essentially a “ready” position for transitioning between the first position 152 and the third position 156.
In the third position 156, the first panel 146 is rotated or folded over the second panel 148 such that at least a portion of the first surface 158 is in face-to-face engagement with the second panel 148. The pouch 150 is aligned with the opening 142 such that the wearer can insert at least a portion of the wearer's hand through the opening 142 and into the hand covering 144. When the wearer's hand is inside the hand covering 144, the first surface 158 contacts the wearer's hand. In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the first panel 146 overlaps the outer cuff 140 to better cover the wearers' hand. The wearer can keep their palm inside the wrist portion 134 and insert a portion of their fingers in the pouch 150. The overlapping portion of the hand covering 144 at least partially closes the opening 142 and protects the wearers' hands from the environment. The wearer can also place a portion of their hand in the hand covering 144 and keep another portion of the hand exposed, e.g., the thumb.
Referring to
It is understood that the hand covering 144 may have any number of panels and surfaces and be connected to the wrist portion 134 in any location in any manner suitable for the hand covering 144 to function as described herein. One or more inner cuffs may be included on the interior of the wrist portion 134 and/or on the hand covering 144 to provide a finished appearance and prevent fraying as the hand covering 144 is selectively positioned. Additionally, it is understood that the hand covering 144 does not necessarily need to fold and may be positionable in any manner between a plurality of positions where the hand covering 144 covers at least a portion of the wearer's hand in at least one of the positions. The hand covering 144 may be positionable between any numbers of positions, including two and four positions. For example, in one embodiment, the pouch 150 is open on the outside of the hand covering 144 in the stowed position and, therefore, the hand covering 144 can move directly from the stowed position to a position for covering at least a portion of the wearers' hands.
The hand covering 144 can be any suitable material, e.g., without limitation, nylon, cotton, polyester, rayon, and combinations thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the second panel 148 is the same material as the sleeve 110 and the first panel 146 is an elastic material to facilitate positioning the first panel 146 over a wearer's hand. It is contemplated, however, that the first and second panels 146, 148 can be made from the same material, which may or may not be the same as the respective sleeve 110.
With reference now to
The vented portion 166 is disposed along a center region of the shell 162 extending from the front portion 174 to the back portion 176. The vented portion 166 faces the wearer's head and, therefore, partially defines the interior surface 170 of the hood 160. Parts of the vented portion 166 may contact the wearers' head and parts of the vented portion 166 may be spaced from the wearers' head. The vented portion 166 is an air permeable surface that facilitates air flow “AF” towards the wearers' head. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the vented portion 166 is a mesh. However, in other suitable embodiments, the vented portion 166 may be any suitable air permeable surface or material.
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, a cover 182 is connected to the solid portion 164 such that the cover substantially overlaps the entire vented portion 166. It is understood, however, that the cover 182 may overlap any portion of the vented portion 166 in other suitable embodiments. In one suitable embodiment, the cover 182 and the solid portion 164 define the exterior surface 172. The interior surface 170 faces the wearers' head and defines the interior of the hood 160. The exterior surface 172 is opposite the interior surface 170 and faces away from the wearer's head during use of the hood 160. Suitably, the exterior surface 172 is substantially free from holes and is formed from a water and/or wind resistant material. In one embodiment, the cover 182 is the same material as the solid portion 164, and, therefore, the cover 182 and the solid portion 164 resemble a continuous hood member. It is understood that the cover 182 and the vented portion 166 may be formed as a single, one-piece structure. Alternatively, the cover 182 may be removably connected to the vented portion 166 such that the vented portion 166 can be exposed to the environment.
Together the cover 182 and the vented portion 166 define a channel (or pathway) 184 for air to flow past and in directed contact with the wearer's head. An air intake 186 allows air to flow into the channel 184 on the front side of the garment 100 and an air outlet 188 allows air to flow out of the channel 184. In the illustrated embodiment, the air intake 186 is positioned in the front portion 174 of the hood 160 and the air outlet 188 is positioned in the back portion 176. The positioning of the air intake 186 and air outlet 188 facilitates air flowing into and through the channel 184 as the wearer moves in a forward direction. The vented portion 166 is configured to direct the air flow AF from the wearer's head, through the air permeable surface, and into the channel 184. The air outlet 188 directs the air flow AF from the channel 184 and into the environment. The air intake 186 and air outlet 188 may be positioned anywhere on the hood 160 and the hood 160 may have any number of air intakes 186, air outlets 188, and channels 184 in other embodiments.
As shown in
The shell 162 includes a plurality of cords 190 for adjusting the fit of the hood 160. While the cords 190 may be any material, in the exemplary embodiment, the cords 190 are elastic. The cords 190 extend through a cord sleeve 192 in the hood 160 and can be adjusted by the wearer to tighten the shell 162 against the wearer's head. Cord locks 194 selectively secure the cords 190 in tightened or loosened positions. Each cord lock 194 is a clamp device including holes for portions of the cords 190 to extend through. The cord lock 194 has an inner member biased to clamp against the portion of the cords 190 extending through the holes. To adjust the cords 190, the wearer compresses a protruding portion of the biasing member to release the compression on the cords 190 and allow the cord lock 194 to slide along the cords 190. When the cord lock 194 slides along the cords 190, it adjusts the slack in the cords, and, thereby, the tightness of the shell 162. The tight fit provided by tightening the cords 190 allows the hood 160 to move with the head of the wearer and stay in place as air flows against and through the hood 160. Additionally, the cords 190 cause the cover 182 to gather in areas and create open spaces for air to flow under the cover 182. It is understood the hood 160 may include any components for adjusting and maintaining the fit of the hood 160 on the wearer's head.
In
Additionally, as shown in
When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
The references to “top”, “bottom”, “upper” and “lower”, and “right side” and “left side” are used for convenience in describing relative position of parts, and apply when the hooded garment is in ordinary use as shown, for example, in
Exemplary embodiments of a garment are described herein. The methods and assemblies are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather, components of assemblies and/or steps of the methods may be utilized independently and separately from other components and/or steps described herein. For example, the methods may also be used in combination with other assemblies and methods, and are not limited to practice with only the assemblies and methods described herein. Rather, the exemplary embodiments may be implemented and utilized in connection with many other garments such as, for example only, coats and pull overs.
Although specific features of various embodiments of the invention may be shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. In accordance with the principles of the invention, any feature of a drawing may be referenced and/or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using devices or assemblies or systems and performing any incorporated method. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
This non-provisional application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/085,693, filed on Dec. 1, 2014, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62085693 | Dec 2014 | US |