TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to garments such as sweatshirts, shirts, jackets and the like used in outdoor activities.
BACKGROUND
Numerous outdoor activities take place from early April to August, in what is also referred to as bug season depending on the region or country. Accordingly, exposed skin surfaces are at the mercy of flying insects such as mosquitoes, blackflies, wasps and other invasive insects. Insect bites can cause discomfort, and may further result in some health concerns: rash, allergic reactions, parasitic diseases, etc.
One solution is to use insect repellent on one's skin. However, the efficacy of such products has been questioned. Moreover, insect repellents have also been known to cause skin irritation, notably because of the presence of chemicals.
Another solution consists in screening oneself. A known type of shield consists of a hat from which a screen is hung to cover a user's head. There are issues of practicality with such hats, as they tend to be relatively large, cumbersome and non-aesthetic.
SUMMARY
In one aspect, there is provided a garment, comprising: a torso portion configured to be worn over a wearer's torso, the torso portion defining a neck opening configured to surround a neck when worn; a neck portion projecting from the torso portion, the neck portion extending at least partially around the neck opening, the neck portion having defining a pocket; and a head cover secured to the neck portion and/or to the torso portion, the head cover including a hood section defining a head-receiving volume and a face section having a mesh panel, the face section extending from the hood section, the head cover movable between a covering configuration in which the hood section is out of the pocket and in which the head-receiving volume receives the head of the wearer and the face section overlaps a face of the wearer, and a stowed configuration in which the head cover is contained within the pocket.
The garment described above may include any of the following features, in any combinations.
In some embodiments, the mesh panel extends from the hood section to a free edge along a length, the length selected such that the free edge of the mesh panel overlaps the neck portion.
In some embodiments, the hood section is made of a different fabric than the face section, the hood section secured to the face section along mating edges.
In some embodiments, the mesh panel defines the face section and a portion of the hood section.
In some embodiments, a reinforcing member is secured to a rear portion of the hood section.
In some embodiments, the reinforcing member includes an inner fabric and an outer fabric, the rear portion of the hood section sandwiched between the inner fabric and the outer fabric.
In some embodiments, the neck portion includes a closing mechanism to selectively open or close the pocket.
In some embodiments, the closing mechanism is a zipper closure.
In some embodiments, the opposed panels include an inner panel facing the neck of the wearer and an outer panel facing away from the wearer, the closing mechanism secured to the inner panel.
In some embodiments, at least one connector is secured to the neck portion and at least one complementary connector on the face section, the at least one connector engageable to the at least one complementary connector in the covering configuration of the head cover.
In some embodiments, the at least one connector and the at least one complementary connector include at least one male snap connector and at least one female snap connector configured for complementary snap-fit engagement.
In some embodiments, a plurality of the male snap connector on a common tape, and a plurality of the female snap connector on another common tape.
In some embodiments, in the stowed configuration, the head cover is stored into a roll defining layers of the hood section interspaced between layers of the face section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of a garment in accordance with a variant of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a front view of a garment in accordance with another variant of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a front view of a garment in accordance with yet another variant of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4 is a partially transparent front view illustrating a neck portion of a garment and illustrating a head cover in accordance with one variant, in a stowed configuration;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the garment of FIG. 4 illustrating a deployment of the head cover;
FIG. 6 is a side view of the garment of FIG. 4 illustrating the head cover in a deployed configuration;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the garment of FIG. 4 with the head cover tucked in the neck portion of the garment;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the garment of FIG. 4 with the head cover tucked in the neck portion of the garment;
FIGS. 9A-9D are plan views of panels used for the manufacturing of the head cover of FIG. 4;
FIG. 10 is a partially transparent front view illustrating a neck portion of a garment and illustrating a head cover in accordance with another variant, in a stowed configuration;
FIG. 11 is a side view of the garment of FIG. 10 illustrating a deployment of the head cover;
FIG. 12 is a side view of the garment of FIG. 10 illustrating the head cover in a deployed configuration;
FIG. 13 is a front view of the garment of FIG. 10 illustrating the head cover in the deployed configuration;
FIGS. 14A-14B are plan views of panels used for the manufacturing of the head cover of FIG. 10;
FIG. 15 is an exploded side view of the head cover of FIG. 10;
FIG. 16 is a side view of a head cover in accordance with yet another variant, shown in a deployed configuration;
FIG. 17 is a front view of the head cover of FIG. 16; and
FIG. 18 is an exploded view illustrating fabric panels of the head cover of FIG. 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, a garment in accordance with the present disclosure is generally shown at 10A. The garment 10A is shown as being a pull-on top, such as in the form of a sweater, a jacket, a sweatshirt, a vest, among other possibilities. The principles of the present disclosure apply to other kinds of garment. For instance, a garment in accordance with another embodiment is shown at 10B in FIG. 2. The garment 10B includes a front zipper extending all the way from a top of the garment to a bottom thereof. A garment in accordance with yet another embodiment is shown at 10C in FIG. 3. The garment 10C may also be a pull-on top, but may include a closure around a top of the garment. This closure may be a zipper closer and may extend about a quarter of a total length of the garment. The closure may alternatively use snap buttons or any other suitable closing mechanism. Such a garment may be referred to as a “quarter zip pullover”.
Some of the drawings described below may illustrate portions of any of the garments 10A, 10B, 10C described above. However, it will be appreciated that the features described below may be embodied by any of the garments 10A, 10B, 10C described above.
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, each of the garments 10A, 10B, 10C includes a torso portion 11 configured to be worn over a wearer's torso. The torso portion 11 defines a neck opening 11A configured to surround a neck of the wearer when worn. The neck opening 11A is located at a top of the torso portion 11 and may be referred to as a shirt opening or a collar. It is through the neck opening 11A that one passes his/her head, with the neck being through the neck opening 11A. Sleeves 12 may project laterally from the torso portion 11. The sleeves 12 are shown as being long sleeves, but the garment 10 could also be a short-sleeved top, a sleeveless vest, or may have any other configurations.
The garments 10A, 10B, 10C may be made of any appropriate material, and may have one or more layers. For example, the garments 10A, 10B, 10C may include some fabrics made of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, blends thereof. The garments 10A, 10B, 10C is not limited to any particular type of fabric or textile. The garments 10A, 10B, 10C may be insulated or have insulation layers, may be waterproof or water-resistant, and may have many other features including pockets, such as lateral pockets, back pockets, chest pockets, kangaroo pockets, zippers, vents, waist elastics, to name just a few of numerous features that may optionally be present on the garments 10A, 10B, 10C.
In the disclosed embodiments, the garments 10A, 10B, 10C include a neck portion 20 that projects upwardly from the torso portion 11. The neck portion 20 extends around the neck opening 11A and is configured to surround the neck of the wearer when worn. The neck portion 20 may extend a full circumference around the neck opening 11A, such as depicted in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the neck portion 20 may extend only a portion of the circumference of the neck opening 11A. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the neck portion 20 extends fully around the neck opening 11A, but is interrupted by the closing mechanism (e.g., zipper, buttons, etc) if present. The neck portion 20 may thus extend from a first edge to an opposite second edge. The first and second edges may be attached together when the closing mechanism is in a closed configuration and spaced apart from one another when the closing mechanism is in an open configuration such as depicted in FIG. 3.
Referring now to FIG. 4, an enlarged view of the neck portion 20 is shown. The neck portion 20 includes an inner panel 21 that faces the neck of the wearer and an outer panel 22 opposite the inner panel 21 and that faces away from the wearer. A pocket 23 is defined between the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22, i.e., the empty space between the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22.
The garment includes a head cover 30 that may be received within the pocket 23 of the neck portion 20. The head cover 30 is illustrated with a darker color on FIG. 4 and may be stowed away in the pocket 23 when not needed. The head cover 30 is thus in a stowed position in FIG. 4. The head cover 30 may thus be rolled and/or folded away in the pocket 23 when not needed. This provides adaptability of the garment permitting the user to use one garment and to use it in different configurations should he or she wish to have insect protection as will be described below.
The head cover 30 may be secured to the neck portion 20 and/or to the torso portion 11 (FIG. 1). The head cover 30 may be detachable from the garment in some configurations using any suitable means, such as zippers, snap buttons, hook and loop fasteners, ferromagnetic member(s) and magnet(s), and so on. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the neck portion 20 includes a closing mechanism 24 to selectively open or close the pocket 23. Put differently, the closing mechanism 24 has a closed configuration in which access to the pocket 23 is closed and in which the head cover 30 is in the stowed configuration and, as shown in FIGS. 5-6, an open configuration in which access to the pocket 23 is open and in which the head cover 30 may be moved from the stowed configuration to a head-covering or protecting configuration (FIG. 6).
In the pictured embodiment, the closing mechanism 24 is a zipper, but any other suitable mechanisms, such as hook and loop fasteners, snap buttons, magnets, and so on may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The closing mechanism 24 may be secured to the inner panel 21 such that the closing mechanism 24 is not visible when the garment is worn. Alternatively, the closing mechanism 24 may be secured to the outer panel 22 or at joining top edges of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22. The closing mechanism 24 may extend along a major portion of a periphery or length of the neck portion 20. In the context of the present disclosure, “major” implies 50% or more. The closing mechanism 24 may thus extend from a first end proximate a first edge of the neck portion 20 to a second end proximate a second edge of the neck portion 20. In some embodiments, the closing mechanism 24 may be avoided and the pocket 23 may be selectively closed or open via overlapping pieces of fabric.
Referring more particularly to FIGS. 5-6, the head cover 30 of the present embodiment includes a hood section 31, which may be referred to simply as a hood, cap, or cowl, defining a head-receiving volume V and a face section 32 having a mesh panel 33. The head cover 30 is shown in a partially deployed configuration in FIG. 5 and in the covering configuration in FIG. 6. In the covering configuration, the head of the wearer is received within the head-receiving volume V of the hood section 31 and the face of the wearer is covered or overlapped by the face section 32. The hood section 31 and the face section 32 are secured to one another along respective mating edges via a stitch line, but any other fastening method is contemplated. For instance, the face section 32 may be welded, glued, or otherwise fused to the hood section 31. In some embodiments, the face section 32 may be detachable from the hood section 31 such as via a zipper, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, and so on. The face section 32 and the hood section 31 may be made of two different fabrics. For instance, the hood section 31 may be made of a water proof material or any suitable material for use in rainy days and the face section 32 is made of a porous fabric that is at least partially transparent to allow the wearer to see through during use and to allow the wearer to breathe when the face section 32 covers his or her face. The mesh panel 33 of the face section 32 may be referred to as a face shield, a bug net, a bug screen, etc.
As depicted in FIG. 6, the face section 32 has a bottom edge, which may be referred to as a free edge 32A. The face section 32 extends from the hood section 31 to the free edge 32A along a length L. The length L is selected such that the free edge 32A overlaps the neck portion 20. More specifically, the free edge 32A may almost reach the torso portion 11 of the garment for reasons that will be apparent when referring to FIG. 7 below.
Referring now to FIGS. 7-8, to protect the wearer, the face section 32 may be tucked behind the neck portion 20. More specifically, the wearer may insert the free edge 32A of the face section 32 into a gap defined between his or her neck and the neck portion 20 of the garment. Therefore, this may isolate the head-receiving volume V from an environment outside thereof to provide protection against insects.
As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 8, when the wearer wishes to protect himself or herself from insects, he and she may deploy the head cover 30 from the stowed configuration in which the head cover 30 is contained within the pocket 23 such as depicted in FIG. 4 to the covering configuration of FIGS. 7-8 in which the hood section 31 is out of the pocket 23 and in which the head-receiving volume V receives the head of the wearer and the face section 32 overlaps the face of the wearer. The wearer may then tuck the free edge 32A of the face section 32 within the neck portion 20 as shown in FIGS. 7-8.
Therefore, the face section 32 may easily allow the wearer to obtain protection against insects by pulling out the head cover 30 from the pocket 23 and by tucking away the free edge of the face section 32. Moreover, should the wearer wish to use only the hood section 31 without covering his or her face with the mesh panel 33, he or she may do so by keeping the mesh panel 33 between the hood section 31 and a rear of his or her head. The mesh panel 33 may thus have a width extending transversely to the length L (FIG. 6) sufficient to allow the mesh panel 33 to abut an inner side of the hood section 31, i.e., the mesh panel 33 may have a shape complementary to that of the hood section 31 for the mesh panel 33 to conform to an inner surface of the hood section 31 such that the mesh panel 33 may be concealed in the hood section 31. The head cover 30 may thus be used in three distinct configurations: stowed in the pocket 23; in a head-only protecting configuration with the mesh panel 33 tucked behind one's head; and in a covering configuration in which the hood section 31 covers the head and in which the mesh panel 33 overlaps the face of the wearer. In a variant, in the stowed configuration, the mesh panel 33 is against the panel of the hood section 31 such that they are rolled together or folded as a single panel when stowed.
When the wearer does not need the head cover 30 anymore, he or she may store it away into the pocket 23 of the neck portion 20. To do so, the wearer may place the face section 32 against the hood section 31, for instance, by abutting the mesh panel 33 against an inner side of the hood section 31. The wearer may then simultaneously roll both of the hood section 31 and the face section 32 into a roll and insert this roll into the pocket 23, or fold both of the hood section 31 and the face section 32 into a folded strip. The roll or strip may thus include a plurality of layers of the hood section 31 interspaced between layers of the face section 32.
Referring back to FIG. 6, at least one connector 32B may be secured to the face section 32 proximate the free edge 32A. The neck portion 20 or the torso portion 11 may include at least one complementary connector 31A. The at least one connector 32B is engageable to the at least one complementary connector 31A in the covering configuration of the head cover 30. The connectors may be used to securely attach the free edge 32A of the face section 32 to a remainder of the garment to avoid the free edge 32A becoming untucked while the wearer is moving or performing activities. The at least one connector 32B and the at least one complementary connector 31A may include at least one male snap connector and at least one female snap connector configured for complementary snap-fit engagement. A plurality of the male snap connector may be provided on a common tape, and a plurality of the female snap connector on another common tape. The at least one complementary connector 31A may be located on an outer side of the neck portion 20 or on an inner side thereof. These connectors may be omitted in some configurations.
Referring now to FIGS. 9A to 9D, plan views of panels (e.g. fabric panels) involved in the manufacturing of the head cover 30 are illustrated. It will be appreciated that these fabric panels may be cut from a bigger piece of fabric or other panelling material and have a two-dimensional shape. The third dimension of the head cover 30 is generated by securing (e.g., via stitching) the different panels together.
The hood section 31 of the head cover 30 may include two hood panels 34 as shown in FIG. 9A and one middle hood panel 35 as shown in FIG. 9B, but this is merely an example. The hood panels 34 have a bottom edge 34A, a rear edge 34B, a top edge 34C, and a front edge 34D. The bottom edge 34A and the top edge 34C extend from the rear edge 34B to the front edge 34D. The hood section 31 may thus be manufactured by stitching the rear edge 34B of each of the two hood panels 34 to a respective one of lateral edges 35A of the middle hood panel 35. A reinforcing panel 36, also referred to as a reinforcing band or rigidizing band, is depicted in FIG. 9C and may be secured to the front edges 34D of the two hood panels 34 and to a top edge 35B of the middle hood panel 35. The reinforcing panel 36 may be avoided in some configurations. The reinforcing panel 36 may ensure that the hood section 31 maintains it shape at its anterior end, even though the face section 32 is hanging freely. This may be desired to avoid having the hood section 31 obstruct a wearer's sight. Moreover, the reinforcing panel 36 may act as a visor to shield the wearer's eyes from the sun or the rain in a similar way as a cap would.
The mesh panel 33 is shown in FIG. 9D and includes the free edge 33A, a top edge 33C opposite the free edge 33A, and two lateral edges 33D. The top edge 33C of the mesh panel 33 is secured to the top edge 35B of the middle hood panel 35 and, in some embodiments, to at least a portion of the front edges 34D of the two hood panels 34. The two lateral edges 33D of the mesh panel 33 are each secured to a respective one of a remainder of the two front edges 34D of the two hood panels 34. It will be appreciated that other patterns may be used for manufacturing the head cover 30. The bottom edges 34A of the two hood panels 34 and a bottom edge 35C of the middle hood panel 35 may be secured (e.g., stitched) to the neck portion 20 and/or to the torso portion 11 proximate the neck opening 11A.
As shown in FIG. 9D, the free edge 33A of the mesh panel 33 has a curved shape or like extended shape and extends from a first end at one of the two lateral edges 33D of the mesh panel 33 to a second end at the other of the two lateral edge 33D. The free edge 33A extends downwardly away from the top edge 33C from the first end towards a center of the mesh panel 33 and extends upward from the center towards the second end. This configuration may ensure that the length is maximal at the center of the mesh panel 33 to facilitate tucking the free edge 33A behind the neck portion 20. A dashed line is shown in FIG. 9D and illustrates where the top of the neck portion 20 would register in relation to the mesh panel 33, though this registration may depend on a user's preference.
In this embodiment, the bottom edges 34A of the two hood panels 34 are secured to the neck portion 20 or the torso portion 11 of the garment. Therefore, a width of an opening of the pocket 23 (FIG. 4) is at least equal to a sum of a length of the bottom edge 35C of the middle hood panel 35 and of the lengths of the bottom edges 34A of the two hood panels 34. This may ensure that the wearer is able to easily fold or roll away the head cover 30 into the pocket 23. Moreover, by securing the bottom edge of the hood section 31, herein defined by the bottom edge 35C of the middle hood panel 35 and the bottom edges of the two hood panels 34, the hood section 31 is securely attached to a remainder of the garment while minimizing gaps via which insects may reach the head-receiving volume V.
Referring now to FIGS. 10-11, another embodiment of a head cover is shown at 130. In this configuration, the face section and a portion of the hood section are defined by a single piece of fabric. Put differently, the face section and the portion of the hood section are monolithically connected to one another. As shown in FIG. 10, the head cover 130 may be rolled when stowed in the pocket 123.
As shown in FIG. 10, the neck portion 120 defines a pocket 123 that extends only a rear portion of the circumference of the neck portion 120. For instance, the pocket 123 may be overlapping only a rear portion of the neck of the wearer and may extend from about 2 inches to about 6 inches at most. The expression “about” in the context of the present disclosure implies variations of plus or minus 10%. In similar fashion to the neck portion 20 of FIGS. 1-9, the neck portion 120 includes a closing mechanism 124 (e.g., zipper, buttons, etc) extending the length of the pocket 123 although it may be shorter than the length of the pocket 123 in some embodiments. In this embodiment, the shorter width of the pocket 123 and of the closing mechanism 124 may allow the wearer to easily open the pocket 123 without being required to take the garment off. Indeed, the shorter width may allow the user to reach the closing mechanism 124 at the back of his or her hand and only has to slide the mechanism a few inches to open the pocket 123. This configuration is more compact.
Referring to FIGS. 12-13, the head cover 130 is shown in the covering or deployed configuration. The head cover 130 may be secured to only a rear portion of the periphery of the neck portion 20. Thus, a section of the neck portion 120 may be free from attachment with the head cover 130. The head cover 130 includes a mesh panel 133 that defines a free edge 133A that, as for the configuration of FIGS. 1-9, extends a length sufficient to overlap the neck portion 20 to allow the wearer to tuck a section of the mesh panel 133 behind the neck portion 20.
In the depicted embodiment, the head cover 130 includes a hood section 131 defined by a portion of the mesh panel 133 and by a rear hood screen panel 135. The face section 132 is defined by the mesh panel 133. Thus, the same single piece of fabric may be used to cover both of the head of the wearer and the face of the wearer. Such a configuration may simplify the manufacturing of the head cover 130. This configuration may also minimize a thickness of the head cover 130 when stowed in the pocket 123. Comfort for the user may thus be improved. Moreover, this configuration may increase visibility for the wearer since an entirety of the head cover 130 is a see-through mesh. The breathability of this material may make the head cover 130 cooler for the wearer's head. The wearer may thus remain cool while using the head cover 130 over his or her head. A hat may be worn underneath the head cover 130 since the head cover 130 is bigger and more stretchable than a traditional hood.
As shown in FIGS. 12-13, the head cover 130 may include one or more connectors 138 detachably securable to one or more complementary connectors 128 located on the neck portion 120. The one or more complementary connectors 128 may be located on an inner side of the neck portion 120. The one or more connectors 138 and the one or more complementary connectors 128 may be, for instance, one or more snap buttons, magnetic strip(s), strip(s) of hook and loop fasteners, and so on. Securing the one or more connectors 138 to the one or more complementary connectors 128 may avoid gaps defined between the neck portion 120 and the head cover 130 along a periphery of the neck portion 120.
Referring now to FIGS. 14A and 14B, the mesh panel 133 is shown and includes two rear edges 133B and two inner edges 133C. The two inner edges 133C may be secured (e.g., stitched) to one another to impart a three-dimensional form to the mesh panel 133. Once the mesh panel 133 has a three dimensional shape, an opening is located at a rear of the mesh panel 133. This opening may have an inverted U-shape. The two rear edges 133B of the mesh panel 133 conjointly define a periphery of this opening. The rear hood screen panel 135 is used to close the opening. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the rear hood screen panel 135 includes two lateral edges 135A connected to one another via both of a top edge 135B and a bottom edge 135C. To assemble the head cover 130, each of the two rear edges 133B of the mesh panel 133 is secured (e.g., stitched) to a respective one of the two lateral edges 135A of the rear hood screen panel 135 and to a respective portion of the top edge 135B of the rear hood screen panel 135. The bottom edge 135C of the rear hood screen panel 135 may be used to secure the head cover 130 to the neck portion 20 of the garment. As shown in FIG. 15, darts 133D or like pleats may be defined on the top of the mesh panel 133 to allow the head cover 130 to better morph to a shape of the head of the wearer.
Referring now to FIGS. 16-18, another embodiment of a head cover is shown at 230. For the sake of conciseness, only features differing from the head cover 130 of FIGS. 10-15 are described below.
In the pictured embodiment, the head cover 230 includes a reinforcing member 237 at a rear section of the head cover 230. The reinforcing member 237 may thus overlap a rear of the head of the wearer and may be used to provide structural integrity to the head cover 230. Thus, the head cover 230, via the reinforcing member 237, may be more comfortable to the wearer since it may sustain at least a portion of its own weight. The reinforcing member 237 may include an outer fabric 237A and an inner fabric 237B; a mesh of the hood section is sandwiched between the inner fabric 237B and the outer fabric 237A. As shown in FIG. 17, the reinforcing member 237 may increase in width as a distance from the neck portion 20 increases. This may ensure that the head cover 230 maintain a three dimensional shape substantially matching that of the head of the wearer. The reinforcing member 237 may be fused, glued, or stitched to the mesh.
This configuration may provide enhanced comfort to the user since at least a portion of the weight of the mesh panel is supported by the reinforcing member 237. Less weight may thus be perceived by the wearer on a top of his or her head. Furthermore, the reinforcing member 237, located adjacent a rear of the wearer's head, may contribute to avoid or reduce the number of insect bites.
The embodiments described in this document provide non-limiting examples of possible implementations of the present technology. Upon review of the present disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present technology. Yet further modifications could be implemented by a person of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure, which modifications would be within the scope of the present technology.
Patent Application
20250064146
