Insulating hood

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6442763
  • Patent Number
    6,442,763
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, January 10, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 3, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Hale; Gloria M.
    • Hoey; Alissa L.
    Agents
    • Patterson Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, P.A.
  • CPC
  • US Classifications
    Field of Search
    • US
    • 002 202
    • 002 203
    • 002 205
    • 002 204
    • 002 171
    • 002 410
    • 002 208
    • 002 1715
    • 002 172
    • 002 1845
    • 002 20911
    • 002 424
    • D02 878
  • International Classifications
    • A42B104
Abstract
An insulating hood that is suitable for wearing on a person's head. The insulating hood includes a main portion, a resilient portion, an elongated cord, and a pair of lock mechanisms. The main portion has an opening formed therein. The resilient portion is attached to the main portion proximate a lower edge of the opening. The elongated cord at least partially extends through the main portion around the upper edge and side edges of the opening. The pair of lock mechanisms releasably engages the elongated mechanism. Changing the position of the lock mechanisms on the elongated mechanism permits a circumference of the opening to be reduced.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates generally to insulating clothing. More particularly, the present invention relates to insulating hood.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




In many parts of the world, the ambient temperature falls to a point where it is necessary for persons who are exposed to these conditions to cover portions of their bodies to maintain the body at a sufficient temperature that the persons not only protect the body from injury by exposure to the cold temperature but also retain a sufficient amount of the heat radiated from the body proximate the body to minimize the discomfort associated with being in the cold temperatures.




One portion of the human body that radiates a significant portion of heat is through the head. As such, covering portions of the head reduce the amount of heat radiated from the head and thereby increase the person's comfort level at a given ambient temperature. While the most efficient manner to cover the head would be to enclose the entire head, the presence of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears on the head make such an approach unfeasible. As such, items used to protect the head are formed with openings for one or more of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Alternatively, the items are formed to protect individual portions of the head such as covering the ears with earmuffs.




The desirability of having one or more of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears exposed depends upon a variety of factors including the ambient temperature and the activity the person is attempting to perform in the reduced temperature region. For example, at extremely cold temperatures it is desirable that only the person's eyes are exposed.




Another factor associated with covering the person's head is that the amount of protection desired by the person wearing the head protection may very significantly during a given day such that significant coverage is desired at times while minimal coverage is desired at other times. To minimize the amount of items that the person must carry, it is desirable for the wear to adjust the amount of protection provided by a single clothing item rather than changing the clothing item when different levels of protection are desired.




Sivret et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,230, discloses a hood having a closed upper end and an open lower end. The hood has a neck cord that extends around the lower end. Changing the length of the neck cord by changing a position of a clamp on the neck cord permits the lower end to be tightened around the wearer's neck. The hood also has an opening for the wearer's face. A face cord extends around a top portion of the opening. Ends of the face cord are joined together at the front portion of the hood with a clamp.




Sontag, U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,838, describes an insulating hood having a hood portion and a neck portion that extends from the hood portion. The neck portion is designed to fold upwardly into the hood portion to provide warmth to the wearer's neck. The hood portion includes an opening for the wearer's face. A cord extends around a top portion of the opening. Ends of the cord are joined together at the back portion of the hood with a clamp.




Fruge, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,389, discloses an insulating hood for use in cold weather. The insulating hood has an open lower end and a closed upper end. The hood has an opening for a wearer's face. The hood also has openings for the wearer's ears that are closable with flaps attached to the hood. The hood further includes a cord that extends around the face opening and permits the size of the face opening to be changed.




Mattinson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,549, discloses a hood that is particularly suited for protecting the head of a person wearing the hood from exposure to fire or other hazardous conditions. The hood includes an open lower end and a closed upper end. The hood also includes an opening for the wearer's face.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to an insulating hood that is suitable for wearing on a person's head. The insulating hood has a main portion, a bill portion, a first resilient portion, a second resilient portion, an elongated mechanism, and a pair of lock mechanisms.




The main portion has a lower end and an upper end. The lower end is substantially open and is selected with a size to receive the person's head. The upper end is substantially closed and is curved to substantially conform to a top of the person's head. The main portion has an opening formed therein.




The bill portion is attached to main portion proximate an upper edge of the opening. The first resilient portion is attached to the main portion proximate the lower end. The second resilient portion is attached to the main portion proximate a lower edge of the opening.




The elongated cord at least partially extends through the main portion around the upper edge and side edges of the opening. The pair of lock mechanisms releasably engages the elongated cord. Changing the position of the lock mechanisms on the elongated cord permits a circumference of the opening to be reduced.




The insulating hood of the present invention thereby provides a flexible configuration that permits the wearer to adjust the position of the insulating hood on the wearer's head so that the insulating hood provides a high level of insulation, a low level of insulation or an intermediate level of insulation depending on the ambient conditions.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a side view of an insulating hood of the present invention with a bill in an extended position.





FIG. 2

is a side view of the insulating hood with the bill in the retracted position.





FIG. 3

is a front view of the insulating hood worn on a person's head in a first orientation.





FIG. 4

is a front view of the insulating hood worn on the person's head in a second orientation.





FIG. 5

is a front view of the insulating hood worn on the person's head in a third orientation.





FIG. 6

is a front view of the insulating hood worn on the person's head in a fourth orientation.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




The present invention is directed to an insulating hood, as most clearly illustrated at


10


in FIG.


1


. The insulating hood


10


is designed to be worn on a person's head in a variety of orientations such that the person wearing the insulating hood


10


may vary the amount of the person's head that is covered by the insulating hood


10


depending on the ambient conditions.




The insulating hood


10


has a main body portion


12


. The main body portion


12


is fabricated with a width that permits the insulating hood


10


to be readily placed over the head of nearly all people who would desire to wear the insulating hood


10


. The insulating hood


10


is fabricated with a size that permits the insulating hood


10


to approximately conform to the head of the wearer.




The main body portion


12


is fabricated with a length that is sufficiently long so that the insulating hood


10


extends lower than a wearer's neck when the insulating hood


10


is worn on the person's head. The insulating hood


10


extends lower than an upper portion of the wearer's jacket to prevent cold air from blowing directly onto the neck and upper chest of the person wearing the insulating hood


10


.




Proximate a lower edge


16


of the insulating hood


10


, the insulating hood


10


has a first resilient portion


20


formed therein. The first resilient portion


20


allows the lower edge


16


to stretch when the insulating hood


10


is placed over the wearer's head. The first resilient portion


20


returns to the constricted position after the insulating hood


10


is placed over the wearer's head to cause the portion of the insulating hood


10


proximate the lower edge


16


to conform with the wearer and substantially prevent cold air from passing between the insulating hood


10


and the wearer's chin.




An upper end


22


of the insulating hood


10


is substantially enclosed. The upper end


22


is preferably curved so that the upper end


22


conforms to the top of the wearer's head. The curved upper end


22


thereby substantially prevents cold air from passing between the insulating hood


10


and the top of the wearer's head.




The insulating hood


10


has an opening


30


formed on a front surface


32


thereof. The opening


30


is formed with a height and width that are approximately the same size as the wearer's face such that when the insulating hood


10


is placed over the wearer's head, the wearer's eyes, nose and mouth extend through the opening


30


but the other portions of the wearer's head are covered by the insulating hood


10


.




Proximate a lower edge


34


of the opening


30


, the insulating hood


10


has a second resilient portion


36


formed therein. The second resilient portion


36


preferably extends along the entire lower edge


34


of the opening


30


. The second resilient portion


36


causes the insulating hood


10


proximate lower edge


34


to conform with the wearer's chin to thereby prevent cold air from passing between the insulating hood


10


and the wearer's chin whether the insulating hood


10


is worn in a position where the lower edge


34


is positioned below the wearer's chin or over the wearer's mouth.




The insulating hood


10


further includes an elastic cord


40


that extends along an upper edge


42


of the opening


30


and partially through side edges


44


of the opening


30


. By utilizing the elastic cord


40


, the insulating hood


10


is provided with a better, more snug fit that provides the wearer with better visibility. The elastic cord


40


also extends around the back of the insulating hood


10


such that ends of the elastic cord


40


are not exposed.




The elastic cord


40


used in these applications is often referred to as a shot cord. Unlike conventional strings, the elastic cord


40


maintains a relatively curved shape such that when the insulating hood


10


is worn with the elastic cord


40


hanging in front of the wearer, the elastic cord


40


is just below the chin.




A pair of lock mechanisms


46


are provided on a portion of the elastic cord


40


that extends around the back of the insulating hood


10


. Adjusting the position of the lock mechanisms


46


on the elastic cord


40


allows the length of the elastic cord


40


that extends through the insulating hood


10


to be changed to reduce the size of the opening


30


.




The lock mechanisms


46


are preferably biased in a closed position. Urging the ends of the lock mechanism


46


towards each other moves the lock mechanism


46


to an open position, which allows the elastic cord


40


to pass through the lock mechanism


46


to change the position of the lock mechanism


46


on the elastic cord


40


. Once the urging force is discontinued, the lock mechanism


46


returns to the closed position to retain the elastic cord


40


in a fixed position with respect to the lock mechanism


46


. While it is possible to use alternative configurations for the lock mechanism


46


, the preferred lock mechanism


46


is particularly suited for use in cold weather because the lock mechanism


46


may be readily operated while wearing gloves.




Additionally, forming the elastic cord


40


without exposed ends makes any it much safer by allowing the elastic cord


40


to be drawn around the back of the head and held in place so as not to allow it to fall out of place and hang in front of the neck/chest area. As such, the elastic cord


40


is not allowed to get caught in a moving piece of machinery, such as a snow blower, resulting in injury to the person wearing the insulating hood


10


.




If the elastic cord


40


does get pulled with more than a predetermined force, the elastic cord


40


breaks away from the insulating hood


10


allowing the wearer to not be drawn or pulled into a piece of machinery. The ends of the elastic cord


40


are preferably sewn into the insulating hood


10


to permit the ends to pull out under a predetermined force. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that alternative techniques may be used to releasably attach the ends of the elastic cord


40


in the insulating hood


10


.




The insulating hood


10


also has a bill


50


that extends from the upper edge


42


of the opening. The bill


50


reduces the amount of sunlight that impinges upon the eyes of the person wearing the insulating hood


10


. The bill


50


is preferably fabricated from a somewhat resilient material that deforms to a curved shape that conforms to the curve of the upper edge


42


.




When it is not desired to use the bill


50


, the bill


50


folds backwardly so that the bill


50


extends into the interior of the insulating hood


10


, as most clearly illustrated in FIG.


2


. Such a motion is permitted by sewing the bill


50


along a back edge of the bill


50


.




The insulating hood


10


is preferably fabricated from fleece. A preferred material for fabricating the insulating hood


10


is available under the designation COMFORTEMP, which absorbs and stores body heat. When the body cools down, the COMFORTEMP material allows the stored heat to be released to the body. The insulating hood may also be fabricated from a variety of other materials such as cotton, polyester and combinations thereof.




The insulating hood


10


may be partially or totally lined with an additional functional material. One such functional material a referred to as a phase change material for insulation. Another functional material would be a scent blocking material, which is particularly useful when hunting.




The inner and outer surfaces of the insulating hood


10


may be made in a variety of colors and patterns based upon the intended use of the insulating hood


10


such as snowmobiling, skiing and hunting.




The insulating hood


10


of the present invention is adapted for being worn in a variety of different orientations. In a first orientation, the insulating hood


10


is pulled over the head through the bottom opening


16


, as most clearly illustrated in FIG.


3


. In this orientation, the insulating hood


10


covers the ears and the top, back and sides of the person's head while leaving the eyes, nose and mouth exposed. This orientation is particularly suited for moderately cold weather.




In a second orientation, the insulating hood


10


is pulled over the head through the bottom opening


16


and then the elastic cord


40


is tightened to reduce the side of the face opening


30


, as most clearly illustrated in FIG.


4


. In this orientation, the insulating hood


10


covers the entire head except for the person's eyes. This orientation is particularly suited for very cold weather.




In a third orientation, the insulating hood


10


is placed over the head with a lower edge of the face opening


30


positioned just below the eyes, as most clearly illustrated in FIG.


5


. The elastic cord


40


is then tightened to reduce the size of the face opening


30


. In this orientation, the insulating hood


10


protects the mouth, nose, and ears. This orientation is particularly suited for moderately cold weather.




In a fourth orientation, the insulating hood


10


is pulled over the head through the bottom opening


16


and the face opening


30


, as most clearly illustrated in FIG.


6


. In this orientation, the insulating hood


10


protects the neck from cold air while leaving the rest of the person's head exposed. This orientation is particularly suited for mildly cold weather.




It is contemplated that features disclosed in this application, as well as those described in the above applications incorporated by reference, can be mixed and matched to suit particular circumstances. Various other modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill.



Claims
  • 1. An insulating hood for insulating a person's head, the insulating hood comprising:a main portion having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end being substantially open and is selected with a size to receive the person's head, the upper end being substantially closed and being formed to substantially conform to a top of the person's head, the upper end having a face opening formed therein defined by a face opening periphery; an elongate elastic cord at least partially within a sewn channel proximate the face opening periphery, wherein the elongate elastic cord defines an upper face seal that extends from a temple area across a forehead area and concludes at an opposing temple area of the person's head, and wherein the elastic cord passes through apertures in the face opening periphery proximate the respective temples and forms a continuous loop; a resilient portion disposed within a channel proximate the face opening periphery, wherein the resilient portion defines a lower face seal, wherein the lower face seal is selectively adjustable to conform to the person's head from an under the jaw disposition to an above the nose disposition; and a pair of lock mechanisms that releasably engage the elongate elastic cord, wherein changing the position of the lock mechanisms on the elongate elastic cord relative to the face opening permits the face opening periphery to be adjusted.
  • 2. The insulating hood of claim 1 wherein the face opening is selected with dimensions suitable for permitting the person's eyes, nose and mouth to extend therethrough.
  • 3. The insulating hood of claim 1 wherein the face opening is selected with suitable dimensions for permitting the person's head to extend therethrough.
  • 4. The insulating hood of claim 1, wherein reducing the periphery of the face opening permits only one or more of the person's eyes, nose and mouth to be exposed.
  • 5. The insulating hood of claim 1 wherein the insulating hood substantially conforms to the top portion of the person's head.
  • 6. The insulating hood of claim 5 wherein the lower end substantially conforms to a neck of the person wearing the insulating hood.
  • 7. The insulating hood of claim 1 wherein the elongate elastic cord is made of a shot cord type material.
  • 8. The insulating hood of claim 7, wherein the exposed portion of the cord is continuous, the cord having first and second ends, the first and second ends being secured to the hood proximate each other at an apex of the face opening periphery.
  • 9. The insulating hood of claim 8 wherein the cord is secured by stitching to form a breakaway attachment, the breakaway attachment allowing the elongate elastic cord to readily disengage from the main portion upon the imparting of a certain force to the continuous portion of the cord.
  • 10. An insulating hood for insulating a person's head, the insulating hood comprising:a main portion having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end being substantially open and is selected with a size to receive the person's head, wherein the upper end is substantially closed and is formed to substantially conform to a top of the person's head, and wherein the upper end has a face opening formed therein defined by a face opening periphery; an elongate elastic cord at least partially extending through a first portion of the face opening periphery and exiting from the face opening periphery to form an exposed continuous loop, wherein the cord has first and second ends, wherein the first and second ends are secured to the hood by stitching to form a breakaway attachment proximate each other at an apex of the face opening periphery, and wherein the breakaway attachment allows the elongate elastic cord to readily disengage from the main portion upon the imparting of a selected force to the continuous portion of the cord; and a pair of lock mechanisms that releasably engage the elongate elastic cord, wherein changing the position of the lock mechanisms on the elongate elastic cord relative to the face opening permits the face opening periphery to be adjusted.
  • 11. The insulating hood of claim 10, wherein the face opening is selected with dimensions suitable for permitting the person's eyes, nose and mouth to extend therethrough.
  • 12. The insulating hood of claim 10, wherein the insulating hood substantially conforms to a top portion of the person's head.
  • 13. The insulating hood of claim 10, wherein the lower end substantially conforms to a neck of the person wearing the insulating hood.
Parent Case Info

This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/175,185, filed Jan. 10, 2000.

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6269489 Heath Aug 2001 B1
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/175185 Jan 2000 US