Head and neck garment

Abstract

A head and neck garment comprises a head covering (or hood) member, a neck member including a body having two ends, a zipper attached to the body near the ends, thereby forming two flaps which are positioned beneath the zipper. The zipper is not as long as the ends, and the remainder of the ends are stitched together. The zipper is attached to the neck member body at an angle that is about 45 degrees, such that when the zipper is moved into a closed position, the garment enables the wearer to warm their neck, and when the wearer wants to cool down, the zipper is moved into an open position, the ends are separated and remain open, exposing an area of the wearer and enabling the exposed area to be cooled down without interference from the garment. The garment is particularly suited for outdoor activities such as skiing.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION. [0001] The present invention is an article of apparel which can warm the wearer's neck and head, or neck, and includes a means to open it readily so the wearer can maintain a comfortable temperature while participating in activities such as skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling and the like. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In the northern hemisphere, keeping warm in winter is often a problem. When engaging in outdoor activities such as skiing, sledding, iceskating, snowmobiling, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and the like, this situation can be exacerbated; exposed body parts become even colder because of their exposure to the wind created by the speed of the participant moving through the cold environment. To protect against exposure, and keep the neck, face and head warm, people wear various items such as ski masks, scarves, mufflers, hats or hoods to cover these regions. While these garments initially help to warm up or protect the exposed areas from the cold, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is a garment designed to keep the wearer's neck warm during outdoor activities in cold weather. It has a zipper that can be opened and closed to cool down the wearer without interfering with the garment. The garment is easy to use, economical to manufacture, and durable to withstand repeated use. It is particularly suitable for outdoor activities such as skiing."

Problems solved by technology

In the northern hemisphere, keeping warm in winter is often a problem.

While these garments initially help to warm up or protect the exposed areas from the cold, because of the heat generated by the individual while engaging in these activities, that additional heat can, over time, lead to overheating.

Because many of these activities require the participant to maintain their balance, or to maintain their concentration, it becomes difficult to adjust or remove these items without risking a potential accident.

The inventor states that a zipper can be substituted for the hook and loop closures, but using such types of closure at the rear of a garment worn by participants in an active outdoor activity is impractical, particularly in activities where an individual may have other equipment in their hands, or where the individual must maintain their balance.

This one-piece garment provides no means to open or adjust the scarf portion of the head covering.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,804 Carey et al. disclose a protective mask with scarf, held in place about the user's head and neck by a hook and loop fastener, positioned at the rear of the garment, and thus, difficult for one to access while actively engaging in sports.

A recurrent problem that I described in my previous U.S. Pat. No.

Because many of the aforementioned activities require the participant to maintain their balance, or to maintain their concentration, it becomes difficult to adjust or remove these items without risking a potential accident.

A scarf or muffler, once opened, still physically remains in the area, and it may literally be “flapping around in the wind”, which can, for example only, cause further distraction, block the wearer's vision or other consequences.

A ski mask or hood also presents similar problems, because if it is pulled down from the head, it still surrounds the neck unless it is completely removed.

A hat requires removal, and a convenient place in which to place it safely; and such actions are not always feasible.

By using a zipper at this particular angle, the inventor has found the garment can be opened readily by a user while skiing, and can also be kept open, offering the wearer the ability to cool off readily, yet be out of the way, a problem that occurs when a zipper is used in the conventional manner.

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