Removable Hood with Lateral Drawstring for Peripheral Vision

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hood systems in outerwear often restrict peripheral vision when the user turns their head due to a rigid attachment to the jacket, and they fail to provide adequate protection from environmental elements like wind, snow, or rain, especially during sports activities.

Innovation Solution

A portable, stowable, and removably engagable hood apparatus with multiple axes of adjustability, featuring a traditional circumferential elastic drawstring and an independent lateral elastic drawstring, allowing the hood to move freely with the user's head while maintaining protection from the environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the hood is rigidly attached to the jacket, then the hood maintains a fixed orientation facing forward, but the user loses peripheral vision when turning their head side to side

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefixed orientation of hoodVSAvoidperipheral vision when turning head

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The hood attachment system transitions from a rigid fixed connection to a dynamic system with rotational freedom. The hood can rotate relative to the jacket body, allowing it to move with the user's head while maintaining attachment. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by enabling both stability (maintained attachment) and operational ease (peripheral vision during head movement).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the drawstring is cinched tight to reduce the face opening periphery, then the hood provides better protection from environmental elements, but the user loses peripheral vision and cannot turn their head side to side

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from wind, snow, rainVSAvoidperipheral vision and head movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The hood incorporates a rotational mechanism that allows the face opening to dynamically reorient with head movement. Even when the drawstring is cinched tight for protection, the hood can rotate to maintain peripheral vision, resolving the contradiction between environmental protection and operational ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the drawstring is left loose to expand the face opening periphery for increased peripheral vision, then the hood allows cold wind, snow, sleet, or rain to enter through opening gaps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperipheral visionVSAvoidexposure to cold wind, snow, sleet, rain

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The rotational capability allows the hood to maintain a tight seal around the face even when the drawstring is loose. The hood can rotate to close gaps that would otherwise open during head movement, simultaneously providing peripheral vision and environmental protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If the hood is designed to accommodate the largest head size with a loose fit, then various items like glasses, headphones, and hats can be worn, but the hood creates opening gaps that destroy its protective function

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of various head sizes and itemsVSAvoidopening gaps allowing environmental exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The rotational mechanism compensates for the loose fit required for versatility. By allowing the hood to rotate with head movement, the system maintains effective sealing and protection even when accommodating various head sizes and wearable items, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and protective function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures maintained peripheral vision and effective protection from environmental elements by allowing the hood to rotate with the user's head, while keeping the upper torso static, thus preventing exposure to cold or wet weather.

Implementation Method 1

a circumferential elastic drawstring positioned within a fold about the user's face within a margin passageway of the hood face opening

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10251439B2Hood apparatus

Publication Date: 2019.04.09 ROLFE SIRENA

AI summary

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.