NECK GAITER

Abstract

An article of clothing to be worn by a user. The article includes a main body with an interior portion and an exterior portion that face in opposite directions. The main body includes a top perimeter that defines a top port and a bottom perimeter that defines a bottom port. The top port and the bottom port are disposed at opposite vertical portions of the main body so as to be in fluid communication with one another to allow passage of a head of the user therethrough. The main body defines a vertical axis that extends through the top port and the bottom port. The article also includes a shield disposed on at least a portion of the top perimeter of the top port to prevent air expelled from the user from escaping through the top port adjacent the shield.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Wearable articles of clothing such as neck gaiters are useful means for personal protection from the cold, however, conventional neck gaiters tend to redirect a user's breath upwards with respect to the user's face, toward the user's eyes. In the event the user is wearing glasses or operating a camera, the redirected breath often condenses on a lens of the glasses or a viewfinder and display screen of the camera, causing the same to fog and become inoperable or otherwise more difficult to use. Because conventional neck gaiters are generally characterized as elastic sleeves of fabric configured for being stretched over a user's face, conventional neck gaiters lack sufficient means for protecting a user's glasses or camera from condensation of redirected breath.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0002] According to one aspect, an article of clothing can be worn by a user. The article includes a main body with an interior portion and an exterior portion that face in opposite directions. The main body includes a top perimeter that defines a top port and a bottom perimeter that defines a bottom port. The top port and the bottom port are disposed at opposite vertical portions of the main body so as to be in fluid communication with one another to allow passage of a head of the user therethrough. The main body defines a vertical axis that extends through the top port and the bottom port. The article also includes a shield disposed on at least a portion of the top perimeter of the top port to prevent air expelled from the user from escaping through the top port adjacent the shield.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] The novel features believed to be characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. In the descriptions that follow, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and certain figures can be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advances thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0004] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an exemplary wearable article of clothing worn by a user with glasses.

[0005] FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of the wearable article of clothing along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

[0006] FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation view of the wearable article of clothing with any slack removed from the article.

[0007] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the wearable article of clothing.

[0008] FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the wearable article of clothing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are merely illustrative and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structures disclosed without departing from the present disclosure. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a wearable article of clothing 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] With reference to the figures, an article of clothing (hereinafter article) 10 for a user 12 is shown. The user 12 can have a neck 14 with a head 16 upwardly extending therefrom with a face 18, a first ear 22 and a second ear 24 disposed on opposite lateral ends of the head 16 with a nose 26 disposed therebetween. As illustrated, the user 12 is wearing a pair of glasses 28.

[0011] For ease of explanation, an X, Y, Z axis has been superimposed over the article 10 and the user 12 in many of the figures. Following traditional convention, the X axis follows a front-back or longitudinal orientation (i.e., between the chin and the nape of the neck 14) and the Y axis follows an up-down or vertical orientation (i.e., between the neck 14 and the top of the head 16), as shown in FIG. 1. Further, the Z axis follows a left-right or lateral/horizontal orientation (i.e., between the first ear 22 and the second ear 24). The Z-axis is shown, for example, in FIG. 4. As will be appreciated, the X, Y, Z axis does not limit the scope of the disclosure, but is rather an aid in explanation.

[0012] The article 10 of clothing includes a main body 32 and a shield 34. The shield 34 can include a deformable element 36 and a guard 38. As illustrated, the deformable element 36 and the guard 38 are separate components, but it is envisioned that these components could be integral. The deformable element 36 is configured to be repeatably and plastically formed to match a contour of the face 18 of the user 12 so as to contact the face 18 of the user 12, thereby preventing air from traveling between the shield 34 and the face 18 of the user 12.

[0013] As will be appreciated, such a layout helps to prevent fogging of glasses 28 of the user 12 and/or nearby sight objects through which the user 12 will look. These sight objects could include, without limitation, a camera, binoculars, a monocular, a telescope, and a spotting scope (not shown).

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the article 10 is configured for being worn over the neck 14 and face 18 of the user 12, with the shield 34 disposed laterally over the face 18 from the first ear 22 of the user 10 to the second ear 24 of the user 10 and vertically positioned between the nose 26 and eyes 30 of the user 10. Thus, the deformable element 36 is configured for being manipulated into a shape corresponding with contours of the face 18 of the user 10, including the nose 26 and cheekbones, and maintaining the shape to prop the guard 38 continuously along the face 18 of the user 12.

[0015] Further, the guard 38 can surround the deformable element 36 so as to embed the deformable element 36 within the guard 38. Stated another way, a length of the deformable element 36 along the Z axis can be less than a length of the guard 38 along the Z axis. As illustrated, the deformable element 36 defines a length that is almost as long as a length of the guard 38. However, other lengths of the deformable element 36 are contemplated. The deformable element 36 can be made of a variety of materials without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the deformable element 36 can be made of a ductile metal. Further, the deformable element 36 can be of a variety of shapes while still achieving the noted purpose. For example, the deformable element 36 could have a primarily round or rectangular cross-section (X-Y axis cut).

[0016] By embedding the deformable element 36 within the guard 38, comfort for the user 12 is improved when the article 10 is worn, as the user 12 is not directly exposed to the deformable element 36. Furthermore, the deformable element 36 is configured to provide sufficient rigidity to retain a shape of the shield 34 when a weight of the main body 32 and the guard 38 is applied thereon.

[0017] However, the remaining elements of the article 10 do not have this level of rigidity and will not retain a shape based upon input by the user 12. This rigidity of the deformable element 36 improves the experience of the user 12 as the article 10 does not require resizing when the user 12 is wearing the article 10. Further, the lack of rigidity of the remaining elements of the article 10 also contribute to the comfort of the article 10 for the user 12.

[0018] As such, the article 10 is configured to be worn over the neck 14 and the face 18 of the user 12 such that the shield 34 is laterally disposed over the face 18 of the user 12 from the first ear 22 of the user 12 to the second ear 24 of the user 12. Additionally, the shield 34 is configured to be manipulated into a shape corresponding to contours of the face 18 of the user 12 and maintaining said shape without further adjustment.

[0019] The main body 32 can be made of a first material and the shield 34 can be made of a second material. The first material and the second material can be different compositions from one another. For example, the first material can be a smooth material and the second material can be a material with sufficient nap to improve fit and sealing of the article 10 against the face 18 of the user 12.

[0020] Without limiting the scope of this disclosure, the fabric forming the main body 32 could be fleece, however a variety of fabrics and alternative materials may be employed in the main body 32. Further, the first material can be thinner than the second material. The main body 32 can made from a single piece of cloth and stitched or otherwise connected to form a tube or sleeve-like construction.

[0021] The main body 32 includes an interior portion 42 and an exterior portion 44 that face 18 in opposite directions. Stated another way, the interior portion 42 of the main body 32 faces toward the Y axis, whereas the exterior portion 44 faces away from the Y axis.

[0022] With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the main body 32 also includes a top perimeter 46 that defines a top port 48 and a bottom perimeter 52 that defines a bottom port 54. The Y axis (i.e., vertical axis) extends through the top port 48 and the bottom port 54. As illustrated, the top port 48 and the bottom port 54 are disposed at opposite vertical portions of the main body 32 so as to be in fluid communication with one another to allow passage of the head 16 of the user 12 therethrough.

[0023] The top port 48 and the bottom port 54 are the exclusive means of entry and exit into and out of the main body 32 and the article 10 by the user 12, thereby improving the proper movement of exhaled air by the user 12. As is considered apparent in view of the drawings, the top of the head 16 of the user 12 can completely pass through the top port 48 and the bottom port 54, whereas lower parts of the head 16 (e.g., below the eyes) can be received within the article 10 so as to be between the top port 48 and the bottom port 54.

[0024] The article 10 can define a tube shape. With reference to FIG. 3, an inner diameter 56 of the article 10 including the top perimeter 46 is less than an inner diameter 58 of the article 10 including the bottom perimeter 52. This difference in inner diameters is due to the placement of the shield 34. Furthermore, the interior portion 42 of the main body 32 adjacent the top port 48 defines a main body inner diameter 62

[0025] The article 10 defines a top wall thickness 64 adjacent the top port 48. Additionally, the main body 32 defines a bottom wall thickness 66 adjacent the bottom port 54. Although the top wall thickness of the article 10 can vary around the top perimeter 46 of the main body 32, the bottom wall thickness of the main body 32 can be uniform around the bottom perimeter 52.

[0026] Further, the main body 32 and the shield 34 cooperate at the top port 48 to define the top wall maximum thickness 68 of the article 10. The main body 32 solely defines the top wall minimum thickness 72 at the top port 48. The top wall maximum thickness 68 of the article 10 may be greater than the bottom wall thickness 66 of the main body 32 to ensure a proper seal between the article 10 and the face 18 of the user 12, thereby preventing exhaled air from escaping from the article 10 through the top port 48.

[0027] Finally, the top wall thickness 64 of the article 10 includes the top wall maximum thickness 68 at the shield 34 and a top wall minimum thickness 70 at all locations along the top perimeter 46 not in contact with the shield 34. The bottom wall thickness 66 of the main body 32 can be equal to the top wall minimum thickness 70 of the article 10 to improve comfort for the user 12.

[0028] The shield 34 can be disposed on at least a portion of the top perimeter 46 of the top port 48 to prevent air expelled from the user 12 from escaping through the top port 48 adjacent the shield 34. The shield 34 includes a proximal vertical portion 74 that is attached to the main body 32 and a distal vertical portion 76 that is vertically opposite the proximal vertical portion 74. The distal vertical portion 76 does not directly contact the main body 32.

[0029] The main body 32 defines a main body length that extends along the vertical axis (i.e., Y axis) between the top perimeter 46 of the top port 48 and the bottom perimeter 52 of the bottom port 54. As illustrated, a distance along the vertical axis between the bottom perimeter 52 of the bottom port 54 and the distal vertical portion 76 of the shield 34 is greater than the main body length. Further, a distance along the vertical axis between the bottom perimeter 52 of the bottom port 54 and the proximal vertical portion 74 of the shield 34 is less than the main body length. The aforementioned arrangements provide an offset portion to provide a better seal between the article 10 and the user 12 and preventing exhaled air from escaping through the top port 48 of the article 10.

[0030] The shield 34 can include a first end 78 and a second end 82 that are spaced from one another by the main body 32. The first end 78 and the second end 82 comprise the proximal vertical portion 74 of the shield 34. The shield 34 can extend along greater than 30% of the top perimeter 46 of the top port 48 and less than 75% of the top perimeter 46 of the top port 48. Further, the shield 34 can extend along approximately 50% of the top perimeter 46 of the top port 48. As illustrated, the shield 34 can be disposed on at least a part of the interior portion 42 of the main body 32 and at least a part of the exterior portion 44 of the main body 32. This layout can improve wearability and comfort for the user 12.

[0031] The shield 34 can include a fold 84 that defines a pocket 86 for receipt of the main body 32 therein. Further, the pocket 86 can receive at least a portion of the top perimeter 46 of the main body 32. This overlapping setup further improves the ability of the article 10 to prevent exhaled air from the user 12 from existing the article 10 through the top port 48. As will be appreciated, by preventing the air from leaving through the top port 48, the likelihood of the glasses 28 or other sight device from becoming fogged due to condensation from the breathe from the user 12.

[0032] By stretching to fit over the face 18 of the user 12, the main body 32 at the top port 48 holds the shield 34 in place against the face 18 of the user 12 with an elastic force. Notably, sufficient rigidity of the deformable element 36 enables the main body 32 to prop the guard 38 against each contour across the face 18 of the user 12, including contours of the nose 26 and cheekbones.

[0033] This is accomplished while also providing sufficient flexibility of the deformable element 36 to enable manipulation of the deformable element 36 by the user into a customizable shape, such that the same article 10 can accommodate a variety of users. With this construction, as a user 12 wearing the article 10 exhales into the article 10, contact maintained between the guard 38 and the face 18 of the user 12 prevents the user's breath from escaping the article 10 from between the face 18 of the user 12 and the shield 34.

[0034] If a user 12 is wearing glasses 28 or performing photography with a camera while wearing the article 10, preventing the breath of the user 12 from escaping the article 10 from between the face 18 of the user 12 at the top port 48 adjacent the shield 34 helps prevent the breath of the user 12 from condensing on the glasses 28 of the user 12, or portions of the camera including a viewfinder and a display screen.

[0035] It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

Claims

1. An article of clothing to be worn by a user, the article of clothing comprising: a main body including an interior portion and an exterior portion that face in opposite directions, the main body including a top perimeter that defines a top port and a bottom perimeter that defines a bottom port, the top port and the bottom port being disposed at opposite vertical portions of the main body so as to be in fluid communication with one another to allow passage of a head of the user therethrough, and wherein the main body defines a vertical axis that extends through the top port and the bottom port; and a shield disposed on at least a portion of the top perimeter of the top port to prevent air expelled from the user from escaping through the top port adjacent the shield.

2. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the top port and the bottom port are an exclusive means of entry and exit into and out of the main body by the user.

3. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the shield extends along approximately 50% of the top perimeter of the top port.

4. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the shield extends along greater than 30% of the top perimeter of the top port and less than 75% of the top perimeter of the top port.

5. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the shield is disposed on at least a part of the interior portion of the main body and at least a part of the exterior portion of the main body.

6. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the shield includes a proximal vertical portion that is attached to the main body and a distal vertical portion that is vertically opposite the proximal vertical portion, wherein the main body defines a main body length that extends along the vertical axis between the top perimeter of the top port and the bottom perimeter of the bottom port, and wherein a distance along the vertical axis between the bottom perimeter of the bottom port and the proximal vertical portion of the shield is less than the main body length.

7. The article of clothing of claim 6, wherein the shield includes a first end and a second end that are spaced from one another by the main body.

8. The article of clothing of claim 7, wherein the shield includes a fold that defines a pocket for receipt of the main body therein, and wherein the pocket receives at least a portion of the top perimeter of the main body.

9. The article of clothing of claim 7, wherein the first end and the second end of the shield comprise the proximal vertical portion.

10. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the main body is made of a first material and the shield is made of a second material, and wherein the first material and the second material are of different compositions from one another, and wherein the first material is thinner than the second material.

11. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the interior portion of the main body adjacent the top port defines a main body inner diameter and the main body cooperates with the shield to define an article inner diameter, and wherein the main body inner diameter is greater than the article inner diameter.

12. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the shield includes a deformable element that is configured to be repeatably and plastically formed to match a contour of a face of the user so as to contact the face of the user thereby preventing air from traveling between the shield and the face of the user.

13. The article of clothing of claim 12, wherein the shield includes a guard that surrounds the deformable element so as to embed the deformable element within the guard.

14. The article of clothing of claim 13, wherein the deformable element is configured to provide sufficient rigidity to retain a shape of the shield when a weight of the main body and the guard is applied thereon.

15. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the main body defines a tube shape in which an inner diameter of the article including the top perimeter and the shield is less than an inner diameter of the article including the bottom perimeter.

16. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the article defines a top wall thickness immediately adjacent the top port and the main body defines a bottom wall thickness adjacent the bottom port, and wherein the top wall thickness of the article varies around the top perimeter of the main body and the bottom wall thickness of the main body is uniform around the bottom perimeter.

17. The article of clothing of claim 16, wherein the main body and the shield cooperate to define a top wall maximum thickness of the article and the main body defines a top wall minimum thickness at all locations along the top perimeter not shared with the shield.

18. The article of clothing of claim 17, wherein the top wall maximum thickness of the article is greater than the bottom wall thickness of the main body, and wherein the bottom wall thickness of the main body is equal to the top wall minimum thickness of the article.

19. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the article is configured to be worn over a neck and a face of the user such that the shield is laterally disposed over the face of the user from a first ear of the user to a second ear of the user, and wherein the shield is configured to be manipulated into a shape corresponding to contours of the face of the user and maintaining said shape without further adjustment.

20. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the shield includes a proximal vertical portion that is attached to the main body and a distal vertical portion that is vertically opposite the proximal vertical portion, wherein the main body defines a main body length that extends along the vertical axis between the top perimeter of the top port and the bottom perimeter of the bottom port, and wherein a distance along the vertical axis between the bottom perimeter of the bottom port and the distal vertical portion of the shield is greater than the main body length.