U.S. patent application number 09/735859 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-13 for hood including three-dimensional covering.
This patent application is currently assigned to Reliable Knitting Works. Invention is credited to Blutstein, Mark A., Blutstein, Morton.
Application Number | 20020069449 09/735859 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24957503 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020069449 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blutstein, Morton ; et
al. |
June 13, 2002 |
Hood including three-dimensional covering
Abstract
A cold weather composite camouflage hood that protects a wearer
from the effects of cold weather and resembles the surrounding
terrain. The hood includes a hood member that encloses the wearer's
head with an opening for the wearer's face, and a face mask. The
face mask is manufactured from a composite camouflage material
including a sheet bonded to a substrate along attachment lines. The
sheet is cut between the attachment lines to create a series of
lobes that project away from the substrate to simulate the
appearance of natural objects of a terrain.
Inventors: |
Blutstein, Morton; (Bayside,
WI) ; Blutstein, Mark A.; (Mequon, WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH, LLP
100 E WISCONSIN AVENUE
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202
US
|
Assignee: |
Reliable Knitting Works
|
Family ID: |
24957503 |
Appl. No.: |
09/735859 |
Filed: |
December 13, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/202 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 1/046 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/202 |
International
Class: |
A42B 001/04 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A cold weather knit hood which is worn on an individual's head
comprising: a hood member adapted to cover the wearer's head, the
hood member having an opening for the face of the wearer; a face
mask manufactured from camouflage material secured in the opening
of the hood member and for covering the face of the wearer, said
camouflage material consisting of: a substrate; a sheet overlying
the substrate and bonded to the substrate along spaced attachment
lines, said sheet being cut on opposite sides of said attachment
lines to form a plurality of lobes, each lobe having a base
attached to the substrate by one of said attachment lines and a
peak projecting from the substrate to simulate the appearance of
natural objects of a terrain; and at least one opening in the face
mask for the wearer's eyes, nose, and mouth.
2. The knit hood of claim 1 wherein the face mask has a foam
backing.
3. The knit hood of claim 1 wherein the face mask has a liner.
4. The knit hood of claim 1 wherein the hood member is covered with
said camouflage material.
5. The knit hood of claim 1 wherein the hood member is made of a
stretchable knit material.
6. The knit hood of claim 1 wherein the hood member includes an
anti-microbial layer.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to cold weather apparel, and
more particularly to a camouflage knit hood intended for use by
hunters.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Knit hoods which cover the head of a wearer are known and
are widely used for protection from the cold. Hunters who must
closely approach game animals and birds, often wear camouflaged
head and face coverings to avoid detection. Several camouflage head
coverings are made of thin material or netting with printed
camouflage patterns. The thin material used for many head coverings
does not provide the wearer with protection from cold weather.
Hunting is a common activity in cold weather climates and adequate
protection from the elements is often needed to remain outdoors for
extended periods of time.
[0003] Various existing head coverings also use a printed
camouflage pattern to help the wearer blend in with the surrounding
terrain. Head coverings with a printed material create a rigidly
defined outline, or silhouette, and are easier for a game animal to
detect.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention comprises a hood member and a face
mask. The hood member encloses the wearer's head and has good
insulating characteristics to keep the wearer warm in cold weather.
Preferably, the hood member is made from a stretchable material and
is comfortable to wear for prolonged periods of time. An opening is
located in the front portion of the hood member for the wearer's
face. A face mask is secured in the opening of the hood member and
substantially covers the face of the wearer. The face mask is
covered with a camouflage material and has at least one opening for
the wearer's eyes, nose and mouth. The camouflage material can also
cover other portions of the hood or the entire hood.
[0005] The camouflage material used for the face mask is preferably
a three dimensional composite camouflage material including a
substrate and a sheet. The substrate is preferably a mesh net and
provides a base for the sheet. A camouflage color pattern is
printed on the sheet to simulate the surrounding environment in
which the hood is used. The sheet is bonded to the substrate along
multiple attachment lines and the sheet is cut in a zigzag pattern
between the lines to create several lobes. The lobes project from
the lines and the substrate to simulate the appearance of natural
objects in the terrain. The three dimensional appearance of the
camouflage material is created by the lobes which extend away from
the wearer.
[0006] In the preferred embodiment, the camouflage material of the
face mask is bonded to a foam backing. The foam backing stabilizes
and insulates the face mask to provide the wearer with additional
protection from cold weather. The inner side of the face mask
closest to the wearer's face may include an additional liner of
brushed polyester, or other soft material. This inner liner
contacts the wearer's face and provides additional insulation and
comfort for the wearer.
[0007] The face mask has at least one opening for the wearer's
eyes, nose, and mouth. In the preferred embodiment, the eyes, nose,
and mouth each have separate openings to provide the most coverage
of the wearer's face while providing accessibility for the eyes,
nose and mouth. Openings for the nose and mouth facilitate
breathing, permit the wearer to use certain game calls, and help
prevent a wearer's eye glasses from fogging-up in cold weather.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the knit hood of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a left side elevation of the knit hood.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the knit hood taken
along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the face mask
portion of the knit hood taken along line 4-4 of FIG.3.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of
the knit hood of the present invention.
[0013] Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangements
of components set forth in the following description or illustrated
in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and
of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also,
it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used
herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded
as limiting.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a cold weather three-dimensional
camouflage knit hood 10 embodying the present invention. The knit
hood 10 consists of a hood member 14 and a face mask 26. The hood
member 14 is preferably made from a stretchable knit material with
good insulating characteristics. The passageway 24 near the bottom
of the hood member 14 allows the wearer to easily put on or remove
the knit hood 10 over his/her head. The neck portion 20 defines the
passageway 24 and covers the wearer's neck. The hood member 14 has
an opening 22 that provides an aperture for the wearer's face, and
generally runs along the wearer's forehead, around both cheeks, and
under the chin.
[0015] The face mask 26 is attached to the hood member 14 at the
opening and substantially covers the wearer's face. The preferred
embodiment has an eye opening 66, a nose opening 70, a nose piece
74, and a mouth opening 78, but the invention can include any
combination of these features. The face mask 26 could have one eye
opening 66 for both eyes, or a separate opening for each eye. The
nose opening 70, nose piece 74, and mouth opening 78 are not
necessary for the invention, but they are shown in the preferred
embodiment. Excluding these features does have some camouflage and
warmth benefits, but including them provides the wearer with many
advantages. The mouth opening 78 allows the wearer to use certain
game calls and facilitates breathing, speaking and eating while
wearing the knit hood 10. The mouth opening 78, nose opening 70 and
nose piece 74 may help prevent a wearer's eye glasses from
fogging-up in cold weather because the warm exhaled air may pass
through the nose opening 70, instead of through the eye opening 66
near the lenses.
[0016] The face mask 26 includes a foam backing 62, a liner 64, and
a three-dimensional composite camouflage material 30. In the
preferred embodiment, the camouflage material 30 is disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,320, incorporated herein by reference, and
commonly known as Intrigue.RTM., a trademark of the Milliken
Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C. The camouflage material 30 consists
of a continuous sheet 38 bonded to a substrate 34 along spaced
attachment lines 42.
[0017] In the preferred embodiment, the substrate 34 is a mesh,
net, or other light-weight fabric, and provides stability for the
camouflage material 30. The bond between the sheet 38 and the
substrate 34 may be stitching, an adhesive, or any other bonding
agent. The sheet 38 preferably has a camouflage pattern that
corresponds with the environment where the hood 16 is worn. In the
preferred embodiment the camouflage pattern on the sheet 38 uses
colors that match a forest or wooded terrain, although a pattern
resembling other terrains, such as arctic or desert, are
possible.
[0018] The sheet 38 is preferably cut between the attachment lines
42 in an irregular zigzag pattern. The cuts create lobes 50 with a
base 54 adjacent to the attachment lines 42 and a peak 58 at the
end opposite the base 54. The lobes 50 project outward from the
face mask 26 and simulate the appearance of natural objects of a
terrain, such as leaves or foliage. The jagged zigzag cut of the
sheet 38 forms the pointed shape of the lobes 50 that alter the
wearer's profile. The projecting lobes 50 allow the wearer to blend
in with the environment and typically make it more difficult for
game animals to detect the wearer of the knit hood 10 than a person
with a solid outline.
[0019] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the multiple layers that may make
up the face mask 26. The camouflage material 30 is preferably
bonded to a layer of foam backing 62 that provides additional
protection from cold weather. Since the substrate 34 of the
camouflage material 30 is usually a mesh material, the foam backing
62 blocks wind and insulates the wearer's face. In the preferred
embodiment, a liner 64 covers the inside of the foam backing 62
that contacts the wearer's face. The liner 64 makes the face mask
26 more comfortable and allows the knit hood 10 to be worn for a
longer period of time without irritation. The liner 64 is
preferably made from felt, fleece, brushed polyester fabric, or any
other soft material with insulating properties.
[0020] In the preferred embodiment, the knit hood member 14
includes an anti-microbial layer 18 that reduces the scent of the
wearer. The anti-microbial layer can be made of Amicor.RTM. from
Acordis UK Ltd, in Bradford, England. The anti-microbial layer
helps prevent the spreading of bacteria and formation of odors.
Animals can often smell the scent of a human long before they can
see the human. Even if a hunter is completely visually camouflaged
from an animal, the hunter's scent can often alert the animal of
the hunter's presence. Therefore, the present invention preferably
includes the anti-microbial layer to substantially limit the
wearer's scent so that the wearer can more closely approach game
animals.
[0021] An alternate embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 5 in which the camouflage material 30 covers
the entire knit hood 10. This embodiment has many of the same
features as the previously described preferred embodiment, however,
camouflage material 30 is bonded to the hood member 14 as well as
the face mask 26. Additional camouflage benefits are obtained with
the extra camouflage material 30 covering the entire knit hood 10,
because there are more lobes to obscure the wearer's outline or
profile.
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