Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
HOODED GARMENT
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The application relates to hooded garments such as sweatshirts, shirts,
jackets and the
like used in outdoor activities.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Numerous outdoor activities take place from early April to August, in
what is also
referred to as bug season depending on the region or country. Accordingly,
exposed skin
surfaces are at the mercy of flying insects such as mosquitoes, blackflies,
wasps and other
invasive insects. Insect bites can cause discomfort, and may further result in
some health
concerns: rash, allergic reactions, parasitic diseases, etc.
[0003] One solution is to use insect repellent on one's skin. However, the
efficacy of such
products has been questioned. Moreover, insect repellents have also been known
to cause skin
irritation, notably because of the presence of chemicals.
[0004] Another solution consists in screening oneself. A known type of shield
consists of a hat
from which a screen is hung to cover a user's head. There are issues of
practicality with such
hats, as they tend to be relatively large, cumbersome and non-aesthetic.
SUM MARY
[0005] In one aspect, there is provided a hooded garment comprising: a torso
portion
configured to be worn over a wearer's torso, the torso portion defining a neck
opening
configured to surround a neck when worn; a hood connected to the torso
portion, the hood
defining a head-receiving volume communicating with the neck opening and
configured to
receive a wearer's head, the hood having a face opening; a screen having a
mesh panel, an
edge portion secured to the hood in a vicinity of the face opening, and a free
edge portion; at
least one connector inside the head-receiving volume and/or torso portion at
least in a posterior
half of the hooded garment; and at least one complementary connector on the
free edge portion
of the screen; wherein the screen is movable between a screening configuration
in which the
mesh panel screens the face opening, and a stowed configuration in which the
free edge
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
portion is connected to the inside of the head-receiving volume and/or torso
portion via
engagement of the at least one connector with the at least one complementary
connector.
[0006] In another aspect, there is provided a method for screening a hooded
garment
comprising: detaching a free edge portion of a screen from an interior of a
hooded garment in a
posterior half of the hooded garment, while another edge portion remains
connected to an
interior of a hood of the hooded garment; pulling the screen via the free edge
portion in front of
a wearer's face, with the hood covering a top of the wearer's head; and
tucking the free edge
portion of the screen inside the hooded garment via a bottom of a face opening
of the hood.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which:
[0008] Fig. 1 is a front view of a hooded garment in accordance with a variant
of the present
disclosure;
[0009] Fig. 2 is a front view of a hooded garment in accordance with another
variant of the
present disclosure;
[0010] Fig. 3 is a side view of a hood of the hooded garment of the present
disclosure,
illustrating an interlining;
[0011] Fig. 4 is a see-through side view of the hood of Fig. 3, showing a
screen in a stowed
configuration;
[0012] Fig. 5 is another view of the hood of Fig. 3, showing the screen in a
deployed
configuration;
[0013] Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of one type of connector used inside the
hood of the hooded
garment of the present disclosure;
[0014] Fig. 7 is an enlarged view on a connector complementary to the
connector of Fig. 6, on
the screen of the hooded garment of the present disclosure;
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[0015] Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of another type of connector used inside the
hood of the
hooded garment of the present disclosure;
[0016] Fig. 9 is an enlarged view on a connector complementary to the
connector of Fig. 8, on
the screen of the hooded garment of the present disclosure;
[0017] Fig. 10 is a front view of a mesh panel of the screen of the hooded
garment of the
present disclosure; and
[0018] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the Pattern for the mesh panel showing
its
three-dimensional configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, a hooded
garment in
accordance with the present disclosure is generally shown at 10. The hooded
garment 10 is
shown as being a pull-on top, such as in the form of a sweater, a jacket, a
sweatshirt, a vest,
among other possibilities. The hooded garment 10 may also be known as a
hoodie. Therefore,
the hooded garment 10 has a torso portion 11, with a front panel and a rear
panel. The torso
portion 11 is configured to cover a torso of a wearer.
[0020] A neck opening 11A is at a top of the torso portion. The neck opening
11A may also be
known as a collar, a shirt opening, etc. It is through the neck opening 11A
that one passes
his/her head, with the neck being through the neck opening 11A. Sleeves 12 may
project
laterally from the torso portion 11. The sleeves 12 are shown as being long
sleeves, but the
hooded garment 10 could also be a short-sleeved top, a sleeveless vest, or may
have any other
configuration.
[0021] The hooded garment 10 may be made of any appropriate material, and may
have one or
more layers. For example, the hooded garment 10 may include some fabrics made
of natural
fibers, synthetic fibers, blends thereof. The hooded garment 10 is not limited
to any particular
type of fabric or textile. The hooded garment 10 may be insulated or have
insulation layers,
may be waterproof or water-resistant, and may have many other features
including pockets,
such as lateral pockets, back pockets, chest pockets, kangaroo pockets,
zippers, vents, waist
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
elastics, to name just a few of numerous features that may optionally be
present on the hooded
garment 10.
[0022] As an example, Fig. 2 shows another hooded garment 10 similar to the
one of Fig. 1, but
with a front packet 13 that has buttons thereon, such that the hooded garment
10 is akin to a
shirt with a front opening, as opposed to the pull-on top of Fig. 1. As
alternatives to buttons, the
hooded garment 10 of Fig. 2 may have a zipper closure, Velcro closure, etc.
[0023] A hood 20 projects upwardly from the torso portion 11. The hood 20 may
also be known
as a cap, as a cowl. In a variant, the hood 20 meets the torso portion 11 at
the neck
opening 11A, for instance via a neck seam 20A. However, it is also considered
to have the
hood 20 being seamlessly connected to the torso portion 11, such as by having
the hood 20
being part of the same fabric panels as part of the torso portion 11. The hood
20 in Figs. 1 and
2 is shown as being in a head-covering configuration, i.e., standing upward as
it would when
convering a wearer's head. It is however possible to fold it back so as to
free the wearer's head
from the hood 20.
[0024] As also observed from Figs. 1 and 2, a screen 30 is shown extending
across a face
opening of the hood 20. Accordingly, when the hooded garmen 20 worn in the
manner shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, the face opening of the hooded garment 10 is covered such that
a face shield is
formed, the face shield being referred to as a bug net, a bug screen, etc. In
contrast to a solid
face shield, the screen 30 is a mesh, allowing air to pass through it. The
screen 30 is described
in further detail hereinafter.
[0025] Referring now to Figs. 3 to 5, the hood 20 is shown in greater detail.
Figs. 3 to 5 are
shown with a stippled line indicating a demarcation between a posterior half
and an anterior half
of the hooded garment 10, the posterior half shown as P, while the anterior
half is shown as A.
The positioning of the stippled line is approximately placed in Figs. 3 to 5.
In a variant, the
posterior half P and the anterior half A are separated by a frontal plane of
the wearer of the
garment 10.
[0026] The hood 20 has an outer surface 21 and an inner surface 22. The outer
surface 21
may be said to be the surface that faces away from a wearer's head, while the
inner surface 22
may be said to be the surface that is opposite the wearer's head when the hood
20 is in the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
head-covering configuration as in Figs. 1 to 5. One or more connectors 23 are
located inside
the hooded garment 10, such as on the inner surface of the hood 20. However,
the
connectors 23 may also be secured inside the torso portion 11. In a variant,
there are different
connectors 23, with some located on the inner surface 22 of the hood 20 and
others located in
the torso portion 11. In an embodiment, the connectors 23 are overlaid on the
neck seam 20A,
and therefore, may overlap between the inner surface 22 of the hood 20 and an
inner surface of
the torso portion 11. In such an embodiment, the stitching on the neck seam
20A may be used
to secure the connector 23 to the hooded garment 10.
[0027] Referring to Fig. 6, one variant of the connector 23 is shown. The
connector 23 has
three distinct snap connectors 23A on a same tape 23B, though a one, two or
more than three
snap connectors 23A may be present. The tape 23B is secured (e.g., stitched)
to the inner
surface 22 of the hood 20, but may be secured to an interior of the torso
portion 11. The snap
connectors 23A may be female connectors that would operate with complementary
male
connectors on the screen 30. The reverse arrangement is also possible.
[0028] Also, while the tape 23B is shown as being stitched to the interior of
the hooded
garment 10, the tape 23B could be fused, glued and/or attached in any other
appropriate
manner. It is also considered to have the snap connectors 23A attached
directly to the inner
surface 22 or to the torso portion 11, i.e. without the tape 23B.
[0029] Referring to Fig. 8, another configuration of the connector 23 is
shown, in which three
discrete connectors 23 are provided. The three discrete connectors 23 may also
have snap
connectors 23A, each with its own tape 23B. These tapes 23B may be folded on
themselves
and then secured at the neck seam 20A, as one possible arrangement among
others.
Alternatively, it is considered to have the connectors 23A secured directly to
the inner
surface 22 of the hood 20 and/or to an inner surface of the torso portion 11.
The tape 23B, if
present, can be secured in any appropriate way to the inner surface 22 of the
hood or to an
inner surface of the torso portion 11.
[0030] Returning to Figs. 4 and 5, it can be seen that at least some of the
connectors 23 are
located in the posterior half P of the hooded garment 10. In a variant, the
connectors 23 are all
in the posterior half P of the hooded garment 10. The connectors 23 of Figs. 6
and 8 are only
two embodiments among numerous other configurations of connectors 23 that are
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
of the hooded garment 10. Other systems may include complementary magnet
portions (e.g.,
pairs of permanent magnet(s) and ferromagnetic member(s)), zipper closures,
Velcro as
solutions among others.
[0031] Referring to Figs. 3 to 5, the hood 20 defines a head-receiving volume
24 that has a face
opening 25. The head-receiving volume 24 is the cavity that accommodates a
wearer's head.
The head-receiving volume 24 may be said to have an edge 24A or seam that is
inward of a
frontmost edge of the hood 20, as the edge 24A may be the forward boundary of
the main
material of the hood 20. The edge 24A may have a zipper tape 26 that includes
a zipper closure
half, such as a series of teeth or the like (e.g., Ziplock type closure). The
edge 24A may be
defined as being that of the main material of the hood 20, with an additional
feature such as a
rigidizing band 27 (e.g., rigidizer) connected to the edge 24A and projecting
anteriorly
therefrom, such that the rigidizing band 27 defines the anterior-most edge of
the hood 20 in the
head-covering configuration. The rigidizing band 27 may be understood to be a
visor, and in an
embodiment has a greater structural integrity that the main material of the
hood 20. Said
differently, while the main portion of the hood 20 may be made of a fabric
that may collapse by
gravity, the rigidizing band 27 is configured to maintain its shape in spite
of gravity. For
example, the main material of the hood 20 may mainly be a textile or fabric,
while the rigizidizing
band 27 may have a material that is not a textile or fabric. In an embodiment,
the rigidizing
band 27 may also be known as an interlining, and may use plastic film welding
or other
technique to have a cardboard-like rigidity, and/or may include a rod,
polymeric sheet or like
structural component that help the rigidizing band 27 maintaining its shape.
The rigidizing
band 27 is optional and may project from the edge 24A. The rigidizing band 27
may completely
surround the face opening 25, or may partially surround the face opening 25,
such as by being
merely in an upper region of the face opening 25. Moreover, although not
shown, the rigidizing
band 27, if present, may be covered by the main material of the hood 20 so as
to be concealed.
[0032] Still referring to Figs. 3 to 5, the screen 30 (also known as net) is
shown as being
attached to the edge 24A. Therefore, if a rigidizing band 27 is provided on
the hood 20, the
screen 30 is connected to the hood 20 inward of the rigidizing band 27. The
screen 30 may be
secured to the inner surface 22 of the hood 20, or may be attached to the hood
20 via the zipper
tape 26 as described below. The rigidizing band 27 may ensure that the hood 20
maintains it
shape at its anterior end, even though the screen 30 is hanging freely
therefrom in the manner
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
shown in Fig. 5. This may be desired to avoid having the hood 20 obstruct a
wearer's sight.
Moreover, the rigidizing band 27 may act as a visor to shield the wearer's
eyes from the sun or
the rain in a similar way as a cap would. However, it is considered to have
the screen 30 be
connected to an anterior-most edge of the hood 20 as well.
[0033] The screen 30 typically consists of a mesh panel 31 or net. The mesh
panel 31 may be
selected to have openings that are as a function of the insects that could
affect the wearer. The
screen 30 has a free edge portion that is not secured to the hood 20 when in a
deployed
configuration shown, as in Fig. 5. As observed, an edge band 32 may be
provided on the free
edge portion of the screen 30, to accommodate a bottom edge portion of the
mesh panel 31.
The edge band 32 may be a fabric band, such as a crease elastic as a
possibility, that receives
the bottom ege portion of the mesh panel 31, with a stitch to close the edge
band 32 on itself.
The edge band 32 may be present in order to protect a bottom edge of the mesh
panel 31 and
prevent same from fraying.
[0034] Referring to Fig. 7, a connector(s) 33 is provided on the free edge
portion of the screen
30 and more particularly on the edge band 32 of present. The connector 33 be
shown in Fig. 7
is complementary in configuration to the connector 23 of Fig. 6. For example,
in Fig. 7, the
connector 33 includes three snap connectors 33A that are positioned and spaced
apart to
correspond to the snap connectors 23A of Fig. 6. A tape 33B may also be
present, though not
necessary. If the connectors 23A are male connectors, then the connectors 33A
are female
connectors, and vice versa. Therefore, when the connectors 33 are positioned
face to face with
the connectors 23 in a stowed configuration of the screen 30 shown in Fig. 4,
a simple pressure
may result in a snapping of the connectors 33 to the connectors 23.
[0035] Fig. 9 shows another configuration for the connectors 33, that is
complementary to the
connector 23 configuration of Fig. 8. More particularly, three distinct
connectors 33 are present,
with the same spacing therebetween. The three discrete connectors 33 may also
have snap
connectors 33A (complementary to connectors 23A of Fig. 8, such as male to
female or vice
versa), each with its own tape 23B. These tapes 33B may be folded on
themselves and then
secured at the edge band 23 if present, as one possible arrangement among
others.
Alternatively, it is considered to have the connectors 33A secured directly to
the edge band 32
or to the mesh panel 31. The tape 33B, if present, can be secured in any
appropriate way to the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
screen 30. If the connectors 23 and 33 are of different nature, such as Velcro
, zipper closure,
etc, complementary pairs are provided at 23 and 33.
[0036] The screen 30 is connected to the hood 20 by way of its hood connection
edge
portion 34. In a variant, the hood connection edge portion 34 has a zipper
tape 36 or like zipper
closure half, complementary Velcro strip, or Ziplock type closure, i.e.,
similar to a zipper, but
with mating elongated extrusions mating by way of a slider. The zipper tape 36
is configured to
correspond to the zipper tape 26 for complementary interconnection. Therefore,
by way of the
slider 37 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it is possible to zip or unzip the screen 30
to the hood 20.
Therefore, the screen 30 may be completely removed such as when a user wants
to wear the
hooded garment 10 without the screen 30. In an embodiment, the screen 30 may
be
permanently secured to the hood 20.
[0037] It can be observed from Fig. 4 that, in the stowed configuration, the
mesh panel 31 is
generally laid against an inner surface 22 of the hood 20. The mesh panel 31
may be sized so
as to generally correspond in size to the inner surface of the hood 20 as
worn. For example, a
length of the inner surface 22, from the edge 24A to the connector(s) 23 may
be generally equal
to or within 15% of the height of the screen 30, i.e., from the connector(s)
33 to the hood
connection edge portion 34. Stated differently, the shield 30 has a length (or
height) from the
edge portion 34 to the complementary connector 33 that is equivalent to 85%-
115% of a
distance of the inner surface 22 of the hood 20 from the edge 24A of the hood
20 (to which the
edge portion of the screen is connected) to the connector 23. When there are
multiple
connectors 23 and 33, the distances are to the central one and/or to the
farthest one. The
distance may be from 98%-120% in a variant. Accordingly, when in the stowed
configuration,
the screen 30 may not bunch up, with the hood 20 having a similar to a wearer
as a hood 20
without the screen 30. Such a length or dimensional correspondence may result
in the screen
30 descending below a bottom of the face opening 25, as shown in Fig. 5.
However, the free
edge portion of the shield 30 may simply be tucked into the hood 20, in the
manner shown in
Figs. 1 and 2. The additional loose material may not impede freedom of
movement of the
wearer, and/or may ensure that the face opening 25 is completely screened,
when the shield 30
is properly tucked in. It is recommended that the shield 30 is indeed tucked
in, as the
arrangement of Fig. 5 without such a tuck may present a passage for bugs.
Stated differently, it
can be seen in Fig. 5 that the screen 30 is in its deployed configuration.
However, while Fig. 5
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
shows that the screen 30 projects downwardly out of the torso portion 11, it
is possible to fit the
bottom portion of the screen 30, shown as hanging freely in Fig. 5, into the
hooded garment 10
in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
[0038] Referring to Figs. 10 and 11, it can be seen that some seams and folds
34A may be
provided on the hood connection edge portion 34. In a variant, the marks 34 of
Fig. 10 are
where the mesh panel 31 is folded onto itself and stitched, fused, and/or
attached, etc. This may
be done so as to give the screen 30 a three-dimensional shape as opposed to
being flat when
laid on a flat surface. This may help the screen 30 adopt an anatomical
geometry that will be
more comfortable to the wearer.
[0039] The hooded garment 10 in all of its embodiments and/or variants
described herein can
be used according to a method for screening a hooded garment that may include
one or more
of: detaching a free edge portion of a screen from an interior of a hooded
garment in a posterior
half of the hooded garment, while another edge portion remains connected to an
interior of a
hood of the hooded garment; pulling the screen via the free edge portion in
front of a wearer's
face, with the hood covering a top of the wearer's head; and/or tucking the
free edge portion of
the screen inside the hooded garment via a bottom of a face opening of the
hood In a variant,
detaching the free edge portion includes unclipping the free edge portion. In
a variant,
unclipping the free edge portion includes separating a plurality of
complementary snap fit
connectors. In a variant, the screen is zipped to the interior of the hooded
garment in an anterior
half, prior to the detaching. In a variant, the screen is stowed back into the
interior of the
hooded garment and attaching the free edge portion to the interior of the
hooded garment. In a
variant, attaching the free edge portion includes clipping the free edge
portion. In a variant,
clipping the free edge portion includes snap-fitting a plurality of
complementary snap fit
connectors. Such a method may entirely be performed by the wearer with the
hooded garment
or like hooded garments.
[0040] For clarity, the free edge portion may be described as being the
portion of the screen 30
that hangs free from the hood 20 while a remainder of the screen 30 is
attached to the hood.
The free edge portion may be longer than the hood connection edge portion.
[0041] The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in
the art will
recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without
departing from the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
scope of the invention disclosed. Still other modifications which fall within
the scope of the
present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of a
review of this
disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the appended
claims.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-06-06
