Face Covering With Removable Filtering Element

A neck gaiter includes a body having a generally tubular or cylindrical shape. The gaiter includes a pair of closure mechanisms at each open end of the body in order to facilitate and securely retain the placement of the gaiter where desired on the wearer. The length of the material forming the gaiter enables the gaiter to be worn around the neck, over the nose and mouth of the wearer and over at least a portion of the head of the wearer, providing additional wearable position configurations for the gaiter. The gaiter includes a pocket formed thereon within which a filter element can be positioned. The pocket is located on the gaiter in a location where the pocket and filter element are readily positioned over the nose and mouth of the wearer.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates generally to face coverings and in particular to a neck-gaiter having a pocket or insertion of air or respiratory filtering element.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

In many situations, individuals want or are required to cover their face and neck area for various reasons. These reasons can be aesthetic or can be health-related. In either situation, as it is more difficult to breathe through a covering of a person's nose and mouth, it is desirable that the face covering restrict the breathing of the individual wearing it as little as possible and/or that it be readily moveable between a covered configuration and a uncovered configuration.

While many types of face coverings take the form of masks that are positioned over the nose and mouth of the wearer, these mask do not satisfy the need for an aesthetic face covering that can be worn by the individual even when not covering the face.

To address this shortcoming of masks, various types of garments called neck gaiters have been developed. The neck gaiter is a generally tubular fabric garment that is readily positioned and collapsible around the neck of the wearer to be used as a scarf. The soft fabric forming the gaiter allows the gaiter to be comfortably worn around the neck of the individual below the face. When desired, the gaiter can be pulled upwardly over the nose and mouth of the individual into a covering position.

While the neck gaiter is able to aesthetically serve the purpose of providing a selectively deployable face covering, in many situations the fabric forming the gaiter is insufficient to provide suitable protection from particulate materials and/or gases in the air surrounding the wearer. To address those needs, a number of gaiters have been developed in which the gaiter includes a filter element in the gaiter structure. Examples of these types of garments are disclosed in Barklow US Patent Application Publication No. US2016/0213959; Kroese et al. US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0039859; Baker U.S. Pat. No. 7,288,858; and Yarahmadi U.S. Pat. No. 9,661,884, each of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes.

While alone or in combination these prior art neck gaiters are capable of being moved between the uncovered position where the gaiter is disposed around the neck of the wearer and the covered position where the gaiter is placed over the moth and nose of the wearer, they have various shortcomings, such as concerning the manners in which the gaiters can be worn and in how they can locate a filter in over the nose and mouth of the wearer for additional protection to the wearer, among others.

In particular, as a result of their construction, the prior art gaiters are limited to being utilized in the positions around the neck of the wearer, the uncovered position, or covering the nose and mouth. of the wearer, the covered position.

Further, the placement of the filter over the nose and mouth of the wearer is exclusively controlled by the shape, size and location of the pocket holding the filter. Thus, the gaiter must be adjusted relative to the wearer to locate the filter over the nose and mouth when the filter moves within the pocket, such as due the movement of the individual wearing, the gaiter.

Thus, it is desirable to develop a gaiter that can. overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to one aspect of an. exemplary embodiment of the invention., a neck gaiter includes a body having a generally tubular or cylindrical shape. The gaiter includes a pair of closure mechanisms at each open end of the body in order to facilitate and securely retain the placement of the gaiter where desired on the wearer. The length of the material forming the gaiter enables the gaiter to be worn around the neck, over the nose and mouth of the wearer and over at least a portion of the head of the wearer, providing additional wearable position configurations for the gaiter over the prior art.

According to another aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the gaiter includes a pocket formed thereon within which a filter element can be positioned. The pocket is located on the gaiter in a location where the pocket is readily positioned over the nose and mouth of the wearer. The closure mechanisms of the gaiter enable the wearer to properly and securely locate the gaiter on the wearer where the filter element is disposed directly over the nose and mouth of the wearer. This position of the filter can be maintained by the closure mechanisms even during movement of the wearer.

According to still another aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the pocket can include a number of mechanical fasteners to secure the pocket in a closed position. The fasteners can additionally be employed to secure the filter element within the pocket, further maintaining the position of the filter element in the desired location.

Other aspects, advantages and features of the invention of the present disclosure will be made apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference now to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the disclosure, an exemplary embodiment of a gaiter is illustrated generally at10in FIGS,1A-1F, The gaiter10is a garment to be worn on the head12and/or neck14of a wearer16in various convertible configurations, such as a neck scarf (FIG. 1A), a face covering (FIG. 1B), a face and ear covering (FIG. 1C), a head and neck scarf (FIG. 1D), a head and neck scarf with face covering (FIG. 1E) and a head covering (FIG. 1F),

As best shown inFIG. 2, the gaiter10includes a body18formed of a suitable garment material, such as a single or multi-layer fabric material, that has a generally cylindrical or tubular shape with a pair of open ends20,22disposed at opposed ends of the body18. At least one and optionally both of the open ends20,22include closure mechanisms24disposed thereon that are capable of closing the open ends20,22against the portion of the head12and/or neck14of the wearer16that is desired to be covered by the gaiter10. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 2, the closure mechanisms24take the form of drawstrings26inserted through channels28formed at each open end20,22, such as by folding the ends (not shown) of the material forming the body18at the open ends20,22back on itself and securing the ends to the body18, thus defining the channel28at the open ends20,22, each of which also include a pair of slits or openings29at each end to enable the drawstrings26to exit the channels28. The drawstrings26are formed of any suitable material, such. as an elastic material, that is capable of being tightened or drawn into a configuration that snugly conforms to the shape of the body part of the wearer16against which the open ends20,22are positioned. The drawstrings26also are each positioned within an adjustment mechanism30that enables the length of the drawstring26within the channels28to be adjusted, thereby adjusting the size of the open ends20,22. In one exemplary manner of operation, the drawstrings26can be pulled through the adjustment mechanism30to narrow the size of the open end20,22. When the drawstring26has narrowed the open end20,22sufficiently, such as when the open end20,22contacts and/or engages the head12or neck14of the wearer16, the adjustment mechanism30can be engaged with the drawstring26to retain the drawstring26, and the associated open end20,22, in that desired configuration. Conversely, when it is desired to reposition or remove the gaiter10, the adjustment mechanism30can be disengaged from the drawstring26to enable the drawstring26to be moved to enlarge the size of the associated open end20,22.

The ability of the drawstring26to shape the open ends20,22as desired to conform to the shape of the body part against which the open end20,22of the body18of the gaiter14is engaged enables the gaiter10to be securely fastened to the wearer16in a wider variety of configurations than prior art gaiters10. More particularly, the drawstrings26enable the open ends20,22to be tightly secured to the head12and neck14of the wearer16in all of the configurations shown inFIGS. 1A-1Fsimply by drawing the body18of the gaiter10where desired and securing the drawstrings26against the body of the wearer16at the associated locations. It is a simple matter to adjust the position of the gaiter10by disengaging one or both drawstrings26and moving the body18of the gaiter10to the desired configuration. As a result, the location and flexible material forming the drawstrings26at the top and bottom open ends20,22of the gaiter10allow for easy adjustment of the top and bottom open ends20,22of the gaiter14such that the gaiter10can be used by both males and females with a wide range of head and neck shapes and sizes.

Further, the avoidance of flaps or other opposed portions of the gaiter10that need to be secured to one another, as in prior art gaiters, greatly increases the ease of engaging and adjusting the gaiter on the head12and neck14of the wearer16. Also, in another exemplary alternate embodiment, even when the drawstrings26are not tightly engaged with the wearer16, the drawstrings26prevent the gaiter10from coming off of the wearer16by maintaining the gaiter10in loose engagement with the wearer16. This is due to the drawstrings26being selected to have lengths that are slightly less than that of the diameter of the head14of a wearer16. In this manner, even when loosened, the drawstrings26prevent the gaiter20from inadvertently being removed from the head12of the wearer16. However., the elastic nature of material. forming the drawstrings26enables the drawstrings26to be stretched to allow the gaiter10to be readily drawn over and removed from the head12of the wearer16.

Referring now toFIG. 3, the body18of the gaiter10includes an exterior surface32(FIG. 2) and an interior surface34. The interior surface34can be formed simply of the opposite side of the material forming the body18from the exterior surface32, but can additionally be formed from a separate or partial layer or layers of material secured to the exterior surface32, which can be formed of the same, similar or dissimilar materials, or combinations thereof, in order to provide the desired aesthetic appearance and functionality to the gaiter10.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 3, the interior surface34of the gaiter includes a pocket36formed thereon. The pocket36is located adjacent one open end20and is formed of a suitable material that can be readily secured to the material farming the interior surface34and that is gas permeable. While the pocket36can have any desired shape, such as a single layer of material or an enclosure formed of two layers of material separate from the interior surface, in the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 3the pocket36has a generally rectangular shape, and is affixed to the interior surface34along a bottom edge38and a pair of side edges40,42. The top edge44is unsecured to the interior surface34to enable access to an interior46of the pocket36, The top edge44includes a securing mechanism48that is selectively engageable with the interior surface34to close the top edge44against the interior surface34. The securing mechanism48can have a number of suitable configurations, such as buttons, a hook and loop closure, or a zipper, among others, and in the illustrated exemplary embodiment is farmed of a number of female receptacles50that can be engaged with male snap projections52on the interior surface34to farm a snap securing mechanism54.

When disengaged, the securing mechanism48allows access to the interior46of the pocket36to enable a filter element56to be placed therein. The filter element56is capable of filtering a number of different contaminants out of the air passing through the filter element56, including small particulate matter such as dust, pollen and virus-containing droplets, among others. The filter element56can have any suitable configuration, such. as a monolithic filter element, a layered fitter element, or any other type of air filtration structure that can be used by itself or in combination with another structure, such as a container or pouch for the filter element56. In an exemplary embodiment, the filter element56is formed of a flexible material that enables the fitter element56to conform to the shape of the gaiter10. When worn in any configuration. Further, the filter element56conforms closely to the shape of the pocket36, such that filter element56does not readily slide within the pocket36and remains on the proper location on the gaiter10to provide optimal filtration to the wearer16.

The position of the pocket36is provided on the interior surface34such that when the gaiter10is worn in a configuration to cover the face of the wearer16, the pocket36and any filter element56disposed therein is properly located over the nose and mouth of the wearer16to provide filtration to the air being breathed in by the wearer16.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown inFIG. 4, to provide further enhancement to the stable positioning of the filter element56within the pocket36, the filter element56can be formed with a securing structure58that is capable of engaging the securing mechanism48to hold the filter element56within the pocket36. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 4, the securing structure58takes the form of opening60in the filter element56that can be aligned with the snap securing mechanism54. In operation, upon insertion of the filter element56within the pocket36, the openings60are positioned between the female receptacles50and the male snap projections52. The receptacles50are subsequently engaged with the projections52through the openings60, simultaneously closing the pocket36and holding the filter element56in position relative to the pocket36and the body18of the gaiter10.

In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the pocket36can be formed to be releasably secured to the interior surface34of the gaiter10. The pocket36can include one portion of a suitable engagement mechanism, such as zipper, hook and loop fastener closure, among others, that is engageable with the other portion disposed on the interior surface34of the gaiter10. In this embodiment, the filter element56can be positioned within. the pocket36, either with or without engagement of the filter element56with the securing structure58, which can optionally be present on the pocket36, and the pocket36is releasably secured to the interior surface34using the aligned portions of the engagement mechanism. The portion of the engagement mechanism on the interior surface34is located to position the filter element56directly in front of the nose and mouth of the wearer16when the gaiter10is placed on the head12of the wearer16.

In still another exemplary embodiment, the pocket36can be omitted and the engagement mechanism can include a portion disposed on the interior surface34and on the filter element56that are releasably engageable with one another. In this manner, the filter element56can be directly secured to the interior surface34directly in front of the nose and mouth of the wearer16when the gaiter10is placed on the head12of the wearer16.

Looking now at the illustrated exemplary embodiments shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, any of the previous embodiments can include a slip resistant sealing strip62secured to the gaiter10. The strip62is formed of a. slip resistant material, such as a silicone rubber, and can be affixed to any suitable surface of the gaiter10, in the illustrated embodiment, the strip62is secured to the interior surface34adjacent the pocket36, such that the strip62can contact the skin of the wearer16and conform to the shape of the portion of the skin of the wearer16contacted by the strip62, thereby providing an anti-slip function for the gaiter10and/or sealing the strip6against the wearer16to provide significantly reduced and optionally no air flow between the strip62and the wearer16. In addition, the strip62can include an integral or removable structural member64, such as a wire66coated with the silicone rubber, that provides an amount of structural rigidity to the strip62. Alternatively, the strip62can be formed exclusively of the wire66which is flexible in order to enable the strip62to be bent to conform to the shape of the wearer16while retaining the desired shape the wire66is formed or bent into, and maximize the anti-slip and sealing function of the strip62against the skin of the wearer16. in still other exemplary embodiments, the strip62can be positioned out of direct contact with the wearer16, such as on the exterior surface32, or between layers of material (not shown) that define interior and exterior layers for the body18of the gaiter10.

In other alternative, exemplary embodiments the gaiter1can include additional strips62in other locations on the gaiter10, which can provide further adaptability to the gaiter10.

In addition to the several. aspects and advantages of the present disclosure which have been described and illustrated, it should be noted that various additional aspects and advantages of the present invention may be envisioned by those persons who are skilled in the garment art and are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming and the subject matter regarded as the invention.