Abstract:
A head covering system includes a hood connected to a head covering apparel by a fastening system so that the hood moves with the head and does not block side peripheral vision. In one embodiment fasteners are provided for connecting the hood to the bill of a cap. Such fasteners include snaps on the bill and the hood, or a hook and strap fastener that is positioned across the base of the bill proximate the users head. The hook and strap fastener may be detachably attached to the hood using fasteners such as snaps, or the strap may be an elastic strap permanently attached to the hood, preferably disposed between layers that form the top of the hood. A draw string cooperates with the fastening system to position the hood in a desired position and onfiguration.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/532,138 filed Dec. 23, 2003 entitled “Head Covering Providing Unobstructed Side Views”; Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/600,223 filed Aug. 10, 2004 entitled “Head Covering with Detachable Fastener”; and Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/621,556 filed Oct. 22, 2004 entitled “Head Covering with Detachable Fastener”, of which the teachings are incorporated herein. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to head coverings and particularly relates to a head covering system that protects the head from wind and rain but allows unobstructed side views when the head is turned. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Head coverings often obstruct side views. For example, a hood attached to a jacket will either not turn or not turn completely with a turn of the head. Thus, when a person turns his head to the left and attempts to look left, the hood remains in its original position, or near to its original position, and obstructs the view to the left. This problem is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . A hood  20  is attached to a jacket  22  at the neck portion  24  of the hood. This particular hood  20  is designed to prevent rain and wind from striking the face  28  of the user. Thus, the hood  20  includes a bill-like extension  26  that extends outwardly from the top of the hood to protect the forehead and face  28  of the user. In this view, the user&#39;s face  28  is facing the left and the user is attempting to look to the left. However, the hood  20  has remained in a substantially forward facing position. Thus, one eye of the user is completely covered and the other eye is partially covered which obstructs the left view of the user. 
         [0004]    The problem is particularly acute in jackets and coats designed for sportsmen such as fisherman, hunters, campers, hikers, etc. Typically the hooded jackets for sportsmen are designed to provide maximum protection in extreme conditions. Thus, the hood needs to protect the user&#39;s face by wrapping around the side of the face and extending beyond the face from above. In addition, to be comfortable, the hood should provide spacing between the user&#39;s head and the hood so that at least some ventilation around the hood is possible. Otherwise, the hood will cause condensation on eye glasses and will retain moisture that eventually will wet the head of the user. A relatively loose fitting hood  20  is more comfortable in the rain, because a tight fitting hood causes the user to actually feel raindrops on his head and neck. Also, a loose fitting hood is necessary to accommodate other head coverings that the user may wish to wear, such as a toboggan. 
         [0005]    All of these advantages of a large relatively loose fitting hood create a corresponding problem. A large loose fitting hood exacerbates the problem illustrated in  FIG. 1  where a user turns his face  28  to one side and the hood  20  blocks the view. Also, a large relatively loose hood provides the needed ventilation but it allows the hood to be blown from the user&#39;s head or be moved to an undesirable position. These problems are addressed by the present invention. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a head covering is provided in which a hood is attached to a jacket and is configured to fit over the head and protect the top and sides of the head. A fastening system is provided on a top section of the hood which is located along the front top edge of the hood generally above the user&#39;s eyes. The head covering system also includes a cap that covers the user&#39;s head and includes a semi-rigid bill that extends outwardly from the cap, is designed to fit against the brow of the user and extends outwardly to shade the eyes of the user. A fastening system is provided on the base of the bill, which is the area of the bill proximate to the cap. In a most preferred embodiment, the fastening system on the bill is located approximately one quarter inch from the intersection of the bill and cap. The hood, the fastening system on the hood, the cap, the bill, and the fastening system on the bill are all configured and sized so that the cap will properly position the hood on the user&#39;s head. 
         [0007]    To assemble the head covering system, the cap is placed on the user&#39;s head with the bill facing forward in a normal position. The fastening system on the hood is then connected to the fastening system at the base of the bill. Because of the aforementioned configurations, fastening the hood to the bill immediately positions the hood properly on the user&#39;s head relative to the user&#39;s face. Thus, regardless of the size of the user&#39;s head and regardless of the various adjustments that may be made to the hood, the cap will hold the hood in a proper position relative to the face so that the hood protects the user&#39;s face from rain and elements, but prevents the user&#39;s face from being unnecessarily obstructed. In particular, when a user turns his head to one side or the other, the cap and hood interact so that the top of the hood moves with the user&#39;s face and allows an unobstructed view of the side to which the head is turned. This advantage is best illustrated in the  FIG. 2 . 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, the cap includes a headband that extends across the brow of the user and around the back of the head. The headband preferably includes an adjustment, such as a buckle and a strap, so that the size of the cap can be adjusted to fit snugly on the user&#39;s head. Thus, the cap will move with the user&#39;s head even though the hood will offer some resistance to left and right head movements. The headband ensures that the cap will move the hood and not vice versa. 
         [0009]    Another embodiment of the fastening system for the hood and cap are snaps, where the snap on the hood is configured to mate with and snap to the snaps on the cap. It is preferred to use snaps on the base of the bill positioned on opposing lateral sides of the bill. Most preferably, the snaps are about ¼ inch from the lateral side of the bill and about ¼ inch from the base edge of the bill, which is positioned against the user&#39;s brow. The matching snaps that are positioned on the hood are spaced apart by the same distance as the spacing between the two snaps on the bill. When the hood snaps engage the bill snaps, the hood is stretched relatively tightly between the two snaps on the bill. When the head is turned to the left, the primary force is applied to the snaps on the right side, but the snaps on left side are also assisting with the movement of the hood because of the tension in the hood material between the two snaps as discussed above. Thus, both snaps function to pull the hood to the left and to the right. Since the hood has some stiffness, the snaps also operate to push the hood sideways. 
         [0010]    Another embodiment of the fastening system allows a user to connect the hood to a cap of any description so long as it has a bill. This attachment system is also a temporary system whereby the cap retains no permanent markings after use of the system. The device is configured to temporarily attach male snaps to the top portion of a bill on a cap. Preferably the male snap portions are located near the base of the bill and also near the outside edges of the bill. The device most preferably includes an elastic band with clips on opposite ends of the band. The male portions of the snaps are mounted on the elastic band near the clips. To place the snaps on a cap, one clip is secured to the edge of the bill near the base of the bill. The elastic band is then stretched across the top of the bill adjacent the base of the bill and the opposing snap is secured to the opposite edge of the bill, again, near the base of the bill. Once attached, the elastic band provides two male snap portions that will attach to the female snap portions that are mounted on the hood. 
         [0011]    In another embodiment, the fastening system allows a user to strap a cap of any size in to the hood of the jacket using a permanent attachment system. The permanent attachment system is comprised preferably of an elastic band disposed between the inner and outer layers of the hood with its two ends protruding through two holes in the inner hood such that the outer layer of the hood shows no portion of the system. The ends of the elastic strip have two hooks which may be stretched over the edges of the cap. Other embodiments include sleeves around the strip in order to reduce hood bunching, lines of stitching to ensure the permanent attachment system does not slide within the hood, or non-elastic, adjustable strips installed in a similar fashion as the elastic system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0012]    Further advantages of the invention are apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a prior art design showing the hood in a position that obstructs the user&#39;s view to the left; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of the present head covering system in which a cap is snapped to the hood and provides a view to the left that is unobstructed; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a top view of a cap and snaps combination used in the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective side rear view of the cap used in the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  shows a user of the head covering system with the cap positioned on the head and the hood in a stored position off of the head; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  shows the user positioning and attaching the hood to the cap on his head; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  shows a front view of the head covering system with the hood and cap positioned on the user&#39;s head in a maximum protection position; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of a user turning his head to the left while wearing the head covering system of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a close-up front view of the cap with the temporary attachment system in place. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is an illustration of the temporary attachment system being installed on the cap. 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a rear view of the hood in a use position with the horizontal and vertical straps tightened. 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is a side view of the hood in a use position with the horizontal and vertical straps tightened. 
           [0025]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the hood in a use position with the horizontal and vertical straps tightened and the head turned to the side. 
           [0026]      FIG. 14  is a side view of the hood in a use position with straps loosened. 
           [0027]      FIG. 15  is a side view of the hood in a use position with straps loosened and the head turned to the side. 
           [0028]      FIG. 16  is a view inside the two pieces of fabric comprising the hood showing the elastic strip and the rest of the permanent attachment system and corresponding holes for the elastic strip. 
           [0029]      FIG. 17  is a view of the interior of the hood including the permanent attachment system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0030]    Referring now to the drawings in which like reference characters disclose like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a prior art hood  20  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The hood  20  is attached to a jacket  22  at the neck portion  24  which tends to hold the hood  20  in a face forward position. Thus, when a person rotates his face  28  to the left, the head rotates within the hood  20  which stays in approximately the same position because of the connection to the jacket  22 . Thus, when a person looks to one side as shown in  FIG. 1 , the hood  20  obstructs the view. This effect is exacerbated when large loose fitting hoods are used and is further exacerbated by hoods that have bill-like extensions  26  formed along the top of the hood and for shading the eyes and protecting the face from rain. This extension of the hood wraps around the face and tends to obstruct left and right views. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  illustrates a hood constructed in accordance with the present invention. As before, the hood  20  is connected to the jacket  22  at a neck portion  24 . In this head covering system, the user is wearing a cap  36  with a bill  30  extending out from beneath the hood  20 . Snaps  32  and  34  are attached to the hood  20  permanently and snap to the base  44  of the bill  30 . In this arrangement, when the user turns his face  28  to the left or right, the bill  30  rotates with the user&#39;s face  28 , and the snaps  32  and  34  cause the hood  20  to also rotate, or to twist partially, in conformity with the movement of the bill  30 . Thus, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the bill  30  and the snaps  32  and  34  function to move the hood  20  so that the user&#39;s view is not obstructed to the left or the right. 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 3 , a cap  36  is shown that corresponds to the cap that the user is wearing in  FIG. 2 . The cap  36  includes a skull covering portion  37  that generally fits over the head of the user. The bill  30  extends outwardly from the skull covering portion  37  and snaps  38  and  40  are formed proximate the lateral sides of the bill  30 , and snaps  38  and  40  are permanently attached to the bill  30  at the base  44  of the bill  30 , which is proximate to the base edge  42  of the bill  30 . In use, the base edge  42  fits snugly against the user&#39;s forehead. In this embodiment, the snaps  38  and  40  are positioned approximately one quarter to one half inch from the lateral edges of the bill  30  and approximately one quarter to one half inch from the base edge of  42 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the interaction between the hood  20  and the cap  36  is better appreciated. First, it is noted that the snaps  38  and  40  are configured to snap into the snaps of  32  and  34 , respectively. As shown, the snaps  38  and  40  have projections that fit into and snap into receivers in the snaps  32  and  34 . Preferably, the snaps are made of a lightweight material such as nylon, but they could also be made of metal such as stainless steel, brass or aluminum. The snaps are designed to have only moderate holding power so that they can be easily snapped and unsnapped by a user without deforming the bill  30  or deforming or ripping the hood  20 . Since the primary forces applied to the snaps  32 ,  34 ,  38  and  40  are lateral forces (perpendicular to the snapping direction) the forces do not work to open the snaps. Thus, even though little force is required to snap or unsnap these devices, they will carry significant lateral loads, certainly enough to move the hood  20  to the left and right and clear the user&#39;s view. 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , it will be appreciated that the snaps  32  and  34  are placed in the hood  20  at a spacing that is approximately equal to the spacing between the snaps  38  and  40  in the cap  36 . Preferably, the snaps  32  and  34  are spaced so that there is a slight tension in the hood material between the snaps  32  and  34  when they are attached to the snaps  38  and  40 . Thus, when lateral forces are applied by the hood to one of the snaps  32  and  34 , the tension in the hood fabric between the snaps will help transfer the force to both of the snaps of  32  and  34  and consequently will apply lateral forces to both snaps  38  and  40 . Therefore, snaps  38  and  40  are both applying forces to the hood, and vice versa, to ensure that the hood moves with the user&#39;s head. 
         [0035]    The placement of the snaps  38  and  40  near the base edge  42  of the cap  36  enables easy transfer of forces between the cap  36  and the hood  20 . While the bill  30  is helpful in moving the hood  20 , it also acts as a lever arm in favor of the hood  20  against the cap  36 . Thus, for example, if the snaps  38  and  40  were placed near the outer edge  46  of the bill  30 , the distance between the outer edge  46  and the base edge  42  would function as a lever arm assisting the hood  20  in trying to twist the cap  36  on the user&#39;s head. Thus, it is advantageous to place the snaps  38  and  40  as near as practical to the base edge  42  of the bill  30 . By placing the snaps  38  and  40  near the base edge  42 , the mechanical advantage of the hood  20  is minimized, and the hood  20  may be rotated or twisted by the cap  36  with a minimum effort on the part of the user and a minimum of twisting force on the cap. 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a rear side perspective view of the cap  36  is shown. An adjustable band  48  is connected by a buckle  50  to a headband  52  that extends generally around the forehead and head of the user. The buckle  50  is provided to adjust the length of the band  48  and thereby adjust the overall length of the combination of the bands  48  and  52 . With the buckle  50 , the user may adjust the tightness of the cap to precisely fit the user&#39;s cap size. It is important that the cap  36  fit relatively snugly around the user&#39;s head so that the cap will not twist when it is turned sideways. Instead, it will rotate the hood  20  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Likewise, a snug fit of the cap  36  on the user&#39;s head will prevent the cap and the hood from blowing off of the user&#39;s head. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the cap  36  may be worn by the user with the hood  20  completely removed from the user&#39;s head. By simply unsnapping the snaps  38  and  40  from the receiving snaps  32  and  34 , the hood is released from the cap  36  and may be moved to a non-use position as shown in  FIG. 5 . Thus, a fisherman, for example, can quickly remove the hood when it is no longer raining. If it starts to rain again, the fisherman can quickly replace the hood by simply pulling the hood back over his head and snapping the hood  20  to the bill  30  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The motion of moving the hood  20  over the head and snapping the hood  20  to the bill  30  is indicated by the arrow  54 . 
         [0038]    The snaps  32  and  34  are positioned on the hood  30  so that the act of snapping the hood  20  to the bill  30  will place the hood  20  in a proper position with respect to the face  28  of the user. To perform its function properly, a hood  20  should extend outwardly away from the face  28  and be suspended above the face  28  to protect the user from falling and blowing precipitation. However, the user&#39;s face  28  should not fall too far back into the hood  20  because the user&#39;s view will then be obstructed. In fact, the hood  20  could fall down over the eyes of the user and prevent the user from looking forward. By snapping the hood  20  to the bill  30 , the hood  20  is positioned correctly with respect to the face and it is prevented from dropping down over the eyes of the user. Likewise, it is prevented from slipping too far back on the user&#39;s head and allowing the user&#39;s face  28  to be exposed to the elements. 
         [0039]    While the hood  20  provides rain protection and shading for the eyes, the bill  30  also provides rain protection and shading. In addition, it helps the hood  20  to maximize its protection by holding it out from the face to some extent and allowing it to protect the face from both falling rain and sideways blowing rain. 
         [0040]      FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate the hood  20  being used in a maximum protection configuration. This illustration, particularly  FIG. 7 , also illustrates how the bill  30  of the cap  36  operates to correctly position the hood  20  with respect to the user&#39;s face  28 . The bill  30  supports the hood  20  in front of the user&#39;s face  28  in a tent-like structure. Wing  56  and  58  are formed on the outer sides of the hood  20  so that the face  28  is separated from the hood  20  but is also protected by the bill  36  with a minimum of obstruction in view. As illustrated by  FIG. 8 , when the user turns his head, the face  28  is still significantly protected by the twisting hood  20 . If the hood  20  did not twist with the bill  30 , the face  28  would be even more exposed than that shown in  FIG. 8 . Therefore, the hood  20  and cap  36  system of the present invention not only prevents obstructed views but it causes the hood  20  to protect the face  28  better and separate the face  28  from the hood  30  in a way that maximizes both protection and comfort. 
         [0041]    In alternate embodiments, different fasteners can be used to attach the bill  30  of cap  36  to the hood  20 . For example, patches of Velcro could be substituted for the snaps  32 ,  34 ,  38 , and  40 . Likewise, fasteners such as button and eye fasteners or hook fasteners could be used. The adjustment mechanism on the bands  48  and  52  could be other adjustment type mechanisms, such as a series of snaps, an elongated Velcro closure, or even an elastic type band. 
         [0042]    In yet another embodiment of the invention, the cap  36  may be permanently attached to the hood  20 . For example, the bill  30  could be permanently riveted to the hood  20 , or the skull covering portion  37  could be sewn to the hood  20 . Most preferably, the sewing line would extend through the skull covering portion  37  adjacent to and along the base edge  42  of the bill  30 . In a different embodiment, the bill  30  could be provided by a visor structure that includes a headband or head clamp to secure the visor and bill  30  to the head. Where the bill  30  is permanently attached to the hood  20 , it is not as necessary to have a cap  36  that covers the head and a visor or visor like structure would be appropriate. 
         [0043]    In yet another embodiment, the snaps or other fasteners may be placed on the skull covering portion  37  of the cap  36 , preferably near the brow of the user 
         [0044]    In one embodiment, the snaps  38  and  40  are on the skull portion  37 , and there is no bill  30 . In another embodiment, the snaps  38  and  40  are on the skull portion  37  and the cap  36  includes a bill  30  as best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         [0045]      FIGS. 9-15  illustrate another embodiment of the invention: a temporary attachment system  100 . The bill  30  of the cap  36  protrudes slightly from underneath the hood  20 . The hood  20  is attached to the jacket  22  at the neck portion  24 . On the top of the hood is a vertical adjustment strap  72  and a buckle  70  used for adjusting the strap  72 . Also shown on  FIGS. 11-15  is the horizontal adjustment drawstring  74 , which may be located easily based on the location of the horizontal wrinkle  76  approximately half way from the neck portion  24  to the vertical strap buckle  70 . The horizontal drawstring  74  is preferably adjusted by means of a drawstring clasping mechanism  78 . The preferred embodiment of the temporary attachment system  100  consists of an elastic band  80  so that the system  100  fits securely onto the bill  30  of caps  36  of various sizes. 
         [0046]      FIG. 9  illustrates a close-up overhead view of the cap  36  with the temporary attachment system  100  installed on the bill  30  of the cap  36 . The attachment system consists of the elastic band  80 , two male snaps  82  and  84 , and two hooks  86  and  88 . The system  100  is installed on the base  44 , close to the base edge  42  of the bill  30 . The male snap  84  is positioned in close proximity to the hook  88 , which is hooked over the outer edge  46  of the bill  30  of the cap  36 . This installation results in the hood  20  being positioned farther back on the head of the wearer. The system  100  may also be installed closer to the outer edge  46  of the bill  30 . When the hood  20  is attached to the system  100  in this configuration, the hood  20  would be positioned in a more forward position on the wearer&#39;s head. Thus, the position of the hood  20  may be controlled by the position of the attachment system  100 . This is an additional benefit over the stationary permanent attachment system described in the embodiment above. 
         [0047]      FIG. 10  illustrates the temporary attachment system  100  in an installation phase. In the figure, the first hook  86  has already been positioned over the outer edge  46  of the bill  30 , and the attachment system  100  is being stretched across the width of the bill  30 . The directional arrow  90  shows the direction the hand  92  is moving in order to secure the second hook  88  over the outer edge  46  opposite the first hook  86 . 
         [0048]      FIG. 11  further demonstrates the invention. The temporary attachment system  100  is installed on the bill  30  of the cap  36  and the hood  20  is connected to the attachment system  100  by means of female snaps  32  and  34  located on the hood. These snaps mate with the male snaps  82  and  84  respectively to form a strong coupling. This coupling is strong enough to hold the hood  20  to the cap  36  when the wearer&#39;s head  28  moves from side to side, but is weak enough to release when stress sufficient to tear or disfigure the hood material is exerted on the coupled snaps. Also, both the vertical strap  72  and the horizontal drawstring  74  are tightened such that the hood  20  gently conforms to the wearer&#39;s head. This positioning of the hood  20  is useful for various outdoor activities where less facial protection and increased visibility are required.  FIG. 12  shows a side view of the same configuration shown in  FIG. 11  with the wearer&#39;s face  28  looking directly forward.  FIG. 13  shows the same configuration shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  with the wearer&#39;s face  28  turned to the side. As shown in  FIG. 13 , the present invention allows for a full range of vision even while the wearer&#39;s face  28  is turned to the side. 
         [0049]    Shown in  FIGS. 12-15 , drawstring  98  is positioned around the front edge  21  of the hood. The drawstring combination allows for protection from rainfall while also providing the widest possible visible range. If the temporary attachment system  100  was not used to secure the hood on the bill  30  of the cap  36 , the tightened strap  72  and drawstrings  74  and  98  would pull the hood  20  away from the face of the wearer&#39;s head  28 . Thus, the combination of the attachment system  100 , the straps and drawstrings allow a unique combination of weather protection and wide line of sight, which would otherwise be impossible. 
         [0050]    Alternatively, in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the vertical strap  72  and the horizontal drawstring  74  are in the loosened position, allowing increased air circulation between the hood  20  and the wearer&#39;s head  28 . This provides more facial protection, which is beneficial during sports such as fly-fishing. When the strap  72  and drawstring  74  are loose, the hood  20  would ordinarily be free to fall forward well beyond the user&#39;s face  28 . In this extreme forward position, side and upward view is maximally obstructed and the hood  20  could fold inwardly to obstruct all or part of the forward view. However, by means of the temporary attachment system  100 , the hood is held in a stable position relative to the wearer&#39;s face  28  and view obstruction problems are eliminated or reduced. 
         [0051]      FIG. 14  illustrates the side of the hood  20  with both the vertical strap  72  and the horizontal drawstring  74  in loosened positions. In this position, the vertical buckle  70  rests behind the hood  20  and the drawstring clasping mechanism  78  rests near the end of the horizontal drawstring  74 . 
         [0052]    Another variation of the invention concerns the configuration of the hood  20 . The hood  20  configuration and the cap  36  and snap configuration are cooperative. Specifically, the cap  36  and hood  20  are designed to position the edge  21  of the hood  20  around the user&#39;s face  28  precisely. For example, in a fly-fishing hood, it is preferred to position the outer side edges of the hood  20  slightly forward of the user&#39;s face  28 , such as one quarter-inch forward of the user&#39;s face  28 . The upper edge of the hood  20  is preferably more forward of the user&#39;s face  28 , for example two inches forward of the forehead. In this way, the hood  20  protects the user&#39;s face  28  from above and from the side, and the cap  36  maintains the position of the front edge  21  of the hood  20 . The positioning of the outer edge of the hood  20  is accomplished by the placement of the snaps ( 32 ,  34  and  82 ,  84  respectively) on the hood  20  and on the bill  30  of a cap  36 . In other words, suppose the snaps are placed on the bill  30  of the cap  36  at a position that is approximately one half-inch in front of the user&#39;s forehead. To achieve a two inch overhang of the hood  20  in front of the user&#39;s face  28 , the snaps are placed approximately one and three-quarters inches from the outer edge of the hood  20 , and the edge of the hood  20  is configured to extend substantially vertically downwardly from the snap positions on the bill  30 . Thus, the user&#39;s face  28  is protected by a 2 inch overhang from above. In other embodiments where protection is more important or less important, the overhang may be decreased or increased, respectively. In either case the positioning of the hood  20  depends on the hood&#39;s configuration and the position of the snaps on the hood  20  and the bill  30  of the cap  36 . 
         [0053]    One variation of the temporary attachment system  100  is a band  80  dimensioned to fit securely and snugly across the bill  30  of the cap  36 , where the band  80  is non-elastic. Another variation is a band  80  adjustable in length by means of some type of fastener mechanism such as Velcro, snaps, buckles or the like. The band  80  could also be made of a rigid material with adjustable hooks  86  and  88 , which are movable along the longitude of the band  80 . 
         [0054]    Yet another alternative would be a configuration in which the male portions of the snaps  82  and  84  were mounted on the hooks  86  and  88  themselves. In this configuration, the hooks  86  and  88  would extend along the top edge of the bill  30  of the cap  36  for a distance sufficient to allow the male snaps  82  and  84  to be positioned on the bill  30  in a desired location when the hooks  86  and  88  are positioned on the bill  30 . In this configuration, the hooks  82  and  84  would secure themselves to the bill  30  of a cap  36 , but once the hood&#39;s  20  female snaps  32  and  34  were attached to the male snaps  82  and  84 , the material of the hood  20  would function somewhat like the elastic band  80  of the attachment system  100 . In other words, once the hood  20  is attached to the cap  36  by snaps  82  and  84 , the hood  20  would prevent the coupled snaps from moving too far apart such that the hooks  86  and  88  could be dislodged from the bill  30 . 
         [0055]    While all of the above description refers to male snap portions  82  and  84  being mounted temporarily on the bill  30 , it will be understood that other fasteners could be temporarily mounted on the bill  30 . For example, the female portions  32  and  34  of the snap could be placed on the cap  36 , but such configuration is not preferred. When a different fastener system is used on the cap  36 , of course, a corresponding fastener system would be used on the hood  20 . One example of a different type of fastener would be a Velcro fastener temporarily mounted on the cap  36  and permanently mounted on the hood  20 . However, snaps have distinct advantages over Velcro and snaps are preferred. 
         [0056]      FIGS. 16 and 17  demonstrate another embodiment of the invention comprising a permanent fastening system  200  located predominantly in-between two layers  110  and  120  of the hood  130  of the jacket  22 . In  FIG. 16  a view of the area between the inner piece  110  of the hood  130  and the outer piece  120  of the hood  130  is shown. The two pieces  110  and  120  are normally sewn together, but pieces  110  and  120  are shown torn apart in  FIG. 16  to reveal the space between the pieces  110  and  120 . This view is useful in showing the permanent fastening system  200 , which is comprised of an elastic strip  206  threaded through a first hole  202  and a second hole  204  in the inner piece  110  of the hood  130 . As shown on the figure at  208 , the distance between the holes  202  and  204  in this embodiment is about four inches. 
         [0057]      FIG. 17  shows the inner piece  110  of the hood  130  forming part of the underside  132  of the hood  130 . Protruding through the underside  132  of the hood  130  at holes  202  and  204  is the permanent fastening system  200 . Each far end of the elastic strip  206  slightly projects from the holes  202  and  204 , and hooks  86  and  88  are attached to the ends of the elastic strip  206 . The hooks are configured and positioned such that they may attach to the bill  30  of a cap  36 . Preferably, but optionally, the hooks are situated to secure the cap  36  to the hood  130  such that the cap  36  is in the middle of the hood  130 . This is accomplished by placing a line of stitching  210  at the midpoint between the two holes  202  and  204 . The line of stitching  210  anchors the elastic strip  206  and thus the entire permanent fastening system  200 . The sturdiness provided by the line of stitching  210  ensures that the elastic strip  206  does not slide and become misplaced toward either hole  202  or  204  and removes the possibility of uneven coupling between the cap  36  and the hood  130 . 
         [0058]    Furthermore, the line of stitching  210  secures the elastic strip  206  to the inner piece  110  of the hood  130  without passing through the outer piece  120  of the hood  130 . This allows for the outside piece  120  of the hood  130  to remain clean from blemishes such as stitching and snaps. The entire permanent fastening system  200  lies hidden below the outer piece  120  of the hood  130  and therefore further contributes to the clean appearance of the hood  130 . 
         [0059]    In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 16 , sleeves  212  and  214  may envelope the elastic strip  206  such that the elasticity of the strip  206  does not cause bunching of the hood  130 . The sleeves  212  and  214  are preferably two components  212  and  214  separated at the midpoint of the elastic strip  206  by the line of stitching  210 . In an alternate embodiment, a single sleeve may be used instead of the two sleeves  212  and  214 . 
         [0060]    In many applications, the sleeves  212  and  214  will not be required because the elastic strip  206  will be configured and dimensioned to avoid significant bunching of the hood  130 , but in demanding applications, the sleeves  212  and  214  are useful. 
         [0061]    In this embodiment of the permanent fastening system  200 , tension pulls the hooks  86  and  88  toward the midpoint of the elastic strip  206  such that the hooks  86  and  88  may clasp onto a cap  36  without bunching the hood  130 . Preferably, the elastic strip  206  would be narrow in width and the hooks  86  and  88  would be of sufficient size to resiliently clasp onto the bill  30  of a cap  36  and no larger. This allows for the permanent fastening system  200  to remain un-bulky and compact. The un-stretched length of the elastic strip  206  is preferably smaller than the average width of the bill  30  of a small-sized cap  36 , and the stretched length of the elastic strip  206  should be sufficient to fit over a large-sized cap in the commercial market. Also, when attached to a cap  36  of any size, the elastic strip  206  would preferably have sufficient tension to secure the hood  130  to the cap  36  as a wearer turns his or her head. 
         [0062]    In another embodiment two elastic strips may be used and may be secured on the inner piece  110  of the hood  130  near the midpoint between the holes  202  and  204 . Or, a non-elastic strip  206  (or strips) may be used, in which case the hooks  86  and  88  preferably resiliently clasp onto the bill  30  of the cap  36 . Such non-elastic strip  206  may be sized to fit larger bills  30 , but small enough to allow only a small amount of play in the connection between the cap  36  and hood  130 . This small “play” does not interfere with the function of turning the hood  130  in unison with the user&#39;s head to maintain unobstructed vision. 
         [0063]    While preferred embodiments have been described above, it will be understood that the invention is capable of numerous arrangements, modifications and substitutions of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.