Patent Publication Number: US-6665881-B2

Title: Head gear and method of use

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed in head gear, and in particular, to head gear which is particularly suited for hunting, and provides improved hearing without loss of warmth, and flexibility in the manner in which it is used. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In the sport of hunting, head gear is used not only to keep hunters warm but also for camouflage purposes. 
     One problem with existing head gear is that it covers the entire ear. While this design keeps the hunter&#39;s ears warm, hearing is impaired. This loss of hearing, even if slight, can be detrimental when hunting. The prior art head gear are usually one-dimensional and do not afford flexibility in their designs, i.e., they are on or off. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for improved head gear designs, particularly, head gear for hunting. 
     The present invention solves this need by providing head gear which is multifunctional in that it is adapted for any size head, it keeps ears warm without interfering with hearing, it has storage pockets to hold or store hunting paraphernalia, e.g. warmers commonly carried by hunters, includes an air flow breathing chamber, and can be easily reconfigured to expose a hunter&#39;s head without removing the gear. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a first object of the present invention to provide a head gear, especially one designed for hunting use. 
     Another object of the invention is a head gear which keeps a user&#39;s head warm without impairing hearing ability. 
     Another object of the invention is a head gear that allows easy removal from a user&#39;s head without having to remove the entire head gear, and has flaps that permit storage and holding of hunting paraphernalia such as warmers. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as a description thereof proceeds. 
     The inventive head gear, in one embodiment, comprises a fabric head covering portion that is closed on one end to cover the top of a user&#39;s head, and open on the other end. The head covering portion has a slot opening sized to expose a user&#39;s eyes but cover at least a part of a user&#39;s nose and another opening for head insertion. A fabric neck front flap and a fabric neck nape flap are provided, each extending from the head covering portion. 
     The head gear includes a pair of stretchable bands extending between upper and lower ends of the slot opening. The bands are positioned adjacent opposing ends of the slot, the slot ends and upper and lower edges of the slots forming a pair of openings for a user&#39;s ear canal. The openings are sized so that the head covering portion adjacent the pair of openings covers at least an outer part of the user&#39;s ears for warmth. 
     The head covering portion end the flaps can be made from a fabric having a camouflage pattern, with the fabric preferably being a microfiber fleece. 
     One or both flaps can have pockets at ends thereof, whereby the pockets can be used for storage or to hold warmers. 
     The head gear can also contain a mesh material having openings therein, wherein the material is positioned on an inside of the head covering part just below the lower edge of the slot opening. Openings in the mesh material allow air flow to a user&#39;s nose when the head gear is being worn by a user. 
     The invention also entails a method of wearing the head gear to cover and expose a person&#39;s head. The head gear having a slot to expose a the person&#39;s eyes, ear canal, and part of the nose, an opening to receive the head, and front and neck nape flaps is first donned to expose the ear canals exposed but cover the outer parts of the ear. To remove the head gear and expose a users head while keeping the neck flaps in piece, a top portion of the head gear is pulled back behind the head so that the users head slides though the slot to be exposed. The top portion can then be pulled over the head again to cover the head and outer ear parts. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Reference is now made to the drawings of the invention wherein: 
     FIG. 1 shows a front view of one embodiment of the inventive head gear; 
     FIG. 2 shows a rear view of a second embodiment of the inventive head gear of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 shows a side view of the head gear of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a first use of the inventive head gear; and 
     FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of another use of the head gear. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention offers significant improvements in head gear, especially head gear for hunting. The inventive head gear is multifunctional in being able to keep ears warm without compromising hearing ability. Further, a user&#39;s head can be exposed without having to remove the head gear. The fabric allows the head gear to stretch so that one size fits all. Pockets are provided for storage as is an air-flow breathing chamber. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, one embodiment of the invention is designated by the reference numeral  10  in FIG.  1  and is seen to include an elongated head covering section  1  that is closed on end  3 , and open at end  5 . FIGS. 2 and 3 show a similar embodiment but without a camouflage pattern as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The head covering section has a slot  7 , which is sized to expose a user&#39;s face just above the eyes to just above the nostril openings. The lower edge  11  is curved to allow the slot edges to follow the contour of a user&#39;s face and fit snugly thereagainst. 
     The slot  7  has opposing ends  13 , which together with the edges  9  and  11  in the vicinity of the ends  13  form an ear canal opening  14 , see FIG.  3 . The slot end  13  is sized so that the head covering adjacent the slot end covers a part of the ear while still exposing the ear canal. In this way, the ear is kept warm but hearing is not compromised. 
     The slot  7  has a pair of stretchable or elastic bands  15  extending between the lower and upper edges  9  and  11 . The bands keep the edges  9  and  11  near the slot ends  13  close to each other to prevent the upper edge from riding up on a users head and exposing more of the users ears. The bands  15  also minimize the separation between the edges  9  and  11  in general to minimize exposure of the hunter&#39;s face when wearing the head gear  10 . 
     Extending from the portion of the head gear that covers a user&#39;s head is a pair of flaps  21  and  23 . Flap  21  is designed to cover a front of the user&#39;s neck, with flap  23  covering the nape of the neck. 
     Flap  21  has a pocket  25  with flap  23  having pocket  27 . These pocket are made by providing another layer of fabric adjacent the flap fabric, and sewing the two fabrics together at the flap edges. The pockets can be used for storing items when the head gear is being used such as warmers. Logos, emblems or the like can adorn the pockets if desired. The pocket  25  is shown with camouflage, but the entire head gear can be made using a camouflage material. 
     As can be seen from FIG. 3, the front flap  21  is longer than the back nape flap  23  since the front part of the neck is larger than the back part. However, the lengths could be altered if desired. 
     The head covering part also employs an air flow breathing chamber  31  positioned on an inside surface of the head covering part just below the lower edge of the slot. This chamber is a thick mesh material  33  that has a number of through openings therein. The mesh material is sewn to the inside of the head covering portion and allows air to flow to a user&#39;s nose even though the mesh fabric is up against the nose. The material should be thick enough so that it provides a separation from an inside surface of the head gear fabric to a user&#39;s nose and mouth so that a space for air exists. 
     The fabric of the head covering part and flaps is preferable a microfleece material that is stretchable. This material allows one size of the head gear to fit virtually all heads. The fabric is also insulating so that it keeps the user&#39;s head warm. The fabric can come with any number of camouflage patterns or colors. Generally, only the exterior surface of the fabric need to be colored or made as a camouflage. The fabric surface inside the head gear can be a neutral tone. The microfleece fabric is also quiet and helps in hunting by reducing fabric noise. The fabric is well known in the hunting industry and widely available for manufacture of the head gear. Of course, other fabrics can be employed as would be within the skill of the artisan. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, an exemplary use is depicted in FIG. 4 wherein the head gear is shown donned by a user. The ear canal is exposed while much or the ear itself is covered. The slot  7  exposes the face from just above the eyes to just above the nostrils. The slot  7  also provides excellent peripheral vision by reason for forming the ear canal openings  14 . 
     FIG. 5 shows how the head gear can expose the head while not being removed from a user&#39;s neck. The stretchability of the bands  13  allows the top portion  33  of the head covering part to be pulled back to enlarge the slot  7 . With the stretching, the user&#39;s head can slip through the slot  7  and be exposed, but the head gear is still retained around the user&#39;s neck. In this way, the head can be easily exposed while leaving the gear in place so that it can be donned again as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     While the inventive head gear is shown primarily for hunting, it can be used for other purposes, such as for skiing or even when working outdoors where head protection is needed, for tradesmen and the like. In these applications, the head gear can have one or more decorative colors or patterns suitable for the intended use. 
     As such, an invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments thereof, which fulfills each and every one of the objects of the present invention as set forth above and provides new and improved head gear and a method of use. 
     Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations from the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof. It is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims.