Patent Publication Number: US-2013233843-A1

Title: Multifunctional Heated Scarf

Description:
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/607,437 filed on Mar. 6, 2012. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a scarf. More specifically, to a multifunctional heated scarf that provides strategically positioned compartments utilized for housing heating devices and frequently manipulated items in cold weather environments. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well known that scarves are used as a means to protect a user&#39;s head and neck from heat loss in cold weather environments. Typically, scarves are constructed from natural or synthetic fibers woven into a rectangular piece of linen. Compared to other cold weather accessories such as ski masks, neck wraps, or ear muffs, scarves are versatile and can be adapted to protect the user&#39;s face or neck depending on their preference. Generally, scarves are wrapped around the user&#39;s neck or face in loosely packed layers that insulate body warmth while protecting the user&#39;s skin from exposure to cold temperatures. While traditional scarves offer adequate protection to a user&#39;s face and neck, they only retain body heat and are limited by the user&#39;s base body temperature. This limitation is most evident in colder environments where heat is lost rapidly. 
     Although traditional scarves function primarily as an insulating barrier, newer configurations have been developed that utilize integrated heat sources. These newer scarves insulate a user&#39;s body heat and actively warm the user, reducing net heat loss in colder environments. These heated scarves are generally constructed with either an electrical or chemical heating elements. Electrically heated scarves offer users with the advantage of a controlled heat source that can be activated and deactivated at will, but suffer from the disadvantage of requiring an electrical source in order to function. Chemically heated scarves utilize an air activated chemical composition that undergoes an exothermic reaction when exposed to ambient oxygen. Unlike electrical heating elements, the air activated chemical composition only requires exposure to ambient oxygen to activate and begin heating up. While chemically heated scarves are functionally limited by presence of the air activated chemical composition, they are able reach their desired operating temperature faster and provide consistent heat for longer periods of time compared to electrically heated scarves. 
     Although chemically heated scarves provide several advantages over their electrical counter parts, existing configurations lack safe and adequate means to evenly distribute heat. In part most existing chemically heated scarves utilize a single compartment for retaining the air activated heating element. This single compartment would house a single large heating element, centrally aligned along the length of the scarf. This design limits the distribution of heat but additionally makes it difficult for a user to deactivate the heat source without removing their scarf. 
     It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a multifunctional heated scarf that is able to evenly distribute heat from a plurality of air activated heating elements. The present invention accomplishes this through the integration of a plurality of compartments strategically distributed along the length of the scarf. The plurality of compartments enable improved distribution of the air activated heating elements while allowing a user to easily remove or reposition said air heating elements with ease. The present invention additionally provides compartments positioned at the extremities of the scarf that allow for rapid storage and retrieval of frequently manipulated items. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view displaying the multifunctional heated scarf as per the current embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an enhanced top down elevational view displaying the flexible elongated body and the first end of the multifunctional heated scarf as per the current embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of an air permeable compartment displaying the positioning of the first sleeve, second sleeve, sleeve openings and interior chamber containing an air activated heating element. 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the multifunctional heated scarf in a flexed state, similar to when worn by a user, as per the current embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the multifunctional heated scarf displaying the internal positioning and distribution of the components as per the current embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION 
     All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     Referencing  FIG. 1 , the present invention is a multifunctional heated scarf that evenly distributes heat from a plurality of heating elements housed within strategically distributed compartments positioned along the length of the scarf. The present invention additionally provides compartments positioned at the extremities of the scarf that allow for rapid storage and retrieval of frequently manipulated items. The present invention comprises a flexible elongated body  1 , a plurality of air permeable compartments  5 , a first end pocket  10 , a second end pocket  13 , and a plurality of air activated heating elements  16 . The flexible elongated body  1  is the primary component that is directly and indirectly coupled to the plurality of air permeable compartments  5 , the first end pocket  10 , the second end pocket  13 , and the plurality of air activated heating elements  16 . The first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13  are compartments positioned at the extremities of the present invention that provide a user with a means to rapidly store and retrieve frequently utilized items. The first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13  are oppositely positioned to each other across the length of the flexible elongated body  1 . The plurality of air permeable compartments  5  are provided as the means to retain the plurality of air activated heating elements  16  while enabling their operative state. The plurality of air activated heating elements  16  are the thermal elements that actively provide heat to the present invention. The plurality of air activated heating elements  16  are found distributed within the plurality of air permeable compartments  5 . The plurality of air activated compartments are positioned between the first extremity  3  pocket and the second extremity  4  pocket. 
     Referencing  FIG. 1 , the flexible elongated body  1  is the principle construct of the present invention that is directly and indirectly coupled to every component of the multifunctional heated scarf. In the present invention the flexible elongated body  1  comprises a longitudinal axis  2 , a first extremity  3 , and a second extremity  4 . The longitudinal axis  2  functions as a positional element derived from the elongated construct of the flexible elongated body  1 . The longitudinal axis  2  is a centrally positioned imaginary axial line that traverses the length of the flexible elongated body  1 . Due to the relational positioning provided by the longitudinal axis  2 , the flexible elongated body  1  is provided with a first extremity  3  and a second extremity  4 . The first extremity  3  is positioned opposite the second extremity along the length of the flexible elongated body  1 . In the current embodiment of the present invention the first extremity  3  and the second extremity  4  are positioned coincident with the longitudinal axis  2 . The first extremity  3  and the second extremity  4  are provided as opposed regions that can extend the length of the flexible elongated body  1  permitting a distinct separation between both. 
     Referencing  FIG. 5 , the first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13  are provided as conveniently positioned compartments that permit a user to store a plurality of items while enabling facilitated access upon their retrieval. The first end pocket  10  is positioned coincident with the first extremity  3  while the second end pocket  13  is positioned coincident with the second extremity  4 . The positioning of the first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13  results in an opposing positioning along the length of the flexible elongated body  1 . In the present invention the first end pocket  10  comprises a first end sleeve  11  and a first interior compartment  12 . The first end sleeve  11  is the exterior portion of the first end pocket  10 . The first end sleeve  11  passively encloses the first interior compartment  12  against the flexible elongated body  1 . The first interior compartment  12  is the space between the first end sleeve  11  and flexible elongated body  1 . The first end sleeve  11  comprises a sleeve opening  7  that enables access to the first interior compartment  12 . The passive means of enclosing the first interior compartment  12  by the first end sleeve  11  is accomplished by an overlapping construction that results in the sleeve opening  7  of the first end sleeve  11  to be partially obstructed in a resting state. The present invention the second end pocket  13  comprises a second end sleeve  14  and a second interior compartment  15 . The second end sleeve  14  is the exterior portion of the second end pocket  13 . The second end sleeve  14  passively encloses the second interior compartment  15  against the flexible elongated body  1 . The second interior compartment  15  is the space between the second end sleeve  14  and flexible elongated body  1 . The second end sleeve  14  comprises a sleeve opening  7  that enables access to the second interior compartment  15 . The passive means of enclosing the second interior compartment  15  by the second end sleeve  14  is accomplished by an overlapping construction that results in the sleeve opening  7  of the second end sleeve  14  to be partially obstructed in a resting state. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the sleeve opening  7  of the first end sleeve  11  is oriented towards the sleeve opening  7  of the second end sleeve  14 . The orientation of the sleeve opening  7  of the first end sleeve  11  and the second end sleeve  14  enables facilitated storage and retrieval due to a convenient positioning when worn by a user. 
     Referencing  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the plurality of air permeable compartments  5  are provided as the means to retain the plurality of air activated heating elements  16  while enabling their operative state. The plurality of air permeable compartments  5  are found positioned along the longitudinal axis  2  of the flexible elongated body  1 . The plurality of air permeable compartments  5  are found positioned between the first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13 . In the present invention the plurality of air permeable compartments  5  each comprise a first sleeve  6 , a second sleeve  8 , and an interior chamber  9 . The first sleeve  6  is provided as the most visible portion of each of the plurality of air activated compartments. The second sleeve  8  is a partially visible portion of each of the plurality of air activated compartments. The second sleeve  8  is slightly visible due to the being partially enclosed by the first sleeve  6 . The interior chamber  9  is the space created between the flexible elongated body  1  and the relationship between the first sleeve  6  and the second sleeve  8 . The relationship between the first sleeve  6  and the second sleeve  8  provides a passive means to enclose the interior chamber  9  against the flexible elongated body  1 . In the present invention the first sleeve  6  and the second sleeve  8  are directionally opposed, resulting in directionally biased accesses access to the interior chamber  9 . To accomplish this, the first sleeve  6  and the second sleeve  8  each comprise a sleeve opening  7 . The sleeve opening  7  of the second sleeve  8  is directionally oriented towards the first sleeve  6 , while the sleeve opening  7  of the first sleeve  6  is directionally oriented opposite the sleeve opening  7  of the second sleeve  8 . The aforementioned positioning of the sleeve opening  7  of the first sleeve  6  relative to the positioning of the sleeve opening  7  of the second sleeve  8  creates a directionally biased access route towards the interior chamber  9 , which enables facilitated entry to the interior chamber  9  while restricting unintended retrieval. In the present invention the plurality of air permeable compartment  5  are provided with the ability to retain at least one air activated heating element  16 . 
     Referencing  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 5 , the plurality of air activated heating elements  16  function as the thermal source for the multifunctional heated scarf. The plurality of air activated heating elements  16  are distributed amongst the plurality of air permeable compartments  5 . Each of the plurality of air activated heating elements  16  are positioned within the interior chamber  9  of the plurality of air permeable compartments  5 . The plurality of air activated heating elements  16  are provided within a hermetically sealed container. To activate the air activated heating elements  16  a user would break the hermetic seal and agitate the contents of the air activated heating element  16 . In the present invention the plurality of air activated heating elements  16  are ferrous based air activated heat packs heat packs that react exothermically when exposed to ambient oxygen. The air activated ferrous based heat pack utilized by the present invention is similar to currently available ferrous based heat packs which primarily consist of an iron powder, water, catalyst salt, activated carbon, and vermiculite. 
     In the current embodiment of the present invention the flexible elongated body  1  is provided with the longitudinal axis  2  traversing along the elongated length of the component. The coincident ends of the longitudinal axis  2  and the flexible elongated body correspond to the first extremity  3  and the second extremity  4 , respectively. The first extremity  3  provides an attachment point for the first end pocket  10 , while the second extremity  4  provides the attachment point for the second end pocket  13 . The first end pocket  10  is provided with a sleeve opening  7  that is oriented towards the sleeve opening  7  of the second end pocket  13  along the longitudinal axis  2 . The plurality of air permeable compartments  5  being positioned along the longitudinal axis  2  between the first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13 . The plurality of air permeable compartments  5  being positioned along the longitudinal axis  2 . The sleeve opening  7  of the first sleeve  6  for each of the plurality of air permeable compartments  5  being found parallel to one another resulting in each of the sleeve opening  7  of the first sleeve&#39;s  6  facing the same direction. 
     In the current embodiment of the present invention the flexible elongated body  1  is provided wrapped around the user&#39;s neck. With the flexible elongated body  1  wrapped around the user&#39;s neck, the plurality of air permeable compartments  5  would be found positioned proximal to the user&#39;s neck and upper torso. The proximal positioning provided enables an even distribution of heat by way of the positioning of the plurality of air activated heating elements  16 . Additionally, with the flexible elongated body  1  wrapped around the user&#39;s the neck the first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13  would be found conveniently positioned adjacent to the user&#39;s lateral sides. The adjacent positioning of the first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13  enables facilitated storage of a plurality of items within the first interior compartment  12  and the second interior compartment  15 . 
     In the current embodiment of the present invention, the multifunctional heated scarf is constructed of an insulating and air permeable material. The materials utilized in the construction of the present invention would comprises a natural fibers, animal fibers, synthetic fibers, or a combination thereof that would allow sufficient air flow while reducing heat loss. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the insulating and air permeable materials comprise a fleece material. 
     In the current embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of air permeable compartments  5  comprises at least  8  individual air permeable compartments  5  which are each capable of housing at least one air activated heating element  16 . This construction permits the use of at least small and medium sized air activated heating elements  16  with each of the interior chambers  9 . 
     In the current embodiment of the present invention, the flexible elongated body  1  utilizes the dimensions of 65″ inches in length and 8″ inches in width. The aforementioned dimensions provide a component distribution resulting in the dimensional measurements for the first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13  to be 10″ inches in length and 8″inches in width, while each of the plurality of air permeable compartments  5  having a measurement of the 4.5″ inches in width and 8″ inches in height. While these dimensional measurements correspond to the current embodiment of the present invention, it should be noted that additional embodiments may be constructed utilizing 80″ length by 12″ width for the flexible elongated body  1 . Furthermore it should be noted that while the present invention utilizes the above described measurement, that additional embodiment can utilize any dimensional measurement providing no impedance to the functionality of the present invention. 
     In the current embodiment of the present invention, the first end pocket  10  and the second end pocket  13  utilize a passive means to secure the contents within the first interior compartment  12  and the second interior compartment  15 , respectively. While the present invention does not utilize secondary means to secure the access of the first interior compartment  12  and the second interior compartment  15 , additional embodiments may be provided with hardware fasteners, such as zippers or hook and loop, or button connectors, which can actively secure the first interior compartment  12  and the second interior compartment  15 . 
     In the current embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of air permeable compartments  5  is provided with a directionally biased access path to the interior chamber  9 . While in the current embodiment, the first sleeve  6  and the second sleeve  8  are arranged in a manner that creates the directionally biased access path that retains the air activated heating element  16 , it should be noted that additional embodiments could be provided with a secondary means of securing the interior chamber  9 . The secondary means of securing the interior chamber  9  may include but are not limited to, hardware fasteners or hook and loop connectors, or buttons. In the current embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of air permeable compartments  5  are formed from a single piece of material folded and subdivided into individual compartments through lateral stitching. While lateral stitching is the means utilized to create the individual air permeable compartment  5  it should be known that with additional embodiments that the air permeable compartment  5  can be formed by attaching formed pieces of material to the flexible elongated body  1  or by attaching pre-constructed compartments through the use of adhesive or modular attachment systems. 
     The present invention can be worn for any cold weather activity such as hunting, skiing, football games etc. The present invention is also perfect for uses such as sore necks, chills, elderly people, or anyone with chronic coldness. This design is user friendly with no worries of something breaking or causing noise while, for example, hunting, sitting in tree stand, snow skiing, cold football games, or any cold weather outdoor activities. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.