Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 61/217,487 filed Jun. 2, 2009, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to hand muffs and other types of hand warmers. 
         [0003]    Hand warmers such as hand muffs and pockets on pullover sweatshirts are commonly used in cold weather to keep an individual&#39;s hands warm and otherwise protected from the cold temperatures and other inclement weather conditions. Hand-held media devices, such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, music players, and gaming devices, are frequently used outdoors. The user, however, may limit the outdoor usage of the device in cold or other inclement weather conditions for fear of exposing the device to the cold temperatures or moisture which may damage the device and/or because the user wishes to protect his or her hands from such conditions. 
         [0004]    A need has thus developed for a way to allow a user of a hand-held media device to readily use the media device during inclement weather conditions without removing his or her hands from the hand warmer so that the individual&#39;s hands and the media device are protected from exposure to the inclement weather conditions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is generally directed to a hand warmer comprising a tubular body which defines an interior region and a viewing window positioned in the tubular body at a location intermediate the opposite ends of the tubular body. The tubular body has spaced-apart openings that allow for the insertion of the hands of a user into the interior region. The viewing window is formed of a layer of material which has sufficient transparency to allow the viewing of the interior volume through the viewing window. The tubular body is formed of one or more layers of fabric material which insulate the interior region against entry of cold air and/or moisture. A media device may be inserted into the interior region through one or both of the openings in the tubular body. The viewing window allows the user to view and manipulate the media device while holding it in one or both hands in the interior region within the tubular body of the hand warmer. The user is thus able to keep his or her hands and the media device warm and dry and otherwise protected from the elements while operating the media device. 
         [0006]    In one embodiment, a perimeter portion of the viewing window is releasably secured to the tubular body of the hand warmer by a fastener, such as a hook and loop fastener, which allows the viewing window to be removed and replaced if damaged or if the hand warmer is to be washed or otherwise subjected to a process that might damage the viewing window. In another embodiment, the viewing window is sewn or otherwise permanently attached to the tubular body of the hand warmer. 
         [0007]    The hand warmer may be in various forms, such as a hand muff or a pocket formed in a pullover sweatshirt. When formed as a hand muff, the hand warmer may include a belt which allows the hand warmer to be worn about the waist of the user. Cuffs may be provided at the openings in the tubular body of the hand warmer to seal against the user&#39;s wrists or forearms to impede entry of cold air or moisture. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    In the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of a hand warmer constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention and a media device positioned within the hand warmer, with broken lines showing fragmental portions of a user of the hand warmer; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the hand warmer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the hand warmer similar to that shown in  FIG. 2 , but showing the media device stored within a pocket within the hand warmer, portions of the pocket being broken away to shown the location of the media device; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view of the hand warmer shown in  FIG. 1  with portions broken away to show details of construction; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the hand warmer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of a hand warmer constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the hand warmer shown in  FIG. 6 , with the viewing window shown partially detached from the body of the hand warmer; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a fragmentary sectional view of the hand warmer shown in  FIG. 6  and illustrating the attachment of the viewing window to the surround body portion. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and initially to  FIGS. 1-2 , a first embodiment of a hand warmer of the present invention is represented broadly by the numeral  10 . Hand warmer  10  comprises a tubular body  12  having opposite ends  14  and  16  which are constructed to define spaced-apart openings  18  and  20 , respectively. The openings  18  and  20  do not necessarily need to be positioned at the opposite ends  14  and  16 , but may instead be positioned at other spaced-apart locations along the tubular body  12 . Cuffs  22  and  24  may be formed surrounding the openings  18  and  20  to closely conform to the wrists or forearms  26  and  28  of the user  30  of the hand warmer  10 . The cuffs  22  and  24  may include an elastic band (not shown) to facilitate sealing of the cuffs  22  and  24  to the wrists or forearms  26  and  28  in a known fashion. 
         [0018]    The tubular body  12  of the hand warmer  10  defines an internal region  32  of a preselected size. The internal region  30  is sized to accommodate the hands  34  and  36  of the user  30 , along with a hand-held media device  38 , such as the illustrated cell phone or a personal digital assistant, music player, or a gaming device. The tubular body  12  is formed of one or more layers of a fabric material which is deformable to allow ready manipulation of the media device  38  within the interior region  30 . In one embodiment, the tubular body  12  comprises an outer layer of wind and/or water resistant material, an inner layer of fleece, and an intermediate layer of thermal insulation sandwiched between and bonded to the inner and outer layers. The material used for tubular body  12  may, in one embodiment, be opaque. It is to be understood that other laminated and non-laminated constructions can be used for the tubular body  12  which provide the desired protection for the user&#39;s hands  34  and  36  and the media device  38  against cold temperatures and/or moisture. 
         [0019]    In accordance with the present invention, the hand warmer  10  includes a viewing window  40  positioned to cover a cutout  42  positioned in the tubular body  12  at a central or other intermediate location between the opposite ends  14  and  16  of the tubular body  12 . The viewing window  40  comprises a layer of material which has sufficient transparency to permit the user  30  to view the interior region  32  through the viewing window  40 . The material selected for the viewing window  40  should have sufficient strength to resist tearing or cracking. The material should also be water resistant and provide sufficient thermal insulation to protect the user&#39;s hands  34  and  36  from cold temperatures. The material should also possess optical properties which allow viewing of the media device  38  without gross distortion. The material can be rigid or flexible and, if flexible, should have sufficient flexibility to permit deformation even under cold weather conditions. Various types of polymeric materials are well-suited for use as the material comprising the viewing window  40 . As but one example, the layer of material may be formed of 16 gauge vinyl and may be coated with an anti-fogging composition. 
         [0020]    The size and shape of the viewing window  40  and cutout  42  can be varied to suit particular applications. For example, the viewing window  40  and cutout  42  can be sized to permit viewing of the entire media device  38  or only a portion thereof. 
         [0021]    The viewing window  40  is secured to the tubular body  12  in any suitable fashion which impedes the passage of cold air and/or moisture. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a perimeter of the viewing window  40  can be sized slightly larger than the cutout  42  such that the perimeter of the viewing window  40  overlaps the perimeter of the cutout  42  and is sandwiched between the layers of material forming the tubular body  12 . The viewing window  40  is then sewn along its perimeter to secure it to the tubular body  12 . The viewing window  40  need not be permanent affixed to the tubular body  12  of the hand warmer  10 , but can instead be secured in a manner which allows for removal and reattachment of the viewing window  10 . For example, hook and loop fasteners secured along the perimeters of the viewing window  40  and cutout  42  allow the viewing window  40  to be removed and replaced if damaged or if the hand warmer  10  is to be washed or otherwise subjected to processes that might damage the viewing window  40 . It will, of course, be appreciated that the viewing window  40  may be integrally formed with the tubular body  12  and need not be a separate component which is physically attached to the tubular body  12 . This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0022]    A grommet  44  may be positioned in the tubular body  12  to permit a cord  46  of a headphone  48  to pass through the tubular body  12  for connection to the media device  38 . A belt  50  may also be attached to the tubular body  12  to allow the hand warmer  10  to be worn about the waist of the user  30 . 
         [0023]    Turning additionally to  FIG. 3 , the hand warmer  10  includes a pocket  52  positioned within the interior region  32  to allow the media device  38  to be stored when not in use. As shown in  FIG. 5 , an exterior closeable pouch  54  may also be provided in the tubular body  12  of the hand warmer  10  to store other items such as headphones  48  or packets of chemical hand warmers (not shown). A zipper  56  is used to open and close the pouch  54 . 
         [0024]    In use, the hand warmer  10  allows the user  30  to insert his or her hands  34  and  36  and the media device  38  into the interior region  32  through the openings  18  and  20  at the opposite ends of the tubular body  12 . The media device  38  may then be held in one or both of the user&#39;s hands  34  and  36  and manipulated by viewing the media device  38  through the viewing window  40 . When the media device  38  is not being used, it can be inserted into the pocket  52  where it can be readily accessed for reuse. 
         [0025]    Turning now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , an alternate embodiment of the hand warmer formed as part of a pullover sweatshirt  100  is designated broadly by the numeral  110 . The same reference numerals preceded by the numeral “1” are used to reference like parts in the hand warmer  110  as are found in hand warmer  10 . The hand warmer  110 , similar to hand warmer  10 , comprises a tubular body  112  with opposite ends  114  and  116 . Openings  118  and  120  are formed at the opposite ends  114  and  116 , respectively. Cuffs (not shown) similar to cuffs  22  and  24  may surround the openings  118  and  112 . 
         [0026]    A user  130  inserts his or her hands  134  and  136  through the openings  118  and  120  into an interior region  132  formed by the tubular body  112 . A media device  138  may be positioned within the interior region  132  by carrying the media device  138  through one of the openings  118  and  120 . 
         [0027]    A viewing window  140  is positioned in overlying relationship to a cutout  142  at an intermediate location in the tubular body  112  and allows the user  130  to view and manipulate the media device  138  in the same manner described above. As can best be seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the viewing window  140  and cutout include a hook and loop fastener  156  about their perimeters which allows the viewing window  140  to be removed and replaced as desired. The viewing window  140  and tubular body  112  can be formed of the same materials previously described with reference to hand warmer  10 . 
         [0028]    It can thus be appreciated that the hand warmers  10  and  110  protect the users  30  and  130  and the media devices  38  and  138  from cold temperatures and moisture while permitting the media devices  38  and  138  to be operated in a normal fashion by the user. 
         [0029]    From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objectives hereinabove set forth together with other advantages that are inherent to the structure. 
         [0030]    It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the invention. 
         [0031]    Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Technology Category: 1