US20130152270A1

US20130152270A1 - Hooded garment with integrated pillow

Info

Publication number: US20130152270A1
Application number: US13/330,824
Authority: US
Inventors: Steve A. Neal; Jean Neal
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-12-20
Filing date: 2011-12-20
Publication date: 2013-06-20

Abstract

The hooded garment with integrated pillow is a modified garment that includes an inflatable pillow that expands around the neck portion of a hood in order to provide comfort to an end user when in a reclined position. The inflatable pillow may be inflated or deflated via at least one draw string, which is constructed of tubing, and which can draw close said hood. The garment may include a zippered pouch for storage of a passport, and which is located on one of the sleeves. The garment may further include a blanket storable along a front pouch for use in conjunction with the inflatable pillow. The garment may additionally include a hidden pocket that can store an MP3 player inside of said garment and from which earplug wiring can extend to an end user's ears.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of garments, more specifically, a hooded garment in which an inflatable pillow is integrated into a rear, inner surface of said hood.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
As will be discussed immediately below, no prior art discloses a hooded garment in which an inflatable pillow is integrated into the design of the neck portion of the hood; wherein the drawstrings for the hood may enable inflation or deflation of the inflatable pillow; wherein the garment may include a zippered pocket on one of the two arms, which is specifically suited for storing important documents therein and such as a passport; wherein the garment may include a front pouch for the storage of a blanket that can be removed and used in conjunction with the inflatable pillow; wherein the garment storage of an MP3 player such that earplug wiring can run inside of said garment up to an end user's ears.
The Kuo Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,833) discloses a convertible jacket having an inflatable pillow located in the hood. However, the inflatable pillow is not integrated around the neck portion of a hooded garment.
The Son Patent Application Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2002/0004948) discloses an upper garment having an inflatable collar. However, the inflatable collar does not include a pillow integrated around the neck portion of a hood attached to a respective garment.
The Park Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,232) discloses a helmet having an inflatable air cushion. However, the helmet is not a hood attached to a garment.
The Kie Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,776) discloses a motorcycle hemlet having an inflatable cushion. Again, the helmet is not a hood attached to a garment.
The Barber Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,392,519) discloses a convertible travel garment having an inflatable collar. However, the inflatable collar is not a pillow integrated into the hood of a garment.
The Snyder et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 626,725) illustrates an ornamental design for a convertible jacket and neck pillow, which does not depict a pillow that is integrated into the hood and which is inflatable.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective and particular objects and requirements, they do not describe a hooded garment in which an inflatable pillow is integrated into the design of the neck portion of the hood; wherein the drawstrings for the hood may enable inflation or deflation of the inflatable pillow; wherein the garment may include a zippered pocket on one of the two arms, which is specifically suited for storing important documents therein and such as a passport; wherein the garment may include a front pouch for the storage of a blanket that can be removed and used in conjunction with the inflatable pillow; wherein the garment may include a hidden pocket inside of the garment for the storage of an MP3 player such that earplug wiring can run inside of said garment up to an end user's ears. In this regard, the hooded garment with integrated pillow departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The hooded garment with integrated pillow is a modified garment that includes an inflatable pillow that expands around the neck portion of a hood in order to provide comfort to an end user when in a reclined position. The inflatable pillow may be inflated or deflated via at least one draw string, which is constructed of tubing, and which can draw close said hood. The garment may include a zippered pouch for storage of a passport, and which is located on one of the sleeves. The garment may further include a blanket storable along a front pouch for use in conjunction with the inflatable pillow. The garment may additionally include a hidden pocket that can store an MP3 player inside of said garment and from which earplug wiring can extend to an end user's ears.
An object of the invention is to provide a hooded garment in which an inflatable pillow is integrated within the construction of the hood in order to provide a pillow for use by an end user as needed.
A further object of the invention is to provide an inflatable pillow that travels around the neck portion of the hood, which support the neck and lower head of an end user.
A further object of the invention is to provide a hood in which drawstrings may pull close said hood, and in which at least one of the drawstrings may be alternatively used as a means for inflation or deflation of said inflatable pillow.
Another object of the invention is to provide a zippered pocket on at least one sleeve, which can be used to store important documents, such as a passport.
Another object of the invention is to provide a blanket with said garment, which may be stored within a front pocket, and which is useful in connection with said inflatable pillow.
Another object of the invention is to provide an internal pocket that is ideally located inside of said garment and in relative proximity with said hood such that an MP3 player may be stored therein and earplug wiring may extend there from and up to ears of an end user.
These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the hooded garment with integrated pillow will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the hooded garment with integrated pillow when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the hooded garment with integrated pillow in detail, it is to be understood that the hooded garment with integrated pillow is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the hooded garment with integrated pillow.
It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the hooded garment with integrated pillow. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of the hooded garment in which the inflatable pillow is depicted in broken lines whereas the zippered pocket is depicted on a left sleeve while a blanket being depicted in broken lines is provided inside of a front pouch;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the hooded garment in which the hood is lowered but the inflatable pillow is fully inflated in order to depict the location of the inflatable pillow around the neck portion of the hood while further detailing the draw strings with plugs provided at each respective end to enable inflation and deflation therefrom;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the zippered pocket open in which the passport is drawn there from;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 in FIG. 1, and detailing the inflatable pillow integrated into the construction of the hood adjacent the neck portion and providing arrows indicating expansion from a collapsed state to a fully inflated state; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a view of an alternative embodiment inclusive of a hidden pocket in which an MP3 player is located inside of said garment and from which wiring extends to earphones, which are depicted in broken lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments of the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.
Detailed reference will now be made to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. A hooded garment with integrated pillow 100 (hereinafter invention) includes a garment 101 with a hood 102 attached thereon.
The hood 102 includes an inflatable pillow 103 that spans across the back neck portion of the hood 102. It shall be noted that the location of the inflatable pillow 103 is just above where the hood 102 extends from the garment 101. Moreover, the inflatable pillow 103 may be described as being located around the collar-portion of the garment 101 and extending vertically therefrom. However, the location of the inflatable pillow 103 is defined it shall be noted that when inflated, the inflatable pillow 103 supports the neck and back of the head of an end user. It shall be further noted that when inflated, the inflatable pillow 103 shall resemble a horseshoe, which wraps around the neck of the end user (see FIG. 2). Moreover, the inflatable pillow 103 shall further extend vertically along the rear portion of the inflatable pillow 103 so as to support the back of the head of the end user (see FIG. 1). It shall be further noted that the shape of the inflatable pillow 103 shall resemble those typically sold in and around airports.
The inflatable pillow 103 is in fluid communication with at least one drawstring 104 such that the drawstring 104 shall be responsible for both drawing close the hood 102 as well as inflating or deflating the inflatable pillow 103. In particular, the drawstring 104 is constructed of a tube, and includes a removable plug 105 at a distal end 104A, which enables the inflatable pillow 103 to be sealed when inflated, and subsequently deflated when the plug 105 is removed from the respective drawstring 104.
It shall be noted that the drawstring 104 shall be used to supply compressed air into the inflatable pillow 103 by blowing into the distal end 104A of said drawstring 104 via the end user. Moreover, the inflatable pillow 103 is deflated upon unplugging the distal end 104A of the drawstring 104 such that the compressed air stored within the inflatable pillow 103 is allowed to exit there from.
It shall be further noted that drawstrings 104 in connection with hoods 102 are well known in the art. However, drawstrings 104 of tubular construction for use in inflation/deflation of a pillow that is integrated into the construction of the hood 102 is not well known in the art.
Referring to FIG. 4, the hood 102 is constructed of an inner layer 102A and an outer layer 102B. Both the inner layer 102A and the outer layer 102B are responsible for sandwiching the inflatable pillow 103 inside of the hood 102. It shall be further noted that the inner layer 102A and the outer layer 102B may be stitched or adhered together in order to secure the inflatable pillow 103 into the construction of the hood 102. The inflatable pillow 103 may include an air tube inlet 103A, which is connected to one of the drawstrings 104 in order to provide a means of connection there between such that the inflatable pillow 103 shall be inflated or deflated via the respective drawstring 104.
It shall be noted that the inflatable pillow 103 depicts four consecutive chambers in fluid communication therewith. However, it shall be noted that the inflatable pillow 103 may have at least one chamber. Moreover, the area of coverage of the inflatable pillow 103 is expressly undefined in that the size of the inflatable pillow 103 shall be dictated by the size of the hood 102 as well as the size of the garment 101.
The garment 101 also includes a zippered pocket 106, which is located along at least one of the garment's 101 sleeves 101A. The zippered pocket 106 is specifically suited for storing important documents within, such as a passport 130 or a boarding pass. The zippered pocket 106 includes a zipper 106A on the opening, which enables a means of closing of said zippered pocket 106. Moreover, the zippered pocket 106 is principally located adjacent a cuff 101B portion of said sleeve 101A.
It shall be hereby asserted that one of the primary benefits of use of the invention 100 is for use during traveling where issues of layovers or long flights can plague the end user, such that the comfort of the end user is manifest. In said circumstances, it may be highly desirable to include a pocket along one of the sleeves 101A, which can provide ease of access to said important documentation.
The garment 101 may further include a front pouch 101C, which is well known in the art of hooded pullovers. Moreover, the front pouch 101C may be responsible for storage of a blanket 107 therein. The blanket 107 being removable from the front pouch 101C shall provide an accessory for use in conjunction with the inflatable pillow 103.
Referring to FIG. 5, the invention 100 may include an internal pocket 101D on the interior of the garment 101. The internal pocket 101D is ideally located along a front, interior surface of the garment 101. Moreover, the internal pocket 101D is provided adjacent to the location where the garment 101 and the hood 102 intersect. The internal pocket 101D is of a small relative size, but is responsible for the storage of an MP3 player 131 therein. The location of the MP3 player 131 is important in that earplug wiring 132 must travel therefrom in order for earplugs 132 to reach an end user's ears.
In referring to FIG. 5, the earplug wiring 132 traverses in between the inner layer 103A and the outer layer 1038 of the hood 103 before exiting through a hole 103C provided on the inner layer 103A. The hole 103C enables the ear plugs 133 to be present inside of the hood 103 whereas the applicable wiring 132 is partially enclosed.
It shall be noted that the garment 101 and the hood 102 shall be made of materials consistent with use as a typical pullover garment, and may comprise cotton, or other fabrics so suited for use as a garment.
With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationship for the various components of the invention 100, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the invention 100.
It shall be noted that those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the various embodiments of the present invention which will result in an improved invention, yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

The inventor claims:

1. A hooded garment with integrated pillow comprising:

a hood having an inflatable pillow, which extends around a neck portion of said hooded garment and further extends vertically to support the back of a head of an end user as well as a neck of said end user;

wherein the inflatable pillow is in fluid communication with at least one drawstring of said hood such that the inflatable pillow shall be inflated or deflated via supplying compressed air to or unplugging of said drawstring.

2. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 1 wherein the distal end of the drawstring includes a removable plug at a distal end to enable the inflation of the inflatable pillow.

3. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 2 wherein the inflatable pillow include an air tube inlet, which is connected to at least one of the drawstrings in order to provide a means of connection there between such that the inflatable pillow is inflated or deflated via the respective drawstring.

4. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 1 wherein the inflatable pillow is sandwiched between an inner layer and an outer layer of the hood.

5. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 1 wherein the hooded garment includes a zippered pocket on at least one sleeve, which shall include a zipper as a closure, and which is for use in storing important documentation therein.

6. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 5 wherein the zippered pocket is located adjacent a cuff portion of said sleeve.

7. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 1 wherein the hooded garment includes a front pouch that stores a blanket, which when removed is used in conjunction with the inflatable pillow.

8. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 1 wherein the hooded garment includes a hidden pocket along an interior surface, which supports an MP3 player therein.

9. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 8 wherein the internal pocket is adjacent to the location where the garment and the hood intersect of said hooded garment.

10. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 1 wherein the inflatable pillow resembles a horseshoe when fully inflated.

11. A hooded garment with integrated pillow comprising:

wherein the inflatable pillow is in fluid communication with at least one drawstring of said hood such that the inflatable pillow shall be inflated or deflated via supplying compressed air to or unplugging of said drawstring;

wherein the distal end of the drawstring includes a removable plug at a distal end to enable the inflation of the inflatable pillow.

12. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 11 wherein the inflatable pillow include an air tube inlet, which is connected to at least one of the drawstrings in order to provide a means of connection there between such that the inflatable pillow is inflated or deflated via the respective drawstring.

13. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 11 wherein the inflatable pillow is sandwiched between an inner layer and an outer layer of the hood.

14. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 11 wherein the hooded garment includes a zippered pocket on at least one sleeve, which shall include a zipper as a closure, and which is for use in storing important documentation therein.

15. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 14 wherein the zippered pocket is located adjacent a cuff portion of said sleeve.

16. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 11 wherein the hooded garment includes a front pouch that stores a blanket, which when removed is used in conjunction with the inflatable pillow.

17. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 11 wherein the hooded garment includes a hidden pocket along an interior surface, which supports an MP3 player therein.

18. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 17 wherein the internal pocket is adjacent to the location where the garment and the hood intersect of said hooded garment.

19. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 17 wherein the hood of said hooded garment includes a hole located on the inner layer such that existing earplug wiring of an existing MP3 player can traverse from the internal pocket around to the hole and from which the earplugs may be provided inside of said hood.

20. The hooded garment with integrated pillow as described in claim 11 wherein the inflatable pillow resembles a horseshoe when fully inflated.