All weather protective hooded garment

Abstract

A weather-resistant, protective garment particularly for wear by operators, occupants, and passengers of motor-sports vehicles, such as motorcycles, snowmobiles, and open aircraft, includes a water-proof garment shell provided with a pair of hoods. An inner one of the hoods is wearable under a helmet, and provides protection against water dripping into a neck opening of the garment. The inner hood also provides additional warmth during cold weather conditions. An outer one of the pair of hoods can be worm without a helmet, and the pair of hoods can be worn together in severe weather conditions as well.

1 . A garment having a conformal, close-fitting hood for covering a wearer's head and neck beneath a crash helmet, said garment comprising:
 a garment shell made of waterproof material, said garment shell defining a neck opening for passing a wearer's head and neck;   a hood disposed as said neck opening, wherein said hood includes a lower portion formed of waterproof material, and an upper portion formed of stretchy and conformal material fitting closely to a wearer's head, whereby said lower portion provides a wearer with protection against water dripping into said garment at the neck opening, and said upper portion is sufficiently conformal and close-fitting that a wearer may don a protective crash helmet over said hood.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein said upper portion is formed of a tricot material. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein said garment includes a collar structure circumscribing said neck opening, and said collar structure including a circumferential pocket receiving said hood in a stowed position. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 3  wherein said circumferential pocket includes a downwardly extending flap covering an opening of said circumferential pocket, whereby said circumferential pocket opens downwardly to exclude rain water. 
     
     
         5 . A garment having a nested pair of hoods for protection of a wearer's head in a variety of weather conditions, said garment comprising:
 a garment shell made of water resistant or waterproof material, said garment shell defining a neck opening and a pair of sleeves;   a collar structure at said neck opening, said collar structure including an inner hood in a stowed position disposed circumferentially about said collar structure, and in an unfurled position said inner hood covering the wearer's head; and   said collar structure also including an outer hood in a stowed position also disposed circumferentially about said collar structure, and in an unfurled position said outer hood covering said wearer's head, and also possibly covering said inner hood.   
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein said collar structure defines a pair of circumferential pockets, with an upper one of said pair of circumferential pockets receiving said inner hood in its respective stowed position, and a lower one of said pair of circumferential pockets receiving said outer hood in its respective stowed position. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein said inner hood includes a lower portion formed of waterproof or water resistant material, and an upper portion formed of stretchy and conformal material, whereby said lower portion of said inner hood provides a wearer with protection against water dripping into said garment at the neck opening, and said upper portion of said inner hood is sufficiently conformal and close-fitting that a wearer may don a protective helmet over said inner hood. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 7  wherein said upper portion is formed of a tricot material. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein each one of said pair of circumferential pockets includes one of a pair of respective downwardly extending flaps each covering a respective opening of one of said pair of circumferential pockets, whereby said pair of circumferential pockets both open downwardly to exclude rain water. 
     
     
         10 . An all-weather water-resistant garment having a nested pair of hoods to protect a wearer's head in a variety of weather conditions and in a variety of wear conditions, said garment comprising:
 a water-proof shell having a front panel and a back panel cooperatively providing a neck opening, and a pair of sleeves one for each of the wearer's arms; said front panel, back panel, and sleeves being formed of a water-proof material; a generally vertically extending shell opening dividing said front panel into two parts and allowing a wearer ingress and egress from said garment;   said garment further having a hood structure including a pair of hoods for protection of a wearer's head in a variety of weather conditions, said hood structure including:   an inner hood in a stowed position disposed circumferentially about an upper extent of a collar of said garment, and in an unfurled position said inner hood covering the wearer's head; and   an outer hood in a stowed position disposed circumferentially about a lower extent of a collar of said garment, and in an unfurled position said outer hood covering said wearer's head, and also possibly covering said inner hood.   
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 10  wherein said collar of said garment includes a pair of circumferential pockets, with an upper one of said pair of circumferential pockets receiving said inner hood in its respective stowed position, and with a lower one of said pair of circumferential pockets receiving said outer hood in its respective stowed position. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 10  wherein said inner hood includes a lower portion formed of waterproof material, and an upper portion formed of material which is conformal to a wearer's head, so that said inner hood is sufficiently conformal and close-fitting that a wearer may don a protective helmet over said inner hood. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 10  wherein each one of said pair of circumferential pockets includes one of a pair of respective downwardly extending flaps each covering a respective opening of one of said pair of circumferential pockets, whereby said pair of circumferential pockets both open downwardly to exclude rain water. 
     
     
         14 . A method of protecting at least the upper body, head, and neck of a person from rain both while the person is aboard a motorcycle and wearing a protective helmet, and while the person is off the motorcycle and no longer wearing the protective helmet but is still exposed to rain, said method comprising steps of:
 providing a garment having a waterproof shell protecting the person's upper body from rain, and defining a head opening for the person's head and neck, and at said head opening providing a collar structure with a nested pair of hoods for protection of a wearer's head and neck;   providing for said collar structure to include an inner hood in a stowed position disposed circumferentially about said collar structure, and in an unfurled position said inner hood covering the wearer's head; and   said collar structure also including an outer hood in a stowed position also disposed circumferentially about said collar structure, and in an unfurled position said outer hood covering said wearer's head, and also possibly covering said inner hood.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said collar structure is configured to define a pair of circumferential pockets, providing for an upper one of said pair of circumferential pockets to receive said inner hood in its respective stowed position, and providing for a lower one of said pair of circumferential pockets to receive said outer hood in its respective stowed position. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said inner hood is configured to include a lower portion formed of waterproof material, and an upper portion formed of stretchy and conformal material, and the inner hood is utilized to provide a wearer with protection against water dripping into the garment at the neck opening, and the upper portion of the inner hood is structured to be sufficiently conformal and close-fitting that a wearer may don a protective helmet over the inner hood. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein each one of said pair of circumferential pockets is configured to include a respective downwardly extending flap covering a respective opening of one of said pair of circumferential pockets, and said pair of circumferential pockets are constructed to open downwardly to exclude rain water.