Hood Apparatus

Abstract

A hood apparatus has structure to be removably engagable to a jacket and further structure to help eliminate reduced user peripheral vision from the hood via the user turning their head side to side. The structure of the hood is to create a slackened removable engagement between the hood and the jacket. Further structure of the hood is to provide multiple axes of adjustability for the hood to form around a user's head in effect causing the hood move in lockstep to the user's side to side head movement. These multiple axes of adjustability include a circumferential elastic drawstring positioned about the user's face periphery and an added independent lateral elastic drawstring that is partially parallel to the circumferential elastic drawstring for about an upper one-third of the user's face periphery wherein the lateral elastic drawstring is routed laterally toward the rear of the hood.

1 . A hood apparatus for outerwear for use with a human head that includes a crown, a forehead, a facial area, an ear with upper and lower ear lobes, a nose, a mouth, eyes, front upper and lower portions of a neck, and a nape lower portion of the neck, said hood apparatus comprising:
 (a) a flexible planar member forming a hood that is defined functionally in a shape for covering the human head that includes the hood planar member covering the head crown, the head forehead, the nape of the neck, the ears and extending from the head crown to the front portion of the neck, said flexible planar member formed hood shape is defined structurally by a head crown portion terminating laterally in a lower forehead margin having a lengthwise axis, said lower forehead margin transitions into a pair of parallel terminating vertical margins on each vertical side of the facial area wherein each said terminating vertical margin continues to extend beyond the facial area at a continuation position to the front lower portion of the neck, each said vertical margin having a long axis, wherein each of said vertical margin transitions into each of an opposing end portion of a laterally positioned semi-circular terminating margin that has a circumferential axis, said semi-circular terminating margin is adjacent to the nape lower portion of the neck, wherein said semi-circular terminating margin joins said pair of terminating vertical margins, wherein said flexible planar member includes said head crown portion and a partially surrounding sidewall nape portion defined by said pair of parallel terminating vertical margins, said semi-circular terminating margin, and adjoining to said head crown portion;   (b) a first void disposed within said lower forehead margin, said first void forming a first passageway having a first passageway axis, said first passageway axis is coincident to said lengthwise axis, said first passageway terminating at two opposing ends at said lower forehead margin transitions;   (c) a pair of second voids disposed within said surrounding sidewall portion, said pair of second voids forming a pair of second passageways having a second passageway axis, said second passageways are positioned opposite to one another in said surrounding sidewall portion, said second passageways are each in therethrough passageway communication with said first passageway at a pair of junctions, wherein each of said first passageway opposing ends is in said therethrough passageway communication with a single second passageway at each of said junctions, said second passageways axes are in a juxtapose position with said circumferential axis, said second passageways terminate therethrough said surrounding sidewall portion to an external environment, said second passageways terminate said surrounding sidewall portion at a location positioned opposite of said lower forehead margin, wherein a continuous therethrough passageway communication loop is formed at said second passageways termination at said surrounding sidewall portion in going from a single second passageway termination through a second passageway to said first passageway and continuing therethrough said opposing second passageway to a termination of said opposing second passageway;   (d) a first single elastic member slidably disposed therethrough said continuous therethrough passageway communication loop, such that said first single elastic member forms a first single loop, wherein said single elastic member terminates in two ends that extend beyond said second passageways surrounding sidewall termination to the external environment; and   (e) a first means for retaining said first single elastic member two ends to one another adjacent to said second passageways surrounding sidewall termination to operationally allow said first single elastic member loop to be selectably tensioned resulting in said hood to be laterally secured about the human head such that said hood and the human head are in lockstep movement with one another to preserve the eyes, nose, and mouth exposure therethrough said lower forehead margin and said pair of parallel terminating vertical margins to the external environment during head movement.   
     
     
         2 . A hood apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said first passageway lengthwise axis and said second passageway axis are in a perpendicular orientation to one another at each of said pair of junctions to operationally cause said head crown portion to be drawn downward on the forehead and simultaneously said surrounding sidewall portion to be laterally secured about the human head when said first single elastic member is selectably tensioned. 
     
     
         3 . A hood apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein said pair of junctions are positioned at said continuation position to operationally facilitate said pair of oppositely positioned second passageways to be located proximate to the lower ear lobes to help secure said crown portion and said surrounding sidewall portion to be drawn downward upon the head and to protect the ears from the external environment. 
     
     
         4 . A hood apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said pair of parallel terminating vertical margins each further comprise a third void forming a third passageway having a third passageway axis, wherein each said third passageway is disposed within each said parallel terminating vertical margin forming a pair of third passageways axes that are positioned parallel to one another and coincident to said long axis, said third passageways are each in a tertiary therethrough passageway communication with said first passageway at said pair of junctions, wherein each of said first passageway opposing ends is in said tertiary therethrough passageway communication with a single third passageway at each of said junctions, said third passageways terminate therethrough said surrounding sidewall portion to the external environment at said opposing end portions of said laterally positioned semi-circular terminating margin, wherein a continuous tertiary therethrough passageway communication loop is formed from a third passageway termination through a third passageway to said first passageway and continuing therethrough said parallel third passageway to a termination of said parallel third passageway. 
     
     
         5 . A hood apparatus according to  claim 4  further comprising a second elastic member slidably disposed therethrough said tertiary therethrough passageway communication loop, such that said second elastic member forms a single loop, wherein said second elastic member terminates in two ends that extend beyond said third passageways terminations such that each third passageway termination has a single second elastic member extension into the external environment. 
     
     
         6 . A hood apparatus according to  claim 5  further comprising a pair of second means for retaining each said second single elastic member extension to each said third passageway surrounding sidewall termination to operationally allow said second single elastic member loop to be selectably tensioned resulting in said lower forehead margin and said pair of parallel terminating vertical margins securing about the facial area and to pull said surrounding sidewall portion circumferentially tighter around the neck to further prevent the neck to be exposed to the external environment. 
     
     
         7 . A hood apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a third means for removably attaching said surrounding sidewall portion to a jacket such that said surrounding sidewall portion and the jacket have a slackened connection while attached allowing for relative movement as between said surrounding sidewall portion and the jacket while attached. 
     
     
         8 . A hood apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein said third means is constructed of a flexible strap that is affixed to said surrounding sidewall portion at said semi-circular terminating margin, said flexible strap is formed into a loop that engages a coat hook loop affixed to the jacket, wherein said flexible strap loop has structure to selectably open and close said flexible strap loop about the coat hook loop.