Neck gaiter

Abstract

An article of clothing to be worn by a user. The article includes a main body with an interior portion and an exterior portion that face in opposite directions. The main body includes a top perimeter that defines a top port and a bottom perimeter that defines a bottom port. The top port and the bottom port are disposed at opposite vertical portions of the main body so as to be in fluid communication with one another to allow passage of a head of the user therethrough. The main body defines a vertical axis that extends through the top port and the bottom port. The article also includes a shield disposed on at least a portion of the top perimeter of the top port to prevent air expelled from the user from escaping through the top port adjacent the shield.

1 . An article of clothing to be worn by a user, the article of clothing comprising:
 a main body including an interior portion and an exterior portion that face in opposite directions, the main body including a top perimeter that defines a top port and a bottom perimeter that defines a bottom port, the top port and the bottom port being disposed at opposite vertical portions of the main body so as to be in fluid communication with one another to allow passage of a head of the user therethrough, and wherein the main body defines a vertical axis that extends through the top port and the bottom port; and   a shield disposed on at least a portion of the top perimeter of the top port to prevent air expelled from the user from escaping through the top port adjacent the shield.   
     
     
         2 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the top port and the bottom port are an exclusive means of entry and exit into and out of the main body by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the shield extends along approximately 50% of the top perimeter of the top port. 
     
     
         4 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the shield extends along greater than 30% of the top perimeter of the top port and less than 75% of the top perimeter of the top port. 
     
     
         5 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the shield is disposed on at least a part of the interior portion of the main body and at least a part of the exterior portion of the main body. 
     
     
         6 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the shield includes a proximal vertical portion that is attached to the main body and a distal vertical portion that is vertically opposite the proximal vertical portion, wherein the main body defines a main body length that extends along the vertical axis between the top perimeter of the top port and the bottom perimeter of the bottom port, and wherein a distance along the vertical axis between the bottom perimeter of the bottom port and the proximal vertical portion of the shield is less than the main body length. 
     
     
         7 . The article of clothing of  claim 6 , wherein the shield includes a first end and a second end that are spaced from one another by the main body. 
     
     
         8 . The article of clothing of  claim 7 , wherein the shield includes a fold that defines a pocket for receipt of the main body therein, and wherein the pocket receives at least a portion of the top perimeter of the main body. 
     
     
         9 . The article of clothing of  claim 7 , wherein the first end and the second end of the shield comprise the proximal vertical portion. 
     
     
         10 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the main body is made of a first material and the shield is made of a second material, and wherein the first material and the second material are of different compositions from one another, and wherein the first material is thinner than the second material. 
     
     
         11 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the interior portion of the main body adjacent the top port defines a main body inner diameter and the main body cooperates with the shield to define an article inner diameter, and wherein the main body inner diameter is greater than the article inner diameter. 
     
     
         12 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the shield includes a deformable element that is configured to be repeatably and plastically formed to match a contour of a face of the user so as to contact the face of the user thereby preventing air from traveling between the shield and the face of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The article of clothing of  claim 12 , wherein the shield includes a guard that surrounds the deformable element so as to embed the deformable element within the guard. 
     
     
         14 . The article of clothing of  claim 13 , wherein the deformable element is configured to provide sufficient rigidity to retain a shape of the shield when a weight of the main body and the guard is applied thereon. 
     
     
         15 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the main body defines a tube shape in which an inner diameter of the article including the top perimeter and the shield is less than an inner diameter of the article including the bottom perimeter. 
     
     
         16 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the article defines a top wall thickness immediately adjacent the top port and the main body defines a bottom wall thickness adjacent the bottom port, and wherein the top wall thickness of the article varies around the top perimeter of the main body and the bottom wall thickness of the main body is uniform around the bottom perimeter. 
     
     
         17 . The article of clothing of  claim 16 , wherein the main body and the shield cooperate to define a top wall maximum thickness of the article and the main body defines a top wall minimum thickness at all locations along the top perimeter not shared with the shield. 
     
     
         18 . The article of clothing of  claim 17 , wherein the top wall maximum thickness of the article is greater than the bottom wall thickness of the main body, and wherein the bottom wall thickness of the main body is equal to the top wall minimum thickness of the article. 
     
     
         19 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the article is configured to be worn over a neck and a face of the user such that the shield is laterally disposed over the face of the user from a first ear of the user to a second ear of the user, and wherein the shield is configured to be manipulated into a shape corresponding to contours of the face of the user and maintaining said shape without further adjustment. 
     
     
         20 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the shield includes a proximal vertical portion that is attached to the main body and a distal vertical portion that is vertically opposite the proximal vertical portion, wherein the main body defines a main body length that extends along the vertical axis between the top perimeter of the top port and the bottom perimeter of the bottom port, and wherein a distance along the vertical axis between the bottom perimeter of the bottom port and the distal vertical portion of the shield is greater than the main body length.