Protective Garment for the Face, Neck and Upper Body

Abstract

An integrated face, neck, and upper body covering. The covering is made from a vertical tube of fabric having a slit in the rear. The slit allows the lower portion of the tube to spread outward—thereby providing an effective covering for the chest in addition to the neck. Various embodiments are disclosed. Some of these embodiments provide covering for the shoulders and upper back as well.

Having described our invention, we claim: 
     
         1 . A method for covering a user's face, neck, and chest, comprising:
 (a) providing a sleeve, including,
 (i) a tubular wall having an upper opening, a lower opening, a front side, a rear side, an upper front edge, an upper rear edge, a lower front edge, and a lower rear edge; 
 (ii) said tubular wall being made of elastic material, 
 (iii) said tubular wall including a slit extending from said lower rear edge toward said upper rear edge, said slit terminating at an end, with said slit dividing said tubular wall into an encirclement section and a free section, 
 (iv) said tubular wall having an overall height, and 
 (v) said slit extending a distance of one-third to two-thirds of said overall height; 
   (b) sliding said tubular wall downward over a head of said user to a position where said encirclement section surrounds said neck and said face and said free section lies below said encirclement section; and   (c) wherein said slit is placed in a rear of said patient so that said free section spreads and falls over said user's chest.   
     
     
         2 . The method for covering a user's face, neck, and chest, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) providing a strap proximate said upper rear edge of said tubular wall; and   (b) pulling a portion of said user's hair through said strap.   
     
     
         3 . The method for covering a user's face, neck, and chest, as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising providing a relief in said upper rear edge proximate said strap. 
     
     
         4 . The method for covering a user's face, neck, and chest, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said tubular wall includes a negative expanding portion, a throat region, and a positive expanding portion. 
     
     
         5 . The method for covering a user's face, neck, and chest, as recited in  claim 1  wherein said tubular wall is made as a flat pattern configured to form into the shape of a tube when a stitched seam is used to connect a first stitched seam edge of said flat pattern to a second stitched seam edge of said flat pattern. 
     
     
         6 . The method for covering a user's face, neck, and chest, as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said slit is bounded by a first slit edge and a second slit edge. 
     
     
         7 . The method for covering a user's face, neck, and chest, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said first and second slit edges overlap. 
     
     
         8 . A method for covering a user's neck and chest, comprising:
 (a) providing a sleeve, including,
 (i) a tubular wall having an upper opening, a lower opening, a front side, a rear side, an upper front edge, an upper rear edge, a lower front edge, and a lower rear edge; 
 (ii) said tubular wall being made of elastic material, 
 (iii) said tubular wall including a slit extending from said lower rear edge toward said upper rear edge, said slit terminating at an end, with said slit dividing said tubular wall into an encirclement section and a free section, 
 (iv) said tubular wall having an overall height, and 
 (v) said slit extending a distance of one-third to two-thirds of said overall height; 
   (b) sliding said tubular wall downward over a head of said user to a position where said encirclement section surrounds said neck and said free section lies below said encirclement section; and   (c) wherein said slit is placed in a rear of said patient so that said free section spreads and falls over said user's chest.   
     
     
         9 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising:
 (a) providing a strap proximate said upper rear edge of said tubular wall; and   (b) pulling a portion of said user's hair through said strap.   
     
     
         10 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising providing a relief in said upper rear edge proximate said strap. 
     
     
         11 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said tubular wall includes a negative expanding portion, a throat region, and a positive expanding portion. 
     
     
         12 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 8  wherein said tubular wall is made as a flat pattern configured to form into the shape of a tube when a stitched seam is used to connect a first stitched seam edge of said flat pattern to a second stitched seam edge of said flat pattern. 
     
     
         13 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said slit is bounded by a first slit edge and a second slit edge. 
     
     
         14 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said first and second slit edges overlap. 
     
     
         15 . A method for covering a user's face, neck, and chest, comprising:
 (a) providing a sleeve, including,
 (i) a tubular wall having an upper opening and a lower opening; 
 (ii) said tubular wall being made of elastic material, 
 (iii) said tubular wall including a slit extending from a lower rear edge of said lower opening toward said upper opening, said slit terminating at an end, with said slit dividing said tubular wall into an encirclement section and a free section, 
 (iv) said tubular wall having an overall height, and 
 (v) said slit extending a distance of one-third to two-thirds of said overall height; 
   (b) sliding said tubular wall downward over a head of said user to a position where said encirclement section surrounds said neck and said free section lies below said encirclement section; and   (c) wherein said end of said slit is placed proximate an upper back of said user so that said free section spreads and falls over said user's chest.   
     
     
         16 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 (a) providing a strap proximate said upper rear edge of said tubular wall; and   (b) pulling a portion of said user's hair through said strap.   
     
     
         17 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising providing a relief in said upper rear edge proximate said strap. 
     
     
         18 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said tubular wall includes a negative expanding portion, a throat region, and a positive expanding portion. 
     
     
         19 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 15  wherein said tubular wall is made as a flat pattern configured to form into the shape of a tube when a stitched seam is used to connect a first stitched seam edge of said flat pattern to a second stitched seam edge of said flat pattern. 
     
     
         20 . The method for covering a user's neck and chest, as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said slit is bounded by a first slit edge and a second slit edge and said first and second slit edges overlap.