Wearable article including a scarf and a mask

Abstract

A wearable article includes a scarf and a mask that are attached to one another. The scarf and the mask can be permanently attached to one another or can be selectively connectable to one another via a hook and loop fastener, a zipper, buttons, etc. The mask is equipped with one or more elastic elongated straps that enable to the mask to be selectively connectable to a user's ear(s), hear or neck. Therefore, a user can wear the scarf together with the mask covering the user's neck, torso, mouth and/or nostrils in order to provide the user with warmth and protection from airborne pollutants.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wearable article, comprising:
 a scarf member and a facial mask member attached to one another;   wherein the scarf member includes an elongated fabric layer configured to cover, at least partially, one or more of a wearer's head, neck and torso;   wherein the facial mask member includes:
 at least one fabric layer configured to cover at least the wearer's mouth; and 
 at least one elongated fastener having a first portion attached to the at least one fabric layer, a second portion attached to the at least one fabric layer and a body extending between the first and second portions, the body being separated from the least one fabric layer of the facial mask member; 
 wherein the facial mask member is attached at an edge of the elongated fabric layer, or at a certain distance away from the edge of the elongated fabric layer, and 
 wherein, when the wearable article member is worn with the facial mask member extending away from the scarf member at a region where the scarf member is attached to the facial mask member in order to cover the wearer's mouth, the at least one elongated fastener can be selectively attached to one of the wearer's ears, head or neck in order to secure the facial mask member over the wearer's mouth. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wearable article of  claim 1 , wherein the facial mask member is attached at about mid-length of the elongated fabric layer of the scarf member. 
     
     
         3 . The wearable article of  claim 1 , wherein the edge of the elongated fabric layer to which the facial mask member is attached extends in a length-wise direction of the scarf member. 
     
     
         4 . The wearable article of  claim 1 , wherein the facial mask member is offset from a middle of the scarf member in a length-wise direction of the scarf member. 
     
     
         5 . The wearable article of  claim 1 , wherein the facial mask member includes a first portion configured to cover at least the wearer's mouth, and a second portion extending between the first portion of the facial mask member and the scarf member,
 wherein the second portion of the facial mask member is configured to allow for a range of motion of the user's head such that the first portion of the mask member is not pulled off of the user's face when the user turns or turns or rotates his/her head.   
     
     
         6 . The wearable article of  claim 1 , wherein the facial mask member includes a first elongated fastener and a second fastener, each of which having a first portion that is attached to the at least one fabric layer of the facial mask member, a second portion that is attached to the at least one fabric layer of the facial mask member and a body extending between the first and second portions and being separated from the at least one fabric layer of the mask member,
 wherein the first elongated fastener is configured to be selectively attached to one of the wearer's ears, and   wherein the second elongated fastener is configured to be selectively attached to the other of the wearer's ears.   
     
     
         7 . The wearable article of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one fabric layer of the facial mask member includes a first side that is attached to the scarf member, a second side opposite to and spaced from the first side, a third side extending between the first and second sides, and a fourth side extending between the first and second sides, the third and fourth sides being separated from one another. 
     
     
         8 . The wearable article of  claim 7 , wherein the first elongated fastener is attached to the third side of the at least one a fabric layer, and the second elongated fastener is attached to the fourth side of the at least one a fabric layer. 
     
     
         9 . The wearable article of  claim 1 , wherein the facial mask member includes one elongated fastener, and
 wherein the body of the one elongated fastener is configured to extend behind the wearer's head or behind the wearer's neck in order to provide structural support to the mask member for maintaining the mask member selectively secured over the wearer's mouth.   
     
     
         10 . The wearable article of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric layer of the scarf member and the at least one a fabric layer of the facial mask member comprise a same fiber material. 
     
     
         11 . The wearable article of  claim 1 , wherein the facial mask member includes a plurality of fabric layers stacked on one another. 
     
     
         12 . The wearable article of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of fabric layers includes melt-blown non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a wearable article, the method comprising:
 providing an elongated scarf member including a fabric layer for covering, at least partially, one or more of a wearer's head, neck and torso;   providing a facial mask member including at least one fabric layer for covering at least the wearer's mouth;   attaching a first portion of the facial mask member to a first portion of the fabric layer of the elongated scarf member;   providing a first elongated fastener having a first end, a second end, and a body extending between the first and second ends; and   attaching the first end and the second end of the first elongated fastener to the facial mask member such that, when the wearable article member is worn with the facial mask member extending away from the scarf member at a region where the scarf member is attached to the facial mask member, the facial mask member is configured to cover the wearer's mouth and to maintain cover over the wearer's mouth when the first elongated fastener is selectively fastened to one of the wearer's ears, the wearer's head or the wearer's neck.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the fabric layer of the elongated scarf member comprises a same fiber material as the at least one fabric layer of facial mask member. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of providing a facial mask member includes providing a plurality of stacked fabric layers having different particle size filtering capabilities, and attaching the plurality of stacked fabric layers to one another. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of attaching the facial mask member to the elongated scarf member includes stitching or sewing the at least one fabric layer of the facial mask member to the fabric layer of the elongated scarf member. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein an exterior side surface of the elongated scarf member is decorated to appear similarly to or the same as an exterior side surface of the facial mask member. 
     
     
         18 . A wearable article, comprising:
 a scarf member and a facial mask member configured to be selectively connectable to one another;   wherein the scarf member includes:
 an elongated fabric layer configured to cover, at least partially, one or more of a wearer's head, neck and torso; and 
 a first connecting member extending along a portion of an edge of the elongated fabric layer or along a region of the elongated fabric layer that is spaced from the edge thereof; 
   wherein the facial mask member includes:
 at least one fabric layer configured to cover at least the wearer's mouth; 
 a second connecting member extending along a portion of an edge of the at least one fabric layer or along a region of the at least one fabric layer that is spaced from the edge thereof, the second connecting member being configured to be selectively matingly engaged with the first connecting member in order to selectively connect the scarf member and the mask member to one another; and 
 at least one elongated fastener having a first portion attached to the at least one fabric layer, a second portion attached to the at least one fabric layer and a body extending between the first and second portions, the body being separated from the at least one fabric layer; 
   wherein, when the wearable article member is worn with the facial mask member selectively attached to and extending away from the scarf member in order to cover at least the wearer's mouth, the at least one elongated fastener of the facial mask member is configured to be selectively attached to one of the wearer's ears, head or neck in order to secure the facial mask member over the wearer's mouth.   
     
     
         19 . The wearable article of  claim 18 , wherein the first connecting member includes one of a plurality of hooks and a plurality of loops and the second connecting member includes the other of the plurality of hooks and the plurality of loops, the first and second connecting members together forming a hook and loop fastener that is configured to selectively attach the scarf member and the facial mask member to one another; or
 wherein the first connecting member is a first elongated zipper part and the second connecting member is a second elongated zipper part, the first and second elongated zipper parts together forming an elongated zipper that is configured to selectively attach the scarf member and the facial mask member to one another.   
     
     
         20 . The wearable article of  claim 19 , wherein the facial mask member includes a first portion configured to cover at least the wearer's mouth, and a second portion extending between the first portion of the facial mask member and the scarf member,
 wherein the second portion of the facial mask member is configured to allow for a range of motion of the user's head such that the first portion of the mask member is not pulled off of the user's face when the user turns or rotates his/her head.