GB2519360A

GB2519360A - Hood attachment

Info

Publication number: GB2519360A
Application number: GB1318519.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Elisabeth Carter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-10-21
Filing date: 2013-10-21
Publication date: 2015-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2033-10-21
Also published as: GB2519360B; GB201318519D0

Abstract

A hood attachment clip 10 is provided a hood (4, figure 1). The clip 10 has a first hook 12 for engaging with the loop (6, figure 1) at one end of a generally elongate intermediate portion of a hood and a second hook 14 at the opposite end of an intermediate portion 16 for engaging with the wearer's clothing worn beneath the hood. The use of the clip prevents an academic hood from falling down a wearers back, and the loop in front of the wearer from riding across the neck up creating an unattractive appearance.

Description

Hood Attachment

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for attachment of a hood, cape or bib to an underlying garment, particularly, but not exclusively, to a system for attaching an academic or graduation hood to an academic gown or other underlying clothing.

BACKGROUND ART

Universities, colleges, faculties and other academic and non-academic institutions commonly use hoods and gowns at formal occasions, for example graduates are often required to wear gowns and hoods at graduation ceremonies. Because most graduates only wear such garments at graduation ceremonies, the hoods and gowns are often hired from a supplier for the occasion -so hoods and gowns are worn by different people at different times. This means that they are in effect "unisex" and "one-size-fits-all" garments. Figure la illustrates a typical academic gown 2, which is worn as an outer garment, and Figure lb illustrates an example of an academic hood 4 which is worn over the gown as shown in Figure lc. The hood 2 usually comprises a loop of material 6 which rests on the wearer's chest, while the long hood part 8 rests behind the wearer's back, as in Figure lc. A problem with such garments is that the weight of the hood part 8 is usually sufficient (particularly where the edge of the hood is trimmed with a heavy, decorative material, such as fur) to pull the hood down the wearer's back; as a consequence, the loop 6 tends to ride up the wearer's chest, in the direction of the arrow A, or along the Z axis, giving an unsightly appearance and making the wearer uncomfortable. Various attempts have been made to address this problem, such as attaching the loop to the gown or to the wearer's other clothing, by way of safety pins or using a fabric hook-and-loop fastener arrangement (such as that sold by Velcro Industries BV under the eponymous trade mark).

Safety pins are liable to catch on and damage the fine fabric such as silk of which he hoods and/or gowns are usually made; also, safety pins can leave rust marks or otherwise stain the fabric to which they are attached, especially if they are left attached for any length of time. Finally, if the safety pins are chromed to resist rust, when attached they are often visible, and make the ensemble unattractive. Fabric hook-and-loop fastener arrangements can be disposed so that they are not visible when the gown and hood are worn, however the hook material is liable to catch on the fabric material of the hood, gown, or of the wearer's other clothing, and pull threads, damaging the material. Other attempts have been made to address the problem of hood loops riding up in use, such as the provision of systems of magnets in the hood and gown (as in U52010/0293695 for example), however such arrangements are unnecessarily complicated, costly and heavy; moreover (and as with fabric hook-and-loop fastener arrangements), such systems mean that the spatial interrelationship of hood and gown loop is generally fixed, so that the garments appear attractive when worn by an average-sized person, but do not fit properly, and look unattractive on, persons of less or more than the average size; unlike the safety pin, such systems cannot be adjusted for a wearer of a size or shape which is removed from the average. Also, pins and fabric hook-and-loop fasteners are not very effective in preventing the weight of the hood part 8 from pulling the loop 6 upwards, because they may simply pull up the clothing to which they attach.

Some hoods are provided with button hooks, which either hang down from the loop 6 (as shown by reference 7 in Figures lb and ic) or are on the inside of the loop 6 and hidden from sight; these are intended to attach to a button on the wearer's clothing, however they are not always useful, such as when the wearer's clothing doesn't include buttons, or the buttons are at an inappropriate height. Further, the weight of the hood part 8 at the rear can again cause the wearer's clothing to ride up at the front.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, in combination, a hood having a loop for encircling a wearer's neck with a clip, the clip having at least one first hook for engaging with the loop at one end of a generally elongate intermediate portion and at least one second hook at the opposite end of the intermediate portion for engaging with clothing worn beneath the hood.

With such an arrangement, the clip can engage via the first hook(s) over the loop of fabric/cloth material 6, or the string or thread button hook 7, as shown in Figures lb and lc and with the wearer's underlying clothing, which can be the wearer's personal clothing or the gown usually worn underneath such hoods, with the intermediate portion of the clip largely being hidden by the loop of material which is outermost on the wearer. Such an arrangement is simple, inexpensive (the clip may be disposable) and easy to use. The term "hood" should be construed as encompassing any separate item of clothing or apparel which fits around a wearer's neck as a separate garment, usually an outer garment, such as a cape, bib, scarf or the like. The term "generally elongate" is employed to denote that portion of the clip which separates the first hook(s) from the second hook(s) in the vertical, Z axis direction when worn (so as to resist movement of the loop in the direction of arrow A in Figure lc); as will be explained below, the clip may be simply elongate, or it may be in the shape of a cross or T-shaped, or any other shape provided it is capable of connecting the first and second hooks in a spaced relationship so that they cannot be stretched apart in the Z-axis direction. The elongate portion could be flexible, such as a thin cord or wire. The elongate portion can be of any length, such that it is possible to attach the second hook to a secure portion of the wearer's underlying clothing which is resistant to being pulled upwardly by the weight of the hood. It may be advantageous for the button hook 7 to be provided behind the loop 6 (so that it is out of sight, and not visible as in Figures lb and lc) as this would keep more of the arrangement out of sight, and therefore detract less from the aesthetic appearance of the ensemble.

The clip may be configured so that in use the or each first hook has a free end which is positioned over the outer surface of the loop of the hood when worn so that the intermediate portion, or a substantial part thereof, lies behind the inner surface of the loop, between the inner surface and the wearer. This ensures that only a small portion of the clip is visible when the combination is in use (i.e. worn), so the clip does not detract from the aesthetic appearance of the hood and gown.

The or each second hook may be adapted to releasably attach to one or more of an underlying garment, or a button, a fabric loop or a fold in or attached to an underlying garment. This enables a range of clips to be provided for fixing to a variety of different underlying clothing. A second hook might therefore clip over or around a button on the gown or on the wearer's other clothing, or engage with fabric eyes, loops, buttonholes or the like, again on the gown or on the wearer's other outer or under clothing. A plurality of S vertically-spaced eyes, etc. could be provided on the gown ("vertically-spaced" meaning when the gown is worn, or along the 7 axis in the drawings) so that the position of the lower part of the clip, and hence the position which the loop on the hood adopts relative to the wearer's neck and chest, can be easily adjusted to give the most comfortable and/or most aesthetically attractive appearance for individuals of different sizes and/or shapes.

where the second hook engages an undergarment, such as a lady's bra, this would prevent movement of the hood 4 whilst also not pulling on the wearer's outer clothing. If the hood is provided with a button hook 7, the clip could be arranged so as to pull the button hook into the gap in the wearer's clothing (between the edges of a shirt, or blouse, for example) so that the clip and the button hook are hidden out of sight. with tops without gaps to pull the clip (and loop) through, or low cut tops, the arrangement would be a little different, the clip would have to go under the clothing from the top rather than through a gap in the clothing.

It would mean the hood loop 6 would be drawn close to the top of the clothing.

A free end of the or each first hook, or a part of the intermediate portion, may be configured for the attachment of a decorative emblem. In such a way, a part of the clip which could be visible in use (such as the free end of the clip engaged with the buttonhook 7, where the button hook is located as shown in Figures lb and lc), and which could otherwise appear unattractive, is provided with a badge, sign, crest or other decoration (such as the emblem of the relevant university or college, for example) to improve the overall aesthetic appearance. where in use a part of the elongate portion would be visible, the part configured for attachment of a decorative emblem could be positioned on the elongate portion so as to be visible, and thus enhance the overall appearance.

The clip may be formed of a solid material, but one which is capable of maintaining a smooth surface finish, so as to avoid damage to any adjacent fabric, such as a plastic, composite material or cardboard. The material is preferably light in weight, and has a certain amount of flexibility (but not to the extent of being elastic) so as to be comfortable to fit and to wear.

The intermediate portion of the clip may be selectively extendable; in this case, rather than arrange multiple attachment points on an underlying garment so as to adapt the clip for individuals of different sizes/shapes, a single clip of selectively variable length could be provided with the hood, so that the wearer makes the necessary adjustment to the S length of the clip for the hood loop to rest in the desired position on the wearer's chest. This arrangement could be achieved with a disposable clip having a concertinaed section (in the vertical direction, with reference to Figure ic) with the folds of adjacent concertina sections being joined by frangible joints, so that the user breaks as many frangible joints as are necessary to unfold the concertina folds to the desired overall length. Those skilled in the art will readily understand how such arrangements may be configured and manufactured from injection moulded plastic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying figures in which; Figures la to ic respectively illustrate an academic gown, a hood for wearing with the gown, and the gown and hood as worn; Figure 2 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a clip forming part of the invention, and Figures 3a to 3c are schematic front elevation views of alternative embodiments of clips.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

As described above, Figures la to ic show an academic gown 2, a hood 4 for wearing with such a gown 2 and the hood 4 and gown 2 as worn together; the hood 4 has a loop 6 which goes around the wearer's neck and rests against the wearer's chest.

Figure 2 shows a clip 10 having a first hook 12 for engaging the loop 6, in use it extends from inside the loop 6 and close to the wearer's chest to terminate outside the loop.

The clip 10 has a second hook 14 for engaging on the wearer's outer clothing, whether this be the gown 2 or some of the wearer's other clothing. Between the hooks 12, 14 is an intermediate portion 16, which in Figure 3 is elongate. The portion 18 of the clip 10 which in use is in plain view is configured to have a crest or badge attached thereto. In use, with the hooks 12, 14 attached/engaged as described, the arrangement prevents the hood 4 from falling down the wearer's back under its own weight, and ensures that the loop 6 remains in the correct position, as shown in Figure lc. The clip 2 is formed of plastic, so that it is S smooth, light in weight, slightly flexible and inexpensive enough to be disposable, though it could equally be re-used.

It will be understood that the shape and configuration of the clip 10 shown in Figure 2 is but one of a great number of different potential variations. For example, the hooks 12, 14 are shown in Figure 2 as being parallel but facing opposite directions; the hooks could equally face in the same direction, they could be orthogonal, or at any angle to each other provided that they can perform their respective functions, of holding on to the loop 6 and to the wearer's underlying clothing. The clip in Figure 2 has only one first hook and only one second hook, but there could be more of either. The intermediate portion 16 is shown as elongate, however it can be any suitable shape.

Figures 3a to 3c show, in schematic views along the X axis, three different variations in clip shape and configuration. In Figure 3a the clip has one first hook 12 and two second hooks 14, the second hooks 14 are orthogonal to the first hook 12, and could be suited to engage with a button or buttons sewn onto the wearer's underlying clothes, or on the gown.

The intermediate portion 16 is elongate as in Figure 2.

In Figure 3b there are two first and second hooks, 12, 14, and the intermediate portion 16' is cruciate. In Figure 3c there is one first hook 12, two second hooks 14 and the intermediate portion 16" is shaped like an inverted 1. The hooks in Figures 3b and 3c are shown as all lying in the same YZ plane. A clip with two or more first hooks would be capable of holding the loop 6 in a shape different from that attainable with only one first hook (which would tend to adopt a V shape), so if a linear or curved appearance of the loop 6 is desired more first hooks can be used.

It will of course be understood that many variations may be made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example there could be three, four or more first and/or second hooks. Where there are multiple hooks, these could be arranged in opposite directions as shown in Figure 2, in the same direction (i.e. protruding in the same direction, such as along the X axis) or they could be at different angles to each other (as in Figure 3a), and the hooks can be at different heights or levels than as shown in the drawings. The clip could be made of composite, wood, cardboard or metal. Although the embodiments described are primarily of an inexpensive, disposable nature, a more expensive embodiment may, instead of the frangible S concertina extension described above, have an extendable arrangement like a retractable tape measure, which would be capable of extended use and which may have a spring arrangement so that it holds the loop under tension. Although described in arrangements where the intermediate portion is intended to sit behind, and be hidden from view by, the loop 6, the arrangement could allow for the intermediate portion to be outermost in use, in which case the intermediate portion could be shaped, patterned or ornamented so as to be attractive; the crest 18 could be attached to the intermediate portion in this arrangement.

The clips may be provided sufficiently inexpensively to be given away free by the suppliers/hirers of gowns and hoods for formal occasions, in which case they could bear advertising or other markings to promote goodwill in the recipients. The clips may be made in a range of different sizes, so that a customer could choose the size most appropriate for them. A wearer may use two clips (one on either side) or more, and the weight of the hood part 8 pulling down at the rear pulls up on the loop 6 thus keeping the clip(s) in place. The clips illustrated in the drawings are largely symmetrical as viewed in the direction of the X axis; however, the clip need not be symmetrical. For example, there could be only one second hook in the embodiments of Figures 3a and 3b; additionally or alternatively the clip may be formed with a twist or fold in the intermediate portion, so that the portion with the first hook(s) rests above a wearer's clothing, but the remaining portion, with the second hook(s), can be concealed beneath the wearer's clothing (such as under the buttoned edge of a shirt or blouse). The hooks may be adapted to grip whatever they are intended to be attached to, such as by being formed of a resilient material, or by having a resilient mechanism (such as a spring-loaded gripping arrangement). The clips may be made in a range of different colours, so as to match the colour of a wearer's underlying clothing and/or skin tone (or deliberately to stand out), or to correspond to the colour(s) of the gown or hood, or to the relevant universities, college, faculty, etc. Where different variations or alternative arrangements are described anywhere above, it should be understood that embodiments of the invention may incorporate such variations and/or alternatives in any suitable combination.

Claims

CLAIMS1. In combination, a hood having a loop for encircling a wearer's neck with a clip, the clip having at least one first hook for engaging with the loop at one end of a generally elongate intermediate portion and at least one second hook at the opposite end of the intermediate portion for engaging with clothing worn beneath the hood.
2. The combination according to Claim 1 wherein the clip is configured so that in use the or each first hook has a free end which is positioned over the outer surface of the loop of the hood when worn so that the intermediate portion, or a substantial part thereof, lies behind the inner surface of the loop, between the inner surface and the wearer.
3. The combination according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the or each second hook is adapted to releasably attach to one or more of an underlying garment, or a button, a fabric loop or a fold in or attached to an underlying garment.
4. The combination according to any preceding claim where a free end of the or each first hook, or a part of the intermediate portion, is configured for the attachment of a decorative emblem.
5. The combination according to any preceding claim wherein the clip is formed of a solid material with a smooth surface finish.
6. The combination according to any preceding claim wherein the intermediate portion of the clip is selectively extendable.
7. The combination of a hood having a loop for encircling a wearer's neck with a clip substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.