Storm hooded garment

Abstract

A storm hooded garment may include a torso portion, a storm hood and a collar. The storm hood extends from the torso portion about a neck opening of the torso portion. The storm hood has front neck portions having a first vertical stiffness and are configured to extend in front of a neck of a person wearing the storm hooded garment when the storm hood is deployed over a head of the person wearing the garment. The collar extends from the torso portion about the neck opening. The collar includes side portions directly connected to the front neck portions of the storm hood above the neck opening to vertically support the front neck portions when the storm hood is undeployed. The collar has a second vertical stiffness that is greater than the first vertical stiffness.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storm hooded garment for selectively extending over a neck and/or a head of a person, the garment comprising:
 a torso portion having a neck opening;   a storm hood extending from the torso portion about the neck opening, the storm hood having front neck portions configured to extend in front of a neck of the person wearing the storm hooded garment when the storm hood is deployed over the head of the person wearing the garment, the front neck portions having a first vertical stiffness; and   a collar extending from the torso portion about the neck opening, the collar comprising side portions directly connected to the front neck portions of the storm hood above the neck opening to vertically support the front neck portions when the storm hood is undeployed, the collar having a second vertical stiffness that is greater than the first vertical stiffness.   
     
     
         2 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1  further comprising a zipper extending vertically along a vertical axis along the torso portion, along and between the front neck portions and along and between the front side portions of the collar, wherein the front side portions of the collar are directly connected to the front neck portions of the storm hood along second axes that are parallel to the vertical axis on opposite sides of the zipper. 
     
     
         3 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 2 , wherein the second axes extend adjacent to opposite sides of the zipper. 
     
     
         4 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 3 , wherein the front neck portions are directly connected to the front side portions of the collar along vertical lengths of at least 2 inches along the second axes. 
     
     
         5 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 3 , wherein the front neck portions are directly connected to the front side portions of the collar at locations beginning no greater than 1 inch down from a top edge of the collar. 
     
     
         6 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 3 , wherein the front neck portions are directly connected to the front side portions of the collar from a top edge of the front neck portions to the neck opening. 
     
     
         7 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 2 , wherein the front side portions of the collar and the front neck portions of the storm hood are releasably connected along the second axes. 
     
     
         8 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 2 , wherein the front side portions of the collar and the front neck portions of the storm hood are fixedly connected along the second axes. 
     
     
         9 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 2  further comprising an inner hood extending from the collar. 
     
     
         10 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 2 , wherein the second axes are transversely spaced from the zipper on opposite sides of the zipper. 
     
     
         11 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 10 , wherein the second axes are transversely spaced by a distance that is less than 0.5 inch from opposite sides of the zipper. 
     
     
         12 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front neck portions of the storm hood comprise a left front neck portion and a right front neck portion,
 wherein the front side portions of the collar comprise a left front side portion directly connected to the left front neck portion at a first location and a right front side portion directly connected to the right front neck portion at a second location, and   wherein the first location and the second location are transversely spaced by no greater than 1 inch when the left front neck portion and the right front neck portion are closed together.   
     
     
         13 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front neck portions are directly connected to the front side portions of the collar from a top edge of the front neck portions to the neck opening. 
     
     
         14 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front side portions of the collar and the front neck portions of the storm hood are releasably connected. 
     
     
         15 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front side portions of the collar and the front neck portions of the storm hood are fixedly connected. 
     
     
         16 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1  further comprising an inner hood extending from the collar. 
     
     
         17 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1 , wherein the collar has a height of at least 2 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1 , wherein the second vertical stiffness is at least twice the amount of the first vertical stiffness. 
     
     
         19 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 1  further comprising at least one drawstring extending along a brim of the storm hood, the at least one drawstring extending through an opening in the collar and configured to be pulled to constrict the brim of the storm hood. 
     
     
         20 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one drawstring is configured to be pulled to constrict the brim of the storm hood without altering a shape of the collar. 
     
     
         21 . The storm hooded garment of  claim 19 , wherein when the garment is worn and the hood is deployed, the drawstring is not visible on the exterior of the garment.