Disposable rain hood

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to rain protection garments, such as hoods and ponchos, and more particularly to disposable rain hoods for display on display racks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rain protection garments, such as rain coats, rain hoods, ponchos, and the like, are used to keep individuals dry during rain showers. Such garments are typically designed for repeated use, and are therefore made of durable, rain impermeable materials such as canvas, oilcloth, nylon and the like. Disposable rain hoods and ponchos are also available. Disposable rain hoods are typically made of plastic sheets. Disposable rain hoods find particular uses at outdoor events, such as festivals and sporting events, where a sudden, unexpected shower may catch individuals without umbrellas or rain protection garments. In such circumstances, disposable rain hoods can be sold at low cost or donated to individuals attending the event, and can then discarded when no longer needed.

The inventor has developed an apparatus and method for supplying disposable receptacles for umbrellas. The disposable receptacles consist of an elongated plastic bag that is designed to fit over a collapsed umbrella. The disposable receptacles keep wet umbrellas from dripping water, and thus prevent slips, soiling of floors and carpets, and other consequences of tracking rain water into a public building. A stand is provided for displaying and dispensing the disposable receptacles. The stand consists generally of a base, a pole extending substantially vertically upward from the base, and a bracket member for holding a plurality of disposable receptacles for umbrellas. Such display stands and disposable receptacles have been successful on the market, and are used particularly in public buildings that have heavy foot traffic. However, the disposable receptacles are useful only for individuals who happen to have umbrellas with them. There is thus a need for a disposable rain hood that can be conveniently displayed on such stands, and thus can be dispensed as needed during rain showers.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide disposable rain hoods configured for convenient display on display stands, such as in compact stacks of hoods.

It is another object of the invention to provide a disposable rain hood that is inexpensive to manufacture, and therefore can be distributed free of charge or at low cost to the general public.

It is another object of the invention to provide a means of displaying the disposable rain hoods from display stands for distribution as needed during rain showers.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a disposable rain hood that fits comfortably on a user and can be readily secured to the user.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention shall become apparent from the following general and preferred description of the invention.

Accordingly, a disposable rain hood for displaying from a display stand is provided comprising a pair of opposing flaps, the flaps attached to one another substantially along respective upper edges thereof, the flaps further attached to one another substantially along respective rear edges thereof, the upper and rear edge attachments providing a rain-impermeable barrier along the upper and the rear edges of the disposable rain hood, and the disposable rain hood having a substantially open front edge and a substantially open lower edge for receiving a head and torso of a user of the disposable rain hood. The pair of flaps are preferably formed from a single lengthwise sheet of plastic, the sheet being folded substantially along a width-wise or lengthwise centerline thereof to thereby form the pair of lengthwise opposing flaps; in this configuration, the fold forms either the upper or rear edge of the disposable rain hood, and an adjacent side is sealed by heat sealing to form the other sealed edge.

A head stop is preferably provided for properly positioning the head of a user in the disposable rain hood. The head stop further attaches the respective opposing flaps to one another. The head stop extends downward substantially from the sealed upper edge of the disposable hood and extends substantially parallel to an upper portion of the sealed rear edge. The head stop is also preferably positioned a sufficient distance from the open front edge of the disposable rain hood to thereby permit the head stop to function as a rear barrier for a back portion of the head of the user while the hood simultaneously shields the head of the user from rain. The head stop is preferably formed by heat sealing the flaps to one another along the desired position of the head stop.

Each of the opposing flaps of the disposable rain hood are preferably provided with at least one hole. The hole is preferably positioned substantially along the forward edge, so as to permit the forward edges of the disposable rain hood to be selectively held together either by fingers of the user or by a tie passing through the holes to thereby secure the hood on the user.

In order to display the disposable rain hood on a display stand, the hood can be provided with a pair of holes adjacent and passing through the lower end of the disposable rain hood, the holes providing a means for displaying the disposable rain hood from the display stand. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of the disposable hoods are stacked together. Each of the hoods is provided with a suspension portion extending from the lower edges of the flaps. The suspension portion is detachably connected to the lower edge of the flaps by a frangible perforation. The stack of disposable hoods is fixedly attached to a display holder via the suspension portions such that a selected disposable rain hood may be selectively detached from the suspension portion by pulling the disposable hood relative to the holder to thereby break the frangible perforation. The display holder has a means thereon for suspending the display holder from the display stand, such as a pair of holes. The display holder is preferably a piece of cardboard, the piece of cardboard being folded over a plurality of the suspension portions, and opposing flaps of the display holder being attached to one another by a plurality of staples passing through the plurality of suspension portions.

Methods of constructing and displaying the foregoing disposable rain hoods and stacks of disposable rain hoods are also provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

is a side view of one preferred embodiment of the disposable rain hood of the invention.

FIG. 2

is a perspective front-side view of one preferred embodiment of the disposable rain hood of the invention as shown in

FIG. 1

illustrating the disposable rain hood covering the head and torso of a user.

FIG. 3

is a perspective view of one preferred embodiment of the invention, showing a plurality of disposable rain hoods stacked together and suspended from a display stand.

FIG. 4

is a partial side-view of the display stand of

FIG. 3

, illustrating a side view of an upper portion of a stack of disposable rain hoods and details of how the stack of rain hoods may be suspended from the display stand.

FIG. 5

is a cross-sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of a base of the display stand of

FIG. 3

, illustrating internal features of the base.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1

shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of a disposable rain hood of the invention

1

, the disposable rain hood being particularly designed for dispensing from a display stand. The rain hood comprises, generally, a pair of opposing flaps

2

A,

2

B, the flaps being composed of conventional plastic sheeting or other inexpensive rain impermeable material. In

FIG. 1

, flap

2

A is shown partially folded back at a front-lower comer. The flaps

2

A,

2

B are attached to one another substantially along respective upper edges

10

thereof. The flaps

2

A,

2

B are further attached to one another substantially along respective rear edges

30

thereof. The upper

10

and rear

30

edge attachments provide a rain-impermeable barrier along the upper

10

and the rear

30

edges of the disposable rain hood. With the flaps

2

A,

2

B sealed together in the foregoing manner, the disposable rain hood

1

has a substantially open front edge

40

and a substantially open lower edge

20

. The open front

40

and lower edges

20

permit the disposable rain hood

1

to receive a head and torso of a user

100

, as shown most clearly in FIG.

2

.

The pair of flaps

2

A,

2

B are preferably formed from a single lengthwise sheet of plastic. In the preferred embodiment shown in

FIG. 1

, the sheet is folded substantially along a width-wise centerline

10

thereof to thereby form the pair of lengthwise opposing flaps

2

A,

2

B. The sheet is preferably about 37 by 30 inches (94 by 76 cm) prior to folding, which forms an approximately 37 by 15 inch (94 by 38 cm) hood after folding. The fold

10

forms the upper edge

10

of the disposable rain hood

1

, and the rear edge attachment

30

is preferably formed by heat sealing the rear edges

30

of the flaps to one another. Such heat sealing methods are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, but as far as is known such heat sealing methods have not been applied to disposable rain hoods as described herein.

FIG. 1

shows an example of a heat seal

32

sealing rear edge

30

. In another embodiment, the sheet is folded substantially along a length-wise centerline

30

thereof to thereby form the pair of lengthwise opposing flaps

2

A,

2

B. In this embodiment, the fold

30

forms the rear edge

30

of the disposable rain hood, and the upper edge attachment

10

is formed by heat sealing the upper edges

10

of the flaps

2

A,

2

B to one another. Alternatively, the disposable rain hood

1

can be formed from a pair of lengthwise sheets

2

A,

2

B, the two sheets being sealed together, preferably by heat sealing, to form the upper

10

and rear

30

edge attachments.

As shown most clearly in

FIG. 2

, the apparatus of the invention

1

is preferably further provided with a head stop

8

. The head stop

8

serves to properly position the head of a user

100

in the disposable rain hood

1

. The head stop

8

further attaches the respective flaps

2

A,

2

B to one another. The head stop

8

extends downward substantially from the sealed upper edge

10

of the disposable hood and extends substantially parallel to an upper portion of the sealed rear edge

30

. The head stop

8

is positioned a sufficient distance from the open front edge

40

of the disposable rain hood

1

to thereby permit the head stop

8

to function as a rear barrier for a back portion of the head of the user

100

while the rain hood simultaneously shields the head of the user

100

from rain. The head stop

8

is preferably formed by heat sealing the flaps

2

A,

2

B to one another along the desired position of the head stop

8

. Alternatively, stapling, stitching, or the like could be used to form the head stop

8

.

The disposable rain hood of the invention

1

is also preferably provided with at least one hole

50

positioned substantially along the forward edge

40

of each of the flaps

2

A,

2

B. The holes

50

are positioned to permit the forward edges

40

of the disposable rain hood to be selectively held together either by fingers of the user

100

or by a tie (e.g. string or a twist-tie) passing through the holes (the tie taking the place of fingers) to thereby secure the hood on the user, as shown in FIG.

2

. This feature is designed particularly for windy conditions, where a light-weight disposable rain hood

1

could be blown off of a user

100

by a gust of wind. Although only one pair of holes

50

is shown in the drawings, additional holes

50

can be provided along the open edge

40

to thereby accommodate different sizes and preferences of users

100

.

FIGS. 3 and 4

show a preferred embodiment of the invention

1

displayed on a display stand

200

. Such stands are distributed by Custom Specialties & Supply, Inc. of Metairie, Louisiana. Heretofore, such stands have been used for the display and dispensing of bags for holding wet umbrellas. As shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

, such display stands

200

comprise a base

202

for supporting the stand, a pole

210

extending substantially vertically upward from the base

202

, and a pair of display prongs

216

positioned adjacent an upper end

212

of the pole

210

. The display stand

200

is also preferably provided with a sign holder

220

on the upper end

212

of the pole

210

. In the embodiment shown most clearly in

FIG. 4

, the sign holder

220

consists of a pair of parallel plates

220

having an inwardly turned lower edge

222

and inwardly turned side edges

224

, the inwardly turned edges providing a means for holding a sign insert. The sign insert can contain writing informing passers-by about the disposable rain hoods

1

, and/or can be provided with advertising information.

Although numerous designs and configurations can be used for the display stand

200

,

FIG. 5

shows a design for a base

202

for the display stand

200

that has been useful for displaying disposable receptacles for umbrellas, and which will likewise prove useful for displaying and dispensing disposable rain hoods

1

. The base

202

shown in

FIG. 5

has a generally cylindrical opening

240

that extends substantially vertically into the base

202

. Any of a number of configurations could be used for the base

202

, provided that the base is light in weight (light weight being preferable to facilitate movement, repositioning, shipping and storage of the display stand

200

) and is capable of maintaining the cylindrical opening

240

, insert

310

, and pole

210

in a substantially vertical orientation. The configuration of the base

202

shown in

FIGS. 3 and 5

is a modified flattened cone which is circular when viewed from above. This configuration provides a solid base, minimizes the volume required for the base, and is esthetically pleasing. In the embodiment of the base

202

shown in

FIG. 5

, the vertical generally cylindrical wall

243

of the opening

240

is contiguous with the base

202

. In this embodiment, the upper end

246

of the opening

240

forms a support for the insert

310

on the outer surface

234

of the base

202

, as will be described in further detail below. Other support means could be provided, however, such as sizing the insert

310

and opening

240

such that the lower end

312

of the insert

310

rests on a closed bottom end

242

of opening

240

.

In order to minimize the weight of the base

202

, the base

202

shown in

FIG. 5

has a substantially hollow interior

235

. In order to provide additional support to the base

202

, particularly in view of the minimization of weight and materials used in forming the base, it is preferable to provide the interior

235

of the base

202

with a plurality of support ribs

245

. The support ribs

245

preferably extend radially outward from the base opening

240

. In a preferred embodiment, the support ribs

245

are contiguous with the exterior surface

244

of the opening

240

. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, upper edges of the support ribs

245

are contiguous with an interior surface

232

of the base

202

.

The insert

310

is positioned in the generally cylindrical opening

240

of the base

202

. The insert

310

is preferably detachably engaged within the cylindrical opening

240

of the base, but it can alternatively be fixedly attached to the opening

240

. As shown in

FIG. 5

, the insert

310

comprises a generally cylindrical body

316

. The body

316

has a generally cylindrical opening

328

passing longitudinally through at least an upper end

314

thereof. In the embodiment shown in

FIG. 5

, the generally cylindrical opening

328

passes entirely through the body

316

.

As shown in

FIG. 5

, a plurality of longitudinal ribs

317

extend radially outward from the body

316

. As shown in

FIG. 4

, the outer longitudinal edges

318

of the ribs

317

are sized to tightly abut against the interior wall

243

of the generally cylindrical opening

240

of the base

202

, to thereby maintain the insert

310

in a substantially vertical orientation relative to the base

202

. In the preferred embodiment shown in

FIG. 5

, a portion

319

of each of the ribs

317

of the insert

310

taper toward a lower end

312

of each of the ribs

317

. The tapered end

319

of the insert

310

facilitates insertion of the insert

310

into the opening

240

in the base

202

.

An end plate

320

is preferably formed on an upper end

314

of the insert

310

. The end plate

320

preferably has a diameter greater than the opening

240

in the base

202

to thereby support the insert

310

on the base

202

. A lower surface

322

of the end plate

320

is preferably contiguous with upper ends of the ribs

317

. As shown most clearly in

FIG. 5

, an outer portion

326

of the end plate

320

extends beyond the edges

318

of the ribs

317

, providing a support

326

for supporting the insert

310

on the upper end

246

of the opening

240

of the base

202

.

The pole

210

is sized to tightly fit within the opening of the insert

310

. A lower end

218

of the pole

210

is positioned in the opening

328

in the upper portion

312

of the insert

310

. With the insert

310

positioned in the opening

240

of the base

202

, the pole

210

extends substantially vertically upward from the base

202

. As indicated in

FIG. 5

, when the circumference of the pole

210

is properly sized relative to the circumference of the insert opening

328

, the lower end

218

of the pole

210

may be inserted only a relatively short distance into the upper portion

312

of the insert opening

328

, yet still maintain the pole

210

in a substantially vertical orientation.

FIGS. 3 and 4

show a stack arrangement

4

of a plurality of disposable rain hoods

1

. In this embodiment, a plurality of the disposable hoods

1

are stacked together. Each of the hoods

1

has a suspension portion

80

extending from the lower edges

20

of the flaps

2

A,

2

B. The suspension portion

80

is detachably connected to the lower edge

20

of the flaps

2

A,

2

B by a frangible perforation

22

. The stack

4

is preferably provided with a display holder

90

. The display holder

90

has a means thereon for suspending the display holder from the display stand, such as a pair of holes

92

, or eyelets, velcro or other like attachment mechanism. The stack

4

of disposable hoods

1

is fixedly attached to the display holder

90

via the suspension portions

80

such that a selected disposable rain hood

1

may be selectively detached from the suspension portion

80

by pulling the disposable hood

1

relative to the holder

90

to thereby break the frangible perforation

22

. In a preferred embodiment, the stack is originally provided with about

30

-

35

hoods, which provides a sufficient number of hoods for most applications, such as supplying heavy demand during a sudden rain shower, while avoiding an unduly bulky stack of disposable rain hoods

1

on the display stand

200

.

In the preferred embodiment shown in

FIG. 4

, the display holder

90

is a piece of cardboard

90

or like material. The piece of cardboard

90

is folded over a plurality of the suspension portions

80

. Opposing flaps

96

A,

96

B of the display holder

80

are attached to one another by a plurality of staples

94

passing through the plurality of suspension portions

80

.

The foregoing stacked arrangement

4

provides a convenient means of handling multiple disposable rain hoods

1

, such as during shipping and transport, and of displaying a plurality of disposable rain hoods

1

from a display stand

200

. However, in an alternative embodiment, individual disposable rain hoods

1

can be provided with a pair of holes

92

adjacent and passing through said lower end

20

of said disposable rain hood

1

, the holes

92

providing a means for displaying the disposable rain hood

1

from the display stand

200

.

In operation, the disposable rain hoods of the invention

1

are displayed and dispensed from

20

a display stand

200

. In a preferred method of display shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

, the display holder

90

of a stack

4

of disposable rain hoods

1

is attached to the prongs

216

such that the plurality of disposable rain hoods

1

depends downward from the display holder

90

.

The disposable rain hoods

1

can be constructed according to the following methods. A sheet of plastic

1

is cut or provided in a lengthwise format, i.e. a generally rectangular shape (e.g. 30 by 37 inches). The sheet is folded substantially along a centerline (see e.g.

10

or

30

) to thereby form the pair of flaps

2

A,

2

B. The flaps

2

A,

2

B are then heat sealed together substantially along an edge adjacent to the fold (see e.g

10

or

30

). The folding and heat sealing thereby form a sealed upper edge

10

and a sealed rear edge

30

, and also thereby leave an open front edge

40

and an open lower edge

20

of the disposable rain hood

1

for receiving a head and torso of a user

100

of the disposable rain hood

1

.

A head stop

8

can be formed by heat sealing the flaps

2

A,

2

B together along a line

8

extending downward substantially from the sealed upper edge

10

of the disposable hood

1

and extending substantially parallel to an upper portion of the sealed rear edge

30

, the head stop

8

being positioned a sufficient distance from the open front edge

40

of the disposable rain hood to thereby permit the head stop

8

to function as a rear barrier for a back portion of the head of the user

100

while the hood simultaneously shields the head of the user

100

from rain.

At least one hole

50

can be punched in each of the flaps

2

A,

2

B, preferably substantially along the forward edge

40

, the holes

50

being positioned to permit the forward edges

40

of the disposable rain hood

1

to be selectively held together either by fingers of the user

100

or by a tie passing through the holes

50

to thereby secure the hood

1

on the user

100

, as shown most clearly in FIG.

2

.

The suspension portion

80

can be formed below the lower edge

20

by punching a frangible perforation

22

substantially along and adjacent the lower edge

20

of the flaps

2

A,

2

B, thereby leaving a desired length for the suspension portion

80

.

Preparation of a stack

4

of disposable rain hoods is accomplished by first constructing a plurality of the disposable rain hoods

1

. The plurality of disposable rain hoods

1

are then stacked together such that the suspension portions

80

are stacked atop one another and such that the upper edges

10

are stacked atop one another, as shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

. A display holder

90

is then stapled or otherwise attached to the suspension portions

80

, such that the plurality of disposable rain hoods

1

are held together at the suspension portions

80

, such that the stack

4

may be suspended from a display stand

200

by a suspension means

92

on the display holder

90

, and such that a selected disposable rain hood

1

may be selectively detached from the suspension portion

80

by pulling the selected disposable hood

1

relative to the display holder

90

to thereby break the frangible perforation

22

.

Although the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is anticipated that alterations and modifications thereof will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the following claims be interpreted as covering all alterations and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.