A hooded sun shield includes a head piece including an opening, side vents and a plurality of fasteners, and a mask piece attachably coupled to the head piece via the plurality of fasteners over the opening, including a first layer and a second layer formed over the first layer, first layer and second layer form a horizontal vent in the mask piece.

The apparel is constructed from various combinations of layers of materials with moisture transfer properties. A first liner of moisture transfer fabrics abuts a second layer of structural material such as open-cell foam. The second layer can abut a breathable membrane and/or an insulating material. Finally, carefully selected outer fabric completes the combination to provide apparel with improved performance characteristics. The outer fabrics are treated in various ways to enhance performance.

Aspects herein are directed to an apparel item that promotes thermo-regulation through the use of engineered openings, venting, and/or stand-off structures. In exemplary aspects, 20-45% of the apparel item may comprise the engineered openings. Vents may be positioned on the apparel item in areas that experience high amounts of air flow to help channel air into the apparel item. The stand-off structures may be positioned on an inner-facing surface of the apparel item where they help to create a space between the apparel item and the wearer's body surface in which air can flow and help cool the wearer by promoting evaporative cooling.

The present invention provides vents placed in and around a location of the knee in each leg of pants, trousers, jeans, cargo pants, breathable pants and sweat pants to allow for the circulation of air in the pants. These vents in each leg provide ventilation and air circulation to help keep the body cooler, especially as concerns the legs and trunk of a body. The ventilation system is located in the generally in the back of each leg of the pants and preferably in the general area of the knees. By having the ventilation system in each knee area of each leg, the air circulates throughout the pants helping to keep the body cooler.

A decompression floating protective patellar knee joint pad for preventing contact between the patella and an external surface may include a fabric sleeve sized to surround a user's knee region, extending from the user's lower leg to the user's thigh; a stabilizing platform with a central opening mimicking a shape of the patellar region of the user attached to the fabric sleeve; a cushioning material attached to a posterior surface of the stabilizing; and a patellar cap attached to the stabilizing platform and covering the central opening, wherein the patellar cap is protracted away from the user, creating a void configured to prevent the patella from having contact with the external surface.

In some embodiments, a heavyweight jacket includes a main body configured to fit on the torso of a wearer and sleeves that are fully detached from the main body. The sleeves advantageously facilitate putting on the heavy jacket, while providing a jacket of high weight. To form the heavyweight jacket, a pre-bonded fabric may be used. The fabric is pre-bonded and may optionally be further layered to increase the garment's weight without sacrificing flexibility or breathability. The layered fabric distributes the garment's weight evenly and ensures that the garment does not excessively restrict a wearer's freedom of movement or cause the wearer to overheat. The weight of the fabric may be increased by using a heavyweight glue to bond various layers of material together.

Disclosed herein is a mask with an ePTFE membrane including: a mask sheet for covering a wearer's nose and mouth; and a mask string which is connected to both ends of the mask sheet and is held to the wearer's ears, wherein the mask sheet includes an ePTFE membrane. The mask sheet includes: an inner layer located toward the wearer's face; an outer layer located on the opposite side of the inner layer which faces the wearer's face; and the ePTFE membrane located between the inner layer and the outer layer. Furthermore, both ends of the outer layer, both ends of the ePTFE membrane and both ends of the inner layer are bonded mutually.

The present invention is directed toward an article of apparel effective to regulate the temperature of the wearer. In an embodiment, the article of apparel includes a base textile with a thermal regulation membrane. The thermal regulation membrane contains a plurality of system-reactive components selectively engaged heat and/or moisture. In an embodiment, the printed coating includes a cooling agent, a phase change material, and a heat dissipation material. In operation, the article of apparel is effective to delay/diminish the rise in skin temperature (compared to a garment lacking the membrane), increasing wearer comfort.

Fabrics made for apparel, tents, sleeping bags and the like, in various composites, constructed such that a combination of substrate layers and insulation layers is configured to provide improved thermal insulation. The fabric composites are constructed to form a radiant barrier against heat loss via radiation and via conduction from a body.

The present invention provides a lightweight glove for baseball or softball that may include an elastic backfinger to provide a conforming fit to the wearer's hand. In general, the elastic backfinger may replace existing, often leather backfingers, the back panel, the liner, and/or other elements of traditional gloves glove with the elastic material, combination of elastic materials, or combination of elastic and inelastic materials.