This invention relates to an eyewear-accommodating hat and, more particularly, to a ball cap or other headwear having a pair of receptacles for receiving respective temples or earpieces of a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses to support such eyewear on the hat.
People who wear ball caps often use the bill and crown of the hat to prop up and temporarily hold their sunglasses or eyeglasses. This is an especially common practice of persons engaged in various outdoor activities, such as baseball, golf, hunting, fishing and beach going. Assorted caps and other forms of hats and headwear have been developed for accommodating and supporting eyeglasses and sunglasses. These known products exhibit a number of disadvantages.
Certain conventional hats employ storage pockets or compartments having closures for storing and retrieving items such as eyewear therein. For example, see Potochnik, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,287 and Stogner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,070. Depositing glasses into and retrieving glasses from these caps can be tedious, awkward and time consuming. The storage compartment must be accessed along a bottom edge or inside the crown of the headwear. The cap must first be removed, the storage compartment closure opened and/or closed, and the glasses deposited or retrieved, as needed. These caps are certainly not optimally convenient for storing and holding glasses during vigorous outdoor activities.
Alternative caps, such as those shown by Viggiano, U.S. Pat. No. 671,885, Yurevich, US Pub. 2015/0351478 and Totani, U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,495 disclose caps with slots or receptacles formed in the crown of the cap for receiving respective temples and earpieces of the glasses. Such products are aesthetically unattractive, as clearly visible holes are permanently exposed in the sides of each cap. Moreover, storing the eyewear in the cap can be quite uncomfortable for the wearer. In Viggiano and Totani the earpieces and temples of the glasses rest directly against the sides of the wearer's head. In Yurevich, the temples of the eyewear must be inserted precisely and in only one direction into a pair of very small pockets within the cap. As a result, Yurevich permits the eyeglasses to be supported in one way only, with the lenses resting upright on the bill of the cap. That reference does not permit the glasses to be repositioned in any other manner (i.e. upside down, at the back of the crown, etc.)
Still other known hats employ a wide variety of exterior attachments for supporting a pair of glasses on the hat. Such attachments again tend to be fairly unattractive and interfere with the overall aesthetic appearance of the cap or other headwear. Moreover, eyewear supporting attachments typically have to be fastened onto or otherwise installed in the hat. Such items can become easily detached, lost or misplaced.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cap or hat that is designed for conveniently, comfortably, and attractively supporting eyewear such as eyeglasses and sunglasses on a wearer's head.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses to be quickly, conveniently, and securely attached to and supported on the hat while the wearer is engaged in a wide variety of sports and other outdoor activities.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that supports a wearer's eyeglasses or sunglasses comfortably on the wearer's head and which eliminates irritation and discomfort to the wearer's head from glasses supported thereon.
It, is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat in the form of a ballcap featuring an attractive aesthetic appearance that is virtually the same regardless of whether or not a pair of glasses are being supported on the hat.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating cap that allows the user to quickly, effectively and securely support the earpieces and temples of a pair of glasses on the cap without having to look and/or feel for receptacles in the cap and without having to access and open a closure of an interior storage pocket.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows a user to instantaneously and reliably position and support a pair of glasses on a cap without having to remove the cap and without having to access an awkwardly placed storage pocket.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows a user to instantaneously and easily retrieve stored eyewear from a cap without having to remove the cap or access a storage pocket therein.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that utilizes a frictionally enhanced receptacle material for more securely gripping the temples and earpieces of a pair of glasses such that the glasses are held more securely on the hat, even during the course of vigorous physical activities.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat, that allows a pair of glasses to be securely supported on the hat in, any of a variety of positions including facing both forwardly and rearwardly on the cap and oriented either right-side up or upside, down.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows a stored pair of glasses to be quickly and conveniently accessed without having to remove the hat and retrieve the glasses from a previously closed compartment.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows the temples and earpieces of a pair of glasses to be positioned and oriented at various different angles relative to the crown of the hat so that the eyeglasses may be held in a manner desired by the wearer and further so that the eyeglasses remain securely supported by the hat during vigorous physical activity.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat featuring spacious side compartments that allow the temples and earpieces of a supported pair of glasses to be better positionally adjusted within the receptacles while continuing to securely support the eyeglasses on the hat.
This invention features an eyewear-accommodating hat including a crown portion defined by a plurality of interconnected panel sections including forward and rearward panel sections and a pair of opposing side panel sections, each positioned between and secured to respective vertical edges of the forward and rearward panel sections. Each of the forward, rearward panel sections and side panel sections includes one or more flexible fabric pieces having a generally triangular or tapered shape that converges from a relatively wide end at a bottom of the crown to a vertex at the top of the crown.
Each side panel section includes a pair of conforming inner and outer flexible fabric sheets. Each outer sheet is superposed on and peripherally secured to a respective underlying inner sheet. Each outer sheet includes a lower edge that is fastened to the lower edge of an underlying inner sheet and a pair of converging vertical edges that are stitched or otherwise secured to respective converging vertical edges of the underlying interior side panel. A portion of each vertical edge of each outer sheet is separated from the corresponding vertical edge of the underlying inner sheet to form forward and rearward entry slots into a receptacle formed between the corresponding inner and outer sheets. The forward and rearward entry slots are disposed closer to the bottom of the crown than to the top thereof. A respective temple and earpiece of a pair of glasses is introduced through each entry slot and into the receptacle formed between a corresponding and interconnected pair of inner and outer side panels. This supports the eyewear on the hat.
In a preferred embodiment, the hat includes a bill portion that is secured to the forward panel section of the hat. Each inner sheet of the side panel sections may carry a pad or patch for interengaging a temple or earpiece inserted into the receptacle. The patch provides increased frictional adherence for the inserted eyeglasses so that the eyewear is supported more securely on the hat. The patch also provides further cushioning for the wearer's head.
The crown portion may include a pair of interconnected front panel sheets and a pair of similarly interconnected back panel sheets, each sheet having a triangular shape. The side panel sections may be joined to the front and back panel sections along respective vertical seams. Each outer panel sheet is peripherally secured to a corresponding inner sheet by a respective pair of converging vertical seams, as well as a bottom seam. Each vertical seam interconnecting the inner and outer sheets of a respective side panel section extends for a majority of the distance between the vertex and bottom of the crown portion. A seamless or interrupted gap is formed in each vertical seam between the corresponding inner and outer sheets to define entry slots into the side receptacles of the hat.
Other objects, features and advantages will occur from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:
There is shown in
It should also be understood that an important aspect of this invention is that the cap presents a very neat, clean and aesthetically attractive appearance whether or not it is supporting an accommodated pair of glasses. Indeed, when the glasses are removed, cap 10 resembles a normal hat or cap of this type, as the eyewear accommodating-receptacles and features of this invention are virtually imperceptible.
It should further be understood that cap 10 may be advantageously utilized with or without glasses for a virtually unlimited variety of activities and in many various environments. The cap is beneficial for use in both sporting and leisure activities, as well as in work environments and applications. The particular applications and environments in which cap 10 may be employed are not limitations of this invention.
As shown in
The conforming inner and outer sheets 29 and 31 of respective side panel sections 24 and 26 are sewn or otherwise secured to one another peripherally and to the adjoining fabric panel sheets 16, 18, 20, 22 of the front and back panel sections, typically by stitching 50, which is best shown in
Side panel section 24 is secured to sheet 18 of front panel section 15 along a vertical seam 30 that extends from bottom 42 to top 44 of crown portion 14. Likewise, side panel section 24 is secured to rear panel section 17 along a vertical rearward seam 32. In a similar manner, opposite side panel section 26 is fastened to sheet 22 of back panel section 17 along a vertical seam 36 (
A critical aspect of the present invention is the formation of a spacious eyeglass-accommodating receptacle 52 between the corresponding inner and outer sheets 29 and 31 of each side panel section 24, 26. Specifically, that receptacle is defined by the space between the peripherally interconnected and conforming triangular inner and outer sheets 29 and 31. As best shown in representative side panel section 24 in
Stitching, sewing or otherwise fastening together the conforming inner and outer sheets 29, 31 of the side panel section 24 and 26 in the foregoing manner and, more particularly, interrupting or discontinuing the interconnective vertical stitch pattern across each gap 54 effectively defines a finished forward entry slot 58 and a similar rearward entry slot 60 into the receptacle 52 formed between corresponding inner and outer sheets 29 and 31 in each side panel section 24, 26. Entry slots 58, 60 allow the temples 62 and ear pieces 64 of glasses 12 comprising the standard pair of elongate supportive frame elements of the eyewear to be freely inserted into and received by the respective receptacles 52 of side panel sections 24 and 26 in the manner shown in
As best shown in
In use, the wearer is able to quickly, reliably, securely and comfortably remove his or her glasses and support them on cap 10 whenever he or she desires. Front and rear entry slots 58, 60 into receptacles 52 are positioned conveniently proximate lower ends of vertical seams 30, 32 and 36, 38 respectively and each entry slot is long enough (e.g approximately 2″) so that the user is able to quickly, conveniently and virtually automatically insert the two supportive temples and eyepieces of the glasses through the selected front or back entry slots, as desired, and into the relatively spacious receptacles formed between the inner and outer sheets of the side panel sections. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the glasses may be inserted through the front entry slots 58 to support the glasses upright on the bill 46 of hat 10. Alternatively, as shown in
Pads 70 effectively grip respective temples/earpieces of the glasses and provide an effective cushion against the wearer's head. It is also significant that hat 10 employs an inner panel that extends fully from the top to the bottom of the cap and thereby further insulates the wearer's head from direct contact with the temples and earpieces of the glasses, even when those components are shifted or adjusted within receptacles 52.
An additional significant benefit of the present invention is achieved by employing side panel sections featuring closely conforming inner and outer panels. The outer panel conforms with and is superposed in close proximity over the outer panel, and the inner and outer sheets are secured together in the above described manner such that the side panel sections visually appear to be virtually identical to the side panel sections employed in conventional caps. Indeed, when glasses are not accommodated by the cap, the differences between the hat of this invention and a standard ball cap are virtually imperceptible. The hat of the present invention presents an aesthetically attractive appearance and does not include awkward, gaudy or otherwise unattractive attachments to the cap for supporting a pair of glasses. The entry slots are formed precisely along the standard vertical seam lines of the cap and are difficult, if not impossible to notice when glasses are not supported on the hat.
The hat of this invention may be used to reliably and comfortably support the glasses in any of a known number of positions. The glasses are securely held in place during a wide variety of sporting events and many other vigorous work and leisure activities. Attaching the glasses to and removing the glasses from the hat is easy, quick and convenient. The hat does not have to be removed from and replaced onto the wearer's head. Snap, Velcro and other types of closures do not have to be opened and reclosed to store the glasses in an interior compartment, and the various problems and disadvantages associated with conventional hats are largely overcome.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to an eyeglass-accommodating hat. Although specific features of the invention are shown in some of the drawings and not others, this is for convenience only, as each feature may be combined with any and all of the other features in accordance with this invention.
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/947,279 filed on Dec. 12, 2019.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62947279 | Dec 2019 | US |