Patent Application
20230309639
Not applicable.
This invention is related to clothing accessories. Specifically, but not intended to limit the invention, embodiments of the invention are related to supports for headgear.
Hat enthusiasts enjoy collecting hats, often with an intent to display their collection. Presently, however, enthusiasts, in particular homeowners without retail space, are limited to displaying their collections through the use of a display case, such as a cabinet or box with clear walls. Museums have clothing and hat display equipment, but such equipment is not suited to home consumer use, due to the complex arrangements involved. There thus remains a need for a hat display system and/or other new and useful innovations.
An exemplary hat display system has a first strap assembly forming a loop positioned substantially in a first plane, the first strap assembly shaped and positioned to engage an interior of a crown of a hat, the first strap assembly having an adjustable perimeter; a surface mount mechanism; and a hat brim support mechanism having a flange surface shaped and positioned to support an underbrim of the hat; wherein the first strap assembly and the surface mount mechanism are shaped and positioned to support the hat at a non-parallel angle relative to a mounting surface.
For the purpose of this document, the term “hat” is used to reference all headgear having a crown and, optionally, a brim, and/or sweatband, such as, for example, baseball caps, cowboy hats, garrison caps, wool hats, helmets, bonnets, caps, and specialty headgear.
Turning now to
In some embodiments, the system 100 has a first strap assembly 102 forming at least a portion of a loop positioned substantially in a first plane A-A, the first strap assembly 102 shaped and positioned to engage an interior of a crown of a hat 200 (see
In some embodiments, the first strap assembly 102 may be configured to stretch at least a portion of the interior of the crown of the hat 200, such as to shape and/or expand a sweat band or to shape/expand a hat 200, such as a knitted hat.
The system 100 may have a second strap assembly 104 coupled to the first strap assembly 102 and forming a partial loop positioned substantially in a second plane B-B different from the first plane A-A. The second strap assembly 104 may be shaped and positioned to support an upper portion of the interior of the crown of the hat 300 and may have an adjustable height H relative to the first strap assembly 102. The second strap assembly 104 may be circular, elliptical, or irregular in shape, for example, to accommodate irregular crown shapes or attachments on the interior of the crown of the hat 200.
In some embodiments, the first and/or second strap assembly 102, 104 may be shaped and configured to maintain a hat 200, such as to prevent the hat 200 from losing shape.
The system 100 may have a surface mount mechanism 106. The surface mount mechanism 106 may be coupled to at least one of the first strap assembly 102 or the second strap assembly 104 to support the system 100 on a mounting surface 300 such as a wall.
The system 100 may have a hat brim support mechanism 108 having a flange surface 110 shaped and positioned to support an underbrim 202 of the hat 200. In some embodiments, the hat brim support mechanism 108 is removable. For example, and as best shown in
With brief reference to
Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the hat brim support mechanism 108 may be adjustable, such as by including an extension mechanism, to accommodate and support the brim of a cowboy hat at one or more locations as necessary.
The hat brim support mechanism 108 may include a first flange surface 110 for supporting a first brim portion of the hat and a second flange surface 110 for supporting a second brim portion of the hat. In some embodiments, the surface mount mechanism 106 is unitary with or coupled to the second support portion 108b.
Although
In some embodiments, the first strap assembly 102 and the surface mount mechanism 106 may be shaped and positioned to support the hat 200 at a non-parallel angle α relative to a mounting surface 300 (see e.g.
In some embodiments, the surface mount mechanism 106 is removable, as best shown in
Turning now to
In some embodiments, the perimeter of the first strap assembly 102 may be adjustable. For example, and as shown, the first strap assembly 102 may have a perimeter adjustment mechanism. The perimeter adjustment mechanism may have one or more pins or clamping members 124 to engage one or more recesses 114 at preferred locations. Those skilled in the art, however, will readily envision many other arrangements for the perimeter adjustment mechanism, including, but not limited to, a ratchet mechanism, hook and loop fasteners, clamps, hooks, tape, detent engagements, press-fit engagements, etc.
In some embodiments, the height H of the second strap assembly 104 may be adjustable. For example, and as shown, the second strap assembly 104 may have a height adjustment mechanism. The height adjustment mechanism may have one or more pins or clamping members 126 to engage one or more recesses 114 at preferred locations. Those skilled in the art, however, will readily envision many other arrangements for the height adjustment mechanism, including, but not limited to, a ratchet mechanism, hook and loop fasteners, clamps, hooks, tape, detent engagements, press-fit engagements, etc.
In some embodiments, the second strap assembly 104 is removable from the first strap assembly 102, to enable, for example, storage when not in use, or adaptation to specialized head gear.
In some embodiments, the surface mount mechanism 106 is removably coupled to the first strap assembly 102, to improve ease of storage and/or ease of mounting the surface mount mechanism 106 to a mounting surface 300. That is, the surface mount mechanism 106 may be attached to a mounting surface 300 separately, such as by screwing, nailing, tape, or hook and loop fasteners; then, the rest of the system 100 may be coupled to the surface mount mechanism 106, for ease.
Although embodiments have been described herein with a primary focus on mounting a hat 200 to a mounting surface 300 such as a wall, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the system 100 may be modified for displaying a hat 200 on a horizontal surface, such as a table. For example, the system 100 may include the first strap assembly 102 and the second strap assembly 104, so as to maintain the shape of the hat 200, and may be placed on a shelf for displaying the hat 200.
Each of the various elements disclosed herein may be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of an embodiment of any apparatus embodiment, a method or process embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method terms—even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled.
As but one example, it should be understood that all action may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Regarding this last aspect, the disclosure of a “fastener” should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of “fastening”—whether explicitly discussed or not—and, conversely, were there only disclosure of the act of “fastening”, such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of a “fastening mechanism”. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.
Moreover, the claims shall be construed such that a claim that recites “at least one of A, B, or C” shall read on a device that requires “A” only. The claim shall also read on a device that requires “B” only. The claim shall also read on a device that requires “C” only.
Similarly, the claim shall also read on a device that requires “A+B”. The claim shall also read on a device that requires “A+B+C”, and so forth.
The claims shall also be construed such that any relational language (e.g. perpendicular, straight, parallel, flat, etc.) is understood to include the recitation “within a reasonable manufacturing tolerance at the time the device is manufactured or at the time of the invention, whichever manufacturing tolerance is greater”.
Those skilled in the art can readily recognize that numerous variations and substitutions may be made in the invention, its use and its configuration to achieve substantially the same results as achieved by the embodiments described herein.
Accordingly, there is no intention to limit the invention to the disclosed exemplary forms. Many variations, modifications and alternative constructions fall within the scope and spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.
