Patent Application
20130327804
This invention relates to a device for carrying headwear on a carrying bag.
An individual typically wears headwear to protect his head and face from the sun or as a fashion statement. At times there may be a need to remove the headwear for a prolonged period of time. When the individual is carrying a carrying bag, such as a luggage, backpack, duffel bag, and the like, the individual may wish to attach the headwear to the carrying bag. In some instances the individual will unfasten the adjustable strap and re-fasten it onto the handle, strap, or a loop on the carrying bag.
Securing the headwear to the handle, strap, or loop of a carrying bag has several disadvantages. For example, repeatedly fastening and unfastening the adjustable strap can lead to damage to the strap, particularly if the adjustable strap is made of plastic. In addition, unfastening the adjustable strap will cause the individual to readjust the sizing of his headwear when he is ready to put the headwear back on. Also, when the headwear is fastened to the handle, strap, or loop of the carrying bag, the hat tends to dangle. If the bag is placed on the ground, often times the hat ends up on the dirty floor and is exposed to being stepped on by others.
As an alternative, the individual may stuff the headwear into the bag. This, however, can lead to damage to the headwear. In addition, it makes it difficult to access.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that allows individual to quickly and easily attach headwear to a carrying bag while keeping the headwear readily accessible yet free from damage or being dirtied.
The present invention is directed to a device that permits a headwear to be attached to a carrying back. The device comprises two holders attachable to a carrying bag. In the preferred embodiment, the first folder attaches to the bill of a headwear and the second holder attaches to the back portion of the headwear.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
The hat holder of the present invention provides a means for carrying a headwear (e.g. a cap, a hat, a visor, and the like) on a carrying bag (e.g. a backpack, a suitcase, a duffel bag, and the like). Headwear 10 come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are generally comprised of a securing means 12 and a shading means 14.
The securing means 12 is the portion of the headwear 10 that is placed on the head to provide covering and/or protection to the head and/or as a means for securing the shading means 14 to the head. As such, the securing means 12 is generally semi-spherical in shape, terminating at a perimeter edge 16 defining a circular opening through which the head can be inserted. On a baseball cap-type headwear, for example, the securing means 12 would be the crown and panels. Though the securing means 12 may be symmetrical or uniform in shape, for the purposes of clarity and ease of discussion, the securing means 12 may be designated as having a front portion 18 adjacent to the front portion of the head, two opposite side portions 20, 22 adjacent to the sides of the head, respectively, and a back portion 24 adjacent to the back of the head. In some embodiments, the securing means 12 may simply be the perimeter edge 16 defined by a loop, string, ring, band, or the like, as seen on visors.
The shading means 14 is the portion of the headwear 10 that extends outwardly from the securing means 12 to hide the wearer's face and/or neck from the sun or onlookers. In some headwear 10, the shading means 14 may extend radially outward from the entire perimeter edge 16. In other headwear, the shading means 14 may project outwardly only from the front portion 18. On a baseball cap, for example, the shading means 14 would be the bill.
In some embodiments, the headwear 10 comes with a means for adjusting the size of the headwear 10 so as to fit a variety of head sizes. For example, along the perimeter edge 16 on the back side there may be an adjustable closure system 25 to effectively reduce the opening defined by the perimeter edge 16. In some embodiments, the closure system may be a part of the perimeter edge 16 on the back portion 24. For example, in an unfitted baseball cap, the back portion 24 has a half-circle opening defined by an adjustable strap, such as a buckle, plastic snap, or Velcro® closure system.
A carrying bag 50 can generally be described as having a top side 52, a bottom side 54 opposite the top side 52, two lateral sides 56 (only one shown) opposite each other and adjacent to the top 52 and bottom sides 54, and front 58 and back sides 60 opposite each other, and adjacent to the top 52, bottom 54, and two lateral sides 56. Typically, carrying bags 50 may further comprise a handle 62, shoulder straps 64, and a closure system 66. Examples of carrying bags 50 that may be used with the present invention include, but are not limited to, backpacks, duffel bags, suitcases, tote bags, sports bags, diaper bags, and the like.
The hat clip system of the present invention can be used to avoid current problems associated with carrying a headwear 10 on or in a carrying bag 50. As shown in
The distance between the first holder 100 and the second holder 200 is generally dictated by the distance between the front end 30 of the shading means 14 and the back portion of the securing means 12. Generally, the first holder 100 holds the shading means 14 and the second holder 200 holds the securing means 12 at the back portion 24 as shown in
Each holder 100, 200 comprises its own support 102, 202 and retaining arm 104, 204 connected to their respective support 102, 202. Each support 102, 202 is fastened to the carrying bag 50 and each retaining arm 104, 204 connects to the headwear 10. The supports 102, 202 can be made of any material and fastened to the carrying bag 50 by any fastener 150, reversible or irreversible. For example, the supports 102, 202 may be a piece of fabric, wood, metal, plastic, synthetic fiber, and the like. Irreversible fasteners include glue, adhesives, stitches, rivets, and the like. Reversible fasteners include hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buttons, hooks, zippers, screws, bolts, and like.
Utilizing reversible fasteners has the advantage of improving versatility of the holders 100, 200 by permitting the holders 100, 200 to be positioned at various distances from each other to accommodate headwear 10 of different sizes. For example, the side 56 of the carrying bag 50 may comprise a long strip of hooks or loops of a hook-and-loop fastener 150. The supports 102, 202 may comprise the reciprocal loops or hooks 152 of the hook-and-loop fastener. Therefore, the two supports 100, 200 can be fastened to the backpack 50 on the strip at various distances from each other within the length of the strip 150.
The retaining arms 104, 204 of each holder 100, 200 may be the same or may differ in characteristics due to the differences between the shading means 14 of a headwear and the back portion 24 of the headwear.
In the preferred embodiment, the first holder 100 is configured to secure the shading means 14, particularly for shading means that are generally rigid or semi-rigid like the bill of baseball caps and visors. Therefore, the first retaining arm 104 of the first holder 100 may be connected to the first support 102 at one end, leaving a free end 106 at the opposite end. The first retaining member 104 is connected to the first support 102 in such a way as to create a biasing force towards the first support 102 to create a resistance fit for the shading means 14 in between the first support 102 and the first retaining arm 104. In other words, the first retaining arm 104 and the first support 102 may form a generally “U”-shaped or hook-shaped configuration so that the first retaining arm 104 can pinch the shading means 14 against the first support 102. In some embodiments, the free end 106 may pucker or bend outwardly away from the first support 102 to facilitate sliding the shading means 14 in between the first support 102 and first retaining arm 104. By utilizing a retaining arm 104 having some structural integrity, the shading means 14 of the headwear 10 is protected during transport, where it would otherwise be susceptible to crushing. In the preferred embodiment, the length of the first retaining arm 104 is approximately the length of shading means 14 so that the free end 106 abuts the front portion 18 of the headwear 10 when properly seated as shown in
In some embodiments, the first retaining arm 104 may not necessarily be biased towards the first support 102. The first retaining arm 104 may simply provide an open ledge 108, created by the U-shaped bend 110, upon which the shading means 14 can rest without any biasing force.
The second holder 200 is configured to hold the back portion 24 of a headwear 10. Like the first holder 100, the second holder 200 comprises a support portion 202 that attaches to the carrying bag 50. As such, the second support 202 may have the same or similar characteristics as the first support 102. The second holder 200 also has a retaining arm 202 having a first end 212 attached to the second support 202, and a second end 214 opposite the first end 212. In some embodiments, the second retaining arm 204 of the second holder 200 may be the same as or similar to the first retaining arm 104 of the first holder 100. Thus, the second retaining arm 204 may be a hook or a hook biased towards the second support member 202.
The backside of most caps and visors have a hole defined by a portion of the back of the cap or visor and the adjustable strap. The second retaining arm 204 of the second holder 200 may be inserted through the hole defined by the back of the cap and the adjustable strap, and the bill 14 of the cap can be inserted into the first retaining arm 104 of the first holder 100. This secures the headwear 10 on to the carrying bag 50 without deforming the headwear.
In some embodiments, the second retaining arm 204 of the second holder 200 may be movably connected to the second support 202. For example, the second retaining arm 204 of the second holder 200 may be hingedly, elastically, or flexibly connected to the second support 202, thereby permitting an open configuration and a closed configuration. The closed configuration would be where the second support 202 and second retaining arm 204 are adjacent and parallel to each other, thereby forming a U-shaped configuration with a very narrow gap between the second support 202 and the second retaining arm 204. The gap is sufficiently narrow to obstruct the removal of the headwear 10. Alternatively, the closed configuration may be where the second end 214 of the second retaining arm 204 is attached to the second support 202 or the carrying back 50. In the embodiment where the second retaining arm 204 is hingedly connected to the second support 202, a spring may bias the second retaining arm 204 towards the second support 202. The second retaining arm 204 rotates about the hinge that connects the second retaining arm 204 to the second support 202 to be in the closed or open configuration.
In the embodiment where the second retaining arm 20 is elastically connected to the second support 202, the junction 206 between the second support 202 and the second retaining arm 204 may have a bend causing the second retaining arm 204 to bias towards the second support 202. To place the second retaining arm 204 in the open configuration, the user need only to pull the second retaining arm 204 away from the second support 202. In the elastic connection, the bend deforms slightly to an open configuration. Release of the second retaining arm 204 would cause the second retaining arm 204 to rotate back to its original position either due to a spring or due to the elasticity in the bend. The elasticity may be due to the material used to create the bend. For example, the second retaining arm 204 and second support 202 may be made of a material that allows the second retaining arm 204 to be pulled away from the second support 202 without causing damage, such as metal or plastic. Due to the elastic property, however, upon release of the second retaining arm 204, the second retaining arm 204 would return back to its normal position abutting or adjacent to the second support 202.
In embodiments in which the second retaining arm 204 is flexibly connected to the second support 202, the second support 202 may be the same as or similar to the previous embodiments discussed above; however, the second retaining arm 204 may be made of a non-rigid material, such as a synthetic or non-synthetic fabric or textile material and the like. The second retaining arm 204 and second support 202 may also have a fastener 208, 210 to allow the second retaining arm 204 to fasten to the second support 202 or the bag 50. The second retaining arm 204 can then be looped through the hole in the back of the headwear created by the adjustable strap and secured to the second support 202 to retain the back portion of the hat 10 against the carrying bag 50 and/or the second support 202. The second retaining arm 204 can be secured to the second support 202 or the carrying bag 50 with a quick-release fastener such as a hook-and-loop fastener, snap button, magnets, and the like.
In an alternate embodiment, the second retaining arm 204 may directly abut or bias against the carrying bag 50 instead of the second support 202. For example, the second retaining arm 204 may be positioned generally 180 degrees relative to the second support 202 so that the second retaining arm 204 extends from the second support 202 in the opposite direction of the second support 202, but along the carrying bag 50. Therefore, rather than clipping or hooking the adjustable strap of the headwear 10 against the second support 202, the adjustable strap is directly clipped or hooked against the carrying bag 50 wall 56. The second retaining arm 204 may secure the adjustable strap to the carrying bag 50 with a biasing mechanism or a fastener as discussed above.
In use, the user simply inserts the shading means 14 into the first holder 100 by wedging the shading means in between the first support 102 and the first retaining member 104. The first retaining member 104 may have to be pulled back in order to insert the shading means 14. Once the shading means 14 is secured, the user can insert the second retaining member 204 through the hole in the headwear 10 at the back of the securing means, and optionally, fasten the second retaining member 204 to the second support 202.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims appended hereto.
This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/657,529 entitled “Hat Holder for Carrying Bags,” filed Jun. 8, 2012, which application is incorporated in its entirety here by this reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61657529 | Jun 2012 | US |
