HAT WITH GLASSES HOLDING SLEEVE ASSEMBLYS

Abstract

Structures for retaining sunglasses on a hat, such as a baseball cap, are disclosed. Such structures may be in the form of sleeve assemblies that are attached to either side of the hat and configured to retain the temples of glasses. Various embodiments enable glasses to be positioned on the brim of the hat while being secured by placing the temples of the glasses through the sleeve assemblies. In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies may be provided in a kit for application to hat.

Description

SUMMARY

Various embodiments include hats, such as baseball caps, of various configurations that include a sleeve assembly on either side of the hat in proximity to a brim, with the sleeve assemblies assembly including an outer layer of fabric or flexible material and an inner non-slip coating or lining material, with the sleeve assembly configured to receive the temples of glasses and hold the glasses in place to prevent them from falling off. The outer layer of flexible material may be any of a number of materials, including for example cotton, wool, polyester, Spandex®, vinyl, leather, denim, elastane, polymer fabric, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and similar materials. The inner coating or lining may be any non-slip or tacky material to resist inadvertent removal of the temples (or other items), including for example, rubber, foam rubber, neoprene, polypropylene, and similar materials.

In some embodiments, each sleeve assembly may be formed by sewing or otherwise attaching the outer layer of fabric or flexible material and the inner non-slip coating or lining to either side of the hat with stitching or other means of attachments on a top and bottom edge, thereby creating a sleeve assembly into which the temples of glasses can fit. In some embodiments, each sleeve assembly is formed of a single piece of fabric or flexible material with an inner non-slip coating or lining, both of which are folded over to form the sleeve assembly, with the sleeve assembly attached to the hat by stitching, glue, rivets, staples, Velcro®, or other means. In some embodiments, each sleeve assembly is formed by two combinations of fabric or flexible material and inner non-slip coating or lining that are stitched, stapled, glued, riveted, etc. on top and bottom edges so as to form the sleeve assembly with inner non-slip coating or lining, with the sleeve assembly then attached to the hat by stitching, glue, adhesive, rivets, staples, magnets, Velcro®, or other means.

Some embodiments include a kit that includes two sleeve assemblies formed from an outer fabric or flexible material and an inner non-slip coating or lining with an interior dimension suitable for accepting the temples of glasses, and an adhesive that is applied to, or may be applied to the sleeve assemblies by a user for attaching the sleeve assemblies to either side of a hat.

In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies may include designs, lettering, decals, or other insignia or markings on an exterior surface. In various embodiments, the outer fabric or flexible material may be printed, such as with ink or thermal printing.

In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies, either on a hat or as kits to be applied to a hat, may further include a Velcro® patch on an outer surface of the outer layer configured to securing items that have a complementary Velcro® layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in the description of embodiments of the disclosure and are provided solely for illustration of the embodiments and not limitation thereof.

FIGS. 1-5 show side, front, back and perspective views of a hat with sleeve assemblies attached according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 6-9 show various views of a hat with sleeve assemblies and a pair of sunglasses inserted into the sleeve assemblies according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show various views of a hat with sleeve assemblies and a pencil inserted into one sleeve assembly according to various embodiments.

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of a sleeve assembly formed of two pieces of fabric or flexible material.

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment of a sleeve assembly formed of a single piece of fabric or flexible material.

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of a sleeve assembly in which a front facing opening of the sleeve assembly is larger than a back-facing opening.

FIG. 15-21 show details of alternative configurations of the sleeve assembly according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. References made to particular examples and implementations are for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular. Any implementation described herein as an “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over another implementation. The drawings are not drawn to scale. Multiple instances of an element may be duplicated where a single instance of the element is illustrated, unless absence of duplication of elements is expressly described or clearly indicated otherwise.

It is a common practice for people to temporarily place their sunglasses or vision correction glasses on top of their hat. While the brim of a hat provides a handy shelf for holding glasses temporarily, movement of the head easily causes the glasses to fall off the cap.

Various embodiments solve this problem by providing sleeve assemblies on either side of the hat adjacent to the brim with the sleeve assemblies configured to accept glasses temples (which are the arms that extend away from the lenses to slip over the ears), as well as other objects, such as pencils, golf tees, a cigarette, etc. With the temples inserted in the sleeve assemblies and the glasses resting on the brim, the glasses will be secured on top of the hat. The sleeve assemblies include a nonslip coating or layer that helps to hold the temples in place while inserted within the sleeve assemblies.

The sleeve assemblies include an outer layer made of fabric or any flexible material and may be a single layer or double layer that that is attached to the hat by various means. Fabric used in the outer layer may be any form of fabric including, for example, cotton, wool, polyester, Spandex®, denim, elastane, polymer fabric, etc. Other flexible materials that may be used for the outer layer include, without limitation, PVC, vinyl, leather, plastic, metal foil, metalized plastic, etc.

The sleeve assemblies also include an inner coating or layer made of nonslip material, such as rubber, foam rubber, neoprene, polypropylene, and similar materials The purpose of the nonslip inner layer is to provide a firmer grip to resist inadvertent movement of temples of glasses, pencils, golf tees, or other objects during rapid head movements. For example, the nonslip inner layer may securely grip sunglasses while a baseball player is running, throwing or catching a fly ball.

The sleeve assemblies may be formed in a variety of configurations, but generally are sized and configured so as to provide a snug fit for the temples of glasses, thereby better retaining the glasses on the hat. As an example, each sleeve assembly may be approximately two inches by one inch (2″×1″), but the size may vary, such as depending upon the style of hat on which the sleeve assemblies are attached.

The sleeve assemblies may be attached to any form of hat, including ball caps, hardhats, cowboy hats, sun visors, fedoras, etc. The sleeve assemblies may also be attached to other forms of headwear that does not include brim, such as surgical caps, berets, etc. The sleeve assemblies may be attached on each side of the hat so as to accommodate the temples of glasses, as well as other objects including pencils, tools, golf tees, cigarettes, etc. The sleeve assemblies may be attached to the hat using any form of attachment suitable for the materials used in the sleeve assemblies and the materials. Examples of attachment techniques include sewing, gluing, riveting, magnets, Velcro®, and combinations of any of these techniques. In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies are attached to the hat at the time of manufacture, such as by sewing or riveting. In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies may be provided separately (i.e., separate from a hat), such as in a kit including an adhesive on one surface so that the assemblies can be attached to any hat by an individual.

In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies may be configured so that the outermost surface includes illustrations or logos, such as by embroidering, printing (e.g., ink printed, UV printed or heat printed), or a patch. The method used for including an illustration or logo on the outermost surface may depend upon the material used for the outer layer as well as the type of illustration or logo desired.

An example embodiment in which sleeve assemblies 102 are attached to a hat 100 is shown in FIGS. 1-5. As shown in these figures, the sleeve assemblies 102 may be positioned on the hat 100 on either side and in proximity to the brim 104. While FIGS. 1-5 show a ball cap implementation, various embodiments may be implemented in a similar manner on hardhats, cowboy hats, sun visors, fedoras, surgical caps, berets, etc.

FIGS. 6-9 show the example embodiment with a pair of sunglasses 106 inserted into the sleeve assemblies 102 and resting on the brim 104 of the hat 100 as consistent with a typical use of various embodiments. In a similar manner, surgical caps may be equipped with sleeve assemblies for holding reading glasses and/or nonsterile. As another example, hardhats are hats for construction workers may be equipped with sleeve assemblies for holding safety glasses when not in use. Sun visors may similarly be equipped with sleeve assemblies for holding sunglasses when not in use.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show an example embodiment in which a pencil 108 is inserted into one of the sleeve assemblies 102, illustrating further uses of the sleeve assemblies.

In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies 102 may be formed by coupling together two pieces of fabric or flexible material plus the non-slip inner coating or layer with stitching or other bonding methods on the top and bottom edges, thereby forming a sleeve assembly interior therebetween. An example of this embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 12. As illustrated in this FIG. 12, a sleeve assembly 102 may be formed by attaching a first piece of fabric or flexible material 202 and a first non-slip coating or layer 203 to a second piece of fabric or flexible material 204 and a second non-slip coating or layer 205 along a top edge 206 and a bottom edge 208 by stitching or other means of joining the two fabric layers together known in the art, including stitching, adhesives, staples, rivets, etc. By joining the top and bottom edges 206, 208 of the products/flexible materials together as illustrated, an interior opening 210 is formed suitable for receiving the temples of glasses or other objects. In some embodiments, the first and second pieces of fabric or flexible material 202, 204 may be the same material. Similarly, the first and second non-slip coating or layer 203, 205 may be the same material. In some embodiments, the first and second pieces of fabric/flexible material 202, 204 may be different materials. In some embodiments, the first and second non-slip coatings or layers 203, 205 may be different materials.

In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies 102 may be coated on one side with an adhesive 212 that may be used to attach the sleeve assembly 102 to a hat 100. In some embodiments, the adhesive may be pre-applied when the sleeve assemblies are fabricated. In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies 102 may have a magnet or ferrometal on one side configured to attach by magnetic forces to a magnet or ferrometal that is positioned on the hat 100 (e.g., by stitching, glue, rivet, etc.). In some embodiments, the magnets/ferrometal may be pre-applied when the sleeve assemblies are fabricated, while in some embodiments that sleeve assemblies 102 may be sold with magnets or ferrometal pieces to be applied to any hat (e.g., using glue or an adhesive). In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies 102 may be provided in a kit that includes a separate container (not shown) of adhesive that a user can apply to the sleeve assemblies prior to bonding the sleeve assemblies to a cap. The use of an adhesive 212 for attaching the sleeve assemblies 102 to a hat 100 may be particularly useful for hats with a hard exterior surface, such as a hard hat.

In some embodiments, a sleeve assembly 102 may be formed from a single piece of fabric or other flexible material 202 and nonslip coating or layer 203 that is folded over and sealed on an average as illustrated in FIG. 13. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 13, a sleeve assembly 102 is formed by folding the fabric or other flexible material 202 and nonslip coating or layer 203, thereby forming a fold 220, and stitching, gluing, riveting, thermal bonding (or other means of joining materials) the two sides of the sleeve assembly together on an edge 208. This forms an interior portion 210 of the sleeve assembly suitable for receiving the temples of glasses or other objects with the nonslip coating or layer (e.g., rubber, neoprene, polypropylene, etc.) serving to hold the temples or other objects in place during activities of the wearer.

FIG. 13 also illustrates a further embodiment that includes a pre-applied adhesive 222 covered by a removable (i.e., “peel-off”) protective sheet 224. This embodiment enables the adhesive to be applied during manufacture of the sleeve assembly. The peel-off protective sheet 224 ensures that the adhesive 222 remains clean until peeled off by the user at the time the sleeve assembly 102 is attached to a hat 100. This embodiment enables the sleeve assemblies to be sold as a kit separate from hats. In this embodiment, images, logos or patches may be imprinted on or attached to the non-adhesive side of the sleeve assemblies, enabling purchasers to select a particular image or logo to place on their hat. Again, images, logos and patches may be attached to the sleeve assembly outer surface 202 using printing, embroidering, or gluing on a patch.

FIG. 13 also illustrates a further embodiment in which each sleeve assembly 102 includes a cut out or opening 230 along the length of the sleeve assembly that is positioned on the sleeve assembly so as to enable the curved portion of temples to exit through the opening. Some glasses have straight temples (known as “library temples”), while many glasses have temples that curve downward (known as “riding bow temples”) or are wires that curve around the ears (known as “comfort cable temples”). This opening thus accepts glasses that have temples featuring a curved portion, while also accepting glasses with straight temples. This embodiment of including a cut out or opening 230 may be implemented in any of the configurations of sleeve assemblies illustrated herein.

FIG. 14 illustrates a further embodiment in which each sleeve assembly 300 has a shape akin to a truncated triangle so that the opening 312 of the sleeve assembly at a back end is larger than the opening 310 at the front end. FIG. 14 illustrates an example of how such an embodiment may be fabricated by joining two truncated triangular shaped pieces of fabric or flexible material 302, 304 with inner nonslip layers 303 along a top edge 306 and a bottom edge 308. This embodiment also may accommodate glasses with temples that are either straight or curved.

In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies may include designs, lettering, decals, or other insignia or markings on an exterior surface. Such sleeve assemblies may be provided as a kit that includes two sleeve assemblies of various embodiments each having a particular design, logo, lettering or image (e.g., of an athletic team, university, company, product, activity, etc.), and an adhesive 212 that may be covered by a protective sheet 222 or separately provided in a tube or other suitable container. The adhesive may be any form of adhesive suitable for joining one fabric to another. Such a kit would enable a user to customize a hat with sleeve assemblies to secure glasses (e.g., sunglasses).

FIGS. 15-21 illustrate details of the materials of sleeve assemblies of different embodiment configurations coupled to a hat in various embodiment configurations.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, in some embodiments, the sleeve assembly 102 may be formed by stitching a single piece of fabric or flexible material 202 to the hat 100 with stitches 402 on a top and bottom edge surface, thereby creating the interior 210 of the sleeve assembly between the hat material 100 and the sleeve assembly fabric/flexible material 202. The attachment of the sleeve assembly material to the hat may be by any suitable method or structure known in the art, including stitching, adhesives, staples, rivets, etc.

FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment in which the inner nonslip layer 203 is provided on one side of the interior 210, such as attached (e.g., by stitching or adhesive) to the hat 100. FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment in which the inner nonslip layer 203 is provided on an interior side of the outer fabric or flexible material 202. In either embodiment, the nonslip layer 203 may be of any material (e.g., rubber, neoprene, polypropylene, etc.) that may serve to provide a better grip on temples or other objects.

FIG. 17 illustrates an embodiment in which the sleeve assembly 102 is configured so the interior 210 is formed within the sleeve assembly encircled by the outer fabric or flexible material 202 and inner nonslip layer 203. Such an embodiment may be formed by stitching, riveting or bonding the fabric or flexible material 202 and inner nonslip layer 203 on top and bottom edges (e.g., 206, 208) as illustrated in FIG. 12 or folding materials and stitching, riveting or bonding the fabric or flexible material 202 and inner nonslip layer 203 on a bottom edge (e.g., 208) as illustrated in FIG. 13. Other methods of tubular assembly of the outer fabric or flexible material 202 and inner nonslip layer 203 may be used. FIG. 17 also illustrates that such an assembly may be attached to the hat 100 along one surface 212 such as through the use of an adhesive or magnets (or a magnet on either the sleeve assembly 102 or the hat 100 and ferrometal on either the hat 100 or the sleeve assembly 102). FIG. 17 also illustrates how the sleeve assemblies 102 that are provided as a kit, such as with an adhesive 212 covered by a protective sheet 222, will appear when attached to a hat 100.

FIGS. 18-20 illustrate further embodiments in which the sleeve assemblies 102 further include a Velcro® patch 404 positioned on an exterior surface. The Velcro® patch 404 may be useful for temporarily attaching items to the patch, such as a pencil or light tool that is configured with a corresponding Velcro patch. For example, the Velcro patch 404 may be the hook portion of Velcro, so that items, such as a pencil that has a loop portion of Velcro glued to it can be attached to a sleeve assembly 102 without having to insert the pencil into the sleeve assembly, which may already be filled with the temples of a pair of glasses. Alternatively, the Velcro patch 404 may be the loop portion of Velcro, so that items, such as a pencil that has a hook portion of Velcro glued to it can be attached to a sleeve assembly 102. The method of forming and attaching the sleeve assemblies 102 illustrated in FIGS. 18-20 may be formed and include the materials as described for like numbered items in corresponding FIGS. 15-17.

FIG. 21 illustrates a further embodiment for how the sleeve assemblies may be formed on a hat. In this embodiment, rather than applying the sleeve assemblies to a side of the hat 100, the sleeve assemblies may be formed by attaching the fabric or flexible outer layer 202 and inner nonslip layer 203 to the bottom edge 406 of the hat 100 such that the interior 210 that will receive the temples of glasses or other objects is formed along or adjacent to the bottom edge 406. In such embodiments, the fabric or flexible outer layer 202 and inner nonslip layer 203 may be attached to the bottom edge 406 of the hat 100 using stitching, riveting, bonding, adhesives, or other suitable attachment methods.

In summary, various embodiments include a hat that includes a pair of sleeve assemblies positioned on either side of the hat and configured to receive temples of glasses, in which each sleeve assembly may include an outer fabric or flexible layer and an inner nonslip layer. In some embodiments, in which the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer are attached to the hat so as to form an opening between the inner nonslip layer. In some embodiments, the sleeve assembly may include the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer folded and joined together on an edge to form an interior opening encompassed by the inner nonslip layer, in which the sleeve assembly formed in this manner is affixed to the hat. In some embodiments, the sleeve assembly may include a first fabric or flexible layer and a first nonslip layer coupled to a second fabric or flexible layer and a second nonslip layer on a top edge and a bottom edge to create an interior portion. In some embodiments, the sleeve assemblies are attached to the hat by an adhesive on one surface of the sleeve assembly each sleeve assembly. In some embodiments, each sleeve assembly may include an adhesive applied to a surface of the sleeve assembly and a peel-off sheet applied over the adhesive, in which the adhesive and peel-off sheet are configured so that the peel-off sheet. In some embodiments, each sleeve assembly includes an opening along of a bottom portion of the sleeve assembly. In some embodiments, each sleeve assembly is configured with an opening in a back-facing portion that is larger than an opening on a front-facing portion. In some embodiments, the sleeve assembly further may include a Velcro® patch on an exterior surface. In some embodiments, the sleeve assembly surrounds a bottom edge of the hat.

Further embodiments include a sleeve assembly that includes an outer fabric or flexible layer, an inner nonslip layer, and an adhesive layer applied to one outer surface of the outer fabric or flexible layer, in which the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer are configured to form an interior opening sized to receive temples of glasses when attached to a hat. In some embodiments, the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer are folded and joined together on an edge to form the interior opening encompassed by the inner nonslip layer. In some embodiments, the sleeve assembly may include a first fabric or flexible layer and a first nonslip layer coupled to a second fabric or flexible layer and a second nonslip layer on a top edge and a bottom edge to create an interior portion. In some embodiments, the adhesive is applied to a surface of the sleeve assembly and covered by a peel-off sheet applied, in which the adhesive and peel-off sheet are configured so that the peel-off sheet protects the adhesive until it is removed for attaching the sleeve assembly to the hat. In some embodiments, the sleeve assembly includes an opening along of a bottom portion of the sleeve assembly. In some embodiments, the sleeve assembly is configured with an opening in a back-facing portion when applied to the hat that is larger than an opening on a front-facing portion. In some embodiments, the sleeve assembly further may include a Velcro® patch on an exterior surface.

Further embodiments include a kit that includes a sleeve assembly that includes an outer fabric or flexible layer and an inner nonslip layer, and an adhesive in a container, in which the adhesive is suitable for use in attaching the sleeve assembly to a hat. In some embodiments of the kit, the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer are folded and joined together on an edge to form the interior opening encompassed by the inner nonslip layer. In some embodiments of the kit, the sleeve assembly may include a first fabric or flexible layer and a first nonslip layer coupled to a second fabric or flexible layer and a second nonslip layer on a top edge and a bottom edge to create an interior portion.

While the disclosure has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is evident in view of the foregoing description that numerous alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Each of the embodiments described herein may be implemented individually or in combination with any other embodiment unless expressly stated otherwise or clearly incompatible. Accordingly, the disclosure is intended to encompass all such alternatives, modifications and variations which fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure and the following claims.

Claims

1. A hat, comprising: a pair of sleeve assemblies positioned on either side of the hat and configured to receive temples of glasses, wherein each sleeve assembly comprises an outer fabric or flexible layer and an inner nonslip layer.

2. The hat according the claim 1, wherein the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer are attached to the hat so as to form an opening between the inner nonslip layer.

3. The hat according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve assembly comprises the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer folded and joined together on an edge to form an interior opening encompassed by the inner nonslip layer, wherein the sleeve assembly formed in this manner is affixed to the hat.

4. The hat according the claim 1, wherein the sleeve assembly comprises a first fabric or flexible layer and a first nonslip layer coupled to a second fabric or flexible layer and a second nonslip layer on a top edge and a bottom edge to create an interior portion.

5. The claim according to claim 4, wherein the sleeve assemblies are attached to the hat by an adhesive on one surface of the sleeve assembly each sleeve assembly.

6. The hat according the claim 4, wherein each sleeve assembly comprises an adhesive applied to a surface of the sleeve assembly and a peel-off sheet applied over the adhesive, wherein the adhesive and peel-off sheet are configured so that the peel-off sheet protects the adhesive until it is removed for attaching the sleeve assembly to the hat.

7. The hat according to claim 1, wherein each sleeve assembly includes an opening along of a bottom portion of the sleeve assembly.

8. The hat according to claim 1, wherein each sleeve assembly is configured with an opening in a back-facing portion that is larger than an opening on a front-facing portion.

9. The hat according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve assembly further comprises a Velcro® patch on an exterior surface.

10. The hat according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve assembly surrounds a bottom edge of the hat.

11. A sleeve assembly, comprising: an outer fabric or flexible layer;an inner nonslip layer; andan adhesive layer applied to one outer surface of the outer fabric or flexible layer,wherein the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer are configured to form an interior opening sized to receive temples of glasses when attached to a hat.

12. The sleeve assembly according the claim 11, wherein the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer are folded and joined together on an edge to form the interior opening encompassed by the inner nonslip layer.

13. The sleeve assembly according the claim 11, wherein the sleeve assembly comprises a first fabric or flexible layer and a first nonslip layer coupled to a second fabric or flexible layer and a second nonslip layer on a top edge and a bottom edge to create an interior portion.

14. The sleeve assembly according to claim 11, wherein the adhesive is applied to a surface of the sleeve assembly and covered by a peel-off sheet applied, wherein the adhesive and peel-off sheet are configured so that the peel-off sheet protects the adhesive until it is removed for attaching the sleeve assembly to the hat.

15. The sleeve assembly according the claim 11, wherein the sleeve assembly includes an opening along of a bottom portion of the sleeve assembly.

16. The sleeve assembly according the claim 11, wherein the sleeve assembly is configured with an opening in a back-facing portion when applied to the hat that is larger than an opening on a front-facing portion.

17. The sleeve assembly according the claim 11, wherein the sleeve assembly further comprises a Velcro® patch on an exterior surface.

18. A kit, comprising: a sleeve assembly comprising: an outer fabric or flexible layer; andan inner nonslip layer; andan adhesive in a container, wherein the adhesive is suitable for use in attaching the sleeve assembly to a hat.

19. The kit according the claim 18, wherein the outer fabric or flexible layer and the inner nonslip layer are folded and joined together on an edge to form the interior opening encompassed by the inner nonslip layer.

20. The kit according the claim 11, wherein the sleeve assembly comprises a first fabric or flexible layer and a first nonslip layer coupled to a second fabric or flexible layer and a second nonslip layer on a top edge and a bottom edge to create an interior portion.