Patent Application
20100122400
This invention relates to headwear and footwear. More particularly, this invention relates to headwear and footwear having a flexible wood veneer on the visor and straps, respectively.
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a long, stiff visor that may either be curved or flat. The back of the cap may have a plastic, hook and loop, or elastic adjuster so that it can be quickly adjusted to fit different wearers. Traditionally, the visor is worn forward, shielding the eyes of the wearer from the sun, but it is also often worn backwards or at other angles. Baseball caps are normally sewn in six sections, and may be topped with a matching fabric-covered button on the crown. Metal grommets or fabric eyelets are often sewn or attached near the top of each of the six sections of fabric to provide ventilation. In some cases, the rear sections of the crown are made of net-like mesh material for extra ventilation. The bill is typically stiffened by a sewn-in piece of paperboard and/or cardboard. Baseball caps are made of many types of material and shaped in various styles for different purposes.
In spite of their popularity, baseball hats suffer from design flaws. For example, because the visor usually employs a layer of cardboard, i.e., an “insert board”, to provide the requisite stiffness, baseball hats are susceptible to water-damage. Specifically, because of the water-degradable nature of the visor, water contact causes the visor to buckle, degrade, or otherwise become unsightly. Furthermore, baseball hats are typically sold with an unformed or flat visor, thus requiring the wearer to initially shape and continually reshape the visor so as to adequately shade the face of the wearer. Finally, baseball hats have a limited lifespan due to the poor durability of the insert board material, i.e.: the visor is susceptible to rips or tears.
In order to maintain the shape of the visor, other materials, such as plastics, and other devices, such as braces, have been used. However, this results in loss of flexibility of the visor.
Sandals and/or flip-flops are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps passing over the instep. They are a very basic type of footwear. They consist essentially of a sole with two simple straps running in a Y shape from the sides of the foot to the join between the big toe and next toe. Some include a strap along the back heel. The straps may be made from a variety of natural or synthetic fabrics and textures, such as leather, rubber, nylon, vinyl, and heavy fabric. The straps may also be adorned with decorative jewels.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a visor and/or sandal straps that are flexible and may be shaped and bent without cracking. In addition, they are water-resistant, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. Specifically, the aforementioned advantages are achieved by positioning a flexible wood veneer layer over the visor and/or strap. In this way, the wood veneer layer is the external, visible layer.
In one embodiment, one layer of engineered paperbacked wood veneer is used to cover the visor and/or strap. This single layer of thin wood veneer with the attached adhesive paper is able to flex and bend using a process that involves a breaking down of the natural fibers of the wood through a mechanical tenderizing process. This mechanical tenderizing process produces a flexible, bendable paperbacked veneer. The wood veneer may be obtained from a tropical or domestic tree species.
The wood veneer layer is then attached to the visor and/or strap with a flexible water-based adhesive that will not crack on bending. In another embodiment, the wood veneer layer may be treated with a waterproofing agent in order to provide the visor and/or strap with water-repellent properties. This may be a clear coating of water-based polyurethane or similar water-based finishes.
In an alternative embodiment, the wood veneer layer may be treated with scented essential oils. In another alternative embodiment, the visor and/or strap may include an ornamental design.
The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and not to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter.
Veneer refers to thin slices of wood. Veneer is obtained either by “peeling” the trunk of a tree or by slicing large rectangular blocks of wood known as flitches. Paper backed veneer is as the name suggests, veneers that are backed with a paper. The advantage to this is it is available in large sizes, or sheets, as smaller pieces are joined together prior to adding the backing. This is also helpful when veneering curves and columns as the veneer is less likely to crack. There are a number of “patterns” common to veneered work. This refers to the way the veneers are laid up. A book matched pattern is where the veneers are opened from the flitch much like the pages of a book.
Referring to
Referring to
Veneer layer 20 may be any type of wood that has gone through the paper backing manufacturing process. Woods suitable for use as veneer layer 20 include, but are not limited to, tropical woods such as: Hawaiian koa, Brazilian koa, eucalyptus, camphor, ebony, sapele, African angire, teak, or lacewood, or domestic woods such as: oak, walnut, maple, cherry, mahogany, or pine. In one embodiment, veneer layer 20 may be positioned on base layer 18 as one solid wood grain pattern. In an alternative embodiment, veneer layer 20 may be positioned on base layer 18 with a seam down the middle, e.g. in a book matched pattern, such that the grain pattern on the left side of veneer layer 20 is a mirror image of the grain pattern on the right side of veneer layer 20.
Veneer layer 20 is cut from a larger sheet of wood veneer to fit the shape of base layer 18. Veneer layer 20 is sanded until smooth, then a layer of shellac or sanding sealer is brushed or sprayed on veneer layer 20 to seal and fill the pores of veneer layer 20. In addition to sealing the wood, the sealer highlights tones and colors of the wood. Veneer layer 20 is then sanded again, and a clear layer of water-based polyurethane is applied to seal and protect veneer layer 20 from water, sun, dirt, or grease. The water-based polyurethane, referred to as “polycrylic” allows for flexibility of veneer layer 20.
Veneer layer 20 is attached to base layer 18 of visor 14 using a water-based adhesive. An example of a commercially available water-based adhesive suitable for use in the present invention is Wilsonart® H2O water-based contact adhesive.
When veneer layer 20 is attached to base layer 18, visor 14 may be bent and shaped to a desired curvature, ranging from 0 to 110 degrees.
In addition to providing an aesthetically pleasing wood grain appearance, veneer layer 20 provides a durable surface upon which an ornamental design 16, such as a company symbol, insignia, or trademark that is visible on the wood surface, may be affixed. Ornamental design 16 may be etched, burned, painted, or silkscreened onto veneer layer 20. In an alternative embodiment, veneer layer 20 may be treated with scented essential oils to provide the wearer with an aromatherapy experience.
Head encompassing portion 12 and base layer 18 of visor 14 may be constructed in accordance with any known method and of any desirable material. Example materials may consist of but are not limited to: cotton, polyester blends, microfiber, hemp, and organic cotton. Head encompassing portion 12 may be made in different sizes to fit a variety of wearers. Head encompassing portion 12 may incorporate an adjustment means so that cap 10 will fit the circumference of the head of a variety of wearers. The adjustment means may be an elastic band, tab and slot adjustment straps, and/or hook and loop fasteners.
An alternative embodiment is shown in
Referring to
In one embodiment, veneer layer 20′ may be positioned on base layer 18′ in two pieces, one on each side of toe separator 34. In an alternative embodiment, veneer layer 20′ may be affixed to base layer 18′ as one piece.
When veneer layer 20′ is attached to base layer 18′, strap 36 may be bent and shaped to a desired curvature. An ornamental design may also be applied to strap 36. Strap 36 may be made from a variety of natural or synthetic fabrics and textures, such as leather, rubber, nylon, vinyl, and heavy fabric.
The foregoing has been a detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the invention. Various modifications and additions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope if this invention. Each of the various embodiments described above may be combined with other described embodiments in order to provide multiple features. Furthermore, while the foregoing describes a number of separate embodiments of the apparatus and method of the present invention, what has been described herein is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, this description is meant to be taken only by way of example, and not to otherwise limit the scope of this invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/111,201 filed Apr. 29, 2008, which is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12111201 | Apr 2008 | US |
| Child | 12692576 | US |
