Patent Application
20060117460
Headgear, such as visors and baseball hats, has been in use for quite some time. Baseball hats and visors typically include some sort of strip fastener in the back which helps maintain the headgear on the head of a user. Some visors implement clip-on fasteners. Once fastened on a user's head, the baseball hat conventionally provides a relatively small cutout at the back of the crown portion for ventilation purposes.
It is fairly common for wearers of such hats and visors to bundle their hair into one of more “pony tails” if the wearers have long hair. The pony-tail hair style enables the wearer to pull a portion of his/her hair, proximal to the scalp, tightly over the head while allowing a distal bundled portion of the hair to extend out from the hat or visor.
Baseball hats provide full protection of the upper head portion from the elements, but fail on the ease of use scale for wearers with long hair. Securing a baseball hat on a user with a pony-tail hair style is a relatively complicated procedure. The user normally struggles to pass the thick pony-tail bundle of hair through the small back cutout of the hat before attempting to secure the strip fastener in the back. Pony-tail hair styles are easier to handle with clip-on visors. However, such visors do not provide any protection of the upper head portion from the elements.
Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are generally directed to a headwear piece.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the headwear piece comprises a crown portion having side flaps and an open back adapted to pass through a user's bundle of hair, and a visor portion conjoined with the crown portion. The headwear piece also comprises a substantially elastic headband portion being operatively affixed at the juncture of the crown and visor portions. The headband portion is adapted at each end to engage one of the side flaps. The engaged side flaps are used to resiliently clip the crown portion onto a user's head.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the headwear piece comprises a crown portion having first and second side flaps and an open back adapted to pass through a user's bundle of hair, and a visor portion conjoined with the crown portion. The headwear piece also comprises a headband portion being operatively affixed at the juncture of the crown and visor portions. The headband portion includes a resiliently shaped strip and a padded sweatband being enclosed in a casing. The resiliently shaped strip has first and second ends, and a substantially arc-shaped configuration in a first unstretched state. The first and second ends are adapted respectively to engage the first and second side flaps. The engaged side flaps are used to resiliently clip the crown portion onto a user's head.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from a review of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the invention.
The invention is generally shown by way of reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the exemplary embodiments may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the exemplary embodiments in connection with the illustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by is different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Some embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the related drawings of
Crown portion 12 includes a curved front wall 20 (
Headband portion 16 may be constructed from a resiliently shaped plastic or metal strip 30 being enclosed in a flexible casing 32, as generally depicted in
Each end of strip 30 is received by a respective side flap (22, 24) with each side flap being adapted to securely retain the same. When headwear piece 10 is worn on the user's head, side flaps 22, 24 frictionally adhere crown portion 12 to the user's head, i.e. exhibit “clip on” functionality. When worn, the clip-on headwear piece 10 may be quickly and easily adjusted by the user, as needed. The clip-on side flaps 22, 24 allow crown portion 12 to conform comfortably to the user's head. Back opening 28 provides additional comfort by easily accommodating a wearer's long hair. No time and/or effort are expended fastening headwear piece 10 in the back, as conventionally practiced.
Flexible casing 32 may be provided with an external padded sweatband 34, as generally shown in
In accordance with an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a headband portion 36 includes a resiliently shaped plastic or metal strip 38 and a padded sweatband 40 being enclosed within a flexible casing 42, as generally illustrated in
Padded sweatband 40 is sandwiched between arc-shaped strip 38 and flexible casing 42, as generally illustrated in
When headwear piece 10 incorporates headband portion 36 (instead of headband portion 16 and sweatband 34 of
A person skilled in the art would appreciate that exemplary embodiments described hereinabove are merely illustrative of the general principles of the present invention. Other modifications or variations may be employed that reside within the scope of the invention. Thus, by way of example, but not of limitation, alternative configurations may be utilized in accordance with the teachings herein. Accordingly, the drawings and description are illustrative and not meant to be a limitation thereof.
Moreover, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Thus, it is intended that the invention cover all embodiments and variations thereof as long as such embodiments and variations come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
