HEADWEAR WITH LAYERED CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for headwear including a headwear body comprising one or more panels, where at least one panel of the one or more panels is comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material including a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the second layer positioned intermediate the first layer and the third layer and comprised of a semi-rigid mesh material.

Description

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a headwear such as a hat including a three-layered sandwich construction.

BACKGROUND

Headwear may be utilized to shield a wearer from environmental hazards, such as sunlight, debris, rain, etc. A wearer may also perform various activities while wearing headwear. During some conditions and/or activities, a wearer may desire that the headwear be lightweight and breathable, and thus the headwear may be made from flexible material and/or include areas of breathable material, such as mesh panels. However, the inclusion of flexible and/or breathable material reduces the structural support in the headwear, which may result in unsightly bunching or wrinkling of the headwear. Further, some types of headwear, such as visors, demand a certain amount of structural integrity and thus incorporating flexible and/or breathable materials into these types of headwear may be challenging. For example, when a crown of a hat is insufficiently supported, the crown may fold over and have a visually unappealing appearance.

SUMMARY

The disclosure provides embodiments of headwear material construction that mitigate the above-described issues. For example, headwear according to the following disclosure may include a headwear body comprising one or more panels, where at least one panel of the one or more panels is comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material including a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the second layer positioned intermediate the first layer and the third layer and comprised of a semi-rigid mesh material. In this way, the semi-rigid mesh material may provide hidden structure to the headwear while also maintaining flexibility and breathability of the headwear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section view of a side panel of the headwear of FIG. 1 including a three-layer sandwich of material, according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of another example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of another example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section view of a side panel of the headwear of FIG. 1 including a three-layer sandwich of material, according to a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a left side view of an example headwear 100. Headwear 100 may include a brim 102 (e.g., a visor) extending from or otherwise carried by a hat body 104. In the illustrated example, the hat body 104 of the headwear 100 may include a crown 105 including a front panel 106 coupled to a side panel 108 and a size adjusting mechanism 110 coupled to the side panel 108 (only one side of the headwear 100 is shown in FIG. 1, and it is to be appreciated that a second side panel may be coupled to the size adjusting mechanism 110 and the front panel 106). The crown 105 may not cover the wearer's head, allowing a wearer's head to remain exposed to the environment while wearing the hat. The brim 102 may be coupled to the crown 105 along a bottom circumferential edge of the front panel 106 of the crown 105. In some embodiments, each panel (or the entirety of the hat body/brim) may include the same type of fabric or other material. In other embodiments, one or more panels (or the hat brim) may include a different type of material than the other panels. As will be explained in more detail below with respect to FIG. 2, at least one of the panels (e.g., the side panel 108) may be comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material that includes an intermediate structural layer that provides structural rigidity while also allowing for air venting and breathability.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an example three-layer sandwich of material 200 that may be included in one or more portions of headwear, such as headwear 100. In the example shown, FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through the side panel 108 of FIG. 1 taken across line A-A′. The three-layer sandwich of material 200 may include a first, outward-facing layer 202, a second, intermediate layer 204, and a third, inward-facing layer 206. Each layer of the three-layer sandwich of material 200 may be maintained separate from each other (e.g., with gaps therebetween) except at a top attachment segment and a bottom attachment segment, which may include a top stitching 208 and a bottom stitching 210, respectively, in some examples. Each of the top stitching 208 and the bottom stitching 210 may extend through each of the layers, thereby coupling the first layer 202 to the third layer 206 via the second layer 204. In other examples, two or more (e.g., all three) layers of the three-layer sandwich of material 200 may be joined together (e.g., via adhesive or fused via another mechanism such as compression, heat, RF welding).

The first layer 202 is positioned on an exterior of the headwear and may be comprised of a suitable material for providing desired qualities of the headwear (e.g., waterproof, sun resistant, reflective). For example, the first layer 202 may be comprised of a flexible woven, non-woven, or knit material, such as synthetic materials (e.g., polyester, nylon), natural materials (e.g., cotton), or blended materials (e.g., polyester and cotton). The first layer 202 may be tightly woven or knit such that visible holes between threads of the material are not present. In some examples, the first layer 202 may include a coating to enhance waterproofing or sun resistance.

The second layer 204 may be comprised of a semi-rigid, structural mesh material, such as polyester or another plastic material. The second layer 204 may include visible holes (e.g. having a width or diameter of 1-3 mm, as a non-limiting example) between the threads/material comprising the second layer 204, and thus may be referred to as an open hole mesh material. The holes/mesh of the second layer 204 may be mechanically provided holes that are generated via a knit material, needlepoint plastic webbing, or a semi-rigid solid material with die cut shapes (e.g., circles, ovals, triangles, etc.) removed to create the holes. The holes in the second layer 204 may be present uniformly across the second layer 204 at a suitable hole/pore density, such as 5-15 holes per square cm of material. In other examples, the hole/pore density may be smaller or larger, or the holes may be distributed non-uniformly, thereby providing areas of higher hole/pore density and areas of lower hole/pore density.

The second layer 204 may be more rigid than the first layer 202 and the third layer 206, which may provide structure to the three-layer sandwich of material 200. For example, the second layer 204 may not bend on itself under force of gravity (e.g., may not bend vertically) and may retain its shape unless acted on by a relatively strong force. However, the second layer 204 may maintain enough flexibility to conform to the shape of the wearer's head and/or to the shape of the headwear. For example, the second layer 204 may maintain its shape unless acted on by an external force, but when an external force acts on the second layer 204, the second layer 204 may bend or flex along at least one axis. The second layer 204 may be flexible such that the second layer 204, when bent or flexed via an external force, does not break. Further, because the second layer 204 is comprised of a mesh material, the second layer 204 may be breathable and may allow moisture wicking, unlike conventional structural materials such as buckram. The rigidity and/or thickness of the second layer may vary depending on a desired amount of structure the second layer 204 is intending to provide, which may be based on where the three-layer sandwich of material is positioned in the headwear (e.g., the crown versus a neck cape). For example, when the second layer 204 is comprised of a semi-rigid plastic mesh, the three-layer sandwich of material may be stiffer than when the second layer 204 is comprised of woven canvas with dissolving thread mechanical holes. However, in either example, the second layer 204 may be more rigid than the first layer 202 and more rigid than the third layer 206, thereby providing desired structure while allowing breathability.

Thus, the second layer 204 is a semi-rigid material that includes breathable gaps in a fabric or plastic mesh. The second layer 204 provides breathable structure and body to the three-layer sandwich of material 200, which allows the first layer 202 and the third layer 206 to be selected to provide desired technical properties (e.g., sun protection, waterproof, moisture wicking, etc.). The porous nature of the second layer 204 allows the first layer 202 and the third layer 206 to maintain desired function without altering the performance of these outer/inner layers while providing additional structure that may not be inherent to the first layer 202 and/or the third layer 206. The second layer 204 may act as an endoskeleton that does not hamper breathability while providing structure, and without negatively affecting the performance characteristics of the first or third layers. The second layer 204 may be woven, non-woven, or knit.

The third layer 206 is positioned on an interior of the headwear, such that the third layer 206 is configured to be positioned in contact with a head of a wearer of the headwear, at least along some portions of the third layer 206. In some examples third layer 206 may comprised of a flexible mesh material that is configured to wick moisture, such as polyester. The third layer 206 may include visible holes between the threads/material comprising the third layer 206, at least in some examples. However, in some examples, the third layer 206 may not be comprised of a mesh material and could be comprised of any material that provides a desired function (e.g., wicking, waterproof, water resistant, etc.). The third layer 206 may be woven, non-woven, or knit.

Returning to FIG. 1, the headwear 100 may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material shown in FIG. 2 in one or more regions of the headwear 100. For example, as described above, the side panel 108 (as well as the other side panel not shown in FIG. 1) may be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the side panel 108 may include the top stitching 208 and the bottom stitching 210 and the outward-facing material of the side panel 108 may be the first layer 202. In some examples, the front panel 106 may additionally or alternatively be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material.

In some examples, the headwear 100 may include an eyewear retainer 112 that includes a slit 114 providing access to one or more pockets or channels in the side panel 108. In some examples, the pocket(s) or channel(s) may be formed by the three-layer sandwich of material. For example, vertical stitching 116 on the side panel 108 proximate the slit 114 may act to couple together the first layer 202 and the second layer 204 but not the third layer 206, thereby creating an opening between the second layer 204 and the third layer 206 into which an earpiece of eyewear (e.g., sunglasses) may be inserted. In other examples, the vertical stitching 116 may act to couple together the second layer 204 and the third layer 206 but not the first layer 202, thereby creating an opening between the first layer 202 and the second layer 204 into which an earpiece of eyewear (e.g., sunglasses) may be inserted. In some examples, the three layers of the three-layer sandwich of material may be bonded together (e.g., via adhesive, fused), and thus to form the pockets or channels, two of the layers may not be bonded together at that region (e.g., the first and second layers may not be bonded at the opening and along the channel or pocket.

The first, second, and third layers of the three-layer sandwich of material may be joined together in a suitable manner. For example, all three layers may be stitched together throughout the body of the panel or other headwear element that includes the three-layer sandwich of material. In other examples, the second and third layers may be stitched together for a clean internal finish, and the first layer may be stitched to the second and third layers around only the edges of the panel/headwear element, which would minimize external stitch lines. Alternatively, the first and second layers may be stitched together throughout the body of the panel/headwear element while the third layer may only be stitched along the edges.

In still further examples, the three layers may be stitched together only along the edges of the panel/headwear element (e.g., without additional internal stitching), or the first and third layers may be stitched together along the edges and the second layer may be held in place via friction and/or via having a shape and size that corresponds to a shape and size of a pocket formed by the first and third layers. Further, depending on desired structural properties, a double sided breathable adhesive layer may be present at one or more regions of the three-layer sandwich of material, or the three layers may not be joined together at all via stitching or adhesive material. In examples where the second layer is stitched to the first and/or third layer, the stitch properties may vary based on the hole sizes of the second layer, e.g., larger holes may demand a different stitch density (e.g., stitches per inch) than smaller hole sizes. Further still, in some examples, a binding may be present around the edges of the panel to envelop the second layer.

The three-layer sandwich of material may be incorporated into different types of headwear. For example, FIG. 3 shows another example headwear 300 in the form of a cap. As described herein, the cap may include one or more regions (e.g., one or more panels, a sweatband, etc.) that are comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material, thus allowing the cap to benefit from additional hidden structure that is ultra-breathable, while also allowing the use of lightweight materials and still having a structured crown or paneling. Headwear 300 includes a brim 302 extending from or otherwise carried by a hat body 304. In the illustrated example, the hat body 304 of the headwear 300 may include a crown 305 including a front panel 306 coupled to a side panel 308 and a size adjusting mechanism 310 coupled to the side panel 308 (only one side of the headwear 300 is shown in FIG. 3, and it is to be appreciated that a second side panel may be coupled to the size adjusting mechanism 310 and the front panel 306). The crown 305 may cover the wearer's head, and thus the front panel 306 may extend across a top of the crown 305. The brim 302 may be coupled to the crown 305 along a bottom circumferential edge of the front panel 306 of the crown 305. The crown 305 may have more or fewer panels (e.g., five panels, six panels, or be of unibody construction and thus include only one panel) without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

One or more of the panels of the crown 305 may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material. For example, the front panel 306 may be comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. Additionally or alternatively, the side panel 308 (and the other side panel not shown in FIG. 3) may be comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material.

The headwear 300 further includes an inner sweatband 312 positioned in an interior of the headwear 300 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3 to convey that the sweatband 312 is not visible from the exterior of the headwear 300). The sweatband 312 may be coupled to a bottom circumferential edge of the side panel 308 (as well as the other side panel not visible in FIG. 3) and the bottom circumferential edge of the front panel 306. The sweatband 312 may extend vertically (e.g., from the bottom circumferential edges of the side panels and the front panel toward a top of the crown) only a portion of the vertical height of the crown, e.g., the sweatband 312 may have a vertical height that is 10-20% of the vertical height of the crown.

In some examples, the sweatband 312 may be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. When the sweatband 312 is comprised partially of the three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material may be included in one or more regions of the sweatband 312, e.g., only along the side panels, only along the front panel, etc. In the region(s) of the sweatband 312 that include the three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material may extend the full vertical height of the sweatband 312. Further, in the region(s) of the sweatband 312 that include the three-layer sandwich of material, the material forming the crown 305 (e.g., the material forming the side panel 308) may form the first layer of the three-layer sandwich of material. For example, the side panel 308 may be comprised of the first layer of material as described above with respect to FIG. 2 (e.g., the first layer 202), and the sweatband 312 may additionally include the second layer (e.g., the second layer 204) and the third layer (e.g., the third layer 206) stitched to the first layer. In other examples, the material forming the crown 305 may not form a part of the three-layer sandwich of material. In such examples, the sweatband 312 may be formed (partially or entirely) of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer stitched together along a top and a bottom of the sweatband, and the sweatband may be coupled to the material forming the crown (e.g., the side panel, front panel, etc.) along only the bottom of the sweatband or along both the top and bottom of the sweatband. In these examples, in the region(s) where the three-layer sandwich of material is present, the headwear may include four or more layers of material (e.g., the material forming the crown and the three-layer sandwich of material).

The example presented herein where the crown panels and the sweatband are formed partially or entirely of the three-layer sandwich of material is exemplary and non-limiting, and other configurations of the headwear 300 are possible. For example, only one or more of the panels of the crown 305 (e.g., the side panel 308, the other side panel not visible in FIG. 3, and/or front panel 306) may be comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material, and the sweatband may not be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material. In other examples, only the sweatband may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material. In examples where one or more of the panels are comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material may be interrupted by or covered by region(s) of mesh only material, regions of reflective material, etc., at least in some examples.

FIG. 4 shows an example bottom view of an example headwear 400. Headwear 400 is a non-limiting example of headwear 100 and/or headwear 300 and as such includes a brim 402 extending outward from a hat body 404 (only a bottom circumferential edge of the hat body 404 is shown in FIG. 4). The hat body 404 may include a region 406 that is comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. For example, the region 406 may include a sweatband and/or a crown panel comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material. In the example shown, the region 406 is located at the front of the hat body 404 where the hat body 404 couples to the brim 402. By including the three-layer sandwich of material at the region 406, the strength of the headwear 400 may be increased where the headwear 400 may be exposed to additional forces from the brim 402. In some examples, the remainder of the hat body 404 (e.g., other than the region 406) may not include the three-layer sandwich of material. The example presented in FIG. 4 is non-limiting, and other region(s) of the headwear may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material, such as the side panels, the sweatband, the brim, etc.

FIG. 5 schematically shows another example three-layer sandwich of material 500 that may be included in one or more portions of headwear, such as headwear 100. In the example shown, FIG. 5 shows a cross-section through the side panel 108 of FIG. 1 taken across line A-A′. The three-layer sandwich of material 500 may include a first, outward-facing layer 502, a second, intermediate layer 504, and a third, inward-facing layer 506. The first layer 502, the second layer 504, and the third layer 506 may each be the same or similar to the first layer 202, the second layer 204, and the third layer 206, respectively, of FIG. 2. Thus, the second layer 504 may be comprised of a semi-rigid material that has a higher rigidity than a rigidity of the first layer 502 and a rigidity of the third layer 506.

The three-layer sandwich of material 500 may be joined together via attachment segments that only extend through the first layer 502 and the third layer 506 and that do not extend through the second layer 504. Rather, the first layer 502 and the third layer 506 may be longer (e.g., in a vertical direction) than the second layer 504, and the excess material on the top and bottom of the first layer 502 and the third layer 506 may be joined together via the attachment segments, such as top stitching 508 and bottom stitching 510, to form a pocket within which the second layer 504 is accommodated. It should be appreciated that the first layer 502 and the third layer 506 may be joined along the top and/or bottom via other suitable mechanisms, such as adhesive or the layers may be fused together.

Thus, the three-layer sandwich of material described herein may be included in any headwear, whether a cap, a visor, or another type of headwear, to provide hidden structure that is still breathable. By reinforcing the panels of the headwear with the three-layer sandwich of material, the headwear can benefit from the breathable construction technique to add support to the appearance of the crown while not limiting breathability.

It will be understood that the configurations and/or approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various structures and configurations, and other features, functions, acts, and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. Headwear comprising: a headwear body comprising one or more panels, where at least one panel of the one or more panels is comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material including a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the second layer positioned intermediate the first layer and the third layer and comprised of a semi-rigid mesh material.

2. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the first layer is comprised of a flexible cloth material.

3. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the third layer is comprised of a flexible mesh material.

4. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the first layer is an exterior layer and the third layer is an interior layer, such that when the headwear is worn by a wearer, the third layer is positioned proximate the wearer's head.

5. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the three-layer sandwich of material is held together by a top stitching and a bottom stitching, wherein the top stitching and the bottom stitching each extend through each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer.

6. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the headwear body comprises a front panel and two side panels, and wherein each of the front and side panels is comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material.

7. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the semi-rigid mesh material of the second layer has a first rigidity that is different than a rigidity of the first layer and/or a rigidity of the third layer.

8. The headwear of claim 7, wherein the first rigidity is greater than the rigidity of the first layer and/or the rigidity of the third layer.

9. Headwear comprising: a headwear body comprising one or more panels, where at least one panel of the one or more panels is comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material including a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the first layer comprised of a flexible cloth material, the third layer comprised of a flexible mesh material, and the second layer positioned intermediate the first layer and the third layer and comprised of a semi-rigid mesh material that has a first rigidity that is greater than a second rigidity of the first layer and/or a third rigidity of the third layer.

10. The headwear of claim 9, wherein the first layer is an exterior layer and the third layer is an interior layer, such that when the headwear is worn by a wearer, the third layer is positioned proximate the wearer's head.

11. The headwear of claim 9, wherein the three-layer sandwich of material is held together by a top stitching and a bottom stitching, wherein the top stitching and the bottom stitching each extend through each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer.

12. The headwear of claim 9, wherein the headwear body comprises a front panel and two side panels, and wherein each of the front and two side panels is comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material.

13. The headwear of claim 9, wherein the headwear is a visor.

14. The headwear of claim 9, wherein the headwear is a cap.

15. Headwear comprising: a headwear body comprising one or more panels, where at least one panel of the one or more panels is comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material including a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the second layer positioned intermediate the first layer and the third layer and comprised of a semi-rigid mesh material, the three-layer sandwich of material held together along a first edge by a first attachment segment and along a second edge by a second attachment segment.

16. The headwear of claim 15, wherein the first attachment segment comprises a first stitching that extends through each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer, and wherein the second attachment segment comprises a second stitching that extends through each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer.

17. The headwear of claim 15, wherein the first attachment segment comprises a first stitching that extends through the first layer and the third layer, and wherein the second attachment segment comprises a second stitching that extends through the first layer and the third layer, to thereby form a pocket within which the second layer is accommodated.

18. The headwear of claim 15, wherein the semi-rigid mesh material of the second layer has a first rigidity that is greater than a rigidity of the first layer and/or a rigidity of the third layer.

19. The headwear of claim 15, wherein the first layer is an exterior layer and the third layer is an interior layer, such that when the headwear is worn by a wearer, the third layer is positioned proximate the wearer's head.

20. The headwear of claim 15, wherein the headwear is a cap or a visor.