Patent Application
20190029351
The present invention relates to the field of headwear apparel for outdoor use and more specifically to multifunctional headwear adaptable to various outdoor environments and the protection needs of the wearer.
Many hats and most types of headwear are often designed for one or very few specific purposes, such as providing physical protection from precipitation, ultraviolet radiation, and overexposure of sunlight on the eyes, retaining body heat, and keeping the head cool from direct exposure to the sun. Other features of hats and headwear are the ability to fit comfortably and snuggly to the user's head, and be flexible and non-bulky to accommodate storage and travel. Some hats and headwear may provide physical protection features but are rigid and difficult to pack in a tight space such as a backpack or a pocket without damaging the brim, top or the purpose of the hat. Furthermore, aside from practical uses, hats and headwear often have a single purpose for promoting either a specific type of physical protection, or to promote specific design aesthetics such as a fashion or to promote marketing and ornamental designs.
Single purpose hats and headwear often are only suitable for certain events during specific environmental conditions at a specific time. Due to these single purpose designs, many hats and most types of headwear limit their use especially if they are needed in settings that can change quickly due to changes in weather or environmental conditions. A person is often forced to have several different hats available depending on the weather or travel conditions, or is left without a suitable hat if they only have one for a highly specific condition/situation which no longer is current yet they still need protection for their face or head in the changed conditions.
Current prior art for multifunctional headwear designs suffer from a number of deficiencies, including only being designed for one or very few purposes, an inability to adapt to continuously changing weather conditions, made of rigid non-pliable material that restrict packing in small areas like pockets and handbags, and aren't easily adjustable to fit the wearer's head and simultaneously supply sufficient protection and comfort to the face and head.
Many types of multifunctional headwear have been proposed none of which approach the design and functionality of the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,684 issued to Casale, illustrates headwear with a detachable visor but the top of the hat is a typical “baseball” styled hat constructed of webbed plastic mesh. Unlike the present invention, this model has a rigid top covering the head and it doesn't effectively maintain top heat on the head nor efficiently cool the head during extreme heat and isn't easily packed in small spaces without losing the intended design, form and integrity of the hat.
In U.S. Pat. No. D,408,968 issued to Bardin, the headwear has a tubular top that can be adjusted to the user's head size, can be worn with the top end open or tied in a knot but unlike the present invention it lacks a brim or visor and an ability to attach said brim or visor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,477 issued to Dixon, the hat top is made of a primarily flexible fabric that is permanently attached to a visor and lacks the ability to be detached from the visor. The hat top is closed on the top end and while it may retain body heat it doesn't promote dispersion of excessive body heat.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,800 issued to Anderson, the headwear has a tubular top with a drawstring apparatus at the openings to control the opening size but unlike the present invention it lacks any apparatus to attach a brim or visor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,342 issued to Dixon, illustrates headwear that has a long tubular top but no brim or visor attached nor any apparatus intended to make attachment of a brim or visor possible. Unlike the present invention this design is intended to be used primarily as a scarf and simple head covering, and not as a hat that has a brim or visor which offers additional protection from the elements.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,380 issued to Epstein, the headwear has a pliable fabric tubular top with open ends but unlike the present invention the top is short and one end is closed with a zipper apparatus. It also lacks the ability to attach a brim or visor.
In U.S. Pat. No. D474,001 issued to Landers, illustrates a headwear comprised of a tubular top made of a pliable fabric connected to a flexible visor. However, unlike the present invention, the visor is not detachable from the tubular top.
In U.S. Pat. No. D,401,392 issued to DiGiglia, the headwear has a pliable fabric top attached to a visor but unlike the present invention it is not open ended nor is the visor detachable.
In U.S. Pat. No. D,277,139 issued to DeFalco, illustrates a headwear with a tubular design that is intended for retaining hair in place and has an apparatus for closing one end. However, unlike the present invention it doesn't have the ability or apparatus to attach brims or visors.
The invention consists of a hat that has a tubular top made of a pliable, stretchable fabric attached to a brim or visor. The tubular top can be attached to the brim or visor permanently or by using different sorts of attachment apparatus such as buttons, button snaps, hook-and-eye fasteners and hook-and-loop fasteners. Using combinations of brims and visors to attach to the tubular top, the wearer can create various methods of covering and uncovering the head to retain or disperse top heat while still protecting the face from sunlight and other exposure to natural elements. The brim for the hat has a slit at the rear on the horizontal base of the brim, which is designed to hold the excess fabric of the tubular top in place when it is pulled back or twisted over the head to the rear of the brim by pulling it through the slit. When a visor is being used instead of a brim, the slit is replaced with an elastic tab fastened at the back of the visor where the tubular top can be passed through and be held in place.
The tubular top which is made of a pliable, stretchable, natural or synthetic fabric also allows a person to customize the hat to fit comfortably and snuggly on their head while still providing optimal protection or ventilation to the face and head by being attached to a brim or visor which offers desired protection for a specific occasion.
There are several ways a user can adjust the tubular top for maximum comfort or protection as it is worn on the user's head. The tubular top can be worn with the open end, which is not attached to the brim or visor, draped open and hanging back across the head and the back of the neck or draped across the head and hanging down over an ear on the side of the head. The open end can also be tied in a knot that sits at the top, sides or the back of the head. The tubular top can also be twisted into a cord which is pulled backwards down over the back of the head and through the slit or elastic tab at the rear of the brim or visor respectively. The tubular top can be worn by gathering or rolling down the open unattached end all the way down to encompass the circumference of the brim or visor where the tubular top is fastened. Thus, the hat will fully expose the top of the head and provide maximal ventilation. The tubular top can also be worn to partially expose a portion of the top part of the user's head by detaching a section of the top from the brim or visor to provide partial coverage as well as ventilation of the head.
The separation of the tubular top from the brim or visor allows for the user to still wear said brim or visor on their head, while also wearing the detached tubular top independently around the neck or pulled up over the nose, mouth and ears to offer nasal and oral protection. The attachment apparatus provides the user advantages over other headwear by allowing the user to use several interchangeable tubular tops, brims or visors attached to each other in ways that effectively accommodate many different weather and environmental conditions and also accommodate a variety of color, fashion and design styles. Furthermore, the interchangeability of hat parts (tops, brims and visors) and the variety of ways the hat can be worn essentially give the user many hats in one. Due to the hat's flexibility and ability to detach a brim or visor from the top, the multifunctional headwear can also be easily folded or rolled and packed into pockets and small bags without compromising the shape, form and integrity of the brim or visor.
The brim 2 may be of any variety of common types such as the standard sun hat brim shown in
The brim 2 for the hat has a slit 4 that is 3-4 inches in length and about 0.25 inches wide. It is situated at the back of the brim about ¼ of an inch from where the tubular top 1 attaches to the brim 2. The slit 4 is used to hold the excess length of the tubular top 1 in place when it is draped back or twisted over the back of the head and passed through the slit 4. This also allows the tubular top 1 to comfortably sit on the user's head by being easily adjusted to fit exactly how the user desires.
The attachment apparatus on the brim 2 or visor 7 and the tubular top 1 can consist of different methods such as shown in
When the hat's brim 2 or visor 7 can be detached from the top 1, the brim 2 or visor 7 can still be worn on the head in the usual manner.
