BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hard hats are well known and are worn in a variety of circumstances. Construction workers, road workers, ship workers and many other types of workers wear hard hats for safety purposes. FIG. 1 shows a typical prior art hard hat 10.
Workers are very concerned about their health and unnecessary exposure to the sun. Unfortunately, hard hat 10 has a very small brim 11. It only offers very minimal protection from the sun.
Some workers, in a desperate effort to protect themselves from the sun, have obtained a straw hat and cut out the crown so that only the brim of the straw hat remains. The worker has then inserted the crown of the hard hat into the center of the brim in an effort to create a hat that offers greater sun protection. There are problems with this solution. For example, the brim is very unstable and can easily fall off the hard hat. Or, once the straw hat has been cut, the straw brim can easily become torn or frayed and fall apart after a short time.
What is needed is a better removable straw brim for a hard hat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a removable straw brim for a hard hat. The hard hat has a crown and brim. The removable straw brim is crownless and has center opening. A center fabric band is sewn into the center opening and forms a center fabric band opening. A brim pocket is sewn to the bottom side of the straw hat brim. A retention device is sewn to the bottom side of the straw hat brim. A hard hat is secured to the removable straw hat brim when the hard hat crown is inserted into the center fabric band opening and the center fabric band squeezes tightly around the crown, when the hard hat brim is inserted into the hard hat brim pocket, and when the retention device secures the hard hat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a prior art hard hat.
FIG. 2 shows the top side of a preferred removable straw brim.
FIG. 3 shows the bottom side of a preferred removable straw brim.
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a hard hat secured to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of a hard hat secured to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 7.
FIGS. 8-10 show a preferred embodiment of the present invention for equestrian hard hats.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 2 shows a top view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Straw brim 20 includes upper straw surface 22. Straw brim 20 is crownless. Instead, elastic center fabric band 24 extends partially across the center of straw brim 20, as shown. In a preferred embodiment, elastic center fabric band 24 is formed by sewing an elastic band into fabric as shown. The center of straw brim 20 is open to receive hard hat 10 (FIG. 1).
FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of straw brim 20. In the preferred embodiment shown the bottom of straw brim 20 is covered by fabric layer 26. Pockets 28 and 32 are preferably sewn to the top and bottom of straw brim 20 as shown. Retention straps 34 are sewn to the bottom of straw brim 20 adjacent elastic center fabric band 24. Preferably retention straps 34 each include hook and loop fasteners 36, as shown.
Attaching the Removable Straw Brim to the Hard Hat
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of removable straw brim 20 attached to hard hat 10. As shown in FIG. 4, hard hat 10 has been pushed up through the center of straw brim 20. Elastic center fabric band 24 squeezes tightly onto hard hat 10 to help hold straw brim 20 in place. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, neck flap 35 is sewn to the bottom of straw brim 20 and extends downward from the bottom of straw brim 20 to help protect the wearer's neck from sun exposure.
FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of straw brim 20 attached to hard hat 10. Brim 11 (FIG. 1) of hard hat 10 is tucked into pocket 28. Retention straps 34 are wrapped around inner head band 67 of hard hat 10 and pulled tight to secure straw brim 20 to hard hat 10. Hook and loop fasteners 36 (FIG. 3) are used to secure retention straps as shown. Pocket 32 may be utilized for receiving hard hats that have rearward facing brims.
Other Preferred Embodiment
FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention. Pocket 28 is preferably sewn to the front underside of straw brim 20 as shown. High-visibility orange neck flap 61 is attached to the rear portion of straw brim 20, as shown. Retention straps 34 are sewn to the bottom of straw brim 20 adjacent silicone rubber rows 84. Silicone rows 84 function to grip hard hat 10 securely in place. In a preferred embodiment, straw brim 20 includes two silicone rubber rows 84. Preferably retention straps 34 each include hook and loop fasteners 36, as shown.
FIG, 7 shows a side view of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 6. High-visibility orange neck flap 61 includes reflective tape 93. High-visibility orange fabric binding 99 surrounds silicone rubber rows 84 (FIG. 6) and functions to provide additional visibility for safety.
Other Preferred Embodiment for Utilization with an Equestrian Hard Hat
FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of straw brim 80 for equestrian hard hat 200. Straw brim 110 includes flange 102 for providing strength for straw brim 110. Pocket 103 is positioned to receive forward brim 250 of equestrian hard hat 200 (FIGS. 9-10). Flexible binding 105 is connected to brim 110 as show. Binding 105 may be fabricated from neoprene, silicone, microsuede or other suitable flexible material. Hard hat retention clips 104 are sewn connected to binding 105 and brim 110 as shown.
In FIG. 9, equestrian hard hat 200 has been attached to straw brim 110 as shown. Retention clips 104 are connected to inner head band 67 and function to help secure brim 80 in place on equestrian hard hat 200.
Although the above-preferred embodiments have been described with specificity, persons skilled in this art will recognize that many changes to the specific embodiments disclosed above could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the attached claims and their legal equivalents should determine the scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20250120465
