Patent Application
20200288804
Embodiments described herein relate to apparel and, in particular, to a shower cap having a features as described herein.
Shower caps are widely used to cover users' hair to keep hair dry and in place during showers or bathing. Some traditional shower caps fail to cover all of a user's hair, particularly if the user's hair is long or arranged in a particular style. Additionally, some traditional shower caps are uncomfortable to wear and, in some cases, may leave marks or creases on a user's skin or bind in the user's hair. The shower cap embodiments described herein may provide improved hair coverage and usability as compared to some traditional shower cap articles.
Certain embodiments described herein generally relate to, include, or take the form of a shower cap, including a waterproof hood and a flexible headband. The waterproof hood defines a cavity and includes an upper shell configured to surround a portion of a head of a user and a hair pocket extending from the upper shell and configured to at least partially surround a gathered portion of hair of the user. The waterproof hood additionally includes a brim extending from a front portion of the upper shell and configured to extend at least partially around a face of the user and direct a flow of water on a surface of the waterproof hood away from the face of the user. The waterproof hood further includes a skirt extending from a lower portion of the upper shell and configured to extend at least partially around a neck of the user. A flexible headband is positioned within the cavity and configured to be positioned between the waterproof hood and the head of the user and secure the shower cap to the head of the user.
In some cases, the waterproof hood defines an opening to the cavity, the brim defines a first portion of a perimeter of the opening, and the skirt defines a second portion of the perimeter of the opening. In some cases, the waterproof hood further comprises a drip region that is located above a torso of the user when the shower cap is worn and the brim is further configured to direct the flow of water on the surface of the waterproof hood to the drip region. In some cases, the drip region is a first drip region, the perimeter of the opening defines a first corner and a second corner opposite to the first corner, the first drip region is positioned at the first corner, and the waterproof hood further comprises a second drip region positioned at the second corner.
In some cases, the upper shell, the hair pocket, the brim, and the skirt are formed from a single sheet of material. In some cases, the brim and the skirt extend beyond the flexible headband. In some cases, the waterproof hood is coupled to the flexible headband and the flexible headband is formed from a flexible fabric material that is configured to wrap around the head of the user to secure the waterproof hood to the user. In some cases, at least one of the flexible headband or the waterproof hood further comprises a coupling feature that couples the waterproof hood to the flexible headband.
In some cases, the cavity is a main cavity at least partially defined by the upper shell and the hair pocket defines a hair cavity that is open to the main cavity and configured to receive the gathered portion of the hair of the user. In some cases, the brim comprises a first portion and a second portion, the waterproof hood comprises a divider positioned between the first portion and the second portion, and the divider is configured to direct the flow of water toward the first portion and the second portion.
Other embodiments described reference a shower cap for protecting hair of a user during bathing. The shower cap includes a flexible headband configured to be worn around a head of the user and a waterproof hood coupled to the flexible headband and configured to cover the hair of the user. The waterproof hood defines a main cavity approximately conforming to a shape of the head of the user, an opening to the main cavity, and a hair cavity extending from and open to the main cavity and configured to receive a gathered portion of hair. The waterproof hood includes a brim defining at least a portion of a perimeter of the opening and extending beyond the flexible headband. The flexible headband is configured to secure the waterproof hood to the head of the user and retain a portion of the hair of the user beneath the waterproof hood.
In some cases, the waterproof hood further includes an upper shell defining at least a portion of the main cavity and a hair pocket extending from the upper shell and defining the hair cavity. In some cases, the brim extends from the upper shell and defines a first portion of the perimeter of the opening and the shower cap further comprises a skirt extending from the upper shell and defining a second portion of the perimeter of the opening.
In some cases, the brim extends between 1 cm and 3 cm beyond the flexible headband. In some cases, the flexible headband has a width between 5 cm and 10 cm. In some cases, the flexible headband comprises a coupling feature 123 that is adapted to couple the waterproof hood to the flexible headband. In some cases, the waterproof hood further comprises a coupling feature 123 for coupling the waterproof hood to the flexible headband. In some cases, the waterproof hood is formed at least partially from a sound-dampening material.
In some cases, the perimeter of the opening defines a first corner and a second corner that extend from opposite sides of the waterproof hood and the waterproof hood includes a first drip point at the first corner and a second drip point at the second corner. In some cases, the brim includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is configured to direct a flow of water on a surface of the waterproof hood toward the first drip point, and the second portion is configured to direct the flow of water on the surface of the waterproof hood toward the second drip point.
Reference will now be made to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures. It should be understood that the following descriptions are not intended to limit this disclosure to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, the disclosure provided herein is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments, and as defined by the appended claims.
The use of the same or similar reference numerals in different figures indicates similar, related, or identical items.
Additionally, it should be understood that the proportions and dimensions (either relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries, separations, and positional relationships presented therebetween, are provided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments described herein and, accordingly, may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale, and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for an illustrated embodiment to the exclusion of embodiments described with reference thereto.
Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the claims.
Many people expend significant time, money, and effort to style and maintain their hair. In some cases, hair styling and maintenance requires that hair be protected during bathing and other activities. Protecting hair may include preventing hair from getting wet, preventing compression, crushing, or other interference with hair structure or styling.
The shower caps described herein include various features for protecting users' hair and maintaining user comfort during bathing and other activities. In some cases, a shower cap includes a waterproof hood and a flexible headband. The waterproof hood may fit over a user's head to cover the user's head and keep the user's head and hair dry. To facilitate protecting the user's hair, the waterproof hood may include a hair pocket, a brim, and a skirt extending from an upper shell. The hair pocket may at least partially surround or receive a gathered portion of the user's hair, such as a ponytail. The brim and the skirt may direct a flow of water on the surface of the waterproof hood away from the user's face and downward toward the user's torso.
In some cases, the flexible headband is positioned between the waterproof hood and the user's head. The flexible headband may retain a portion of the user's hair to keep it covered by the waterproof hood so that it does not get wet. In some cases, the flexible headband is coupled to the waterproof hood and secures the waterproof hood to the user's head.
As used herein, “bathing” may refer to showering, taking a bath, swimming, or otherwise exposing a user's body to water or other liquids. Use of the shower caps described herein is not limited to bathing, and may be used to protect hair during other activities, including sleeping and other ordinary activities.
As shown in
In some cases, the headband 120 may be used to retain some or all of the user's hair 170 and/or to secure the hood 110 to the user's head 160. The headband 120 may cover the user's hair and retains the user's hair against the user's head. The headband 120 may prevent the user's hair from extending beyond the hood 110 to keep the user's hair from getting wet. In some cases, the headband 120 is coupled to the hood 110 so that the headband 120 may secure the hood 110 to the user's head. In some cases, the headband 120 is formed of flexible and/or elastic fabric material and extends around the user's head to secure the hood 110 to the user's head. In various embodiments, the flexible and/or elastic nature of the headband 120 may help to retain the headband 120 and the hood 110 on the user's head.
Referring to
As shown in
In some cases, the shapes and contours of a user's hair 170 may approximately conform to a shape of the user's head 160 and/or neck 162. For example, as shown in
In some cases, the shapes and contours of a user's hair may not necessarily conform to the shape of the user's head 160, for example, as a result of gathered portions of hair, such as ponytails, buns, braids, pigtails, dreadlocks, and the like, or other hairstyle features such as curls and the like. Accordingly, in some cases, the hood 110 may include one or more hair pockets (e.g., hair pocket 132). The hair pocket 132 may also be referred to herein as a second portion of a hood cavity.
The hair pocket 132 may be shaped to at least partially surround and/or approximately conform to a shape of one or more gathered portions of hair or other hairstyle features. In some cases, the hair pocket 132 extends from the upper shell 130 and defines a hair cavity 142 that is open to the main cavity 140. The hair cavity 142 may be configured to receive a gathered portion of hair or other hairstyle feature. For example, as shown in
In some cases, the hood 110 includes a brim 134 extending from a front portion of the upper shell 130 to facilitate protection of the user's hair 170 and/or to direct a flow of water on a surface of the hood away from the user's face 166 when the shower cap 100 is worn. In some cases, the brim 134 is adapted to direct a flow of water on the exterior surface of the waterproof hood away from the user's face 166 and head 160. For example, the brim 134 may be shaped and/or positioned to direct water downward toward the user's torso 164 to keep water from flowing toward the user's face 166 or hair 170. As shown in
Turning to
Returning to
As shown in
In some cases, the hood 110 may include one or more drip points or drip regions toward which the flow of water is directed by the brim 134, the skirt 136, and/or additional portions of the hood 110. For example, as shown in
The hood 110 may be formed of any suitable material or combination of materials for protecting the user's hair 170. In some cases, the hood 110 is formed of a flexible and/or elastic material or combination of materials for conforming to the shapes and contours of the user's hair 170, including but not limited to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polypropylene, polyurethane, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polychloroprene, neoprene, fabrics (e.g., nylon fabric), laminates, woven polymers or fibers, composites, rubbers, synthetic rubbers, and the like. In some cases, the hood 110 is formed from a single sheet of material. In some cases, the hood 110 may be formed from multiple sections of material that are attached together to define the shape of the hood.
In some cases, the hood 110 and/or the headband 120 are waterproof. As used herein “waterproof” may be used to refer to materials that are non-permeable to water or other liquids and/or materials or components that are designed to exclude, prevent, or minimize the ingress of water or other liquids. In some cases, the hood 110 and/or headband 120 are formed of waterproof or water-resistant materials, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polypropylene, polyurethane, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polychloroprene, neoprene, and the like. In some cases, one or more non-waterproof materials used to form the hood 110 and/or the headband 120 may be treated to be waterproof, for example using a durable water repellent (DWR) such as fluoropolymers, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and the like.
In some cases, the hood 110 and/or the headband 120 are formed at least partially from a sound-dampening material. For example, the hood 110 may be formed from a sound-dampening waterproof fabric that makes less noise under a stream of water than traditional waterproof materials. This may allow a user of the shower cap 100 to have a more enjoyable experience. Example sound-dampening materials include polyester sheets, nylon fabric, woven polymers, treated fabrics, neoprene, and the like. In some cases, the shower cap 100 is made from a combination of a waterproof material that is covered with a sound-dampening fabric, which may or may not be waterproof.
As discussed above, in various embodiments, the headband 120 is adapted to be worn around the user's head 160. In some cases, the headband 120 is positioned in the main cavity 140 of the hood 110 between the user's head 160 and the hood 110. As noted above, the brim 134 may extend beyond the headband 120 to direct the flow of water away from the user's face 166.
In some cases, the headband 120 may be used to cover some or all of the user's hair 170 and/or to secure the hood 110 to the user's head 160. In some cases, the headband 120 may be used to retain the user's hair 170 or otherwise maintain the user's hair in position (e.g., in a particular hairstyle). For example, in some cases, the headband 120 is configured to retain a portion of the user's hair 170 beneath the hood 110.
In some cases, a width 122 of the headband 120 is sufficiently large to secure the headband to the user's head 160 while not causing marks or creases in a user's skin or hair 170 or otherwise interfere with hair features or styling. For example, in some cases, the width 122 of the headband 120 is greater than 15 cm. In some cases, the width 122 of the headband 120 is between 1 cm and 15 cm. In some cases, the width 122 of the headband 120 is between 5 cm and 10 cm. The headband 120 may be formed of a flexible or elastic material or combination of materials for securing the headband to the user's head 160 when the headband is worn around the user's head, including but not limited to woven polymers, cotton fabrics, microfiber, terrycloth, neoprene, nylon fabrics, and the like.
In various embodiments, the shower cap 100 is designed to be secured to the user's head 160. In some cases, the hood 110 is coupled to the headband 120, and the headband secures the hood to the user's head 160. The terms “coupled” and “secured” as used herein, may be used to refer to two or more elements, structures, objects, components, parts, or the like that are physically attached, affixed, or retained to one another, either directly or indirectly (e.g., by one or more additional components).
In various embodiments, the hood 110 and/or the headband 120 may include one or more coupling features 123 to couple the hood to the headband. Example coupling features include a thread, string, strap, or other suitable material for flexibly coupling the hood to the headband.. The coupling features 123 may include any suitable type of fastener or other feature, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, adhesives, stitching, and the like.
In some cases, the hood 110 may be releasably coupled to the headband 120 such that the hood may be repeatedly coupled to and decoupled from the headband. For example, an attachment component or coupling feature 123 between the hood 110 and the headband 120 may include a snap, button, or other fastener that allows for the removable or releasable coupling between the components. In some cases, multiple hoods 110 may be interchangeable and capable of being coupled to a headband 120. Similarly, a hood 110 may be capable of being coupled to multiple headbands 120.
As noted above, many embodiments described herein reference a shower cap. It may be appreciated, however, that this is merely one example; other configurations, implementations, and constructions are contemplated in view of the various principles and methods of operations—and reasonable alternatives thereto—described in reference to the embodiments described above.
One may appreciate that, although many embodiments are disclosed above, the operations and steps presented with respect to methods and techniques described herein are meant as exemplary and accordingly are not exhaustive. One may further appreciate that alternate step order or fewer or additional operations may be required or desired for particular embodiments.
Although the disclosure above is described in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments but is instead defined by the claims herein presented.
This application is a non-provisional patent application of and claims the benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/817,797, filed Mar. 13, 2019, and titled “Shower Cap with Hood and Headband,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62817797 | Mar 2019 | US |
