HEADWEAR

Abstract

A novel piece of headwear such as a baseball style cap that has means to hold a person's hair in place while the headwear is being worn. The means to hold a person's hair in place include a clasp featuring a plurality of teeth that is integrated into the headwear itself. The clasp is integrated into the cap such that it flanks an opening or slit in the covering of the cap. In use, a person pulls their hair through the clasp as they place the cap on their head and engages the closure means on the clasp to hold their hair in place without compressing or pulling it.

Claims

1: An article of headwear, said headwear comprising: a slit extending away from an apex of the headwear and traversing a back of the headwear thereby creating an opening; and teeth integrated into the back of the headwear and positioned to extend laterally into the opening created by the slit.

2: The article of headwear of claim 1 wherein the teeth are featured by a clasp that is integrated into the headwear.

3: The article of headwear of claim 2 wherein the clasp has two sides, each side featuring teeth that extend laterally away from each side of the clasp and extend into the opening created by the slit.

4: The article of headwear of claim 3 wherein each side of the clasp is arc-shaped such that a middle portion of each side of the clasp extends away from the other middle portion of the opposite side of the clasp.

5: The article of headwear of claim 4 wherein the two sides of the clasp are joined by a hinge.

6: The article of headwear of claim 5 wherein the slit is between a separate opening in the back of the covering of the headwear and the apex of the headwear.

7: The article of headwear of claim 6 wherein each side of the clasp has an end terminating in a hook.

8: The article of headwear of claim 7 wherein the teeth featured by each side of the clasp overlap when the clasp is closed.

9: The article of headwear of claim 4 wherein the teeth featured by each side of the clasp overlap when the clasp is closed.

10: A clasp integrated into a back or a top of a piece of headwear, said headwear featuring a first opening used to accommodate the user's head and a second opening separate from the first opening, said clasp comprising: a first arm and a second arm of the clasp, each arm featuring a plurality of teeth extending away from the arm to which they are attached; a plurality of teeth featured by each side of the clasp such that when the clasp is closed, the teeth of each side of the clasp overlap with each other; and wherein the clasp is integrated into the piece of headgear such that it secures the second opening.

11: The clasp of claim 10 wherein the headwear features a third opening and the second opening extends from the third opening to the top of the headwear.

12: The clasp of claim 11 wherein the clasp features two opposing arms, each arm having a plurality of teeth that overlap with each other when the two arms of the clasp are closed.

13: The clasp of claim 12 wherein the two arms of the clasp feature a hinge at one end and closure means at the opposite end.

14: The clasp of claim 12 wherein the hinge is located proximate to the top of the headwear.

15: The clasp of claim 10 wherein the second opening is oval shaped.

16: A baseball cap featuring a first opening to accommodate a user's head, a second opening in the back of the cap and a vertical slit, extending away from the second opening and a clasp integrated into each side of the slit.

17: The baseball cap of claim 16 wherein the clasp features a plurality of teeth that extend into the slit.

18: The baseball cap of claim 17 wherein the clasp and the slit are both oval shaped.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clasp removed from the headwear;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[0018] FIG. 4 is a left side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention while placed on a user's head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Referring now to the invention in more detail, in FIG. 1 there is shown a baseball style cap 10 having a bill 11, a covering 12 and the traditional aperture or opening 13 at the back of the cap 10, i.e. the portion of the covering 12 that is opposite the bill 11. In addition, FIG. 1 shows the apex 14 of the cap 10. FIG. 1 also shows the slit 15 that runs the longitudinal length of the cap from the apex 14 to the bottom of the back of the cap 10. In this version of the cap 10, there is an additional opening or aperture 13 that is featured by most traditional baseball caps sometimes referred to as the snapback opening.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows the clasp 16 that is integrated into the cap 10 isolated from any headwear. The clasp 16 features the teeth 19 of the clasp 16 that is integrated into the cap 10 and flank the sides of the opening created by the slit 15. In this embodiment, each side 17, 18 of the clasp 16 features its own set of teeth 19 that overlap when the clasp is closed. That is to say that each set of teeth extends away from the side into which they are integrated towards the other side of the clasp such that the teeth from each side pass each other, at least partially. In addition, the claps 16 has two sides or arms 17, 18 each of which is arc-shaped such that the distance between the sides of the clasp is larger at the approximate midpoint of the clasp 16. As a result, when the clasp 16 is closed, the arcing of both sides 17, 18 creates a clasp 16 that is roughly oval-shaped.

[0021] FIG. 2 also shows the clasp 16 having a first side 17 and a second side 18 with teeth 19 or protrusions extending outward away from each side 17, 18 of the clasp 16. At the top of the clasp 16 located proximate to the apex 14 of the cap, the clasp 16 features a hinge 20. At the opposite end of the clasp 16, the clasp 16 features means to close the clasp 16. A number of different closure means can be used to close the clasp 16, but the version depicted in the figures uses two hooks 21 that interlace with each other to keep the clasp 16 closed. Any traditional means of closing a clasp could be used in place of the hooks 21 including but not limited to snaps, clasps and other closures.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows the same cap 10 as in FIG. 1, but depicts the cap 10 upside down so that the interior is visible. FIG. 3 shows the inner surface of the covering 12 as well as the aperture 13. FIG. 3 also shows the clasp 16 integrated into the slit 15 that extends from the apex 14 of the cap 10 to the aperture 13 in the back of the cap 10.

[0023] FIG. 4 shows the cap 10 in use on a person's head. FIG. 4 shows that the person's hair is inserted through the slit 15 containing the integrated clasp 16 featuring teeth 19 (See FIG. 2). As discussed above, in use, a person with long hair opens the clasp 16 at the back of the cap 10, inserts their hair through the clasp 16 engaging the teeth 19 in the person's hair and then closes the clasp 16 by manipulating the closure means 21 at the end of the clasp 16. The overlapping teeth serve to hold the person's hair in place without compressing or pulling the hair. When the claps 16 is closed around the person's hair, the cap 10 is held in place by the clasp and the person's hair making it easy for the wearer to keep the cap on their head without ruining their hairstyle or painfully pulling their hair back into a pony-tail.

[0024] This device need not be featured by a traditional baseball style cap, but rather can be featured by any sort of clothing that tends to cover a portion of a person's head.

[0025] Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0026] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

[0027] It is understood that the above described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.

[0028] While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.