Abstract
A bathing cap/shower cap with a wide band that helps prevent shift and elastic creases in the forehead, and that, without tucking, lifts the hair up and above the hairline and completely off of the face and neck and toward the top of the head where it is protected by a sturdy waterproof material sealed with a snap, cuff, and fasten system that includes magnetic snaps and hook and loop fastening tape.
Claims
1. A shower cap/bathing cap, comprising: a section of material, that is joined along at least one connecting seam to be uniformly column-shaped, a. an upper portion defining an upper opening, the upper portion comprising: i. a hem, containing magnetic snaps that selectively close the upper opening, without adjusting the size of the opening, wherein, with the upper opening closed, the hem is configured to be rolled to form a cuff, ii. a pair of inwardly facing darts disposed at diametrically-opposed positions about the uniformly column-shaped section of material, and iii. a fastener engaged within each of the darts and extending outwardly therefrom, wherein pulling the fasteners outwardly in opposite directions urges the magnetic snaps into engagement with one another to close the upper opening, and wherein the fasteners are configured to engage one another with the upper portion closed and rolled, thereby maintaining the cuff; b. a lower portion defining a lower opening, the lower portion comprising a stretch band of material that is folded and sewed to the section of material such that a ruffle is created.
2. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the section of material is laminated cotton.
3. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the section of material is waterproof on at least one side.
4. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the section of material is laminated polyester.
5. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the section of material is a woven or non-woven material.
6. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the magnetic snaps are not encased within the hem.
7. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the uniformly column-shaped section of material defines dimensions measuring 28.5-29 inches in circumference by 13 inches in height.
8. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the stretch band defines a width measuring 2.5 inches and is folded to define a folded width of 1.25 inches.
9. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the stretch band of material is comprised of a woven or non-woven stretch material.
10. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the number of magnetic snaps used is more than one and less than fifteen.
11. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the section of material is joined along the at least one connecting seam by sewing.
12. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the fasteners are strips of hook and loop fastener tape.
13. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the fasteners are tin ties threaded through the hem and protruding therefrom.
14. A method of sealing an upper opening of a shower/bathing cap, comprising: obtaining a shower/bathing cap, including: a section of material that defines a uniform column-shape, an upper portion defining an upper opening and including a hem containing magnetic snaps, a pair of inwardly facing darts disposed at diametrically-opposed positions about the uniform column-shape of the section of material, and a fastener engaged within each of the darts, and a lower portion defining a lower opening and including a stretch band of material that is folded and sewed to the section of material such that a ruffle is created; engaging the magnetic snaps by pulling outwardly on, in opposite directions, each of the fasteners to thereby close the upper portion; creating a cuff by rolling, at least once, the closed upper portion; and bringing the fasteners into engagement with one another to maintain the cuff.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein creating the cuff by rolling includes rolling the closed upper portion forwardly or rearwardly.
16. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the stretch band of material is permanently tacked at more than one location.
17. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the stretch band is non-continuous.
18. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the fasteners are straps attached to parachute clips or tie-able strips of waterproof material.
19. The shower cap/bathing cap of claim 1, wherein the ruffle measures 0.13 inches-1.5 inches.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective side view of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention completely applied onto the head of a wearer.
(2) FIG. 2 shows a section of material, which is joined to be uniformly column-shaped, possessing an upper opening of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention comprising magnetic snaps installed within a hem and strips of hook and loop fastening tape installed within darts. For ease of understanding, the magnetic snaps are shown even though they would not be visible in the finished hem of the shower cap.
(3) FIGS. 3A-3C show perspective front views of a preferred process used to seal the upper opening of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention. FIG. 3A shows the wearer engaging the magnetic snaps by pulling outwardly on each side of the cap. FIG. 3B shows the wearer creating a cuff by rolling the magnetically snapped opening forward toward her face. The wearer then completes the seal at the crown, as shown in FIG. 3C, by bringing the two strips of hook and loop fastening tape toward the back of her head and pressing them together.
(4) FIG. 4 shows the lower opening of an embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention comprising a wide band and waterproof ruffle.
(5) FIG. 5 shows a preferred method for attaching a wide stretch band to the lower opening of the shower cap of the present invention.
(6) FIGS. 5A-5B show a preferred process for creating a wide stretch band which is subsequently attached to the lower opening of the shower cap of the present invention.
(7) FIG. 6A is a schematic cross-section showing the preferred method for attaching the wide stretch band to the waterproof material at the lower opening of the shower cap of the present invention.
(8) FIG. 6B-6C are schematic cross-sections of a preferred process for creating a waterproof ruffle comprising the lower opening of an embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention wherein the waterproof material is folded to create the waterproof ruffle (6B) and then stitched, to the non-waterproof side of the waterproof material, subsequent to folding over and laying flat against the non-waterproof side of the waterproof material, the wide stretch band, through which said seam is also made (6C).
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
(9) Referring now, in more detail, to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the shower cap 30 of the present invention on the head of a wearer. When completely applied, the wearer's hair, which has been confined inside the shower cap, sits predominantly toward the top of the wearer's head where it is steadfastly held in place by an attached wide band 20 reinforced in more than one location by a tack stitch, 39 a waterproof material 31 with a stiff hand, and a snap, cuff, and fasten system 34 that seals the upper opening of the shower cap at the crown of the wearer's head. The wearer's confined hair is kept significantly above the hairline 32 and does not fall onto the nape of the neck 33.
(10) FIG. 2 shows a section of material, preferably laminated cotton, being waterproof on one side 10 and non-waterproof on the other side 11 which is, preferably by sewing, joined 12 to be uniformly column-shaped to a dimension measuring 28.5-29 inches in circumference and 13 inches in height 13 and possessing a center back 35 established by the connecting seam 12. Once thusly joined, the section of waterproof material 31 possesses an upper opening 14 at which location is sewn a 1-inch hem 15, into which two male magnetic snaps 16 is sewn at a location approximately 2.5 inches away from the center back 35 and on each side of the center back 36, and the same hem into which is sewn, two female magneto snaps 17, at a location in the hem opposite the male magnetic snaps 16, so as to attract and effectively close the upper openingthis closing being the first of three steps in the snap, cuff, and fasten system used to substantially seal the upper opening 14.
(11) The third of three steps used in sealing the upper opening 14 of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention utilizes fasteners, for example, strips of hook and loop fastening tape 36, such as Velcro ONE-WRAP. As shown in FIG. 2, the strips of hook and loop fastening tape 36 are installed at a location approximately 6.75 inches from the center back 35 and on both sides of the center back 35, these two locations being here established as the sides 37. On each side 37 of the upper opening 14, e.g., at diametrically-opposed positions, an inwardly facing dart 38 measuring approximately 0.25 inches is formed, beginning at the edge of the finished opening and ending at a location below the hem seam that is more than two inches and less than 6 inches. Strips of preferably 0.75-inch-wide hook and loop fastening tape 36, cut to a length of preferably 2.25 inches long, are then inserted into each dart 38 and then stitched 9 on the non-waterproof side 11 of the material. Alternatively, the fasteners may include straps attached to parachute clips or tie-able strips of waterproof material inserted into the darts 38 instead of strips of hook and loop fastening tape 36. In embodiments, the fasteners may include one or more tin ties to be threaded through the hem and protruding therefrom.
(12) FIGS. 3A-3C show an embodiment of the shower cap 30 of the present invention on a wearer engaged in sealing the upper opening 14 using the three steps herein described. Having already placed the shower cap 30 over her head and onto her neck and then subsequently raising the cap to the position shown in FIG. 3A, the wearer has raised her hair above the hairline, and into the shower cap, where it is confined predominantly toward the top of her head. FIG. 3A shows the wearer pulling on the two strips of hook and loop fastening tape 36 outwardly at the two sides 37 of the shower cap 30 which causes the female magnetic snaps 17 and the male magnetic snaps 16 in the hem 15 to connect. Then, as is shown in FIG. 3B, the wearer creates a cuff 40 by rolling the magnetically snapped end forward toward her face. Finally, as is shown in FIG. 3C, the wearer brings the two strips of hook and loop fastening tape 36 toward the back of her head and presses them together, thereby completing the sealing process using the snap, cuff, and fasten system 34.
(13) FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the lower opening 18 of the shower cap 30 of the present invention comprising a wide stretch band 20, measuring 2.5 inches wide when laid flat 21 against the non-waterproof side 11 of the waterproof material by approximately 17 inches in circumference, said band 20 having a bottom fold 23, that is attached to the waterproof material, and a top fold 24, that is not attached to the waterproof material and a waterproof ruffle 25 at the finished edge measuring 0.5-0.6 inches. The band 20 is permanently tacked 39, in two locations, those locations being determined by establishing a center front, based on the location of the established center back 35, and then measuring, with finished lower opening 18 outstretched to its maximum, approximately 3.5 inches from the center front and on each side of the center front, and by subsequently folding the band 20 onto itself and in half, by bringing the top fold 24 toward the center of the cap and then further downward toward the lower opening 18, to meet and line up with the bottom fold 23, then by tack stitching the folded band 41 to the non-waterproof side 11 of the waterproof material, across the 1.25-inch width of the folded band 41.
(14) FIG. 6 shows a preferred method for attaching the wide stretch band 20 to the unfinished lower opening 50 of the waterproof material 31 of the shower cap of the present invention. Beginning with the creation of the wide stretch band, as shown in FIG. 5A, wherein a 5.5-inch, preferably with 40% percentage stretch, by 18-inch, preferably with 70% percentage stretch, section of stretch material 51, preferably stretch polyester eyelet mesh, is sewn, short sides together to be annularly shaped and possessing a center back 52 at the joining seam 53, the annularly shaped stretch material is subsequently folded, as is shown in FIG. 5B, with the seam allowance 64 hidden. The folded stretch material 51 comprising the wide stretch band 20 measures 2.75 inches in height 55 and approximately 17 inches in circumference, and possesses two remaining raw edges 56. As shown in FIG. 5, the two raw edges 56 are lined up with the unfinished lower opening 60 of the waterproof material 31 and then attached by a seam 57 to the waterproof side 10 of the waterproof material 31. This attachment is represented by the schematic cross-section shown in FIG. 6A.
(15) FIG. 6A shows the two raw edges 56 of the stretch material 51, being attached, by sewing, and a resulting seam 57, to one layer of waterproof material 31 and on the waterproof side 10 of the waterproof material 31.
(16) FIGS. 6B and 6C show, also in schematic cross-sections, a preferred process for subsequently creating the waterproof ruffle 25 at the lower opening of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention. FIG. 6B shows the configuration of the seam 57, waterproof material 31, and stretch material 51, after the waterproof material 31 is folded toward the non-waterproof side 11 of the waterproof material as it would be prepared before the operation shown in FIG. 6C, wherein the stretch material 51 is folded up over the first seam 57 and further laid flat against the non-waterproof side 11 of the waterproof material 31 before stitching, the resulting seam 58 having penetrated all layers. FIGS. 6A-6C are not drawn to scale and are not intended to illustrate sizes of the involved components, neither individually nor relative to one another.
CITATION UST
Patent Literature
(17) U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,909 July 1999 Ellsworth et al.
Non Patent Literature
(18) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/756,154 U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/222,401
