Hat holding device

Abstract

Described is a hat holding device having a pair of arms pivotally secured to a housing such that the arms can pivot towards or apart from one another. The opposing ends of the arms attach to gripping members adapted to support the brims of one or more hats arranged in a stacked configuration. A rectangular loop is disposed around the arms of the hat holding device and is used to maintain the holding device in a closed or open configuration. The arms include exterior ridges therealong and are curved such that they are further apart from one another at the gripping member ends. By sliding the loop along the arms and towards the gripping members, the gripping members are forced together in a closed configuration and the ridges resist movement of the loop once positioned. Further provided is a hook pivotally secured to the housing for hanging the device.

Claims

1. A hat holding device, comprising: a first arm and a second arm each having a first end and a second end; each of said first arm and said second arm being pivotally secured to a housing at said first end such that said first arm and said second arm can rotate toward or apart from one another; a first gripping member secured to said second end of said first arm, and a second gripping member secured to said second end of said second arm, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are adapted to sandwich the brim of a hat therebetween; a hook pivotally secured to an upper portion of said housing and adapted to rotate downward and between said first arm and said second arm for storage; a securing means comprising a loop having an open interior area wherein said securing means is disposed around said first arm and said second arm and is adapted to slide therealong; wherein said first arm is pivotally secured to said first gripping member, and said second arm is pivotally secured to said second gripping member.

2. The hat holding device of claim 1, wherein: said first arm and said second arm each comprise an exterior surface; wherein said exterior surface of said first arm and said exterior surface of said second arm each comprise a plurality of ridges arranged transversely thereon; wherein said ridges are adapted to engage with said securing means.

3. The hat holding device of claim 1, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are substantially flat.

4. The hat holding device of claim 1, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are curved.

5. The hat holding device of claim 1, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member have a crescent shape.

6. The hat holding device of claim 1, wherein each of said first arm and said second arm comprise an arcuate shape such that said first arm and said second arm is closer together at said first end, and wherein each of said first arm and said second arm is farther from one another at said second end.

7. The hat holding device of claim 1, wherein said first end of said first arm further comprises a pivot pin; wherein said first end of said second arm further comprises a pivot pin; wherein said pivot pin of said first arm and said pivot pin of said second arm engage with a pair of pivot apertures disposed on said housing.

8. A hat holding device, comprising: a first arm and a second arm each having a first end and a second end; each of said first arm and said second arm being pivotally secured to a housing at said first end such that said first arm and said second arm are adapted to rotate toward or apart from one another; a first gripping member secured to said second end of said first arm, and a second gripping member secured to said second end of said second arm, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are adapted to sandwich the brim of a hat therebetween; a hook pivotally secured to an upper portion of said housing and adapted to rotate downward and between said first arm and said second arm for storage; a securing means comprising a loop having an open interior area wherein said securing means is disposed around said first arm and said second arm and is adapted to slide therealong; wherein each of said first arm and said second arm is partially disposed within said housing and is pivotally secured therein.

9. The hat holding device of claim 8, wherein: said first arm and said second arm each comprise an exterior surface; wherein said exterior surface of said first arm and said exterior surface of said second arm each comprises a plurality of ridges arranged transversely thereon; wherein said ridges are adapted to engage with said securing means.

10. The hat holding device of claim 8, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are substantially flat.

11. The hat holding device of claim 8, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are curved.

12. The hat holding device of claim 8, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member have a crescent shape.

13. The hat holding device of claim 8, wherein said first arm and said second arm comprise an arcuate shape such that said first arm and said second arm are closer together at said first end, and wherein said first arm and said second arm are farther from one another at said second end.

14. The hat holding device of claim 8, wherein said first end of said first arm further comprises a pivot pin; wherein said first end of said second arm further comprises a pivot pin; wherein said pivot pin of said first arm and said pivot pin of said second arm engage with a pair of pivot apertures disposed on said housing.

15. A hat holding device, comprising: a first arm and a second arm each having a first end and a second end; each of said first arm and said second arm being pivotally secured to a housing at said first end such that said first arm and said second arm are adapted to rotate toward or apart from one another; a first gripping member secured to said second end of said first arm, and a second gripping member secured to said second end of said second arm, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are adapted to sandwich the brim of a hat therebetween; a hook pivotally secured to an upper portion of said housing and adapted to rotate downward and between said first arm and said second arm for storage; a securing means comprising a loop having an open interior area wherein said securing means is disposed around said first arm and said second arm and is adapted to slide therealong; said first end of said first arm further comprises a constraining pin and said first end of said second arm further comprises a constraining pin; said housing further comprising a first constraining aperture and a second constraining aperture; said first arm constraining pin being adapted to engage with said first constraining aperture; said second arm constraining pin being adapted to engage with said second constraining aperture; wherein said first constraining apertures and said second constraining apertures are adapted to limit the pivotal motion of said first arm and said second arm.

16. The hat holding device of claim 15, wherein: said first constraining apertures and said second constraining apertures are elongated apertures adapted to allow said constraining pins to travel a given distance therein and thereby allow limited movement of said first arm and said second arm.

17. The hat holding device of claim 15, wherein: said first arm and said second arm each comprise an exterior surface; wherein said exterior surface of said first arm and said exterior surface of said second arm each comprise a plurality of ridges arranged transversely thereon; wherein said ridges are adapted to engage with said securing means.

18. The hat holding device of claim 15, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are substantially flat.

19. The hat holding device of claim 15, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member are curved.

20. The hat holding device of claim 15, wherein said first gripping member and said second gripping member have a crescent shape.

21. The hat holding device of claim 15, wherein said first arm and said second arm comprise an arcuate shape such that said first arm and said second arm are closer together at said first end, and wherein said first arm and said second arm are farther from one another at said second end.

22. The hat holding device of claim 15, wherein said first end of said first arm further comprises a pivot pin; wherein said first end of said second arm further comprises a pivot pin; wherein said pivot pin of said first arm and said pivot pin of said second arm engage with a pair of pivot apertures disposed on said housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

(2) FIGS. 1A and 1B show views of the front and side of an embodiment of the hat holding device of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the arms of the hat holding device of the present invention.

(4) FIGS. 3A and 3B show side views of the hat holding device of the present invention in open and closed configurations, respectively.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a view of the hook of the present invention folded for storage of the hat support device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the hat holding device. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for holding several hats in a stacked orientation while maintaining the curvature of the brim of the hats. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

(7) Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, there are shown front and side views of an embodiment of the hat holding device of the present invention. The present invention comprises a first arm 15 having a first end 18 and a second end 19, and a second arm 16 having a first end 20 and a second end 21, wherein said first and second arms 15, 16 are pivotally secured at a first end 18, 20 to a housing 17. The housing 17 has an interior volume in which the first ends 18, 20 of the first and second arms 15, 16 are positioned. The first and second arms 15,16 are arranged such that they can pivot towards or apart from one another. The first and second arms 15,16 have an arcuate shape such that the first ends 18,20 of the arms are closer together than the second ends 19,21 thereof, as best shown by FIG. 1B.

(8) A securing means 24 is disposed around the first arm 15 and the second arm 16. The securing means 24 comprises a loop having an interior area, and the securing means 24 is able to move along the length of the first and second arms 15, 16. As the securing means 24 moves along the first and second arms 15, 16 towards the second ends 19, 21 of the first and second arms 15, 16, the securing means 24 forces the first and second arms 15, 16 towards one another. In this way, the securing means 24 can be used to configure the hat holding device 11 in either an open or closed configuration.

(9) The second end 19 of the first arm 15 is secured to a first gripping member 22, and the second end 21 of said second arm 16 is secured to a second gripping member 23. Preferably, the first and second arms 15, 16 are secured to the external surface of the gripping members 22, 23 so as to not interfere with the inner surfaces of the gripping members 22, 23, which are adapted for securing one or more hats therebetween. The gripping members 22, 23 are arranged such that the surfaces of the gripping members face one another. In this way, the gripping members 22, 23 can be used to hold the brim 13 of one or more hats 14 therebetween. The gripping members 22, 23 can be used to hold several hats 14 by stacking the hats on top of one another such that the brims 13 are aligned. Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the gripping members 22, 23 are pivotally secured to the arms 15, 16 such that the gripping members can tilt or pivot.

(10) In some embodiments of the present invention the gripping members 22, 23 are flat or planar so as to hold hats having a flat brim, or to flatten the brim of hats with curved brims. In other embodiments of the present invention, the gripping members 22, 23 are curved so that hats having curved brims can be secured therebetween, such that the gripping members serve to maintain the curved shape of the brims. Further, the gripping members 22,23 may have a crescent or semi-circular shape so that the gripping members 22,23 are shaped similarly to the shape of a brim of a hat, as shown in FIG. 1A. The gripping members 22, 23 are adapted to retain the curved brim of a hat even when the hat and hat holding device are placed in a suitcase with other clothes and belongings. The gripping members are composed of a rigid material in order to help maintain the curved shape of the brim of a hat secured therebetween.

(11) A hook 25 is pivotally secured to an upper portion of the housing 17 and provides a means for allowing a user to hang the hat holding device 11 on a closet rod, closet bar, or other similar object. The hook 25 comprises a first end 26 and a second end 27. The first end 26 of the hook 25 has a curved shape that is adapted to be disposed over a closet rod, a hanging bar, or other similar object. The second end 27 of the hook 25 is pivotally secured to an upper portion of the housing 17. The hook 25 can be arranged in a folded or unfolded configuration. In the unfolded configuration, the hook 25 extends from the housing 17 and allows a user to position the hook on a closet rod or other similar object. To configure the hat holding device 11 in the folded configuration, the hook 25 is rotated about its connection to the housing 17 so that the hook 25 is folded downward and between the arms 15, 16 of the hat holding device 11.

(12) Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a close-up view of the arms of the hat holding device of the present invention. The first and second arms 15, 16 further comprise a plurality of ridges 36 arranged on an exterior surface thereof. The ridges 36 are adapted to engage with the securing means 24 such that the ridges 36 hold the securing means 24 in a particular position along the length of the first and second arms 15, 16. The securing means 24 comprises a loop having a substantially rectangular shape. As the securing means 24 is moved from the first end 18,20 of the arms 15,16 towards the second end of the arms, the securing means 24 forces the arms 15,16, and thus the gripping members together, in a closed configuration. In operation, a user can place one or more hats between the gripping members, and can then slide the securing means 24 towards the gripping members in order to secure the hat holding device in a closed configuration. The securing means 24 engages with the ridges 36 on the arms 15, 16 so that the securing means 24 is held in a desired position.

(13) Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, there are shown side views of the hat holding device of the present invention in open and closed configurations, respectively. The securing means 24 is adapted to move along the length of the first and second arms 15, 16 and controls the separation of the gripping members 22, 23. In an open configuration, where the gripping members 22, 23 are spaced from one another, the securing means 24 is disposed near the first ends 18, 20 of the first and second arms 15, 16. As the securing means 24 is moved towards the second end 19, 21 of the first and second arms 15, 16, the gripping members 22, 23 are forced towards one another due to the arcuate shape of the arms 15, 16. The arms 15, 16 are shaped such that the separation between the arms increases towards the second end of the arms 19, 21. In this way, the securing means 24 presses the arms 15,16 towards one another as the securing means 24 moves towards the second ends 19,21 of the arms.

(14) The housing 17 comprises a pair of pivot apertures 32,33 thereon that engage with a pin 29 on said first arm 15 and a pin 28 on said second arm 16. The arms 15, 16 can pivot about the pins 28, 29 that are engaged with the pivot apertures 32, 33 on the housing 17. The pivotal connection allows the arms 15, 16 to rotate towards or apart from one another. However, this connection alone allows for unconstrained rotation of the arms about the pins 28, 29. Thus, the housing 17 additionally comprises a pair of constraining apertures 34, 35 thereon, which are adapted to engage with a pair of constraining pins 30, 31. The first arm 15 comprises a constraining pin 31 disposed thereon, and the second arm 16 comprises a constraining pin 30 thereon. The constraining pins 30, 31 are engaged with constraining apertures 34, 35 on said housing 17. The constraining apertures 34, 35 have an oblong or elongated shape that have a length that is greater than the diameter of the pins 30, 31 and a height substantially equal thereto with clearance. In this way, as the arms 15, 16 pivot on the pivot pins 28, 29 the constraining pins 30, 31 can move within the constraining apertures 34, 35. As the arms 15, 16 are separated from a closed configuration, the constraining apertures 34, 35 allow for a limited amount of pivotal movement, but prevent the arms 15, 16 from further rotation. The pins 30, 31 translate within the oblong apertures 34, 35 and are permitted to travel a given distance before encountering a stopwhich are the outer extents of the oblong constraining apertures 34, 35. Once the pins 30, 31 reach the ends of the apertures 34, 35, the pins bear against the apertures and cannot travel any further in that given direction. In this way, the constraining apertures 34, 35 help to prevent excessive outward rotation of the arms. It is noted that the securing means 24 also helps to prevent over-rotation of the arms.

(15) Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a view of the hook of the present invention folded for storage of the hat holding device. The hook 25 is adapted to rotate about said housing 17 so that the hook 25 can be arranged between the arms of the hat holding device 11. This allows the hat holding device 11 to have a compact and low-profile shape that is convenient for travel. Further, folding the hook 25 prevents the hook 25 from catching on extraneous objects. In the folded configuration, the hook 25 is rotated roughly 180 degrees from the unfolded configuration wherein the hook 25 is used to hang the hat support device 11 on a closet rod or bar. The hook 25 is sized so that when it is rotated in a folded configuration, the hook 25 does not interfere with the gripping members 22. Further, the upper end 26 of the hook 25 wraps around the securing means 24 disposed around the arms 15, 16 of the hat holding device 11.

(16) It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

(17) Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.