HEADWEAR PIECE WITH MOISTURE CONTROLLING COMPONENT

Abstract

A headwear piece having a crown with a wall having an inside surface and an outside surface. The inside wall surface extends around a receptacle into which a user's head is directed. An accessory controls migration of moisture from a wearer's head to and through the crown wall and thereby tending to alter an appearance of the crown at the outside wall surface. The accessory has a flexible moisture absorbing component that is attached to the inside wall surface and extends upwardly from at or adjacent a bottom edge of the crown, that defines an entry opening for a wearers head. The accessory further has a stabilizer strip that is joined with the flexible moisture absorbing component and exerts a force on the inside wall surface tending to maintain a convex shape of the outside surface of the crown.

Claims

1. A headwear piece comprising: a crown with a wall having an inside surface and an outside surface, the inside wall surface extending around a receptacle into which a user's head is directed with the headwear piece in an operative position, the crown wall extending at least partially around a wearer's head with the headwear piece in the operative position; and an accessory to control migration of moisture from a wearer's head to and through the crown wall and thereby tending to alter an appearance of the crown at the outside wall surface, the accessory comprising a flexible moisture absorbing component that is attached to the inside wall surface and extends upwardly from at or adjacent a bottom edge of the crown, that defines an entry opening for a wearer's head, and extends through at least 180 around a circumference of the entry opening, the accessory further comprising a stabilizer strip that is joined with the flexible moisture absorbing component and exerts a force on the inside wall surface tending to maintain a convex shape of the outside surface of the crown.

2. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the stabilizer strip extends through at least 180 around the circumference of the entry opening.

3. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component is fixed to the inside wall surface.

4. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the crown wall has an inside layer that is folded upwardly and defines a part of the inside wall surface and the flexible moisture absorbing component overlies the inside layer and extends to above the inside layer.

5. The headwear piece according to claim 4 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component is adhered to the inside surface of the crown wall.

6. The headwear piece according to claim 5, wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component is adhered to the inside surface of the crown wall continuously through at least 180 around the circumference of the entry opening.

7. The headwear piece according to claim 4 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component is adhered to the inside layer.

8. The headwear piece according to claim 7 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component is adhered to the inside layer through at least 180 around the circumference of the entry opening.

9. The headwear piece according to claim 7 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component is not fixed to the inside surface at a region above the inside layer.

10. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component directly engages a wearer's head with the headwear piece in the operative position.

11. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein a second flexible moisture absorbing component is fixed to the inside wall surface so that the flexible moisture absorbing component and second flexible moisture absorbing component cooperatively extend substantially fully around the bottom edge of the crown.

12. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component is made from an absorbent fabric layer with opposite sides exposed directly to the inside surface of the crown and the head of a wearer with the headwear piece in the operative position.

13. The headwear piece according to claim 4 wherein the stabilizer strip is spaced above the inside layer.

14. The headwear piece according to claim 13 wherein the stabilizer strip is spaced above the inside layer over a majority of a length of the stabilizer strip.

15. The headwear piece according to claim 11 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component and second flexible moisture absorbing component are cooperatively adhered to the inside wall surface fully along the bottom edge of the crown.

16. The headwear piece according to claim 11 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component and second flexible moisture absorbing component cooperatively define a continuous ring shape.

17. The headwear piece according to claim 5 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component is adhered to the inside wall surface so as to be substantially flush with a bottom edge of the crown wall over a substantial length of the bottom edge of the crown wall.

18. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the flexible moisture absorbing component has a vertical height that varies over a length of the flexible moisture absorbing component.

19. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the stabilizer strip has a width greater than inch.

20. The headwear piece according to claim 19 wherein the stabilizer strip has a width less than one inch.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of one form of headwear piece with which the present invention can be practiced;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the crown in FIG. 1 and showing additional details thereof;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an accessory, according to the invention, usable on the headwear piece in FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one exemplary form of headwear piece as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0031] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary bottom view of the headwear piece in FIG. 4 and with one form of the accessory thereon and pulled outwardly; and

[0032] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, bottom view of the headwear piece in FIGS. 4 and 5, with the accessory in its normal operating position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0033] The inventive headwear piece/cap was designed to address the described existing problems with one installation. An absorbent layer is designed and positioned in the hat void in such a manner as to cover the sweatband circumference almost in its entirety or in its entirety, and in the area rising above the band deeper into the crown towards the eyelets. It can lay as a single layer of fabric from the supplier with no additional layers of backing. Suitable material, in one preferred form, is commercially available under the trademark ZORB. This commercially available fabric is highly absorbent and is lined with a waterproof barrier. Generally, this fabric, or a preferred like suitable fabric, is made from non-allergenic, durable, and easy to sanitize materials. It has fibers from a mix of bamboo, cotton, viscose, and poly microfiber. All suitable fibers can be naturally found in cloth diapers. This particular composition, while desirable, is not specifically required. Beyond the sweatband upward towards the eyelets, conventionally the absorbent fabric will add little or no rigidity, and it was discovered that the absorbent material laying against the crown walls in the absence of some appreciable rigidity, might fold or winkle, potentially causing areas to go uncovered. Further, the absence of rigidity on the absorbent would not cause the hat to maintain its original shape free from deformation, wrinkles, fold, or safe from accidental crushing.

[0034] The inventive headwear addresses the second problem of hat shape deformation and full coverage of the absorbent layer by applying a stabilizer strip to the upward portion of the absorbent layer for most or all of its circumference. This strip, in one exemplary form, is made of a styrene plastic which when flexed generates residual forces that add outward rigidity to the absorbent layer, causing it to tend to hug the inner crown panels in all areas of contact. Not only does it give more complete coverage of the absorbent layer inside the hat but it also fills out the hat by applying just enough force to expand it outward in a convex shape.

[0035] The stabilizer strip can be applied at a location that can affect the breaking point of the hat, where it transitions from smooth curvature to hard break. For smooth curvature throughout, the absorbent layer may extend beyond the stabilizer strip and that extension should remain soft and floppy, not backed with a rigid material.

[0036] In one form, there are four features of the inventive cap. [0037] 1. A main absorbent layer which covers at least some of the area of the 5-6 panels of the crown. [0038] 2. An absorbent shield covering the area not touched or in contact with the main absorbent cover. This may horseshoe around the back strap opening in panels 5 and 6 of the hat. [0039] 3. A stabilizer strip may be a styrene or flexible rigid strip residing along or near the top of the main absorbent layer. [0040] 4. Two-sided adhesive to bond all absorbent components onto the sweatband region of the hat, over an existing sweatband or a surface without a sweatband (component 1) and for an additional absorbent layer covering an area adjacent the backstrap opening. The two-sided adhesive may have a peel-off cover for easy assembly and placement on the cap crown.

[0041] In FIG. 1, a headwear piece, according to the invention, is shown at 10 and generically identifies headwear pieces with which the present invention can be practiced.

[0042] The headwear piece 10 has a crown 12 which may take a limitless number of different forms. The crown may be cup-shaped as in a conventional baseball-style cap. Alternatively, the headwear piece 10 may be in the shape of a visor that does not extend fully around a wearer's head with the headwear piece 10 in an operative position. The crown 12 may be interrupted to incorporate an adjustment feature, typically at the rear region thereof.

[0043] The headwear piece 10 may have a bill or a rim or may be made without any outwardly projecting structure from the crown.

[0044] The crown 12 has an inside surface 14 that bounds a receptacle 16 for a wearer's head, as seen additionally in FIG. 2. A bottom edge 18 of a wall on the crown 12 extends around an entry opening through which a wearer's head is directed to reside in the receptacle 16. The bottom edge 18 may have a continuous ring shape or may be interrupted, as with a visor construction.

[0045] As seen in FIG. 1, the inside surface 14 bears against a wearer's head with the headwear piece in an operative position. The inside surface may be partially defined by an inside layer 20 that is folded upwardly to bound a part of the receptacle 16 and defines, with the main wall components, an upwardly opening pocket.

[0046] In its basic form, the invention is directed to an accessory 22, as shown in FIG. 3, consisting of a moisture absorbing component 24, typically in a sheet form with preferably one layer, but potentially additional layers, with a stabilizer strip 26 attached to the moisture absorbing component 24.

[0047] As noted above, the composition of the moisture absorbing component 24 may vary considerably with it, in one preferred form, being a single layer made from the aforementioned fibers. Typically, the moisture absorbing component 24 will have a relatively easily collapsed/floppy construction.

[0048] In FIGS. 4-6, an exemplary form of the headwear piece 10 is shown at 10 as a baseball-style cap with a crown 12 having a cup-shaped wall 28 with the form depicted having individual gores 30 made up of single layers that are joined to produce the cup-shaped configuration. While not required, the single layer in each gore 30 defines part of the inside surface 14 and an outside surface 16 on the crown wall 28.

[0049] An inside layer 20 is attached at the bottom edge of the crown and is folded upwardly to define part of the inside surface 14. The gores 30 and inside layer 20 cooperatively define an upwardly opening pocket 31.

[0050] The component 24 is shown as a strip of the aforementioned fabric with a width that may vary along the length thereof. A single length extends at least 180 around the circumference of the bottom edge 18 with a portion of its height bonded to the inside surface 14, preferably along its full lengthwise extent. The bonding depicted occurs over a majority of the height of the layer 20 and potentially at a region thereabove.

[0051] An adjustment opening 32 is provided on the crown wall 28. In this form, the component 24 extends fully around the bottom edge 18 and is interrupted at the adjustment opening 32.

[0052] A separate moisture absorbing component 24a is attached at the adjustment opening 32 so that the moisture absorbing components 24, 24a cooperatively produce a continuous loop shape that effectively extends along the full extent of the bottom edge in a manner so as to engage a wearer's head fully around the circumference thereof with the headwear in the operative position.

[0053] As seen in FIG. 5, the inside layer 20 has a width W, with the component 24 having a width W1 greater than the width W.

[0054] An adhesive, that may be in the form of a double-sided tape, is applied so that a surface 34 on the component 24 is stably bonded to the inside layer 20.

[0055] The component 24 extends upwardly beyond the inside layer 20.

[0056] In one preferred form, the component 24 extends upwardly from at, or adjacent, the bottom edge 18 to overlie a substantial portion of the inside surface 14 above the inside layer 20.

[0057] That portion of the component 24 extending above the inside layer by itself has little shape retention capability. The stabilizer strip 26 is bonded to the surface 34 on the component 24 and is shaped so that with the component 24 pressed into the receptacle 16, the strip 26 tends to bear the inside surface 34 conformingly against the inside crown wall surface 14 and at the same time residual forces tend to create a convex shape for the coextensive crown region which is a natural optimal relaxed state for the crown 12.

[0058] FIGS. 4-6 generally show one desired dimensional relationship between the accessory 22 and the headwear piece 10, with this form not being limiting.

[0059] The width W1 preferably is adequate to allow application of a logo, shown generically at 36, at the surface 38 of the component 24 facing oppositely to the surface 34. For example, W1 may be adequate to allow the logo 36 to have a height of approximately 1.5 inches.

[0060] While a single layer of the material making up the components 24, 24a is described, it is also contemplated that one or more additional layers and/or a waterproof backing may be placed on the surface 34, on the component 24 and a like surface on the component 24a. This ensures against liquid seeping through the entire layer and contaminating the crown 12.

[0061] The accessory 22 may be pre-installed or may be sold separately from the headwear piece 10 to be put in place by an end user or a purveyor of the headwear.

[0062] It is common in existing designs to use bulky stabilizers in flexible headwear to maintain shape. This may prevent stacking of the headwear pieces.

[0063] The accessory 22 may significantly assist in imparting a desired shape to the crown 12 without blocking the receptacle 16 to any significant extent, whereby stacking is permitted. This allows for more efficient storing and transportation.

[0064] The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is intended to be illustrative of the broad concepts comprehended by the invention.