Headband that Resists Blowing Off

Abstract

A headband for a hat is disclosed. The headband includes an annular member configured to be positioned within a hat body. The annular member includes an inwardly projecting gripping element and a responsive section. The responsive section is configured to transition between a first, relaxed configuration when the hat is worn or donned, providing a first level of tension against a wearer's head; and a second, engaged configuration when an upward removal force is applied to the hat. The responsive section responds to the upward removal force by increasing the tension of the gripping element against the wearer's head, thereby providing a second, greater level of tension against the wearer's head to resist removal. In some embodiments, the annular member includes directionally biased elements configured to provide greater resistance to upward movement of the hat relative to the wearer's head than to downward movement.

Claims

1. A headband for a hat, comprising: an annular member configured to be positioned within a hat body, the annular member including: an inwardly projecting gripping element; and a responsive section; and wherein the responsive section is configured to transition between: a first, relaxed configuration when the hat is worn or donned, providing a first level of tension against a wearer's head; and a second, engaged configuration when an upward removal force is applied to the hat, the responsive section responding to the upward removal force by increasing the tension of the gripping element against the wearer's head, thereby providing a second, greater level of tension against the wearer's head to resist removal.

2. A headband for a hat, comprising an annular member configured to be positioned within a hat body, the band having an inner surface comprising a plurality of directionally biased elements configured to engage a wearer's head or hair, wherein the directionally biased elements provide greater resistance to upward movement of the hat relative to the wearer's head than to downward movement of the hat onto the wearer's head.

3. The headband of claim 2, wherein the directionally biased elements have a surface texture comprising a plurality of asymmetrical surface features, each asymmetrical surface feature having a gradual slope in a direction corresponding to downward movement of the hat onto the wearer's head, and a steeper slope in a direction corresponding to upward movement of the hat.

4. The headband of claim 2, wherein the asymmetrical surface features comprise a plurality of teeth.

5. The headband of claim 2, wherein the asymmetrical surface features comprise a plurality of overlapping scales.

6. The headband of claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped structure comprises a substantially flat, annular ring configured to be positioned within a hat body in a substantially horizontal plane when the hat is worn upright, and wherein the annular ring is configured to flex to allow its inner diameter to increase when the headband is donned and to decrease when an upward force is applied to the hat, and wherein an inner circumferential edge of the annular ring comprises a gripping element or has a gripping element attached.

7. The headband of claim 6, wherein the substantially flat, annular ring comprises a plurality of slits or spaces extending radially outward from the inner circumferential edge.

8. The headband of claim 6, wherein the annular ring is made of an elastic material.

9. The headband of claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped structure comprises an annular ring configured to be positioned within a hat body, wherein the ring-shaped structure is substantially rigid in a transverse direction and is configured to change its effective inner diameter through a pivoting action of portions of the ring-shaped structure, wherein the inner diameter increases when the headband is donned and decreases when an upward force is applied to the hat, and wherein an inner circumferential edge of the annular ring comprises a gripping element or has a gripping element attached.

10. The headband of claim 9, wherein the annular ring comprises a plurality of substantially rigid segments, and wherein adjacent segments are pivotally connected at or near their outer edges.

11. The headband of claim 9, wherein the annular ring is made of a continuous, elastic material, and wherein a plurality of substantially rigid, inwardly projecting struts are attached to the inner circumferential portion of the ring, wherein the struts are configured to allow an inner diameter defined by the tips of the struts to increase when the headband is donned and to decrease when an upward force is applied to the hat.

12. The headband of claim 1, wherein the gripping portion comprises a plurality of inwardly projecting bristles, wherein the bristles are configured to flex to allow an inner diameter defined by the tips of the bristles to increase when the headband is donned and to decrease when an upward force is applied to the hat.

13. The headband of claim 1, wherein the headband comprises a constricting tube configured to have a larger inner diameter when compressed and a smaller inner diameter when stretched.

14. The headband of claim 13, wherein the constricting tube comprises a diagonally woven structure.

15. The headband of claim 13, wherein the constricting tube comprises an elastic material.

16. The headband of claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped structure has a gripping portion, and wherein the gripping portion comprises a plurality of gripping elements configured to engage a wearer's head or hair.

17. The headband of claim 16, wherein the gripping elements comprise a plurality of inwardly projecting protrusions.

18. The headband of claim 16, wherein the gripping elements comprise a spiral spring.

19. The headband of claim 16, wherein the gripping element comprises a substantially vertical band attached to the inner circumferential edge of the annular ring, the band having a plurality of pleats configured to allow the inner diameter of the band to change as the annular ring flexes, and wherein the inner surface of the band has gripping properties, and may optionally have an additional gripping element attached thereto.

20. The headband of any one of claims 6, 9, 12, 13, 16, wherein the gripping elements comprise a directional friction surface per claim 2.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0004] The features of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, where like elements are labeled similarly, and in which:

[0005] FIG. 50 is a cut away top view of walls, hinges, doors and carts to illustrate the double swinging door analogies. 51 through 56 are different states in the analogy.

[0006] FIG. 100 is a cut away view of a first embodiment of the headband, showing a semi-flexible ring 770 and an attached inner spiral spring 760, along with detail views of the headband in donned and doffed configurations, and a plan view of the headband.

[0007] FIG. 110 is a cut away front view of a flexing ring embodiment. Drawings 610 and 620 show how the ring flexes when donned. 630 shows several possible ways to implement the ring and gripping elements.

[0008] FIG. 140 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the headband, featuring a pleated band as the inner gripping element.

[0009] FIG. 150 is a top view of an embodiment demonstrating a pivoting ring.

[0010] FIG. 155 shows ways of making a ring that is transversely rigid where the inner opening can enlarge.

[0011] FIG. 160 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment, featuring inwardly-protruding bristles as the inner gripping elements.

[0012] FIG. 170 is a detail view of the spiral element of FIG. 100, showing alternative surface textures for enhanced grip.

[0013] FIG. 180 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment using a constricting tube as the headband.

[0014] All drawings are schematic and not necessarily to scale. Parts given a reference numerical designation in one figure may be considered to be the same parts where they appear in other figures without a numerical designation for brevity unless specifically labeled with a different part number and described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In this specification hats refers to any type of headwear. This headband is specifically designed for integration into, or use as a separate component within, such headwear. Its purpose is to provide enhanced security against dislodgment while maintaining wearer comfort.

[0016] The features and benefits of the invention are illustrated and described herein by reference to exemplary embodiments. This description of exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. Accordingly, the disclosure expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features.

[0017] In the description of embodiments disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as lower, upper, horizontal, vertical, above, below, up, down, top and bottom as well as derivative thereof (e.g., horizontally, downwardly, upwardly, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as attached, affixed, connected, coupled, interconnected, and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

Overview of the Invention

[0018] The headband of the present invention can be implemented in two primary ways: (1) as a separate, removable component that can be installed into existing hats, or (2) as an integrated part of the hat's construction during manufacturing. It may also be employed as a stand-alone headband such as a sweatband.

[0019] The present invention addresses the problem of hats being easily dislodged from a wearer's head by wind, movement, or accidental contact. Traditional solutions, such as tighter headbands or chin straps, often compromise comfort. This invention provides a novel headband that overcomes this problem by dynamically adjusting its tension and/or employing directionally biased gripping elements.

[0020] Dynamic Tension Change: The headband is configured to exhibit a first, lower level of tension against the wearer's head when the hat is being donned or worn normally, and a second, higher level of tension when an upward force is applied to the hat, tending to remove it. This dynamic change in tension provides a secure grip without requiring constant, uncomfortable tightness.

[0021] Directional Friction: The headband incorporates directionally biased gripping elements on its inner surface. These elements are configured to provide greater resistance to upward movement of the hat relative to the wearer's head (or hair) than to downward movement.

[0022] The dynamic tension change can be achieved through several different structural embodiments, including, but not limited to: [0023] a. Flexible Ring: A substantially flat, annular ring that is configured to flex, allowing its inner diameter to increase when the hat is donned and to decrease when an upward force is applied. A gripping elements (such as a spiral spring, pleated band, or textured edge) is associated with the inner circumference of the ring. [0024] b. Pivoting Ring or Segments forming a ring: A ring-shaped structure comprising a plurality of interconnected, pivoting segments. These segments pivot inward when the hat is donned and resist outward pivoting when the hat is pulled upward, effectively decreasing the inner diameter of the headband. [0025] c. Bristle Tube: A tubular structure with inwardly projecting bristles. The bristles flex against the head with a similar effect as the flexible ring. [0026] d. Constricting Tube: A tubular structure that is configured to constrict (decrease its inner diameter) when stretched lengthwise and to expand (increase its inner diameter) when compressed.

[0027] Gripping elements and directionally friction can be incorporated into any of the above embodiments, or used independently in a headband that does not exhibit a dynamic change in tension.

Gripping Elements

[0028] Many people's heads have hair on the sides. Hair is slippery and that is one reason for unwanted dislodgement of hats from the head. The embodiments of the invention described below may be enhanced by use of gripping elements to overcome the slipperiness of hair. Also when hair is not present gripping elements can still improve performance. As used herein, the term gripping element refers to any feature or portion of the headband that is configured to contact the wearer's head and provide resistance to upward movement of the hat. This includes, but is not limited to, a spiral spring, a pleated band, a plurality of bristles, a plurality of teeth, a sawtooth edge, tines, posts, a textured surface, and the unmodified inner circumferential edge of the ring-shaped structure itself. Gripping element may focus on gripping the hair, scalp or other ways of gripping the head. Gripping element may be added to any of the embodiments of the invention. Gripping element may employ elements of directional friction I will now describe.

Directional Friction

[0029] The embodiments listed below demonstrate several ways to improve the directional grip of the headband through features that are not necessarily related to changes in tension. These structures are designed to directionally bias friction against the scalp or directionally bias grab of the hair or both. The invention includes, but is not limited to, these directionally biased gripping elements. These gripping elements may be added to any of the embodiments described below that grip loosely when donning and grip more tightly when doffing.

[0030] The first embodiment of a headband that goes on easier than it comes off is a headband with structures that penetrate the hair and contact the scalp and the contact points are comprised of a surface that has directional friction. These surfaces may be like biased scales, biased saw teeth, knaps, angled fibers, tiny slanted tines on a surface, large slanted tines, among others. This biased texture might be hard to discern by the unaided eye because it is small. FIG. 170 shows two ways this can be accomplished on the spiral spring structure 760 used in the first embodiment described and shown in FIG. 100. The circle in FIG. 170 labeled 760 is an end view of the same spiral spring. The insets to the right show enlarged sections of the spiral spring. The first shows slanted filaments and the second show a biased sawtooth surface. Any biased surface that is effective and convenient to make is acceptable, for example a more random rough surface where the protrusions sag in one direction or a surface that has scales. These gripping surfaces may be applied to structures such as spirals, tines, curved tines, posts with pads or other structures designed to pass through the hair and contact the scalp.

[0031] Another embodiment comprises a headband with a plurality of hair-gripping elements configured to engage a wearer's hair. These hair-gripping elements provide greater resistance to upward movement of the hat relative to the wearer's hair than to downward movement of the hat onto the wearer's head. The hair-gripping elements may take the form of, but are not limited to, tines possibly slanted upwards, posts, bristles, or other protrusions. In one variation, the hair- gripping elements comprise a plurality of tines that are configured to remain substantially parallel to each other when the hat is donned or moved downward, allowing for easy passage through the hair. However, when an upward force is applied to the hat, these tines are configured to pivot and cross each other, forming pinching structures that grip the hair and resist removal.

[0032] The directional scalp and hair gripping elements may be combined.

Directionally Biased Tightening

[0033] The embodiments listed below demonstrate several ways to make headbands that grip loosely when donning or wearing and grip more tightly when attempting to remove the hat (doffing). The invention includes, but is not limited to, these biased tension devices. Some of the embodiments are based on horizontal ring structures that are not easy to understand in their finished state. To assist in comprehension I offer the following incremental analogies.

Analogies for Door Like Embodiments

Swinging Doors

[0034] Consider FIG. 50. First imagine a double swinging doorway like in a restaurant between the kitchen and the dining room which is 51 in the figure. The following parts are labeled:

[0035] 41 walls, 42 spring hinges, 43 doors, 44 a cart. The doors are spring loaded to automatically close, so wait staff can easily push through the doors with their hands full and the doors close as soon as they pass through. Now imagine a worker pushes a cart part way through the doors and stops 52. The doors are lightly pressing on both sides of the cart. Next imagine the worker decides to back up and pull the cart back out of the doorway. Now the doors will bind against the cart strongly resisting backwards movement. This binding effect will be increased if the edges of the doors touching the cart have strong grip, for example if they were made of rubber. With strong grip, the only way the cart can move backwards is if the cart or the doors deform. In this example that would be highly destructive 53!

[0036] As a refinement imagine the doors and cart are sized to fit each other as shown in 54. This is analogous to a hat sized to a person's head. Now the doors are like little flippers 45 on the sides of a mostly open doorway. We can still push the cart through the doors easily. If we stop while the cart is still between the doors the pressure on the cart remains light. As before, pulling the cart back forces the doors to swing inward pinching the cart and creating resistance. Since the doors are smaller in this example, pulling backwards with more force will deform the cart or doors a little as the doors move back to their closed position 55. Once they pass the closed position, pressure on the cart reduces and reverse motion becomes easy 56. With proper sizing, material selection and design this process is harmless.

Flexing Doors

[0037] Next consider that the doors might be made other ways and obtain the same or similar effect. For example instead of hinged rigid doors, the doors might be a semi rigid springy material that flexes when the cart is pushed through. Again, reversing direction results in the doors binding against the cart. Another way of making the doors would be to line the door frame with bristles that point inwards. Pushing the cart through the bristles causes the bristles to flex and is easy until the direction is reversed, then the bristles bind and pinch the cart to resist reversal, much like the semi rigid springy door.

Making the Doorway Circular

[0038] Next imagine this doorway is circular, and the doors are elements arranged around substantially the entire circumference of the opening. This circular doorway is analogous to the headband of the present invention, with the wearer's head being analogous to the cart. The doorframe and doors are sized to fit a head. The headband provides easy passage for the head when the hat is donned (like pushing the cart forward), but resists removal when the hat is pulled upward (like pulling the cart back).

[0039] Below I will describe in more detail door like embodiments and other embodiments based on different principles. These are examples and the invention is not limited to these exemplary embodiments.

Embodiments Analogous to Flexing Doors

[0040] FIG. 100 depicts the embodiment which I have built and tested. It is analogous to the flexible door analogy found the section above named Flexing doors. It is made of a semi-stiff non elastic ring 770, with a flexible spiral spring 760 attached to the inside edge of the ring. Slits or spaces 780 are present in the ring 770 between each attachment point to the spiral spring to the ring. The slits should be long enough to allow the inner size of the ring to open sufficiently to be comfortable on the head. My embodiment is made with a single ring but other embodiments may use multiple rings or more complex structures to create contact with a larger area of the head. The spiral spring 760 is an example of a gripping element.

[0041] I used 5 mm-9 mm 4:1 pitch plastic spiral binder for the spiral spring 760, attached with Loctite extreme gel glue to the inside edge of stiffened felt rings between 0.8 mm and 1.8 mm thick that form the ring 770. There is nothing essential about the exact dimensions and stiffness of the materials. Variations have different trade offs. For example A bigger spiral spring can penetrate thicker hair but makes a more bulky headband. Alternative or additional attachment methods might include stitching, welding, or threading the spiral spring 760 to the inner edge of the ring 770. Alternatively the ring and spiral spring might be molded as a single part. These are examples among many other possibilities someone skilled in the art may use.

[0042] The ring could be made of any material that is flexible enough to bend but stiff enough to tighten without buckling before creating useful tightening of the ring. An ideal material will not split beyond the cut length of the slits. How stiff the material should be can vary depending on the goals for the headwear. In some products the goal might be a subtle tightening that can easily be overcome when removing the hat to prioritize comfort with just a little added ability to keep the hat from falling off the head. In other products the goal might be to make removal extremely difficult even to the point of being uncomfortable, or any compromise in between. If the hat is designed to be extremely hard to remove by upward force on the hat it may be removed easily by pressing upwards on the headband instead of pulling the hat. The ring might take the form of plastics, rubber, dense cloth or any material that achieves the above objectives.

[0043] The term spiral spring is not to be taken to indicate the exact shape of the structure but to give the idea. The spiral can be any shape designed for comfort, space efficiency, grip and other factors. For example, viewed on end, the spiral might take the form of half circles, ovals or rectangles with rounded edges among many others.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 100, the headband is sized so the opening 750 is smaller than the head. The outside of the ring 754 is larger than the head. When the headband is pushed onto the head the inside edge of the ring 770 bends up as shown in 720. The material I used is not elastic, so I cut slits 780 between the attachments to the spiral spring. The slits widen to allow the inside edge of the ring 770 to flex up and increase the opening size of the inside of the ring when the hat is pressed down onto the head. An elastic ring could also serve the same purpose. The spiral spring is attached between the slits so that the spiral spring does not interfere with the widening of the inner circle of the ring. When donning the hat the spiral spring 760 expands to accommodate the enlargement of the opening as in 752. This larger opening allows the headband to fit loosely and comfortably. Note the spiral spring penetrates the hair for improved grip.

[0045] When the hat is removed by pulling it upwards there is friction between the spiral spring and the scalp and or the spiral spring catches on the hair. This causes the hat to move up more than the inside of the ring which causes the inner edge of the ring to flatten back down to it's original shape and close the slits which reduces the size of the inside of the ring back to 750. Because 750 is smaller than the size of the head the inner edge and spiral spring tightens on the head increasing grip. The result is a headband that exerts minimal tension when donned or worn, but when the hat is subject to removal or dislodgment the tension increases to resist removal. This makes the hat resist blowing or falling off. In the embodiment I built when the hat is pulled up the headband tightens until the ring buckles or the spiral spring compresses the head enough that the inner edge of the ring can flex down. Once this transition occurs the headband again looks like 752 except that the inside edge is flexed downward. This transition enlarges the inner opening and releases tension on the head and the hat can then be easily removed.

[0046] An alternative embodiment is to increase resistance to blowing off by making the starting size 750 so much smaller than the head that when the hat is pulled up it can not compress the head enough to allow the ring to flex down. In this embodiment the ring is stiffer so it does not buckle when pulling the hat up. In this embodiment when the hat is being removed the headband never reaches a point where it flexes down to allow easy removal. This embodiment may have a greater ability to resist blowing or falling off. To remove this embodiment the wearer might choose to press upward on the spiral spring instead of pulling the hat itself up. This is because the headband will be gripping with sufficient force that pulling the hat off directly might be uncomfortable or damaging to the structures of the hat.

[0047] Another alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 140 replaces the spiral spring with a band 794 configured to be oriented vertically and attached to the inner edge of the ring 770. There are raised unattached portions, pleats, aligned with the slits 792 so that the inside edge of the ring 770 can expand when the hat is placed on the head. Otherwise it functions similarly to the first embodiment. Note if the slits are wider gaps the pleats could be inside the inside the gaps. In another particular embodiment the band 794 may be sufficiently elastic that the pleats are not needed. A variation of this embodiment is to line the band 794 with structures designed to penetrate the hair 796 to provide better grip on the hair and or scalp and avoid sliding on top of the hair. The structures 796 are attached to, or are part of, the band 794. Note in FIG. 140 the structures are shown in just one section for illustration but in a real embodiment the structures would comprise most or all the circumference of the band. They might take the form of posts or tines.

[0048] Another alternative embodiment is to leave off the band 794 shown in FIG. 140. In this implementation the ring 770 shown in FIG. 110 might be comprised of elastic material selected for an appropriate degree of stiffness and flexibility so that it can flex up when pulled down onto the head. This material may be selected for it's ability to be soft enough to be comfortable yet stiff enough that the inner edge will bite a little to resist slipping when the hat is pulled upward. In another particular embodiment the material may not be elastic but may have slits as in the first embodiment 765. In another particular embodiment shown in FIG. 110 the inner edge may be have greater friction by changing the material or shape to increase grab on the scalp and/or hair when pulled up. For example it's inner edge might have a saw tooth shape 762 or be shaped like a comb 784 to go through the hair and provide contact with the scalp and prevent slippage by riding on top of the slippery hair. The inner circumferential edge of the ring 770, or the gripping elements attached to it, may have directionally biased features as described above.

[0049] All of the above are similar to the flexible door analogy.

Embodiment Analogous to Bristle Doors

[0050] Another alternative embodiment FIG. 160 is a headband with a plurality of whiskers or bristles 725 protruding inwards towards the center. The mechanism is the same as the ring embodiments described above, therefore I now refer to FIG. 110. The headband is sized so the inner tips of the whiskers create an oval smaller than the head 750. When the headband is slid down onto the head the whiskers flex up thereby enlarging the opening to allow the head to fit inside comfortably 752. When the hat is pushed upwards the whiskers dig in, resisting sliding so the whiskers begin to straighten which makes the inside size 752 return to 750 as they straighten. Since 750 is smaller than the head the headband grips tightly when pulled up. Like the first embodiment, the headband may be sized and materials selected such that the hat may still be removed with moderate force, or it may be sized with a larger difference in D1 and D2 such that removal is more difficult without pressing upwards on the headband itself. The bristles may be angled to provide greater resistance to upward movement.

[0051] The terms whisker and bristles are to give the general idea. In practice the structures may be made of anything that is flexible enough so it can bend when the hat is donned, and stiff enough to dig in and resist letting the hat be removed by wind motion or gravity. In one embodiment these elements may be made of thick fishing line like leader line. In another embodiment these may be made of plastic bristles like a broom. In another they may be made of spring wire. In some embodiments they may have a smooth rounded tip. In another embodiment they may have a rounded bulb at the end of each tip like a scalp massager. They may also have elements of directional friction or grab. This list of examples is not intended to be complete or limiting.

Embodiments Analogous to Rigid Doors

[0052] In another alternative embodiment, the headband is transversely rigid, and functions similarly to the rigid, pivoting doors in the analogy described in the section titled Analogies for Door Like Embodiments. This embodiment utilizes a ring-shaped structure that is substantially rigid in the transverse direction (i.e., it does not flex up or down) and achieves changes in its inner diameter through a pivoting action, as illustrated conceptually in FIG. 150, drawing 510.

[0053] One variation, illustrated in FIG. 150 (drawing 515), comprises a continuous, annular ring (unlabeled in 515) made of a circumferentially elastic material. A plurality of substantially rigid, inwardly projecting struts (773) are attached to the inner circumferential portion of this elastic ring. The struts stop short of the flexural zone of the ring allowing for pivoting of each strut and the ring as a whole. When the hat is donned, the elastic ring stretches circumferentially, and the struts pivot outward. When an upward force is applied, the ring contracts, causing the struts to pivot inward, decreasing the effective inner diameter defined by the tips of the struts, and increasing grip.

[0054] Another variation of this pivoting-ring embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 150 (drawing 520) and FIG. 155, comprises a plurality of interconnected, substantially rigid segments (770) that form an annular ring. These segments are pivotally connected to each other at or near their outer edges (e.g., by hinges or flexible material at the locations of slits 780). Inwardly projecting gripping elements (such as teeth 764, bristles 765, or a textured surface 762) are attached to, or form part of, each segment. When the hat is donned, the segments pivot outward slightly, increasing the effective inner diameter defined by the tips of the gripping elements. When an upward force is applied to the hat, the segments resist pivoting outward, thus decreasing the effective inner diameter and increasing grip. The sections of the ring between the slits (780) form flippers (761) that can flex up and down.

[0055] FIG. 155 illustrates several non-limiting examples of gripping structures that can be used with the ring-based embodiments, including the flexible-ring embodiments and the pivoting-ring embodiments. These gripping structures can be attached to, or form part of, the inner circumferential edge or portion of the ring or ring segments, or attached to pivoting struts. Examples include, but are not limited to, bristles or filaments (765), teeth or tines (764), a textured edge (762), or a flipper section (761) of the ring itself between slits (780). The flexible hinge area is shown as 768.

Constricting and Expanding Tube Embodiment

[0056] Another alternative embodiment is to make the headband out of a tube that has a larger diameter when compressed as in donning, and a smaller diameter when pulled, as in removal which causes the headband to grip more tightly during removal. This may be accomplished by making the tube elastic, or woven, among other alternatives. These states are similar to FIGS. 100 750 and 752.

[0057] Referring to the bottom two drawings in FIG. 180 we see an example of a tube made of a diagonally woven structure, a Chinese finger trap which expands when compressed lengthwise 852 allowing fingers to go inside easily. When the fingers are pulled apart the tube elongates and the inner circumference reduces to 850, such that it grabs the fingers tightly. If the fingers can be compressed the tube will shrink even smaller than 850 as shown in 854 which provides better grip.

[0058] For the purposes of the present invention the headband is the tube and the top is attached to the hat body. The bottom is open. When donned the head entering the bottom of the tube compresses and widens to comfortably accommodate the head. When the hat is pulled up the tube shrinks attempting to reach the state of 850 or possibly even 854 thus tightening it's grip and resists removal. In the top three drawings in FIG. 180 an elastic tube is shown performing in a similar manner. In common usage this effect can be seen when an elastic hose is pushed onto a rigid pipe. The hose expands when being pushed on and is easier to push on than to pull off.

[0059] Many gripping elements might be added. One example might be lining the interior of the tube with protrusions to comb through the hair and contact the scalp so that the headband will not slide on top of the hair but instead grip the scalp. Bristles 725 are another example of a gripping element that might be appropriate.

Forehead Area Modifications

[0060] In all the above examples, the headband may be modified in the area of the forehead to increase comfort and prevent sweat from dripping into the eyes and face. For example in tested embodiments using spiral gripping elements the spiral in the area of the forehead was wrapped with soft moisture wicking material. In another tested embodiment the area of the forehead was furnished with a different gripping element.

Conclusion

[0061] The present invention is intended to be inserted into or integrated into hats and headwear of all kinds. It also may be useful as a standalone headband, for example a jogger's sweatband.

[0062] These examples are not an exhaustive list of possible embodiments of the invention, but exemplary and someone skilled in the art will be able to adapt the invention to various applications.

[0063] While the foregoing description and drawings represent exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that various additions, modifications and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope and range of equivalents of the accompanying claims. In particular, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other forms, structures, arrangements, proportions, sizes, and with other elements, materials, and components, without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. In addition, numerous variations in the methods/processes described herein may be made within the scope of the present disclosure. One skilled in the art will further appreciate that the embodiments may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials, and components and otherwise, used in the practice of the disclosure, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles described herein. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the disclosure, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents.