Abstract:
A hair cover for protecting a wearer&#39;s v-shaped hairdo while sleeping having two fabric chambers, one dome-shaped and the other v-shaped.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/388,400 filed on Sep. 30, 2010, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to garments and more particularly to hair covers used to protect a wearer&#39;s hair while sleeping. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The fundamental purpose underlying existing hair covers or sleeping caps is to protect a wearer&#39;s hair while the wearer is sleeping. Hair covers can be found in various shapes, sizes, and materials to provide such protection. Unfortunately, existing hair covers lack other important features because those features are at odds with the fundamental purpose of protecting a wearer&#39;s hair. One such feature is environmental friendliness. Consumers are increasingly looking for green products. Existing hair covers, particularly those manufactured from highly regarded silk or satin materials, are not biodegradable and thus are considered harmful to the environment after they are no longer usable and they are thrown away. Compounding this problem is the fact that many hair covers lack durability. For example, many silk hair covers cannot be washed, and hair covers manufactured from other materials known to provide a high level of protection to the wearer&#39;s hair can lose their integrity if washed too often or incorrectly. Therefore, dirt, grime, oils, and greases can accumulate on the hair cover and require replacement before the hair cover otherwise loses its ability to protect. 
         [0004]    Moreover, existing hair covers are not well adapted to deal with the growing trend of wearers having long braided hair, natural and synthetic, with a V-shaped body. Many existing hair covers, such as one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,190, have a straight edged bottom and thus offer little or no support for the edges along the V-shape. Therefore, a durable hair cover that protects a wearer&#39;s hair and the environment and meets the growing trend of long, braided hair having a V-shaped body is desirable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Certain aspects and embodiments of a hair cover for protecting a wearer&#39;s hair while sleeping are described. In one aspect, an upper fabric chamber having a generally domed shape is positioned on a wearer&#39;s head. A lower fabric chamber depends from the upper fabric chamber and includes a generally V-shaped pocket for receiving and protecting a generally V-shaped body of hair. The upper fabric chamber has an elastic band secured to the periphery of an opening in the upper fabric chamber with a fastener such that the fastener does not contact the hair. 
         [0006]    In another aspect, a method for making a hair cover is described. A fabric used to make a hair cover includes an upper fabric portion used to form the upper fabric chamber and a lower fabric portion used to form the lower fabric chamber. The lower fabric portion depends from the upper fabric portion. The lower fabric portion includes a left portion, a right portion that mirrors the left portion, and a flap located centric to the left portion and the right portion formed by cutting away a section of the lower fabric portion. An opening in the upper fabric chamber is formed by securing a first straight edge of the left portion to a second straight edge of the right portion. A pocket in the lower fabric chamber is formed by securing a first curved edge of the left portion to a first side of the flap and by securing a second curved edge of the right portion to a second side of the flap. An elastic band is secured along the outer surface of the periphery of the opening in the upper fabric chamber with a fastener. 
         [0007]    These illustrative aspects and embodiments are mentioned not to limit or define the invention, but to provide examples to aid understanding of the inventive concepts disclosed in this application. Other aspects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent after review of the entire application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a profile view of a hair cover depicting an opening in the upper fabric chamber. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a profile view of the hair cover shown at a different angle than that shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the hair cover depicting the upper fabric chamber. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the hair cover depicting the opening in the upper fabric chamber. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the hair cover depicting the opening in the upper fabric chamber. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a rear view of the hair cover. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of a fabric used to make the hair cover. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of a band that attaches to the periphery of the opening in the upper fabric chamber. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    An exemplary hair cover  10  has an upper fabric chamber  20 , a lower fabric chamber  30 , and an elastic band  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The lower fabric chamber  30  can depend from the upper fabric chamber  20  to form one contiguous hair cover  10 . Dotted line  24  represents a virtual separation of the upper fabric chamber  20  and the lower fabric chamber  30 . The lower fabric chamber  30  is comprised of a left portion  715 , a right portion  720 , and a flap  725 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0017]    The portions of the hair cover  10  can cooperate with one another such that they can be secured together using a fastener. “Secured,” “secured to,” or generally the act of securing can mean attaching, joining, coupling, or binding portions of the hair cover  10  to one another. Examples of various fasteners that can be used to secure the portions are stitches, staples, glue, and tape. 
         [0018]      FIGS. 1-4  depict an upper fabric chamber  20  having a generally domed shape for securing a wearer&#39;s hair. The upper fabric chamber  20  can adjust according to the shape and size of a wearer&#39;s head and the amount of hair thereon. The upper fabric chamber  20  can include an opening  25  for receiving the wearer&#39;s head and hair. The opening  25  can have a diameter of approximately 15.75 inches according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         [0019]    The elastic band  12  can be secured to a periphery along the opening  25  to expand and contract the opening  25  to receive and secure heads of various sizes. In an exemplary embodiment, the wearer&#39;s hair can be tucked into the lower fabric chamber  30  by the wearer pulling at least a portion of the band  12  away from the wearer&#39;s head to create a gap, while at least another portion of the band  12  is secured to the wearer&#39;s head. In another embodiment, the opening  25  can be pulled apart with the wearer&#39;s hands first to receive the wearer&#39;s hair and thereafter to receive the wearer&#39;s head. An exemplary configuration has an elastic band  12  with a length of about 25.5 inches and a width of about 2.5 inches to provide such flexibility and interaction with the opening  25 . 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the elastic band  12  can be manufactured by folding the band  80  shown in  FIG. 8  along a longitudinal center line of the band to create a left side and a right side of the band. An elastic material can be inserted between the left side and the right side of the band. The edges of the band can be secured by a fastener to enclose the elastic material within the band. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the elastic band  12  can have a stitched line  16  that spans the length of the elastic band  12  to create ruffles in the band. An upper ruffled portion  14  and a lower ruffled portion  18  can be used to grip the wearer&#39;s head. According to one embodiment, the elastic material can be inserted into the upper ruffled portion  14  and/or the lower ruffled portion  18 . Similarly, in another embodiment, a drawstring can be inserted into the upper ruffled portion  14  and/or the lower ruffled portion  18  to tighten or loosen the band  12  around the wearer&#39;s head. Still in another embodiment, a drawstring can be used in conjunction with an elastic material. Under such a configuration, the elastic material can be inserted into either the upper or lower ruffled portion while the drawstring can be inserted into the opposite portion to provide, for example, additional security, adjustability, and comfort along the wearer&#39;s head. In embodiments in which a drawstring is used, the band  80  can comprise one or more openings through which ends of the drawstring can extend to be adjusted by a wearer&#39;s hands. 
         [0021]    The elastic band  12  can be secured to the periphery of the opening  25  with a fastener such that the fastener does not come in contact with the hair, thereby preventing hair breakage, or the separation of the hair from the head, where the elastic band  12  contacts the wearer&#39;s head. In one embodiment, the fastener is secured to the outer surface  32  instead of the inner surface  31  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) so that the fastener does not contact the wearer&#39;s head. In an exemplary embodiment, stitches are used to secure the band  12  to the periphery of the opening  25 . 
         [0022]    FIGS.  1 , 2 ,  5  and  6  depict a lower fabric chamber  30 . In one embodiment, the lower fabric chamber  30  is elongated, or extends downward or otherwise outward to a distance away from the upper fabric chamber  20 . Such a distance is represented by the length  50  in the figures. A longer or shorter version of the hair cover  10  may be created by increasing or decreasing the length  50  of the lower fabric chamber  30 . Such a modification can enable the lower fabric chamber  30  to receive and protect hair of varying lengths. 
         [0023]    The lower fabric chamber  30  can include a pocket  55 . Horizontal line  34 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , represents a virtual demarcation of an edge of the pocket  55  within the lower fabric chamber  30 . In one embodiment, the pocket  55  has a generally V-shape for receiving a generally V-shaped body of hair. The V-shape of the pocket  55  can be a shape where the length of a cross section of the pocket  55  decreases while traversing in a direction away from the upper fabric portion  705 . The length of the cross section can decrease by a greater amount when measured closer to the bottom of the pocket  55  such that the pocket  55  can have a rounded edge at point  742  where a first side  740  meets a second side  744 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . The first side  740  and the second side  744  of the flap  725  can have a flatter or steeper angle to compress or expand the general V-shape of the pocket  55 . 
         [0024]    The V-shaped pocket  55  can be especially suitable for relatively long hair that is braided so that the edges of the hair form a V-shape. Other braided hair styles such as synthetic hair extensions can have a V-shape by design. The pocket  55  can also receive and protect hair of various other types, shapes, and sizes, or can itself have various shapes and sizes for receiving and protecting the wearer&#39;s hair. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the fabric  700  can be used to make the hair cover  10  of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The upper fabric portion  705  can meet the lower fabric portion  710  at point  730  along the left side of the fabric  700  and at point  732  along the right side of the fabric  700 . Horizontal line  704  represents a virtual separation of the upper fabric portion  705  and the lower fabric portion  710 . The upper fabric portion  705  can include a central arc  750  that is connected to a lower left arc  754  by a left straight edge  753  along the left side of the fabric  700 . Along the right side of the fabric  700 , the central arc  750  can be connected to a lower right arc  756  by a right straight edge  755 . The arcs and straight edges can form the periphery of the opening  25  in the upper fabric chamber  20  ( FIG. 5 ). 
         [0026]    The lower fabric portion  710  can include a left portion  715 , a right portion  720 , and a flap  725 . A section of the lower fabric portion  710  can be cut away or removed to form a generally V-shaped flap  725  located centric to the left portion  715  and the right portion  720 . The right portion  720  can mirror the left portion  715 . The left portion  715  can have a first curved edge  738  for cooperating with a first side  740  of the flap  725 . The right portion  720  can have a second curved edge  746  for cooperating with a second side  744  of the flap. Cutting away the section of the fabric can leave a gap between the left portion  715  and the flap  725  whereby the gap increases while traversing along the first curved edge  715  in a direction away from the upper fabric portion  705 . A similar gap can exist between the right portion  720  and the flap  725 . The left portion  715  can have a first straight edge  736  joined at an angle to the curved edge  738 . Similarly, the right portion  720  can have a second straight edge  748  joined at an angle to the second curved edge  746 . 
         [0027]    In an exemplary embodiment, the fabric  700  can be approximately 30.75 inches long along a longitudinal center line of the fabric  700  and at least 15 inches wide across the broadest portion of the fabric portion  710 . The flap  725  can have a length of approximately 7.5 inches along a longitudinal center line, while the left portion  715  and the right portion  720  can have a length of approximately 13.25 inches across its longest cross section. Such a design requires relatively few stitches, which can reduce the amount of time required to manufacture the hair cover  10 . 
         [0028]    The fabric  700  can be used to manufacture the hair cover  10 . According to one embodiment, the pocket  55  in the lower fabric chamber  30  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) can be formed by securing the first curved edge  738  of the left portion  715  to the first side  740  of the flap  725 , and by securing the second curved portion  746  of the right portion  720  to the second side  744  of the flap  725 . The opening in the upper fabric chamber  20  can be formed by securing the first straight edge  736  of the left portion  715  to the second straight edge  748  of the right portion  720 . 
         [0029]    An exemplary embodiment of the hair cover  10  can protect a wearer&#39;s hair while being both durable and environmentally friendly. For example, the hair cover  10  can be manufactured from a biodegradable, cotton sateen fabric. Furthermore, cotton sateen can be gentle enough to protect a wearer&#39;s hair while being durable enough to endure regular washings by hand, washing machine, or other cleaning apparatuses without losing its integrity. Other types of biodegradable materials that are washable by hand or machine can be used in other embodiments. 
         [0030]    It should be understood that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the invention, which are presented by way of example rather than limitation. Numerous changes may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Many other modifications, features, and embodiments of the present invention will become evident to those of skill in the art. For example, the hair cover  10 , and the portions used to manufacture it, can comprise various shapes, sizes, and materials. The hair cover  10  can also receive various amounts, shapes, and types of hair. Various sizes and shapes of the fabric  700  and its portions can be used to manufacture the hair cover  10 . For example, the left portion  715  and the right portion  720  can have fewer or more curved or straight edges. Additionally, the flap  725  can have a different size, shape, and orientation with the left portion  715  and the right portion  720 . 
         [0031]    Furthermore, various embodiments described herein use terms such as “left,” “right,” “upper,” and “lower.” These terms are used merely for convenience and should not limit the orientation of any portion forming or within the hair cover  10 . For example, a “right” portion can be located on the “left” side of the fabric  700 , depending on the orientation of the fabric  700 .