Abstract:
An indicia apparatus has a first panel having an area carrying one or more of graphical or textual indicia, and apparatus enabling joining the panel to a strap or hat band of a hat.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is in the technical are of haberdashery, in particular as related to hats. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Hats of all sorts are notoriously well known in the art, and it has been known to adorn personal hats with indicia, such as names, advertisements and graphics, for example. In the art hatbands have been imprinted with such indicia. To change display of a particular indicia in such circumstance it is necessary to change the hat, or the hatband on the hat. 
         [0005]    What is clearly needed is a portable indicia carrier that can attach securely to a hatband, and that can be quickly and easily removed and replaced with a different carrier with different indicia. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In one embodiment of the invention an indicia apparatus is provided, comprising a first panel having an area carrying one or more of graphical or textual indicia, and apparatus enabling joining the panel to a strap or hat band of a hat. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment the first panel is a fabric structure, and the apparatus for joining the panel to a strap or a hat band of a hat comprises extensions of the fabric panel vertically above and below the area carrying the graphical or textual indicia, the extensions ending in strips that adhere to one another, and wherein the joining is accomplished by folding the extensions under and over the strap or hat band and joining the strips on the end of the extensions. Also in one embodiment the strips that adhere are hook-and-loop elements. 
         [0008]    In an alternative embodiment the apparatus enabling joining the first panel to a strap or hat band of a hat comprises a second panel having a support channel along a lower edge adapted to engage a lower edge of the first panel, and one or more clips joined to the second panel on a side opposite the channel, enabling the second panel to be joined to a strap or hat band by engaging the clips over the strap or hat band, wherein the first panel displaying the indicia is held in the channel, displaying the indicia outward, and the first panel may be removed and replaced. 
         [0009]    In another alternative embodiment the apparatus enabling joining the first panel to a strap or hat band of a hat comprises a second thin panel formed of either magnetically permeable material or magnet material, and the first panel displaying indicia is formed of either magnetically permeable material or magnet material, depending on the material of the second panel, to ensure magnetic attraction of the two panels, and wherein the second panel is placed behind a hat band and the first panel is brought into proximity of the second panel until the two panels adhere magnetically with the first panel displaying the indicia outwardly. In some embodiments the second panel is formed of a malleable metal with strips of either magnetically permeable material or magnet material embedded therein, such that the second panel placed behind a hat band is formed to the curved shape of the hat in the area where the second panel is placed. Also in some embodiments the second panel is formed of a metal with strips of either magnetically permeable material or magnet material embedded therein, and vertical grooves are formed in the second panel in a plurality of locations, reducing the thickness of the second panel at the grooves, such that the second panel placed behind a hat band is formed to the curved shape of the hat in the area where the second panel is placed. 
         [0010]    In some embodiments the first panel is formed of a malleable material, and in joining to the second panel the first panel is shaped to the shape of the second panel. Also in some embodiments the second panel is provided with a roughened back surface having a plurality of sharp extensions, such that the second panel, placed behind a hatband, exhibits a high-friction interface to material of a hat behind the hatband. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of a hat having a hatband in the prior art. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2   a  is a perspective view of an indicia carrier in one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2   b  is a perspective view of an indicia card in one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2   c  is a perspective view of a hat with a hatband, and the carrier and card of  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  added to the hat. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3   a  is a perspective view of a carrier in an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3   b  is a perspective view of a card in an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3   c  illustrates a hat with hat band, with a carrier and a card added in an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4   a  illustrates a fabric indicia carrier in an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4   b  illustrates the carrier of  FIG. 4  added to a hat band on a hat in an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5   a  illustrates a fabric indicia carrier in another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5   b  illustrates the fabric indicia carrier of  FIG. 5   a  added to a strap of a baseball cap. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of a hat  101  having a hatband  102  in the prior art. Hat  101  and hatband  102  are exemplary of many sorts of hats with hatbands. In some cases the hatband may be of a wider or more narrow width than that shown in  FIG. 1 . The hatband may be of thin cloth, or may be more substantial. The hatband may also be of leather or other substantial material, or may be either a cord or a rope. There are many sorts and sizes of hatbands. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2   a  is a perspective view of an indicia carrier  201  for joining to a hatband in a manner that the carrier may be quickly removed and replaced with a similar carrier. 
         [0024]    Carrier  201  in this embodiment has a thin metal flat panel  202  formed along a lower edge to have a channel  204 . Further, carrier  201  has two clips  203  in this embodiment joined to panel  202  on a side opposite channel  204 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2   b  is a perspective view of a card  205  upon which the indicia JAMz is etched, painted or printed. The indicia in this example may indicate a musical group, an organization of some other sort, or just about anything else. Any word(s) or graphic may be presented on card  205 . In one embodiment a front wall of channel  204  of carrier  201  may be angled toward panel  202  such that card  205 , placed in channel  204 , will be held securely in place. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2   c  illustrates carrier  201  assembled to hat  101  by sliding clips  203  behind hatband  102 , and adding card  205  by placing card  205  in channel  204 . In one circumstance a person who wears hat  101  may have other hats that have hatbands. By joining a carrier  201  to the hatband of each of his hats, the user can move card  205  to the carrier on any hat he chooses to wear. Moreover, the same person may have other cards like card  205 , but with different indicia, and that person may choose to add different cards to the carrier joined to the hatband on individual ones of the hats he or she owns and wears. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3   a  is a perspective view of a carrier  30  in another embodiment of the invention. Carrier  301  is a thin flat panel either made of magnetically permeable material or containing magnetically permeable material. Carrier  301  in this example has a rough surface  303  on one side, and a smooth surface  302  on the opposite side. An important purpose of the rough surface, which preferable includes a plurality of sharp points facing outward, is to provide a non-slide surface with material of a hat behind a hat band. 
         [0028]    Carrier  301  in some embodiments may be made of a quite malleable metal material, such that it may be easily formed to the shape of a surface of a hat behind a hat band. In this case malleable metal may be formed into the malleable material, such as in strips that will not prevent the shaping to the curvature of a hat. In other embodiments vertical regions  305  may be formed in carrier  303  to provide lines thin enough that the carrier may be easily bent to shape as needed. 
         [0029]      FIG. 3   b  illustrates a card  304  similar in many respects to card  205  in  FIG. 2   b , but formed of magnetic material, such that card  205 , brought into proximity to carrier  301  will tend to adhere magnetically to carrier  301  and, if thin and flexible, to also assume the shape of carrier  301 . As in card  205 , card  304  may have any graphical or textual indicia. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3   c  illustrates a hat  101  with a hat band  102 , and a carrier  301  placed behind the hat band (therefore not seen in  FIG. 3   c ). A card  304  has been placed against hat band  102  over the position of carrier  301  behind the hat band, and magnetic attraction has caused card  304  to adhere over carrier  301  with a portion of the hat band between the two. Card  304  in this example takes the curved shape of the carrier behind the hat band. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4   a  illustrates a fabric indicia carrier  401  in an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the card and the carrier are integrated, in that indicia carrier  401  is a panel of fabric having indicia embroidered, printed or painted thereon, with extensions  402  and  403  of the fabric panel above and below the indicia, the extensions having strips  404  of hook-and-loop connection material affixed at ends of the extensions, such that the extensions may be folded over into a loop as illustrated in  FIG. 4   a , and connected. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4   b  illustrates the carrier of  FIG. 4   a  added to a hat band  102  on a hat  101  in an embodiment of the invention. The extensions of the fabric carrier are folded behind the hat band and connected, so the carrier with the indicia is retained by the hat band. 
         [0033]      FIG. 5   a  illustrates a fabric carrier  501  having extensions  502  and  503 , and hook-and-loop fasteners  504 , similar to carrier  401  of  FIG. 4 . One difference is that the height of the indicia area in carrier  501  is less than that of carrier  401 , and is approximately one-half inch. 
         [0034]      FIG. 5   b  is a view from behind of a baseball cap  505  having adjustment straps  506  that are joinable at different points to adjust the size of the baseball cap. Carrier  501  is illustrated as folded over straps  506  to display the indicia on the carrier to the rear of the person wearing the baseball cap, the carrier with indicia personalizing the cap for the wearer. 
         [0035]    The skilled person will recognize that the embodiments described herein are exemplary, and that there may be many alterations in detail of these embodiments within the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims that follow.