Abstract:
A lighted cap is described, comprising a cap having a crown and a bill, and a light structure rotatably fixed to a point on the bill. Rotation to a forward-facing direction for the light results in contacting a contact point that closes a circuit, thereby supplying power to the lamp in the rotatable light structure. The light is used for nighttime activities, such as fishing, when light is needed and a light-weight hat is desired.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to head mounted lamp devices and, more particularly, to an improved lighted hat combination, whereby a part of a mounted lamp structure reversibly rotates to turn the lamp on and off.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Lamps have been mounted to headgear for many years. Most well known, perhaps, is the old style carbide lamp mounted on miners&#39; hard hats. More recently, carbide lamps have been replaced by battery-powered lamps. When such lamps have been mounted on hard hats, little concern has been expressed for the mounting technique since hard hats provide adequate support. Other lamps are known that are strapped to a user&#39;s head with elastic straps, wherein a forward-facing lamp housing provides the user with light. However, there are other applications for head mounted lamps in which it is desirable to reduce the weight of the lamp and to provide relatively stable mounting. For example, night fishermen commonly wear lightweight baseball style caps either formed entirely of cloth or with a cloth bill or brim and a plastic mesh crown. Most prior art lamps would either not be supportable on such caps or would be too uncomfortable for long use.  
           [0003]    One attempt to solve the problem of weight for such head mounted lamps has been to mount the batteries for a lamp separately from the lamp, such as on a waist belt, and to connect the cap by long wire. Another alternative is to mount a single cell powered incandescent bulb and battery on the brim of a cap, which alternative may be sufficient when relatively little light is desired. In general, none of the prior art devices have provided satisfactory arrangements of high intensity lighting with integral batteries and multi-positional lamps.  
           [0004]    One patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,068, also invented by the present inventor, attempted to solve these problems with a combination of a baseball-style cap and a lighting system that, in its preferred embodiment, included two battery packs, one on each side of the cap, a hermetically sealed push-button switch positioned near one edge of a bill of the cap, connecting wires, and a lamp supported by a lamp support. The lamp support was permanently fixed in the forward direction, and at one end provided a means to adjust the up and down direction of the light from the lamp. The lamp support had a very specific means of connection to the lamp, and for the adjustment of lamp angle in a single plane.  
           [0005]    The present invention solve problems in the art of lighted hats, and advances the art with a combination that includes a novel arrangement of components on the bill of a hat to create a knife-like electrical switch that improves the ease of operation of a lighted cap, and avoids the need for a separate, hermetically sealed switch.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination hat and lamp which overcomes the above and other disadvantages of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a more convenient means to turn a lamp on and off when the lamp is positioned on a bill of a cap worn on a user&#39;s head. It is also an object of the present invention to provide improved and flexible means to support a lamp positioned on a bill of such a cap, and to generally provide a hat having a light where the power to the light is turned on by rotating a lamp structure affixed to a single point on the hat.  
           [0007]    It is also an object of the present invention to facilitate the near-simultaneous turning on of, and adjusting the angle of, a lamp affixed to a hat. This is important to sportspersons, such as fishermen, during nighttime use. Compared to other devices in the art, the present invention avoids the need to press a switch in one location, and then move one&#39;s hand to a different location, to the lamp itself, to adjust the lamp angle as needed.  
           [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a mounting arrangement for a high intensity lamp that permits control of light direction and integral battery storage.  
           [0009]    In one embodiment, a combination hat and lamp is provided with the hat having a crown, a bill extending from the crown, a liner circumscribing at least a portion of an edge of the crown, and an adjustable strap operatively associated with the crown for adjusting the hat to various different head sizes. The liner comprises a strip of material having an upper edge, a lower edge, and first and second ends. The lower edge is securely fastened to a bottom edge of the crown with the upper edge laying against an inner surface of the crown, while the first and second ends are attached to respective ends of the adjustable strap. Integral in this combination is a bill having on its top surface, in a line generally going from the rear forward, a first member mounted on the bill, from which rotates a support structure bearing at its forward end a lamp, and bearing a point of connection at an intermediate location, contacting upon rotation, a second member mounted forward on the bill. When the point of connection and the second member are in contact, an electrical circuit is closed, and the light has power to turn on. This knife-like switch design obviates the need for a push-button or other type of conventional switch, and facilitates operation of the switch during night-time uses.  
           [0010]    In a preferred embodiment, first and second battery holders are located respectively on opposite sides of the crown of the hat between the crown and the liner. A first wire extends from the first battery holder to connect to the first member on the bill. A second wire extends from the second battery holder to a first electrical terminal of the lamp, and a third wire travels from the other lamp electrical terminal to the second member on the bill. A fourth wire connects the remaining ends of the battery packs together. Thereby, moving the support structure from a side to a forward position, upon contact of the point of connection with the second member, a circuit is closed and the lamp receives power from the batteries. The point of connection is electrically conductive and passes electricity between the first and second members in order to close the circuit.  
           [0011]    Other embodiments provide a semi-rigid, adjustable conduit as a portion of the support structure, that may provide a flexible, more adjustable support as an alternative to the support structure described in a preferred embodiment. This allows adjustment of the light beam to a point other than in a single plane defined by the positioning of the lamp housing on the support structure. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a lamp and cap combination in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cap and lamp of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through the cap of FIG. 1 showing the battery mounting arrangement;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a partially-exploded view of the lamp housing mounted on the cap in FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the pivotable connecting means for mounting the lamp support on the cap of FIG. 4, with wiring connections indicated by arrows;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 provides side views of alternative designs of support structures; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a cross-section partially disassembled view of a preferred embodiment of a battery holder. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]    Referring generally to FIGS. 1, 2, and  3  there is shown a preferred embodiment of a combination lighted hat  10  comprising a baseball style cap or hat  12  having a crown  14 , a brim or bill  16 , a liner  18  circumscribing at least a portion of the lower edge of the crown  14  and a strap  20  comprising two adjustably connectable sections  20 A and  20 B which may be fastened together to fit the crown of the hat to various different head sizes. The liner, best seen as folded out in FIGS.  2  and  3 , comprises a strip of material having an upper edge  22 , a lower edge  24 , and first and second ends  26  and  28 . The lower edge  24  of the liner  18  is fastened to the crown  14  generally by sewing the edges of the crown and liner together. The upper edge  22  is folded upward during normal use so that it lies against an inner surface of the crown.  
         [0021]    The lamp system attached to the hat,  10 , comprises first and second battery holders,  120  and  121  (not shown), respectively, located on opposite sides of the crown of the hat between the crown and the liner. A first wire,  122 , extends from the first battery holder,  120 , to connect to the first member,  130 , on the bill,  116 . A second wire,  123 , extends from the second battery holder,  121 , to contact a first electrical terminal of the lamp (not shown), and a third wire,  124 , travels from the second lamp electrical terminal of the lamp (not shown) to the second member,  131 , on the bill. A fourth wire,  125 , connects the remaining ends of the battery packs together. Much of this wiring is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2 , with the battery holders indicated as “120” and “121”.  
         [0022]    A support structure,  140 , is mounted onto and rotates from the first member,  130 . In a preferred embodiment, the support structure is a rigid, electrically conductive wire extending linearly from the first member,  130 , and inflecting upward to give height to the lamp housing,  150 , which is positioned at or near one end of the support structure,  140 . The support structure,  140 , includes a point of connection,  142 , which is a set distance from the first member,  130 , so as to contact a second member,  131 , when the support structure,  140 , is rotated to a forward-aligned position.  
         [0023]    When the point of connection,  142 , and the second member,  131 , are in contact, an electrical circuit is closed, and the lamp is provided with power, via the first and second electrical terminals, to light a bulb,  151 , in the lamp housing. The point of connection is electrically conductive and passes electricity between the first and second members in order to close the circuit. It is noted that lamp, light bulb, and bulb may be used interchangeably in this specification.  
         [0024]    As best seen in FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment a battery holder,  120 , is attached to the crown  14  adjacent a lower edge thereof and is normally located between the liner  18  and the crown  14 . The battery holder,  120 , is preferably a AAA size battery holder for containing a single AAA cell,  40 . Any standard fastening means may be used to affix the battery holder to fabric of the crown,  14 . The present inventor has found that by using a single cell battery holder on each side of the cap mounted between the liner and the cap crown, the padding normally found in the perspiration absorbing liner is usually sufficient to protect the wearer&#39;s head and to avoid any sensation of pressure from the individual battery holders. However, depending on the power requirements of a particular lamp, for instance and LED requiring a higher voltage, and the operating time desired for a set of batteries, any number of batteries may be used, in series or in parallel, to provide the necessary voltage and operating time. These batteries would be housed in suitable battery holders.  
         [0025]    A preferred embodiment of the battery holder is shown in FIG. 7. To assemble the battery holder,  200  to the wires, for each end a bare wire end,  201 , is placed into a hole  202 , of the holder,  200 . Then a clip,  203 , is pressed over the open, or top, side,  204  of the end wall,  205 , pressing the bare wire and making pressure contact sufficient for electrical conduction, while also making a tight fit over the end wall,  205 , to position the inside of the clip,  203 , to contact a battery (not shown). The clip extends across most of the width of the battery holder end wall,  205 . One or both clips are formed to provide a plate,  206 , that springs away upon insertion of a battery, such that the battery is under sufficient compression between holders at opposite ends so as to remain firmly in place. This is shown in FIG. 7 as 203V. This embodiment has proven to lessen assembly time and to perform well in the present invention.  
         [0026]    The lamp housing,  150 , houses a lamp, or light bulb, that receives power from the batteries when the circuit is closed. Preferably, a high intensity lamp of a type commercially available is used. However, any light-generating source, such as an LED, or other light sources as known in the art, may be used for the ‘lamp,’ ‘lamp bulb,’ or ‘light bulb’ in the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially exposed view of this type of replaceable high intensity light bulb,  151 , in a lamp housing,  150 . In particular, within the screwed-on clear front cover,  145 , is the lamp bulb itself,  151 . The first and second electrical terminals,  152  and  153 , respectively, of the light bulb, make contact with the second and third wires,  123  and  124 , respectively, that extend into the lamp housing,  150 . A seal,  154 , such as a rubber O-ring, is at the base of the threads of the rear section,  149 , of the lamp housing,  150 . This serves to help seal the lamp bulb,  151 , and the electrical connections from moisture or other contaminants. Also, a water-impermeable sealant,  155 , fills the void around the second and third wires,  123  and  124 , respectively, going to the lamp bulb,  151 , as they pass through an aperture,  50 , passing through the lamp housing,  150 .  
         [0027]    In a preferred embodiment, the rear section,  149 , has a hole,  51 , transverse to the rear/forward axis of the lamp housing,  150 . This hole,  51 , receives an end,  52 , of a support structure,  140 . A section of flexible tubing,  53 , covers the end,  52 , while still permitting entry into the hole,  51 . During manufacture, pressure is applied at a point of the rear section,  149 , overlying the tubing,  53 , to stake, or crimp, said tubing into a fixed position in the hole,  51 , between the walls of the  10  hole and the end,  52 , of the support structure that is positioned within the tubing,  53 . So positioned, the flexible tubing,  53 , makes a tight fit that nonetheless allows the user to adjust the angle of the housing,  150 , as needed to direct the beam from the lamp bulb,  151 , to a desired position.  
         [0028]    In a preferred embodiment, the lamp holder  151  is supported above the bill  16  on the support structure,  140 , as described herein. The support structure,  140 , has a first end,  141 , that surrounds the post,  143 , of the first member,  130 . For instance, the first end,  141 , in FIG. 5, wraps around the post,  143 , and is also held rigidly in place between a bottom plate,  144 , and a top plate,  145 , of the first member,  130 . So positioned, the first end,  141 , serves as a pivot point around which the remainder of the support structure,  140 , is rotated, as by moving with pressure from the wearer&#39;s fingers. Contiguous with the first end,  141 , is a span,  146 , of the support structure,  140 , that extends a distance equal to the distance between the first and second members,  130  and  131 , respectively. Around this distance is the point of connection,  142 , which, upon contacting the second member,  131 , completes an electrical circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the point of connection,  142 , is merely that section of the rigid wire of the support structure,  140 , that contacts the second member,  131 . However, in other embodiments, such as when the support structure,  140 , is made of non-electrically conducting material, the point of connection,  142 , would be positioned onto the support structure,  140 , but would be an exposed section of conductive material in a circuit that is independent of the non-conducting support structure.  
         [0029]    The support structure,  140 , extends beyond the span,  146 , a desired distance, and then, as shown in FIG. 5, inflects at a 90 degree angle to form the end,  52 , that inserts into the hole,  51 , of the rear section,  149 , of the lamp housing,  150 . As noted, the tubing,  53 , is positioned between the end,  52 , and the body of the rear section,  149 , of the lamp housing,  150 . The design of the key components of the support structure,  140 , can be modified to suit function and aesthetics, and are still within the scope of the present invention. Illustrative, not limiting, examples are provided in FIG. 6.  
         [0030]    Further, while in the above embodiment the support structure,  140 , is preferably comprised of stainless steel that is electrically conductive, other compositions of a support structure are possible. For instance, a molded rigid hard plastic support structure may be used for components of the support structure,  140 . Designs of such support structure, as shown in FIG. 6, can be made, partly or entirely, of such plastic. Since plastic is not electrically conductive, the support structure includes a conductive wire or conduit leading to the point of connection, in order to complete the electrical circuit when the support structure is rotated into position above the second member positioned on the bill. Also, in FIG. 6A, the end,  52 , is stainless steel. In certain instances, a flexible section of the support structure (analogous to a gooseneck lamp structure) may be desired to allow the user to direct the light beam to a point not directly forward. This, preferably, would be distinct from the rigid area between the first and second members,  130  and  131 , respectively, and such flexible structure may be accomplished by means known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0031]    Also, the second member need not be positioned directly in front of the first member. The second member may be positioned to one side, or behind, the first member. Obviously, the shape of the support structure, and the relative position of the point of connection, would change in such different special configurations.  
         [0032]    It will be appreciated that what has been described is a lightweight high intensity lamp arrangement for use with a cloth or similar material type of baseball cap which can be worn in relative comfort. The miniature lamp, as described above, is relatively small and is preferably an O-ring sealed high intensity lamp having a weight of less than one-half ounce. One type used is a xenon type lamp; however, the lamp bulb can be of any other type, such as with krypton gas, or an LED, that is found to be suited for the particular application. The battery holders are miniature holders each designed to hold a single AAA size battery cell. In a preferred embodiment, the lamp holder is mounted on a stainless steel support structure that is relatively stiff and which is mounted at a single point on the bill, and which rotates around this point, whereby the lamp is powered when a second point is contacted by the support structure, closing the electrical circuit. The lamp housing itself can be tilted at various different angular positions in a vertical plane and will retain the angular position due to the friction between the tubing and the end of the support structure.  
         [0033]    It will also be appreciated that the lighted hat device of the present invention may be used on hats other than baseball-style caps having a bill. The critical features of the present invention can be applied to any hat having a sufficiently large and rigid area on which is mounted the rotating switching means. It is noted that for the embodiments described herein, and for other embodiments covered by the claims presented, there is an additional aesthetic advantage of being able to rotate the lamp, when not in use, off to one side.  
         [0034]    In other embodiments, a portion of the support structure can be made of flexible material, and may optionally also contain the wiring traveling to the lamp housing. This would allow movement of the lamp to direct light in planes other than the basic plane of the embodiment described above. There still is a need to have a portion of the support structure extend to the second member, and to provide a point of connection, in order to close the electrical circuit. This portion may be of a conductible metal, plastic having a wire and electrical contact as the point of connection, or other means known to those skilled in the art. Additionally, the section of the support structure between the first and second members need not be parallel to the bill of the hat. Rather, a curvilinear span may be used, such as could be a point of contact by the user to rotate the support structure to turn the lamp on and off.  
         [0035]    Having generally described this invention, including the best mode thereof, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention contemplates the embodiments of this invention as defined in the following claims, and equivalents thereof. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the scope of this invention should be measured by the claims appended hereto, and not merely by the specific embodiments exemplified herein. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that more sophisticated technological advances will likely appear subsequent to the filing of this document with the Patent Office. To the extent that these later developed improvements embody the operative principles at the heart of the present disclosure, those improvements are likewise considered to come within the ambit of the following claims.