Hinged portable hat box having strap abutments

A portable hat box for a brimmed hat having an upper member and a lower member. The upper member being pivotal relative to the lower member about a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position. The members in the closed position completely enclose a hat chamber. Each of the members having a platen surface. The lower member platen surface is substantially complementary in shape to the upper member platen surface. The platen surfaces are adjacent having a substantially constant vertical clearance therebetween in the closed position. The platen surfaces are nonadjacent and obliquely related in the open position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention pertains to storage containers and more particularly 
pertains to a portable hat box. 
Troopers and Officers of law enforcement organizations and others who wear 
campaign type hats have long had difficulties in storing and maintaining 
campaign hats in serviceable condition. For example, Troopers need to 
store hats in a patrol vehicle or at home when not worn or store a second 
hat in case an original hat becomes dirtied or crumpled. Safe storage and 
transportation of campaign hats presents a problem. Similarly, a slightly 
damaged hat needs to be stored and transported so as not to exacerbate 
existing crumpling and needs to be reshaped within a relatively short time 
to prevent permanent damage. Existing hat boxes have a variety of 
shortcomings, such as being inappropriate for rough usage, for example, 
loose placement in the trunk of a vehicle, not being weatherproof, being 
configured so as to be difficult to transport, or lacking provisions for 
reshaping a campaign hat. 
It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box. 
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box which 
is weatherproof and capable of withstanding rough usage. 
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box which 
can be opened and closed to insert and remove a campaign hat single 
handedly. 
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box which 
can protect a campaign hat from both sun and moisture. 
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box which 
can reshape the brim of a crumpled campaign hat. 
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box which 
can block the brim and protect the crown of a campaign hat. 
It is finally highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box 
which meets all of the above desired features. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved, portable hat box. 
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved hat box which 
is weatherproof and capable of withstanding rough usage. 
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box which 
can be opened and closed to insert and remove a campaign hat single 
handedly. 
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved, portable hat box which 
can protect a campaign hat from both sun and moisture. 
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved, portable hat 
box which can reshape the brim of a crumpled campaign hat. 
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved, portable hat 
box which can block the brim and protect the crown of a campaign hat. 
In the broader aspects of the invention there is provided an improved, 
portable hat box for a brimmed hat having an upper member and a lower 
member. The upper member being pivotal relative to the lower member about 
a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position. The members 
in the closed position completely enclose a hat chamber. Each of the 
members having a platen surface. The lower member platen surface is 
substantially complementary in shape to the upper member platen surface. 
The platen surfaces are adjacent having a substantially constant vertical 
clearance therebetween in the closed position. The platen surfaces are 
nonadjacent and obliquely related in the open position.

DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable hat box 10 of the invention 
has an upper member 12 and a lower member 14. Members 12, 14 each have a 
hinge part 16, 18, respectively, which are joined together to define a 
pivot axis 20. Upper member 12 is pivotable relative to lower member 14, 
about pivot axis 20, between a closed position 22, shown in FIG. 2, an 
open position 24 illustrated in FIG. 1 and a plurality of other open 
positions there between (not illustrated). 
Opposite pivot axis 20 is a latch 26, which has latch parts 28, 29 joined 
to members 12, 14. Handles 30 are also opposite pivot axis 20, exterior to 
latch 26. Each handle 30 is integral with a respective member 12, 14. 
Handles 30 each have a grip 32 which are parallel to pivot axis 20. Grips 
32 may be knurled or the like for easier grasping. In a particular 
embodiment of the invention, grips 32 each have the shape, in vertical 
cross-section of opposite halves of a circle. 
Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, members 12, 14 surround and completely 
enclose a hat chamber 34. Each member 12, 14 has a core portion 36, 38, 
respectively, and a brim portion, 40, 42, respectively. 
Brim portions 40, 42 are each generally annular in shape and circumscribe 
the respective core portions 36, 38. Each brim portion 40, 42 has a 
substantially annular platen surface 44, 46. When members 12, 14 are in 
closed position 22, upper and lower platen surfaces 44, 46 are completely 
enclosed within hat chamber 34, face each other and are separated by a 
uniform clearance about equal to the thickness of the brim of a campaign 
hat (not shown). 
Platen surfaces 44, 46 are complementary in shape and, in a particular 
embodiment of the invention, are planar. In that embodiment, when members 
12, 14 are in closed position 22, platen surfaces 44, 46 are parallel. 
When members 12, 14 are in open position 24, platen surfaces 44, 46 are 
oblique to each other. Pivot axis 20 lies in a first plane 48 defined by 
upper platen surface 44 and is spaced apart from a second plane 50 defined 
by lower platen surface 46. 
Upper core portion 36 extends upwardly from upper brim portion 40 and 
defines a crown subchamber 52 of hat chamber 34. Upper core portion 36 may 
have decorative crown indents 54, which protrude into crown subchamber 52. 
In a particular embodiment of the invention, four smoothly rounded crown 
indents 54 are evenly spaced around the top of crown subchamber 52. 
Adjoining and circumscribing crown subchamber 52 is decoration subchamber 
55, which has a substantially annular main portion 58 and extending from 
one end, and enlarged front portion 56. 
Extending up from lower brim portion 42 and extending through first plane 
48 is lower core portion 38, which has roughly the same shape in 
horizontal cross-section as crown subchamber 52, but has smaller 
horizontal dimensions. Edge 60 of lower core portion 38 is sloped 
inwardly. Adjoining lower core portion 38 and extending slightly more than 
half-way around lower core portion 38 is strap subchamber 62. To the 
outside, strap subchamber 62 is bordered by lower platen surface 46. Strap 
subchamber 62 is recessed below second plane 50. At the ends of strap 
subchamber 62, furthest from pivot axis 20, are a pair of strap abutments 
64, which are substantially perpendicular to second plane 50, tangential 
to and equidistant from pivot axis 20. 
Encircling and adjoining platen surfaces 44, 46, respectively, are a 
continuous groove 66 and a complementary continuous tongue 68, 
respectively. Tongue 66 and groove 68 are inset from pivot axis 20 and 
latch 26. Tongue 66 and groove 68 are configured so as to render hat 
chamber 34 essentially dust tight and weatherproof when members 12, 14 are 
in closed position 22. 
In a particular embodiment of the invention, members 12, 14 are each made 
out of a plastic, which in moderate section is substantially rigid and in 
thin section is sufficiently flexible to act as a continuous hinge for a 
latch 26. In that embodiment, hinge parts 16, 18 and latch parts 28, 29 
are integral with respective members 12, 14. In that embodiment, members 
12, 14 are double layered with a separating air space 70. Since the air 
spaces 70 are enclosed they provide flotation. Outer surfaces 72 of 
members 12, 14 may generally be shaped as required to provide structural 
strength. 
In use, portable hat box 10 is opened and a campaign hat (not shown) is 
placed inside. The hat is oriented so that a decoration at the front of 
the hat, such as the crossed loose ends of a band, faces handles 30 by the 
hat strap and strap subchamber 62. Where the brim of the hat lies on lower 
platen surface 46, the hat strap lies in subchamber 62 and the hat 
decoration is positioned subchamber 55. Upper member 12 is then pivoted 
toward lower member 14 and portable hat box 10 is closed and latched. If 
the hat is positioned otherwise, the hat box 10 cannot be closed and 
latched. 
Closing portable hat box 10 causes the brim of the hat to be compressed 
between upper and lower platen surfaces 44, 46, which reshapes the brim to 
eliminate crumpling. The offset of one of platen surfaces 44, 46 from 
pivot axis 20 prevents any portion of brim from excess compression. 
Handles 30 are positioned opposite pivot axis 20 to provide leverage. At 
the same time, core portion 36 of upper member 12, encloses the crown of 
the hat. Blocking, if necessary, should be performed by the user, before 
closing the portable hat box 10. During closing of portable hat box 10, 
creep of the hat along platen surfaces 44, 46 and attendant crumpling is 
deterred by the alignment caused by the engagement of strap buckles with 
strap abutments 64 and by the alignment caused by the slippage of the hat 
off lower core portion 38 due to sloped edge 60. Tongue 68 and groove 66 
are engaged in closed position 22 o preclude the entry of dust and dirt, 
and to render the hat box 10 weathertight. 
In alternative embodiments of the invention, platen surfaces 44, 46 rather 
than being planar may have complex complimentary shapes. 
While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described 
herein for purposes of illustration, the protection afforded by any patent 
which may issue upon this application is not strictly limited to the 
disclosed embodiment; but rather extends to all structures and 
arrangements which fall fairly within the scope of the claims which are 
appended hereto: