Headwear with integral eyeglass securing apparatus

A sports-type cap comprises a crown structure and a bill attached at its first edge portion to a crown structure's lower edge portion. A fabric strap is secured at its first end portion within an interface between the crown structure and the bill, and extends outwardly from the interface over the bill's upper surface. A first magnet is attached to a second end portion of the fabric strap. A second magnet is attached to the bill adjacent its second edge portion. A third magnet is attached to the crown structure at a location above the interface. The magnets are jointly positioned and configured to allow the first magnet to be selectively engaged with/disengaged from the second magnet for securing the fabric strap in a stowed orientation and to allow the first magnet to be selectively engaged with/disengaged from the third magnet for securing the fabric strap in an eyeglass-securing orientation.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosures made herein relate generally to hats, caps and other types of headwear and, more particularly, to headwear with integral eyeglass securing apparatus.

BACKGROUND

Countless numbers of people wear eyeglasses everyday. Examples of such eyeglasses include, but are not limited to, prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, safety glasses and the like. However, for various reasons, many people remove their eyeglasses during the course of the day. For example, during certain sports activities such as fishing and golfing, there is often the need to for a person to repeatedly remove and replace their eyeglasses. Furthermore, in many situations, the person often requires a place to temporarily store their eyeglasses when the eyeglasses are removed so that they can freely make used of both hands.

As is well known, a brim or bill of headwear can make for a convenient place for a person to temporarily store their eyeglasses. In the typical case, the lens portion of the eyeglasses rests on the brim or bill with the arms of the eyeglasses extending on opposing sides of a crown structure of the headwear. The problem that often arises is that abrupt movement of the body and/or leaning over causes the eyeglasses to slide off the headwear. Quite often, this can result in the eyeglasses becoming lost or damaged, in an unsafe condition if the person becomes distracted by the eyeglasses falling off the headwear, or in other undesirable situations.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention provides a simple yet effective means for securing eyeglasses to headwear. Furthermore, such securing (and de-securing) can be rapidly carried out and can be carried out using one hand. Thus, the present invention is beneficial, desirable and useful.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a headwear article comprises a crown assembly, a shadow casting assembly and a strap assembly. The crown assembly is configured to fit on a person's head. The shadow casting assembly is attached at a first edge portion thereof to a lower edge portion of the crown assembly and extends outwardly from the crown assembly. The strap assembly is attached at a first end portion thereof to at least one of the crown assembly and the shadow casting assembly. The first end portion of the strap assembly is attached adjacent an interface between the crown assembly and the shadow casting assembly and extends over an upper surface of the shadow casting assembly toward a second edge portion of the shadow casting assembly. The strap assembly and the shadow casting assembly are jointly configured to allow a second end portion of the strap assembly to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the shadow casting assembly for securing the strap assembly in a stowed orientation. The strap assembly and the crown assembly are jointly configured to allow the second end portion of the strap assembly to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the crown assembly for securing the strap assembly in an eyeglass securing orientation.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a headwear article comprises a crown structure, a shadow casting structure, a strap, and a plurality of fastening structures. The crown structure is configured to fit on a person's head. The shadow casting structure is attached at a first edge portion thereof to a lower edge portion of the crown structure and extends outwardly from the crown structure. The strap is secured at a first end portion thereof within an interface between the crown structure and the shadow casting structure. The strap extends over an upper surface of the shadow casting structure toward a second edge portion of the shadow casting structure. A first fastening structure is attached to a second end portion of the strap. A second fastening structure is attached to the shadow casting portion at a location between said first and second edge portions of the shadow casting structure. A third fastening structure is attached to the crown structure at a location above the lower edge portion thereof. The fastening structures are jointly positioned and configured to allow the first fastening structure to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the second fastening structure for securing the strap in a stowed orientation and to allow the first fastening structure to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the third fastening structure for securing the strap in an eyeglass securing orientation.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a sports-type cap comprises a crown structure, a bill, a fabric strap and a plurality of magnets. The crown structure is configured to fit on a person's head. The bill is attached at a first edge portion thereof to a lower edge portion of the crown structure and extends outwardly from the crown structure. The fabric strap is secured at a first end portion thereof within an interface between the crown structure and the bill. The fabric strap extends outwardly from the interface over an upper surface of the bill. A first magnet is attached to a second end portion of the fabric strap. A second magnet is attached to the bill at a location adjacent a second edge portion of the bill. A third magnet is attached to the crown structure at a location above the interface between the crown structure and the bill. The magnets are jointly positioned and configured to allow the first magnet to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the second magnet for securing the fabric strap in a stowed orientation and to allow the first magnet to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the third magnet for securing the fabric strap in an eyeglass securing orientation.

These and other objects, embodiments, advantages and/or distinctions of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification, associated drawings and appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Referring toFIGS. 1-4, a headwear article100configured in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. As configured, the headwear article100provides a simple yet effective means for securing eyeglasses thereto. Furthermore, such securing (and de-securing) can be rapidly carried out and can be carried out using one hand. Thus, headwear configured in accordance with the present invention is beneficial, desirable and useful.

As shown, the headwear article100is a sports-type cap (i.e., also commonly referred to as a baseball cap). Such a sports-type cap is one example of a headwear article that can be configured in accordance with the present invention. Other types of headwear articles that can be configured in accordance with the present invention include, but are not limited to, brimmed hats, brimmed caps, billed visors and the like.

The headwear article100includes a crown structure102, bill104, a strap106, and a plurality of magnets108A,108B,108C. The crown structure102configured to fit on a person's head. The bill104is attached at a first edge portion110thereof to a lower edge portion112of the crown structure102. The bill structure104can be attached to the crown structure102by any suitable means (e.g., sewn thread, adhesive or the like). The crown structure and the bill are jointly configured and connected in a manner whereby the bill104extends outwardly from the crown structure102. In this manner, the bill serves as a shadow casting structure. Brims and the like are other examples of shadow casting structure commmonly found on headwear articles such as hats.

The strap108is secured at a first end portion114thereof within an interface115between the crown structure102and the bill104. The strap106extends outwardly from the interface over an upper surface116of the bill104. Optionally, the strap108can be attached to the crown structure102or the bill104at a location adjacent to the interface115. Preferably, but not necessarily, the strap106is flexible and/or conformable (e.g., made from a flexible and/or conformable material such as fabric, plastic sheet or the like).

A first magnet108A (i.e., a first fastening structure) is attached to a second end portion118of the strap106. A second magnet108B (i.e., a second fastening structure) is attached to the bill104at a location adjacent a second edge portion120of the bill104. A third magnet108C (i.e., a third fastening structure) is attached to the crown structure102at a location above the interface between the crown structure102and the bill104. It is disclose herein that a strap assembly in accordance with the present invention includes the strap106and the first magnet108A, that a shadow casting assembly in accordance with the present invention includes the bill104and the second magnet108B, and that a crown assembly in accordance with the present invention includes the crown structure102and the third magnet108C. The magnets108a,108B and108C are examples of respective fastening structures, which can be attached to the respective portion of the cap100by any suitable means (e.g., adhesive, sewn thread, overlying patch of material, etc). It is disclosed herein that strap assemblies, shadow casting assemblies and crown assemblies in accordance with the present invention can include fastening structures different than magnets.

The magnets108A,108B,108C are jointly positioned and configured to allow the first magnet108A to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the second magnet108B for securing the strap106in a stowed orientation O1and to allow the first magnet108A to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the third magnet108C for securing the strap106in an eyeglass securing orientation O2. In the eyeglass securing position O2, eyeglasses123are secured in place (e.g., resting on the bill104with the arms125thereof extending on opposing sides of the crown structure102). As such, it can be seen that the second magnet108B is attached to a lower surface122of the bill104and the third magnet108C is attached to the an interior surface124of the crown structure102. A length of the strap106is sufficient for allowing first magnet108A to engage the second magnet108B and the third magnet108C at their respective locations of attachment. Alternatively, the second magnet108B can be attached to the upper surface116of the bill104and the third magnet108C can be attached to the an exterior surface126of the crown structure102.

The magnets108A,108B,108C being jointly positioned and configured also includes the magnets108A,108B108C being arranged such that the magnetic fields of two engaged magnets are in an attracting configuration as opposed to a retracting configuration. Accordingly, to allow the first magnet108A to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the second magnet108B for securing the strap106in the stowed orientation O1, the opposite poles of the first magnet108A and the second magnet108B are adjacent each other during their engagement and with the strap106in non-twisted configuration. For example, the north pole of first magnet108A is adjacent the south pole of second magnet108B or the south pole of first magnet108A is adjacent the north pole of second magnet108B. Similarly, to allow the first magnet108A to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the third magnet108C for securing the strap106in the eyeglass securing orientation O2, the opposite poles of the first magnet108A and the third second magnet108C are adjacent each other during their engagement and with the strap106in non-twisted configuration. For example, the north pole of first magnet108A is adjacent the south pole of the third magnet108C or the south pole of first magnet108A is adjacent the north pole of second magnet108C.

Referring now toFIG. 5, a headwear article200configured in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The overall configuration of the headwear article200is the same as that of the headwear article100, whereby common structural elements will use the same reference name and different numeric designation. Key differences are that the second magnet208B is attached to the exterior surface226of the crown structure202, the third magnet208C is embedded within the upper surface216of the bill204, and the length of the strap206being reduced accordingly.

It is disclosed herein that, for embodiments that rely on magnet field for securing the strap in the stowed and eyeglass securing orientations, fewer than three of the fastening structures need to be magnets. In one such embodiment, the first fastening structure (i.e., attached to the strap) includes only substantially non-magnetized materials (e.g., non-magnetized steel) and the second and third fastening structures (i.e., attached to the shadow casting structure and crown structure, respectively) each include a magnet. In another such embodiment, the first fastening structure (i.e., attached to the strap) includes a magnet and the second and third fastening structures (i.e., attached to the shadow casting structure and crown structure, respectively) each include only substantially non-magnetized materials (e.g., non-magnetized steel).

It is disclosed herein that each fastening structure in accordance with the present invention can be a respective portion of a hook-loop fastening system, mechanical snap system, or the like. For example, as shown inFIG. 6, a strap assembly305includes a strap306with mechanical fastening structures308,309(e.g., hook structures) attached to opposing sides thereof at its second end portion318. Mating mechanical fastening structures (e.g., loop structure) are-attached to the crown structure and shadow casting structure of a corresponding headwear article (e.g., in place of the second magnet208B and third magnet208C of the headwear article200shown inFIG. 5).