Abstract:
A hat storage and fashioning rack includes tubular sleeves for housing and supporting the outer surface of the brim in a manner that fashions the hat by gradually imparting a permanent curvature to the brim. The sleeves are carried on a mounting base that may be attached to convenient mounting surfaces such as walls, door closets and the like enabling display, storage and access to the hats. The curvature is effected by gradually relaxing the brim into conformity with the sleeve thereby imparting a permanent set to the brim and overcoming the memory tendency of the brim material to return to the original manufactured shape. After attaining the desired shape, the contour remains notwithstanding use or storage in other locations.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the storage devices for hats and, in particular, a storage unit for storing and fashioning the brims of baseball-type hats. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Soft-cap, hard-brim hats or caps are widely used for a variety of sporting and leisure activities. In addition to providing protection against adverse weather elements, the caps provide identification for sporting teams, businesses, fashion lines, noted events and other pursuits wherein utilitarian, promotional and fashion statements are connoted with the wearing and collecting of such articles. 
     Such hats are typified by a stitched, multi-panel cap of a flexible fabric material conforming to the head of the wearer, and a forwardly projecting pointed brim formed of a cloth covered, limitedly flexible material. As purchased, the brims of such hats are generally planar and assume varying curvatures depending on the physical characteristics of the wearer. In an effort to enhance the perceived appearance of the hat or to personalize the wearing thereof, many hat owners have undertaken to manually reshape the hat brims to their individual desires. This reshaping is generally accomplished by gradually manually manipulating the brim until the desired curvature is attained. While oftentimes successful, the manual shaping is tedious and subjects the brim to accelerated wear. Moreover, frequent restyling is necessary, following washing or use for example, inasmuch as the brim tends to return to its manufactured condition. 
     In an effort to overcome the rigors of manually forming the brim, a number of approaches have been suggested in the prior art. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,522 to Cho it was proposed to incorporate into the original manufacture of the cap a steaming and heat drying process to preform the brim to an increased curvature. This thermal forming process was suited for materials not typical of the various commercially available cap designs. Moreover, the preformed curvature is altered under normal wearing conditions. Further, the curvature was preset thereby limiting the general appeal. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,465 to Beradis discloses a hat rack having a plurality of double sided, curved brim molds. The hat brims are inserted into mold slots for forming. The device does not account for different brim thickness and exposes the brim to excessive wear. A similar approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,927 to Barbaccia wherein the bill is inserted into a single, free standing, double sided shaping device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,073 to LaManna discloses a wall or door mounted double sided clip for holding and displaying unformed hats. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. D 368,806 to Sparaco discloses a hat bill cupping device using a strap for curving the brim of a hat. The strap spans only a portion of the brim and accordingly may not produce uniform results over the entire brim. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,779 to Atkins discloses a hat holder wherein hat brims are supported within apertures in a projecting shelf. The brims are rolled into overlapping relation prior to insertion at the shelf. Only a narrow portion of the brim is restrained. The resulting cap brim may be excessively rolled for the wearer&#39; desires and formed only in the narrow regions of the shelf. A further holder for conventionally formed hat brims is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,694 to Larson wherein the hat brims are flexibly retained in a vertical and circumferential array of elongated slots. 
     Based on the foregoing limitations it would be desirable to provide a unit for storing, displaying and fashioning the brims of baseball type caps that will allow the wearer to establish a desired uniform curvature to the brim without destruction or undue wear to the brim, and in a manner that maintains the desired curvature during subsequent wearing. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hat rack for holding, displaying and providing curvature to hard brimmed hats. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a method for distinctively forming the brim of a baseball type hat in a convenient, non-destructive manner. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a hat storage rack wherein a plurality of hats may be conveniently stored while undergoing shaping of the brim to a desired curvature. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a baseball hat storage rack that may be conveniently mounted on a visible, accessible surface for storing and displaying a number of hats in a manner that safely imparts and maintains a desired contour for the hat brims. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention accomplishes the above and other objectives by providing a storage rack having a plurality of elongated tubular sleeves for housing and supporting only the outer surface of the brim in a manner that fashions the hat by gradually imparting a permanent curvature to the brim. The sleeves are carried on a mounting base that may be attached to convenient mounting surfaces such as walls, door closets and the like enabling convenient display, storage and access to the hats. The curvature is effected by gradually relaxing the brim into conformity with the inner cylindrical surface of the sleeve through controlled engagement with a substantial portion of the brim thereby imparting a fill curvature thereto. This relaxation imparts a permanent set to the brim overcoming the memory tendency of the brim material to return to the original manufactured shape. After attaining the desired shape, the contour remains notwithstanding use or storage in other locations. There is accordingly provided an effective storage and brim fashioning rack for hard billed hat brims. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hat storage and fashioning rack in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the hat storage and fashioning rack; 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of a forming sleeve with a hat brim disposed therein; 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the hat storage unit; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cap with the brim in an unformed condition; and 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cap with the brim in the formed condition; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  in FIG. 3 showing the base of the hat brim in the unformed condition; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along line  9 — 9  in FIG. 3 showing the front of the hat brim in the unformed condition; 
     FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the base of the hat brim in a partially formed condition; and 
     FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the front of the hat brim in a partially formed condition. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings for the purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and not for limiting same, FIG. 1 shows a hat storage and fashioning rack  10  representatively carrying, in a forming condition, on support sleeves  12  a plurality of hard billed hats  14 , generally referred to as a baseball-type caps or hats. Four such sleeves  12  are illustrated, however, it will be appreciated that a greater of lesser number may be employed, each of which is adapted to support a hat of a similar type. The sleeves are aligned in a longitudinal series, but may also be disposed in a vertical arrangement or combinations thereof. 
     Referring additionally to FIGS. 2 through 5, the rack  10  comprises and elongated rectangular base  20  having the sleeves  12  attached thereto by fasteners  22  or other suitable means. Openings  24  are formed at the distal ends of the base outwardly of the adjacent sleeve for mounting the rack  10  by fasteners, not shown, on a generally vertical disposed mounting surface. 
     The sleeves  12  are cylindrical members of circular cross section and formed of a suitable material such as plastic pipe. The base  20  is rectangular in cross section and form of the same or otherwise suitable material such as wood or plastic substrate. The sleeves have a height slightly greater than the height of the base  20  and are horizontally symmetrically disposed with respect thereto. 
     As mentioned above, the sleeves  12  are adapted to support and progressively stylishly fashion the bill of a hat  14  of the type illustrated in FIG.  6 . In conventional fashion, the hat  14  comprises a domed cap  30  and a frontally projecting bill or brim  32 . The cap  30  is formed of a plurality of interconnected sewn panels  34  terminating upwardly with a cap button  36  and joined at the inner lower periphery thereof by an internal band  38 . As purchased, the brim  32  is a generally planar composite and comprises a flexible formable inner layer with a fabric material stitched to the top and bottom surfaces thereof. The brim  32  has generally straight, laterally spaced sides  40  bounding an arcuate tip  42 . The length of the brim from the top front adjacent the cap  30  to the tip  42  is generally in the range of about 2½ to 4 inches, typically 3 inches, and the sides  40  about 1 to 3 inches, typically about 1½ inches. The width of the brim  32  varies from about 5 to 8 inches, and typically about 7 inches. The interior substrate of the brim may be a synthetic or natural monolithic or composite material. The bill material is flexible and manually limitedly formable. 
     While some wearers will use the hat in the purchased condition, many for comfort, styling or personal reasons choose to impart a curvature to the brim contour. The brim may be manually conditioned. However unless gradually effected, excessive curvature may result in permanent deformation or cracking of the inner substrate. Further, unless effected along the length of the brim, localized deformations may result. Moreover, imparted curvatures tend to be lengthy processes and the internal memory of the substrate tends to restore a formed brim toward the original shape. 
     In order to overcome the foregoing problems, it is important to interrelate appropriately the conformal surfaces of the sleeve and the brim. First the inner wall of the sleeve should conform to the desired final curvature for the brim. Second, the curvature should not impose excessive stresses on the brim material that would cause abrupt permanent deformation. Too small a diameter can result in overlapping of the sides of the brim. Such a condition results in excessive curvature. Also, the overlapping causes abrasion during insertion and removal. The brim width should be about 40% to 85% of the inner circumference of the sleeve, preferably 60% to 75%, and in any event sufficient to permit the hat to be manually cupped and installed into the sleeve without cracking or otherwise prematurely deforming the brim substrate. Third, the sleeve should support the major portion of the brim inasmuch as unsupported portion tend to return to the purchased planar condition. At least a major portion of the brim length should be encompassed by the sleeve, generally about 50% to 80%, and preferably about 60% to 70%. Fourth, the arrangement should utilize the flexure strength of the brim, as supported in the sleeve, to provide a gradual progressive biasing as the brim material naturally relaxes in the storage condition. Compressive retention on both sides of the brim can result in overly stressing the brim and localized fracture of the material prior to achieving the desired conformation. 
     To this end, for a conventional hat brim, a sleeve diameter of 3 inches with a sleeve length of about 2 inches has been found to satisfy the above criteria for a conventional hat having a brim 7 inches wide and 2½ inches long. This size permits the hat brim to be lightly cupped, without over bending, and inserted into the sleeve without overlapping and without abrasively contacting the sleeve walls. This initial condition is depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9. Therein, the hat brim is longitudinally supported throughout the length of the sides  40  with only a portion of the tip  42  projecting therebelow. Such contact has been determined to result in overall uniform curvature without localized rebound of the type experienced with localized restraints. As shown in FIG. 8, the brim portion  50  adjacent the cap  30  conforms locally to the inner wall of the sleeve while the outer lateral portions  52  are biased inwardly with the edges  52  of the sides  40  making localized point contacts  54  with the inner surface  51 . As shown in FIG. 9, at the bottom of the sleeve, the top  56  of the front  42  and the edges  58  of the front make localized contact with the sleeve  12 . Accordingly, the flaps of the brim therebetween are spaced inwardly of the sleeve and the internal forces of the brim material will urge the sides of the brim toward conformity by material relaxation over time, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. In FIG.  10 , it will be apparent that the sides have relaxed significantly inwardly into preliminary conformity with the sleeve at the cap area. As shown in FIG. 11, the frontal portion has also undergone substantial relaxation into conformity with the sleeve. 
     In tests conducted with the above described relationships, the brim was 7 inches wide, 3 inches long and had had sides  40  about 1½ inches. The brim, as illustrated in FIG. 8, had an initial 0.38 inch spacing from the inner wall of the sleeve. The edges  54  were located 0.19 inch from the base of the inner wall. At the bottom as shown in FIG. 9, the center of the sides were 0.25 inch from the inner wall and the edges  58  were 0.939 inch from the base of the inner wall. After 48 hours as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 and as a result of material relaxation, the brim was spaced 0.25 inch from the inner wall of the sleeve and the tips 0.250 from the base. The front portion was 0.063 inch from the sleeve wall in almost total conformity with the sleeve. After removal of the hat from the rack at 5 days, the curvature remained without noticeable rebound. 
     Having thus described a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the sprit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, which is defined solely in accordance with the following claims.