Abstract:
A bathing cap/shower cap with a wide band that helps prevent shift and elastic creases in the forehead, and that, without tucking, lifts the hair up and above the hairline and completely off of the face and neck and toward the top of the head where it is protected by a sturdy waterproof material sealed with a “snap, cuff, and fasten” system that includes magnetic snaps and hook and loop fastening tape.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of an earlier filed provisional application, U.S. Pat. Application No. 62/351,029, filed Jun. 16, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to bathing caps and/or shower caps. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    The main function of conventional shower caps/bathing caps is to keep the wearer&#39;s hair dry while the wearer engages activities wherein the hair may become wet, like showering, or bathing. Another function that the shower cap serves is keeping the hair lifted and out of the user&#39;s way, so that the user may freely wash the face and neck. It is known that the common shower cap is basically comprised of a plastic or vinyl material cut into a circular shape, the circumference of which is gathered by elastic. This design suffers many shortcomings. 
         [0004]    Using a shower cap proves time consuming and frustrating for many women because it is necessary to tuck the hair into the one opening of the shower cap. Because in some cases it is impossible to tuck all of the hair, the shower cap does not offer protection against moisture at the hairline. Conventional shower caps also offer little stability and often shift with the weight of the hair, causing the confined hair to fall into the way—around the face and/or neck of the wearer—rendering the cap ineffective, annoying and uncomfortable. Women also complain about creases in the forehead made by the elastic which is sometimes encased (in a channel) or not encased (exposed). Also, women have expressed concern with the lack of breathability offered by the plastic typically used for shower caps. 
         [0005]    In order to gain the benefit of confining the hair without tucking, some women began using the Tassi hair wrap, a product which is protected by U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,909. The Tassi can be applied to the head by inserting the head through two openings, obviating the need to tuck the hair. It also allows the hair to breathe. However, it provides no waterproof component. It also features a pocket at the rear that hangs below the hairline, onto the nape of the neck, which does not work well for bathing and therapeutic soaking because the neck cannot be fully submerged into the water without the pocket of hair dipping into the bathwater and becoming wet. 
         [0006]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/756,154 proposes the benefit of two openings in a bathing cap, possessing a waterproof layer and hair confining layer, in order to obviate the need to tuck the hair into a shower cap. The wearer gains the benefit of ease of application because of the two openings, and derives the benefit of protection from splashing water because of the waterproof layer, and still, the wearer&#39;s hair is allowed to breathe because the second opening remains open. Additionally, because the bathing cap lifts the hair completely off of the nape of the neck, the user can submerge her neck completely into a bath of water. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/222,401 later proposed a waterproof head covering with the benefit of two openings, the second of which can be closed with a draw-cord system. The design, however, fails to lift the hair above the hairline and more importantly, completely off of the neck, thereby preventing a wearer from allowing water to come into direct contact with her neck, without the confined hair being in the way. It also suffers the shortcoming of using elastic in the opening that fits around the forehead. 
         [0007]    There is a need for a shower cap/bathing cap that lifts the hair up above the hairline and completely off of the face and neck, while providing additional protection at the crown of the head, and that offers more stability to the lifted and confined hair, while not creating elastic creases in the forehead. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0008]    The object of the present invention is to provide a shower cap that, without tucking, lifts the hair up above the hairline and away from both the face and nape of the neck and toward the top of the head where it is completely confined by a waterproof material which is, during application, sealed at the crown of the head, by a system of magnetic snaps, a cuff, and two strips of hook and loop fastening tape, and that fits, with a wide band, securely and without shifting or leaving creases in the forehead. 
         [0009]    In a first aspect, the present invention solves the problem of confined hair falling below the hairline by providing a shower cap that lifts the hair up above the hairline and off of the nape of the neck, toward the top of the head, by using a waterproof material that possesses a relatively stiff hand or “body,” and a “snap, cuff, and fasten” system to seal the cap at the crown of the head. 
         [0010]    In a second aspect, the present invention solves the problem of shifting caps by providing a shower cap that is made with an extra wide band constructed to provide stability, as well as assisting in lifting the hair above the hairline. 
         [0011]    In a third aspect, the present invention solves the problem of marks and/or creases made in the forehead by the elastic in shower caps, by providing a shower cap that is made without elastic. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective side view of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention completely applied onto the head of a wearer. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a section of material, which is joined to be uniformly column-shaped, possessing an upper opening of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention comprising magnetic snaps installed within a hem and strips of hook and loop fastening tape installed within darts. For ease of understanding, the magnetic snaps are shown even though they would not be visible in the finished hem of the shower cap. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 3A-3C  show perspective front views of a preferred process used to seal the upper opening of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention.  FIG. 3A  shows the wearer engaging the magnetic snaps by pulling outwardly on each side of the cap.  FIG. 3B  shows the wearer creating a cuff by rolling the magnetically snapped opening forward toward her face. The wearer then completes the seal at the crown, as shown in  FIG. 3C , by bringing the two strips of hook and loop fastening tape toward the back of her head and pressing them together. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows the lower opening of an embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention comprising a wide band and waterproof ruffle. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a preferred method for attaching a wide stretch band to the lower opening of the shower cap of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 5A-5B  show a preferred process for creating a wide stretch band which is subsequently attached to the lower opening of the shower cap of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6A  is a schematic cross-section showing the preferred method for attaching the wide stretch band to the waterproof material at the lower opening of the shower cap of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6B-6C  are schematic cross-sections of a preferred process for creating a waterproof ruffle comprising the lower opening of an embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention wherein the waterproof material is folded to create the waterproof ruffle ( 6 B) and then stitched, to the non-waterproof side of the waterproof material, subsequent to folding over and laying flat against the non-waterproof side of the waterproof material, the wide stretch band, through which said seam is also made ( 6 C). 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    Referring now, in more detail, to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment of the shower cap  30  of the present invention on the head of a wearer. When completely applied, the wearer&#39;s hair, which has been confined inside the shower cap, sits predominantly toward the top of the wearer&#39;s head where it is steadfastly held in place by an attached wide band  20  reinforced in more than one location by a tack stitch,  39  a waterproof material  31  with a stiff hand, and a “snap, cuff, and fasten” system  34  that seals the upper opening of the shower cap at the crown of the wearer&#39;s head. The wearer&#39;s confined hair is kept significantly above the hairline  32  and does not fall onto the nape of the neck  33 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows a section of material, preferably laminated cotton, being waterproof on one side  10  and non-waterproof on the other side  11  which is, preferably by sewing, joined  12  to be uniformly column-shaped to a dimension measuring 28.5-29 inches in circumference and 13 inches in height  13  and possessing a center back  35  established by the connecting seam  12 . Once thusly joined, the section of waterproof material  31  possesses an upper opening  14  at which location is sewn a 1-inch hem  15 , into which two male magnetic snaps  16  is sewn at a location approximately 2.5 inches away from the center back  35  and on each side of the center back  36 , and the same hem into which is sewn, two female magneto snaps  17 , at a location in the hem opposite the male magnetic snaps  16 , so as to attract and effectively close the upper opening—this closing being the first of three steps in the “snap, cuff, and fasten” system used to substantially seal the upper opening  14 . 
         [0022]    The third of three steps used in sealing the upper opening  14  of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention utilizes strips of hook and loop fastening tape  36 , such as Velcro® ONE-WRAP.® As shown in  FIG. 2 , the strips of hook and loop fastening tape  36  are installed at a location approximately 6.75 inches from the center back  35  and on both sides of the center back  35 , these two locations being here established as the sides  37 . On each side  37  of the upper opening  14 , an inwardly facing dart  38  measuring approximately 0.25 inches is formed, beginning at the edge of the finished opening and ending at a location below the hem seam that is more than two inches and less than 6 inches. Strips of preferably 0.75-inch-wide hook and loop fastening tape  36 , cut to a length of preferably 2.25 inches long, are then inserted into each dart  38  and then stitched  9  on the non-waterproof side  11  of the material. Alternatively, straps attached to parachute clips or tie-able strips of waterproof material can be inserted into the darts  38  instead of strips of hook and loop fastening tape  36 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 3A-3C  show an embodiment of the shower cap  30  of the present invention on a wearer engaged in sealing the upper opening  14  using the three steps herein described. Having already placed the shower cap  30  over her head and onto her neck and then subsequently raising the cap to the position shown in  FIG. 3A , the wearer has raised her hair above the hairline, and into the shower cap, where it is confined predominantly toward the top of her head.  FIG. 3A  shows the wearer pulling on the two strips of hook and loop fastening tape  36  outwardly at the two sides  37  of the shower cap  30  which causes the female magnetic snaps  17  and the male magnetic snaps  16  in the hem  15  to connect. Then, as is shown in  FIG. 3B , the wearer creates a cuff  40  by rolling the magnetically snapped end forward toward her face. Finally, as is shown in  FIG. 3C , the wearer brings the two strips of hook and loop fastening tape  36  toward the back of her head and presses them together, thereby completing the sealing process using the “snap, cuff, and fasten” system  34 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a preferred embodiment of the lower opening  18  of the shower cap  30  of the present invention comprising a wide stretch band  20 , measuring 2.5 inches wide when laid flat  21  against the non-waterproof side  11  of the waterproof material by approximately 17 inches in circumference, said band  20  having a bottom fold  23 , that is attached to the waterproof material, and a top fold  24 , that is not attached to the waterproof material and a waterproof ruffle  25  at the finished edge measuring 0.5-0.6 inches. The band  20  is permanently tacked  39 , in two locations, those locations being determined by establishing a center front, based on the location of the established center back  35 , and then measuring, with finished lower opening  18  outstretched to its maximum, approximately 3.5 inches from the center front and on each side of the center front, and by subsequently folding the band  20  onto itself and in half, by bringing the top fold  24  toward the center of the cap and then further downward toward the lower opening  18 , to meet and line up with the bottom fold  23 , then by tack stitching the folded band  41  to the non-waterproof side  11  of the waterproof material, across the 1.25-inch width of the folded band  41 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  shows a preferred method for attaching the wide stretch band  20  to the unfinished lower opening  50  of the waterproof material  31  of the shower cap of the present invention. Beginning with the creation of the wide stretch band, as shown in  FIG. 5A , wherein a 5.5-inch, preferably with 40% percentage stretch, by 18-inch, preferably with 70% percentage stretch, section of stretch material  51 , preferably stretch polyester eyelet mesh, is sewn, short sides together to be annularly shaped and possessing a center back  52  at the joining seam  53 , the annularly shaped stretch material is subsequently folded, as is shown in  FIG. 5B , with the seam allowance  64  hidden. The folded stretch material  51  comprising the wide stretch band  20  measures 2.75 inches in height  55  and approximately 17 inches in circumference, and possesses two remaining raw edges  56 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the two raw edges  56  are lined up with the unfinished lower opening  60  of the waterproof material  31  and then attached by a seam  57  to the waterproof side  10  of the waterproof material  31 . This attachment is represented by the schematic cross-section shown in  FIG. 6A . 
         [0026]      FIG. 6A  shows the two raw edges  56  of the stretch material  51 , being attached, by sewing, and a resulting seam  57 , to one layer of waterproof material  31  and on the waterproof side  10  of the waterproof material  31 . 
         [0027]      FIGS. 6B  and SC show, also in schematic cross-sections, a preferred process for subsequently creating the waterproof ruffle  25  at the lower opening of a preferred embodiment of the shower cap of the present invention.  FIG. 6B  shows the configuration of the seam  57 , waterproof material  31 , and stretch material  51 , after the waterproof material  31  is folded toward the non-waterproof side  11  of the waterproof material as it would be prepared before the operation shown in  FIG. 6C , wherein the stretch material  51  is folded up over the first seam  57  and further laid flat against the non-waterproof side  11  of the waterproof material  31  before stitching, the resulting seam  58  having penetrated all layers.  FIGS. 6A-6C  are not drawn to scale and are not intended to illustrate sizes of the involved components, neither individually nor relative to one another. 
       CITATION UST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0028]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,909 7/1999 Ellsworth et al. 
       Non Patent Literature 
       [0029]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/756,154 
         [0030]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/222,401