Abstract:
A hat formed of a casing having a pliable wire incorporated at its base opening to provide an adjustable snug fit. The wire may be bent to an appropriate configuration by the user to draw the base opening close to the neck. Hook ends of the wire may be used as grasping points or may be latched together beneath the user&#39;s chin. Also, a single or dual cords may be used with the wire to aid in its bending to a desired configuration. The single cord may be incorporated into the face opening of the hat to provide a restriction to the face opening under draw control by the wearer, and also be used to wrap about the wire ends to manipulate the configuration of the wire.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    [Not Applicable] 
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    [Not Applicable] 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to a hat, or other clothing article, that provides a snug fit onto the wearer. More particularly, the invention relates a hat having a pliable wire at the base opening of the hat to provide an adjustable snug fit at the neck opening. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A hat is typically adapted to fit the wearer&#39;s body in order to prevent inadvertent removal or, in the case of cold-weather or for protection, to prevent undesirable infiltration. Because people vary in size and shape, hats are available in numerous discrete sizes. However, persons who require sizes outside or even in between available sizes might not be able to obtain an optimal fit from among the available sizes. Moreover, many articles of clothing, particularly hats, gloves and socks, are designed to fit a wider population of wearers with relatively few (if any) choices in size. Such broad sizing versatility leads to a less than a perfect fit in the majority of cases. Imperfect fitting articles are particularly undesirable in the case of cold-weather or protective articles meant to protect the wearer from the environment. 
         [0005]    While custom tailored clothing articles can provide a more optimal fit, they are generally more expensive than so-called “off-the-rack” (i.e., non-tailored) articles. Moreover, the size of custom tailored articles is not adjustable and the articles must be re-tailored if the wearer&#39;s size changes (such as due to weight gain or loss or due to growth, as in the case of a child). Also, custom tailored articles cannot easily be shared between wearers who differ in size. 
         [0006]    To provide a snug fit that is adjustable, elastic bands are sometimes integrated into clothing articles, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,721 to Wallace et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,884 to Merkley. However, such bands can be uncomfortable for many wearers because the tightness of the band cannot be adjusted and the elastic can excessively impinge on the underlying flesh. Moreover, the elastic band can degrade over time (particularly with extensive use or repeated washings of the article), eventually rendering the article un-wearable. 
         [0007]    Other attempts to provide an adjustable snug fit include draw-strings, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,940 to Convery et al., buckled straps, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,535 to Henrekin-Jordan and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,941,581 B1, incrementally spaced snaps, and hook and loop fasteners sold under the trademark Velcro®, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,676 to Amendolia et al. A disadvantage of employing these types of adjustments is that they can be cumbersome to operate while the wearer has gloves on (or if the wearer is arthritic) and articles employing them are not as quickly donned, removed, or adjusted as elastic band articles. 
         [0008]    Yet other attempts to provide snug fit articles that are quickly donned, removed, or adjusted include providing resilient plastic or metal hoops to secure the articles. After stretched, such as to fit around a wearer&#39;s anatomy, hoops made of materials such as coiled plastic or metal spring wire automatically constrict to their coiled shape to provide such a pseudo-elastic fit around the wearer&#39;s anatomy. Such attempts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,938 B1 to Niski et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,867 to Kirchhoff, U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,551 to Ser Vaas, U.S. Pat. No. 548,738 to Ballard, and U.S. Pat. No. 392,676 to Jacoby. However, as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,551 to Ser Vass, such hoops suffer from the same limitations as elastic in that, because the hoop seeks to constrict until it returns to its predisposed shape, its tightness cannot be adjusted and it can be overly tight and uncomfortable for many wearers. 
         [0009]    For the foregoing reasons, it would be desirable to have adjustable fit clothing articles where the tightness of the fit can be adjusted quickly and easily and where the tightness does not degrade over time. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    A hat (or other article of clothing) has a pliable wire that is incorporated within the hat to provide a manually selective snug fit. In an embodiment, a pliable wire is structurally incorporated into a hem, or internal space, along the base opening of a hat with at least one end of the wire secured to the hat so that the wire may be held in location and then drawn or bent tight around the wearer&#39;s anatomy. The pliable wire of the preferred embodiment is made from a material, such as copper, that is sufficiently malleable to be bent and shaped around the wearer&#39;s neck to provide the desired snugness of fit and yet is sufficiently rigid to maintain its shape until the wire is purposefully loosened by action of the wearer. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is front view of a winter hat embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1A  is side view of the winter hat of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged partial view of the base area of the winter hat of  FIG. 1  taken along Section A-A. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2A  is an enlarged partial view similar to  FIG. 2 , of another embodiment of the winter hat of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the winter hat of  FIG. 1  in its open position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the winter hat of  FIG. 1  in its closed position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the winter hat of  FIG. 1  having a pair of tie cords. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a hat  11  includes a fabric casing  13  of a size to fit over and partially cover the user&#39;s head. Casing  13  is shaped as a receptacle for accepting or encasing the user&#39;s head, and is made from fabric or a flexible material. 
         [0019]    Casing  13  has an opening  15  defined by a lower base edge  17  and a front facing edge  19 . Edge  17  is formed at the base of the hat for location about the wearer&#39;s neck when the hat is worn. Edge  17  is linear, defining a curved line, or other shapes, surrounding the user&#39;s neck. While edge  17  is shown in  FIG. 1  as a curved line,  FIG. 1A  shows edge  17  having a shape to provide for ear flaps  20 . 
         [0020]    Edge  19  defines the front opening of the hat  11  through which the user&#39;s face may appear when the hat is worn. Edge  19  is linear as shown in  FIG. 1 , or may be a shaped line as shown in  FIG. 1A . Edge  19  is preferably connected to edge  17  at points  24 ,  26 . 
         [0021]    A pliable wire  21  of cylindrical cross-sectional shape (e.g. 1/16 inch in diameter) is provided within casing  13  and located or locatable along the entire length of edge  17 . Wire  21  is freely bendable and repeatably bendable without breaking. Once bent to a configuration, the wire is stiff enough to impede its unbending by wind or other weather conditions, but allows manual rebending by the user. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , fabric casing  13  may be folded upwardly inside of the base of hat  11  and stitched along line  18  so as to provide a channel  23 . Channel  23  has an internal diameter, or cross section, large enough to receive and encase wire  21 . Wire  21  preferably is hidden from view along channel  23 . Wire  21  is made from copper, but other similarly pliable materials may be used. Wire  21  is thus structurally incorporated into the casing. 
         [0023]    Means other than a discrete channel  23  may be used to incorporate wire  21  into casing  13 , such that bending and configuring of wire  21  causes edge  17  to be configured in a shape relative to the wearer&#39;s neck. For example, an internal line  22  ( FIG. 2A ) may be provided inside the entirety of the hat providing a liner space  29 . Wire  21  may be located in the liner space  29 , i.e., the space between the liner  22  and the outer casing  13 . 
         [0024]    Each of the two ends  25 ,  27  of wire  21  may be formed into the shape of a hook, for example, having a shape which prevents wire ends  25 ,  27  from sliding back into channel  23  of the casing, or back into the line space  29 . The hooks may be bent to grasp the material of the casing or its liner, or both, or the hat material may be sewn onto the hooks, so as to secure the hooks at the area of the two lower points  24 ,  26  allowing the remainder of the wire to float in the space  29  between internal liner  22  and outer casing  13 . This allows the wire to be maneuvered vertically within the space  29  while still held at points  24 ,  26  stitch line  18  ( FIG. 2 ) would constrain such movement, but the liner of  FIG. 2A  would allow for it. 
         [0025]    In addition, hook ends  25 ,  27  provide the wearer with a convenient point to grasp wire  21  to pull the hat into place on the wearer&#39;s head and to bend the wire around the wearer&#39;s neck and to adjust its shape and tension closely against the user&#39;s neck. It is understood that the ends  25 ,  27  of wire  21  may be formed into a shape other than a hook, or can have a fixture attached (permanently or removably) at or near ends  25 ,  27  of wire  21  that is larger than the diameter of the openings into channel  23  to prevent the wire ends from sliding back into channel  23 , or back into liner space  29 , and to provide the wearer with a convenient grasping point. 
         [0026]    In addition, ends  25 ,  27  of wire  21  may instead include a pair of mateable or latchable hooks (not shown) that can engage together with one another in a holding latched arrangement. The user then may grasp the hooks and engage them beneath the wearer&#39;s chin to hold the wire in a particular configuration. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , casing  13  is shown in an open position in which wire  21  along edge  17  is in a spread out configuration making the base opening defined by edge  17  large in area. This enlarged base opening makes the hat more easily received onto the user&#39;s head when the hat is placed into a wearing position or makes the hat more easily removable from the wearer&#39;s head. The user/wearer may grasp ends  25 ,  27  of the wire and spread the two ends apart to enlarge the base opening. After the user spreads ends  25 ,  27 , the user may pull the hat onto his/her head and next pull ends  25 ,  27  inwardly causing edge  17  to be drawn closely below the ears of the wearer, as seen in  FIG. 1A , and against the wearer&#39;s neck. The ears are thus covered, and flaps  20  are held in place. 
         [0028]    Once the hat is put on the user, the base opening defined by edge  17  may be reconfigured inwardly by wire  21  to a shape to place casing  13  in a closed position about the neck, as shown in  FIG. 4 . That is, edge  17  may be configured to the neck and head by bending wire  21  first to an open configuration shown in  FIG. 3 , and thereafter edge  17  may be configured by bending wire  21  to a closed configuration as shown in  FIG. 4 . As the user pulls ends  25 ,  27  together, the back side of the hat, and wire  21 , rests against the back of the user&#39;s neck (or the top of the user&#39;s head) providing a pivot point of bending for the wire. The two mateable hooks may be connected together when the wire is in the closed configuration as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a pair of linear strings or cords  31 ,  33 , formed from fabric, yarn, rope or the like, may be connected (e.g., tied or clipped) to ends  25 ,  27  of wire  21 . In such an embodiment, hooks at the ends  25 ,  27  may or may not be used. The user may grasp cords  31 ,  33  when fitting the hat into position upon the user&#39;s head and use the cords to provide leverage to open the wire to the position shown in  FIG. 3 . Thereafter, cords  31 ,  33  may be used to pull or maneuver wire  21  into a closed configuration of  FIG. 4 . Thereafter, the cords may be tied together to hold ends  25 ,  27  closed together, and thus hold the configuration of the wire into the closed position of  FIG. 4 . A fob  37  maybe secured at each end of cords  31 ,  33 . 
         [0030]    In addition, cords  31 ,  33  may be one continuous cord that is located in a channel similar to channel  23  and with the channel located along the entire length of edge  19 . In such an embodiment, the one continuous cord is not fixed to ends  25 ,  27  of the wire, but is freely disposed for sliding movement within the channel along edge  19 . The one continuous cord may be drawn tight and tied together, and thus restrict or close the opening around the user&#39;s face formed by edge  19 , as edge  19  is drawn closed. 
         [0031]    As will suggest itself, a clothing article other than hat  11  may be snuggly fitted to the wearer by use of wire  21 . For example, wire  21  may be lodged in a shirt collar opening for accepting the neck of a wearer, or in a sleeve opening for accepting the arm of a wearer, or a waist opening for accepting the waist of a wearer, or in a glove opening to accept the wrist of the wearer, or in an ankle opening of a sock for accepting the ankle of the wearer. The ends of wire  21  may be formed into hooks or have a fixture to prevent wire  21  from sliding out of the casing of the clothing article and provide the wearer with a convenient place to grasp wire  21  and to adjust the wire&#39;s configuration and tension. 
         [0032]    While particular steps, elements, embodiments and applications of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications can be made by persons skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. It is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover such modifications as incorporate those steps or elements that come within the scope of the present invention.