Abstract:
The present invention is directed to headwear including a cooling device formed using a woven or non-woven material. More particularly, the invention relates to headwear including a cooling device formed of an absorptive material such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) having high absorptive capacity. The headwear and the cooling device are designed to fit securely on the wearer&#39;s head or with a hat. When moistened, the cooling device provides sustained cooling via an evaporative cooling process.

Description:
RELATED DOCUMENTS  
       [0001]     Incorporated herein by reference, this application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/713412 filed on Sep. 1, 2005 and entitled, “Headgear with Cooling Device”. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to headwear including a cooling device made of cloth or cloth-like material. More particularly, the invention relates to headwear including a cooling device having a surface, which when moistened, facilitates cooling of a surface via evaporative cooling.  
         [0003]     There are many types of headwear or head coverings used or designed primarily for sporting activities. Aside from protective helmets, one of the most common types of head coverings is a cap. Among these, the baseball cap is popular. Another type of headwear used in some sporting activities, such as tennis and soccer, is a sweatband. Still another type of headwear is a do-rag. The do-rag is typically a piece of fabric, generally in the shape of a square, which is adapted to fit the wearer&#39;s head by simply knotting it at the corners so as to fit the head of the wearer and to cover the hair and, in some cases, the upper portion of the wearer&#39;s head, including the left and right sides just above the ears.  
         [0004]     While headwear has been designed and used for a wide variety of practical purposes, including for instance, to protect the head from physical injury, rain or snow, there is a need for highly portable, washable and durable headwear that can very easily provide a prolonged cooling effect to the wearer&#39;s head.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention is directed to headwear including a cooling device formed using a woven or nonwoven material. More particularly, the invention relates to headwear including a cooling device formed of an absorptive material. The headwear and the cooling device are designed to fit securely on the wearer&#39;s head. When moistened, the cooling device provides sustained cooling via an evaporative cooling process. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     This patent is illustrated by way of examples and not limitations in the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:  
         [0007]      FIG. 1A  illustrates an embodiment of headwear in the form of a do-rag which includes a cooling device in accordance with the teachings of this invention;  
         [0008]      FIG. 1B  illustrates an alternate embodiment of headwear in the form of another do-rag which includes cooling device in accordance with the teachings of this invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  illustrates an interior view of the headwear and the cooling device shown in  FIG. 1A ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2B  illustrates an interior view of the headwear and the cooling device shown in  FIG. 1B ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2C  illustrates an interior view of an embodiment of headwear, in the form of a canopy and cooling device in accordance with the teachings of this invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2D  illustrates a side exterior view of the headwear including the cooling device shown in  FIG. 2C ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates the cooling device shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side exterior view of the cooling device shown in  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  illustrates two cooling device embodiments inserted into a hat and a cap, respectively;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a cooling device embodiment that affixes to the interior of a hat.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6B  illustrates a convertible cooling device pouch embodiment that affixes to the interior of a hat.  
         [0018]      FIG. 7A  illustrates headwear embodiment in the form of a bandanna, which includes the cooling device in accordance with the teachings of this invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7B  illustrates an interior view of the headwear and the cooling device shown in  FIG. 7A ; and,  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  illustrates a headwear embodiment in the form of a band, which includes the cooling device in accordance with the teachings of this invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]     Illustrative embodiments of headwear including a cooling device formed in accordance with the teaching of the invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing figures. The headwear and the cooling device can be adapted to take any shape to cool any surface or any exposed body part or a portion thereof. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of spatial orientations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0022]     The cooling device may be formed of any highly porous cloth or cloth-like material that reacts with water to create a cooling effect. For example, it may be formed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The cooling device may be, depending on the material used, hydrophilic, hydroscopic, chemically resistant, resilient, machine washable, and/or colorable. The cooling device may also be formed into any desired shape, such as do-rags, headwear inserts, hat inserts, bandanna inserts, bands (e.g., headbands and wristbands), etc.  
         [0023]     In one embodiment of the invention, as best seen in  FIGS. 1A and 2A , headwear embodiments may be configured as varying do-rags  200 . The do-rag  200  includes a body portion  202 , a headwear insert  204  and two ties  206 ,  208 . The body portion  202  also includes a tail  210 , as best seen in  FIG. 2A . In the one embodiment, the body portion  202  is made of any suitable woven material, for example a natural fiber, a synthetic fiber, or combinations thereof.  
         [0024]     In one embodiment, as best seen in  FIG. 2A , the body portion  202  includes a surface  218  configured in a triangular-like shape. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1A , the surface  218  of the body portion  202  includes three (3) panels  214  having an arcuate shape and a forward panel  211 . The three (3) panels  214  of arcuate shape are sewn together along their length, and the forward panel  211  is sewn onto the three (3) panels  214  so as to create a band that surrounds the front and side portions of the assembled three (3) panels  214 .  
         [0025]     In one embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1A-1B , the three (3) panels  214  of the body portion  202  when sewn together create a cup-like configuration that defines a crown covering portion or a crown portion  222  of the do-rag  200 . The crown portion  222  sits on the wearer&#39;s head like a skull cap, covering a portion of the top, rear, and left and right sides of the wearer&#39;s head.  
         [0026]     In one embodiment best seen in  FIG. 1A , the forward panel  211  when sewn onto the three (3) panels  214  of arcuate shape forms a forward edge  212  of the body portion  202  designed to cover at least a portion of the forehead of the wearer. The forward edge  212  may be extended to a length that stops just above the wearer&#39;s ears, particularly if the wearer is a human user.  
         [0027]     In one embodiment, as best seen in  FIG. 2A , the body portion  202  includes a rear edge  213  that is adapted for positioning against the nape of the wearer&#39;s neck. In the one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2A , an exposed interior  207  of the body portion  202  is extended to allow the headwear to fall lower on the wearer&#39;s neck. The body portion  202  also supports the ties  206 ,  208  that extend out from the body portion  202  at the forward edge  212 .  
         [0028]     In one embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 2A , the ties  206 ,  208  are configured as extensions of the band forming the forward edge  212 . The ties  206 ,  208  are elongated to allow them to be tied together, thus, permitting adjustment of the body portion  202  about the wearer&#39;s head. The ties  206 ,  208  are preferably configured so that the ties  206 ,  208  may be secured to each other behind the head of the wearer at the nape of the neck.  
         [0029]     Whether the body portion  202  is secured by the ties  206 ,  208 , as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 2A , or a fastening element, the body portion  202  is configured to be adjustable so that the body portion  202  may be conveniently and snugly fitted and fastened to any head size.  
         [0030]     In one embodiment, as best seen in  FIG. 2A , the body portion  202  includes the tail  210 . The tail  210  extends beyond the body portion  202  so as to cover at least a portion of the wearer&#39;s neck. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A and 2A , the tail  210  and at least one of the three (3) panels  214  are formed from a single sheet of material.  
         [0031]     In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2A , the body portion  202  supports the headwear insert  204 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , the headwear insert  204  abuts the forward edge  212  of the body portion  202 , and is configured having a shape that conforms to the shape of the crown of the wearer&#39;s head. For example, the headwear insert  204  shown in  FIG. 2A  is configured to fit over the crown of the head of a human wearer. In one embodiment, the headwear insert  204  is attached to the body portion  202  by stitching and the like.  
         [0032]     In the one embodiment shown in  FIG. 2A , the headwear insert  204  is formed using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a hydrophilic material. In the embodiment as best seen in  FIG. 3 , the headwear insert  204  is cut and sewn to allow the device to fit closely over the surface to be cooled.  
         [0033]     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , one method of forming the headwear insert  204  is to sew the three (3) panels  214  of PVA material, for example, to one another as illustrated by stitch lines  216 . The assembled three (3) panels  214  of the headwear insert  204  are then sewn to a band portion  220  of the headwear insert  204 . To achieve the desired shape the three (3) panels  214  and the band portion  220  are cut in a configuration that allows the completed headwear insert  204  to match the contour of the surface to be cooled. For example, the embodiment of the headwear insert  204  shown in  FIG. 3  is designed to fit over the crown of the head of a human wearer.  
         [0034]     Several additional embodiments of the foregoing headwear with cooling device have been contemplated. For example, while the above described body portion  202  of the headwear with cooling device is configured in the triangular-like shape, in an alternate embodiment, the body portion  202  may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes, including but not limited to rectangular, triangular and pentagonal. However other suitable shapes will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the present disclosure, and the present invention is not limited in any way to the shape of the body portion  202  of the illustrated embodiments. Additionally, in an alternate embodiment, the body portion  202  may be made of any suitable woven or non-woven material, for example a natural fiber, a synthetic fiber, leather, plastic, or combinations thereof.  
         [0035]     While the exposed interior  207  of the body portion  202  shown in  FIG. 2A  is extended, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exposed interior  207  of the body portion  202  may vary in size. For example, in an alternate embodiment of the headwear also configured as a do-rag, shown in  FIG. 2B , the exposed interior  207  of the body portion  202  is minimal. Additionally in this alternate embodiment, the sides of the forward panel  211  are shortened so as not to cover the wearer&#39;s ears. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the forward panel  211 , and optionally the three (3) panels  214 , may vary in size suitable for its intended purpose.  
         [0036]     While the surface  218  of the body portion  202  shown in  FIG. 1A  is formed by sewing the forward panel  211  onto the three (3) panels  214  of arcuate shape, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that there are various methods for forming the surface  218 , and the invention is not to be limited by the method of forming the illustrated embodiment. For example, in an alternate embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2C and 2D , the headwear may be in the form of a canopy  209 . In this alternate embodiment, the forward panel  211  may abut against the wearer&#39;s forehead, and the PVA material, for example, may be located inside at least a portion of the forward panel  211 . One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the PVA material, for example, may be located inside at least one of the panels  214  of the body portion  202 , and optionally the forward panel  211 , or attached to the body portion  202  and combinations thereof. The body portion  202  may support the headwear insert  204 . In this embodiment, the headwear insert  204  may be formed by sewing four (4) panels  214  together as shown in  FIG. 2C . Additionally, in this alternate embodiment, the three (3) panels  214  of the body portion  202  ( FIG. 2D ) and the four (4) panels  214  of the headwear insert  204  ( FIG. 2C ) may extend to the wearer&#39;s shoulders, serving to protect not only the head, but also the ears and neck from cancer-causing ultraviolet sun radiation. This is accomplished not just by covering the head, ears and neck with the body portion  202 , but also by covering the head, ears and neck with the headwear insert  204 , all while providing a cooling effect. Thus, the canopy  209  may serve as enhanced ultraviolet blocking protective headwear for medical patients, healthy children, adults, or elderly persons seeking shelter from damaging sun rays. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the surface  218  of the body portion  202  and the headwear insert  204  may be formed from one or more panels cut to the desired configuration and attached in the desired configuration suitable for its intended purpose.  
         [0037]     While the ties  206 ,  208  shown in  FIGS. 1A and 2A  are configured to be secured to each other behind the head of the wearer at the nape of the neck, in an alternate embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2C and 2D , the ties  206 ,  208  may be secured in the back of the wearer&#39;s head. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the ties  206 ,  208  may vary in length (shown in  FIGS. 2B and 2C ) and may be secured in a variety of locations around the head and the neck of the wearer. Additionally, while the ties  206 ,  208  as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 2A  are configured as extensions of the band forming the forward edge  212 , in an alternate embodiment, the ties  206 ,  208  may be sewn onto the body portion  202 . One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other methods may be used to attach the ties  206 ,  208  to the body portion  202 . One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the ties  206 ,  208  may support a fastening element, such but not limited to, one or more hook and loop fastener(s), snap(s), latch fastener(s), button(s), a zipper, or hook and loop fastener, or any known fastener and combinations thereof, that permit adjustment of the body portion  202  about the wearer&#39;s head may be used.  
         [0038]     While the tail  210  and at least one of the three (3) panels  214  of  FIGS. 1A and 2A  are formed from a single sheet of material, in an alternate embodiment, the tail  210  may be sewn onto the rear edge  213 , and PVA material may be located inside the tail  210 . One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other methods may be used to attach the tail  210  to the body portion  202 , and that the tail  210  may be attached without PVA material. Furthermore, the tail  210  and the body portion  202  may be formed from a single sheet of material. One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the tail  210  may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes suitable for its intended purpose. In an alternate embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2C and 2D , the tail  210  may not be present.  
         [0039]     While the headwear insert  204  of  FIG. 2A  is attached to the body portion  202  by stitching and the like, in an alternate embodiment, the headwear insert  204  may be formed integrally with the body portion  202 . If the headwear insert  204  and the body portion  202  are integrally formed, the body portion  202  and the headwear insert  204  will be formed using a material having hydrophilic and/or hydroscopic properties. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the PVA material, for example, may also be located inside at least a portion of the body portion  202  or the tail  204  or combinations thereof.  
         [0040]     While the headwear insert  204  of  FIGS. 3 and 4  has been described having the three (3) panels  214  of the PVA material, for example, sewn to the band portion  220  of the PVA material, for example, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other methods may be used for forming the headwear insert  204 .  
         [0041]     In an alternate embodiment best seen in  FIG. 5 , the headwear insert  204  may be configured as a baseball cap insert  400  or a hat insert  420 .  FIG. 6A  further shows the hat insert  420  placed inside a hat. Both the hat insert  420  and the baseball cap insert  400  may be attached to the surfaces within the hat/cap via hook and loop fastener strips  410 . In still another embodiment shown in  FIG. 6B , the headwear insert  204  may be convertible into a pouch, having a resealable opening  620  and hook and loop fasteners  410  (not visible). The resealable opening  620  may be resealable by any known way, including a drawstring  630 . The headwear insert  204  embodiment of  FIG. 6B  may be used not only to cool the wearer&#39;s head, but also to store items within the hat which may be kept cool. Alternatively, the convertible insert may be used to cool the head until such time as it may be needed as a pouch for carrying items outside the hat in cooled, moist environment.  
         [0042]     One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the inserts  204  may be attached and reattached by a variety of fasteners in place of or in conjunction with hook and loop fastener strips  410 , including snap(s), latch fastener(s), button(s), a zipper, or ties or equivalents or combinations thereof formed according to the teachings of this invention. Similarly, one of skill in the art will appreciate that the resealable opening  620  may be resealed using the foregoing fasteners or equivalents alone or in combination.  
         [0043]     In an alternate embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , the headwear may be in the form of a bandanna  700 . The bandanna  700  may include the body portion  202 , the headwear insert  204  of the PVA material, for example, and the ties  206 ,  208 , shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B . The bandanna  700  with the cooling device may act as a convertible cooling mask for air filtration and heat stress relief. Particularly, the bandanna  700  with the cooling device, when placed over the wearer&#39;s nose and mouth, substantially prevents dust and hot air from being inhaled. In this alternate embodiment, the headwear insert  204  may be formed from the single panel  214  of the PVA material, for example, in a triangular-like shape lesser than or equal to the dimensions of the bandanna  700 , as seen in  FIG. 7B . Further in this embodiment, the bandanna  700  may form a triangular shape, as best seen in  FIG. 7A . In this alternate embodiment, one method of attaching the headwear insert  204  may be to sew the single panel  214  of the PVA material, for example, to the bandanna as illustrated by the stitch lines  216  in  FIG. 7A . Further in this embodiment, the body portion  202  includes the ties  206 ,  208 , which can be secured around the wearer&#39;s head. One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the ties  206 ,  208  may support a fastening element, such but not limited to, one or more hook and loop fastener(s), snap(s), latch fastener(s), button(s), a zipper, or hook and loop fastener, or any known fastener and combinations thereof, that permit adjustment of the bandanna  700  about the wearer&#39;s head may be used. In an alternate embodiment, the bandanna  700  with the headwear insert  204  may be converted to a band by folding the bandanna  700  to a desired configuration to cool the surface in contact with the band, i.e., the wearer&#39;s forehead, wrist, ankle, and body.  
         [0044]     One of skill in the art will further appreciate that an alternate embodiment of the bandanna  700  may be formed using alternative fashion-quality fabrics, such as, for example, silk or silk substitutes to create designer scarves. Such scarves could be readily converted merely by wetting to immediately treat heat stress. For example, a woman experiencing hot flashes could wet her fashion scarf and apply it to the forehead, face, neck, arms or any other afflicted area to provide immediate heat stress relief.  
         [0045]     In an alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , the headwear may be in the form of a band  800  made of any suitable woven material. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the band  800  may be made of any suitable woven or non-woven material, for example a natural fiber, a synthetic fiber, leather, plastic, or combinations thereof. The band  800  may include the headwear insert  204 , the body portion  202  and the ties  206 ,  208 . To create the band  800 , the band material of the body portion  202  may be formed into a tube like structure having an outer surface  810  and the ties  206 ,  208 . The outer surface  810  of the band  800  may directly contact the surface to be cooled. The headwear insert  204  may be formed from the single panel  214  of the PVA material, for example, in a rectangular-like shape, for example, of equal of lesser dimensions than the band  800 . In this alternate embodiment, one method of attaching the headwear insert  204 , which forms an inner layer of the band  800 , may be to sew the single panel  214  of the PVA material, for example, to the band  800  as illustrated by the stitch lines  216  in  FIG. 8 . In the alternate embodiment, the body portion  202  of the band  800  extends beyond the headwear insert  204  to form the ties  206 ,  208  to secure the band in place. One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the ties  206 ,  208  may support a fastening element, such but not limited to, one or more hook and loop fastener(s), snap(s), latch fastener(s), button(s), a zipper, or hook and loop fastener, or any known fastener and combinations thereof, that permit adjustment of the band  800  about the wearer&#39;s head, wrist, ankle, and body, for example, may be used. In an additional alternate embodiment, the ties  206 ,  208  may be sewn onto the body portion  202  of the band  800 . One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other methods may be used to attach the ties  206 ,  208  to the body portion  202 . In all the foregoing figures and examples, the surfaces to be cooled by the cooling device are not limited to the human exterior.  
         [0046]     One of skill in the art will appreciate that an embodiment of the band  800  may be easily formed from the bandanna  700 , yet provide one-and-a-half to three times the absorption of the band  800  due to the relatively larger surface area of the bandanna  700  insert  204 . By either folding or rolling the exceptionally lightweight bandanna  700 , the bandanna  700  may be converted, for example, by fire safety personnel into a super-wicking embodiment of the band  800 . In extreme fire-fighting conditions, where temperatures can be extraordinarily high, the rolled bandanna  700 , with its multiple layers of PVA material, may serve as a powerful wicking band, used to quickly absorb large amounts of perspiration from the forehead, thereby allowing fire-fighters to see more clearly and work more safely, simply by keeping running perspiration out of the eyes.  
         [0047]     While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.