Abstract:
Multiple embodiments of an improved sports cap display rack comprising a comprehensive collection of serviceable features. It possesses an adjustable bill shaper, capable of shaping and maintaining a plurality of sports cap bills with varying degrees of curvature. The rack simultaneously displays the sports caps in a precise, uniform presentation, highlighting the crown indicia for artistic observation, assisting in the locating of specific caps concealed in a large collection. From a manufacturing standpoint, the unique design of the interchangeable sidewall assemblies ( 20 A) FIG.  1  or ( 20 B) FIG.  2  lowers retooling costs and reduces packaging, shipping and storage expense. The design of the end slot intervals ( 38 ) enhances the coupling of additional racks, rendering them suitable for small or large sized hat collections.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Prior Art 
     The following is a tabulation of some prior art that appears somewhat relevant: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Pat. No. 
                 Kind Code 
                 Publ. Date 
                 Inventor(s) 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 U.S. Pat. 
                 B 1 
                 2001 November 06 
                 Jerry H. Rigler,  
               
               
                 6,311,879 
                   
                   
                 Brenda J. Rigler 
               
               
                 U.S. Pat. 
                 B 2 
                 2005 January 11 
                 Wayne Fritz 
               
               
                 6,840,411 
                   
                   
                   
               
               
                 U.S. Pat. 
                 B 1 
                 2002 July 23 
                 Brett K. Miller 
               
               
                 6,422,400 
                   
                   
                   
               
               
                 U.S. Pat. 
                 B 2 
                 2011 September 20 
                 Kenneth B. Kopp, 
               
               
                 8,020,712 
                   
                   
                 James T. Kopp, SR 
               
               
                 U.S. Pat. 
                 B 1 
                 2010 February 23 
                 Mathew M. Hobbie 
               
               
                 7,665,616 
                   
                   
                   
               
               
                 U.S. Pat. 
                 B 2 
                 2011 June 28 
                 Kenneth B. Kopp, 
               
               
                 7,967,173 
                   
                   
                 James T. Kopp, SR. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Many households have large collections of baseball-type sports caps fashioned with a bill. People collect caps at events and destinations from all over the world. Most caps are adorned with logos or indicia on the front of the crown which advertise businesses, promote sports teams or simply serve as a fond reminder of significant locations or events attended. Often these collections end up in boxes, heaped in a closet corner or scattered around a dusty garage. Any sense of pride in these souvenirs quickly dissolves once they become disfigured or soiled. Many people would like to preserve these collections in a display which protects and highlights them in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. Unfortunately, the present available commercial display options are not appealing to or practical for most individuals. 
     A significant need for sports cap organizers capable of displaying a wide array of various sized hat collections is commonly acknowledged in the arts. These displays should highlight the crown indicia for artistic observation as well as to facilitate the retrieval of a specific hat concealed in a large collection. Trying to find a particular hat in a large collection when the crown indicia is not exposed is like trying to find an object in a Bev Doolittle painting. Another desirable feature is the ability to shape cap bills into different configurations. Personal preferences range from completely flat bills to various degrees of bill curvature. Commercial demand solicits a simplistic, affordably priced design which displays the hats with a precise uniformity. Commercial success dictates the accomplishment of these features while maintaining a high profit margin. 
     Rigler discloses a bulky, horseshoe shaped, slotted device which either hangs from above, or stands in the floor supported by attached feet. When the caps are slotted, the crown insignia is not visible. This device is only capable of applying one distinct curvature to the bills. This system also requires a great deal of floor space to display a large collection of caps, rendering it prohibitive for most home collections. 
     One merely has to watch a PGA golf tournament to witness the multiple styles with which caps are donned today. A lot of the younger players seem to be gravitating towards flatter bill trajectories, while the senior players migrate towards the more traditional appearance, employing a broad spectrum of various curvatures. Style has become a personal identifier with some of today&#39;s successful athletes such as Ricky Fowler. People go to great lengths to shape and preserve their caps. 
     Fritz points out the lack of simplicity in the prior arts, emphasizing the complexities of previous devices. His use of retaining cylinders restricts the bill curvatures to one size. The cylinders are not capable of displaying today&#39;s ever popular flat bill configurations. When caps are stored in the cylinders, the crown indicia is hidden, making this design undesirable for displaying large collections. 
     Miller&#39;s design is very similar to Fritz&#39;s. His display also utilizes a hollow cylindrical system of shaping and displaying caps. His invention is very limiting, allowing no adjustment in bill curvature, due to the fact the bill shaper is made from a single sized hollow cylinder. His invention also has no provisions for displaying flat bills. The overall presentation occupies a lot of space and fails to blend in with its surroundings. 
     Kopp and Kopp SR. offer two different inventions that efficiently accommodate a plurality of caps. One is a loop system which is intended to shape cap bills while they are being displayed. The bills are loosely captured in the loops offering no consistency in the shaping process and no means to secure the caps in a uniform presentation. The Kopp&#39;s ring system offers a limited variation in bill curvature and lacks any means of displaying flat bills. Since this system necessitates being hung away from any wall structure, it occupies central floor space. This type of display is forever being bumped and jostled by people traffic. This results in a constant, labor intensive requirement for rearranging the display, as the caps are not secured in the rings. The initial construction of this system is also labor intensive and would be very costly to mass produce. 
     Hobbie&#39;s design shows some ability to shape various bill curvatures, however, most collectors prefer only one particular bill curvature. Each of Hobbie&#39;s devices displays three caps, all of a different bill curvature. They have some adjustment ability but lack flexibility in display options. They would not be efficient in displaying a large collection, nor would they present a uniform, artful, appearance. 
     Advantages 
     Thus several advantages of one or more aspects of the “Transparent Sports Cap Display Rack and Adjustable Bill Shaper” are as follows: has a simplistic design; can be mass produced at a relatively low cost; has fashion appeal; can accommodate large or small collections; creates packaging, shipping and storage efficiencies, and has broad adjustment capability in the bill-shaping process. These and other advantages of one or more aspects will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and accompanying drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     The enginuity of one or more embodiments of the “Transparent Sports Cap Display Rack and Adjustable Bill Shaper” is that it independently meets or exceeds all of the accomplished features of the prior art, in its total aggregate. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view illustrating the stacking features of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a second embodiment, whereas, the rear mounting flange is invaginated in relation to the rear mounting flange of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a utilization rendering. 
     
    
    
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Drawings - Reference Numerals 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 20A 
                 sidewall assembly 
               
               
                   
                 20B 
                 sidewall assembly 
               
               
                   
                 22 
                 aperture 
               
               
                   
                 24 
                 fastener 
               
               
                   
                 26 
                 rear mounting flange 
               
               
                   
                 28 
                 front bill retainer flange 
               
               
                   
                 30 
                 bill retainer slot 
               
               
                   
                 32 
                 sidewall 
               
               
                   
                 34 
                 rear mounting surface 
               
               
                   
                 36 
                 bill retainer slot interval 
               
               
                   
                 38 
                 bill retainer end slot interval 
               
               
                   
                 40 
                 invaginated rear mounting flange 
               
               
                   
                 42 
                 cap bill edge 
               
               
                   
                 44 
                 rearward portion of folded cap 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     First Embodiment—FIGS.  1 - 1 A 
       FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of the first embodiment of the “Transparent Sports Cap Display Rack and Adjustable Bill Shaper”. The first embodiment consists of a pair of sidewall assemblies  20 A, each of a two tiered continuous molding. They are presently molded or formed from 3 mm, clear acrylic sheet. Both sidewall assemblies are identical in design, allowing any sidewall assembly to be substituted for either side of a two piece rack. This results in the elimination of multiple retooling costs, consequently reducing the manufacturing cost of this embodiment. One sidewall assembly is inverted longitudinally 180 degrees from the opposing sidewall assembly and they are both mounted parallel to each other and at the same height. By increasing or decreasing the physical spacing between the two sidewall assemblies during the mounting procedure, a new dimension in the diversity of adjustable bill curvatures can be obtained. The results can range between flat bills and highly curved bill presentations. 
     Again,  FIG. 1  shows a rear mounting flange  26  molded at a 90 degree angle to the outside of a sidewall  32 , perforated with four apertures  22 , by which appropriate fasteners  24  pass through to secure the sidewall assembly to a wall, ceiling, counter, door or other desirable rear mounting surface  34 . Wood screws are the illustrated fastener in  FIG. 1 ; however, options such as wallboard fasteners, glue, double-sided tape or other suitable fasteners may be substituted as the application dictates. The sidewall  32  is a connecting medium for the rear mounting flange and a front bill retainer flange  28 . Its depth also provides an enclosed sanctuary for the containment of folded sports cap bodies. The front bill retainer flange  28  is molded at a 90 degree angle to the inside of the sidewall  32  and opposes the rear mounting flange. A row of 14 bill retainer slots, notch&#39;s, grooves, furrows  30  are milled into the front bill retainer flange at an equidistant bill retainer slot interval  36 . The bill retainer slots, presently, are half-circles with a 4.49580 mm radius. The bill retainer slots could be of many various designs, including square, rectangular, triangular, v-shape or differently sized half-circles, etc. The bill retainer slots could also be milled at varying depths to create an additional method of adjusting the degree of bill curvature. A bill retainer end slot interval  38 , the spacing interval as measured from either end of the front bill retainer flange to the nearest bill retainer slot, is calculated as one-half of the bill retainer slot interval. Consequently, when two of these display racks are mounted adjacently end to end, the half-interval spacing causes the bill retainer end slots to match up and maintain the same spacing as the bill retainer slot interval, resulting in a uniform display. Note: the spacing ratio between the bill retainer slot interval and the bill retainer end slot interval is key to the identity and substitution features of the sidewall assembly. The sidewall assemblies of the present embodiment are approximately 91.5 cm in length, 10.5 cm in width, and 4.2 cm in height. It will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art that these dimensions could be changed to accommodate the display of more or fewer caps or to vary the distance between the caps. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates the unique stacking configuration that is created by the design of the main component of this embodiment, the sidewall assembly. The simplicity of this tiered design allows hundreds of the assemblies to meld together eliminating unusable packaging volume. The ability to stack these units in bulk fashion significantly reduces packaging, shipping and storage costs. 
     OPERATION 
     First Embodiment—FIGS.  1 ,  1 A 
     The present embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1  relates to a display device for sports type caps with bills and, more particularly, to a storage and display device which also shapes and maintains the bill curvature of the caps while they are being stored. By retaining the bill at the desired curvature, over time the resilience of the bill is overcome, allowing it to retain a rounded shape for hours. After the wearer takes off the cap, the bill of the cap is typically returned to the display rack for maintenance of the bill&#39;s curvature. 
     Best illustrated by referring to  FIG. 3 , the cap is readied for display and maintenance by collapsing or folding a rearward portion of the cap  44  head cover towards the visor into the forward cap head cover portion, thus fully exposing the crown indicia for display. Now, keeping the cap in a somewhat level position, simply place the rear portion of the folded cap  44  to the rear of the display rack, against a rear mounting surface  34  between the two mounted sidewall assemblies  20 A. The front of the crown should be facing upright and the top of the bill should be in a convex position. Snap one side of a cap bill edge  42  into a bill retainer slot  30  of one sidewall assembly at the desired height. Then, at the same level, snap the opposite side of the cap bill edge into the corresponding bill retainer slot of the other sidewall assembly. The friction of the rear mounting surface, coupled with the clamping effect of the bill retainer slots on the brim of the cap, provide a method to secure the cap in a precise, uniform, manner which displays the crown indicia for observation and the bill for shaping the curvature. Each cap may be removed or inserted with minimal disturbance to the adjacent caps. 
     Each rack in the present embodiment holds 14 caps. Multiple racks can be mounted side by side and/or vertically adjacent, end to end, to provide an attractive display for a multiplicity of caps. In a clustered formation or as a separate unit, the display racks are barely noticeable due to the transparency of the acrylic. The main focus is drawn to the uniform display of the hat collection. 
     There are two main components of this embodiment. Both are sidewall assemblies  20 A,  FIG. 1 , identical in design and molded of 3 mm clear acrylic sheet. One sidewall assembly is inverted longitudinally 180 degrees to the other sidewall assembly and they are both mounted parallel to each other and at the same height. They comprise the display rack and contain the folded body of the caps within. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , rear mounting flanges  26  provide mounting surfaces for the sidewall assemblies which are coupled to another desirable rear mounting surface  34  using appropriate fasteners  24 , through apertures  22  in each flange or by other available attachment methods. Before mounting, the sidewall assemblies should be properly spaced in width to produce the desired curvature of the cap bills resulting from the bill shaping process. This feature provides a highly adjustable range of cap bill curvatures which I have found to be lacking in the present arts. The front bill retainer flange  28  encompasses  14  bill retainer slots  30  in the present embodiment, a mechanism devised to anchor and retain the cap bills for the display and shaping of the bill curvature. Bill retainer slot intervals  36  maintain a uniform separation between the cap bills so that the crown indicia is presented for observation. Bill retainer end slot interval  38 , measured from either end of the front bill retainer flange to the nearest bill retainer slot, calculates to be one half of the bill retainer slot interval. If two racks are butted up against each other end to end, the bill retainer slots on each end will be adjacent. Due to the half-interval spacing, the bill retainer slots on each end maintain the same equidistant interval as the remaining bill retainer slots, resulting in a uniform display. The sidewall  32  for each sidewall assembly is a connecting medium for the front bill retainer flange  28  and the rear mounting flange  26 . Its depth also provides an enclosed sanctuary for the storage of the folded sports cap bodies. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Second Embodiment—FIG.  2   
       FIG. 2  shows an isometric view of the second embodiment of a “Transparent Sports Cap Display Rack and Adjustable Bill Shaper”. This embodiment is a two piece display rack consisting of a pair of identical sidewall assemblies  20 B, each having an invaginated rear mounting flange  40  in relation to the rear mounting flange of the first embodiment. 
     OPERATION 
     Second Embodiment—FIG.  2   
     The invaginated rear mounting flange is molded at a 90 degree angle to the inside of the sidewall  32  and opposing the rear mounting flange of the first embodiment. The advantage is that the flange is hidden when the display has a full occupancy of caps. Multiple display racks can also be mounted side by side, eliminating any gap between the display racks. The disadvantage is a loss of efficiency in the packaging and shipping process. 
     CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
     Thus, the reader will see that at least one embodiment of the Transparent Sports Cap Display Rack and Adjustable Bill Shaper has immense fashion appeal due to its simplistic design. It has broad flexibility in bill shaping curvatures and is very efficient in terms of packaging, shipping and storage requirements. This design can be mass-produced at a relatively low cost. 
     While my above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope, but rather as an exemplification of one [or several] embodiments(s) thereof. Many other variations are possible with regard to material and/or dimensional variations. It will be obvious to anyone with ordinary skills in the art that Lexan, Plexiglas, other synthetics, metal, wood, or paper products could be substituted for the acrylic sheet presently used for this structure. Other transparencies such as smoked, tinted, colored or frosted acrylic are optional alternatives. Thicknesses of the acrylic sheet could be altered to reduce production costs or to change the rigidity of the display rack. An extrusion process could be used in lieu of acrylic sheet. Obviously, the dimensions could be varied to modify the capacity of the rack or to change the interval between the individual caps&#39; display. Also, the design of the bill retainer slots could be changed to squares, rectangles, triangles, v-shaped etc., as a method to anchor the cap&#39;s bills. The bill retainer slots could also be milled at varying depths to create an additional method of adjusting the degree of bill curvature. 
     Accordingly, the scope should not be determined by the embodiment(s) illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.