Abstract:
The present invention relates to a cap with emblems that are removable and interchangeable including a related system as well as a sleeve for fitting over a portion of a cap with emblems that are removable and interchangeable.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a cap which utilizes corresponding cooperating members to allow one or more emblems to be detachably affixed to the visor or crown of the cap, or to a separate member corresponding to the visor and/or crown of the cap. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Headwear in the form of caps, commonly having a crown and a visor, including visors with a truncated crown, are popular throughout the world and are commonly worn as a fashion accessory. With respect to the present application, all such headwear will be referred to as a “cap” or “caps”. Thus, it is understood that the term “cap” as used herein can encompass any head covering or hat which has a crown portion and a visor or brim portion, including, but not limited to what are commonly known as visors, cowboy hats, fedoras, bucket hats, newsboy caps, panama hats and porkpie hats. 
         [0003]    Caps are often sold with insignias affixed to the crown as well as stickers affixed to the visor which identify the manufacturer, size or authenticity of the cap. Traditionally, these insignias are intended to be permanently affixed to the crown, such as by stitching, and the stickers are removably attached using an adhesive so that the stickers can be removed before the cap is worn for the first time. Recently, a trend has emerged to keep the stickers affixed to the visor of the cap even while the cap is worn. However, it is common for the stickers to lose their adhesion after a period of time and fall off the visor of the cap. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,144 describes a baseball cap having pile material on the crown and visor with corresponding logos equipped with hook fastener material. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,963 describes a baseball cap with magnets adhesively attached or embedded at specific locations in the material of the cap with corresponding magnetic emblems. However, the caps of the prior art lack the improvements disclosed herein. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, a need exists for an improved cap which utilizes cooperating members, such as magnets or hook and loop fasteners, to allow one or more emblems to be detachably affixed to the cap at user-determinable locations. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention is directed generally to a cap comprising a crown portion and a visor portion, the visor portion comprising a top side and a bottom side, wherein the crown portion, the visor portion or both comprise a first component of cooperating members to permit removable attachment of a cooperating emblem comprising the second component of the cooperating members. More particularly, the present invention contemplates embodiments wherein the top side of the visor, the bottom side of the visor or both comprise the first component of the cooperating members with or without the crown comprising the first component of cooperating members. 
         [0007]    The first component of the cooperating members may be affixed to the outside face of the visor portion or crown portion, such as in embodiments where the cooperating members are hook and loop fasteners, or may be embedded within the visor portion or crown portion, such as in embodiments where the cooperating members are magnets/magnetic material. 
         [0008]    Additionally, the first component of the cooperating members may be integrally formed with the crown portion and/or visor portions of the cap or may be separately formed and placed on the cap. In embodiments wherein the first component of the cooperating members is separately formed, it is preferred that a sleeve or cover comprises the first component of the cooperating members, wherein the sleeve or cover is sized to fit over or around the crown portion, visor portion or both. The sleeve is preferably connected to the cap by any known mechanical device or merely by a friction fit. 
         [0009]    The cap of the present invention can be used in connection with an emblem comprising a front side and a back side wherein the back side of the emblem comprises the second component of the cooperating members. The front side of the emblem may contain any sort of embellishment or design including logos, artwork, corporate names, trademarks, university names, and the like. For purposes of this application, the term “emblem” is intended to include all types of insignia, patches, stickers, pins or other items that may be or are commonly attached to a cap. 
         [0010]    The present invention also provides for a system for detachably affixing an emblem to a cap comprising (1) a cap comprising a crown portion and a visor portion wherein the crown portion, the visor portion or both comprise a first cooperating member; and (2) an emblem comprising a second cooperating member. The emblem of the system has a front side and a back side wherein at least the back side of the emblem comprises the second component of the cooperating members. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The present invention will be better understood when considered in view of the attached drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts. The drawings, however, are presented merely to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention without limiting the invention in any manner whatsoever. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of the cap of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the cap of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the sleeve or cover which fits over the visor of the cap of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    The present invention comprises a cap  10  comprising a crown portion  11  and a visor portion  12  wherein the crown portion  11 , the visor portion  12  or both comprise a first component  13  of cooperating members. Cooperating members suitable for use with the present invention include hoop and loop fasteners, magnets/magnetic material, snaps, clips, buttons, ties and the like. 
         [0016]    In a preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the cap  10  is formed of a crown portion  11  and a visor portion  12 , where the crown portion  11  has an outer crown  11   a  and an outer crown  11   b  and the visor portion  12  has a visor top  12   a  and a visor bottom  12   b.  The present invention most preferably contemplates that at least the visor bottom  12   b  comprises a first component  13  of cooperating members. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the visor top  12   a  may also comprise the first component  13  of the cooperating members. The first component  13  of the cooperating members may also be associated with all or a portion of the outer crown  11   a  and/or inner crown  11   b  of the crown portion  11 . 
         [0017]    Generally, the crown portion  11  of a cap  10  is composed of 4 or 6 panels attached together by stitching or adhesive. Thus, the first component  13  of the cooperating members may comprise one or more panels of the crown portion  11  in embodiments where the cap  10  is composed of a plurality of panels. 
         [0018]    In one preferred embodiment, where the first component  13  is associated with a portion of the cap  10 , the first component  13  may be formed from a single sheet or from multiple pieces of the first component  13  material arranged together so as to be substantially the size and shape of a visor, crown and/or crown panel. Therefore, the first component  13 , whether from a single sheet or from multiple pieces, should be associated with substantially all of the visor top  12   a,  substantially all of the visor bottom  12   b,  and/or substantially all of one or more sections of the crown portion  11 . For example, in embodiments where the first component  13  of the cooperating members only covers the visor bottom  12   b,  all or substantially all of the total surface area of the visor bottom  12   b  should comprise the first component  13 . 
         [0019]    The visor portion  12  may be constructed of any material suitable for a visor, including but not limited to cardboard or plastic. The crown portion  11  may be constructed of any material suitable for a crown, including but not limited to cardboard, plastic, batting, nylon, polyester, mesh and the like. 
         [0020]    The first component  13  of the cooperating member is preferably unitarily formed with the visor top  12   a  and/or visor bottom  12   b  or both, as well with the outer crown  11   a  and/or inner crown  11   b  or both (including one or more panels of the crown portion  11 ), by stitching, adhesive or any other method of permanently affixing known cooperating member materials. 
         [0021]    In a preferred embodiment, the cooperating members used on the crown portion  11  and/or visor portion  12  are hook and loop fasteners associated with the surfaces of the visor top  12   a  and/or visor bottom  12   b  or both, and/or with the outer crown  11   a  and/or inner crown  11   b  or both including one or more panels thereof. In this embodiment, it is understood that the first component  13  of the cooperating members may be either the hook member or the loop member, however, the loop member is preferred. 
         [0022]    In another preferred embodiment, the cooperating members  13  are magnets or a magnet and a material attracted by magnets. Similarly, it is understood that the first component  13  may be either the magnet or the material attracted by magnets. The magnet can be any ferromagnetic material, including but not limited to, ferrite, alnico or neodymium. In a preferred embodiment, the magnet is a flexible magnet, of the type commonly used as refrigerator magnets. A flexible magnet allows for the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11  of the cap  10  to be bent or rounded without breaking the magnet. When the cooperating members are magnets or a magnet and a material attracted by a magnet, the visor portion  12  or crown portion  11  may optionally, but not necessarily, comprise a textile layer  16  which covers the first component  13  of the cooperating members. 
         [0023]    In embodiments of the invention employing a textile layer  16 , the first component  13  and the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11  can be held together by the textile layer  16  without the need for adhesive or stitching, although stitching the textile layer and the first component  13  is preferred. The textile layer  16  can be any material suitable for the exposed surface of the cap  10 , as long as the material permits the first component to sufficiently engage the second component of the cooperating members  13 , including but not limited to cotton, wool, nylon, polyester, vinyl, leather, synthetic leather, suede and combinations thereof. 
         [0024]    In an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention, as in  FIG. 2 , the first component  13  can be used as the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11 , e.g., the visor portion  12  and the first component  13  are one in the same, such that the first component  13  takes the place of the plastic or cardboard typically used in cap visors. Thus, for example, in embodiments where the first component  13  is used as a visor  12 , the first component  13  is sized and shaped so as to be substantially the size and shape of a visor. The first component  13  in this embodiment should be both of sufficient flexibility to be bent or rounded without breaking, but of sufficient rigidity to maintain the shape of the visor  12  or crown  11  without sagging or drooping. A preferred first component  13  for this embodiment is a flexible magnet. 
         [0025]    Given the characteristic of flexible magnets to have one face which is less magnetic than the other face, the first component  13  may also comprise two flexible magnetic substrates attached together on their less magnetic faces, so the more magnetic faces face outwards. The first component  13  in this embodiment may also optionally be covered by a textile layer  16 . 
         [0026]    In a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, as seen in  FIG. 3 , the first component of the  13  cooperating members can be incorporated into a separately formed sleeve or cover  18  which is then slipped over the visor portion  12  (not pictured in  FIG. 4 ). Similarly, a sleeve or cover may also be fashioned to slip over the crown portion  11  or a single sleeve or cover may be made to slip over both the visor portion  12  and crown portion  11 . The sleeve  18  is preferably sized and shaped so as to fit snugly over the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11  such that the sleeve  18  is maintained on the cap  10 . The sleeve  18  comprises a first component  13  of cooperating members, such as those set forth above. In a preferred embodiment, the cooperating members of the sleeve  18  are similarly a hook and loop fastener system, magnets or a magnet and a material attracted by magnets. 
         [0027]    The sleeve  18  may optionally comprise a substrate  19  to which the first component  13  is affixed by stitching or adhesive. The substrate  19  should fit snugly over the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11 . In a preferred embodiment, the substrate  19  is an elastomeric material, such as spandex, rubber, latex or neoprene, such that the substrate  19  forms to the shape, and clings to, the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11  when fitted over and around the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11 . 
         [0028]    Alternatively, the sleeve  18  can be held in place on the cap  10  by friction between the substrate  19  and the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11 . Magnets, hook and loop fasteners, adhesives, snaps, clips, buttons, ties or pins may additionally be used to keep the sleeve or cover  18  held in place on the cap  10  and are preferred if no substrate  19  is employed. Furthermore, in embodiments wherein the first component  13  is a magnet, the attractive force between the magnets can be utilized to hold the sleeve or cover  18  in place on the cap  10 . 
         [0029]    The cap  10  of the present invention is used in connection with one or more emblems  14  having a front side and a back side wherein at least the back side of the emblem  14  comprises the second component  15  of the cooperating members so that the emblem  14  can be detachably affixed to the visor portion  12  and/or crown portion  11  of the cap  10 . The second component  15  of the cooperating members is selected to correspond to the first component  13 . For example, in embodiments of the present invention where the first component  13  is the loop member of a hook and loop fastener system, the second component  15  would be the hook member, or vice versa. Additionally, in embodiments where the first component  13  is a magnet, the second component  15  should be another magnet or a material attracted by magnets, or vice versa. 
         [0030]    The present invention also provides a system for detachably affixing an emblem  14  to a cap  10  comprising (1) a cap  10  having a crown portion  11  and a visor portion  12  wherein the crown portion  11 , the visor portion  12  or both comprise a first component  13  of cooperating members; and (2) an emblem  14  comprising a second component  15  of the cooperating members. The emblem  14  of the system has a front side and a back side wherein at least the back side of the emblem  14  comprises the second component  15  of the cooperating members. Of course, the front side of the emblem  14  can include the second component  15 , especially when the cooperating members are magnets, to allow the emblem  14  to have indicia on both sides or to hide the indicia on one side if desired. 
         [0031]    In keeping, one or more emblems  14  can be placed anywhere on the cap  10  with a cooperating member for attaching the emblem  14 , preferably including the visor bottom  12   b  alone or in addition to the visor top  12   a,  the outer cap  11   a  and/or the inner cap  11   b.  This permits the user to removably attach the emblem(s)  14  to various parts of the cap  10 , including on the inner crown  11   b  for storage if the user does not want to display a particular emblem  14 . 
         [0032]    Variations, modifications and alterations to the above detailed description will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, different portions of the cap  10  may utilize different cooperating members. All such variations, modifications and/or alternatives are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention, limited only by the claims. All cited patents and publications are hereby incorporated by reference.