Abstract:
A novelty sports cap. On the head of the wearer, the cap makes the visual impression of a football helmet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Statement of the Technical Field  
         [0002]     The inventive arrangement relates to a novelty sports cap that particularly relates to the game of football.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Sports fans often wear various forms of clothing to show support for a particular sports team. Some articles of clothing used include t-shirts, jerseys, baseball caps, and shorts that contain distinctive markings associated with a particular sports team.  
         [0005]     In the game of football, many fans wear baseball caps to demonstrate their support. Baseball caps are also practical to wear since they are typically made from a substantially breathable fabric material. Also, baseball caps provide adequate shade protection during sunny days, allowing for improved visibility.  
         [0006]     However, baseball caps, as its name aptly describes, relates to the game of baseball, not football. Baseball players wear these caps as part of their uniform when playing on the field. Football fans, by contrast, do not have an article of headwear that closely resembles football helmet gear, while providing all the comfort advantages of a conventional baseball cap.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The invention concerns a novelty baseball cap. It can include a crown having a generally concave shape including a front section and a back section. The crown can be formed from a fabric material and dimensioned to fit about an upper portion of a person&#39;s head. The invention can also include a semi-rigid bill portion extending from the front section along a portion of a peripheral edge of the concave shape. Furthermore, the novelty baseball cap can also include a modified area defined on a portion of the crown above the bill portion. The modified area can have a peripheral edge defining a simulated profile that corresponds to a helmet profile of a portion of a football helmet face opening.  
         [0008]     At least a portion of a surface that comprises the modified area of the crown can have a contrasting color that is different from a color of a remaining exterior of the crown. The contrasting color can create an illusion of a football helmet interior. According to one alternative, the contrasting color can be black. Further, the surface of the modified area can include a graphic image consisting of a portion of a person&#39;s face. The person&#39;s face can correspond to a region of a football player&#39;s face that is generally visible within the portion of an actual football helmet face opening when positioned on a player&#39;s head.  
         [0009]     The surface of the modified area can also have a texture that is different from an exterior of the crown. According to one alternative, the modified area can be made from a transparent material. In addition, the surface of the modified area can be recessed relative to an exterior surface of the crown. The novelty baseball cap can also define one or more surface discontinuities defined around the edge of the modified area. The surface discontinuity can enhance an illusion that the edge corresponds to a helmet profile of a portion of a football helmet face opening.  
         [0010]     The novelty baseball cap can further comprise one or more guard members attached to the bill portion. The guard member can comprise an elongated, tubular element having a size and shape that can simulate an appearance of a portion of a football helmet face mask. In particular, the guard member can be attached along a peripheral edge of the bill portion. The invention can further comprise one or more flaps extending from a peripheral edge of the crown&#39;s concave shape. The cap can include one or more ear vent portions therein.  
         [0011]     Further aspects and objectives of the invention will be apparent from the claims, the following detailed description and the drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a novelty baseball cap that is useful for understanding the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a second embodiment of a novelty baseball cap that is useful for understanding the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a novelty baseball cap that is useful for understanding the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a fourth embodiment of a novelty baseball cap that is useful for understanding the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of the first embodiment of the novelty baseball cap shown in  FIG. 1  that is useful for understanding the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     The invention concerns a novelty baseball cap that is sized, shaped, textured, and colored to resemble a football helmet. Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , four embodiments of a novelty baseball cap  100 ,  200 ,  300 , and  400  are illustrated that are useful for understanding the inventive arrangements. Note that an element(s) may be shared by more than one embodiment and identical elements will be reflected as such using the same reference number throughout the various embodiments. According to a first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the novelty baseball cap  100  is defined by a crown  101 . The crown  101  can have a generally concave shape that is defined by a front section  102  and a back section  103 . The crown  101  can be formed from a fabric material, preferably one that is breathable and washable. Suitable fabrics include, but are not limited to brushed cotton, cotton twill, washed chino twill, polyester mesh, brushed canvas, wool blend, open-cell polyurethane foam, and other synthetic materials.  
         [0018]     According to  FIG. 5 , the crown  101  can be dimensioned to fit about an upper portion of a person&#39;s head. There are two main ways to dimension the crown to fit about an upper portion of a person&#39;s head: a fitted or an adjustable configuration. In the fitted configuration, a peripheral edge  117  of the concave shape of the crown  101  is fixedly dimensioned to fit a particular size of a person&#39;s upper head. By contrast, the adjustable configuration, shown in  FIG. 5 , includes a mechanism that allows the circumference of the peripheral edge  117  to be widened or narrowed depending on the size of the person&#39;s upper head portion. Typically, an adjustable baseball cap has a half-moon shaped opening  518  at the bottom of back section  103 . A strap  519  made of either fabric or plastic links one end of the opening to the other end of the same opening. Suitable adjustable closures that are commonly known include mating Velcro straps, buckle/strap, D-ring/T-slide/strap buckle, and plastic snap closures.  
         [0019]     The novelty baseball cap  100  includes a semi-rigid bill portion  104  that extends from the front section  102 , along a portion of a peripheral edge  105  of the crown  101 . Typically, the bill portion of a baseball cap is semi-rigid due to it being constructed of material such as cardboard or plastic that is covered with fabric material. However, other embodiments of the bill portion are possible. For example, the bill portion  104  can be made of a plastic material that is not covered with fabric material. If the bill portion  104  is made of uncovered plastic, the plastic material of the bill portion  104  may be translucent, tinted, or solidly colored. The bill portion  104  should be substantially planar or slightly curved. Both crown  101  and bill portion  104  can be formed of a fabric material, preferably one that is breathable and washable. Suitable fabrics include, but are not limited to brushed cotton, cotton twill, washed chino twill, polyester mesh, brushed canvas, wool blend, open-cell polyurethane foam, and other synthetic materials.  
         [0020]     In addition, the baseball cap  100  can include a modified area  106  that is defined on a portion of the crown  101  above the bill portion  104 . The modified area  106  has a peripheral edge  107  defining a simulated profile that corresponds to a helmet profile of a portion of a football helmet face opening. The modified area  106  can be substantially rectangular in shape, preferably with chamfered edges at the top right and top left corners of the modified area  106 . The modified area wraps around the front section  102  of the crown  101 . The modified area  106  should also be dimensioned such that it simulates the helmet profile of the portion of the football helmet face opening. The bottom peripheral edge of the modified area  106  borders on the portion of the peripheral edge  105  of the crown  101  from which the semi-rigid bill portion  104  extends.  
         [0021]     According to one aspect of the invention, an exterior surface portion  116  of the modified area  106  can have a contrasting color that is different from a color of an exterior surface  108  of the crown  101 . The exterior surface  108  of the crown  101  is defined as those portions of the crown  101  (excluding ear vent portions  115 , discussed later) that are disposed outside of the modified area  106 . This contrast of colors between the modified area  106  and the exterior surface  108  of the crown  101  is advantageously selected so that the modified area  106  creates an illusion of a football helmet interior. For example, the contrasting color of the modified area can be black to simulate a dark helmet interior. However, black is not the only color that can be used to contrast the modified area  106  from the exterior surface  108  of the crown  101 . Rather, any combination of colors may be used provided that the contrast creates an illusion of a helmet interior.  
         [0022]     Alternatively or in addition to the contrasting colors described herein, there are a myriad of possible graphic images that can be used in the modified area  106  to enhance the illusion of a helmet interior. A graphic image  209  can consist of a portion of a person&#39;s face as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In particular, the portion of the person&#39;s face can correspond to a region of a football player&#39;s face that would generally be visible within a corresponding portion of an actual football helmet face opening when a helmet is positioned on a player&#39;s head. Further, the face image need not be an ordinary human face. Instead a stylized or mascot face could also be used. Besides face images, other graphic images  209  can also be placed within the modified area  106 , such as a sports team&#39;s logo. According to two embodiments of the novelty baseball cap  300  and  400  illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , respectively, the modified area  106  may consist of a substantially transparent material.  
         [0023]     Contrasting color and graphics is not the only manner in which to create an illusion of a football helmet interior. If fabrics are used, the modified area  106  may have a different fabric texture that is different from the exterior surface  108  of the crown  101 . There are numerous examples of fabric textures, which include, but are not limited to shiny, matte, smooth, rough, weaved, and lined textures. According to another alternative illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the modified area  106  can be recessed somewhat relative to the exterior surface  108  of the crown  101 . This recess can define a peripheral edge  107  that corresponds to the helmet profile of the portion of the football helmet face opening. Referring to  FIG. 4 , another alternative means for enhancing the illusion is to dispose one or more surface discontinuities  410  around the peripheral edge  107  of the modified area  106 . Such surface discontinuities  410  help to enhance the illusion that the peripheral edge  107  corresponds to the helmet profile of a portion of a football helmet face opening. One example of surface discontinuities can include stitching that delineates the modified area  106  from the exterior surface  108  of the crown  101 . Other kinds of discontinuities can include a thin, tubular material, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , which outlines the top and side portions of the modified area  106  to simulate the face opening profile of a football helmet.  
         [0024]     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the novelty baseball cap  100  can further include one or more guard members  111 . According to one aspect of the invention, the guard member(s)  111  can be attached to the bill portion  104 . For example, the guard member  111  can be attached along a bill peripheral edge  412  of the bill portion  104 . According to one alternative shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the guard member  111  can be defined by an elongated and substantially tubular element that is sized, shaped, and colored to simulate the appearance of a portion of a football helmet face mask. As another alternative shown in  FIG. 4 , the guard member  111  may be delineated by shading the bill peripheral edge  412  with a color that is different from the color on the remaining portion  413  of the bill.  
         [0025]     Additional simulated guard members can also be added to enhance the illusion of a football helmet. For example, additional tubular elements can be interconnected to simulate different face mask configurations. Face mask configurations largely depend on what type of facial protection is desired for a player position. Examples include, but are not limited to Oral Protection Only (OPO), Jaw/Oral Protection (JOP), Nose/Oral Protection (NOP), Nose/Jaw/Oral Protection (NJOP), and Eye Glass/Oral (EGOP).  FIG. 3 , for example, shows this interconnection of tubular elements to simulate an OPO face mask configuration. As shown in  FIG. 3 , a portion of the guard member  111  is attached to the bill portion  104 . In addition, portions of the guard member  111  may also be attached substantially adjacent to the peripheral edge  107  of the modified area  106 . One or more conventional face mask fasteners  320  may be used to fasten portions of the tubular elements that are disposed on the front section  102  of the cap  300 . To provide a more realistic football helmet simulation, a chinstrap  321  may be attached to flap portions  114  (to be discussed in more detail).  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , each of the novelty baseball cap embodiments  100 ,  200 ,  300 , and  400  can further include one or more flaps  114  that extend from a peripheral edge  117  of the concave shape defining the crown  101 . To maintain the overall appearance of a football helmet, the flaps  114  should be preferentially made from the same fabric material used for the crown  101 . According to one alternative shown in  FIG. 2 , the flaps  114  may be made of a rigid or semi-rigid plastic material such that the flaps curve inward in a concave pattern, simulating an actual football helmet. The plastic material can have an outer covering that matches the exterior of the crown  101 . The flaps may be sewn attached to the crown  101 . Alternatively, the crown  101  and flaps  114  can be formed of a seamless continuous fabric material. Suitable fabrics include, but are not limited to brushed cotton, cotton twill, washed chino twill, polyester mesh, brushed canvas, wool blend, open-cell polyurethane foam, and other synthetic materials.  
         [0027]     One or more ear vent portions  115  can be disposed on the crown  101 , preferably located on the flap  114 . The ear vent portion  115  can be sized, shaped, bored, or colored to simulate the earhole of an actual football helmet. For example, in  FIG. 1 , the ear vent portion  115  has been shaded with a colored fabric material to contrast with the rest of the exterior surface  108  of the crown  101 . By contrast,  FIG. 3  defines the ear vent portion  115  by a hole that is made through the flap  114 . Further still,  FIG. 4  defines the ear vent portion  115  by piece of transparent material. By no means are the illustrated ear vent portion alternatives exhaustive. The ear vent portion  115  may be comprised of a fabric material that is recessed relative to the exterior surface of the flap  114 . In another example, the ear vent portion  115  may simply be defined by a surface discontinuity that is disposed circularly or polygonally to give the appearance of an actual football helmet earhole.  
         [0028]     While the specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.