Abstract:
An adjustable scarf having two or more layers of fringed fabric enclosing a drawstring running lengthwise from end to end. The drawstring protrudes from the scarf near the scarf&#39;s midpoint and at the ends. By pulling the drawstring at the scarf&#39;s midpoint and locking the drawstring with the provided cord lock, the scarf is readily converted to a pom-pom for use at sporting events and the like.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable. 
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable. 
       MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not Applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0006]    This invention relates to fashion apparel and accessories, and more particularly to fabric scarves worn to warm the wearer and convertible to a pom-pom configuration for use in cheering and at sporting events. 
         [0007]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0008]    In prior times, scarves have been fitted with draw strings for the purpose of fitting to the wearer&#39;s head or neck more securely. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,115 issued on Apr. 16, 1991, to Denbow et al., discloses an adjustable scarf in a tubular configuration in which one end of the tubular body may be adjusted by a drawstring. Suitable cord locks are disclosed in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,6095 issued on May 11, 1982, to V. James Hutchison, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,673 issued on Jan. 3, 1989, to Mitsuhiro Yamaguchi. The subject matter of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this disclosure. 
         [0009]    The prior art also includes scarves having decorative fringes in colors associated with sports teams. U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2005/0125878 discloses a scarf having a pom-pom at each end in which the pom-poms may be decorated with the colors of a team. Such a scarf has the disadvantage that the pom-pom characteristic is limited to a small area at the ends and the scarf as a whole does not convert to a configuration that functions as a pom-pom. 
         [0010]    Colorful pom-poms have long been used to enhance cheering by cheerleading squads as well as by sports fans. The prior art includes pom-poms that must be held by a handle, such as the pom-pom disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,313 to Herkimer. A disadvantage of such pom-poms must be actively grasped by a person&#39;s hand while in use or being carried from place to place. It is also known to provide pom-poms in which the strips of material comprising the body of the pom-pom may be recessed into the handle for storage and ease in transporting the pom-pom, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,535 to Young. A disadvantage of these pom-poms is that the colorful, decorative aspects of the pom-pom are lost when the pom-pom is reconfigured for storage or transport. 
         [0011]    The present invention overcomes the limitations of prior art in that the entire length of the pom-pom scarf is fringed by strips cut into the edges of the fabric making up the body of the scarf and the entire scarf converts from an elongated scarf configuration to a condensed pom-pom configuration by action of a drawstring. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    It is an object of this invention to provide a scarf that is colorful and pleasing to the eye, warms the wearer when worn as a scarf, and that is capable of converting to a pom-pom configuration by a simple, easy adjustment. 
         [0013]    It is a further object to provide a scarf that is adjustable to the wearer&#39;s desired length. 
         [0014]    It is a further object to provide a pom-pom that may be held securely in a person&#39;s hand by grasping the loop of a draw string. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pom-pom scarf, showing the scarf in its elongated form while being worn about a person&#39;s neck and shoulders; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the scarf of  FIG. 1  as viewed from one end of the scarf; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a partial view of the scarf of  FIG. 1  showing the portion of the scarf where the drawstring protrudes from the drawstring seam; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the scarf of  FIG. 1  showing the scarf in a compressed pom-pom configuration; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the scarf of  FIG. 1  showing the scarf in a compressed pom-pom configuration with the drawstring extending through each end cord stop. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    The invention is a pom-pom scarf having the capability to convert from an elongated scarf suitable for wearing about a person&#39;s neck or waist into a compact, pom-pom configuration suitable for use in organized cheering and dance routines as well as more generally by fans at sporting events. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the scarf  1  in its elongated configuration may be worn on the neck and shoulders. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the scarf  1  is constructed of a plurality of layers of fabric  10 . Preferably either three or four layers of fabric  10  are used, but as few as two and as many as seven or more layers  10  may be used depending on the thickness and other characteristics of the fabric used. The number of layers selected will frequently depend on how many different colors a particular school or team uses in its uniforms. For example, if a team uses red, white, and blue as its colors, a three layer  10  scarf may be constructed with one layer  10  of each color. The fabric for each layer  10  may be chosen from a wide variety of known cloths and other materials preferably having the characteristics of softness, warmth retention, and bright colors. The term “fabric” is used in a broad sense and is not limited to cloths or woven materials. Certain other materials may also be used as the fabric from which the layers are constructed. For example, papers, plastics, vinyl, and leather, whether natural or synthetic. The preferred embodiment employs soft, warm, colorful cloth fabric, however, for scarves intended primarily for ornamental or decorative use, the softness and warmth are less important and the visual effect of the strips is the more important feature. 
         [0022]    Each layer  10  consists of an elongated, substantially rectangular piece of fabric. In the preferred embodiment, each layer  10  is approximately 54-60 inches long by approximately 6 inches wide. When constructed with paper or plastic fabrics, it is desirable to each layer  10  measure 12-18 inches in width. If desired, the layer  10  selected to be positioned on top of the others may be embroidered or printed with a name or logo prior to further assembly. The fabric layers  10  are positioned one on top of another so that the outer edges of each are substantially aligned as shown in  FIG. 2 . The top layer  10   a  has a reinforced hole  14  cut through the layer  10   a , preferably constructed like a button hole commonly found on shirts, although other suitable reinforcements may be used. One or more holes  14  may be employed in the scarf  1 , however, in the simplest embodiment having one hole  14 , the hole  14  is preferably placed near the center of the scarf  1 , approximately 27-30″ from each end and 3″ from each side. In a scarf  1  constructed with two or more holes  14 , the holes would be placed an equal distance apart along the scarf. For example, in a scarf  1  with two holes  14 , the holes  14  would be spaced approximately 18-20″ apart and each would be approximately 18-20″ from the end of the scarf  1  nearest to that hole  14 . A drawstring  16  is comprised of any suitable string or cord and is approximately 4-6″ longer than the scarf  1 . 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the drawstring  16  extends the length of the scarf  1  and protrudes out each hole  14  as shown. Between the hole  14  and the cord stop  18 , the drawstring  16  passes through a cord lock  20 . The cord lock  20  may be of any suitable type, such as those described in the U.S. patents to Hutchison and Yamaguchi referenced above. The drawstring  16  is held in place by cord stops  18  that are attached to the drawstring  16  at each end of the scarf  1  and at each hole  14 , as shown. The cord stops  18  may be any small object of sufficient size to prevent the drawstring from pulling through the hole  14  or the channel formed by the body of the scarf and the drawstring seam  12 . As shown in  FIGS. 2-5 , a plastic ring approximately one inch in diameter may be used. 
         [0024]    The scarf  1  may be most efficiently constructed by stitching the layers  10  together along the entire length approximately one-half inch from the center of the width of the scarf  1 . The drawstring  16  may then be placed between the layers  10  near the center of the width of the scarf  1  and the layers again stitched together on the opposite side of the string from the first stitch, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         [0025]    After the layers  10  are secured together by the stitching just described, and the drawstring  16  is secured by attachment of the cord lock  20  and cord stops  18 , strips  22  are cut into the layers  10  substantially perpendicular to the length of the scarf, as shown in  FIG. 3 . For best results, all layers  10  should be cut at the same time. Each strip  22  should be approximately one-half inch in width and should extend from the edge of the scarf  1  to approximately one-quarter inch from the seam  12 . Strips  22  are cut on both sides of the scarf and along the entire length of the scarf as shown in the figures. 
         [0026]    The scarf  1  may be converted to a pom-pom configuration by pulling the drawstring  16  through the hole  14 . As the drawstring is pulled, the ends of the scarf are pulled toward the center of the scarf, compressing the scarf into a shorter length. When the cord is pulled to its farthest extent, the scarf takes the shape of a pom-pom. When locked in this position with the cord lock  20 , the scarf  1  and in particular the strips  22  along the edge of the scarf  1  retains the appearance of a hand held pom-pom as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . An advantage of using rings for cord stops  18  is that the drawstring  16  may be passed through the two cord stops  18  at the ends of the scarf  1  and form a loop in the drawstring  16  serving both to hold the pom-pom scarf  1  in a more compact shape and to provide a handle that may be wrapped around a person&#39;s hand. 
         [0027]    Another benefit of the invention is that it provides the wearer a scarf that may be adjusted to a desired length. This is beneficial in that a shorter, more compact scarf provides added warmth around the wearer&#39;s neck by reducing draft due to the increased surface area of the scarf in a shorter amount of space around the neck. There is no need to make multiple wraps around the neck as with fixed-length scarves. 
         [0028]    In an alternative embodiment, one may use a small, spring-loaded cord reel for retracting the drawstring  18  when the scarf  1  is in the pom-pom configuration. Such spring-loaded cord reels are known in the art, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,485 issued Sep. 25, 2001, to Edward J. Hollowed, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this disclosure. 
         [0029]    Various modifications, substitutions, and changes may be made in the structure and embodiments shown without departing from the concept of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the terminology of the following claims and the legal equivalents thereof.