Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a new and improved form of protective headwear that incorporates a shield composed of a strong, durable mesh material that protects the wearer from cuts, scratches, scrapes, and other injuries to the face, eyes, and/or neck. An embodiment of the present invention comprises an article of headwear having a shield securely or releasably attached to a portion of the headwear with the shield shaped and sized such that it covers a substantial portion of the wearer&#39;s face and/or neck.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 61,567,974 having a filing date of Dec. 7, 2011, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    [Not Applicable] 
       MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE 
       [0003]    [Not Applicable] 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    This invention relates to headwear that is useful in protecting a wearer from cuts, scratches, scrapes, and/or other injuries to the face, eyes, and/or neck. 
         [0005]    There are some jobs and activities that expose a person&#39;s face and neck to conditions where they are susceptible to cuts, scratches, scrapes, and/or other injuries. A prime example of such a job or activity is detasseling. 
         [0006]    Detasseling is the act of removing the pollen-producing flowers (i.e., tassels) from the tops of corn plants in order to facilitate cross-breeding, or hybridization. Detasseling is often done by workers that must walk through the fields and remove the tassels by hand. While walking through the fields workers are often subjected to sharp leaves and other portions of corn plants and other plants in the fields. If these leaves are allowed to make contact with a worker&#39;s skin they are likely to cause cuts, scratches, scrapes, and/or other injuries. For this reason, it is recommended (and sometimes mandatory) for workers to wear protective clothing such as long pants, long sleeve shirts, gloves, safety glasses, and hats. However, even with all of this protection, workers&#39; faces, necks, and eyes are often left exposed to injury. 
         [0007]    Previous attempts have been made to reduce the risk of sustaining these types of injuries. For example, nets have been used and even incorporated into various types of headwear in order to provide protection to the face, neck, and eyes. However, due to the flimsy nature of the prior art shielding, they are often ineffective in preventing sharp leaves from making contact with the wearer&#39;s skin and causing injury. Additionally, nets are very susceptible to wear and tear that can create gaps in protection, and therefore, prior art nets require frequent replacement. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention is directed to a new and improved form of protective headwear that incorporates a shield composed of a strong, durable mesh material that protects the wearer from cuts, scratches, scrapes, and other injuries to the face, eyes, and/or neck. 
         [0009]    An embodiment of the present invention comprises an article of headwear having a shield securely or releasably attached to a portion of the headwear with the shield shaped and sized such that it covers a substantial portion of the wearer&#39;s face and/or neck. 
         [0010]    Many types of headwear may be used including, but not limited to, baseball caps, boonies, bowlers, bucket hats, hard hats, panama hats, planter&#39;s hats, sombreros, Stetsons, and trucker hats. Preferably, the article of headwear used will have either a bill or a brim to facilitate attachment of the face shield to the headwear. However, a bill or brim is not necessary. 
         [0011]    The shield is composed of a durable and flexible mesh material. The material should be sufficiently rigid to prevent sharp objects from penetrating the shield and making contact with the wearer&#39;s skin. The material should also be capable of being molded and shaped to fit various forms of headwear. For example, an acceptable material is PVC-coated fiberglass. 
         [0012]    The shield comprises a mesh lattice. The geometry of the mesh lattice will determine the amount of protection and visibility provided by the shield. For example, the shield may comprise a rectangular mesh lattice measuring approximately eighteen (18) vertical divisions per inch by approximately sixteen (16) horizontal divisions per inch. Of course, more or fewer divisions could be used, to achieve the desired visibility and protection levels. The mesh lattice may have a border that runs around at least a portion of the circumference of the mesh lattice. 
         [0013]    The shield is securely or releasably attached to the headwear. The shield may be attached to any portion of the headwear that positions the shield such that it covers the face and/or neck of the wearer. For example, the shield may be attached to a portion of the brim (or bill, depending on the type of headwear used) of the headwear. As another example, the shield may be attached to a portion of the brim (or bill) and/or a portion of the crown of the headwear. The shield may be attached around the entire circumference of the headwear or only a portion of the circumference. 
         [0014]    An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a face shield that is molded and/or shaped so that the face shield may be attached to a standard article of headwear such that the face shield covers a substantial portion of the wearer&#39;s face and/or neck. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS, 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cap embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a top view plan of the cap embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the cap embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a right side elevation view of the cap embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a boonie embodiment. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of the boonie embodiment. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a right side elevation view of the boonie embodiment. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a visor embodiment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a front elevation view of the visor embodiment. 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a right side elevation view of the visor embodiment. 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a face shield embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    The subject matter of this disclosure will now be described more fully, and one or more embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are examples of the invention, which has the full scope indicated in the language of the claims. 
         [0027]    In  FIGS. 1-4 , one embodiment of the present invention is shown as protective headwear apparatus  20 . Headwear apparatus  20  is comprised of a standard baseball-style cap  22  with a shield  24  attached thereto. 
         [0028]    The cap  22  is comprised of a crown  26  and a bill  28 . The bill  28  has a top surface  30 , a bottom surface  32 , and an edge  34 . The crown  26  has an outer surface  36 , an inner surface  37 , and a base  38 . 
         [0029]    The shield  24  is comprised of a mesh lattice  40  and an optional border  42 . The mesh lattice  40  may be composed of various geometries including, but not limited to, rhombic, square, hexagonal, rectangular, or oblique. The geometry of the mesh lattice  40  will determine the amount of protection and visibility that the shield  24  provides. For example, the mesh lattice  40  may take the form of a rectangular mesh lattice measuring approximately eighteen (18) vertical divisions per inch by sixteen (16) horizontal divisions per inch. 
         [0030]    The shield  24  is composed of a hard, mesh material that is capable of being molded and/or shaped. For example, the shield  24  may be composed of PVC-coated fiberglass. 
         [0031]    The shield  24  is attached to at least a portion of the cap  22  such that the shield  24  is positioned to protect the wearer&#39;s face and neck. As seen in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , the shield  24  may be attached to a portion of the bill  28  and a portion of the base  38  of the crown  26 . However, multiple points of attachment are contemplated. For example, the shield  24  may be attached to one or more of the following including, but not limited to, a portion of the top surface  30  of the bill  28 , a portion of the edge  34  of the bill  28 , a portion of the bottom surface  32  of the bill  28 , a portion of the outer surface  36  of the crown  26 , and/or a portion of the base  38  of the crown  26  (on either the inside surface  37  and/or outside surface  38 ). 
         [0032]    As seen in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , the shield  24  may extend around only a portion of the circumference of the cap  22  including the bill  28  and at least a portion of the crown  26 . However, depending on the amount of protection desired, the shield  24  may alternatively extend around the entire circumference of the cap  22 . 
         [0033]    The shield  24  may be either securely or releasably attached to the cap  22 . Types of secure attachment include, but are not limited to, gluing, sewing, and/or stapling. Types of releasable attachment include, but are not limited to, buttoning, clipping, tying, and/or hook-and-loop fastening, e.g., Velcro. 
         [0034]    The dimensions and geometry of the shield  24  may vary and will depend in part on the type of headwear used (e.g., cap  22 ) and the points of attachment to the headwear. As seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  4 , the shield  24  may be molded and/or shaped around the wearer&#39;s face and neck. The shield  24  may also take many other forms including, but not limited to, forms that include portions that are flat/planar, cylindrical, conical, and/or generally trace the contour of the wearer&#39;s face and/or neck. 
         [0035]    As seen in  FIG. 4 , the height  44  of the shield  24  is the vertical distance from the point of attachment to the cap  22  to the bottom edge  46  of the shield  24 . The height  44  may vary depending on the point of attachment it is measured from. However, if the height  44  exceeds a certain point, the headwear apparatus  20  will reduce the range of motion of the wearer&#39;s neck and head because the bottom edge  46  will come in contact with the wearer&#39;s chest, shoulders, neck, and/or back. Depending on the points of attachment and the size of the wearer, the preferred height  44  may be approximately twelve (12) inches. Preferably, on a cap  22  as shown in  FIG. 4 , the shield  24  has a height  44  that measures between about nine (9) and eleven (11) inches, and the length of the portion of the shield  24  attached to the cap  22  measures between about twenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23) inches. 
         [0036]    In  FIGS. 5-7 , another embodiment of the present invention is shown as protective headwear apparatus  60 . Headwear apparatus  60  is comprised of a standard boonie  62  with a shield  24  attached thereto. 
         [0037]    The boonie  62  is comprised of a crown  64  and a brim  66 . The brim  66  has a top surface  70 , a bottom surface  72 , and an edge  74 . The crown  64  has a base  68 . 
         [0038]    The shield  24  is attached to at least a portion of the boonie  62  such that the shield  24  is positioned to protect the wearer&#39;s face and neck. As seen in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the shield  24  may be attached to a portion of the brim  66 . However, multiple points of attachment are contemplated. For example, the shield  24  may be attached to one or more of the following including, but not limited to, a portion of the top surface  70  of the brim  66 , a portion of the bottom surface  72  of the brim  66 , a portion of the edge  74  of the brim  66 , and/or a portion of the base  68  along the inner surface of the crown  64 . Preferably, on a boonie  62  as shown in  FIG. 5 , the shield  24  has a height that measures between about nine (9) and eleven (11) inches from the point of attachment to the boonie  62 , and the length of the portion of the shield  24  attached to the boonie  62  measures between about twenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23) inches. 
         [0039]    In  FIGS. 8-10 , another embodiment of the present invention is shown as protective headwear apparatus  80 . Headwear apparatus  80  is comprised of a standard visor  82  with a shield  24  attached thereto. 
         [0040]    The visor  82  is comprised of a partial crown  84  and a bill  86 . The bill  86  has a top surface  88 , a bottom surface  90 , and an edge  92 . The partial crown  84  has an outer surface  94  and an inner surface  96 . 
         [0041]    The shield  24  is attached to at least a portion of the visor  82  such that the shield  24  is positioned to protect the wearer&#39;s face and neck. As seen in  FIGS. 8 and 10 , the shield  24  may be attached to a portion of the bill  86  and a portion of the outer surface  94  of the partial crown  84 . However multiple points of attachment are contemplated. For example, the shield  24  may be attached to one or more of the following including, but not limited to, a portion of the top surface  88  of the bill  86 , a portion of the bottom surface  90  of the bill  86 , a portion of the edge  92  of the bill  86 , a portion of the outer surface  94  of the partial crown  84 , and/or a portion of the inner surface  96  of the partial crown  84 . Preferably, on a visor  82  as shown in  FIG. 8 , the shield  24  has a height that measures between about nine (9) and eleven (11) inches from the point of attachment to the visor  82 , and the length of the portion of the shield  24  attached to the visor  82  measures between about twenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23) inches. 
         [0042]    Other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced by attaching the shield  24  to various other types of headwear. Types of headwear that may be used include, but are not limited to, baseball caps, boonies, bowlers, bucket hats, hard hats, panama hats, planter&#39;s hats, sombreros, Stetsons, and trucker hats. Preferably, the headwear used will have either a bill or a brim to facilitate attachment of the shield  24  to the headwear. However, a bill or brim is not necessary. 
         [0043]    In  FIG. 11 , another embodiment of the present invention is shown as face shield  110 . Face shield  110  is comprised of a mesh lattice  112  having an outer surface  114 , an inner surface  116 , and an edge  118 . The face shield  110  may also have a border  120  that runs around at least a portion of the edge  118  of the mesh lattice  112  on the inner  116  and/or outer  114  surfaces of the mesh lattice  112 . 
         [0044]    The face shield  110  is composed of a durable and flexible mesh material. The material should be sufficiently rigid to prevent sharp objects from penetrating the face shield  110  and making contact with the wearer&#39;s skin. The material should also be capable of being molded and shaped to fit various forms of headwear. For example, an acceptable material is PVC-coated fiberglass. 
         [0045]    Face shield  110  is formed so that at least a portion of the mesh lattice  112  along at least a portion of the edge  118  is capable of being attached to an article of headwear. A means of attachment may be included in the face shield  110  or it may be incorporated at a later time when the face shield  110  is attached to an article of headwear. The face shield  110  may be formed to include a means of attachment that is either secure or releasable. Types of secure attachment include, but are not limited to, gluing, sewing, and/or stapling. Types of releasable attachment include, but are not limited to, buttoning, clipping, tying, and/or hook-and-loop fastening, e.g., Velcro. 
         [0046]    The means of attachment are located either in the mesh lattice  112  itself, or in an optional border  120  that may be included in the face shield  110 . The border  120  may run along the entire edge  118  of the mesh lattice  112  or it may run along only a portion of the edge  118 , e.g., the portion of the edge  118  where the means of attachment will be located. The border  120  may be composed of the same material as the mesh lattice  112 , or alternatively, may be composed of any material that facilitates attachment to an article of headwear including, but not limited to, textiles, leather, polymers, nylon, and/or polyesters. 
         [0047]    The mesh lattice  112  may be composed of various geometries including, but not limited to, rhombic, square, hexagonal, rectangular, or oblique. The geometry of the mesh lattice  112  will determine the amount of protection and visibility that the face shield  110  provides. For example, the mesh lattice  112  may take the form of a rectangular mesh lattice measuring approximately eighteen (18) vertical divisions per inch by sixteen (16) horizontal divisions inch. Of course, more or fewer divisions could be used, to achieve the desired visibility and protection levels. 
         [0048]    The dimensions and geometry of the face shield  110  may vary and will depend in part on the type of headwear the face shield  110  is made to be attached to. The face shield  110  may be molded and/or shaped around the wearer&#39;s face and neck. The face shield  110  may also take many other forms including, but not limited to, forms that include portions that are flat/planar, cylindrical, conical, and/or generally trace the contour of the wearer&#39;s face and/or neck. 
         [0049]    The height  122  of the face shield  110  is the vertical distance from the portion of the edge  118  that is formed to be attached to an article of headwear to the portion of the edge  118  that extends directly below it. The preferred height  122  is up to approximately 12 inches, but could be greater. The width  124  of the face shield  110  is the length of the portion of the edge  118  that is formed to be attached to an article of headwear. Preferably, the dimensions of the face shield  110  would be approximately nine (9) to eleven (11) inches in height and approximately twenty-two (22) to twenty-three (23) inches in width. 
         [0050]    Although specific embodiments have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only. The words used are words of description rather than of limitation. It is to be understood that changes and variations can be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments can be interchanged either in whole or in part. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the specific versions contained herein.