Patent Publication Number: US-2007107113-A1

Title: Karate cap

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates to caps worn on the head and, more specifically, to caps that also may be used as a karate weapon.  
      2. Prior Art  
      Caps of the general type utilized by this invention are well known and widely used. Some of the existing caps, commonly referred to a baseball caps, have a button covered with cloth and attached to the top center point of the cap. Such a button is essentially ornamental and is comparatively small and thin.  
      The use of an article of clothing as a weapon has previously been taught in the McKenna Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,902 issued on Nov. 28, 1978. McKenna, however, does not involve a cap but rather relates to a belt. The belt has a chain section between two strap sections. At the end of one strap section is a buckle. By winding the section without a buckle about the hand, the buckle section can be whipped against an assailant causing obvious injury. If the belt is worn loose, free of belt loops, quick deployment might be possible. However, if held within belt loops, ready deployment would be virtually impossible.  
     OBJECTS  
      The objects of this invention are to provide as follows: 
          1. A readily accessible karate weapon that is virtually undectable.     2. A cap that serves both as a cap as well a karate weapon.     3. A karate weapon that is economical.     4. A karate weapon that is dependable.     5. A karate weapon that can not be readily used by an assailant against the one wearing the karate cap.        

      These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intented advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjuction with the accompanying drawings.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A Karate Cap for use as both a head cover and as a defense weapon is provided. Such a Karate Cap has a visor and a crown. The crown has an outside surface and an outer edge and has a center point. The visor is secured to a portion of the crown along the outer edge of the crown. An impact disk, which is circular and formed from a hard dense material, has a diameter of at least three quarters of an inch and has a thickness of at least three sixteenths of an inch. An outer disk cover is located over the impact disk and is secured to the outside surface of the crown. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of the cap showing the visor and the crown of the cap with an cipact disk at the centerpoint of the crown.  
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  showing the impact disk secured to the top of the crown of the cap.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMERALS  
     
       
         
           
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 NUMERAL 
                 DESCRIPTION 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 11 
                 Visor 
               
               
                 13 
                 Crown 
               
               
                 15 
                 Impact Disk 
               
               
                 17 
                 Center point 
               
               
                 19 
                 Outer Edge 
               
               
                 21 
                 Inside Surface 
               
               
                 23 
                 Outside Surface 
               
               
                 25 
                 Crown Sections 
               
               
                 27 
                 Crown Section Seams 
               
               
                 29 
                 Outer Disk Cover 
               
               
                 31 
                 Inner Disk Cover 
               
               
                 33 
                 Cushion 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the Karate Cap is shown and, as with other caps, in general, has a visor  11  and a crown  13 . In addition, the Karate Cap has an impact disk  15  at the center point  17  of the crown  13 .  
      The visor  11 , as is well known, extends from the crown  13 . The visor  11  has an outer edge  19  extending around it from the crown  13 . The visor  11  is securely sewn to the crown  13  at the outer edge  19 . The crown  13  has an inside surface  21  which is directed toward the head of a wearer and is opposite from an outside surface  23  which is exposed to the weather. The crown  13  is dome-shaped and extends from the center point  17  to the outer edge  19 . The outer edge  19  is generally circular. The crown  13  is made from a flexible material usually a strong cloth. The crown  13  is usually formed from crown sections  25 . The crown sections  25  are sewn along crown section seams  27  which extend from the outer edge  19  to the center point  17  of the crown  13 . The crown sections  25  when sewn together form the crown  13 . The need for strongly sewn crown section seams  27  is particularly important with the Karate Cap as compared to a regular cap. Strong crown section seams  27  are necessary to provide body to the Karate Cap when used as a karate weapon.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the impact disk  15  is shown. The impact disk  15 , which is circular, is located on the outside surface  27  of the crown  13  at the center point  17  of the crown  13  where the crown sections  25  come together at the center point. Substantially, the center of the impact disk  15  is located on the center point  17  of the crown  13 . An outer disk cover  29 , which is also preferably circular, is placed over the impact disk  15  on the side of the impact disk  15  opposite from the crown  13 . The outer disk cover  29  is sewn to the crown  13  about the periphery or outside edge of the outer disk cover  29  securely to hold the outer disk cover  29  to the crown  13 . Beneath the impact disk  15  and on the inside surface  21  of the crown  13  is an inner disk cover  31 . The inner disk cover  31  is located against the head of anyone wearing the Karate Cap. The inner disk cover  31 , which also is preferably circular, is sewn about its periphery to the crown  13 .  
      Between the inner disk cover  31  and the inside surface  21  of the crown  13  is a cushion  33  to provide added material between the impact disk  15  and the inner disk cover  31 . Thus, added material prevents some one wearing the Karate Cap on their head from inadvertently striking their head and inadvertently causing discomfort with the impact disk  15  when placing the Karate Cap on their head. The outer disk cover  29 , the cushion  33 , are all preferably circular and of a substantially similar size and are all sewn together onto the crown  13 .  
      The impact disk  15  is crucial to the sucessful operation of the Karate Cap. Preferably, the impact disk  15  is substantially one inch in diameter and one quarter inch thick. More generally, the impact disk  15  is in the range of three quarters of an inch to an inch and a quarter in diameter and with a thickness in the range of three sixteenths of an inch to five sixteenths of an inch. These ranges provide a discreet appearance and adequate bulk to inflict sufficient discomfort to an assailant.  
      The material from which the impact disk is made can vary. It must be a hard material that does not break on impact. Rattan and Oak are suitable. A laminated impact disk is also a practical solution. Metals, such as aluminum, also are suitable either alone or as one part of a laminate.  
      Use of a Karate Cap is simple. When the assailant&#39;s hand or wrists are exposed, the Karate Cap is whipped off the head. The Karate Cap is held by the visor. The outside surface  23  of the Karate Cap and the impact disk  15  is forcefully struck preferably against the wrist and, in the alternative against the hand. The impact disk  15  causes a sharp disabling pain which stops the assailant for a sufficient time for the person wearing the Karate Cap to escape.  
      It is understood that the drawings and the descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illuistrative of the prinjciples of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit or the invention or the scope of the appended claims.