Patent Publication Number: US-8973166-B1

Title: Edging for brim of cap or visor

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to baseball-style caps and sun visors and, more particularly, to an edging that can be placed on the edge of the brim of the cap and visor to change their appearance and to repair the brim of the cap or visor. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Baseball caps and visors are very popular. They are not only a functional item in many sports activities to protect a wearer&#39;s eyes from sunlight, and for team identification, and they are also regular wearing apparel for persons in all walks of life. Such caps and visors are functional in sports, may be purely ornamental, may have names, information of all types, and advertising thereon on either the top or front edge of the brim or on the main portion of the cap. Girls wear such caps and visors for ornamental and fashion purposes with desired colors and patterns thereon. Small items of jewelry, pins, badges and other paraphenalia are often mounted on either the brim or on the main portion of the cap. With such personal modifications such caps and visors have become personal fashion statements or personal identity items. 
     For some individuals changing the appearance of a baseball cap or visor for decorative, fashion changes or other reasons is very important. Fashionable and desirable baseball caps and visors have become moderately expensive so the need exists to be able to repair and/or to change their appearance in an inexpensive manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a novel edging attachment that is added onto the brim of a baseball type cap or a brimmed visor. The edging attachment is available in many physical configurations, colors and patterns that permit a person to easily change the appearance of the cap or visor. Names, advertisement and other information of many kinds may be printed on or pressed into the top or front edge of the edging attachment. The dimensions and overall shape of the edging attachment may be varied to provide sufficient space for such names, advertisement and information of many kinds. The top portion of the edging attachment may have a portion that extends over the top of a cap or visor brim and provides additional space on which to display words, pictures and color patterns. 
     The novel edging attachment may be also used to repair the brim of a cap or visor. Over time, with much use, the peripheral edge of the brim of a cap or visor will become worn, dirty and ragged. A person may not want to give up a favorite cap or visor but, instead, want to repair the damages or worn peripheral edge. The novel edging attachment permits this to be done in an inexpensive manner. 
     The novel edging attachment is shaped so that it is easily mounted on the edge of the brim of a cap or visor and is reliably held thereon by friction fit. There is a slit along and through the side of the edging attachment that has a flared opening to enable the brim of a cap or visor to more easily enter through the slot into the interior of the attachment when mounting the attachment to a brim. The width of the spacing along the side of the attachment is less than the width of a brim so the flared opening is forcibly spread open when the edging attachment is mounted on the brim of a hat. This forcibly spreading creates a spring force that holds the edging attachment securely to the brim of the cap or visor. 
     In addition, the novel edging attachment is manufactured such that it can easily be cut to mount on different size cap or visor brims. The brim of some caps and visors extend further from a wearer&#39;s head than other caps and visors. Cutting guide marks are provided on the ends of the edging attachment to assist a person in cutting the attachment so that wording that is meant to be in the middle of the cap or visor will be so positioned after cutting and mounting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood upon reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the drawing in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a three dimensional view showing a baseball type cap with a piece of novel attachment edging about to attached thereto; 
         FIG. 2  is a three dimensional view showing a baseball type cap with a piece of novel attachment edging already attached thereto; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a baseball type cap with a piece of novel attachment edging already attached thereto; 
         FIG. 4  is a side cross section view of the novel edging attachment about to be mounted on the tip of the brim of a cap or visor; 
         FIG. 5  is a side cross section view of the novel edging attachment touching the tip of a brim of a cap or visor so that the interference fit is seen; 
         FIG. 6  is a side cross section view of the novel edging attachment mounted on the tip of a brim of a cap or visor with the interference fit causing a reliable mounting thereon; 
         FIG. 7  is a three dimensional view showing a baseball type cap with a piece of novel attachment edging attached thereto where the edging has an extended area over the top of the brim of a cap for greater display purposes; and 
         FIGS. 8 through 10  show an alternative embodiment of the invention where the attachment edging has a pointed barb on its inside lip that assists holding the edging on the brim of a cap. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In  FIG. 1  is shown a three dimensional view of a baseball type cap  11  having an extending brim  12 . An edging attachment  14  that utilizes the teaching of the invention, and having a slit  15  to its interior, is moved in the direction of arrow A1 until brim  12  is inserted into and is retained inside attachment  14  as is better shown in and described with reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 . The front edge of attachment  14  is rounded as shown. The dotted line is only an aid in understanding the shape of attachment  14 . 
     Shown on the top of both ends of edging attachment  14  in  FIG. 1  are a series of lines  19 . These lines  19  are cutting guides that are used when edging attachment  14  is cut to fit the brim of a cap  11 . Caps  11  and visors (not shown) have brims that extend different distances from the portion of the cap  11  that sits on a person&#39;s head. Edging attachment  14  comes long enough to fit any size brim  12 . When fitting edging attachment  14  to a cap  11  a person places attachment  14  on top of brim  12  and determines how much to cut off either end of attachment  14 . They then cut to a particular line  19  on either side and fit attachment  14  to brim  12  as described further in this Detailed Description with reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 . Only three dotted cutting guide lines  19  are shown in  FIG. 1  but there may be more. Cutting guide lines  19  are not shown in  FIG. 2  for the sake of simplicity. The main purpose for trimming the ends of edging attachment  14  equal amounts is that any words, numbers etc. (not shown) on the top or front edge of attachment  14  and exactly in the middle thereof will still be in the middle after attachment  14  is fitted to cap  11  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     In  FIG. 2  is shown a three dimensional view of a cap  11  having an edging attachment  14  mounted thereon after it has been cut to a desired length. The finer details of how attachment  14  is attached to and is held on brim  14  are shown in and described with reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 . 
     In  FIG. 3  is shown a side view of cap  11  with an edging attachment  14  attached to brim  12 . The details of how it is attached and is held thereon are shown in and described with reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 . 
     In  FIG. 4  is shown an enlarged cross sectional, cutaway view of edging attachment  14  and a cross sectional view of a portion of a cap brim  12  as attachment  14  is being moved in the direction of arrow A2 to be attached to the edge  13  brim  12 . This cutaway view is used because it best shows how edging attachment  14  is attached to the edge of brim  12 .  FIG. 5  shows edging attachment  14  as it first comes into contact with the outer edge  13  of brim  12  as it is being mounted thereon.  FIG. 6  shows edging attachment  14  as it is seated fully onto brim  12 . 
     As seen in the enlarged cross sectional view of  FIG. 4  edging attachment  14  has a slit  20  through its side and along its entire length. The edges  16  of attachment  14  along slit  20  are flared as shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6  so there is a distance D3 between the inner edge of the tips of the flared edges  16 . Brim  12  of cap  11  has a thickness D1. The distance D3 is greater than the distance D1 so tip  13  of brim  12  can easily start to enter slit  20  as shown in  FIG. 5  before encountering any resistance during mounting. 
     There is a distance D2 between the inner surface of flared edges  16  of attachment  14  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Distance D2 is less than distance D1 so that brim  12  of hat  11  cannot slide easily into space  15  inside edging attachment  14  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     In  FIG. 5  edging attachment  14  has moved in the direct of arrow A2 ( FIG. 4 ) far enough so that tip  13  of brim  12  comes into contact at point  18  with the inner surface  17  of flared edges  16  of attachment  14  as shown. This occurs because distance D1 is greater than distance D2 ( FIG. 4 ). As edging attachment  14  is pushed further onto brim  12  tip  13  of brim  12  forces flared edges  16  outward as depicted by arrows A3. Edging attachment  14  is made of a stiff enough plastic or other material so that this can be done without undue force. When flared edges  16  are deformed outward in the direction of arrows A3 a spring force is created which pushes inward against the top and bottom of brim  12  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 6  shows edging attachment  14  fully pushed onto brim  12 . The spring force created by the outward deformation of flared edges  16  pushes against the top and bottom of brim  12  as shown. This occurs because with distance D1 being greater than distance D2 flared edges cannot return to their original, relaxed position. This force is sufficient to keep edging attachment  16  firmly attached onto the edge of brim  12  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     In  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6  edging attachment  14  has a minimal depth on its inside  15 . This is done for simplicity of presentation. This provides a minimal amount of space on the top and bottom of attachment  14  for any words, numbers, pictures, colors, and other decorations etc. However, this depth may be increased to provide more space on the top and bottom of attachment  14  for the words, numbers, pictures, colors, and other decorations etc. The minimal depth of space  15  is acceptable if edging attachment  14  is utilized only to protect or repair tip  13  of brim  12 . The depth will typically be increased for all other purposes. 
     In  FIG. 7  is shown a variant of the novel edging attachment  14 A which has an extension  21  that extends a ways over the top of brim  12  as shown. The additional space on extension  21  permits more words and graphics, larger words and graphics, etc. to be displayed on top of brim  12 . The shape of extension  21  may be changed from that shown in  FIG. 7  and could cover most or all of the top of brim  12 . 
       FIG. 8 through 10  show an alternative embodiment of the invention which is basically the same as the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4 through 6  except for the pointed protrusions or barbs  22  shown on the inside of edging attachment  14  near the flared ends  16 . The position of the barbs  22  can be moved somewhat and still accomplish the same goal of using them to hold edging attachment  14  on the edge of brim  12  even better than just using the previously described spring force alone created by deforming the ends of attachment  14  outward as shown by arrows A3 in  FIG. 9 . Barbs  22  may be discreet individual protrusions or, when edging attachment  14  is manufactured by plastic extrusion techniques, may be continuous pointed protrusions parallel to the top and bottom of the slit through and along the length of brim  12 . 
     Barbs  22  are not equilateral triangle shaped as may be seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Rather, they have a flatter sloped front edge facing the open side slit of edging attachment  14 . Thus, they can relatively easily ride up onto the front edge of brim  12  as edging attachment  14  is being mounted on the brim  12  as previously described. The sloped edge of barbs  22  furthest inside edging attachment  14 , away from the opening, have a relatively steep slope as seen. The exact slopes are not critical. The slopes can be the same to facilitate easier removal of attachment  14  from brim  12 . Once edging attachment  14  is fully mounted on the brim  12  of a hat or visor, such as shown in  FIG. 10 , the tip of barbs  22  bite into the top and bottom of brim  12  a little as shown in  FIG. 10 . This helps prevent inadvertent removal of attachment  14  from brim  12 . While barbs  22  are described herein as being on the top and bottom of brim  12 , this facet of the invention can work with barbs  22  on the top or the bottom of brim  12 . 
     While what has been described herein is the preferred embodiment of the invention those skilled in the art will understand that numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For another example, an extension such as that shown ( 21 ) on top of brim  12  in  FIG. 7  may be provided on the underside of brim  12 .