Patent Publication Number: US-7581261-B2

Title: Headgear with size accommodation in the front

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is directed to headgear with a variable head size capability, and more specifically to headgear, such as a cap, hat, or sun-visor, that has a fitted appearance, that has the advantage of maintaining a crown shape and that provides a fitted appearance while wearing, while also being capable of accommodating wearers having a range of head sizes, which is accomplished by providing size accommodation in the front of the headgear with a front piece that inclines toward a center of the crown. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Generally, there are 3 types of caps in the market: fixed size caps, caps with size adjusting devices and free size caps with stretchable gores and a stretchable sweatband. Fixed-size caps fit only one size of the head of the wearer. Since individual size caps must be made, the cost of producing the caps is high and the resultant costs associated with shipping and storage are also high. This results in increased costs needed to meet the customer&#39;s needs. For example, manufacturers typically manufacture a large number of caps for each size and retailers typically stock several lots of caps for each size. On the other hand, size adjustable caps with size adjusting devices typically do not provide wearers with an exact fit and when adjustment is improper, wrinkles are caused in the cap and the shape of cap degrades. Free size caps, which fit a number of head sizes without an adjustment mechanism, usually include a crown portion that includes a stretchable multi-gore shell, a visor portion projecting from the crown and a sweatband connected to the lower peripheral edge of the crown portion. In such free size caps, at least one of the gores of the crown is made of stretchable fabric and the caps include a stretchable sweatband extending along the circumferential direction of the cap so that it is capable of custom fitting all wearers within a predetermined range of head sizes. However, such free size caps lack the ability to support and maintain a predetermined shape of the crown and they suffer from distortion due to the elastic yarn contained in the fabric of the crown and/or sweatband. In addition, the stretchability of the sweatband in the front portion is not as high as that of the sweatband in the rear part due to the stiff visor. 
   What is needed is a cap that fits a number of head sizes, like a free size cap, but will support and maintain a crown shape so that the crown is not distorted. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a cap that fits a number of head sizes, and supports and maintains a crown shape so that the crown is not distorted. 
   It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a fitted cap that fits a number of head sizes. 
   It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a cap that allows costs of manufacturing, distribution and storage to be reduced. 
   It is an additional object of the present invention to improve stretchability of the cap in the front. 
   The above aspects can be attained by headgear of the billed cap type where a two piece headband is provided for the cap attached along a bottom peripheral edge on the inside of a cap crown. The headband includes a stretchable part located in a front portion of the cap associated with the bill or sun visor and a non-stretchable portion located in the rear. The stretchable part is stretched and attached to the crown in tension along a lower edge, allowing the upper edge of the headband to relax and incline toward the interior of the crown. This relaxed upper edge is ready to stretch to fit a varying head size while the cap crown is not distorted by any stretching of the headband. The range of head sizes that can be accommodated by the cap can be increased by providing an elastic visor that is also attached to the cap crown along the bottom peripheral edge of the crown. The visor is attached to the crown producing an extended portion that extends into the crown and inclines toward the interior of the crown. The visor adds to the range of head sizes accommodated by the headband. The extended portion of the visor can be attached directly to the rear part of the headband substituting for the elastic front part. 
   These together with other aspects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates major component of a cap according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the two-piece sweatband component of the cap according to the present invention with additional detail. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  depict features of a typical cap. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  depict additional features of the cap of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  depict another embodiment of the present invention where the visor is elastic and extends into an interior of the cap. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates the two-piece sweatband component of the cap according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention is directed to a fitted style cap  10  with multi-size features as depicted in  FIG. 1 . The cap  10  includes crown portion  12  for being worn on a head of a wearer, and a visor, bill or sunshield  14  connected to the crown portion  10 . As depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the crown includes a number of gores  16 - 26 . Each of the gores  16 - 26  can be made of a stretchable or non-stretchable fabric. The crown  10  may have a fixed size. The cap  10  also includes a headband or sweatband  28  attached inside the cap  10  along a lower peripheral edge of the crown  12  as shown generally by a dashed line in  FIG. 1  and shown in two parts in  FIG. 2 . 
   As noted above the sweatband  28  is preferably of a two-part construction where the sweatband has a front part  30  and a rear part  32 . The cap of  FIG. 2  shows the front part  30  extending circumferentially around the edge of the gores  16  of the crown portion  10  and preferably defined by the edges of the visor  14  and the bottom edges of the gores  16 . It is possible for the front part to extend beyond the edges of the visor  14  and extend past not only gores  16  and  26  but also gores  18  and  24  (see  FIG. 9 ). The front part  30  of the sweatband  28  connected to the visor portion of the crown is made of a stretchable fabric, preferably stretchable along a length of the headband  28  where sweatband material that is uni-axially as well as bi-axially stretchable can be used. The rear part  32  of the sweatband  28  is preferably made of a fabric that is essentially not stretchable. 
   A typical sweatband  52  for a cap crown  54 , as depicted in  FIG. 3 , is attached or sewn to the crown  54  along a bottom edge and sometimes sewn to an inside folded part of the crown  54 . This results in a generally straight stitching or sewing line  56  along the bottom of the sweatband  52  as depicted in  FIG. 4 . The sweatband  52  when looked at from inside the cap has a generally straight appearance in that the length along the top edge of the sweatband  52  is the same as the length along the bottom edge. This allows the width of the sweatband  52  to generally extended upward inside the crown  54  generally parallel with a sidewall  56  of the crown  54  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   In the present invention, when the front part  30  of the sweatband  28  is attached to the crown  12 , as depicted in  FIG. 5 , the lower part  62  of the front part  30  of the sweatband  28  is stretched in a circumferential direction of the crown  12  and sewn to the crown  12  generally along the bottom peripheral edge of the front of the crown  12 . This stretching and sewing along the bottom edge fixes the length of the front part  30  along the bottom peripheral edge of the crown  12  in a condition of stretched tension but allows the length along the top edge of the sweatband  28  to relax or not be in tension giving the front part  30  a somewhat curved appearance as depicted in  FIG. 6 . The top edge of the front part  30  is generally at least in less tension than the bottom edge. This stretching of the bottom edge and contraction of the top edge causes the upper part  64  of the headband  28  to incline toward the center of the crown  12  (see  FIG. 5 ). This inclined angle  66  formed between the front part  30  of the sweatband  28  and a sidewall  68  of the crown  12 , allowing the top edge of the sweatband to relax along with the stretchability of the front part  30 , makes the cap accommodate various head sizes. The relaxed upper edge of the sweatband  28  is ready to stretch to fit various head sizes. 
   In another preferred embodiment of this invention as depicted in  FIG. 7 , the cap  10  has an elastic visor  80  having a bill  82  and an integral extended visor portion  84 . The extended portion  84  has an exterior edge  86  attached to the crown  12  inside the crown  12  along the bottom peripheral edge of the crown  12  and an interior edge  88  of the extended portion  84  that extends toward the interior of the crown  12 . Because the elastic visor  80  is sewn inside the crown (before the headband  28  is attached to the crown  12 ), the extended portion  84  of the visor  80  is caused to incline toward the interior of the crown  12 . Therefore, elasticity of the extended visor portion  84  helps the sweatband  28  incline toward the interior of the crown  12  so that it increases fitted feeling to the wearers. For example, when the cap  10  is worn by a wearer with a bigger head size, the extended visor portion  84  and sweatband  28  would be in positions denoted by (a) in the  FIG. 7  and the extended visor portion  84  adds more elasticity onto the stretchable front part of the sweatband  28  and gives fitted feeling to the wearers. On the other hand, when the cap  10  is worn by a wearer with a smaller size head, the extended visor portion  84  and sweatband  28  would be in relative positions denoted by (b) in  FIG. 7  and the extended visor portion  84  helps sweatband  28  maintain the inclined position and gives an improved fitted feeling to the wearers. 
   In a further embodiment as depicted in the cutaway view of  FIG. 8 , the extended portion  84  of the elastic visor  82  along the edges (see edge  86 ) is attached directly to the rear part  32  of the headband  28  so that the sweatband in the front part is not necessary. That is, the extended portion  84  substitutes for the elastic sweatband. The extended portion  84  inclines toward the center of the crown  12  allowing the extended portion  84  of the elastic visor  82  to stretch to accommodate a range of head sizes. 
   In accordance with the present invention, the size adjustment function or capability of the cap  10  comes from the front part  30  of the sweatband  28  and/or the extended portion  84  of the visor unlike other free size caps that have the stretchability in rear part of the crown or sweatband. 
   A very important feature of present invention is that the cap has the advantage of a fitted cap to give the custom fitted appearance and also has the advantage of the free size cap to cover several head sizes. 
   The present invention has been described with respect to a cap having a crown. The invention can also be included in a visor, a hat with circumferential brim, etc. 
   The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.