Patent Publication Number: US-2021177082-A1

Title: Eyewear Accommodating Hat

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/947,279 filed on Dec. 12, 2019. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an eyewear-accommodating hat and, more particularly, to a ball cap or other headwear having a pair of receptacles for receiving respective temples or earpieces of a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses to support such eyewear on the hat. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     People who wear ball caps often use the bill and crown of the hat to prop up and temporarily hold their sunglasses or eyeglasses. This is an especially common practice of persons engaged in various outdoor activities, such as baseball, golf, hunting, fishing and beach going. Assorted caps and other forms of hats and headwear have been developed for accommodating and supporting eyeglasses and sunglasses. These known products exhibit a number of disadvantages. 
     Certain conventional hats employ storage pockets or compartments having closures for storing and retrieving items such as eyewear therein. For example, see Potochnik, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,287 and Stogner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,070. Depositing glasses into and retrieving glasses from these caps can be tedious, awkward and time consuming. The storage compartment must be accessed along a bottom edge or inside the crown of the headwear. The cap must first be removed, the storage compartment closure opened and/or closed, and the glasses deposited or retrieved, as needed. These caps are certainly not optimally convenient for storing and holding glasses during vigorous outdoor activities. 
     Alternative caps, such as those shown by Viggiano, U.S. Pat. No. 671,885, Yurevich, US Pub. 2015/0351478 and Totani, U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,495 disclose caps with slots or receptacles formed in the crown of the cap for receiving respective temples and earpieces of the glasses. Such products are aesthetically unattractive, as clearly visible holes are permanently exposed in the sides of each cap. Moreover, storing the eyewear in the cap can be quite uncomfortable for the wearer. In Viggiano and Totani the earpieces and temples of the glasses rest directly against the sides of the wearer&#39;s head. In Yurevich, the temples of the eyewear must be inserted precisely and in only one direction into a pair of very small pockets within the cap. As a result, Yurevich permits the eyeglasses to be supported in one way only, with the lenses resting upright on the bill of the cap. That reference does not permit the glasses to be repositioned in any other manner (i.e. upside down, at the back of the crown, etc.) 
     Still other known hats employ a wide variety of exterior attachments for supporting a pair of glasses on the hat. Such attachments again tend to be fairly unattractive and interfere with the overall aesthetic appearance of the cap or other headwear. Moreover, eyewear supporting attachments typically have to be fastened onto or otherwise installed in the hat. Such items can become easily detached, lost or misplaced. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cap or hat that is designed for conveniently, comfortably, and attractively supporting eyewear such as eyeglasses and sunglasses on a wearer&#39;s head. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses to be quickly, conveniently, and securely attached to and supported on the hat while the wearer is engaged in a wide variety of sports and other outdoor activities. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that supports a wearer&#39;s eyeglasses or sunglasses comfortably on the wearer&#39;s head and which eliminates irritation and discomfort to the wearer&#39;s head from glasses supported thereon. 
     It, is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat in the form of a ballcap featuring an attractive aesthetic appearance that is virtually the same regardless of whether or not a pair of glasses are being supported on the hat. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating cap that allows the user to quickly, effectively and securely support the earpieces and temples of a pair of glasses on the cap without having to look and/or feel for receptacles in the cap and without having to access and open a closure of an interior storage pocket. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows a user to instantaneously and reliably position and support a pair of glasses on a cap without having to remove the cap and without having to access an awkwardly placed storage pocket. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows a user to instantaneously and easily retrieve stored eyewear from a cap without having to remove the cap or access a storage pocket therein. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that utilizes a frictionally enhanced receptacle material for more securely gripping the temples and earpieces of a pair of glasses such that the glasses are held more securely on the hat, even during the course of vigorous physical activities. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat, that allows a pair of glasses to be securely supported on the hat in, any of a variety of positions including facing both forwardly and rearwardly on the cap and oriented either right-side up or upside, down. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows a stored pair of glasses to be quickly and conveniently accessed without having to remove the hat and retrieve the glasses from a previously closed compartment. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat that allows the temples and earpieces of a pair of glasses to be positioned and oriented at various different angles relative to the crown of the hat so that the eyeglasses may be held in a manner desired by the wearer and further so that the eyeglasses remain securely supported by the hat during vigorous physical activity. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an eyewear-accommodating hat featuring spacious side compartments that allow the temples and earpieces of a supported pair of glasses to be better positionally adjusted within the receptacles while continuing to securely support the eyeglasses on the hat. 
     This invention features an eyewear-accommodating hat including a crown portion defined by a plurality of interconnected panel sections including forward and rearward panel sections and a pair of opposing side panel sections, each positioned between and secured to respective vertical edges of the forward and rearward panel sections. Each of the forward, rearward panel sections and side panel sections includes one or more flexible fabric pieces having a generally triangular or tapered shape that converges from a relatively wide end at a bottom of the crown to a vertex at the top of the crown. 
     Each side panel section includes a pair of conforming inner and outer flexible fabric sheets. Each outer sheet is superposed on and peripherally secured to a respective underlying inner sheet. Each outer sheet includes a lower edge that is fastened to the lower edge of an underlying inner sheet and a pair of converging vertical edges that are stitched or otherwise secured to respective converging vertical edges of the underlying interior side panel. A portion of each vertical edge of each outer sheet is separated from the corresponding vertical edge of the underlying inner sheet to form forward and rearward entry slots into a receptacle formed between the corresponding inner and outer sheets. The forward and rearward entry slots are disposed closer to the bottom of the crown than to the top thereof. A respective temple and earpiece of a pair of glasses is introduced through each entry slot and into the receptacle formed between a corresponding and interconnected pair of inner and outer side panels. This supports the eyewear on the hat. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the hat includes a bill portion that is secured to the forward panel section of the hat. Each inner sheet of the side panel sections may carry a pad or patch for interengaging a temple or earpiece inserted into the receptacle. The patch provides increased frictional adherence for the inserted eyeglasses so that the eyewear is supported more securely on the hat. The patch also provides further cushioning for the wearer&#39;s head. 
     The crown portion may include a pair of interconnected front panel sheets and a pair of similarly interconnected back panel sheets, each sheet having a triangular shape. The side panel sections may be joined to the front and back panel sections along respective vertical seams. Each outer panel sheet is peripherally secured to a corresponding inner sheet by a respective pair of converging vertical seams, as well as a bottom seam. Each vertical seam interconnecting the inner and outer sheets of a respective side panel section extends for a majority of the distance between the vertex and bottom of the crown portion. A seamless or interrupted gap is formed in each vertical seam between the corresponding inner and outer sheets to define entry slots into the side receptacles of the hat. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects, features and advantages will occur from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a preferred version of the eyewear-accommodating hat in accordance with this invention with a pair of eyeglasses/sunglasses supported right-side up on the front of the cap; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the hat with a pair of glasses supported upside down on the back of the hat; 
         FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of the eyeglass-accommodating hat and particularly depicting a representative side panel section of the hat that is stitched to include front and rear entry slots into the interior receptacle defined by the inner and outer sheets of the side panel section; 
         FIG. 4  is an elevational side view of a ball cap with the outer sheet of the side panel section omitted to depict the eyeglass temple adhering pad secured to the corresponding inner sheet of the side panel section; 
         FIG. 5  is an elevational side view of the hat with the outer side panel sheet superposed over the corresponding inner side panel sheet and with the outer sheet partially lifted to expose the temple-adhering pad carried by the inner sheet; 
         FIG. 6  is a view of the hat as shown in  FIG. 1  with a pair of glasses supported by the hat in an inverted position on the bill of the hat; and 
         FIG. 7  is a view of the hat as shown in  FIG. 2  with a pair of glasses supported in an upright position on the back of the hat. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     There is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  an eyeglass-accommodating hat comprising a baseball style cap  10  for supporting a pair of sunglasses or eyeglasses  12 . It should be understood that glasses  12  can be quickly, conveniently, securely and comfortably accommodated and supported by cap  10  whenever the wearer does not need to use the glasses. This can be during outdoor or indoor (e.g. in the case of sunglasses) activities. Not only does hat  10  enable glasses  12  to be effectively supported by the cap, it permits the wearer to quickly and reliably store his or her glasses when they are not needed and to retrieve the glasses when they are needed. In either case, the wearer does not have to remove his or her cap, fumble about looking for a receptacle in the hat, or open/close a storage pocket closure to store or retrieve the eyewear. 
     It should also be understood that an important aspect of this invention is that the cap presents a very neat, clean and aesthetically attractive appearance whether or not it is supporting an accommodated pair of glasses. Indeed, when the glasses are removed, cap  10  resembles a normal hat or cap of this type, as the eyewear accommodating-receptacles and features of this invention are virtually imperceptible. 
     It should further be understood that cap  10  may be advantageously utilized with or without glasses for a virtually unlimited variety of activities and in many various environments. The cap is beneficial for use in both sporting and leisure activities, as well as in work environments and applications. The particular applications and environments in which cap  10  may be employed are not limitations of this invention. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , cap  10  includes a crown portion  14  that includes a plurality of generally triangular pieces or sheets preferably composed of flexible fabric and assembled in a standard manner (e.g. typically by stitching) to form the crown of the cap. In particular, cap  10  includes front panel section  15  comprising a pair of front panel sheets  16 ,  18  that are stitched together to join along a seam  40 . A back panel section  17  comprises back panel sheets  20  and  22  joined along a seam  34 . A pair of side panel sections  24  and  26  are formed on opposing sides of cap  10  between the front and back panel sections. Each of side panel sections  24  and  26  includes a generally triangular inner fabric sheet  29  and a conformably shaped outer fabric sheet  31  that is superposed on and covers inner panel sheet  29 . In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the outer sheet  31  of each side panel section  24 ,  26  is cut away to reveal underlying inner sheet  29 . The outer sheet is fully removed in  FIG. 4  and partially lifted in  FIG. 5 . As with front panel sheets  16 ,  18  and back panel sheets  20  and  22 , each of the inner and outer sheets  29 ,  31  of side panel sections  24  and  26  includes a generally triangular shape with vertical edges that converge from the bottom  42  to the vertex or top button  44  of crown portion  14 . A standard cap bill  46  is secured in a known manner to the front panel section  15  of crown portion  14 . 
     The conforming inner and outer sheets  29  and  31  of respective side panel sections  24  and  26  are sewn or otherwise secured to one another peripherally and to the adjoining fabric panel sheets  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  of the front and back panel sections, typically by stitching  50 , which is best shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5 . Such stitching is applied in a manner analogous to stitching techniques conventionally used in the assembly of ball caps and similar headwear. Adhesives and other forms of attachment may also be employed within the scope of this invention. The specific manner in which the adjoining vertical edges of corresponding inner and outer sheets  29 ,  31  are stitched in accordance with this invention is described below. 
     Side panel section  24  is secured to sheet  18  of front panel section  15  along a vertical seam  30  that extends from bottom  42  to top  44  of crown portion  14 . Likewise, side panel section  24  is secured to rear panel section  17  along a vertical rearward seam  32 . In a similar manner, opposite side panel section  26  is fastened to sheet  22  of back panel section  17  along a vertical seam  36  ( FIG. 2 ). Stitching  50  is typically formed in a standard manner along each of the adjoining seams  30 - 40  of crown portion  14 , as well as, along the bottom edge  42  of the crown portion. A conventional cap bill  46  is secured in a known manner to the front panel section  15  of crown portion  14 . Ventilation holes  45  are formed through each of the panel sections  15 ,  17 ,  24  and  26 . The inner and outer sheets  29  and  31  are typically stitched together circumferentially around the ventilation holes formed through the side panel sections. 
     A critical aspect of the present invention is the formation of a spacious eyeglass-accommodating receptacle  52  between the corresponding inner and outer sheets  29  and  31  of each side panel section  24 ,  26 . Specifically, that receptacle is defined by the space between the peripherally interconnected and conforming triangular inner and outer sheets  29  and  31 . As best shown in representative side panel section  24  in  FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 , the stitching  50  that interconnects inner and outer sheets  29  and  31  of side panel section  24  extends vertically along only a portion of the length of each of the forward and rearward vertical seams  30  and  32  from top  44  to bottom  42  of crown portion  14 . The vertical stitch pattern that interconnects the inner and outer sheets  29 ,  31  together is then interrupted and discontinued within side panel section  24  along a selected length or gap  54  adjacent each seam  30 ,  32 . See  FIG. 3 . A stitching segment  50 a ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) continues in line with stitching  50  in the folded edge of outer sheet  31  only, in order to provide that edge of outer sheet  31  with a finished appearance along gap  54 . Inner and outer sheets  29 ,  31  are then stitched together at the bottom  42  of crown portion  14 . More particularly, the panel length of a standard baseball-style cap from top button  44  to bottom  42  is approximately  6 . 5 ″, In such embodiments, the outer side panel sheet  31  is stitched (as shown by inner vertical stitch lines  50  within side panel section  24 ) or otherwise fastened to inner sheet  29  to extend downwardly from top  44  for a distance of approximately 4-5″ along each of seams  30  and  32 . Such stitching of inner and outer sheets  29  and  31  is then interrupted or discontinued (see gaps  54  in  FIG. 3 ) for approximately 2″ along seams  30  and  32  to the bottom  42  of the crown portion, where the inner and outer sheets are again stitched or otherwise secured to each other. A similar stitch pattern or other manner of attachment is employed for securing outer sheet  31  to inner sheet  29  in opposite side panel section  26  ( FIG. 2 ). It should also be understood that each inner sheet is stitched continuously along its respective vertical edges to the front and back panel sections along the entire length of each intervening seam  30 ,  32 ,  36  and  38 . 
     Stitching, sewing or otherwise fastening together the conforming inner and outer sheets  29 ,  31  of the side panel section  24  and  26  in the foregoing manner and, more particularly, interrupting or discontinuing the interconnective vertical stitch pattern across each gap  54  effectively defines a finished forward entry slot  58  and a similar rearward entry slot  60  into the receptacle  52  formed between corresponding inner and outer sheets  29  and  31  in each side panel section  24 ,  26 . Entry slots  58 ,  60  allow the temples  62  and ear pieces  64  of glasses  12  comprising the standard pair of elongate supportive frame elements of the eyewear to be freely inserted into and received by the respective receptacles  52  of side panel sections  24  and  26  in the manner shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . It is important that virtually the entire triangular receptacle space between the conforming and interconnected inner and outer sheets of side panel sections  24 ,  26  be largely open and unrestricted so that the temples can be freely oriented within respective receptacles  52  and the glasses  12  adjustably positioned and supported on cap  10  as desired. Stitched ventilation holes  45  formed in side panel sections  24 ,  26  present only a slight possible impediment to adjustment of the glasses within receptacle  52 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  and as further depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an oblong patch or pad  70  may be mounted within each receptacle  52  on the outwardly facing surface of a respective inner sheet  29 . Pad  70  may comprise a synthetic fabric (e.g. vinyl) patch that is stitched or otherwise fastened to each inner panel proximate forward and rearward entry slots  58  and  60 , respectively, of each receptacle  52 . The pad provides frictional adherence for a respective temple  62  and/or earpiece  64  inserted into receptacle  52 . This allows the eyewear to be held more securely onto hat  10 . Pad  70  also provides additional cushioning for the wearer&#39;s head so that the eyeglasses can be supported more comfortably on the hat. 
     In use, the wearer is able to quickly, reliably, securely and comfortably remove his or her glasses and support them on cap  10  whenever he or she desires. Front and rear entry slots  58 ,  60  into receptacles  52  are positioned conveniently proximate lower ends of vertical seams  30 ,  32  and  36 ,  38  respectively and each entry slot is long enough (e.g approximately 2″) so that the user is able to quickly, conveniently and virtually automatically insert the two supportive temples and eyepieces of the glasses through the selected front or back entry slots, as desired, and into the relatively spacious receptacles formed between the inner and outer sheets of the side panel sections. As shown in FIGS.  1  and  2 , the glasses may be inserted through the front entry slots  58  to support the glasses upright on the bill  46  of hat  10 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 2 , glasses  12  may be supported on the back of hat  10  by simply inserting the temples and earpieces of the two supportive frame elements of the glasses into respective receptacles  52  through rearward entry slots  60 . The glasses are then able to be positionally and angularly adjusted as needed due to the spacious nature of the receptacles which extend almost entirely and continuously between the inner and outer sheets extending from the top button  44  to the bottom  42  of crown portion  14 . The glasses may be inserted into either the front entry slots  58  or the rear entry slots and oriented upright or in an upside down or inverted condition. 
     Pads  70  effectively grip respective temples/earpieces of the glasses and provide an effective cushion against the wearer&#39;s head. It is also significant that hat  10  employs an inner panel that extends fully from the top to the bottom of the cap and thereby further insulates the wearer&#39;s head from direct contact with the temples and earpieces of the glasses, even when those components are shifted or adjusted within receptacles  52 . 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate that glasses  12  that may be readily repositioned and supported in alternative orientations on the hat. Specifically, in  FIG. 6 , temples  62  of glasses  12  are inserted into respective front entry slots  58  of receptacles  52  such that the glasses are held upside down on bill  46 . Similarly, the temples are inserted into rearward entry slots  60  of receptacles  52  in  FIG. 7  such that the glasses are upright on the back of the hat.  FIGS. 6 and 7  otherwise employ identical reference numerals to those depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2  respectively. 
     An additional significant benefit of the present invention is achieved by employing side panel sections featuring closely conforming inner and outer panels. The outer panel conforms with and is superposed in close proximity over the outer panel, and the inner and outer sheets are secured together in the above described manner such that the side panel sections visually appear to be virtually identical to the side panel sections employed in conventional caps. Indeed, when glasses are not accommodated by the cap, the differences between the hat of this invention and a standard ball cap are virtually imperceptible. The hat of the present invention presents an aesthetically attractive appearance and does not include awkward, gaudy or otherwise unattractive attachments to the cap for supporting a pair of glasses. The entry slots are formed precisely along the standard vertical seam lines of the cap and are difficult, if not impossible to notice when glasses are not supported on the hat. 
     The hat of this invention may be used to reliably and comfortably support the glasses in any of a known number of positions. The glasses are securely held in place during a wide variety of sporting events and many other vigorous work and leisure activities. Attaching the glasses to and removing the glasses from the hat is easy, quick and convenient. The hat does not have to be removed from and replaced onto the wearer&#39;s head. Snap, Velcro and other types of closures do not have to be opened and reclosed to store the glasses in an interior compartment, and the various problems and disadvantages associated with conventional hats are largely overcome. 
     Accordingly, the present invention relates to an eyeglass-accommodating hat. Although specific features of the invention are shown in some of the drawings and not others, this is for convenience only, as each feature may be combined with any and all of the other features in accordance with this invention.