Patent Abstract:
A shield adapted for use with a baseball cap or caps used in other sports is disclosed to protect a pitcher or fielder from a batted or thrown baseball or softball. A panel is shaped to conform with a front surface of a ball cap and is secured with straps or other means on the outer surface of the ball cap or, alternatively, on the inner surface of the ball cap. The shield is formed of a sheet or panel of impact absorbing plastic that protects the user from trauma in the event of a collision with a traveling ball or other object.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This utility application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/506,447 filed Sep. 26, 2003. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to protective headgear devices, and more particularly to a shield for a ball cap to protect the wearer&#39;s head.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Baseball and softball are activities that are enjoyed by millions of Americans every year. From little league to recreational softball, and collegiate to semiprofessional and professional leagues, baseball has earned the nickname of our national pastime. The game is played with a ball that is pitched to a batter who attempts to hit the ball and run around three bases before reaching the starting place, home plate. Fielders attempt to catch the ball before it hits the ground, or advance the ball to the base that a runner is approaching. Fielders patrolling the bases can get the runner “out” if they tag the runner in some cases, or tag the base prior to the runner reaching the base in other cases. The many rules of baseball are complicated and the details of the rules of play are beyond the scope of the present invention, but some rules discussed below are pertinent to the present discussion.  
         [0004]     A baseball is formed of several layers, or wrappings encased in a two-piece leather cover. The heart of the ball is a composite cork/rubber center surrounded by two layers of rubber, one red, the other black. The first wrap around the core is a four-ply gray wool winding. The second wrap is a three-ply white wool winding. The third wrap is a three-ply gray wool winding. The fourth and final wrap is a fine cotton string forming a finish winding. The windings are done on machines and each ball is measured and weighed after each winding. Each half of the leather cover is alum tanned to give it the white color, and cut in a  FIG. 8 . The two halves are double stitched by hand using 10/5 red thread. Completed balls are tested for size, weight and coefficient of restitution.  
         [0005]     A finished baseball weighs five ounces and has a coefficient of restitution of approximately 0.503 and a compression deflection at 500 psi of 0.363 inches. The many tight windings of a baseball&#39;s interior gives the ball a hardness that is necessary to generate the four hundred foot home runs that major league hitters are capable of. The velocity of a pitched baseball reaches speeds in the professional leagues of up to one hundred miles per hour, or one hundred forty feet per second. Balls struck by a bat can exceed this velocity twenty percent or more, resulting in a batted ball velocity of up to one hundred and twenty miles per hour, or approximately one hundred sixty five feet per second. At five ounces, a ball traveling one hundred sixty five feet per second has a potentially lethal momentum if it should strike a player in the head. The pitcher, who stands a mere sixty feet six inches from the batter, is at most risk. A ball traveling one hundred sixty five feet per second will reach the pitcher in just over one third of a second. Even professional athletes with highly advanced motor functions have difficulty reacting flawlessly under these conditions, and an error can result in severe injury to the head and face.  
         [0006]     Traditional baseball and softball uniforms include a cloth cap with a bill on the front and a logo on the forward-facing top portion. While batters wear protective helmets to protect them against pitched balls, there is no protective gear used to safeguard the pitcher from batted balls that can reach speeds greater than pitched balls. Moreover, the motion that a pitcher undergoes in delivering a ball at the velocities needed to be successful often leave the pitcher off balance or turned slightly away from the batter, further inhibiting the pitcher&#39;s ability to react quickly to a ball hit by the batter toward the pitcher&#39;s head. In addition, most pitchers during delivery of the pitched ball lean their head forward in a downward facing direction exposing the forehead and scalp to a direct impact from a batted ball. This has led to serious injury to pitchers who were unable to avoid a batted ball hit directly back toward the pitcher&#39;s head. The prior art lacks a simple, unobtrusive protective element that can be worn with a traditional ball cap and can protect a pitcher or other fielder from being struck in the head with a batted or thrown baseball or softball.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     A protective ball cap shield is characterized by a curved protective overlay for a ball cap that secures to the frontal portion of the cap and provides protection from oncoming batted balls. In a first embodiment, the shield is made of plastic and conforms with the contour of the frontal portion of the ball cap above the bill, with rearwardly extending flaps that extend partially around the ball cap. The flaps include mountings for securing an adjustable strap that tightens around the rear portion of the cap and wearer&#39;s head to secure the shield in place. A liner of foam or other energy absorbing material can be included on the lower inner surface of the shield. In addition, the shield can be matched in color to the ball cap and include a logo similar to the logo on the cap to simulate the front of the cap and render the shield substantially undetectable from a distance. In a second embodiment, the shield can be disposed inside the cap at the forward portion behind the logo, hidden from view. A hook and loop securing system, such as VELCRO®, may be used to anchor the shield inside the cap in the proper position, and a liner of foam or other energy absorbing material can be included on the surface of the shield adjacent the wearer&#39;s head. In a third embodiment, the shield can be sewn into a forward location of the ball cap between two layers of material forming the ball cap. In yet another embodiment, an optional eye guard is included.  
         [0008]     While the disclosure describes the invention with respect to baseball caps, the invention is not limited to this exemplary application and is equally applicable to caps used in other sports. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a first embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the ball cap shield of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a rear view of the ball cap shield of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a second embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the ball cap shield of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a third embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a side view of a fourth embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a side view of a fifth embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the fifth embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention including a bill extension;  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the fifth embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention including a bill extension shorter than that shown in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a sixth embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 12  is a bottom view of the sixth embodiment of  FIG. 11 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 13  is a side view of an seventh embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 14  is a side view of an eighth embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 15  is a side view of a ninth embodiment of the ball cap shield of the present invention; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 16  is a top view of the ninth embodiment of the ball cap shield of  FIG. 15 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]      FIGS. 1-3  illustrate a ball cap shield  10  formed of a continuous plastic panel shaped to conform with the contour of a baseball cap  20 . The shield  10  has a rounded frontal portion  30  with rearwardly extending peripheral flaps  40  extending from each side. The front surface curves upwardly and rearwardly transitioning to an upper surface  50  that preferably extends up to a cap&#39;s button  60  on the cap&#39;s upper surface  70 . The rear or trailing edge  80  of the shield  10  slopes downwardly and rearwardly along both lateral sides terminating at the bottom edge  90  of the shield  10  to form an angled juncture  100  defining the peripheral flaps  110 . Each flap  110  may preferably include a vertically oriented slot  120  sized for receiving a strap  130  therethrough. A strap  130  fed through both vertically oriented slots  120  and adjustably securable via a clasp  140  or hook and loop fastener system secures the shield  10  about the wearer&#39;s head on the outside of the ball cap  20 . A third slot (not shown) on the upper surface  50  of the shield  10  at a rear edge  150  permits a second strap  160  to connect orthogonally to the original strap  130  and provide additional support. A clasp, releasable clip, snap, buckle, or VELCRO® straps can be used to connect the straps together and secure the shield  10  in the proper position.  
         [0026]     The straps  130 ,  160  may be elastic or non-elastic, and may also be secured to the shield  10  by alternative modes such as rivets, adhesives, or hooks. In an alternative embodiment, the flaps  40  of the shield  10  are resiliently biased inwardly toward the ball cap&#39;s interior such that they grip the wearer&#39;s head through the ball cap  20  without additional straps or securing means. The resiliency of the flaps provides for easy doffing and removal, where the wearer spreads the flaps apart before placing the shield  10  on the ball cap  20 , and the flaps&#39;  40  resilient shape compresses against the sides of the ball cap  20  and secures the shield  10  to the cap  20  and/or the user&#39;s head.  
         [0027]     The shield  10  is preferably formed of a dense polymer with impact absorbing capability such as polypropylene, polystyrene, or suitable thermoplastic that can be formed into curved configuration to conform with the ball cap&#39;s exterior surface and retains a shape memory to maintain the desired shape. The curved configuration can include some abrupt surface changes to provide a dynamic appearance, such as that shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 . Other materials and composites may be substituted provided they possess the requisite shape memory and are of sufficient rigidity and impact resistance to provide protection from a baseball or softball traveling at high velocity. The shield  10  in some embodiments may include a logo  170  or insignia of the team that overlays the logo of the ball cap and is of a matching color with the ball cap  20  to provide a facade that resembles the front of the ball cap.  
         [0028]     The interior or concave surface  180  of the shield  10  may be supplied with padding  190  to further absorb any impact and improve comfort. And, the interior surface  180  may be equipped with patches or strips of hook and loop fastener material  190  that cooperates with complimentary patches  200  or strips located on the exterior of the ball cap to releasably secure the shield  10  to the ball cap&#39;s exterior. Moreover, the hook and loop patches can replace the straps  130 , 160  or resilient flaps  40  discussed above, or used in combination with the straps and/or flaps to provide a secure coupling of the shield  10  and cap  20 .  
         [0029]     The shield  10  may include, in an alternative embodiment, a forwardly projecting bill cover  210  ( FIG. 8 ) that overlays the bill  220  of the ball cap  20  and further secures the shield  10  to the cap  20 . The bill overlay  210  is preferably integrally formed with the shield  10  and colored to match the bill  220  of the cap  20 . The bill cover  210  acts as a gusset that provides increased structural integrity to the shield. In addition, this option provides further protection for the wearer as the bill  220  customarily is worn just above the eyes and the projection  210  extends the shield&#39;s coverage to the eye socket area. This is particularly important where a pitcher&#39;s head rotates toward the ground during deliver, exposing the forehead and scalp to an oncoming batted ball. Moreover, the natural instinct of a player when a projectile is headed for the face region is to duck, lowering the face as the hands go up to protect the facial area. The bill projection&#39;s expands the area of protection as the player ducks down, protecting the eyes and nose area. To secure the bill projection  210  to the cap bill  220 , hook and loop fastener material may be placed on the underside of the shield&#39;s bill projection and the upper surface of the cap&#39;s bill, where the complimentary materials serve to releasably fasten the two surfaces together. Hooks, clips, rivets, snaps, buttons, or other fasteners could also be used to releasably or permanently affix the shield bill projection  210  to the upper surface of the ball cap. Likewise, as discussed above the strap  130  fed through both vertically oriented slots  120  and adjustably securable via a clasp or hook and loop fastener system secures the shield  10  about the wearer&#39;s head on the outside of the ball cap  20 .  
         [0030]     A second embodiment of the present invention is depicted in  FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrating a ball cap shield  10   a  that secures inside the ball cap  20 . This embodiment employs essentially the same shape as the first embodiment, but secures underneath the ball cap  20  in the forward area adjacent the wearer&#39;s forehead. To secure the shield  10   a  inside the ball cap  20 , the shield may incorporate the hook and fastener material  230  along external regions that cooperate with complimentary regions of hook and fastener material disposed on interior locations of the ball cap. Alternatively, the shield  10   a  can be secured with snaps (not shown) on the external surface that cooperate with their complimentary components affixed to the underside of the ball cap  20 , or by inserting the shield  10   a  into a pocket inside the ball cap  20  specifically sized to receive the shield. Here, the shield  10   a  is completely hidden from view underneath the ball cap  20 , eliminating the need for coloring the shield or placing a logo  170  on the shield. In this embodiment, the shield  10   a  may optionally be provided with a bill projection that extends substantially coextensive with the bill  220  of the ball cap  20  on the under side of the bill. As before, the bill projection may be affixed to the cap bill by various methods previously discussed, including hook and fastener material, snaps, clips, and the like, or can be inserted into a large pocket.  
         [0031]     The shield of the present invention may also be incorporated directly into the ball cap by adding a second layer  240  of material to the ball cap  20 , and then sandwiching the shield  10   a  between the ball cap original layer and the added second layer  240  of material. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the second layer of material  220  may be placed over the shield  10   a  and a seam  250  sewn around the shield  10   a  to create a pocket on the ball cap&#39;s exterior that holds the shield in place. In this embodiment the shield becomes a permanent component of the ball cap that is not removed or separated from the cap. This feature has the benefit that the shield cannot be lost, dislodged, fall off or loosen about the wearer&#39;s head, but rather is always maintained in the proper position and orientation without the need for other fastening means.  
         [0032]     In yet another embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 7 , the peripheral flaps  40   a  on the shield  10  can be enlarged to extend downward and rearward in order to protect and cover the wearer&#39;s ears. The ears are easily damaged by impact and the temple around the ear is very susceptible to brain injury in the event of impact or trauma. By extending the protection of the shield of the present invention to the ears and surrounding area, the benefits provided by the present invention are expanded. And, the use of padding in the area of the ears provides additional protection as well as comfort when the resiliency of the ear flaps is used in securing the shield.  
         [0033]      FIG. 8  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the shield  10  attaches to the cap&#39;s exterior using patches of VELCRO® 200 spaced about the cap&#39;s lower edge and corresponding patches of VELCRO® 190 at the lower edge of the shield  10 . In  FIG. 9 , a bill extension  210  is incorporated into the shield  10  to provide additional structural strength and protection. The bill extension  210  is preferably integrally formed with the shield  10  into a single unit and acts as a gusset to increase the shield&#39;s strength. As shown in  FIG. 10 , it may be preferable to shorten the length of the bill extension  210   a  to facilitate the attachment of the shield, to reduce its weight, and to provide the gusset strength. It can be used without additional attachment means, or the shield can be secured with means discussed above, such as straps, VELCRO®, or the like.  
         [0034]     In  FIGS. 11 and 12 , a shield  10   b  is formed by individual plates  300  applied to the cap&#39;s interior and secured with VELCRO® strips  310 . The plates  300  that form the shield can be made of a polymer or other impact resistant material such as Kevlar, where the plates are shaped to conform with the cap&#39;s interior to protect the wearer. Strips of VELCRO® fastener material are sewn into the cap&#39;s interior and adhered to the plate&#39;s outer surface to facilitate the attachment of the plates. Alternatively, the plates can be sewn into the cap as discussed above with respect to  FIG. 6 .  
         [0035]     In  FIG. 13 , another embodiment is disclosed wherein the protective shield  10  is reinforced by incorporating a plurality of gussets  330  or projections along an exterior surface. The projections provide impact-absorbing capability to disperse energy from contact with a moving object to further protect the wearer.  
         [0036]     Still another alternative to the present invention is the incorporation of an eyeguard  400  to the shield  10  that extends downward from the shield to protect the wearer&#39;s eyes as shown in  FIG. 14 . The eyeguard  400  may be transparent for night games or darkened to provide sun protection in day games. Securing the eyeguard  400  to the shield  10  is preferably achieved in a manner that provides no wiggle or play between the shield and eyeguard that could distract the wearer. An example of a rigid method of securing the eyeguard  400  include snaps  410  disposed on an upwardly projecting flap  420  that cooperate with complimentary snap-receiving members on the ball cap to removably attach the eye shield  400  to the cap.  
         [0037]     From the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily discover alternative embodiments within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the embodiments discussed, but rather determined by the claims appended hereto.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0