Abstract:
An article of headwear for providing shade to a wearer comprising a bill attached to an attachment hem having fabric with two ends such as a scarf attached thereto, such that when the bill is placed proximate to the wearer&#39;s forehead and the two ends of the fabric are tied behind the wearer&#39;s head, the bill is positioned above the wearer&#39;s eyes.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to women&#39;s headwear and more particularly to a visor comprising folded fabric such as a scarf. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Scarves are commonly used as head coverings by women throughout the world. When used as headwear, square scarves, for example, can be folded in the shape of a triangle, placed over a wearer&#39;s head and secured in place by tying two of the three corners of the folded scarf behind the wearer&#39;s head. Scarves are also worn as headbands wherein the wearer successively folds the scarf longitudinally until the scarf comprises a folded band with two ends. To use the folded scarf as a headband, a wearer simply places the scarf over the top of their head and ties the ends in a bow or knot behind their head. 
         [0003]    Various forms of head covering have been developed that protect the wearer&#39;s head and/or shield the wearer&#39;s eyes from the glare of the sun. Some of these head coverings have incorporated scarves in their construction. In particular, various forms of visor have been implemented that perform the aforementioned functions of head and/or eye protection. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,128 discloses headwear to protect the eyes, ears, neck and shoulders of a wearer and consists of a semi-rigid visor portion, a kerchief portion and a ribbon portion. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,369 discloses a method of making a reversible scarf with a visor that also covers the wearer&#39;s head. No visor has been developed, however, that combines a folded fabric such as a scarf, with a bill to create an article of headwear that is secured in place by tying end pieces of the banded scarf behind the wearer&#39;s head. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present disclosure is directed to a novel type of visor that comprises a bill connected to an attachment hem to which a folded fabric such as a scarf can be attached. In one embodiment, a visor in accordance with the present invention substantially comprises a folded scarf having two ends that is attached to the attachment hem thereby permitting the visor to be worn by placing the folded scarf portion of the visor around the wearer&#39;s forehead and securing the visor in place by tying the two ends of the scarf together behind the wearer&#39;s head. In one embodiment, a visor in accordance with the present invention leaves the top of a wearer&#39;s head exposed. 
         [0005]    Further objects and advantages of the present invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    For a more complete understanding of embodiments of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like features and wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the components of a visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the components of a visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention showing how a fabric portion is folded; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4 . is a perspective view of the components of a visor with a folded fabric in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a constructed visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6A  is a sectional view of a constructed visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6B  is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the third embodiment of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer; 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the fourth embodiment of the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer; 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a sectional view of the fifth embodiment of the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer; 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  is a plan view of the sixth embodiment of the invention showing how a fabric portion is folded; 
           [0022]      FIG. 15  is a plan view of a the construction process of the sixth embodiment of the invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a constructed sixth embodiment of the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 17  is a sectional view of the sixth embodiment of the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 18  is a plan view: of the components of a seventh embodiment of the invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 19  is a plan view of a seventh embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 20  is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    The present disclosure will now be set forth more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments are shown. The articles and methods may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. 
         [0029]    Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1-5 , an article of headwear in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is depicted. In  FIG. 1 , a wearer  105  is depicted wearing a visor  100  in accordance with an embodiment. The visor  100  comprises a bill  101  attached to, or integrally formed with, an attachment hem  201  with a folded scarf  102  attached thereto. In an embodiment, the bill  101  is substantially crescent shaped and is constructed of one or more plies of fabric or cardboard or plaster or other material or combinations thereof to provide a desired amount of flexibility or rigidity. Alternatively, bill  101  can be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes. Attachment hem  201  may be formed of the same material as bill  101  and is attached to bill  101  and scarf  102  by stitching or other suitable form of attachment such as, for example, via adhesive, hook and loop material, tape, rivets, buttons, snaps and other fasteners or attachment mechanisms or modes. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , visor  100  is secured on the wearer&#39;s  105  head by wrapping scarf  102  around the wearer&#39;s  105  forehead and tying the ends  104  of folded scarf  102  in a knot  103  behind the wearer&#39;s  105  head. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , bill  101  comprises an attachment hem  201  onto which folded scarf  102  is sewn or otherwise attached. As further detailed in  FIG. 2 , folded scarf  102  comprises a square scarf although scarves of other shapes and dimensions can be used. In an embodiment, the scarf  102  is of a type typically worn by women and is constructed of foldable non rigid material such as silk or cotton for example, although other fabrics such as synthetics or other woven natural or synthetic fibers may be utilized. The scarf is repeatedly folded diagonally as shown in  FIG. 3  to form an elongated band comprising two ends  104  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Of course, other folding methods are contemplated as is the use of a single or multi-layered elongated length of fabric. As shown in  FIG. 5 , there is depicted a folded scarf  102  attached to bill  101 . A sectional detail of the constructed visor  100  shown in  FIG. 5  is depicted in  FIG. 6A . As is depicted therein, the folded scarf  102  is placed such that the folded scarf sandwiches attachment hem  201  prior to the stitching of folded scarf  102  onto attachment hem  201  or the implementation of some other attachment method. By sandwiching the attachment hem in this fashion a cushion is created between a wearer&#39;s forehead and the attachment hem when the visor is worn, thereby enhancing the wearer&#39;s comfort. Alternatively, the scarf can be attached to only one side of attachment hem  201 . 
         [0031]    In a further embodiment shown in  FIG. 6B , the constructed visor further comprises a strip of padding  202  installed between the rearward portion of attachment hem  201  and an inner portion of folded scarf  102 . The addition of padding  202  makes the visor more comfortable when worn. Alternatively, the padding  202  may be configured to lie directly in contact with a wearer&#39;s head or lie between the hem  201  and scarf  102  when the scarf is attached to only one side of hem  201 . Also, the padding  202  may be removable and replaceable via the modes of attachment referred to earlier herein, so that as the padding  202  loses resilience over time or absorbs perspiration, it may be changed. 
         [0032]    A further embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 7 . As is depicted therein, a visor  700  comprises a bill  101  attached to, or integrally formed with, an attachment hem  501 . Attachment hem  501  further comprises attachment loops  503  spaced along attachment hem  501 . The visor  700  is constructed by passing a folded scarf  502 , folded in the manner depicted in  FIG. 3 ,  4  or  18  through attachment loops  503 , thereby attaching folded scarf  502  to attachment hem  501 . The completed assembly can then be worn by a wearer  704  by placing attachment hem  501  against the forehead of a wearer  704  and tying the ends of scarf  502  into a knot  702  behind the wearer&#39;s  704  head. A section of the visor  700  detailing the installation of scarf  502  through attachment loops  503  is shown in  FIG. 8 . In this manner, a user may utilize visor  700  with multiple scarves as desired. 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , a further embodiment of the present invention  800  comprises a bill  901  attached to or integrally formed with an attachment hem  902  that comprises a continuous channel or pocket  903  along its length. A scarf, folded in the manner depicted in  FIG. 3 ,  4  or  18  may be inserted through pocket  903 , so that scarf  902  is retained within hem  901 . Once constructed, the visor  800  can be worn by a wearer  704  by placing the visor assembly  800  against the wearer&#39;s  704  forehead and tying the ends  703  into a knot  702  behind the wearer&#39;s  704  head. 
         [0034]    A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . As depicted therein, visor  904  in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention, comprises a bill  906  attached to, or integrally formed with, an attachment hem  905 . A portion of a folded scarf or length of fabric  502  is attached, by sewing or other forms of attachment described herein, to attachment points  907  located at the ends of attachment hem  905 . While the overall length of the combination of attachment hem  905  and fabric portions  502  is constant for a particular size of headwear in accordance with this embodiment, the precise location of attachment points  907  is a matter of design choice. Thus, longer fabric lengths  502  can be combined with a commensurately shorter attachment hem  905  to achieve one type of appearance or vice-versa. 
         [0035]    Thus, by increasing the length of fabric portion  502  for instance, the resulting visor, when viewed from the front, would show more fabric than attachment hem. Conversely, decreasing the length of fabric portions  502  would result in a visor that revealed only the material of which the attachment hem  905  was composed when viewed from the front. In any event, once constructed, the visor  904  is worn in the same way as in the previous embodiments described above. 
         [0036]    A further embodiment of the invention is depicted in  FIGS. 13-17 . As is depicted therein, the visor in accordance with a sixth embodiment is constructed in the same manner as the visor described in conjunction with the first embodiment described herein except that the scarf  502  in this embodiment is folded in a manner such that when it is attached to attachment hem  501 , it provides coverage sufficient to cover a wearer&#39;s head as shown in  FIG. 13 . As shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , before the scarf  102  is attached to attachment hem  201 , it is folded once diagonally forming a triangle. The base of the triangle formed by the fold is then attached to the bill  101  facing side of attachment hem  201  as shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . 
         [0037]    Another embodiment of the invention is depicted in  FIGS. 18-20 . As shown in  FIG. 18  the fabric portion  102  of a visor in accordance with a seventh embodiment is rectangular in shape with triangular ends. This fabric portion could be comprised of a portion of a scarf or some other material. When folded once longitudinally as shown in  FIG. 19 , fabric portion  102  can be attached to attachment hem  201  by placing attachment hem within the fold created in folded fabric portion  102  and attaching fabric portion  102  to attachment hem  201  by sewing or other forms of attachment described herein 
         [0038]    All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
         [0039]    The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.