Abstract:
A hat having one or more portions of synthetic hair extending therethrough and/or secured to the hat to give the appearance of a person wearing a hat and having his or her real hair visibly showing. The hat can be a baseball style cap, Preferably, the synthetic hair can appear as a ponytail or one or more pig tails. The hat is ideal for persons who have experienced permanent or temporary hair loss.

Description:
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present relates generally to the field of wearing apparel and particularly to fashion hats and caps having one or more synthetic hair portions extending through a portion of and/or secured to the hat. 
     2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The loss of human hair for a person is common and can occur for various reasons, such as, but not limited to balding over time, medical illness, medical treatment, etc. The use of wigs and other device to disguise the baldness are well known. The present invention provides an advancement concerning the use of the hats as a device or means for hiding a person&#39;s baldness and provides a novel approach for securing synthetic hair to a hat, with the synthetic hair appearing to be real hair of the person wearing the hat. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a hat or cap (collectively referred to as “hat”) having one or more portions of synthetic hair extending through and/or secured to the hat to give the appearance of a person wearing a hat and having his or her real hair visibly showing. Each hair portion contains many strands of synthetic hair in order to create a preferred “full” or “thick” hair appearance. Though not considered limiting, the hat is preferably a baseball cap, Preferably, the synthetic hair can appear as a ponytail or one or more pig tails, though such is not considered limiting, and other hair styles can be used and protrude out from the baseball cap. The hat is ideal for persons who have experienced permanent or temporary hair loss. However, the invention is not considered limited to such persons, and the hat of the present invention can also be worn by individuals who have a full head of hair. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a first embodiment for the present invention hat having two synthetic hair portions extending through and/or secured to the hat in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the hat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a right side view of the hat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a left side view of the hat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the hat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the hat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a back view of the hat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a back perspective view of the hat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of a second embodiment for the present invention hat having one synthetic hair portion extending through and/or secured to the hat in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a bottom view of the hat of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a right side view of the hat of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a left side view of the hat of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a front perspective view of the hat of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a front view of the hat of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a back view of the hat of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a back perspective view of the hat of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 17  is an partial sectional view showing one non-limiting embodiment for the securement of a synthetic hair portion to the hat in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 18  is an exploded view of the non-limiting securement embodiment of  FIG. 17 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As seen in the drawings a hat or cap to be worn on a person&#39;s head is illustrated in accordance with the present invention and generally designated as hat or cap  20  (collectively referred to as hat  20  herein out and for purposes of the patent claims). Hat  20  can be a baseball cap style, but such is not considered limiting and the present invention can also be used with other types of hat types and all are considered within the scope of the invention. Hat  20  is provided with one or more portions of synthetic hair preferably shown as pigtails  90  ( FIGS. 1-7 ) or ponytail  100  ( FIGS. 8-12 ). Each portion of synthetic hair comprises many individual strands of synthetic hair held together and which together create the appearance of a thick head of hair for the wearer of hat  20 . 
     However, it should be recognized that the synthetic hair does not have to be in ponytail  100  or pigtails  90  form and other styles (i.e. freely hanging hair, etc.) that can be extend through and/or be secured to hat  20  can be used and are considered within the scope of the invention. Preferably, the synthetic hair is constructed with a bendable wire included in the hair product. The length of the synthetic hair portion and strands of hair comprising the synthetic hair portion are not limited to any specific length. 
     Below the steps involved in creating hat  20  with one or more pigtails  90  or ponytail  100  will be described, though the same securement techniques can be used for other hair style forms. In one non-limiting embodiment, hat  20  can be a conventional baseball cap such as, but not limited to, a six panel cotton baseball cap. A closure and/or adjustment mechanism, such as, but not limited to a hook and loop fastening closure mechanism  22  can be preferably provided at the back of the hat  20 . As best seen in  FIG. 6 , one or more additional pieces of hook and loop fastening material  24  can be provided on a lower back edge of hat  20  near closure mechanism  22 , to provide additional area for adjusting the size of hat  20 , such as a for smaller head sizes. Though not considered limiting, preferably the additional material  24  corresponds to the color of hat  20  where it is secured, such that additional material is not significantly noticeable when hat  20  is worn. Additional material  24  is not limited to any particular shape and can be en elongated strip, one or more square or circular members, etc. and variations can be used and are considered within the scope of the invention. Preferably, though again not limiting, additional material  24  is added about or approximately ¾″ from conventional closure mechanism  22 . It is also within the scope of the invention that hat  20  not have any adjustment mechanism at the back of the hat. 
     Though not required an identification tag, identifying the manufacturer, distributor, seller, etc. of the present invention and providing contact information can be iron on, sewn into, or otherwise secured within the inside of hat  20 . Though also not required, a template can be preferably used for marking where to cut the holes in baseball cap  20  where the pig tails  90  or pony tails  100  will protrude out from or be secured to, in order to provide consistency from one cap  20  to the next. Preferably, the holes  31  are generated or created on the seam lines  30  between the panels  28 . Where pig tails  90  are to be provided with hat  20  two holes are preferably created through hat  20 , by conventional means, one hole on angled back seam  32  and a correspondingly spaced second hole on angled back seam  34 . Where pony tail  100  is to be provided, a single hole on straight back reinforcement strip  36  is preferably created through hat  20  by conventional means. The holes are provided on one or more seams or reinforcements in order to insert the top section (i.e. mushroom like shape, etc.) of a conventional suction cup therethrough. Though different sizes of suction cups can be used and are considered within the scope of the invention, when providing pony tail  100 , preferably a single 1 13/16″ in diameter suction cup is provided and when providing pigtails  90 , preferably two 1¼″ in diameter suction cups are provided, one for each hole. Accordingly, it is preferred, though not limiting, that the holes created for the suctions cups are not any of the preexisting holes normally provided on the baseball cap or hat  20 , and thus the holes are created solely for the purpose of securing the synthetic hair preferably in the form of a single pony tail  100  or a pair of pigtails  90 . 
     A hole  124  can be preferably created through the mushroom-like shape knob  122  (i.e. top portion) of the suction cup  120  and preferably goes from side to side of knob  122 , as opposed to down the center of knob  122 . The knob or top portion  122  of suction cup  120  can be preferably inserted through a specifically created hole  22   a  (and preferably not a pre-existing hole) in hat  20 . Thus, top portion  122  is extending through hat  20  and the bottom portion  126  of suction cup  120  remains within the head receiving area of hat  20 . 
     For preferably securing either pigtail  90  or ponytail  100  to knob  122 , a wire  103  or similar member can be provided at the securement end of synthetic hair portion that will be used as pigtail  90  or ponytail  100 . For a ponytail  100  approximately double the amount of synthetic hair can be preferably used as compared to a pigtail  90 . When securing, wire  103  is inserted through hole  124  in knob  122  and then wire  103  can be preferably bent or wrapped around knob  122 . 
     Additionally, where it is desired to have a large amount of synthetic hair freely hanging down and covering a large amount of the hat area two suction cups can be provided similar to the pigtail  90  embodiment, but used to secure each end of the large amount of freely hanging synthetic hair. 
     It should be understood and recognized that other securement mechanism can be used and are considered within the scope of the invention. Certain securement mechanisms may also eliminate the need to create holes in hat  20 , and the securement can be also entirely at the outer surface of hat  20 . 
     Regardless of securement method used, hair bands  121  can be disposed on the outer surface of hat  20  at the point where pigtail  90  or ponytail  100  is secured to hat  20  to hide the securement mechanism (i.e. hides wire  103  and knob  122 , etc.). Hair bands  121  also hold the strands of synthetic hair comprising pigtail  90  or ponytail  100  as they would normally hold actual live human hair being worn in pigtail  90  or ponytail  100  by a person. 
     With hair band  121  in place, preferably the created hole for inserting top portion  122  of suction cup  120  therethrough is sewn closed, as well as sewing hair band  121  to hat  20 . Other securement and closing methods can be used. However, the hole is closed and hair band  121  is secured to hat  20  to prevent the various components from coming apart. 
     A covering, such as a fleece covering, can be provided over the suction cup bottom and preferably secured to the inner surface of hat  20 . Covering  127  can be sewn to form a pocket preferably slightly larger than the suction cup  120  to which it will cover. Preferably, the thread of the covering can be pulled tight and knotted and then glued to the inside surface of hat  20 . 
     Though not considered limiting, it is preferred that pigtail  90 , pony tail  100  or any other secured synthetic hair portions (i.e. freely hanging, etc.) remain permanently secured to hat  20 . 
     Though it is preferred to create the one or more holes in hat  20  within the seams or reinforcements of hat  20 , it is also within the scope of the invention to create the holes in other locations on hat  20  or even to use a pre-existing hole, if any, in hat  20 , Additionally, other hat  20 s may not have seams or their seams may be at undesirable locations on hat  20 , and thus again, the holes can be created on non-seam areas on hat  20 . 
     Other decorative elements, logos, wording, etc. can be secured to or disposed on the outside of hat  20  as is conventionally known. 
     All locations, sizes, measurements, amounts, weights, dimensions, values, percentages, materials, orientations, etc. discussed above or shown in the drawing figures are merely by way of example and are not considered limiting and other locations, sizes, measurements, amounts, weights, dimensions, values, percentages, materials, orientations etc. can be chosen and used and all are considered within the scope of the invention. 
     While the invention has been described and disclosed in certain terms and has disclosed certain embodiments or modifications, persons skilled in the art who have acquainted themselves with the invention, will appreciate that it is not necessarily limited by such terms, nor to the specific embodiments and modification disclosed herein. Thus, a wide variety of alternatives, suggested by the teachings herein, can be practiced without departing from the spirit of the invention, and rights to such alternatives are particularly reserved and considered within the scope of the invention.