Abstract:
A headband apparatus and method of making for securing a headband on the head in such a way as to avoid twisting the headband while it is positioned on the wearer&#39;s head. The headband apparatus further provides an aesthetically pleasing hair enhancement for the wearer. The headband apparatus and method of making includes a headband portion attached at opposite ends to an elastic member which extends through the length of a covering member. The method of making provides a method of stitching the elastic and covering assembly so that the inelastic portion of the headband remains flat while on the head of the wearer.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to devices to be worn on the head and the methods of making such and more particularly pertains to a new headband apparatus and method of making for securing the headband material in such a way as to avoid twisting while it is encircled on the wearer&#39;s head as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing hair enhancement for the wearer. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of devices to be worn on the head and the methods of making such are known in the prior art. More specifically, devices to be worn on the head and the methods of making such heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,551,452; 4,819,671; 2,567,119; 5,230,355, 5,337,763; 4,600,029; 1,481,778; 5,426,788; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 357,343, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 351,052 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 133,497. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new headband apparatus and method of making. The inventive device includes a headband portion of inelastic material attached at opposite ends by an elastic member which extends thorough the length of a covering member. The present invention further includes the method of stitching the elastic and covering assembly so that the inelastic portion of the headband remains flat while on the head of the wearer. 
     In these respects, the headband apparatus and method of making according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of securing the headband material in such a way as to avoid twisting while it is positioned on the wearer&#39;s head as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing hair enhancement for the wearer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of devices to be worn on the head and the methods of making such now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new headband apparatus and method of making wherein the same can be utilized for securing the headband material in such a way as to avoid twisting while it is encircled on the wearer&#39;s head as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing hair enhancement for the wearer. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new headband apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the devices to be worn on the head and the methods of making such mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new headband apparatus and method of making such which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art devices to be worn on the head and the methods of making such, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a headband portion of inelastic material attached at opposite ends to an elastic member which extends through the length of a covering member. The invention further comprises the method of making the inventive device by stitching the elastic and covering assembly so that the inelastic portion of the headband remains flat while on the head of the wearer. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new headband apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the devices to be worn on the head and the methods of making such mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new headband apparatus and method which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art devices to be worn on the head and the methods of making such, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new headband apparatus and method of making which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new headband apparatus and method of making which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new headband apparatus and method of making which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such headband apparatus and method of making economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new headband apparatus and method of making which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new headband apparatus and method of making for securing the headband material in such a way as to avoid twisting while it is positioned on the wearer&#39;s head as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing hair enhancement for the wearer. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new headband apparatus and method of making which includes a headband portion of inelastic material attached at opposite ends to an elastic member which extends through the length of a covering member and the method of stitching the elastic and covering assembly so that the inelastic portion of the headband remains flat while on the head of the wearer. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new headband apparatus and method of making that permits the wearer to have a headband apparatus that can appear to enhance the appearance of the wearer&#39;s own hair. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new headband apparatus and method of making that enhances the aesthetic appearance of the headband by remaining flat due to the method of making the headband apparatus. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new headband apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view on an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention during construction of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the present invention showing the headband apparatus with an alternate headband material. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new headband apparatus and method of making embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the headband apparatus  10  generally comprises a headband portion  20 , an elastic band  30  for coupling the ends of the headband portion  20 , and a covering member  40  for encasing the elastic band  30 . 
     The headband portion  20  is designed for positioning on a head  2  of a wearer such that said the headband portion  20  extends substantially between ears  4  of the wearer and over a crown  6  of the head of the wearer. 
     The elastic band  30  is coupled to the headband portion  20  such that the elastic band  30  extends between opposite ends  26  and  27  of said headband portion  20 . The elastic band  30  is designed for positing to extend along a back of the head  2  of the wearer. In an embodiment, the length of the elastic band  30  is approximately six (6) inches. 
     The covering member  40  is generally tube-shaped and includes opposite ends  42  and  43  coupled to the headband portion  20  such that the covering member  40  extends between the opposite ends  26  and  27  of the headband portion  20 . Ideally, the covering member  40  is approximately sixteen (16) inches in length for an adult wearer and approximately fifteen (15) inches in length for a youth wearer. The covering member  40  is also ideally two and one-fourth (2¼) inches in width. The elastic band  30  extends through an interior of the covering member such that the covering member  40  covers the elastic band  30 . 
     In an embodiment, the headband portion  20  is a length of braided inelastic decorative material  22 . In an embodiment of the invention, (see FIG.  1 ), the braided inelastic material  22  is designed to closely resemble human hair. The braided inelastic material  22  may include a plurality of beads  24  that are interlaced into the braided material  22 . The beads  24  are positioned to be visible when the headband portion  20  extends across the head  2  of the wearer. 
     The length of braided material  22  may be colored to resemble human hair of the wearer  8  such that the headband portion  20  appears to be part of the hair of the wearer  8 . 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the length of the braided material  22  may be colored to resemble human hair such that the headband portion  20  is designed to contrast with the hair of the wearer  8 . 
     In an embodiment of the invention (see FIG.  4 ), the headband portion  20  comprises a length of inelastic decorative material  25  such that the headband portion  20  contrasts with both the color and the appearance of the hair of the wearer  8 . 
     In an embodiment the covering member  40  includes a length greater than a fully extended length of the elastic band  30  such that the covering member  40  provides a plurality of folds  44  along the length of the covering member  40  when the elastic band  30  is in less than a fully extended position. Ideally, the covering member is made of a silk fabric. 
     The method of making the headband apparatus includes the steps of attaching the elastic band  30  to the covering member  40 , attaching the covering member  40  to the headband portion  20 , and pulling the headband portion  20  through the covering member  40  (see FIG.  3 ). 
     The materials necessary for the method include an elongated piece of covering material  46  for the covering member  40 , the headband portion  20  having a length greater than a longitudinal length of the covering material  46 , and an elastic band  30  having an unextended length less than the longitudinal length of the covering material. 
     The covering material  46  is placed in a flat position and the opposite ends  26  and  27  of the headband portion  20  are aligned with associated opposite ends  42  and  43  of the covering material  46  such that end portions  21  and  23  of the headband portion  20  extend inwardly from the opposite ends  42  and  43  of the covering material  46  and a medial portion  28  of the headband portion  20  extends outwardly over a longitudinal edge  48  of the covering material  46 . 
     Then, the covering material  46  is folded over the end portions  21  and  23  of the headband portion  20 . 
     The folded opposite ends  26  and  27  are stitched with the covering material  46  to form opposite stitched ends  45  and  47  so that each of the opposite ends  26  and  27  of the headband portion  20  is coupled between an associated folded opposite end  42  or  43  of the covering material  46 . 
     Each of the opposite ends  42  and  43  of the covering material  46  is stitched inwardly along a middle of the folded covering material to form aligned longitudinal stitch lines  53  and  54 . Thus, the end portions  21  and  23  of the headband portion  20  are positioned within the folded covering material and the medial portion  28  of the headband portion  20  extends outwardly through a gap  29  between the interior ends  41  and  49  of stitch lines  53  and  54 . 
     The opposite ends  32  and  34  of the elastic band  30  are aligned with the associated one of the opposite stitched ends  45  and  47  of the covering material  46 . 
     Each of the stitched ends  45  and  47  of the covering material  46  are generally folded along the longitudinal stitch line  53  and  54  such that the opposite ends  32  and  34  of the elastic band  30  are positioned between the folded stitched ends of the covering material. 
     The folded stitched ends are stitched such that each of the opposite stitched ends  36  and  38  of the elastic band are coupled to an associated one of the folded stitched ends of the covering material. 
     Thus, by pulling the headband portion  20  through the gap  29  between the interior ends of the stitch lines, the covering material is turned inside out such that the elastic band  30  is positioned within the covering material  46  and the headband portion  20  positioned outside the covering member  40  extends between the stitched ends of the covering member  40 . 
     In use the headband apparatus may be placed on the head of the wearer in several different manners, either keeping back all of the hair of the wearer, or as part of another aesthetic hair display. The multiple embodiments of the invention allow the wearer to have a variety of different appearances when using the headband apparatus, either matching the hair of the wearer, or contrasting from the hair of the wearer, or having an altogether different hair band material in the hairband portion. The method of making the hairband apparatus permits the hairband portion of the invention to lie flat on the head of the wearer without twisting or otherwise affecting the appearance of the hairband. 
     As to a further discuss ion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles 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 shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.