Abstract:
An insect controlling ball cap for outdoorsman and hunters includes a plurality of user serviceable pest control segments that are user attached to various segments of the hat, while preserving user comfort. A kit for retrofitting to a conventional cap is also disclosed. Attachment means made of Velcro®-brand fastener material for mounting critical components comprises an elongated anchoring band is disposed around the cap&#39;s dome, a secondary band at the rear, and an upper attachment disk. A plurality of insect control segments are mounted in spaced, offset relation atop the cap. A plurality of attachment tabs packaged on peel-away strips fasten the control segments to the attachment means. A sticky outer surface of the control segments treated with an insect capturing, gummy substance captivates insect pests.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to insect capturing systems of the type used with clothing articles. More particularly, the present invention relates to hats ideally used outdoors for hunting that are equipped with insect capturing means, and to insect control kits adapted to be retrofitted to conventional hats to capture and control insects. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Most hunters and avid outdoorsman are familiar with baseball style hats that are adjustable and easy to use. They very popular amongst outdoorsman who value the extra warmth. When hunting or traveling through wooded areas, fields, or swamps, or when fishing on lakes or ponds, outdoorsman are subject to a multitude of annoying flying insects. Flying and biting insects, such as mosquitoes and the like, are particularly bothersome. When hunting in relatively warm weather, particularly when near swamps and ponds, vicious swarms of mosquitoes are quite common, particularly in the southern United States. Chemical repellents have been used, but their odor can be objectionable. Deer hunters for example, are well aware that shifting winds can convey various scents long distances and frighten away or startle deer and other game animals. Although insect-protective clothing and head coverings are known in the art, such gear can be cumbersome and clumsy. Known systems occlude the hunter&#39;s view, and interfere with normal hunter comfort. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there have been many insect repelling or controlling systems introduced in the art. 
         [0006]    For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,024 issued Jul. 7, 1981 discloses aroma-dispensing tabs that can function as an insect repellant. The tabs can be applied to a variety of surfaces, such as apparel, to exude a pleasant fragrance or to function as an insect repellent. The tab has a perforated dome defining a vented chamber holding an absorbent pad saturated by liquid scent. A layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive facilitates attachment of the tab to various surfaces. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,635 issued Apr. 2, 1991 discloses clothing articles with insect repellent strips. Elongated, flexible insect repellent strips are secured in cavities in the clothing to repel insects from the person wearing such apparel. The system may be used with a variety of clothing items including trousers, hats, and shirts. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,704 issued Dec. 10, 1991 discloses a multilayered laminate which may be filled with an insect repellant. The device has an adhesive layer for attaching the device to a variety of surface targets. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,950 issued Oct. 20, 1992 discloses a tick repellant belt worn by an outdoorsman to repel insects. The belt has a barrier preventing ticks from moving upwardly onto the body. The barrier includes various adhesive surfaces. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,310 issued Oct. 5, 1993 discloses an article of clothing for detecting and monitoring the infestation of ticks and other crawling insects. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,271 issued Nov. 26, 1996 discloses headgear that provides an insect barrier. A headpiece having a crown and a brim has an outer edge extending around the crown, an eyepiece on the brim, and a knitted veil attached between the eyepiece and the headpiece to cover the face. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,282 issued Aug. 12, 1997 discloses a package containing a volatile solution-impregnated patch made of a peelable barrier film. The pouch has a substrate saturated with insect repellent fluid. A pressure sensitive adhesive film has a connecting portion which is peelably sealed to the inside of the pouch. When the pouch is peeled open, the backing film is exposed and placed against a target surface, such as a patch of clothing. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,493 issued Mar. 2, 1999 discloses a head covering with an insect-excluding module, as well as temperature regulation and a rain cover module. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,904 issued Apr. 18, 2000 shows an insect protective head screen attachable to a baseball style hat. The device attaches to the button on top of the hat. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,454 issued Dec. 19, 2000 shows a substrate impregnated with insect repellent. The insect repellent is disposed within a breakable packet, such that when the breakable packet is broken, the insect repellent is directed through the fibrous substrate for release through the apertured film. 
         [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,738 issued May 22, 2001 shows a generally cylindrical, insect protective head screen placed over a baseball style cap or the like. It attaches to the button on top of the baseball cap by an elastic strip at the inside top of the head screen. A material such as fabric is connected to the bottom of the screen to hold a drawstring and form a screen collar that can be selectively tightened around the neck of the user. 
         [0017]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,269 issued Aug. 30, 2005 discloses an insect repellent substrate for headwear. A felt base is impregnated with a repellent carrier for insect control. The carrier composition includes a mixture of wax and a naturally occurring insect repellent such as pyrethrum oil, or scented or aromatic oils such as citronella oil, rosemary oil, or eucalyptus oil. Strips of the fabric base material may be attached to headwear such as a headband or cap so that it is in contact with the wearer&#39;s hair or body. 
         [0018]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,107,625 issued Sep. 19, 2006 discloses a hat with an insect screen. The insect screen has a portion connectable to either the top section or a fabric member to cover a user&#39;s head. 
         [0019]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,375 issued Jul. 17, 2007 discloses an insect protection net that covers the head, trunk, arms, hands, legs, and feet of the human body. A fastener couples the net to the human body. The net is coated with an insecticide and/or a repellent. 
         [0020]    However, no known, reasonably comfortable and easy-to use system provides an integrated hat with insect controlling means that functions without interfering with the wearers&#39; comfort. No practicable system may be user installed in the field, or service rapidly and conveniently when parts are replaced as insects accumulate. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    This invention provides an improved insect control system for retrofitting to a conventional ball cap or hunting hat. Moreover, it provides a hat equipped with my segmented insect control system. My cap is ideal for hunters that includes a plurality of user serviceable pest control segments that are adapted to be attached to various segments of a conventional hat, while preserving user comfort. A kit for retrofitting to a conventional cap is also disclosed. 
         [0022]    Attachment means are provided on the hat for mounting critical components. An elongated anchoring band made of Velcro®-brand fastener material is attached around the cap&#39;s dome. A secondary band of Velcro®-brand fastener material at the hat&#39;s rear anchors lower portions of the sticky, bug-capturing control segments. The bands are complemented and assisted by an upper attachment disk mounted upon the cap&#39;s dome. 
         [0023]    The attachment means secure a plurality of insect control segments that are mounted in spaced, offset relation atop the cap. A plurality of generally triangular, primary insect control segments are removably secured over the generally triangular sections of the ball cap. Preferably there are two secondary insect control segments mounted at the cap rear, over irregularly shaped hat portions. 
         [0024]    A plurality of attachment tabs that are packaged on peel-away strips are used to hold the control segments. Each tab has a smooth surface temporarily adhesively joined to a peel strip for storage, and an opposite surface made of complimentary Velcro®-brand fastener material that enables affixation to the above-mentioned attachments bands and the disk. These tabs can be removed by hand from their storage strip, and affixed a smooth surface on the insect control segments. Once the tabs are installed, the segments can be placed atop the hat over the respective body portions to be covered, with the tabs affixed to the attachments bands or disk by the Velcro®-brand fastener materials. A sticky outer surface of the control segments treated with an insect capturing, gummy substance will captivate insect pests, without the use of pesticides, chemical sprays, or clumsy body covering such as nets or veils. 
         [0025]    Thus a basic object is to provide a convenient and efficient means for controlling annoying insect pests such as mosquitoes. 
         [0026]    Another basic object is to provide a cap that captures mosquitoes and other annoying insect pests. 
         [0027]    It is also a fundamental object to provide an insect control kit that may be user-retrofitted in the field to conventional ball caps to capture annoying insects. 
         [0028]    Another object is to provide an insect attractant and capturing system of the character described that is ideal for hunters. It is a feature of my invention that insects are quietly and efficiently captured without movements that might startle or frighten away game animals. 
         [0029]    Yet another object is to provide a system of the character described that is comfortable and non-distracting. 
         [0030]    Another basic object is to provide a hat with user applied insect control strips that attract and capture mosquitoes. 
         [0031]    Another object of my invention is to provide an insect capturing system that applies to the various geometrically shaped segments of conventional ball caps. It is a feature of my invention that the preferred kit includes multiple shaped segments that fit above all of the various surface segments of conventional caps. 
         [0032]    Another basic object of the invention is to provide a high degree of protection against mosquitoes. 
         [0033]    A still further object is to provide an insect capturing kit for caps of the character described, that enables them to capture insects. 
         [0034]    Another important object is to provide an insect capturing system of the character described that is conveniently employed in conjunction with a conventional adjustable baseball style hat which is adjustable and comfortable. 
         [0035]    Another object is to provide an effective system for controlling insects that is effective for ventilated caps or hats. It is a feature of my invention that the preferred pest strips are mounted in an offset fashion to allow continued ventilation of the hat. 
         [0036]    It is also an object to provide an insect controlling cap or hat for hunters that is comfortable and durable. 
         [0037]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent in the course of the following descriptive sections. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0038]    In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible to indicate like parts in the various views: 
           [0039]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary pictorial view of a hunter wearing a cap equipped with the insect control kit of the invention; 
           [0040]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged, front plan view of a cap adapted to receive my insect controlling kit; 
           [0041]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the cap of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0042]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the cap of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; 
           [0043]      FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of the cap of  FIGS. 2-4 ; 
           [0044]      FIG. 6  is a rear plan view of the cap of  FIGS. 2-5 ; 
           [0045]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of a primary insect control segment for application to regular triangular portions of the cap, showing how it is packaged, and illustrating placement of a trio of attachment tabs; 
           [0046]      FIG. 8  is a plan view similar to  FIG. 7 , but omitting the attachment tabs; 
           [0047]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of a secondary control segment for application to the irregular right rear surface portion of a cap, showing how it is packaged prior to deployment; 
           [0048]      FIG. 10  is a plan view of a secondary control segment for application to the irregularly shaped left rear surface portion of the cap, illustrating placement of the preferred attachment tabs; 
           [0049]      FIG. 11  is an isometric view of the preferred tabs disposed on their tab strip; 
           [0050]      FIG. 12  is a fragmentary isometric view illustrating how the preferred attachment tabs are removed from the tab strip for deployment upon various control segments; 
           [0051]      FIG. 13  is a fragmentary isometric view illustrating the manual placement of selected tabs upon a control segment; and, 
           [0052]      FIG. 14  is a fragmentary pictorial view illustrating the attachment of a tabbed control segment upon the cap of  FIGS. 2-6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0053]    With initial reference directed to  FIGS. 1-6  of the appended drawings, a ball cap or hat constructed generally in accordance with the best mode of the invention has been generally designated by the reference numeral  20 . A hat equipped with only portions of the invention (i.e., the fastening bands made of Velcro®-brand material) has been designated by the reference numeral  21  in  FIGS. 2-6 . As explained in detail hereinafter, the invention comprises a plurality of sticky, bug-capturing segments that are adapted to be disposed about the external surface periphery of the hats  20 ,  21  to capture insect pests  22 ,  24 . For example, an insect  24  is illustrated captured upon a segment of the invention, where it can no longer attack or bother the wearer  26 . 
         [0054]    A conventional ball cap comprises an upper, generally dome-shaped top portion  28  adapted to sit upon the head of a wearer  26 , having a front  30  from which a conventional bill  32  projects outwardly. The front  34  of the bill  32  is conventionally reinforced with a plurality of parallel, arcuate stitches  36 . Stitching  37  reinforces the front lip  39  ( FIG. 5 ) of the bill  32 . Conventional stitching  38  beneath the cap dome  28  ( FIG. 3 ), and above the bottom  33  of the dome, secures the bill to the dome. 
         [0055]    Dome  28  comprises several radially spaced-apart, fabric portions that are conventionally sewn together. For example, noting  FIGS. 2 and 4 , there is a generally triangular front left portion  42  and a generally triangular front right portion  43  that adjoin each other at boundary  45 , and which are secured by conventional stitches  47 . A generally triangular left side portion  49  adjoins an irregularly shaped left rear portion  50  across border  52 . A right rear irregular portion  55  adjoins a generally triangular right side portion  56  across boundary  57 . Adjoining triangular portions  43  and  56  similarly are stitched on sides of boundary  59 . Most caps include conventional apertured ventilation buttons  60  for comfort. As seen in  FIG. 5 , the bottom inside of the cap comprises a plurality of intersecting and radially spaced-apart fabric strips that internally line or cover the previously discussed boundaries and stitching. 
         [0056]    Referencing  FIGS. 4-6 , the bottom periphery  64  of the dome has a lower, encircling band  66  ( FIG. 5 ) whose terminal ends  68 ,  69  ( FIG. 6 ) can be adjusted to fit the cap to differently sized persons. As recognized by those skilled in the art, these ends are conventionally covered with Velcro®-brand fastener material, comprising hook and loop materials that bind the ends together in an adjustable fashion. Similar materials have been used with other parts in my insect control kit  23 , as described below. 
         [0057]    Ends  68 ,  69  ( FIG. 6 ) mate together beneath a rear, somewhat rectangular void region  71  at the rear of the cap. When the cap is worn, void region  71  is positioned at the back of the wearer&#39;s head. The curved, reinforced edge  73  defines the border of region  71 , which shapes the rears of irregular rear cap portions  50  and  55  so that they are shaped differently than the generally triangular cap portions  49 ,  56  etc. 
         [0058]    Attachment means are provided for anchoring and holding the insect control segments discussed hereinafter. When the invention is sold in kit form, the attachment means will be user applied to a conventional ball cap. A primary attachment band  75  is the largest portion of the attachment means. As seen, for example, in  FIG. 4 , the elongated, encircling band  75  extends substantially about the frontal and side periphery of the preferred cap. Band  75  anchors lower portions of the control segments as discussed hereinafter. A secondary attachment band  77  is attached to dome  28  at the rear of the cap, above region  71  ( FIG. 6 ). Band  77  is generally parallel with edge  73  ( FIG. 6 ), and it complements band  75 . Finally, an upper circular attachment disk  78  sits atop the cap&#39;s dome  28 . When my invention is sold in kit form, for retrofitting to existing baseball hats, bands  75  and  77  and disk  78 , all made of Velcro®-brand fastener material, will be applied by the user to a conventional ball cap. These attachment means portions will be packaged with a strip backing over an adhesive base, for application to hats by the user. Hats  20  have the bands  75 ,  77  and disk  78  sewn in place. 
         [0059]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a primary insect control segment  80  is generally triangular. The hat  20  uses four such primary segments, for covering each of the previously discussed generally triangular hat portions  42 ,  43 ,  49  and  56  ( FIG. 4 ). The segments may be made of plastic film, and they preferably they are translucent. A camouflage pattern may be applied to them to match coloration of the hat. There are several, preferably three, attachment tabs  82 ,  83  affixed to the segment  80 .  FIG. 8  shows a segment  80  prior to application of tabs. Tabs  82  are disposed near the segment bottom, and when the segment is placed upon the cap to cover portions  42 ,  43 ,  49  or  56 , for example, the bottom tabs  82  mate with band  75 . The top attachment tabs  83  mate with the upper disk  78 , as seen in  FIG. 14 . Each segment  80  has a smooth outer surface  85  to which the tabs  82 ,  83  are adhesively affixed. The sticky bottom surface  87  (i.e.,  FIG. 14 ) of the segments  80  is treated with an insect capturing gummy substance to capture insects, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Prior to installation, the segments  80  are disposed on a peel away backing strip  86 , which, as in  FIG. 14 , may be peeled away from the segments  80  during or prior to installation. After strip  86  is removed, the bottom Velcro® attachment tabs  82  are pressed upon the Velcro® band  75  as in  FIG. 13 , and the tabs allow segment  80  to be firmly attached to the hat over a given triangular hat portion  42 ,  43 ,  49 , and/or  56 . Importantly, the spacing provided by the tabs  82 ,  83  over and upon band  75  and disk  78  respectively provides a small air gap between the segments and the surface of the cap, so apertured ventilation buttons  60  are not completely occluded. The latter feature enhances user comfort. 
         [0060]    Turning to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , there are two secondary or irregular insect control segments shaped differently than segments  80 . Segment  90  is designed for right rear cap portion  55 , and segment  91  ( FIG. 10 ) is designed to fit over left rear cap portion  50  ( FIG. 4 ). Segments  90  and  91  are packaged on a peel strip  93 . The smooth outer surface  95  of segment  90  has not received attachment tabs yet. Segment  91  has four attachment tabs disposed upon its outer surface  97 . Lower attachment tabs  99  mate with the band  75  discussed earlier. Upper tab  101  mates with disk  78 . The corner tab  102  mates with the rear band  77  (i.e.,  FIG. 4 ) discussed earlier. The lower sticky surfaces of segments  90  and  91 , as before, stick to peel strips  93  until removal. With the segments and peel strips separated, and with the segments attached as in  FIG. 1 , the combined, exposed sticky surfaces will capture annoying insect pests as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Preferably, the sticky substance used to capture insects is a polybutene, hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesive. 
         [0061]    Referencing  FIGS. 11 , and  12 , a plurality of attachment tabs  83  are adhesively affixed to a peel strip substrate  104  for packaging. Each tab  82  or  83  etc. is in the form of a disk, with a circular shape. The outer circular surfaces  106  of each tab are formed of Velcro® brand material for mating with the similar Velcro® brand material in bands  75 ,  77 , and disk  78 . The inner surface  108  ( FIG. 12 ) of each tab is gummed, forming a tacky adhesive surface that adheres to substrate  104 . When grasped by the hand  110 , they can be removed as seen in  FIG. 12  and applied to the control segments as in  FIG. 13  in the manner discussed earlier. 
         [0062]    From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to obtain all the ends and objects herein set forth, together with other advantages which are inherent to the structure. 
         [0063]    It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. 
         [0064]    As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.