Abstract:
A flexible neck cover for attachment to the lower back rim or band of a hat or cap is formed from a conical surface of revolution to provide an improved shape which allows the cover to flow or drape over a person&#39;s shoulders when wearing the neck cover. The neck cover is provided with respective upper and lower concave and convex arcuate edges and opposed, preferably straight or convex curved side edges. The neck cover may include decorative indicia thereon, including advertising information or the like, and water dispensing vials or a soaker “rope” secured thereto to provide an evaporative cooling effect for the wearer.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to a flexible cover attachable to a hat or cap to shade or cover the back of a person&#39;s neck and to provide a display area. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Neck sunshades or covers which are temporarily or permanently affixed to the backside of a hat or other head gear are known. However, prior art neck sunshades or hoods have not been particularly adapted to be draped properly on one&#39;s shoulders and retain a shape, when worn, which will completely cover the back of a person&#39;s neck comfortably at substantially all times. This deficiency in prior art neck sunshades is due primarily to a failure to provide the proper shape of the neck cover or shade. 
     Accordingly, prior art neck sunshades and the like do not drape or spread evenly across the back of the neck and remain draped over one&#39;s shoulders, particularly when worn out of doors in both calm and windy conditions and/or by persons who are undertaking vigorous physical activity. Still further, due to the lack of proper configuration of prior art sunshades or neck covers, such covers have not been suitable for displaying various indicia thereon, such as advertising information, since the shape and draping of the cover is such that the indicia cannot be viewed in its entirety while the cover is being worn. It is to overcome these deficiencies of the prior art that the present invention has been developed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an improved neck sunshade or cover adapted to be permanently or temporarily affixed, preferably, to or above the rim or band of a hat or cap, which flows loosely over the wearer&#39;s ears and is operable to lie properly draped over one&#39;s shoulders and upper back to provide a suitable cover for one&#39;s neck when worn out of doors. 
     The present invention also provides an improved neck shade or cover which may be worn attached to the back of a cap or hat and which may have suitable indicia, such as advertising information, printed thereon and which is suitably displayed while the cover is being worn. 
     The improved neck cover of the invention is formed of a portion of a surface of revolution, particularly a conical surface of revolution. It has been discovered that a neck shade or cover so configured drapes itself more evenly and completely across one&#39;s shoulders, covers one&#39;s neck to protect against sunlight and chill winds and provides an improved display for indicia, including advertising or similar promotional information. 
     Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the important features of the present invention upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one preferred embodiment of the neck cover of the invention attached to a cap and shown draped over a wearer&#39;s shoulders; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the neck cover forming a portion of a conical surface of revolution; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view further illustrating the shape of the neck cover of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a planar developed view of the neck cover showing exemplary dimensions therefor; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first alternate embodiment of a neck cover in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second alternate embodiment of a neck cover in accordance with the invention; and 
     FIG. 7 is a detail section view taken generally along line  7 — 7  of FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the description which follows like elements or features are marked with the same reference numerals, respectively. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a neck cover in accordance with the present invention and generally designated by the numeral  10 . The neck cover  10  is shown attached to a hat or cap  12  having a lower peripheral edge or band  14 . Thanks to the unique configuration of the neck cover  10 , it retains a draped enveloping shape, as shown, flowing over the shoulders  15  and  16  and covering the ears  17 , one shown, of a wearer of the cap  12 , as illustrated. 
     Referring further to FIG. 1, the neck cover  10  includes an arcuate, concave upper or top edge  18  spaced from an arcuate convex lower or bottom edge  20 , and opposed generally straight side edges  22  and  24  which may be tapered toward each other from upper edge  18  toward lower edge  20 , see FIGS. 2 and 3 also. Referring further to FIG. 1, the upper edge  18  is preferably provided with an elastic portion  19  extending at least along a part of the upper edge  18  between the intersection of the upper edge with the side edges  22  and  24 . The elastic portion  19  may comprise a conventional garment elastic band which is suitably attached to the neck cover  10  within a hem, for example, at the upper edge  18 . In this way, the neck cover  10  may accommodate adjustable hats or caps, such as the hat  12 , which has a size adjustment belt  13 , of conventional construction, provided therefor. 
     The neck cover  10  may be suitably connected to the cap  12  permanently, such as by sewing, or otherwise securing the edge  18  to the periphery of the cap  12  just at the lower peripheral edge or band  14 . Temporary attachment means including hook and loop fasteners, “tie-tack” type fasteners, snap fasteners or releasable adhesive strips may also be provided, if desired. Thanks to the shape of the neck cover  10 , various types of decorative indicia, such as advertising information  30 , may be printed or otherwise provided on the outer surface  31  of the neck cover whereby neck covers according to the invention may be sold or distributed as promotional items, for example. One particular advantage of the neck cover  10  is that, due to its shape and desirable draping when worn, the entire outer surface  31  is viewable and any indicia printed thereon is also, of course, easily viewed. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is illustrated the configuration of the neck cover  10  formed as a portion of a surface of revolution of a cone  34 . As shown in FIG. 3, a preferred embodiment of the neck cover  10  is one which extends on conical surface  35  over an arc “a” of about 200° to 210° with respect to the cone axis of revolution  37 . The cone  34  preferably has an included angle of about 90°. A preferred embodiment of the neck cover  10  is also provided with arcuate corners  23  and  25  formed between the side edges  22  and  24  and the bottom edge  20 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, the bottom edge  20  and the side edges  22  and  24  may be formed as one continuous arcuate convex edge  20   a . Also, the bottom edge  20  and the side edges  22  and  24  may be formed as a continuous convex circular arc  20   b  and intersecting the concave top edge  18 , as shown in FIG.  3 . Still further, as shown in FIG. 3, the side edges may be modified, as indicated by numerals  22   a  and  24   a , to provide the proportions shown wherein the included angle between such side edges is about 90°. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a developed plan view of the neck cover  10  wherein a preferred embodiment has an arcuate upper edge  18  having a radius of curvature of about 5.25 inches and wherein the lower edge  20  has a radius of curvature of about 11.50 inches. The overall width of the neck cover  10  between corners  23  and  25  is 18.0 inches in the preferred embodiment and the overall height between the bottom edge  20  and the intersection of the side edges  22  and  24  with the upper edge  18  is about 11.75 inches. These dimensions leave a length of the neck cover  10  of about 9.0 inches, as indicated. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, a first alternate embodiment of a neck cover in accordance with the invention is shown and designated by the numeral  10   a . The neck cover  10   a  is similar in most respects to the neck cover  10  but is shown detachably connected to a cap  12  by spaced apart snap fasteners  40 . Two snap fasteners  40  are shown spaced apart for attaching the neck cover  10   a  at the upper edge  18  to the cap  12 . Additional fasteners  40 , not shown, may be suitably spaced apart along the right side of the neck cover  10   a  also. 
     The fasteners  40  may be of a conventional design but are, preferably, of a type indicated in FIG. 7 wherein each fastener  40  is characterized by a snap member  40   a  connected to a reduced diameter hub portion  40   b  which is integrally formed with a generally circular, relatively thin disk-like base part  40   c . The snap member  40   a  and hub  40   b  project through a suitable opening in the fabric layer  12   a  of cap  12 , as shown. The snap fastener  40  is also characterized by a grommet comprising opposed disc members  40   d  and  40   e . Disc member  40   d  has a suitable generally cylindrical opening  40   d   1  formed therein and a circumferential retaining flange  40   f  which is suitably displaced radially outwardly to engage the grommet member  40   e  to retain it in assembly with the grommet member  40   d . Grommet members  40   d  and  40   e  are assembled through a suitable opening in the fabric of cover  10   a  and crimped together by displacement of the flange  40   f  trapping the fabric layer  10   b  between grommet members  40   d  and  40   e.    
     The neck cover  10   a  includes an additional feature which is advantageous comprising an evaporative cooling water dispensing device characterized by an elongated fibrous rope member  42  extending substantially parallel to and spaced from the upper edge  18  and suitably secured to the neck cover  10   a . Alternatively, the evaporative cooling water dispensing rope  42  may be worn by securing the rope with a suitable headband  44 , a portion of which is shown in FIG.  5 . Accordingly, the neck cover  10   a  may be detached from the cap  12  and a suitable amount of cooling water may be applied to the cooling water dispensing rope  42  to “soak” the rope prior to donning the neck cover when reattached to the cap  12 . By providing the cooling water dispensing rope  42 , cooling water absorbed thereunto may wick down through the fabric of the neck cover  10   a  toward the lower edge  20  to provide an evaporative cooling effect to the wearer&#39;s neck. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, a second alternate embodiment of a neck cover in accordance with the invention is illustrated and generally designated by the numeral  10   b . The neck cover  10   b  is similar in most respects to the neck covers  10  and  10   a  and may be attached to a cap  12  by any one of the means described above. Additionally, the neck cover  10   b  is provided with spaced apart cooling water dispensing vials  48  which are each suitably secured at one end adjacent the upper edge  18  by conventional tether means  50 . The cooling water dispensing vials  48  have water dispensing nozzles  52  extending therefrom and which are operable to meter and sprinkle cooling water onto the fabric of the neck cover  10   b  as a consequence of the wearer&#39;s head motion to also provide a cooling effect through evaporation. 
     The neck cover  10  may be fabricated of one of several materials, including woven or knit cotton or synthetic fabrics. Indicia, such as the advertising indicia  30 , may be printed on the surface  31  using conventional methods. 
     Although preferred embodiments of a neck cover or skirt have been described herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.