Patent Description:
Headwear can include various components, such as a crown and a visor (e.g., bill). One type of headwear is a hat, such as a cap or a baseball cap, in which the crown is traditionally formed of six (<NUM>) crown panels or <NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM> crown panels because the fabric is flat, unless the crown is specially hand-crocheted with yarn. However, the multiple crown panels are connected together using conventional attachment techniques, such as stitching or sewing. Such conventional manufacturing techniques increase the time, complexity and cost of assembling or manufacturing components of a cap together. These types of conventional caps also are restrictive in terms of head size ranges, and thus, must be made in many different sizes to accommodate different wearers. Furthermore, the materials used for the flat crown panels in these caps are susceptible to wrinkling, particularly those which use heavier fabrics.

<CIT> discloses a manufacturing method of shaping a cap. The method employs a special yarn/textile which, when placed on a mold and heated at high temperature and pressure, forms a crown that is non-stretchable and rigid. The material of the crown is then hardened by the heating and pressure treatment during the molding step.

According to the present invention, a cap and method of assembling thereof is provided, which employ a single-panel crown formed of a stretchable fabric. The method of assembling a cap, such as for example a baseball cap, involves forming a single-panel crown for a cap from a single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric, the stretchable fabric comprising elastic fabric, attaching a support layer to an interior portion of the single-panel crown, and attaching a visor and an elastic band to the single-panel crown with the attached support layer. The single-panel crown is formed by heating and stretching the single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric to form a hemispherical shape on a portion of the stretchable fabric, the single panel crown being formed of the stretchable fabric. The single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric is heated and stretched into the hemispherical shape without applying or adding additional materials thereto for shaping the stretchable fabric.

Forming the single-panel crown may further comprise cutting any extra edge portion or portions of the stretchable fabric that extend from or beyond the hemispherical shaped portion in order to form the single-panel crown for the cap.

The heating and stretching may comprise applying heat to one or both sides of the stretchable fabric, and as heat is applied, a pressing force can be applied to the stretchable fabric using a hemispherical shaped fabric mold to stretch the portion of the stretchable fabric into the hemispherical shape. The stretchable fabric can be made of a woven or non-woven material, and is an elastic fabric (or fabric with elastic properties ) that can include <NUM>% to <NUM>% spandex, preferably around <NUM>% of spandex.

The support layer can be made of buckram. To attach the support layer to the single-panel crown, a coat of an adhesive can be applied to a surface of the buckram or an interior, front portion of the single-panel crown. The buckram can then be pressed (e.g., heat pressed) against the interior, front portion of the single-panel crown so that the adhesive bonds the buckram to the interior, front portion of the single-panel crown. Furthermore, bonding tape can be applied over one or more seams that are formed between an edge of the buckram and an interior surface of the single-panel crown. Each of the one or more seams extends radially from an interior, central portion to a bottom edge of the single-panel crown, and the bonding tape covers the one or more seams and further connects the buckram to the single-panel crown.

According to the invention, there is also provided headwear comprising a cap that includes a single-panel crown formed from a single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric and having a hemispherical shape, the stretchable fabric comprising elastic fabric, the single-panel crown formed by heating and stretching the single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric to form a hemispherical shape on a portion of the stretchable fabric, the single-panel crown being formed of the stretchable fabric. A support layer is attached to an interior portion of the single-panel crown; and a visor and an elastic band are attached to the single-panel crown. The single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric is to be heated and stretched into the hemispherical shape without applying or adding additional materials thereto for shaping the stretchable fabric.

The cap with a single-panel crown is designed to provide numerous benefits over conventional caps. For example, the single-panel crown can be formed from a stretchable fabric in a manner that requires substantially less labor in comparison to conventional crowns such as those formed by connecting multiple flat crown panels or by hand crocheting yarn. Thus, with a single-panel crown design as described herein, it is possible to assemble or manufacture a cap (e.g., a baseball cap) in a more efficient, faster and less costly manner in comparison to conventional caps. Furthermore, a cap with such a single-panel crown is able to cover a larger range of head sizes, has increased or improved tear strength by eliminating the need for stitching ordinarily employed to connect multiple flat crown panels together in conventional caps, and is less susceptible to wrinkling particularly when employing light or lighter stretchable fabric for the crown.

The description of the various exemplary embodiments is explained in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:.

<FIG> illustrate a headwear, such as a cap <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> includes a single-panel crown <NUM>. A top button <NUM> and a visor <NUM> are attached (or connected) to the crown <NUM>. The single-panel crown <NUM> has a hemispherical shape (e.g., a dome shape) and is formed of a stretchable fabric, preferably a light or lighter stretchable fabric. The fabric can be a woven or non-woven material, and is an elastic fabric that is formed, such as for example with spandex (e.g., between <NUM>% and <NUM>% spandex, preferably around <NUM>% spandex). As will be described in greater detail below, the single-panel crown <NUM> is formed by heating and stretching a single sheet or single piece of a stretchable fabric into a hemispherical shape using a heat pressing system or heat press transfer machine with a suitable fabric-shaping mold or fabric mold (e.g., a hemispherical-shaped fabric mold).

As further shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> also includes a support layer <NUM>, and an elastic band <NUM>. The support layer <NUM> is attached to an interior or inside of the single-panel crown <NUM> to provide structural support for a desired portion(s) of the single-panel crown <NUM> of the cap <NUM>. In this example, the support layer <NUM> is attached to an interior, front portion of the single-panel crown <NUM>.

The support layer <NUM> can be formed as a single panel or by connecting multiple support panels. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the support layer <NUM> includes two support panels 230A and 230B, which can be connected together along their seam such as, for example, by sewing or stitching, with bonding tape, with an adhesive, or a combination thereof. In this example, the two support panels 230A and 230B together with a strip <NUM> of bonding tape or fabric are stitched and the strip <NUM> covers the seam between the support panels 230A and 230B. The support layer <NUM> can be formed of a rigid material, such as buckram.

The support layer <NUM> can be attached to the interior or inside of the single-panel crown <NUM> through heat transfer techniques using an adhesive (e.g., a fabric adhesive), as well as using bonding tape. As shown in <FIG>, two strips 250A and 250B of bonding tape are applied along respective seams between an outer edge or periphery of the support layer <NUM> and the interior of the single-panel crown <NUM>. The strips 250A and 250B of bonding tape further attach the support layer <NUM> to the single-panel crown <NUM>, and cover respective seams therebetween that extend radially from a central or center portion to a bottom edge (or rim) <NUM> of the single-panel crown <NUM>. The bonding tape, as used herein, can be a single-sided or double-sided heat bonding tape or adhesive tape (e.g., a pressure sensitive adhesive tape). An adhesive, as used herein, can be a fabric adhesive that is applied with or without heat to bond two or more components together.

The elastic band <NUM> is attached around an interior of the bottom edge <NUM> of the single-panel crown <NUM> with the attached support layer <NUM>. The elastic band <NUM> can be a sweatband. The visor <NUM> and the elastic band <NUM> can be attached to the single-panel crown <NUM> by sewing or stitching them to the single-panel crown <NUM> (see e.g., stitches or stitching <NUM> in <FIG>).

<FIG> illustrate an exemplary step-by-step process of assembling or manufacturing a cap with a single-panel crown, such as shown in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, a single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric <NUM> is provided. The stretchable fabric <NUM> is an elastic fabric. A portion of the stretchable fabric <NUM> is heated and pressed with a sufficient force by a hemispherical-shaped fabric mold <NUM> (of a heat press transfer machine or heat pressing system) to form a hemispherical shape on the fabric <NUM>, i.e., a hemispherical-shaped portion <NUM>. The amount of force, temperature and time used in the heating and stretching processes can vary according to the properties of the stretchable fabric <NUM> in the heating and stretching operations. The size and shape of the mold <NUM> can be changed, as desired, to accommodate different types of caps and head sizes or head size ranges.

As shown in <FIG>, the stretchable fabric <NUM> is subsequently cut or trimmed, if necessary, to remove any extra edge portion or portions <NUM> that extend beyond the hemispherical-shaped portion <NUM>. In this way, a single-panel crown <NUM> is formed from the hemispherical-shaped portion <NUM> of the stretchable fabric <NUM>. As an alternative, the stretchable fabric <NUM> can be cut beforehand or pre-cut into a fabric blank (e.g., a circular or oval blank of the stretchable fabric <NUM>) with a suitable size and shape to avoid the necessity of performing a trimming or cutting operation after the heating and stretching processes. For example, the fabric blank can be heated and stretched, as described herein, to form the single-panel crown <NUM> with a hemispherical shape.

As shown in <FIG>, a support layer <NUM> is to be attached to an interior or inside of the single-panel crown <NUM>, which is noted by reference <NUM>. In this example, the support layer <NUM> is formed of two support panels 230A and 230B (e.g. triangular-shaped panels), which are connected by sewing or stitching along a seam formed by adjacent outer edges of the support panels 230A and 230B. For example, a strip <NUM> of fabric or bonding tape, which is applied over the seam between the support panels 230A and 230B, is sewed or stitched to attach or to further attach the support panels 230A and 230B along with the strip <NUM> together. However, the support panels 230A and 230B can be attached in other ways, such as using adhesives (e.g. fabric adhesives), bond taping, etc..

As shown by reference <NUM> in <FIG>, the support layer <NUM> can be attached to the interior or inside of the single-panel crown <NUM> using an adhesive <NUM> (e.g., fabric adhesive). For example, a coating of the adhesive <NUM> is applied on one side or surface of the support layer <NUM>. The support layer <NUM> is thereafter inserted into the single-panel crown <NUM>, and then pressed against an interior, front portion of the single-panel crown <NUM> to attach the support layer <NUM> to the single-panel crown <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, two strips 250A and 250B of bonding tape are applied along respective seams between an outer edge or periphery of the support layer <NUM> and the interior of the single-panel crown <NUM> (also referred to as "seamless taping"). The strips 250A and 250B of bonding tape further attach the support layer <NUM> to the single-panel crown <NUM>, and cover respective seams therebetween that extend radially from a central or center portion to a bottom edge (or rim) <NUM> of the single-panel crown <NUM>. The top button <NUM> is also attached to a central portion or center of the single-panel crown <NUM> with a metal snap or the like.

As further shown in <FIG>, a visor <NUM>, an elastic band <NUM> are attached to the single-panel crown <NUM> with the support layer <NUM>. For example, the elastic band <NUM> is attached around an interior of the bottom edge <NUM> of the single-panel crown <NUM> with the attached support layer <NUM>. The visor <NUM> and the elastic band <NUM> can be attached to the single-panel crown <NUM> by sewing or stitching them together to the single-panel crown <NUM> (see e.g., stitches or stitching <NUM> in <FIG>) or separately. to the single-panel crown <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flow diagram of an exemplary process <NUM> by which a headwear, such as for example a cap as shown in <FIG>, is assembled and manufactured with a single-panel crown. The process <NUM> can begin with the provision of a single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric, at reference <NUM>. The stretchable fabric can be made of woven or non-woven material, and can preferably be a light or lighter stretchable fabric. As previously discussed, the stretchable fabric is an elastic fabric that may incorporate spandex, such as for example between <NUM>% to <NUM>% of spandex or preferably around <NUM>% of spandex.

At reference <NUM>, the stretchable fabric is heated and stretched so at least a portion thereof forms a hemispherical shape (e.g., a dome or half-sphere shape). A hemispherical-shaped fabric mold or other suitable fabric mold of a heat press transfer machine or heat pressing system can be used to heat press, and thus, stretch the stretchable fabric into a desired shape (or dimensions). The stretchable fabric can be heated on one or both sides when stretching the fabric.

At reference <NUM>, any extra edge portion or portions of the stretchable fabric that extend from or beyond the hemispherical-shaped portion is cut or trimmed off in order to form a single-panel crown for a cap.

At reference <NUM>, a support layer is attached to an inside or interior surface of the single-panel crown. For baseball or similar caps, the support layer can be attached to an interior, front portion of the single-panel crown. As previously discussed, the support layer can be made of buckram, and can be formed of one or more support panels which are attached together such as by sewing or stitching, adhesive (e.g., fabric adhesive), bonding tape or a combination thereof, or by other conventional attachment techniques. For example, the support layer can initially be attached to the single-panel crown with an adhesive, and then bonding tape can be applied over the seams between outer edge or periphery of the support layer and the interior of the single-panel crown.

At reference <NUM>, the visor and the elastic band (e.g., a sweatband) is attached to the single-panel crown, such as by sewing or stitching. The visor and the elastic band can be attached separately to the single-panel crown or attached together (e.g., at the same time or simultaneously) to the single-panel crown.

At reference <NUM>, other cap manufacturing processes may be performed to customize the cap. For example, these and other conventional cap manufacturing processes may include embroidering a logo(s) or printing a logo(s), e.g., a print logo, on the cap.

The headwear and method of assembling thereof, which are shown and described above with reference to the figures, are simply provided as examples. It should be understood that the headwear can include a single-panel crown having a different or varying size, shape and configuration. Although the headwear in <FIG> is shown as a particular type of a cap, such as a baseball cap, the single-panel crown manufacturing technique can be used to assemble or manufacture other types of caps with a visor (e.g., a bill) and having a different or varying dimensions (e.g., size and shape). In general, headwear components (including those described herein), layers of materials or accessories (e.g., lining, liners or backing for the single-panel crown, etc.) can also be attached or connected using various attachment techniques, such as sewing or stitching, adhesive (e.g., fabric adhesive), bonding tape, or a combination thereof and/or other conventional techniques for attaching components of a headwear together. Furthermore, the assembling operations can be performed in a different order, and may omit some operations or add other operations to assemble a cap with a single-panel crown, as long as it is covered by the scope of the claims.

As discussed herein, a stretchable fabric can be heated and stretched into a desired shape with a heat press transfer machine or heat pressing system that employs fabric mold. The fabric mold can include a male mold part (e.g., mold <NUM> in <FIG>) and a counterpart-female mold part, which when engaged stretches the stretchable fabric arranged therebetween into a desired shape according to the shape of the mold parts (e.g., hemispherical shape). Alternatively, the fabric mold may include only a male mold part, upon which the stretchable fabric is pressed against and stretched.

Words of degree, such as "about", "substantially", and the like are used herein in the sense of "at, or nearly at, when given the manufacturing, design, and material tolerances inherent in the stated circumstances" and are used to prevent the unscrupulous infringer from unfairly taking advantage of the invention disclosure where exact or absolute figures and operational or structural relationships are stated as an aid to understanding the invention.

Claim 1:
A method of assembling a cap comprising:
forming a single-panel crown (<NUM>) for a cap (<NUM>) from a single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric, the stretchable fabric comprising elastic fabric;
attaching a support layer (<NUM>) to an interior portion of the single-panel crown (<NUM>); and
attaching a visor (<NUM>) and an elastic band (<NUM>) to the single-panel crown (<NUM>) with the attached support layer (<NUM>),
wherein the forming a single-panel crown (<NUM>) comprises heating and stretching the single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric to form a hemispherical shape on a portion of the stretchable fabric, the single-panel crown (<NUM>) being formed of the stretchable fabric,
wherein the single sheet or single piece of stretchable fabric is to be heated and stretched into the hemispherical shape without applying or adding additional materials thereto for shaping the stretchable fabric.