Patent Description:
Protective clothing, including surgical caps, are worn in surgical settings to limit contamination. Some traditional bouffant surgical caps have an elastic band extending completely around a lower end of the cap which can stretch to accommodate different size heads, hairstyles, etc. One of the problems associated with these traditional surgical caps is that they may leave a mark on the wearer's head and/or cause irritation to the wearer's skin. Such prior surgical caps include a cap such as that disclosed in <CIT>. Like the cap disclosed herein, that cap has a cavity for receiving a head, and an elastic portion.

Terms of orientation are for convenient reference to the drawings and are not intended to limit the orientation of the orientation of the surgical cap in use.

A surgical cap according to the appended claims is provided. The pair of inner layers covers the resilient member and reduces irritation to the wearer's head. The resilient member is secured to the three innermost of the four outer layers and the layers provide support to the resilient member. Further, by utilizing a plurality of layers, the material used for the layers may be thinner than might be required for a single layer cap.

A method of fabricating a surgical cap is not claimed. The method comprises providing a cover of the surgical cap; folding a portion of the cover to form first and second layers; securing a resilient member to the first and second layers; positioning at least one layer of the portion of the cover on an opposite side of the resilient member from the first and second layers; and securing the at least one layer to the first and second layers.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the figures.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the surgical cap <NUM> has a cover <NUM> that covers the forehead, hair, ears, sideburns, and nape of the neck of a user <NUM>. The cover <NUM> includes a top <NUM> made of the first material and a side wall <NUM> made of a second material. The first material may be selected to provide breathability while the second material may be selected to provide a stronger material for withstanding tearing during fabrication and wear of the surgical cap <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, the surgical cap <NUM> is shown removed from the user <NUM>. The side wall <NUM> has a lower end <NUM> with an edge <NUM> extending around an opening <NUM> of the surgical cap <NUM> which receives a head <NUM> of the user <NUM>. The opening <NUM> opens into a head-receiving cavity <NUM> of the surgical cap <NUM>. The surgical cap <NUM> includes a flexible portion <NUM> that stretches to accommodate varying head sizes. The flexible portion <NUM> extends around less than the entire circumference of the opening <NUM> in the illustrated embodiment, although in alternative embodiments the flexible portion can be disposed around the entire circumference or to a greater or lesser extent than shown.

The flexible portion <NUM> includes layers <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> that extend along a flexible member, such as a piece of elastic <NUM>. The elastic <NUM> is sewn or otherwise secured to the side wall <NUM> and is stretched when the surgical cap <NUM> is placed on the head <NUM> of the user <NUM>. The tensioned elastic <NUM> holds the surgical cap <NUM> in position on the head <NUM> of the user <NUM>. As discussed below, the elastic <NUM> is covered by the material of the side wall <NUM>, so that the elastic <NUM> generally does not irritate or leave a mark on the skin of the user <NUM>.

The surgical cap <NUM> has a front <NUM>, which extends over the front of the head <NUM> of the user <NUM> and a back <NUM> that extends over the back of the head <NUM> of the user <NUM>. To provide additional clearance for hair or the neck of the user <NUM>, the surgical cap <NUM> includes a recess <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, the layers <NUM> have a gathered configuration and smooth out as the flexible portion <NUM> is stretched. The elastic <NUM> is sewn to or otherwise secured to three of the layers <NUM> so that the elastic <NUM> elongates as the flexible portion <NUM> is stretched. When the flexible portion <NUM> and the elastic <NUM> thereof extend along less than the entire circumference of the opening <NUM>, less elastic material may be used.

The interior of the head-receiving cavity <NUM> is shown in <FIG>. The layers <NUM> include a layer <NUM> inward from the elastic <NUM> that separates the elastic <NUM> from the head <NUM> of the user <NUM>. The layer <NUM> may extend upward beyond the elastic <NUM> and along an inner surface <NUM> of the side wall <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, a cross-sectional view is provided of the side wall <NUM>, the layers <NUM> of the side wall <NUM>, and the elastic <NUM>. As discussed in greater detail below, the side wall <NUM> includes panels <NUM>, <NUM> which are folded to form folds <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> which provides the layers <NUM> that cover the elastic <NUM> and provide a substrate for supporting the elastic <NUM>.

The layers <NUM> include a pair of layers <NUM>, <NUM>, inward from the elastic <NUM> (to the left in <FIG>) for covering the elastic <NUM> and limiting irritation to the skin of the user <NUM>. The layers <NUM> further include four layers, such as layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> outward from the elastic <NUM> (to the right in <FIG>) that provide a stronger section of the side wall <NUM> for securing the elastic <NUM>. In one approach, the elastic <NUM> is sewn onto the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> with thread <NUM> using a loop stitch technique, which also secures the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> together. The layers <NUM>, <NUM> may be sewn with thread <NUM> to a body <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> that includes the layer <NUM>. This keeps the layers <NUM>, <NUM> secured relative to the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

In one form, the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are made from one piece of material and, as another example, the side wall <NUM> including the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be made from one piece of material. The layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be held in position using a number of approaches including sewing and/or adhesive. In other approaches, the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be made from a plurality of pieces of material that are secured together. For example, a first piece of folded-over material including the layers <NUM>, <NUM> may be sewn over the elastic <NUM> and secured to a second piece of folded-over material including the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. As another example, the body <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> may be made from a first piece of material and the elastic <NUM> is sewn to body <NUM>. A second piece of material folded to have a v-shape and is used to cover the elastic <NUM>. More specifically, the second piece of material is positioned so that one half of the v-shape is disposed on one side of the elastic <NUM> and the other half of the v-shape is disposed on the opposite side of the elastic <NUM>.

The top <NUM> and the side wall <NUM> may be made from one or more materials including propylene, rayon, paper, polyester mesh (scrim), and other synthetic or natural woven or non-woven materials, and combinations thereof. The thread <NUM>, <NUM> may be made from polyester.

Turning to <FIG>, various steps in a method of fabricating the surgical cap <NUM> are depicted. The method includes providing the top <NUM> and the side wall <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. The top <NUM> and side wall <NUM> may be provided as blanks in the form of the top <NUM> and side wall <NUM> which have been cut from respective rolls of material. The top <NUM> may have a shape selected to conform the surgical cap <NUM> to a variety of head shapes and sizes and has an outer edge <NUM>. For example, the top <NUM> may have a teardrop shape, an elliptical shape, or a circular shape as depicted.

The side wall <NUM> has a shape selected to allow the surgical cap <NUM> to receive and conform to a variety of head shapes and sizes. The side wall <NUM> includes the body <NUM> and the panels <NUM>, <NUM> depending from the body <NUM>. The side wall <NUM> has an upper edge <NUM> and longitudinal edges <NUM>, <NUM> extending downwardly from the upper edge <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, the method includes attaching the top <NUM> to the side wall <NUM>. In one approach, the edge <NUM> of the top <NUM> is sewn to the upper edge <NUM> of the side wall <NUM>. Because the top <NUM> is circular, sewing the edges <NUM>, <NUM> together involves curving the side wall <NUM> from a flat configuration to a generally annular configuration.

The surgical cap <NUM> is shown in <FIG> after the top <NUM> has been sewn to the side wall <NUM>. At this point, the surgical cap <NUM> has an inside-out configuration with the inner surface <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> being visible in <FIG>. Once the top <NUM> has been sewn to the side wall <NUM>, the edges <NUM>, <NUM> of the panels <NUM>, <NUM> are positioned adjacent each other.

As shown in <FIG>, the method includes joining the panels <NUM>, <NUM> together such as by sewing the edges <NUM>, <NUM> together with thread <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, the surgical cap <NUM> has been reversed to a right-side-out configuration wherein an outer surface <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> is visible. In <FIG>, the edges <NUM>, <NUM> of the panels <NUM>, <NUM> have been sewn together with thread <NUM> to form a seam <NUM> therebetween. The panels <NUM>, <NUM> are secured together and depend from the body <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

With reference to <FIG>, the method includes folding the panels <NUM>, <NUM> to form the plurality of layers <NUM> which operate as a cover and a substrate for the elastic <NUM> and results in the configuration of the flexible portion <NUM> shown in <FIG>. The following discussion of <FIG> refers to panel <NUM>, although similar operations are concurrently performed on the panel <NUM> which has been joined to the panel <NUM>. Thus, the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are formed in both panels <NUM>, <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the panel <NUM> is manipulated to form folds <NUM>, <NUM>. The elastic <NUM> is positioned against and secured to the folded panel <NUM> by sewing <NUM>, <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. In another approach, the elastic <NUM> may be secured to the folded panel <NUM> by stapling, adhesive, or other approaches.

With reference to <FIG>, the elastic <NUM> has been secured to the folded panel <NUM> by thread <NUM>. The method further includes folding a cover portion <NUM> of the panel <NUM> generally downward in direction <NUM> to re-position the fold <NUM> from a position above the elastic <NUM> to a position below the elastic <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>). This positions the elastic <NUM> between layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> on one side of the elastic <NUM> and layers <NUM>, <NUM> on an opposite side of the elastic <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the cover portion <NUM> is next pivoted inwardly in direction <NUM>. This repositions the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and elastic <NUM> from a position outside of the surgical cap <NUM> to a position inside the surgical cap <NUM>. Further, the repositioning forms the fold <NUM>.

Turning to <FIG>, the cover portion <NUM> is secured to the body <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> by sewing <NUM>. In this manner, the elastic <NUM> is sandwiched between layers <NUM>, <NUM> inward from the elastic <NUM> and the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> outward from the elastic <NUM>.

Returning to <FIG>, the cover portion <NUM> has been secured to the body <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> with the thread <NUM> after the sewing <NUM> shown in <FIG>. The layers <NUM>, <NUM> may thereby separate the elastic <NUM> from the head <NUM> when the head <NUM> is positioned in the head-receiving cavity <NUM>. Additionally, the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> provide a strong substrate to which the elastic <NUM> may be secured. In this way, the material of side wall <NUM> may be relatively thin to minimize cost and weight while providing sufficient strength to support the elastic <NUM> and protect the skin of the user <NUM> from the elastic <NUM>. In one form, the layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are all formed from one piece of material from which the side wall <NUM> is made, i.e., the blank of the side wall <NUM> shown in <FIG>.

Uses of singular terms such as "a," "an," are intended to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" are to be construed as openended terms. Any description of certain embodiments as "preferred" embodiments, and other recitation of embodiments, features, or ranges as being preferred, or suggestion that such are preferred, is not deemed to be limiting. The invention is deemed to encompass embodiments that are presently deemed to be less preferred and that may be described herein as such, but which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claim 1:
A surgical cap (<NUM>) having a cover (<NUM>) having a head-receiving cavity (<NUM>) and the surgical cap also having a resilient member (<NUM>) connected to the cover (<NUM>) and extending around less than the entire head-receiving cavity (<NUM>) characterized by: a plurality of layers of the cover (<NUM>) including a pair of inner layers (<NUM>, <NUM>) inward from the resilient member (<NUM>) and adapted to separate the resilient member (<NUM>) from a head received in the head-receiving cavity (<NUM>), and four outer layers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) outward from the resilient member (<NUM>), the resilient member (<NUM>) being secured to the three innermost of the four outer layers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>).