Patent ID: 12245652

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.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In general, a surgical cap is provided having a cover with a head-receiving cavity and a resilient member connected to the cover and extending about less than the entire head-receiving cavity. The surgical cap includes at least one and preferably a plurality of layers of the cover including at least one inner layer inward from the resilient member adapted to separate the resilient member from a head received in the head-receiving cavity and at least two outer layers outward from the resilient member to which the resilient member is secured. The at least one inner layer covers the resilient member and reduces irritation to the wearer's head. The resilient member may be secured to the at least two outer layers and the at least two layers provide support to the resilient member. Further, by utilizing at least two layers, the material used for the at least two layers may be thinner than might be required for a single layer cap.

With reference toFIGS.1and2, the surgical cap10has a cover11that covers the forehead, hair, ears, sideburns, and nape of the neck of a user12. The cover11includes a top14made of the first material and a side wall16made 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 cap10.

With reference toFIGS.3and4, the surgical cap10is shown removed from the user12. The side wall16has a lower end20with an edge40extending around an opening42of the surgical cap10which receives a head13of the user12. The opening42opens into a head-receiving cavity44of the surgical cap10. The surgical cap10includes a flexible portion22that stretches to accommodate varying head sizes. The flexible portion22extends around less than the entire circumference of the opening42in 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 portion22includes layers24of the side wall16that extend along a flexible, resilient member, such as a piece of elastic26. The elastic26is sewn or otherwise secured to the side wall16and is stretched when the surgical cap10is placed on the head13of the user12. The tensioned elastic26holds the surgical cap10in position on the head13of the user12. As discussed below, the elastic26is covered by the material of the side wall16, so that the elastic26generally does not irritate or leave a mark on the skin of the user12.

The surgical cap10has a front30, which extends over the front of the head13of the user12and a back32that extends over the back of the head13of the user12. To provide additional clearance for hair or the neck of the user12, the surgical cap10includes a recess34.

With reference toFIG.4, the layers24have a gathered configuration and smooth out as the flexible portion22is stretched. The elastic26is sewn to or otherwise secured to one or more of the layers24so that the elastic26elongates as the flexible portion22is stretched. When the flexible portion22and the elastic26thereof extend along less than the entire circumference of the opening42, less elastic material may be used.

The interior of the head-receiving cavity44is shown inFIG.5. The layers24include a layer50inward from the elastic26that separates the elastic26from the head13of the user12. The layer50may extend upward beyond the elastic26and along an inner surface52of the side wall16.

With reference toFIG.6, a cross-sectional view is provided of the side wall16, the layers24of the side wall16, and the elastic26. As discussed in greater detail below, the side wall16includes panels60,62which are folded to form folds80(first fold),82(second fold),84(third fold),86(fourth fold),88(fifth fold) which provides the layers24that cover the elastic26and provide a substrate for supporting the elastic26.

In one form, the layers24include at least one layer, such as a pair of layers50,64, inward from the elastic26(to the left inFIG.6) for covering the elastic26, and limiting irritation to the skin of the user12. The layers50and64thus comprise a first and a second inner layer. The layers24further include at least two layers, such as layers66,68,70,72outward from the elastic26(to the right inFIG.6) that provide a stronger section of the side wall16for securing the elastic26. The layers66,68,70and72may be considered a first, a second, a third, and a fourth outer layer. In one approach, the elastic26is sewn onto the layers66,68,70with thread76using a loop stitch technique, which also secures the layers66,68,70together. The layers50,64may be sewn with thread74to a body102of the side wall16that includes the layer72. This keeps the layers50,64secured relative to the layers66,68,70,72.

In one form, the layers50(first inner layer),64(second inner layer),66(fourth outer layer),68(first outer layer),70(second outer layer),72(third outer layer) are made from one piece of material and, as another example, the side wall16including the layers50,64,66,68,70,72may be made from one piece of material. The layers50,64,66,68,70,72may be held in position using a number of approaches including sewing and/or adhesive. In other approaches, the layers50,64,66,68,70,72may be made from a plurality of pieces of material that are secured together. For example, a first piece of folded-over material including the layers50,64may be sewn over the elastic26and secured to a second piece of folded-over material including the layers66,68,70,72. As another example, the body102of the side wall16may be made from a first piece of material and the elastic26is sewn to body102. A second piece of material folded to have a v-shape and is used to cover the elastic26. More specifically, the second piece of material is positioned so that one half of the v-shape is disposed on one side of the elastic26and the other half of the v-shape is disposed on the opposite side of the elastic26.

The top14and the side wall16may 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 thread74,76may be made from polyester.

Turning toFIGS.7-19, various steps in a method of fabricating the surgical cap10are depicted. The method includes providing the top14and the side wall16as shown inFIG.7. The top14and side wall16may be provided as blanks in the form of the top14and side wall16which have been cut from respective rolls of material. The top14may have a shape selected to conform the surgical cap10to a variety of head shapes and sizes and has an outer edge100. For example, the top14may have a teardrop shape, an elliptical shape, or a circular shape as depicted.

The side wall16has a shape selected to allow the surgical cap10to receive and conform to a variety of head shapes and sizes. The side wall16includes the body102and the panels60,62depending from the body102. The side wall16has an upper edge104and longitudinal edges106,108extending downwardly from the upper edge104.

With reference toFIG.8, the method includes attaching the top14to the side wall16. In one approach, the edge100of the top14is sewn to the upper edge104of the side wall16. Because the top14is circular, sewing the edges100,104together involves curving the side wall16from a flat configuration to a generally annular configuration.

The surgical cap10is shown inFIG.9after the top14has been sewn to the side wall16. At this point, the surgical cap10has an inside-out configuration with the inner surface52of the side wall16being visible inFIG.9. Once the top14has been sewn to the side wall16, the edges106,108of the panels60,62are positioned adjacent each other.

As shown inFIG.10, the method includes joining the panels60,62together to form the side wall16in a closed-loop configuration such as by sewing the edges106,108together with thread120.

With reference toFIG.11, the surgical cap10has been reversed to a right-side-out configuration wherein an outer surface122of the side wall16is visible. InFIG.10, the edges106,108of the panels60,62have been sewn together with thread120to form a seam126therebetween. The panels60,62are secured together and depend from the body102of the side wall16as shown inFIG.12.

With reference toFIGS.13-19, the method includes folding the panels60,62to form the plurality of layers24which operate as a cover and a substrate for the elastic26and results in the configuration of the flexible portion22shown inFIG.6. The following discussion ofFIGS.13-19refers to panel60, although similar operations are concurrently performed on the panel62which has been joined to the panel60. Thus, the layers50,64,66,68,70,72are formed in both panels60,62.

With reference toFIGS.13and14, the panel60is manipulated to form folds82,86(to form the panel60into a first folded configuration). The elastic26is positioned against and secured to the folded panel60by sewing130,132as shown inFIG.15. In another approach, the elastic26may be secured to the folded panel60by stapling, adhesive, or other approaches.

With reference toFIG.16, the elastic26has been secured to the folded panel60by thread76. The method further includes folding a cover portion136of the panel60generally downward in direction138to re-position the fold86from a position above the elastic26to a position below the elastic26(as shown inFIG.17). This positions the elastic26between layers66,68,70on one side of the elastic26and layers50,64on an opposite side of the elastic26.

As shown inFIGS.17and18, the cover portion136is next pivoted inwardly in direction140(to form the panel60into a second folded configuration). This repositions the layers50,64,66,68,70and elastic26from a position outside of the surgical cap10to a position inside the surgical cap10. Further, the repositioning forms the fold80.

Turning toFIG.19, the cover portion136is secured to the body102of the side wall16by sewing148. In this manner, the elastic26is sandwiched between layers50,64inward from the elastic26and the layers66,68,70,72outward from the elastic26.

Returning toFIG.6, the cover portion136has been secured to the body102of the side wall16with the thread74after the sewing148shown inFIG.19. The layers50,64may thereby separate the elastic26from the head13when the head13is positioned in the head-receiving cavity44. Additionally, the layers66,68,70, and72provide a strong substrate to which the elastic26may be secured. In this way, the material of side wall16may be relatively thin to minimize cost and weight while providing sufficient strength to support the elastic26and protect the skin of the user12from the elastic26. In one form, the layers50,64,66,68,70, and72are all formed from one piece of material from which the side wall16is made, i.e., the blank of the side wall16shown inFIG.6.

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 open-ended 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. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended to illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention. Any statement herein as to the nature or benefits of the invention or of the preferred embodiments is not intended to be limiting. This invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited herein as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. No unclaimed language should be deemed to limit the invention in scope. Any statements or suggestions herein that certain features constitute a component of the claimed invention are not intended to be limiting unless reflected in the appended claims. Neither the marking of the patent number on any product nor the identification of the patent number in connection with any service should be deemed a representation that all embodiments described herein are incorporated into such product or service.