Patent ID: 8819868

Claim:
An attachment ( 200 ) specifically designed and arranged for releasably connecting to a hat ( 12 ) of a wearer for protecting said hat wearer's ear ( 16 ) from sunlight, said hat having a band with a circumferential bottom, said attachment ( 200 ) designed and arranged for releasable connection to said wearer's hat ( 12 ); said attachment ( 200 ) comprising a vertical portion ( 300 ) and a horizontal portion ( 400 ), said vertical portion ( 300 ) having first and second generally planar tines ( 242 , 244 ) specifically designed for releasably connecting to said bottom of said band; an arcuate cover ( 230 ) comprising a strip of material coupled to said horizontal portion ( 400 ) of said attachment ( 200 ), said cover ( 230 ) having a top surface ( 231 ) characterized by a convexity and a bottom surface ( 210 ) that is generally parallel to and separated from said top surface ( 231 ) by a thickness ( 1 ), said top surface ( 231 ) and said bottom surface ( 210 ) each bounded by a front end ( 204 ) defining a first width (wf), an outer side edge ( 206 ), a rear end ( 208 ) defining a second width (wr), and an inner side edge ( 209 ), said cover defining a length (l) from said front end ( 204 ) to said rear end ( 208 ) as measured along said top surface ( 231 ), said cover characterized by said first width (wf) and said second width (wr) each being less than one half of said length (l) and said front end ( 204 ) designed to be offset from said rear end ( 208 ); said horizontal portion ( 400 ) extending from said inner side edge ( 209 ) of the cover to said outer side edge ( 206 ) of the cover, said horizontal portion wherein said first width (wf) is contiguous with the outer side edge ( 206 ) of the cover ( 230 ) and the inner side edge ( 209 ) of the cover, said attachment ( 200 ) characterized by a size and shape such that when said vertical portion ( 300 ) is affixed directly to the bottom of said wearer's hat ( 12 ), and the circumferential bottom of the hat is configured to be parallel to the ground when the hat is worn by a wearer, said first end ( 204 ) is arranged to be disposed directly above said wearer's ear at said horizontal portion ( 400 ) of said attachment ( 200 ) and, said rear end ( 208 ) arranged to be disposed to the rear of said wearer's ear and is designed to be below said first end ( 204 ) and designed and arranged so that no portion of said attachment ( 230 ) is disposed directly laterally of said wearer's ear, and a clip ( 260 ) releasably attachable to said attachment ( 200 ) so as to capture a portion of said hat between said first and second tines ( 242 , 244 ).