Patent Document

BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. The Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present disclosure relates generally to headwear, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to an apparatus for holding a variety of articles including eyewear, writing utensils and other small tools and accessories on a user&#39;s headwear.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     It is common practice for individuals to wear sunglasses or other types of eyewear, particularly in the outdoors, to protect the individual&#39;s eyes against the harmful rays of the sun. It is also common practice for individuals to further utilize headwear, such as hats, caps, visors or headbands, for example, to provide further protection against the sun or to keep sweat out of the individual&#39;s face. It often becomes desirable to remove eyewear, such as sunglasses for example, when entering a darkened environment. Moreover, it is common practice to utilize articles such as pencils, flashlights or tools such that it often becomes beneficial to provide a holding device for holding the eyewear or articles when they are not in use.  
         [0005]     Holding devices are known in the art for holding articles, such as glasses, on headwear. However, the known holding devices may be limited by cumbersome designs which may not be very practical, economic or even visually appealing. Other known holding devices may not allow the articles to be securely held to the headwear or may be difficult to operate. Although the prior holding devices have been useful for their intended purpose, the implementation and ease of operation of the devices remains inflexible, rigid and costly.  
         [0006]     Accordingly, a need has existed to provide a more versatile and flexible mechanism to conveniently hold a wide variety of different types, shapes and sizes of articles including eyewear, writing utensils and other small tools, on various types and styles of headwear. Such a holding mechanism is disclosed in the present utility holder for headwear described herein. The present disclosure provides an improvement over prior art devices due to lower manufacturing costs and simpler design implementation with improved safety features and attaching capabilities.  
         [0007]     The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.  
         [0008]     The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0009]     The present disclosure describes a uniquely superior and convenient storage mechanism for articles such as eyeglasses, sunglasses, safety glasses, prescription glasses and the like, writing utensils such as pens, pencils and the like, and small tools such as screw drivers, pliers, laser pointers, small flash lights and the like, on a great variety of headwear.  
         [0010]     Accordingly, one illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure may include a pair of utility holders positioned on the left and the right sides of headwear to receive the above described articles in a sliding manner. The utility holder material may be comprised of textile and/or flexible and/or elastic materials to accommodate the various sizes and shapes of the above described articles in a secure manner. The utility holder assembly may be permanently or removably sewn, attached, adhered or otherwise mounted to the exterior and/or the interior surface of the headwear.  
         [0011]     The holder may include a top lateral edge or support and a bottom lateral edge or support, and the holder may have an open ended front edge and rear edge such that the holder may be capable of slideably receiving an article. The utility holder may be shaped and dimensioned, for slideably receiving a rear most portion of an article so that the rear most portion of the article, depending on the depth dimension of the article, may or may not project outwardly beyond the rear edge and/or the front edge of the utility holder, and therefore at least a portion of the article may be held securely within the utility holder.  
         [0012]     In addition, the utility holder may also be mounted on the inside surface of the headwear to achieve a more integrated and unobtrusive design. The utility holder may also be mounted on an elastic head band type assembly which can be placed interchangeably on conventional headwear and therefore accommodate many sizes and styles of headwear.  
         [0013]     Various different types of gripping mechanisms may be utilized with the holder so as to more securely retain the articles within the holder. It will be appreciated that the gripping mechanisms provided within the scope of the present invention provide advantages not hitherto available. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective, three-dimensional exploded view of one embodiment of an externally mounted utility holder with an article inserted according to one embodiment of the disclosure;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective, three-dimensional view of an additional embodiment of the externally mounted utility holder;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the embodiment of the disclosure of  FIG. 1  or  2 , depicting a storage position of an article in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a portion of cross section A-A of the externally mounted utility holder as it is attached to the outside of the headwear, according to the embodiment of  FIG. 1  of the disclosure;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a portion of cross section A-A of the externally mounted utility holder as it is attached to the outside of the headwear, according to the embodiment of  FIG. 2  of the disclosure;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a side view showing an externally mounted utility holder assembly depicting a resulting storage position of an article;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a side view showing in greater detail an embodiment of the shape and dimensions of an externally mounted utility holder;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective, three-dimensional view of one embodiment of an internally mounted utility holder with an article inserted, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is a perspective, three-dimensional view of another embodiment of an internally mounted utility holder with an article inserted, according to the principles of the present disclosure;  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the internally mounted utility holder as depicted in the embodiments of  FIGS. 8 and 9  and the resulting storage position of an article;  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  is a front view of a portion of cross section B-B in  FIG. 10 , of the internally mounted utility holder assembly as it is mounted to the inside of the headwear, according to the embodiment of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  is a front view of a portion of cross section B-B in  FIG. 10 , of the internally mounted utility holder assembly as it is mounted to the inside of the headwear, according to the embodiment of  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 13  is a side view showing the utility holder assembly and a resulting storage position of an article, such as a small flashlight, according the embodiments of the disclosure of  FIG. 1  or  2 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 14  is a side view showing the utility holder assembly and a resulting storage position of an article, such as a pencil, according the embodiments of the disclosure of  FIG. 1  or  2 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 15  is a perspective, three-dimensional view of an embodiment of a utility holder having a plurality of pockets mounted to headwear in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;  
         [0030]      FIG. 16  is a perspective, three-dimensional view of an embodiment of the utility holder mounted to visor style headwear;  
         [0031]      FIG. 17  is a perspective, three-dimensional view of an embodiment of the utility holder assembly mounted to an elastic type headband;  
         [0032]      FIG. 18  is a perspective, three-dimensional view of an embodiment of the utility holder assembly mounted to a headband, which is attached interchangeably to various type and styles of headwear, according to the further embodiment of the present disclosure;  
         [0033]      FIG. 19  is a break-away perspective, three-dimensional exploded view of another embodiment of an externally mounted utility holder with an article inserted;  
         [0034]      FIG. 20  is a front cross-sectional view of the externally mounted utility holder as it is attached to the outside of the headwear, according to the embodiment of  FIG. 19  of the disclosure;  
         [0035]      FIG. 21  is a break-away side view of an additional embodiment externally mounted utility holder assembly depicting a resulting storage position of an article;  
         [0036]      FIG. 22  is a break-away side view showing the externally mounted utility holder of  FIG. 21  enlarged;  
         [0037]      FIG. 23  is a break-away side view of the externally mounted utility holder assembly embodiment of  FIG. 21 , depicting a resulting storage position of an alternative embodiment article;  
         [0038]      FIG. 24  is a break-away side view of the externally mounted utility holder assembly embodiment of  FIG. 21 , depicting an alternative storage position of an article;  
         [0039]      FIG. 25  is a break-away side view of an additional embodiment externally mounted utility holder assembly depicting a resulting storage position of an article;  
         [0040]      FIG. 26  is a break-away side view showing the externally mounted utility holder of  FIG. 25  enlarged;  
         [0041]      FIG. 27  is a break-away side view of the externally mounted utility holder assembly embodiment of  FIG. 25 , depicting a resulting storage position of an alternative embodiment article;  
         [0042]      FIG. 28  is a break-away side view of the externally mounted utility holder assembly embodiment of  FIG. 25 , depicting an alternative storage position of an article;  
         [0043]      FIG. 29  is a side view of a further embodiment utility holder assembly depicting a resulting storage position of an article;  
         [0044]      FIG. 30  is an enlarged break-away side view showing the utility holder of  FIG. 29  and an alternative storage position of an article; and  
         [0045]      FIG. 31  is an enlarged break-away side view showing the utility holder of  FIG. 29  and an additional alternative storage position of an article. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0046]     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.  
         [0047]     It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, as used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.  
         [0048]     As referred to herein the term “ductile” shall be construed broadly to include a property in which an item has the capability of being molded or shaped by a human hand into different configurations by a typical user of the disclosed embodiments without the assistance of tools or machines, and wherein the item substantially maintains the molded shape unless acted upon by another molding force. Exemplary materials which can be utilized in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure can be obtained from the publications: Callister, William D.,  Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction , 4 th  Ed. (1997) (John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York); and, Brady, George S., Clauser, Henry R. and Vaccari, John A.,  Materials Handbook: An Encyclopedia for Managers, Technical Professionals, Purchasing and Production Managers, Technicians, and Supervisors , 14th Ed. (1997) (McGraw-Hill, New York), which are now incorporated herein in their entireties.  
         [0049]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, including a headwear member, indicated generally at  10 . As used herein, the terms headwear, or headwear member, shall be construed broadly to include various articles of apparel known in the art that may be worn on a user&#39;s head, such as hats of various styles, including caps and visors, as well as head bands, for example. It is typical that the user will be human but it will be appreciated that it is also within the scope of the present disclosure to accommodate other anatomy and structures which fall within the scope of the term “head” but which are other than human.  
         [0050]     A holder, indicated by bracket  12  as shown in an exploded view in  FIG. 1 , may be disposed on one or more sides of the headwear member  10  for receiving an article  20 , such as sunglasses. For example, a second holder  12  may be position on an opposite side of the headwear  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , so that opposing temples of the sunglasses may each be received in a holder  12 . The term article as used herein shall be construed broadly to include various different items that may be desirable for a user to hold on the headwear  10 . For example, the article  20  may include items such as eyewear, including sunglasses, safety glasses or prescription glasses. The article  20  may also include items such as tools, including screw drivers, pliers, laser pointers, or flash lights, or any other item desired to be held on a user&#39;s headwear.  
         [0051]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the holder  12  may be formed by attaching a cover  30  on an exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10 . The cover  30  may be configured as a strip formed of any of various different types of materials. For example, the cover  30  may be formed of a material similar to that of the hat, such as a fabric, or elastic material, leather or any other suitable material known to those skilled in the art. One illustrative embodiment of the cover  30  may be formed as a substantially flat, flexible, polygonal member including a rear edge  32 , a front edge  33 , an upper edge  35  and a lower edge  36 . The front edge  33  may define an entrance to the holder  12  and may be configured to face a front of the headwear  10 . The rear edge  32  may be opposite the front edge  33  and may be configured to face a rear of the headwear  10 . The cover  30  may be configured to define the holder  12  with a portion of the exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10  to slideably receive the rearmost portion  21  of an article  20  to be stored securely on the headwear  10 . It will be understood that other embodiments of the present disclosure may include covers of different shapes and sizes, and that other embodiments may also be oriented in different configurations on the headwear  10 , such that the entrance of the holder  12  may extend in different directions in alternative embodiments.  
         [0052]     The cover  30  may be attached to the exterior surface  14  of the headwear using stitches  34  or adhesives or any other suitable attaching mechanism known in the art. In one illustrative embodiment, the upper edge  35  and the lower edge  36  may be attached to the headwear  10  along substantially an entire length of the cover  30 . Other embodiments of the holder may be attached at intervals along the upper edge  35  and the lower edge  36 . Moreover, other embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least a portion of the rear edge  32  attached to the headwear  10 .  
         [0053]     In the illustrative embodiment of  FIG. 1 , a gripping means  50  may be disposed on an interior surface of the holder  12  for gripping the article  20 . One illustrative embodiment of the gripping means may include VELCRO™ hook and loop fasteners positioned on the exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10  and the interior surface  31  of the cover  30 . Accordingly, when a rear portion  21  of an article  20  is placed in the holder  12 , the cover  30  may be pressed such that the VELCRO™ hook and loop fasteners connect to provide a space within the holder  12  that more closely corresponds to the shape of the article  20  to assist in holding the article  20  in position within the holder  12 . The gripping means  50  may also allow the holder  12  to more securely hold the articles  20  even when the headwear  10  is removed from the user. It will be understood that the gripping means  50  may be sized to cover substantially the entire interior area of the holder  12 , or the gripping means  50  may be smaller than the area of the holder  12  so as to cover only a portion of the holder  12 . For example, the gripping means may be sized to extend along a half or a third of the cover.  
         [0054]     Another illustrative embodiment of the gripping means  50  may include a ductile layer or sheet member within the holder  12 . The ductile sheet member may be positioned on an interior surface  31  of the cover  30  and an exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10 . Alternatively, the ductile sheet member may be positioned only on the interior surface of the cover  30 . The ductile sheet member may be formed of a metal material for example, such as a metal foil, such that the ductile sheet member may be deformed to correspond to the shape of the article  20  and thereby assist in holding the article  20  within the holder  12 . The ductile sheet member may be capable of deforming in a plastic manner and may have memory characteristics to remain in the deformed condition. It will be understood that the gripping means  50  may also be formed of any other suitable material for assisting in holding the article  20  within the holder  12 . It will be appreciated that many different structures can perform the function of the gripping means  50  and that all structures providing similar or equivalent functions, both those now known to those skilled in the art or which become known, are intended to fall within the scope of gripping means. The structure illustrated herein is merely illustrative of the gripping means which fall within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0055]     One illustrative embodiment of the holder  12  may have an elongate configuration for supporting elongate articles  20 . For example, the holder may have a length dimension that is longer than the height, such as approximately 1.5 to 3 times the height, or more specifically, a length that is two times the height. One embodiment of the holder  12  may be dimensioned approximately three inches in length and 1.5 inches in height, for example. The reduced dimension of the height as compared to the length may allow the article  20  to be held in position without allowing excessive rotation of the article  20 . It will also be understood that alternative storage positions may be possible, as discussed more fully below with regard to  FIGS. 21-31 . Accordingly, the article  20  may be held securely in place even without the assistance of other structures, such as a visor portion of the headwear  10 . Moreover, the holder  12  may be positioned or oriented in other directions and still be able to support the article  20 . For example, the holder  12  may be oriented in a direction opposite that shown in  FIG. 1 , such that the entrance to the holder  12  may face a rear of the headwear  10  or some other direction. Accordingly, the headwear  10  may be worn backwards, as is sometimes done with baseball caps, and still provide support for securely holding articles  20 . It will be understood that the holder  12  may be arranged in various different orientations, and may include various different dimensions all which fall within the scope of the present disclosure.  
         [0056]     It will be appreciated that in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the holder  12  may be defined at least in part by an interior surface  31  of the cover  30  and an exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10 . Other embodiments of the holder  12  will be discussed more fully below.  
         [0057]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of another illustrative embodiment of the gripping means  50   a  of the present disclosure is shown. It will be understood that the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2  contains many of the same features as the embodiment disclosed in  FIG. 1 , and only the pertinent different features will be discussed herein to more succinctly describe the characteristics of the embodiment of the disclosure depicted in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0058]     Shown in  FIG. 2 , a ductile member  60  may be positioned adjacent the front edge  33  of the cover  30 . The ductile member  60  may be in the form of a metal wire, such as a solid gauge copper or tin wire for example, and may extend along substantially the entire dimension of the front edge  33 . The ductile member  60  may also extend along at least a portion of the upper edge  35  and/or the lower edge  36  to provide additional support. The ductile member  60  may be attached to the cover by sewing, adhesives, or any other attaching mechanism known to those skilled in the art. It will be understood that the configuration of the ductile member  60  may vary within the scope of the present disclosure as will be appreciated by those skilled in the pertinent art. The ductile member  60  may have various different cross-sectional shapes and dimensions, as well as different lengths.  
         [0059]     Some embodiments of the ductile member  60  may be positioned strictly on the front edge  33 , while other embodiments of the ductile member  60  may encompass the entire perimeter of the cover  30 . Alternatively, the ductile member  60  may be positioned at other locations away from the edges of the cover  30 . The ductile member  60  may also allow the holder  12  to more securely hold the articles  20  even when the headwear  10  is removed from the user.  
         [0060]     It will be appreciated that, very desirably, the ductile member  60  may be deformed so as to conform to the shape of an article  20  positioned in the holder  12  such that the ductile member  60  may assist in holding the article in place within the holder  12 . The ductile member  60  may have plastic deformation characteristics and position memory characteristics such that once deformed, the ductile member may remain in position until acted upon by another deformation force. The benefits of providing the ductile member, or structure performing the same or equivalent functions, to the user will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art can readily arrive at additional structures which perform the same or equivalent functions as those carried out by the ductile member, such as those functions carried out by the gripping means disclosed herein.  
         [0061]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a top view of an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in which the externally mounted cover  30  is attached to opposing sides of the headwear  10 . Also, the resulting storage position of an article  20 , such as a pair of sunglasses is depicted in accordance with the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0062]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a partial cross-sectional front view is shown as viewed from line A-A of  FIG. 3 , showing the embodiment of the gripping means  50  as presented in  FIG. 1 . The cover  30  may be mounted using stitches  34  or the like to the exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10 . In addition, the gripping means  50  is shown disposed between the exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10  and the inner surface of the cover  30 . Arrows  70  depict an area where pressure may be applied to the gripping means  50  to modify its shape and facilitate improved hold on an article  20  within the holder  12 .  
         [0063]     Similarly, referring to  FIG. 5 , a partial cross-sectional front view is shown as viewed from line A-A of  FIG. 3 , showing the gripping means  50   a  embodiment including the ductile member  60  as presented in  FIG. 2 . Again, the cover  30  may be mounted using stitches  34  or the like to the outside surface of the headwear  10 . In addition, the ductile member  60  is shown disposed on the inner surface of the cover  30 . Very desirably, arrows  70  depict an area where pressure may be applied to the ductile member  60  to modify its shape and facilitate improved hold on an article  20 .  
         [0064]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a side view of the present disclosure is shown. It will be understood that the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIG. 6  may include the exemplary gripping means  50  as depicted in  FIG. 1 , or the exemplary gripping means  50   a  including the ductile member  60 , as depicted in  FIG. 2 , or the illustrative embodiment as depicted in  FIG. 6  may not include the gripping means  50 ,  50   a . The cover  30  may be configured such that the front edge  33  may be disposed at an angle α with respect to the lower edge  36  within a range of between from approximately 45 to approximately 75 degrees. One illustrative embodiment of the front edge  33  may be disposed at an angle α of approximately 60 degrees. It will be appreciated, however, that other illustrative embodiments may include the front edge  33  at different angles α within the scope of the present disclosure. The angle α on the front edge  33  may provide an advantage of allowing for facilitated insertion of the article  20  into the holder  12 , particularly when the rear portion  21  of the article  20  is curved downwardly, as is commonly the case with eyewear. The angled front edge  33  may provide a larger entrance to the holder  12  and may facilitate access to the pocket from an upward direction. This may be beneficial for facilitating insertion of articles  20 , particularly when the holder  12  is used with headwear  10  having a visor, such as is commonly provided with baseball caps, for example.  
         [0065]     An enlarged view of the holder  12  is depicted in  FIG. 7 , which shows a detailed side view of the cover  30  of the present disclosure. The front edge  33  is shown disposed at an angle α, which may be within a range of from between approximately 45 to approximately 75 degrees, or more specifically, at 60 degrees, for example.  
         [0066]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a perspective view of another alternative illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, in which a holder  12   a  may be disposed on an interior surface  15  of the headwear  10 , as shown most clearly in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . An entrance  33   a  of the holder  12   a  may be defined in the exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10 , such that the entrance  33   a  may be the only portion of the holder  12   a  visible from the exterior of the headwear  10 . Similar to the previously described illustrative embodiments, the holder  12   a  may be configured to slideably receive the rearmost portion  21  of an article  20  to be stored securely. In addition, similar to the illustrative embodiment of  FIG. 1 , a gripping means  50 , such as a VELCRO™ hook and loop fastener or a layer with a plastic memory capability, such as foil, or other similar material may be mounted on the inside surfaces of the holder  12   a.    
         [0067]     Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 9 , which shows a perspective view of another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, the headwear  10  may include a holder  12  designed to slideably receive the rearmost portion  21  of an article  20  to be stored securely in the pocket. In addition, a gripping means  50   a  (shown in phantom image in  FIG. 9 ) in the form of a ductile member  60  having a plastic memory capability, such as a wire, or other similar material, may be mounted inside the holder  12  at the front edge  33 , similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , except that the holder  12   a  may be provided on an interior of the headwear  10 .  
         [0068]     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , a top view of the present disclosure is shown in which the internally mounted holder  12   a  is dispose on opposing sides of the headwear  10 . Also, the resulting storage position of an article  20 , such as a pair of sunglasses is depicted in accordance with the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  
         [0069]     Referring to  FIG. 11 , a partial cross-sectional front view is shown as viewed from line B-B of  FIG. 10 , showing the illustrative embodiment of the gripping means  50  as presented in  FIG. 8 . The gripping means  50  is shown disposed on an interior of the holder  12   a , on an interior side of the headwear  10 . Arrows  70  depict an area where pressure may be applied to the gripping means  50  to modify its shape and facilitate improved hold on an article  20 .  
         [0070]     An interior cover  30   a  may be provided on an interior side of the headwear  10  to define a pocket for receiving the article  20 , and to protect the user&#39;s head from contact with the article  20 . The interior cover  30   a  may be attached to the headwear  10  using stitches  34  or any other type of connecting mechanism, similar to the previously described embodiments. The interior cover  30   a  may be configured to extend to substantially an entire dimension of the article  20 . Alternatively, the interior cover  30   a  may be configured to cover only a portion of the article  20 . One illustrative embodiment of the interior cover  30   a  may have an elongate configuration for supporting elongate articles  20 . For example, similar to previously described embodiments, the interior cover  30   a  may have a polygonal shape having a length dimension that is longer than the height, such as approximately 1.5 to 3 times the height, or more specifically, a length that is two times the height. One illustrative embodiment of the interior cover  30   a  may be dimensioned approximately three inches in length and 1.5 inches in height, for example. The reduced dimension of the height as compared to the length may allow elongate articles  20  to be held in position without allowing excessive rotation of the article  20  or contact with the user&#39;s head. Accordingly, the article  20  may be held securely in place even without the assistance of other structures. Moreover, it will also be understood that some embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided such that the holder  12   a  may be provided without an interior cover  30   a , such that the article  20  may be exposed on the interior surface  15  of the headwear  10 .  
         [0071]     Similarly, referring to  FIG. 12 , a partial cross-sectional front view is shown as viewed from line B-B of  FIG. 10 , showing the illustrative embodiment of the gripping means  50   a  including the ductile member  60  as presented in  FIG. 9 . The ductile member  60  may be mounted inside a seam or surface of the holder  12   a . Points  70  depict an area to apply pressure to the ductile member  60  to modify its shape to facilitate improved hold on an article  20 .  
         [0072]     Referring now to  FIG. 13 , a side view is shown, wherein a headwear  10  comprises the holder  30 . The resulting storage position of an article  20   a , such as a flashlight, is also depicted. It will be understood that a gripping means  50 ,  50   a  may also be provided in the holder  30 , within the scope of the present disclosure.  
         [0073]     Referring next to  FIG. 14 , a side view is shown, wherein the headwear  10  comprises the holder  30 . The resulting storage position of an article  20   b , such as a writing utensil or pencil, is also depicted. Similar to the illustrative embodiments previously discussed, it will be understood that a gripping means, such as gripping means  50  or gripping means  50   a , may also be provided in the holder  30 , within the scope of the present disclosure, though such may not be visible in the depiction of  FIG. 14 .  
         [0074]     Referring now to  FIG. 15 , a perspective view is shown of an additional embodiment of the present disclosure in which a holder  12   b  may be provided with a plurality of pockets  16  for receiving multiple articles  20 . For example, the holder  12   b  may be utilized to hold an article  20  in the form of a pair of sunglasses, as well as an article  20   b  in the form of a pencil, at the same time. It will be understood that the holder  12   b  may be attached to the headwear  10  in a manner similar to the embodiments previously discussed. Moreover, similar to the previously discussed embodiments, the holder  12   b  may include a gripping means, such as gripping means  50  or gripping means  50   a , to facilitate securing the article  20  to the headwear  10 .  
         [0075]     Also as shown in  FIG. 15 , a logo, product information, or any other variety of indicia  38  may be applied to the holder  12   b . The indica  38  may be beneficial for advertising or may be decorative in nature to improve the aesthetic appearance of the holder  12   b . It will be understood that each of the illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure may include the indica  38  as depicted schematically in  FIG. 15  and may also include a plurality of compartments for holding a plurality of articles simultaneously.  
         [0076]     Referring now to  FIG. 16 , a perspective view is shown of headwear  10   a  in the form of a visor, including the holder  12  in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The depiction of the headwear  10   a  in the form of a visor is intended to illustrate that the principles of the present disclosure may be utilized with various different types of headwear. Though the depiction of  FIG. 16  includes an externally mounted cover  30  to form the holder  12 , it will be understood that an internal holder  12   a  may also be used with the headwear  10   a . Moreover, though an article  20 , in the form of sunglasses, is depicted in  FIG. 16 , it will be understood that various different varieties of articles may be held on the headwear  10   a.    
         [0077]     Referring to  FIG. 17 , a perspective view of an additional variety of headwear  10   b , in the form of a headband  40 , is shown. The headband  40  may be formed of an elastic material to allow the headband  40  to expand and contract to adjust in size. A holder  12  may be positioned on the headband  40  to receive various different kinds of articles  20 . It will be understood that the headband  40  may be similarly equipped with an internal holder  12   a , as described herein. Moreover, similar to the previously discussed embodiments, the holder  12  may include a gripping means, such as gripping means  50  or gripping means  50   a , to facilitate securing the article  20  to the headwear  10   b.    
         [0078]     Referring now to  FIG. 18 , a perspective view is shown of yet an additional type of headwear  10   c , in the form of a hat having the headband  40  placed thereon. It will be understood that various different styles of headwear  10   c  may be provided and the headband  40  may be removably attached to the headwear  10   c , or the headband  40  may be fixed to the headwear  10   c . Moreover, the holder, such as holder  12  or holder  12   a , may be directly disposed on the headwear  10   c  without the headband  40 . Accordingly, the principles of the present disclosure may be versatile such that various different combinations of headwear may be utilized to hold an article  20  to the headwear corresponding to the needs or desired styles for a particular user.  
         [0079]     Referring to  FIG. 19 , a break-away perspective view of another embodiment of a holder, indicated by bracket  12   c , is shown in an exploded view. It will be understood that the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIG. 19  contains many of the same features as the embodiments discussed above, and only the pertinent different features will be discussed herein to more succinctly describe the characteristics of the embodiment of the disclosure depicted in  FIG. 19 .  
         [0080]      FIG. 19  depicts another illustrative embodiment of the gripping means  50   b  of the present disclosure. The gripping means  50   b  may include a material configured for gripping the article  20 , such as a piece of foam rubber, disposed within the holder  12   c . It will be understood that other materials known in the art for improving the ability of the holder  12   c  to grip the article  20  may be used. The foam rubber gripping means  50   b  may be allowed to compress to form a tighter contact with the article  20 . Moreover, the foam rubber material may allow the holder  12   c  to contact the article  20  such that the frictional characteristics of the holder  12   c  may be improved to prevent the article  20  from sliding out of the holder.  
         [0081]     As shown in  FIG. 20 , which shows a cross-sectional view of the holder  12   c , the gripping means  50   b  may be disposed on an interior side of the cover  30 . However, it will also be understood that the gripping means  50   b  may also, or alternatively, be disposed on the exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10 , or the gripping means  50   b  may be utilized in the alternative embodiment holders  12   a , or  12   b.    
         [0082]     Referring to  FIGS. 21-24 , a break-away side view of another embodiment of a holder  12   d  is shown. It will be understood that the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 21-24  contains many of the same features as the embodiments discussed above, and only the pertinent different features will be discussed herein to more succinctly describe the characteristics of the embodiment of the disclosure depicted in  FIGS. 21-24 .  
         [0083]     The holder  12   d  may include a cover  30   c  that may be somewhat triangular in shape. The cover  30   c  may be attached to the exterior surface  14  of the headwear  10  by a continuous stitching  34   a  extending along a portion or all of a lower edge  36   c  of the cover  30   c . The cover  30   c  may also be attached to the headwear  10  using point or area stitches  34   b , or other attachment mechanisms known in the art, which may be positioned at corners of the cover  30   c . It will be understood that the embodiment of the holder  12   d  as depicted in FIGS.  21 - 24  may include the cover  30   c  which allows access to an interior of the holder  12   d  through the upper edge  35   c  and the lower edge  36   c , as well as the front edge  33   c . Accordingly, the article  20  may be stored in the holder  12   d  in various different positions. For example, an article  20  having a curved temple or earpiece, as is common in eyeglasses, may extend through the lower edge  36 , as shown in  FIGS. 21 and 22 . Articles  20  having somewhat straight rearmost portions  21  may also be positioned to extend through the lower edge  36   c  as shown in  FIG. 24 . Alternatively, the articles  20  may be positioned to extend through the upper edge  35   c  as shown in  FIG. 23 .  
         [0084]     It will be understood that the cover  30   c  may have various different shapes within the scope of the present disclosure, and that the cover  30   c  may be attached to the headwear  10  using various different stitch configurations or other attachment mechanisms. For example, one embodiment of the present disclosure may not include the continuous stitches  34   a , or the continuous stitches  34   a  may extend a different percentage of the lower edge  36   c  or upper edge  35   c.    
         [0085]     As shown most clearly in  FIGS. 25-28 , the continuous stitches  34   a  and point stitches  34   b  may also be used to connect the cover  30  to the headwear  10  to create yet another embodiment of the holder, as indicated at  12   e . Accordingly, the lower edge  36  may include an opening for allowing the article  20  to pass therethrough, as shown in  FIGS. 25-27 . Alternatively, the article  20  may be allowed to pass through the rear edge  32 , as shown in  FIG. 28 . Accordingly, the holder  12   e  may be very versatile to accommodate articles  20  of various different configurations in various different positions.  
         [0086]     Referring now to  FIGS. 29-31 , yet another embodiment of the holder is shown, as indicated at  12   f . The holder  12   f  may be particularly well suited for headwear  10   d  in the form of ski caps. It will be understood that the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 29-31  contains many of the same features as the embodiments discussed above, and only the pertinent different features will be discussed herein to more succinctly describe the characteristics of the embodiment of the disclosure depicted in  FIGS. 29-31 .  
         [0087]     Point stitches  34   b  may be used to attach a rim portion  72  of the headwear  10   d  to an exterior surface  14   d  of the headwear  10   d . For example, in one embodiment, a pair of point stitches  34   b , or other attaching mechanisms, may be attached to the rim portion  72  such that the holder  12   f  may be defined between the rim portion  72 , the exterior surface  14   d  of the headwear  10   d , and the point stitches  34   b . Accordingly, the article  20  may be held to the headwear  10   d  in various different positions. For example, the article  20  may be held to be partially outside the rim portion  72  and partially between the rim portion  72  and the exterior surface  14   d  of the headwear  10   d  below the point stitches  34   b , as shown most clearly in  FIG. 29 . Alternatively, the article  20  may be substantially completely held between the rim portion  72  and the exterior surface of the headwear  10   d , as best shown in  FIG. 30 . The point stitches  34   b  may thereby be positioned above the article  20  to maintain the article  20  in position on the headwear  10   d . Also, as shown most clearly in  FIG. 31 , the article  20  may be positioned between the point stitches  34   b  to extend partially outside the holder  12   f.    
         [0088]     It will be understood that point stitches  34   b  may be positioned in various different locations, and various different quantities of point stitches  34   b  may be used to provide holders  12   f  in a desired configuration. For example, three point stitches  34   b  may be provided to create a triangular holder  12   f , or four point stitches  34   b  may be used to create a polygonal holder  12   f . It will also be understood that the term “point stitch” as used herein shall be construed to include stitches that cover an area, which may appear as a point from a distance, such that the point stitch may not include an entire dimension of the object being stitched. Accordingly, point stitches may include multiple stitches, or strands in various different shapes, such that point stitches are not limited to a single stitch. Similarly, other attaching mechanisms known in the art may be used as an alternative to stitches.  
         [0089]     It will be understood that any number of holders  12  may be used on the headwear  10 , and that each of the holders  12  may be substantially identical, or each of the holders  12  may comprise different features as described above. Moreover, it will be understood that the features of the present disclosure may be manufactured using techniques known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0090]     It will be appreciated that the structure and apparatus disclosed herein is merely one example of a means for gripping an article, and it should be appreciated that any structure, apparatus or system for gripping an article which performs functions the same as, or equivalent to, those disclosed herein are intended to fall within the scope of a means for gripping an article, including those structures, apparatus or systems for gripping articles which are presently known, or which may become available in the future. Anything which functions the same as, or equivalently to, a means for gripping and article falls within the scope of this element.  
         [0091]     In accordance with the features and combinations described above, a useful method of holding an article on headwear includes the steps of:  
         [0092]     (a) joining a holder to the headwear;  
         [0093]     (b) placing the article in the holder;  
         [0094]     (c) deforming a portion of the holder to correspond to the configuration of the article, such as by pressing the holder.  
         [0095]     Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate the advantages provide by the features of the present disclosure. For example, it is a feature of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for holding an article to headwear which is simple in design and manufacture. Another feature of the present disclosure is to provide such an apparatus which is versatile for use with various different types of articles and various different types of headwear. It is a further feature of the present disclosure, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide an apparatus which is capable of enhanced gripping of the article to more securely hold the article to the headwear. It is an additional feature of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for holding an article to headwear which has an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Those skilled in the pertinent arts will particularly appreciate the advantages which accrue with the provision of the enhanced gripping of the articles discussed in the present disclosure.  
         [0096]     In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.  
         [0097]     It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.

Technology Category: 1