WO1994023602A1

WO1994023602A1 - Weather-shield hat accessory

Info

Publication number: WO1994023602A1
Application number: PCT/US1993/003512
Authority: WO
Inventors: Keith H. Clement
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-04-13
Filing date: 1993-04-13
Publication date: 1994-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1995-10-13
Also published as: AU4032093A

Abstract

The invention is a flexible weather-shield (1) that can be attached to a hat (32) having a forward visor (34) and a rear size adjustment system (38). The shield includes a front attachment apparatus in the form of an elastic band (8) that can be placed atop the hat's visor (34). The rear of the shield includes a fastening system (16) that releasably attaches the shield to the hat's size adjustment apparatus (38). The shield further includes its own size adjustment apparatus (22) that adapts the shield to the dimensions of the hat or the wearer. Complementary fasteners (4, 6) are located along front end portions of each of the shield's side portions (52, 54) to enable the shield to be closed over a forward portion of a wearer's neck. The shield further includes a chin strap assembly (50), a rear stiffener (70) and two side-located stiffeners (72).

Description

WEATHER-SHIELD HAT ACCESSORY

Field of the Invention

The invention is in the field of hat accessories. More particularly, the invention is a flexible weather-shield that can be suspended from a hat. Once in place, the shield drapes over the wearer's ears and neck thereby providing protection from adverse weather conditions.

Background of the Invention

In many fields of endeavor, a worker is required to be exposed to adverse climatic conditions for extended periods of time. For example, a construction worker may be continuously exposed to strong sunlight for eight hours a day. The same worker may also be exposed to high winds or to extreme cold for similar extended periods of time.

This prolonged exposure can lead to a number of physical problems. The sun exposure can at a minimum cause a sunburn of the skin. Over a long period of time, repeated over- exposure to the sun can result in skin cancer.

Exposure to high winds can result in windburn, drying of the skin and abrasion of the skin. Prolonged exposure of the skin to wind can result in premature aging of the skin.

During cold weather, an outdoor worker will normally suffer some exposure of his or her skin to the cold. The result of this exposure can range from mild discomfort to frostbite.

As is well known, there are many types of apparel that are commonly used to protect one's neck and ears from the elements. Hats and scarfs are two well-known examples of apparel used for this purpose.

Hats are often used to protect the wearer from the sun. A problem with hats is that when the sun is not directly overhead, the rays of sunlight are able to impinge on the wearer's neck, face and ears. A similar exposure can occur even at midday if the worker has his or her head bent at an angle. For example, a construction worker using a shovel will normally be standing with his or her head bent forward looking toward the bottom tip of the shovel. In this position, even with a hat, the worker's neck and possibly ears will be exposed to the direct sunlight.

During cold or windy conditions, a person working outdoors may wear a hat in combination with a scarf or bandana to shield his or her ears and neck from the elements. When this type of apparel is in place, it can be an effective shield against these weather conditions. The problem with these forms of apparel is that they require the user to constantly adjust their position since the user's movements cause them to shift from their initially placed position.

To improve on the basic hat, many inventors have developed hat accessories that attach to a hat to increase its shielding abilities.

Bickerton (U.S. patent 1,008,109) teaches an adjustable sunshade member that is removably secured to the exterior of a hat. The Bickerton shade is hung from the hat's rigid crown using a wire loop. A wire loop cannot be comfortably used on modern hats that have a flexible crown. In addition, the Bickerton device requires adjustment whenever the wearer changes position relative to the sun.

Rosenau (U.S. patent No. 2,462,679) and Lindley (U.S. patent No. 2,446,288) both teach removable plastic shields that are designed to attach to the exterior of a hat. These devices are limited in their ability to adjust to different size hats and also include attachment mechanisms that only provide localized support of the shields.

Ellis (U.S. patent No. 4,980,928) teaches a cap that includes a deployable cape member. The cape is normally housed within the interior of the hat proximate the hat's brim. When required , the cape is unrolled downwardly and is capable of covering the wearer's neck and shoulders. One embodiment of the invention shows a cape that can cover the wearer's entire body. This device, while unique, is bulky and the cape's attachment apparatus does not provide any adjustability for hat or head size to achieve proper fit.

The first objective of the invention is to provide a device that can be removably attached to a hat and which functions to shield the wearer's neck and ears from adverse weather conditions.

The second objective of the invention is to provide a removable shield that can be uniformly supported by the hat without causing discomfort to the wearer.

The third objective of the invention is to provide a removable weather-shield that can be adjusted to fit different hat sizes or to conform to the dimensions of the particular wearer.

A fourth objective of the invention is to provide a weather-shield that can be easily disengaged from a hat and which does not interfere with the hat's adjustment apparatus.

Summary of the Invention

The invention is a hat accessory in the form of a removable weather-shield. The shield itself is made from a flexible material that is removably attached to a bottom portion of a hat. When in place, the shield extends downwardly to cover the neck and ears of the wearer.

The shield includes a two part attachment apparatus that enables it to be uniformly supported by the hat. The first part of the attachment apparatus comprises a stretchable band that extends forwardly from the top of the flexible shield and fits over the hat's visor. When in place, the band provides a forward support point for the shield. The second part of the attachment apparatus is located at the rear of the shield along its upper portion and functions to attach the shield to a hat's rear-located size adjustment band.

The shield's attachment apparatus is also designed to enable the quick attachment or detachment of the shield from the hat. In addition, the form of the attachment apparatus allows the wearer to adjust the hat's adjustment band with little or no interference from the attached weather-shield. As will be described later, the user can adjust the size of the hat even when the weather-shield is in place on the hat.

The weather-shield further includes an adjustment apparatus that allows it to be adjusted to fit the particular wearer or hat. In the preferred embodiment, the adjustment apparatus comprises a band that is fastened to the shield at two separated locations. By adjusting the length of the band via a movable clip, the two spaced fastening points are brought closer together to thereby alter the size of the shield to fit a smaller hat or head size.

The flexible shield portion of the invention can be manufactured from any number of materials with the material selection being dependent on the intended use of the shield. For example, to shield the wearer from the sun, the material of choice would be a lightweight, white cotton fabric. This type of material is capable of protecting the wearer from the sun's rays while still allowing some ventilation of the skin. In addition, a cotton material is capable of absorbing some of the wearer's sweat and thereby maintains the wearer's natural evaporative cooling process. Once the cotton fabric shield becomes soiled, it can be easily removed from the hat and washed.

To protect the wearer from the wind, the shield is preferably manufactured from a canvas or other tightly woven material. This type of material protects the wearer from flying particles and reduces the drying action of the wind on the wearer's skin.

For cold weather protection, the flexible shield can be manufactured from various insulating materials. Wool and THINSULATE are examples of two such materials.

The invention further includes an adjustable chin strap that extends between opposite side portions of the shield. The strap is designed to be located below a user's chin and to be adjustable in length via a slidable clip. By adjusting the chin strap, a user secures the shield's two side portions together so that they cannot be moved by gusts of wind or by changes in the position of the wearer's head. Tightening of the chin strap also helps to gather the shield material thereby enabling it to better fit the wearer.

The invention also includes one or more stiffener members located proximate the bottom periphery of the shield. The stiffener members help to maintain the position of the shield on windy days and also allow the user to custom shape the shield for proper fit.

In one embodiment of the invention, the front edge of each of the shield's side portions can be secured together in an overlapping fashion by attached hook and pile fastener portions. Use of this feature provides a wearer with the maximum protection from wind, sun or dust.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a weather-shield hat accessory in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the invention shown in figure 1 with the invention shown attached to a hat and being worn by a user.

Figure 3 is a front view of the invention as shown in figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detailed side view of the rear portion of the shield's attachment apparatus in place on a hat's rear adjustment band.

Figure 5 is a rear view of the invention shown in figure 2.

Figure 6 is a side view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 is a rear view of the invention shown in figure 6.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures, there is shown by the numeral 1 a weather- shield accessory for a hat in accordance with the invention.

The weather-shield includes a shield portion 2 formed from an elongated piece of flexible material that has the ability to shield the wearer from particular aspects of the weather. For example, when a sun shield is required, the portion 2 could be manufactured from a light-weight, white cotton material. As a cold weather shield, the portion 2 could be made from a wool or quilted material. The portion 2 is sized so that when it is attached to a hat, it extends downwardly and covers the wearer's ears and neck.

Located proximate the bottom of the front edges of shield portion 2 are a pair of complementary hook and loop fastening strips 4 and 6. Strip 4 is attached to an inner surface of the shield. Strip 6 is fastened in a complementary position on the shield's outer surface.

The weather-shield 1 includes a two-part system for attaching it to a hat. The first part comprises a flexible, elastic band 8 that is attached to the top of the shield portion's front edges 10 and 12. The band completes a circle partially formed by the top edge 14 of the shield portion 2.

Attachment apparatus 16 is located on the inside rear surface of the shield and forms the second part of the attachment system. The apparatus comprises two complementary portions of hook and loop fastening material 18 and 20 that are designed to be fastened onto the size adjustment apparatus of a hat.

Located proximate the top of the rear face of the shield is an adjustment apparatus 22 comprising a band 23 that is made up of a right portion 24 and a left portion 25. Each band portion fits within the shield material and has an end, 26 and 27 respectively, that is secured to an opposite side portion of the shield. The two band portions are connected together through either a unitary initial construction (i.e.- the band portions make up a single, continuous band) or via a knot.

A movable locking clip 31 is located on each of the band portions to allow a user to adjust the free length of the band portions. In the preferred embodiment, the movable clip is in the form of a bead that has a central bore through which the two bands pass in a restricted fashion. When a user moves the bead on the bands, the distance between the bead and band ends 26 and 27 is either increased or decreased. By moving the bead further onto the bands, the band ends 26 and 27 are brought closer together. This causes a gathering of the top of the shield thereby reducing the diameter of the circular area bounded by the top perimeter of the weather-shield and effectively adjusting the shield to fit a smaller hat. It should be noted that a knot 30 is shown at the connection point between the two band portions and is used to prevent the clip/bead 31 from becoming disconnected from the bands.

In figures 2 and 3, the weather-shield is shown attached to a baseball-type hat 32 that is located on the head of a wearer. The hat consists of a top hemispherical portion 33 with a visor 34 located along the bottom edge of the front of the hat. The rear of the hat includes a semi-circular opening 36. At the base of the opening is located the hat's size adjustment apparatus 38.

The adjustment apparatus 38 shown is typical for this type of hat and includes two straps 40 and 42 that are aligned back to front. The straps are adapted so that they can be connected to each other at different points along their respective lengths. In this manner, the amount that they overlap each other can be varied to thereby change the diameter of the circular bottom edge 44 of the hat.

Figure 3 provides a front view of the weather-shield/hat combination shown in figure 2. In this figure, the front bottom portions of the shield are connected to each other via a connection between the hook and pile segments 4 and 6. As can be seen, the shield is capable of completely covering the wearer's neck and ears.

In figures 4 and 5, a detailed view is provided of the rear attachment between the hat and weather-shield. These views focus on the two bands 40 and 42 that are used to adjust the hat's size and on the shield's rear attachment strips 18 and 20. Portions of each of the two bands 40 and 42 overlap each other and band 40 includes extension members that project perpendicularly from the band's rear face. Band 42 includes a plurality of openings sized to inwardly receive the extension members. By selecting different sets of openings to receive the extension members, the relative positions of the two bands can be changed thereby changing the hat's size.

The shield's rear attachment strips 18 and 20 act to encircle the hat's adjustment bands and thereby releasably fasten the rear of the shield to the rear of the hat. This method of attachment allows the shield to be slidably fastened to the bands in a manner whereby some repositioning of the shield is allowed. This enables a wearer to adjust the hat without having to remove the shield. This fastening method also conversely allows the weather-shield to be moved on the attachment bands to compensate for changes made to the size of the shield or to the size of the hat. In addition, the ability to adjust the shield's position provides the wearer with the ability to slightly adjust the location of the shield to achieve proper fit.

The invention further includes an adjustable chin strap assembly 50 that extends between opposite side portions 52 and 54 of the shield. The strap assembly includes a right- side strap portion 56, a left-side strap portion 58 and an adjustable locking clip 60. The right-side portion has one end 62 secured to side portion 52 of the shield and its other end united to one end of portion 58 at knot 64. The other end 66 of strap portion 58 is secured to side portion 54 of the shield. The strap portions are preferably formed from a single length of flexible material such as nylon or cotton cord that has a knot 64 located at its midpoint. The locking clip 60 is similar in design to clip 31 and is preferably a movable bead through which both strap portions pass in a restricted fashion.

The adjustable chin strap assembly is designed to be located below a user's chin and to be adjustable in length via movement of clip 60. By adjusting the position of the clip, a user changes the distance between ends 62 and 66 of the strap portions. In this manner, a user can secure the side portions of the shield together so that they fit closely against the sides of his or her head. Once secured, the side portions of the shield are not easily moved by gusts of wind or when the wearer changes the position of his or her head. It should also be noted that by proper adjustment of the chin strap assembly, a user gathers the bottom of the shield thereby improving its fit.

The invention further includes a rear stiffener member 70 and two side stiffener members 72. The stiffener members are located proximate the bottom periphery of the shield and are made from strips of stiff but preferably flexible material. The strips are approximately one-half inch high by three to six inches in length. The stiffener members can be formed from, for example, thin strips of plastic, plastic coated metal wires, strips of treated fabric or by a localized treating of the shield material with a plastic resin.

It should be noted that in the preferred usage, the stiffener members add localized weighting to the shield to enhance the shield's resistance to being moved by gusts of wind. In addition, the invention can employ either the side stiffener members without the rear stiffener member or just the rear stiffener member alone. As another alternate, the rear and side stiffener members can be formed from a single long strip of material that is 'U'-shaped and extends across the rear of the shield and at least partially along both of the shield's side portions.

As noted above, the use of one or more of the above described stiffener members helps to maintain the position of the shield on windy days. The members also help to shape the bottom of the shield for proper fit. The members can be either preformed in a specific shape or be deformable by the user. When deformable stiffener members such as plastic coated wires are used, the wearer can deform the members to enable a custom fit of the shield to the particular wearer. It should be noted that the stiffener members can be formed from either a rigid or semi-rigid (stiff but capable of being deformed by a wearer) material.

Figures 6 and 7 show an alternate design for the shield. In this embodiment, the side portions 52' and 54' are not designed to cover the front of the user's neck and therefore do not include the hook and pile fasteners 6 and 8. Instead, the side portions are shaped to conform with the user's body to facilitate movement of the user's head. As can be seen in figure 6, the shield's side portion 52' covers the wearer's ear without hanging straight down and draping over the user's shoulder. It should be noted that the shield's opposite side portion 54 ' is identical to portion 52 ' .

As in the previously described embodiment of the invention, the shield preferably includes an adjustable chin strap assembly 50' to maintain the position of the shield's side portions and to enhance fit. The fit and functionality of the shield are further enhanced by the use of a rear stiffener member 70' and two shaped side stiffener members 72' . As in the previously described embodiment, the three stiffener members can be used together as shown or used singly or in pairs.

In figures 2, 3, 6 and 7, the shield is shown attached to a baseball-type hat. The shield can, in exactly the same manner, be attached to other types of hats that include similar adjustment structure. For example, the shield can be secured to a hard hat-type of hat that is normally worn to protect the wearer from impacts. For this type of hat, the shield's front band would be placed over the hat's rigidly fixed forward visor in a manner similar to that shown for a baseball-type hat. The rear attachment straps of the shield would then be secured to the hat's adjustment band normally found in the interior of the hat proximate its rear edge. The adjustment mechanism is basically similar to that used in baseball-type hats and the rear attachment of the shield would be made in the same manner as previously described. Once properly secured, the shield portion 2 would extend downwardly to cover the wearer's neck and ears.

The embodiments disclosed herein have been discussed for the purpose of familiarizing the reader with the novel aspects of the invention. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, many changes, modifications and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.

I claim:

Claims

1. A weather-shield for a hat, said weather-shield comprising: a flexible shield member having a top, a bottom, a rear portion and two side portions; a first attachment means connected to the top of each of the shield member's side portions wherein when said shield member is located on a hat, said first attachment means functions to removably attach the shield member to a forward portion of a hat; a chin strap means attached to both of the shield member's side portions and adapted to fit below the chin of a wearer and wherein the chin strap means is in the form of a strap and includes an adjustment means for adjusting the length of strap between the two side portions of the shield member thereby adjustably limiting a maximum separation distance between the two side portions; and wherein when the shield member is attached to a hat, the shield member extends downwardly from the hat and is capable of at least partially covering a wearer's neck and ears.

2. The weather-shield of Claim 1 wherein said first attachment means comprises a flexible band that extends between the two side portions of the shield member and is capable of placement on a forward portion of a hat in a position wherein at least a forward portion of the band rests atop a visor portion of said hat, and wherein said weather- shield further includes a second attachment means that comprises a flexible fastening means that is capable of releasably capturing a hat's rear strap member.

3. The weather-shield of Claim 1 wherein the top portion of the shield member and the first attachment means together form a circular loop and wherein the weather-shield further comprises an adjustment means located on the shield member that is capable of changing the diameter of said circular loop.

4. The weather-shield of Claim 1 wherein the shield member is made at least partially of a cotton material.

5. The weather-shield of Claim 1 further comprising a stiffener means located proximate a bottom edge of the shield member and functioning to stiffen at least a portion of the shield member proximate its bottom edge.

6. The weather-shield of Claim 5 wherein the stiffener means is located proximate a bottom edge of the rear portion of the shield member.

7. The weather-shield of Claim 6 wherein the stiffener means is also located proximate a bottom edge of each of the side portions of the shield member.

8. The weather-shield of Claim 5 wherein the stiffener means is located proximate a bottom edge of each of the side portions of the shield member.

9. The weather-shield of Claim 5 wherein the stiffener means is semi-rigid and can be deformed by a user to assume a new shape.

10. A hat and removable weather-shield comprising: a hat having a hemispherical main portion, a visor portion that extends outwardly from a front edge of the main portion and a size adjustment means located proximate a rear portion of the main portion for adjusting the size of the hat; and a flexible weather-shield comprising a shield member, a forward attachment means for attaching the shield member to a forward portion of the hat above the visor, a rear attachment means that releasably attaches the shield member to a rear portion of the hat, and stiffener means located proximate a bottom edge of the shield member.

11. The hat and weather-shield of Claim 10 wherein the forward attachment means of the weather-shield comprises a flexible strap that extends between two separated side edges of the shield member and wherein the rear attachment means of the weather-shield comprises a flexible band member that at least partially captures the hat's size adjustment means.

12. The hat and weather-shield of Claim 10 wherein a top portion of the shield member and the first attachment means together form a circular loop and wherein the weather-shield further comprises an adjustment means located on the shield member that is capable of gathering at least a portion of the shield member's top portion to thereby change the diameter of said circular loop.

13. The hat and weather-shield of Claim 10 wherein the stiffener means of the shield member is semi-rigid.

14. The hat and weather-shield of Claim 10 wherein the shield member includes two side portions, extends at least half-way around the hat and downwardly for a predetermined distance to thereby be capable of covering a wearer's ears and neck and includes an adjustable chin strap that is connected to both of the shield member's side portions and is adapted to fit below the chin of a wearer.

15. A weather-shield attachment for a hat, said weather- shield consisting essentially of: a flexible shield member, a forward attachment means for attaching the shield member to a forward portion of a hat and a rear attachment means that functions to releasably attach the shield member to a rear portion of a hat wherein when the weather-shield is attached to a hat and the hat is worn by a wearer, the shield member extends downwardly from the hat and is capable of covering the wearer's neck and ears; and wherein the shield member has two side portions and wherein the weather-shield further comprises an adjustable chin strap that is connected to both of the shield member's side portions and is adapted to fit below the chin of a wearer.

16. The weather-shield of Claim 15 wherein the adjustable chin strap comprises: a first portion having a first end and a second end and wherein the first end is attached to one of the shield member's side portions; a second portion having a first end and a second end and wherein the first end is attached to the other of the shield member's side portions; and a movable connector means located between the first and second ends of both portions of the chin strap wherein the connector means can slide simultaneously on both portions of the chin strap to thereby be adjustably positioned between the first and second ends of the first and second chin strap portions.

17. The weather-shield of Claim 15 wherein the forward attachment means of the weather-shield comprises a flexible strap that extends between two separated side edges of the shield member and wherein the rear attachment means of the weather-shield comprises a flexible band member that is capable of at least partially capturing a hat's size adjustment means when said size adjustment means comprises an elongated band.

18. The weather-shield of Claim 15 wherein the weather-shield further comprises an adjustment means that functions to adapt the weather-shield to fit onto different sizes of hats by gathering together a portion of the shield member.

19. The weather-shield of Claim 15 wherein the shield member is capable of extending at least half-way around a hat's bottom perimeter.

20. The weather-shield of Claim 15 further comprising stiffener means located proximate a bottom edge of the shield member and functioning to stiffen at least a portion of the shield member proximate its bottom edge.