WO2003026451A2

WO2003026451A2 - Headgear

Info

Publication number: WO2003026451A2
Application number: PCT/KR2002/001829
Authority: WO
Inventors: Haeng-Sam Park
Original assignee: Yupoong Inc
Current assignee: Yupoong Inc
Priority date: 2001-09-28
Filing date: 2002-09-27
Publication date: 2003-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2004-03-28
Also published as: AU2002335561A1; KR200260781Y1; WO2003026451A3

Abstract

Headgear having at least one opening which is formed on a crown portion thereof and a fastening member which opens or closes the opening is disclosed. The fastening member may be a zipper, a snap, a hook, a button, or Velcro tape. The opening has a size that is adjustable according to the extent of opening or closing of the fastening member, accommodating a wearer with long hair as well as providing airy conditions in the headgear.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

Headgear

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the invention

The present invention relates to headgear, and more specifically to

headgear having at least one opening to enhance wearing comfort for a wearer with

long hair, as well as to provide airy conditions thereof.

(b) Description of the Related Art

Headgear is the general term for a cap or hat, which has a crown portion and

a visor or a brim. When a person with long hair has their hair tied back and desires

to wear a cap or hat, the bundle of hair is pressed down by the cap or hat, causing

discomfort.

Further, when people keep their cap or hat on for a substantial amount of

time or while exercising, their hair is pressed down to their scalp, resulting in

discomfort of dermatitis or a bad smell due to sweat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the

above-described drawbacks of conventional headgear. It is an object of the present invention to provide headgear having at least one

opening on its crown portion, so that it allows a long-haired wearer of various hair

styles to pull their hair out through the opening as well as enhancing airy conditions and aesthetic appearance.

It is another object to provide headgear having an opening that can be

closed and of which the size is adjustable such that it can be used for various

purposes.

To achieve these objects, as embodied and broadly described herein,

headgear according to the invention comprises at least one opening that is formed

on a crown portion thereof, and a fastening member with which to open or close the

opening.

The size of the opening is adjustable according to the extent of opening or

closing of the fastening member. The fastening member may be selected from a

zipper, a snap, a hook, a button, and Velcro tape.

The headgear preferably has an elastic sweatband which is formed around

an inner periphery of the crown portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings provide a further understanding of the invention,

and together with the Detailed Description, explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a cap according to a first preferred embodiment of the present

invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate other examples of a fastening member of the first

preferred embodiment;

Fig. 4 shows the cap of Fig. 1 being worn;

Fig. 5 shows a cap having two openings on left and right sides of the crown

portion, according to the first preferred embodiment;

Fig. 6 shows a cap according to a second preferred embodiment of the

present invention;

Fig. 7 shows the cap of Fig. 6 being worn;

Fig. 8 shows a hat according to a third preferred embodiment of the present

invention; and

Figs. 9 and 10 show various shapes of openings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals indicate the same elements herein.

Referring first to Fig. 1 ,^'a cap according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

A cap 100 has a visor 150, a crown 120, an opening 130, and a fastening

member 140. The visor 150 is joined to a front of the crown 120 so that it may block

and prevent sunlight from dazzling a wearer of the cap 100.

An elastic sweatband 160 is preferably formed around an inner periphery of

the crown portion 120. The elastic sweatband 160 imparts elasticity to the

periphery of the crown portion 120, causing the cap 100 to fit the head of the wearer

snugly.

The crown portion 120 is formed of a plurality of gores 121. The opening

130 is formed between a pair of gores which are disposed at the back of the crown

120. The fastening member 140 is attached on both sides of the opening 130 in

order to open or close the opening 130.

As shown in Fig. 1 , a zipper is employed as the fastening member 140.

The fastening member, however, may be implemented as various kinds of fasteners,

some of which are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A Velcro tape 141 is employed as the

fastening member as shown in Fig. 2, while snaps 142 are used in Fig. 3. Although

it is not shown in the drawings, it is possible to use a hook or button as a fastening

member as well. The fastening member 140 can be opened or closed according to a simple

operation, as necessary. The size of the opening 130 can also be adjusted to be

small or large as necessary.

When a wearer with long hair wears the cap 100, the hair can be pulled out

through the opening 130 of the crown portion 120 and bound with bands, ribbons, or

hairpins, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby accommodating the long-haired wearer.

Further, the size of the opening 130 may be adjusted with the fastening member 140

according to size of the bundle of hair.

The cap 100 may fit anyone, independent of the size of her or his head,

since the size of the cap is elastically variable. Further, the cap 100 can be well

ventilated through the opening so that it provides the advantages of aesthetically

pleasing design as well as convenience and comfort when it is used in hot weather or

while exercising.

The opening of the cap 100 is not limited to being disposed at the back of the

crown portion. The number and disposition of the openings may be variable as

needed. The cap of Fig. 5 shows two openings 130 which are disposed on both

sides of the crown portion 120, thereby allowing two hair bundles to be pulled

through the two openings. Referring now to Fig. 6, a second preferred embodiment according to the

present invention will be described.

The headgear 200 of Fig. 6 is a cap having a crown portion 220, an opening

230, a visor 250, and a size adjustment member 280. The size adjustment member

280 is formed on the rear bottom of the crown portion 220, allowing the size of the

crown portion 220 to be adjusted.

The size adjustment member 280 is disposed near a U-shaped cutout 290

and has a first adjustment band 281 attached on one side of the U-shaped cutout

290 and a second adjustment band 282 attached on the other side of the U-shaped

cutout 290. The first and second adjustment bands 281 , 282 have a plurality of

interlocking holes and projections, respectively, allowing the size of the crown portion

220 to be adjusted.

The opening 230 is formed between a rear pair of gores 221 among a

plurality of gores forming the crown portion 220. The fastening member 240 is

attached on both sides of the opening 230 in order to open or close the opening 230.

Although the fastening member 240 of the second preferred embodiment is

a zipper which is attached on both sides of the opening 230, it may be implemented

by various kinds of fasteners such as Velcro tape, snaps, hooks, or buttons as in the first preferred embodiment.

The fastening member 240 can be opened or closed with a simple operation.

The size of the opening 130 can be adjusted to be small or large as necessary, and

the number and disposition thereof can also be changed.

When a wearer with long hair wears the cap 200, the hair can be pulled out

through the opening 230 and bound with bands, ribbons, or hairpins, thereby

accommodating long-haired wearer. Further, the cap 100 can be well ventilated

through the opening. The size of the opening 230 may also be adjusted by the

fastening member 240 according to the size of the bundle of hair.

Referring next to Fig. 8, a third preferred embodiment of the present

invention will be described.

The headgear 300 of Fig. 8 according to the third preferred embodiment is

implemented as a hat with a brim. The hat has a crown portion 320 and a brim 350.

The crown portion 320 is provided with an opening 330. A fastening member 340 is

attached on both sides of the opening 330 in order to open or close the opening 330.

The fastening member 340 is implemented as a zipper as shown in Fig. 8,

but it may be one of various kinds of fasteners such as Velcro tape, snaps, hooks, or

buttons as is in the first or second preferred embodiments. The crown portion 320 may be provided with an elastic sweatband,

preferably formed around an inner periphery thereof. The elastic sweatband 160

can give elasticity to the periphery of the crown portion 320, causing the hat to fit the

head of the wearer snugly.

The number and disposition of the openings may also be formed suitably as

needed to enhance an airy condition in the hat when they are open, as well as to

allow long hair to be pulled therethrough, providing the wearer with comfort and

convenience.

Although the opening is formed in a longitudinal direction as described

above, the direction or shape of the opening may be variably modified. The opening

330 may formed in a lateral direction as shown in Fig. 9, in a necessary number.

The opening 330 may be shaped as a curved line as shown in Fig. 10, providing the

advantage of headgear of an aesthetically pleasing design. Furthermore, the

various shapes of the openings may well apply to the first or second preferred

embodiments.

Although the present invention is implemented as a cap or hat in the

preferred embodiments as describe above, the present invention may be a beret or

other various kinds of headgear, not being limited to the cap or hat. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and

variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and

scope of the invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 . Headgear having a crown portion, comprising:

at least one opening which is formed on the crown portion; and

a fastening member which opens or closes the opening.

2. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

an elastic sweatband which is formed around an inner periphery of the crown

portion.

3. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the opening is formed on a back of

the crown portion.

4. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the number of openings is two (2)

and the openings are formed on both sides of the crown portion.

5. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the size of the opening is adjustable

according to the extent of opening or closing of the fastening member.

6. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fastening member is a zipper.

7. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fastening member is selected

from a snap, a hook, and a button.

8. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fastening member is Velcro

tape.

9. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the opening is formed in a

longitudinal direction.

10. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the opening is formed in a lateral

direction.

11. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the opening is shaped in a curved

line.

12. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the headgear is a cap.

13. Headgear as recited in claim 1 , wherein the headgear is a hat with a brim.