U.S. patent application number 10/847714 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-31 for knit headgear with hole.
This patent application is currently assigned to Filly Sportswear, Inc.. Invention is credited to Brundage, Jennifer.
Application Number | 20050066421 10/847714 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34381266 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050066421 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brundage, Jennifer |
March 31, 2005 |
Knit headgear with hole
Abstract
A hat is provided, such as a knit winter cap, that includes a
hole surrounded by stitching that provides a barrier from
unraveling or unweaving of the hat. The hat provides a hole for a
ponytail to extend through such that the wearer's hair does not
cause air gaps which would otherwise reduce the hat's effectiveness
in protecting the wearer from environmental elements.
Inventors: |
Brundage, Jennifer;
(Riverside, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITCH EVEN TABIN AND FLANNERY
120 SOUTH LA SALLE STREET
SUITE 1600
CHICAGO
IL
60603-3406
US
|
Assignee: |
Filly Sportswear, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
34381266 |
Appl. No.: |
10/847714 |
Filed: |
May 18, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60506689 |
Sep 26, 2003 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/209.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 1/225 20130101;
A42C 5/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/209.3 |
International
Class: |
A42B 001/06 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A hat comprising: a thread yarn material suitable for protection
from cold air; a construction pattern for the yarn that stretches
and contracts upon application and release, respectively, of force
upon the hat; a shape suitable for securing the hat around a
person's head so as to conform to the contours of the head to
substantially minimize gaps between the hat and the head; a hole
formed in the hat positioned for receiving an amount of hair of the
person; edge stitching along a periphery of the hole to secure and
retain the thread yarn material thereat; and a substantially
closed-path of stitching around the edge stitching.
2. The hat of claim 1 wherein the closed-path of stitching is a
barrier such that stretching forces upon the hat are not
transmitted to the edge stitching.
3. The hat of claim 1 wherein a decoration may be included between
the edge stitching and the closed-path of stitching.
4. The hat of claim 3 wherein the closed-path of stitching is a
barrier such that stretching forces upon the hat are not
transmitted to the decoration.
5. The hat of claim 1 wherein the hole may be generally positioned
at a crown of the head.
6. The hat of claim 5 wherein the hole may receive a ponytail of
the person.
7. The hat of claim 6 wherein the hole is approximately two inches
in diameter.
8. A method of forming a hat including: providing a knit cap;
providing a desired position for a hole for a particular wearer of
the hat; stitching a periphery defining the hole in the desired
position; and removing material of the hat within the periphery of
the hole.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the steps further include
stitching a second periphery around and spaced from the stitched
periphery defining the hole.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the steps further include
decorating the space between the stitched peripheries.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] None.
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of
the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the
Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise
reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The invention relates to headgear and, more particularly, to
a hat with a hole or opening provided through which hair passes
and/or is held. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Currently, hats or headgear are worn for a variety of
purposes. Some hats are purely ornamental, some have origins in
deeply-rooted religious beliefs, some have a purely utilitarian
purpose, and some combine these aspects.
[0005] One purpose of headgear is for protection from environmental
elements, including cold air, wind, and snow or precipitation. In
order to protect someone from these or other elements, the headgear
should keep the element from reaching the wearer's body and
head.
[0006] Often, winter hats are loose-knit from fibrous material such
as wool, cotton, or a synthetic fiber. The fiber and the knit
pattern provide the hat with a certain amount of elasticity so that
the hat is stretched somewhat through the act of putting the hat on
one's head, and the hat will then contract and conform to the shape
of the wearer's head.
[0007] Typically, hats used for protection against the weather are
used in conjunction with other apparel items. Specifically, a
person will wear a hat, and a coat, and possibly a scarf.
Overlapping the items, such as with a scarf being wrapped over the
collar of a coat, is ideal for minimizing the reach of cold or
wind.
[0008] With or without a scarf protecting the neck area, a hat's
utility is dependent on its ability to preventing cold air to reach
the wearer's head, particularly at the hat's opening. For instance,
a person who wears eyeglasses may pull a hat down on their head
only to have gaps where the temples of the eyeglasses hold the hat
away from the head, thereby allowing cold air to pass to the
person's head.
[0009] The same issue is present for someone wearing a hat where
the person has long hair. If the hair is allowed to drape down the
neck and back, the combination of elasticity of the hat and of the
fact that the hair provides a slick surface over which the hat is
pulled causes the hat to creep up and off of the head. This reduces
the effectiveness of the hat to keep the person warm, and it
requires the wearer to repeatedly adjust the hat. Alternatively,
the hair may be put into a holder so that it is in a `pony-tail`
which then hangs down just one portion of the neck. In such a
scenario, the hat typically remains seated on the head better than
without the pony-tail. However, the pony-tail usually causes gaps
between the hat and the neck in the area immediately adjacent to
where the pony-tail is positioned. As a further alternative, the
hair may be put up under the hat, such as in a ball of hair. Many
hats simply do not have enough size to allow a large ball of hair
to placed underneath and still be pulled down over the head to a
proper and secure position. In addition, as the hat is typically a
knit hat, a ball of hair on the top of the head allows air to blow
through the hat, thereby reducing its effectiveness.
[0010] Baseball hats are known which provide an opening in the hat
specifically located for ponytails. However, these hats present
certain drawbacks. First, baseball caps are not useful for warding
off of environmental elements. Any hole or edge made in a woven or
knit material requires securing of the edges and ends of the
fibers. Baseball caps are made of a tightly woven material such as
cotton twill or wool felt, whereas winter caps are often made of a
loose-knit yarn such as wool or acrylic. Making a hole in such a
winter cap designed to be stretched presents issues of the yarn
becoming unraveled which baseball caps do not present.
[0011] Furthermore, people value individualism. For many, this
means the clothing and apparel one wears is a unique combination of
items that expresses a personal style. Oftentimes, personal style
may be expressed through customization of common apparel items,
such as by having their name placed on a shirt, or having a custom
image applied to an article of clothing.
[0012] Accordingly, there has been a need for a new and improved
hat or headgear for protecting a person's head from environmental
elements when the person has hair that is long enough to hang out
of the hat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a
hat with a hole formed therein and positioned for receiving an
amount of hair of the person is disclosed. The hat is formed of a
thread yarn material suitable for protection from cold air, the
yarn being in a construction pattern so that the hat stretches and
contracts upon application and release of force upon the hat, and
the hat is provided with a shape suitable for securing the hat
around a person's head so as to conform to the contours of the head
to substantially minimize gaps between the hat and the head. The
hole has edge stitching along its periphery to secure and retain
the thread yarn material, and the hat has a substantially
closed-path of stitching around the edge stitching. The stitching
provides first and second barriers from stretching forces upon the
hat so that the yarn does not unravel at the hole. In some forms,
the hat may include a decoration between the closed-paths of
stitching.
[0014] The hole of the hat may be generally positioned at the crown
of the head. The hole may receive a ponytail of the person, and the
hole may be approximately two inches in diameter.
[0015] In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention,
a method of forming a hat is disclosed including the steps of
providing a knit cap, providing a desired position for a hole for a
particular wearer of the hat, stitching a periphery defining the
hole in the desired position, and removing material of the hat
within the periphery of the hole. The method may include stitching
a second periphery around and spaced from the stitched periphery
defining the hole. The method may also include decorating the space
between the stitched peripheries.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a plan schematic view of a first
exemplary embodiment of a hat of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a plan schematic view of a second exemplary
embodiment of a hat of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a first perspective of an embodiment of the
present invention as being worn by a person;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a second perspective of the embodiment of FIG. 3;
and
[0020] FIG. 5 is a third perspective of the embodiment of FIG.
3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Referring to the Figs., hats 10 of various embodiments of
the present invention are depicted. The hat 10 has a top 12, a
bottom edge 14, and a body material 16 therebetween, as are
commonly known for hats. In the preferred embodiment, the hat 10 is
made of a thread in the form of a yarn, such as wool, cotton, or
synthetic yarn, for instance acrylic. In the preferred embodiment,
the thread is knit in a loose knit-pattern such that the material
forming the body material 16 may be stretched in one or more
directions when force is applied to the hat 10, and such that the
material tends to return to its natural shape when the force is
relaxed or removed, as is also known for knit hats such as winter
hats, commonly referred to as ski hats.
[0022] A hole 20 is formed in the body material 16. The hole 20 may
be positioned at the top 12 of the hat 10, or at any other point
above the bottom edge 14. The hole 20 is sized to receive a portion
of a wearer's hair. In general, it is believed that a two inch (2")
hole provides enough size for allowing a wearer to pull hair
through the hole 20 and to arrange properly a ponytail holder, if
desired, on the hair, while being small enough that a significant
area is not exposed to elements and that the hat 10 itself may
provide a ponytail holder featured, if so desired. The position of
the hole 20 may be determined by a wearer or the position may be
provided in anticipation of a commonly desired point for a
ponytail.
[0023] The hole 20 is surrounded by a periphery 30 or ring of
stitching in the body material 16. As the hat 10 is made from
loose-knit yarn, the hole 20 creates loose threads which may
unravel or unweave. Accordingly, the periphery 30 is a closed-path,
such as a circle, that secures the threads therein. In addition,
when strain (such as stretching) is applied to the hat 10, the
strain tends to pull at the hole 20. Therefore, the stitched
periphery 30 holds the threads in place against such strain.
Furthermore, a second stitched periphery 32 is provided at a
distance D from the stitched periphery 30. This second periphery 32
is also a closed-path, such as a circle, and serves to minimize or
eliminate strains upon the hat 10 from translating through the hole
20 such that the rest of the hat 10 provides the stretching or
resilience in response to the strain.
[0024] As can be seen, a decoration 40 may be provided between the
stitched peripheries 30, 32. The decoration 40 may be provided by a
manufacturer, or may be custom-applied in response to a wearer's
desire. This allows personalization of the hat 10. In FIGS. 1-3,
the decoration 40 is in the form of stars, a business' name (Dodd's
Gym), and flowers.
[0025] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the hat 10 includes a center seam
50. Often, knit caps are made of several panels, or may be made of
a single panel that has a seam, such as center seam 50 for holding
the hat 10 together. In preferred embodiments, the center seam 50
overlaps with the stitched peripheries 30, 32 around the hole 20
such that the peripheries 30, 32 provide additional reinforcement
to the center seam 50.
[0026] While the invention has been described with respect to
specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying
out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
there are numerous variations and permutations of the above
described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and
scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
* * * * *