Cap having comfortable structure

Abstract

A cap includes a hemispherical portion having two side openings, an elastic band attached to bottom peripheral portion of the hemispherical portion, to resiliently engage onto the heads of the users. The elastic band includes a front segment secured to the front portion of the hemispherical portion, a rear segment disposed beside the rear portion of the hemispherical portion, and two side segments extended through the side openings of the hemispherical portion. The hemispherical portion includes a sleeve formed in the rear portion to slidably receive the rear segment of the elastic band, and to allow the rear segment of the elastic band to resiliently and adjustably fitted onto the heads of the users.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a cap, and more particularly to a cap having an elastic band for comfortably engaging onto heads of users.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Typical caps, such as baseball caps comprise a hemispherical portion for fitting onto heads of users and formed of a number of rectangular panels that are joined to each other by seams, and comprise a visor portion extended forwardly from the hemispherical portion.

[0005] For allowing the caps to be snugly fitted onto the heads of the users, the caps normally include an opening formed in the back of the hemispherical portion, opposite to the visor portion, and two straps extended from the rectangular panels and adjustably secured to each other with projection-and-orifice engagements, to allow the bottom peripheral portion of the hemispherical portion to be adjusted in size to fit various size heads.

[0006] However, the straps are normally made of plastic materials, and may not be easily secured onto the rectangular panels of the hemispherical portion, such that the caps may not be easily manufactured by factories, and may not be easily used by users.

[0007] For avoiding the straps of plastic materials, and for allowing the caps to be easily fitted onto the heads of the users, the other caps have been developed and comprise an endless stretchable band attached to the bottom peripheral portion of the hemispherical portion, to adjustably accommodate a number of various sized heads.

[0008] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,415 to Beckerman discloses one of the typical caps comprising a hemispherical portion for fitting onto heads of users, and a visor portion extended forwardly from the hemispherical portion, and an endless stretchable band attached to the bottom peripheral portion of the hemispherical portion, to adjustably accommodate a number of various sized heads.

[0009] However, the endless stretchable band is attached all around the bottom peripheral portions of the hemispherical portions, and may also tightly engaged onto and around the outer peripheral portions of the heads of the users, such that air may not be easily ventilated through the stretchable bands and may not be easily ventilated into and out of the caps, and such that the heads of the users may not feel comfortable.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,831 to Park discloses another typical cap also comprising an endless stretchable band attached to the bottom peripheral portion of the hemispherical portion, to adjustably accommodate a number of various sized heads, and further comprising a number of slits formed or incised in a vertical direction of the stretchable band for air ventilating purposes.

[0011] However, the endless stretchable band is also attached and engaged all around the bottom peripheral portions of the hemispherical portions, and may also tightly engaged onto and around the outer peripheral portions of the heads of the users, such that air may not be easily ventilated through the stretchable bands.

[0012] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional caps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cap including an elastic band for comfortably engaging onto heads of users, and for allowing air to be easily ventilated through the rear portion of the cap or the elastic band and to be easily ventilated into and out of the cap.

[0014] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a cap comprising a hemispherical portion for fitting onto heads of users, and including a front portion, a rear portion, and two side portions, and including two side openings formed in the side portions respectively, the hemispherical portion including a bottom peripheral portion, and an elastic band attached to the bottom peripheral portion of the hemispherical portion, to resiliently engage onto the heads of the users, and to adjustably accommodate a number of various sized heads. The elastic band includes a front segment secured to the front portion of the hemispherical portion, a rear segment disposed beside the rear portion of the hemispherical portion, and two side segments extended through the side openings of the hemispherical portion. The hemispherical portion includes a sleeve formed in the rear portion thereof, to slidably receive the rear segment of the elastic band, and to allow the rear segment of the elastic band to resiliently and adjustably fitted onto the heads of the users, and thus to allow the cap to be adjustably and comfortably accommodated onto a number of various sized heads.

[0015] The hemispherical portion includes a flap extended downwardly from the rear portion thereof, and folded over the rear segment of the elastic band, and having a free edge secured to the rear portion of the hemispherical portion, to form the sleeve, and to slidably receive the rear segment of the elastic band.

[0016] The free edge of the flap is secured to the rear portion of the hemispherical portion with at least one seam. The hemispherical portion includes a plurality of rectangular panels joined to each other by seams.

[0017] The rear segment of the elastic band includes at least one cloth strap secured therein and having a less stretchability to allow the elastic band to be mostly stretched circumferentially at the side segments thereof. The cloth strap is made of woven or non-woven cloth materials.

[0018] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cap in accordance with the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the cap;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating a prototype of the cap;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating another arrangement of the cap; and

[0023] FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, illustrating a further arrangement of the cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0024] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a cap in accordance with the present invention comprises a hemispherical portion 10 for fitting onto heads of users and formed of a number of rectangular panels 11 that are joined to each other by seams 12, a visor portion 13 extended forwardly from the hemispherical portion 10.

[0025] The hemispherical portion 10 of the cap further includes a substantially semi-circular front portion 14 and a substantially semi-circular rear portion 15, and two side slits or openings 16 formed in a middle portion or two side portions 17 respectively, or formed between sides or edges or end portions 18 of the front portion 14 and the rear portion 15 respectively, for allowing a bottom peripheral portion 19 of the hemispherical portion 10 of the cap to be suitably or slightly moved or opened or stretched relative to each other.

[0026] An elastic band 20 is attached or secured into an inner portion of the bottom peripheral portion 19 of the hemispherical portion 10 of the cap, to resiliently engage onto the heads of the users, and to adjustably accommodate a number of various sized heads. The elastic band 20 is preferably a sweat band for absorbing sweat and/or for air ventilation purposes, and made of resilient or elastic materials for snugly and tightly and resiliently engaging onto the heads of the users.

[0027] The elastic band 20 includes a front segment 21 secured to the front portion 14 of the hemispherical portion 10 with one or more seams 22, a rear segment 23 disposed beside the rear portion 15 of the hemispherical portion 10 without securing to the hemispherical portion 10, and two side segments 24 extended through the side slits or openings 16 of the hemispherical portion 10.

[0028] The hemispherical portion 10 of the cap further includes a flap 30 extended downwardly from the rear portion 15 thereof (FIGS. 3-5), and folded over the rear segment 23 of the elastic band 20 (FIGS. 1, 2), and having a free edge 31 secured to the rear portion 15 of the hemispherical portion 10 with one or more seams 32, to form a longitudinal pocket or sleeve 33 and to slidably receive the rear segment 23 of the elastic band 20, and thus to allow the rear segment 23 of the elastic band 20 to resiliently and adjustably fitted onto the heads of the users.

[0029] It is to be noted that the elastic band 20 will not be directly engaged onto the heads of the users, but indirectly engaged onto the heads of the users via the flap 30 of the hemispherical portion 10, to allow air to easily ventilate through the flap 30 and to easily ventilate into and out of the cap, such that the users may feel more comfortable.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, the rear segment 23 of the elastic band 20 may further include one or more cloth straps 25 disposed or secured therein and preferably made of woven or non-woven cloth materials, and having a stretchability less than that of the other portions of the elastic band 20, such that the elastic band 20 is mostly stretched circumferentially at the side segments 24.

[0031] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear segment 23 of the elastic band 20 may have no cloth straps disposed or secured therein; or, as shown in FIG. 5, the side segments 24 of the elastic band 20 may be made as cloth straps for extending through the side slits or openings 16 of the hemispherical portion 10.

[0032] Accordingly, the cap in accordance with the present invention includes an elastic band for comfortably engaging onto heads of users, and for allowing the air to be easily ventilated through the flap and to be easily ventilated into and out of the cap.

[0033] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A cap comprising: a hemispherical portion for fitting onto heads of users, and including a front portion, a rear portion, and two side portions, and including two side openings formed in said side portions respectively, said hemispherical portion including a bottom peripheral portion, an elastic band attached to said bottom peripheral portion of said hemispherical portion, to resiliently engage onto the heads of the users, and to adjustably accommodate a number of various sized heads, said elastic band including a front segment secured to said front portion of said hemispherical portion, a rear segment disposed beside said rear portion of said hemispherical portion, and two side segments extended through said side openings of said hemispherical portion, and said hemispherical portion including a sleeve formed in said rear portion thereof, to slidably receive said rear segment of said elastic band, and to allow said rear segment of said elastic band to resiliently and adjustably fitted onto the heads of the users.

2. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hemispherical portion includes a flap extended downwardly from said rear portion thereof, and folded over said rear segment of said elastic band, and having a free edge secured to said rear portion of said hemispherical portion, to form said sleeve, and to slidably receive said rear segment of said elastic band.

3. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said free edge of said flap is secured to said rear portion of said hemispherical portion with at least one seam.

4. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear segment of said elastic band includes at least one cloth strap secured therein and having a less stretchability to allow said elastic band to be mostly stretched circumferentially at said side segments thereof.

5. The cap as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one cloth strap is made of woven or non-woven cloth materials.

6. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hemispherical portion includes a plurality of rectangular panels joined to each other by seams.