U.S. patent application number 10/972010 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-27 for headband with gripper.
Invention is credited to Shannon Larkin, Courtney A. Rovira.
Application Number | 20060085891 10/972010 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36204774 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060085891 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Larkin; Shannon ; et
al. |
April 27, 2006 |
Headband with gripper
Abstract
A headband includes opposed end panels and a central panel. The
interior surface of the central panel comprises a gripper formed of
slip-resistant material.
Inventors: |
Larkin; Shannon; (Pasadena,
CA) ; Rovira; Courtney A.; (Los Angeles, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Elliott N. Kramsky, Esq.
Suite 400
5850 Canoga Avenue
Woodland Hills
CA
91367
US
|
Family ID: |
36204774 |
Appl. No.: |
10/972010 |
Filed: |
October 25, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/171 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 8/36 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/171 |
International
Class: |
A42B 1/04 20060101
A42B001/04 |
Claims
1. A headband comprising, in combination: a) an elongated member;
b) said member including a center panel; c) a gripper being fixed
to said central panel.
2. A headband as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripper comprises
a sheet-like element.
3. A headband as defined in claim 2 wherein said sheet-like element
comprises elastomeric material.
4. A headband as defined in claim 1 further including: a) said
central panel having opposed exterior and interior surfaces; and b)
said gripper comprising said interior surface of said central
panel.
5. A headband as defined in claim 4 wherein said gripper is fixed
to edges of said exterior surface of said central panel.
6. A headband as defined in claim 5 wherein said elongated member
additionally comprises a pair of end panels, each of said end
panels being joined to opposed ends of said central panel.
7. A headband as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said end panels
comprises fabric.
8. A headband as defined in claim 7 wherein the opposed surface of
said central panel comprises leather.
9. A headband as defined in claim 8 wherein said central panel is
further characterized by a wide center portion tapering to narrower
end portions.
Description
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to women's clothing. More
particularly, this invention pertains to a headband that is
reliably retained in place on a user' head.
Brief Description of the Prior Art
[0002] Headbands are currently a favored women's fashion item,
finding application to both high fashion and casual, even sporting,
uses.
[0003] A significant annoyance faced by wearers arises from the
recognized difficulty of maintaining such apparel at its desired
attitude on the head. This is due in part to the nature of its
environment. Human hair contains oils that offer a relatively low
coefficient of friction with the material, usually cloth, of the
headband. The curvature of the skull of the wearer results in the
existence of a radial, inwardly-acting retention force when the
ends of the headband are secured, for example, by a knot.
[0004] The inwardly-acting retention force interacts with the
inherently low coefficient of friction between the interior of the
headband and the hair of the wearer to produce the annoying
slippage. The frequent occurrence of slippage can often cause
sufficient annoyance to make a wearer to discard her headband.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention addresses the preceding and other
shortcomings of the prior art by providing a headband. Such
headband includes an elongated member that includes a central
panel. A gripper is fixed to the central panel.
[0006] The preceding and other features of the invention will
become further apparent from the detailed description that follows.
Such description is accompanied by a set of drawing figures.
Numerals of the drawing figures correspond to numerals of the
written description with like numerals referring to like features
throughout both the written description and the drawing
figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the headband of the
invention in use;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the headband of the
invention;
[0009] FIG. 3 is an edge view of the headband of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the headband of the
invention; and
[0011] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the headband of the
invention taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the headband 10 of the
invention in use. The headband 10, secured to the head 12 of a
wearer by a knot 14, interfaces directly with her hair 16. As is
known, human hair contains natural oils, often supplemented by
applied chemicals and oils, that frequently render the headband
10-and-hair 16 interface of insufficient coefficient of friction to
resist the inwardly-acting force that "holds" the headband 10 in
place. The resultant slippage is annoying and can even result in
discarding of this otherwise-desirable item of apparel.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view illustrating the exterior
while FIG. 3 is an edge view of the headband 10. As can be seen,
the headband 10 may be formed of three distinct exterior portions.
A central panel 18, tapering from a centerline 20 toward opposed
ends 22, 24 defines the most prominent exterior region of the
headband 10 and is arranged to fit over the forehead and taper
toward the rear of the wearer's head 12. Opposed end panels 26, 28
taper toward free ends 30 and 32 respectively. The central 18 and
end 26, 28 panels are of materials chosen to present an attractive
appearance when worn and may comprise, for example, fabric such as
cotton, silk or synthetic fiber, leather or plasticized material.
In a particularly favored embodiment of the invention, the central
panel 18 comprises suede leather while the opposed exterior end
panels 26, 28 comprise silk.
[0014] In the invention, the problem of slippage is addressed and
overcome by the addition of a slip-resistant element to the
interior of the headband 10. FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view
illustrating the interior of the headband 10. The general shape of
the headband 10 is as in the exterior view of FIG. 2. Primed
numerals 26' and 28' indicate the interior surfaces of the end
panels 26 and 28 illustrated in FIG. 2. Unlike the exterior view,
the interior surface of the central panel 18' of the headband 10 as
shown in FIG. 4 includes a generally-planar gripper 34 consisting
of material selected for its slip-resistant properties. As
illustrated in FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view of the headband 10
taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 4, such gripper 34 is fixed to
overlapping edges 36, 38 of the material forming the exterior
central panel 18. Either stitching or an appropriate adhesive may
be employed to secure the gripper 34 as shown.
[0015] The sheet-like gripper 34 may comprise any of a number of
commercially-available non-adhesive, non-skid materials
characterized by such desirable properties, in addition to a
coefficient of friction with respect to human hair that offers
substantially increased resistance to undesirable slippage, as
color fastness, pliability, ruggedness and resistance to
degradation by sweat or the by chemicals commonly found in hair
treatments. Elastomeric materials of the open cell polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) mesh and quilted PVC mesh cushion type are
especially appropriate for the gripper 34. Examples of such
materials comprise those commercially available from MSM Industries
of Smyrna, Tenn. under the "GRIP-TAC" trademark and that
manufactured by Pliant Solutions Corporation, a subsidiary of
Pliant Corp. of Schaumburg, Ill. under the "GRIP LINER" trademark
of its "CON-TACT" Brand. The gripper 34 is fixed to the edges 36
and 38 so that the roughened surface faces inwardly to contact the
head of the wearer. This gives additional slip resistance without
irritation due to the relative softness of the material.
[0016] In use, the presence of the gripper 34 at the interior of
the headband 10 prevents the slippage that otherwise characterizes
present-day headbands. As such, the wearer needn't be distracted or
particularly aware of the attitude of the headband 10 on her head
over time. This is often reflected in enhanced wearer confidence
and attractiveness.
[0017] While this invention has been described with reference to
its presently preferred embodiment, it is not limited thereto.
Rather the invention is limited only insofar as it is defined by
the following set of patent claims and includes within its scope
all equivalents thereof.
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