U.S. patent application number 11/820549 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-03 for performance cap.
This patent application is currently assigned to New Era Cap Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Timothy J. Talley.
Application Number | 20080000013 11/820549 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38875086 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080000013 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Talley; Timothy J. |
January 3, 2008 |
Performance cap
Abstract
A cap (15) comprising a crown (16) having an outer surface (21)
and an inner surface (22) defining an interior cavity (23) for
receiving the head of a wearer (17), a headband (19) attached to
the crown and having a bottom edge (24) defining an opening for the
head of the wearer, a visor (18) connected to the crown and
projecting angularly away from the crown, the crown comprising a
synthetic woven material (17) adapted to facilitate the
disbursement of moisture across the outer surface. The headband
(19) may comprise a foam layer (38) adapted to absorb moisture when
the cap is worn by the wearer, a non-woven layer (39) adapted to
limit the elasticity of the headband, and a synthetic woven layer
(40) adapted to facilitate, the movement of the moisture to and
from the foam layer and evaporation of moisture from the cap.
Inventors: |
Talley; Timothy J.;
(Buffalo, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PHILLIPS LYTLE LLP;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
3400 HSBC CENTER
BUFFALO
NY
14203-3509
US
|
Assignee: |
New Era Cap Co., Inc.
|
Family ID: |
38875086 |
Appl. No.: |
11/820549 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60815133 |
Jun 20, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/171 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42C 5/02 20130101; A42B
1/0189 20210101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/171 |
International
Class: |
A42B 1/04 20060101
A42B001/04 |
Claims
1. A cap comprising: a crown having an outer surface and an inner
surface defining an interior cavity for receiving the head of a
wearer; a headband attached to said crown and having a bottom edge
defining an opening for said head of said wearer; a visor connected
to said crown and projecting angularly away from said crown; said
crown adapted to absorb moisture and to facilitate the movement of
said moisture from said inner surface and the evaporation of said
moisture from said outer surface of said crown; said headband
comprising a foam layer adapted to absorb moisture when said cap is
worn by said wearer, a non-woven layer adapted to limit the
elasticity of said headband, and a synthetic woven layer adapted to
facilitate the movement of said moisture to and from said foam
layer and evaporation of said moisture.
2. The cap set forth in claim 1, wherein said synthetic woven layer
is adapted to facilitate the movement of said moisture from said
foam layer to said outer surface of said crown.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/815,133, filed Jun. 20, 2006. The entire
contents of such application is incorporated herein by
reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to caps and, more
particularly, to a cap with improved moisture management
properties.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] A variety of caps are known in the prior art. For example,
caps worn by professional baseball players generally include a
crown portion, a visor and a sweatband. The crown on such caps are
made from natural wool and the sweatband has an outer cotton layer.
While such caps have an authentic appearance and traditional
features, they have a number of disadvantages. For example,
perspiration or sweat from the wearer can cause such caps to become
uncomfortable to wear and can stain the cap. Hence, it would be
beneficial to provide a cap which has authentic features and
manages moisture for comfort to the wearer.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0004] With parenthetical reference to the corresponding parts,
portions or surfaces of the disclosed embodiment, merely for the
purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation, the present
invention provides an improved cap (15) comprising a crown (16)
having an outer surface (21) and an inner surface (22) defining an
interior cavity (23) for receiving the head of a wearer (17), a
headband (19) attached to the crown and having a bottom edge (24)
defining an opening for the head of the wearer, a visor (18)
connected to the crown and projecting angularly away from the
crown, the crown comprising a synthetic woven material (17) adapted
to facilitate the disbursement of moisture across the outer surface
and having a structure similar to wool.
[0005] The present invention also discloses a cap comprising a
crown (28) having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an
interior cavity for receiving the head of a wearer, a headband
attached to the crown and having a bottom edge defining an opening
for the head of the wearer, a visor connected to the crown and
projecting angularly away from the crown, the crown comprising a
layer (31) of wool and synthetic material adapted to absorb
moisture and to facilitate the movement of moisture from the inner
surface and the evaporation of moisture from the outer surface of
the crown. The cap may further comprise an inner liner layer (30)
adapted to facilitate the movement of moisture from the inner
surface of the crown to the layer. The layer may be adapted to
facilitate the disbursement of moisture across the outer surface
and may be a double-faced fabric comprising wool on an inside face
and synthetic material on an outside face. The synthetic material
may be polyester.
[0006] The invention also discloses a cap comprising a crown having
an outer surface and an inner surface defining an interior cavity
for receiving the head of a wearer, a headband attached to the
crown and having a bottom edge defining an opening for the head of
the wearer, a visor connected to the crown and projecting angularly
away from the crown, the headband (19) comprising a foam layer (38)
adapted to absorb moisture when the cap is worn by the wearer, a
non-woven layer (39) adapted to limit the elasticity of the
headband, and a synthetic woven layer (40) adapted to facilitate
the movement of the moisture to and from the foam layer and
evaporation of moisture. The synthetic woven layer may be adapted
to facilitate the movement of moisture from the foam layer to the
outer surface of the crown.
[0007] Accordingly, the general object of the present invention is
to provide a cap which manages moisture and is comfortable to the
wearer.
[0008] Another object is to provide a cap which facilitates the
movement of moisture away from the head of the wearer to the
outside surface of the cap.
[0009] Another object is to provide a cap which facilitates the
evaporation of moisture from the surface of the cap.
[0010] Another object is to provide a cap which dissipates moisture
across the surface of the cap.
[0011] Another object is to provide a cap which dries rapidly.
[0012] Another object is to provide a cap which has the features of
a natural wool cap.
[0013] Another object is to provide a cap with a sweatband that
manages moisture accumulation.
[0014] These and other objects and advantages will become apparent
from the foregoing and ongoing written specification, the drawings,
and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved cap on the head
of a wearer.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cap shown in FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap shown in FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the cap shown in FIG.
2, taken on line A-A of FIG. 2.
[0019] FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of the cap shown in FIG.
4, taken within the indicated circle of FIG. 4.
[0020] FIG. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of the cap shown in FIG.
4, taken within the indicated circle of FIG. 4.
[0021] FIG. 7a-c is a representative view of the moisture
management of the cap shown in FIG. 2.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of an alternative
embodiment of the cap shown in FIG. 2, taken generally on line A-A
of FIG. 2.
[0023] FIG. 9 is an enlarged detailed view of the cap shown in FIG.
8, taken within the indicated circle of FIG. 8.
[0024] FIG. 10 is an enlarged detailed view of the cap shown in
FIG. 8, taken within the indicated circle of FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] At the outset, it should be clearly understood that like
reference numerals are intended to identify the same structural
elements, portions or surfaces, consistently throughout the several
drawing figures, as such elements, portions or surfaces may be
further described or explained by the entire written specification,
of which this detailed description is an integral part. Unless
otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read (e.g.,
cross-hatching, arrangement of parts, proportion, degree, etc.)
together with the specification, and are to be considered a portion
of the entire written description of this invention. As used in the
following description, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "left",
"right", "up" and "down", as well as adjectival and adverbial
derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontally", "rightwardly",
"upwardly", etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the
illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the
reader. Similarly, the terms "inwardly" and "outwardly" generally
refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of
elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate.
[0026] Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly, to
FIGS. 1-7 thereof, this invention provides a moisture managing cap,
of which the presently preferred embodiment is generally indicated
at 15. Cap 15 provides comfort to the wearer by controlling and
managing temperature and moisture build-up within the cap. Humidity
or moisture typically builds up due to body perspiration from the
head when the cap is worn. Perspiration or sweat is a mixture of
water or water vapor and can be stimulated by both physical and
physiological stress. The improved cap is designed to proactively
absorb such moisture and to transport the water vapor away from the
head to keep it dry and to facilitate evaporation. "Moisture
management" is the ability of a material or combination of
materials to absorb significant amounts of moisture at an optimum
rate of absorption together with the ability to dry or give up that
moisture in a short period of time.
[0027] Cap 15 is shown as broadly including a crown portion 16, a
headband 19 and a visor 18. As shown, crown 16 is formed from six
adjoining panels or segments, severally indicated at 20a-f. Panels
20a-f are sewn together at seams that extend radially from apex 42
and the inside of each seam is covered by seam tape. As shown, each
panel 20a-f includes a sewn eye hole 43a-f. In the preferred
embodiment, the front two panels 20a and 20g are supported by a
plastic woven filament and polyester buckram, which helps support
the front of the cap and retain its shape.
[0028] Bill or visor 18 is connected to the bottom of and extends
across the front two panels 20a and 20g of the crown and projects
angularly down and away from the front of the crown. Visor 18 can
be pre-curved and is formed of conventional visor board, with a
visor top layer and an under-visor layer 45. In the preferred
embodiment, under-visor layer 45 is a filament polyester woven
layer that resembles a thin light-weight cotton twill. Under-visor
layer 45 is adapted to wick moisture and to spread the moisture
across the surface of the visor to allow for greater evaporation.
Fabric manufactured by Milliken & Company, of 920 Milliken
Road, Spartanburg, S.C. 29303, may be used in the preferred
embodiment.
[0029] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, each of panels 20a-g are formed
from a layer 17 of synthetic woven material adapted to facilitate
the disbursement of moisture across the outer surface 22 and having
a structure substantially similar to wool. While it is a synthetic
material, layer 17 is made so that it mimics the actual fiber
structure of wool but is formed from engineered polyester which has
moisture management properties. Thus, the material looks and feels
like natural wool, which is the material used to make conventional
caps that are worn by major baseball players on the field. However,
unlike natural wool, layer 17 has a number of beneficial moisture
management properties. Layer 17 dries in less time (at least one
hour less) than wool and far less time than cotton (at least
twenty-four hours less). Layer 17 also wicks faster than both wool
and cotton and shrinks less than 1% in comparison to wool, which
shrinks more than 3%. Thus, layer 17 wicks sweat and moisture away
from the head of the wearer, dries quickly, will not shrink and
will not itch as with wool. Thus, while they look and feel like
wool, panels 20a-g will wick moisture away from the head of wearer
17 and disperse it across surface 21 to allow for faster
evaporation.
[0030] FIGS. 6 and 7 show the moisture movement facilitated by
layer 17. As shown, the moisture is absorbed 37 from inner surface
22 of layer 17 and is moved to the outer surface 21 of layer 17,
where it is dispersed 36 across the outer surface of layer 17. This
disbursement 36 of moisture across outer surface 21 over time is
shown in FIGS. 7a-c. FIG. 7a shows the moisture on the outer
surface of the cap, FIG. 7b shows the cap some time later with the
moisture dispersed over a larger surface area of the outside of the
cap compared to initial FIG. 7a, and FIG. 7c shows the cap after an
additional period of time with the moisture dispersed over an even
greater surface area, thereby further facilitating evaporation. By
dispersing 36 the moisture across a greater surface area,
evaporation 35 of the moisture from the cap is faster and greater.
Worsterlon.RTM. MPF Fabric manufactured by Milliken & Company,
of 920 Milliken Road, Spartanburg, S.C. 29303, may be used for
layer 17 in the preferred embodiment. This fabric is a polyester
fabric which mimics the fiber structure of natural wool but with
the above identified moisture management properties.
[0031] FIGS. 8-10 show an alternative embodiment 26 comprising a
crown 28 formed from two layers 31 and 30. In the preferred
embodiment, layer 31 is a knit fabric of interwoven natural wool
and polyester and is a moisture management fabric: it wicks 37
moisture from the inner surface to outer surface 21 and disperses
36 that moisture across outer surface 21 to facilitate evaporation
35 from a greater surface area. The wool and polyester is woven to
create a double-faced fabric with the natural wool substantially
facing inward and the polyester facing the outside and
substantially forming outer surface 21. Using this arrangement, the
inner wool face will absorb 37 a significant amount of moisture
vapor from the wearer before the wearer will feel any wetness. The
wet heated vapor is pulled into the wool face before it condenses
and feels wet to the wearer. The outer engineered polyester face
then pulls the moisture to the outside surface 21 of crown 28 where
it is dispersed 36 across the entire outer surface area via
capillary effect. In this manner, the moisture dries 35 from outer
surface 21 rapidly and an additional cooling effect is provided by
the fabric. Layer 31's efficient wicking structure rapidly moves
moisture liquid away from the skin of the wearer to the outer
surface of the crown where it is dispersed and evaporates.
Sportwool.TM. fabric manufactured by Australian Wool Services, of
Wool House, 369 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia,
may be used in the preferred embodiment for layer 31.
[0032] An additional inner liner 30 is fused to the inner surface
of layer 31. Liner 30 is configured to allow moisture to pass
through it.
[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, headband or sweatband 19 is
formed from three layers, a specially engineered outer layer 40
that is developed to look like a cotton twill fabric, an inner foam
layer 38, and a non-woven layer 39. Outer layer 40 is a moisture
management polyester fabric that, besides resembling a natural
cotton twill fabric, pulls moisture away from the wearer. In the
preferred embodiment, layer 40 is a spun polyester woven layer.
Fabric manufactured by Milliken & Company, of 920 Milliken
Road, Spartanburg, S.C. 29303, may be used in the preferred
embodiment. Layer 38 is an open-celled urethane foam layer which is
water vapor permeable. Foam layer 38 is provided to wick moisture
from the wearer during use, and then release the moisture vapor
when the cap is not in use. In the preferred embodiment, foam layer
38 has a density of about 15 to 17 lbs/ft.sup.3, a specific gravity
of about 0.24 and 0.27, a hydrolysis resistance using the ASTM
D3574 Test J/Test D after autoclaved five hours at 250.degree. F.
of about 5, a water vapor transfer based on ASTM E96-00 of about 50
g/ft.sup.3/24 hours, and a water absorption based on ASTM-D570 of
about 125. The Poron.RTM. ProZorb.TM. Performance Urethanes
manufactured by Rogers Corporation, of 245 Woodstock Road,
Woodstock, Conn. 06281-1815, may be used in the preferred
embodiment. Layer 39 is a non-woven fabric layer which supports
sweatband 19 and keeps it from collapsing or stretching to
much.
[0034] As outer layer 40 pulls the moisture away from the wearer,
foam layer 38 traps it until the moisture can be released into the
air sometime after the wearer has removed the cap or after it has
been released the other way to the outside surface 21 of the crown
where it evaporates. The moisture is not felt by the wearer since
it is pulled into the open structure of foam layer 38.
[0035] Use of specially configured sweatband 19 with crown 16 or 28
provides a cap with comprehensive moisture management properties.
Headband 19 pulls moisture from the skin of the wearer and is
connected to crown 16 or 28 such that the bottom edge of crown 16
or 28, which is generally aligned with the bottom edge 24 of
headband 19, will pull the moisture from the outside surface of
sweatband 19 and disperse it across the outside surface 21 of the
crown to facilitate evaporation. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9,
the combination of the specially configured crown with a specially
configured sweatband allows for the moisture absorbed by sweatband
19 to be released to the outside fabric 17 or 31 of crown 16 or 28,
respectively, and dispersed for evaporation on the outside surface
21 without the wearer having to remove the cap.
[0036] The present invention contemplates that many changes and
modifications may be made. Therefore, while the presently preferred
form of the cap as been shown and described, and several
embodiments discussed, persons skilled in this art will readily
appreciate that various additional changes and modifications may be
made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined
and differentiated by the following claims.
* * * * *