U.S. patent application number 11/780968 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-24 for hat with storage pockets.
Invention is credited to John J. Baldwin.
Application Number | 20080016602 11/780968 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38969997 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080016602 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Baldwin; John J. |
January 24, 2008 |
Hat With Storage Pockets
Abstract
A contoured hat including a basket portion, a first pocket
having a first elastic opening arranged on an outer surface of the
basket portion, a brim portion extending outwardly in a first
direction away from the basket portion, and a second pocket having
a second elastic opening arranged on a surface of the brim portion.
The pockets may be contoured and may include a elastic cord for
adjustability. The pockets may also be elastically deformable and
may contour objects contained therein to inhibit movement of the
objects. The hat may be made from a flexible and breathable
material throughout.
Inventors: |
Baldwin; John J.; (East
Aurora, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HODGSON RUSS LLP;THE GUARANTY BUILDING
140 PEARL STREET, SUITE 100
BUFFALO
NY
14202-4040
US
|
Family ID: |
38969997 |
Appl. No.: |
11/780968 |
Filed: |
July 20, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60820019 |
Jul 21, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/209.13 ;
2/209.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 1/241 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/209.13 ;
2/209.12 |
International
Class: |
A42B 1/24 20060101
A42B001/24 |
Claims
1. A hat, comprising: a basket portion; a first pocket having a
first elastic opening arranged on an outer surface of the basket
portion; a brim portion extending outwardly in a first direction
away from the basket portion; and, a second pocket having a second
elastic opening arranged on a surface of the brim portion.
2. The hat recited in claim 1, wherein the first pocket is
elastically deformable.
3. The hat recited in claim 2, wherein the elastically deformable
first pocket is operatively arranged to inhibit movement of a first
object placed within the elastically deformable first pocket.
4. The hat recited in claim 3, wherein the elastically deformable
first pocket substantially contours the first object.
5. The hat recited in claim 1, wherein the second pocket is
elastically deformable, the elastically deformable first pocket is
operatively arranged to inhibit movement of a first object placed
within the elastically deformable first pocket, and the elastically
deformable first pocket substantially contours the first
object.
6. The hat recited in claim 1, wherein the first elastic opening
comprises an elastic cord secured to a front portion of the elastic
opening and slidably secured to a rear portion of the elastic
opening.
7. The hat recited in claim 6, wherein the elastic cord is further
slidably secured to a quick-release buckle operatively arranged to
open and close the first pocket.
8. The hat recited in claim 1, further comprising a third pocket
having a third elastic opening arranged on the outer surface of the
basket portion.
9. The hat recited in claim 8, wherein the first and third elastic
openings are operatively opened and closed by means of an elastic
cord and a quick-release buckle.
10. The hat recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second
pockets are constructed primarily of an elastic breathable
material.
11. The hat recited in claim 1, wherein the basket portion is
elastically deformable.
12. The hat recited in claim 1, wherein the second elastic opening
of the second pocket extends along a direction substantially
parallel to the first direction.
13. The hat recited in claim 1, further comprising an additional
opening arranged between an interior portion of the basket and an
interior portion of the first pocket and operatively arranged to
pass-through electronic cabling.
14. The hat recited in claim 1, further comprising a sweatband
positioned about a perimeter of the basket.
15. A hat, comprising: a basket portion; first and second pockets
having respective first and second adjustable elastic openings
arranged on an outer surface of the basket portion; and, a brim
portion extending outwardly in a first direction away from the
basket portion having a personal identification label, wherein the
first and second adjustable elastic openings are operatively
adjusted by means of an elastic cord and a quick-release
buckle.
16. The hat recited in claim 15, wherein the personal
identification label includes at least one identification item
selected from a list consisting of Name, Phone Number, Address,
Emergency Contact Information, Blood Type, Health Insurance
Information, Medical Problems, Medication, and Allergies.
17. A hat, comprising: a contoured and elastically deformable
basket portion; at least two contoured elastically deformable
pockets positioned on opposing sides of the basket portion, each of
the at least two pockets having elastically deformable first
openings on an outside surface of the basket portion; and, a brim
portion extending outwardly in a first direction away from the
basket portion having a personal identification label.
18. The hat recited in claim 17, further comprising an additional
opening between an interior of one of the at least two pockets and
an interior of the basket portion, wherein the additional opening
is operatively arranged to pass through an electronic cable.
19. The hat recited in claim 18, wherein the electronic cable is a
headphone cable.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/820,019, which is incorporated by
reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to hats having
storage devices. More particularly, the invention relates to
baseball style caps used by athletes which comprise pockets for
storing items.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The invention will be described with reference to a baseball
style cap used by runners, but persons skilled in the art will
recognize that the present invention is applicable to other types
of hats and caps for use by athletes and non-athletes.
[0004] It is desirable for a runner or other athlete to easily and
conveniently store and retrieve items which may be needed during a
workout or other activity. What is needed is a storage device for
holding such items as energy bars, keys, identification, personal
music devices, etc.
[0005] Although other hats with pockets are known (U.S. Pat. No.
4,451,935) there are no hats specifically designed for the
endurance athlete that provides secure, convenient storage for
items. Access to items should offer minimum interruption to the
workout.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides a hat having form-fitting
pockets. The invention described herein has 2-5 pockets, but other
numbers of pockets may be provided. The pockets may be made of a
breathable material that may allow sweat and/or heat to dissipate
from the wearer's head. The pockets may offer convenient, secure
storage for personal and other items used by an athlete during a
workout. The pockets may also be made of a stretchable material for
keeping items in place while running, and preferably have elastic
openings. The contour of the pockets should make for easy access to
items while running. One pocket may be provided with a small hole
so that a headphone wire may pass through the hole while storing
the remaining wire out of the way preventing tangling. An absorbent
headband may keep sweat out of the runner's eyes and face. An
adjustable strap on the back of the hat may make re-sizing the cap
easy while running. An elastic pocket may be provided under the
brim of the hat. A waterproof card, containing emergency
information, contacts, allergies, blood type, or other of the
wearer's vital information, may be provided within the elastic
pocket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0007] FIG. 1 is a side view of a hat with pockets according to a
first embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a top view the hat shown in FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the hat shown in FIG. 1; and,
[0010] FIG. 4 is a side view of a hat with pockets according to a
second embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] The present invention provides a hat having multiple
form-fitting pockets. A hat 10 may be a baseball style cap having a
crown or basket portion 14 and a bill or brim portion 16, as shown
in FIGS. 1-4. The hat 10 may be constructed of lightweight material
as known in the art. The hat 10 may also have a portion 18 made of
lightweight material in a contrasting color to the remainder of the
hat. The hat 10 may also have piping 20 and a logo (not shown) made
with a reflective material. An adjustable tab 24 having a
quick-release type fastener, such as a Velcro.RTM. fastener, may
also be provided on the back side of the hat 10 for easy adjustment
by the wearer during a workout.
[0012] The hat 10 may contain pockets 12 located on each side of
the hat. In FIGS. 1-2, the right side of the hat 10 is shown having
one pocket 12. The pockets may be made of a breathable material
that may allow sweat and/or heat to dissipate from the wearer's
head.
[0013] The pockets 12 may also be made of a stretchable material
able to keep items in place while running or during a workout. The
top edge 30 of the pockets, as best shown in FIGS. 1-2, may also
comprise an elastic cord 32 between a first end 36 and a second end
38 for securing items in the pockets 12. The cord 32 may also be
adjusted by means of a quick-release buckle 34. The contour of the
pockets make for easy access to items while running. Various items
(not shown) such as energy bars, energy gels, keys, identification,
credit cards, personal music devices, etc., may be easily and
conveniently stored in the pockets 12. The pockets 12 may be made
with varying lengths and widths depending upon the items to be
stored. Also, the hat 10, as depicted in FIG. 4, may also include
two pockets 12 on each side of the hat, without an adjustable
quick-release buckle 34.
[0014] As best shown in FIGS. 2-3, pockets 12 may be designed
specifically for storing a personal music device. As depicted in
FIG. 3, at least one of the pockets 12 may have a hole 42 between
an interior portion 40 of the basket 14 and the inside of a pocket
12, such that headphone wires may pass through the hole 42 to the
wearer's ears. The desired amount of wire may be run through the
hole 42 and the remaining wire, along with the personal music
device, may be securely stored in the pocket thereby preventing
tangling of the wire. It should be readily appreciated that each of
pockets 12 may include a hole 42 or several holes 42 in any
combination to accommodate the specific wiring needs of various
electronic devices.
[0015] The inside of the hat 10 may also have a sweat band 26
positioned about an interior perimeter of the basket 14,
specifically the interior portion 40. Sweat band 26 may be made of
absorbent material for preventing sweat from running in the
wearer's eyes and face.
[0016] A stretchable or elastic pocket 28 may be provided on the
underside of the brim portion 16 of the hat 10. A waterproof card
(not shown) may be provided in the stretchable flap which contains
emergency information, contacts, allergies, blood type, or other of
the wearer's vital information. The stretchable pocket 28 can
further include an elastic opening 50 for the secure holding of a
card therein. Also, the opening 50 can be arranged substantially in
an outward direction, substantially perpendicular to the perimeter
of the basket portion 14 such that the card therein can be easily
removed and inserted without having to remove the hat. This
arrangement also promotes a secure fitting of the card and any
other card that can be readily accepted by pocket 28 such as a
credit card. The front to back motion of running, or the
head-bobbing of athletic activity, can result in the card being
easily dislodged from the pocket 28 if the elastic opening 50 is
not positioned in this direction. It should be appreciated that the
pocket 28 can also accommodate money and any other thin object.
[0017] Pockets 12 and 28 are preferably elastically deformable and
constructed of an elastically deformable material so as to inhibit
the movement of objects contained therein. To this extent, the
elastic deformability the material may substantially contour the
object so that the object does not move within the pocket during
athletic activities.
[0018] Alternative embodiments of the invention not shown in the
figures should be readily appreciated. For example, alternative
pocket arrangements, seamless stitching and the use of piping 20
are optional features of the invention.
[0019] The present invention has been described in connection with
a baseball style cap suitable for use by an athlete during a
workout. However, it is to be understood that the present invention
is applicable for use with other types of hats or caps.
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