U.S. patent application number 11/548435 was filed with the patent office on 2008-04-17 for article of headwear with integral cloth panel capable of erasably receiving markings thereupon and method of manufacturing same.
Invention is credited to Alan Norman Higgins.
Application Number | 20080086793 11/548435 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39301817 |
Filed Date | 2008-04-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080086793 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Higgins; Alan Norman |
April 17, 2008 |
ARTICLE OF HEADWEAR WITH INTEGRAL CLOTH PANEL CAPABLE OF ERASABLY
RECEIVING MARKINGS THEREUPON AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME
Abstract
An article of headwear comprises a plurality of panels joined
together along one or more seam lines. At least one of the panels
is a piece of cloth capable of erasably receiving markings
thereupon or comprising the piece of cloth. The piece of cloth
faces outwardly, is co-extensive in size with the at least one
panel, and may have a stiffening substrate such as buckram attached
to its interior face. The at least one panel may form part of a
crown, peak or brim of the article. The at least one panel may be
embroidered or have an eyelet defined therethrough.
Inventors: |
Higgins; Alan Norman;
(Toronto, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SMART AND BIGGAR
438 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, SUITE 1500 BOX 111
TORONTO
ON
M5G2K8
US
|
Family ID: |
39301817 |
Appl. No.: |
11/548435 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/209.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 1/248 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/209.13 |
International
Class: |
A42B 1/24 20060101
A42B001/24 |
Claims
1. An article of headwear comprising: a plurality of panels joined
together along one or more seam lines, at least one panel of said
panels being a piece of cloth capable of erasably receiving
markings thereupon or comprising said piece of cloth, with said
piece of cloth being outwardly facing and co-extensive in size with
said at least one panel.
2. The article of headwear of claim 1 wherein said at least one
panel comprises a stiffening substrate attached to an interior face
of said piece of cloth.
3. The article of headwear of claim 2 wherein said stiffening
substrate is buckram.
4. The article of headwear of claim 1 wherein said at least one
panel forms part of a crown of said article of headwear.
5. The article of headwear of claim 1 wherein said at least one
panel forms a peak of said article of headwear.
6. The article of headwear of claim 1 wherein said at least one
panel forms a brim of said article of headwear.
7. The article of headwear of claim 1 wherein said at least one
panel has an eyelet defined therethrough.
8. The article of headwear of claim 1 wherein said at least one
panel is embroidered.
9. A method of manufacturing an article of headwear, comprising:
joining a plurality of panels together along one or more seam
lines, at least one panel of said panels being a piece of cloth
capable of erasably receiving markings thereupon or comprising said
piece of cloth, with said piece of cloth being outwardly facing and
co-extensive in size with said at least one panel.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising attaching a stiffening
substrate to said at least one cloth panel.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said stiffening substrate is
buckram.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein said at least one panel forms
part of a crown of said article of headwear.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein said at least one panel forms a
peak of said article of headwear.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein said at least one panel forms a
brim of said article of headwear.
15. The method of claim 9 further comprising defining an eyelet
through said at least one panel.
16. The method of claim 9 further comprising embroidering said at
least one panel.
17. The method of claim 9 wherein said joining comprises sewing.
Description
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY
[0001] The present invention relates to headwear, and more
particularly to an article of headwear with an integral cloth panel
for erasably receiving markings thereupon and a method of
manufacturing same.
BACKGROUND
[0002] It is known to attach to an exterior portion of a hat a
writing surface that is capable of erasably receiving writing
thereon. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,368 describes a cap
having writing surface permanently or impermanently attached to the
exterior of the crown. The writing surface is capable of erasably
receiving writing, e.g. from a non-permanent erasable marker or
pen, thereupon. The erasability of the writing permits the cap to
be easily personalized by the wearer and changed as desired.
[0003] Manufacturing of the above-described cap may entail first
constructing the cap (or at least the crown portion of the cap) and
thereafter attaching a writing surface to its exterior. Depending
upon the nature of the writing surface to be attached, the step of
attaching the writing surface may require the use of equipment that
is not conventionally used for making caps. This may be the case
for example if the writing surface is a stiff board (e.g. a
"whiteboard") that is not readily attachable by equipment intended
for handling cloth. In this case, manufacturing the cap may entail
an added step such as adhering the writing surface to the exterior
of the cap using a suitable adhesive. The added step and the
possible need for additional equipment to perform the added step
may disadvantageously increase manufacturing costs in comparison to
the cost of manufacturing conventional caps. Moreover, caps or
other headwear manufactured using this approach may be considered
to be undesirably bulky due to the attached writing surface, which
may add to the stiffness and weight of the cap.
[0004] A new form of headwear which obviates or mitigates at least
some of the above-noted disadvantages, and a method for
manufacturing same, would be desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An article of headwear comprises a plurality of panels
joined together along one or more seam lines. At least one of the
panels is a piece of cloth capable of erasably receiving markings
thereupon or comprising the piece of cloth. The piece of cloth
faces outwardly, is co-extensive in size with the at least one
panel, and may have a stiffening substrate such as buckram attached
to its interior face. The at least one panel may form part of a
crown, peak or brim of the article. The at least one panel may be
embroidered or have an eyelet defined therethrough.
[0006] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there
is provided an article of headwear comprising: a plurality of
panels joined together along one or more seam lines, at least one
panel of said panels being a piece of cloth capable of erasably
receiving markings thereupon or comprising said piece of cloth,
with said piece of cloth being outwardly facing and co-extensive in
size with said at least one panel.
[0007] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention
there is provided a method of manufacturing an article of headwear,
comprising: joining a plurality of panels together along one or
more seam lines, at least one panel of said panels being a piece of
cloth capable of erasably receiving markings thereupon or
comprising said piece of cloth, with said piece of cloth being
outwardly facing and co-extensive in size with said at least one
panel.
[0008] Other aspects and features of the present invention will
become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review
of the following description of specific embodiments of the
invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] In the figures which illustrate example embodiments of this
invention:
[0010] FIG. 1 is left side perspective view of an article of
headwear with an integral cloth panel for erasably receiving
markings thereupon;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the article of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the article of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the article of FIG.
1;
[0014] FIG. 5 is perspective view of another article of headwear
with an integral cloth panel for erasably receiving markings
thereupon; and
[0015] FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the article of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an article of headwear exemplary of
an embodiment of the present invention, namely a cap 10, is
illustrated. The cap 10 has a dome-shaped crown 12 and a peak 14
extending from the crown.
[0017] The crown 12 of cap 10 is made from six substantially
triangular cloth panels 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 (best seen FIG.
2) which are joined together along seam lines to define a cavity 32
for receiving a head of a wearer. Of the six panels, four panels
20, 22, 24 and 28 are made from a cloth such as cotton, polyester,
or wool. The other two panels 28 and 30 are made from a cloth that
is capable of erasably receiving markings thereupon. The cloth may
for example be one of the flexible writing surfaces described in
U.S. patent Publication No. 2003/0118972 published Jun. 26, 2003,
which is hereby incorporated by reference hereinto. As of the
filing date of the instant application, the cloth may be obtained
from any one of a number of vendors. For example, Denver Fabrics in
Colorado, U.S.A. (www.denverfabrics.com) presently sells cloth
under the name "Erasable Chalkboard Cloth" which could be used.
This cloth is made from black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) on a 75%
polyester/25% cotton backing with a clear coating that enhances the
capacity of the cloth to erasably receive chalk markings.
Alternatively, the cloth could be black vinyl cloth sold under the
name "Chalk Cloth" or "Chalkboard Fabric" by Vogue Fabrics of
Illinois, U.S.A. (www.voguefabricsstore.com). The cloth from which
panels 28 and 30 are made is referred to hereinafter generically as
"erasable cloth". This term is understood include any cloth that is
suitable for erasably receive markings thereupon, regardless of
exact composition and source and regardless of whether the markings
is made by chalk or some other medium (e.g. a dry-erase marker). As
will be appreciated, integration of these cloth panels into an
article of headwear is a focus of the present description.
[0018] In the present embodiment, the interior face of the erasable
cloth of each of panels 28 and 30 has an attached stiffening
substrate 38 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In the present embodiment, the
stiffening substrate is buckram. The buckram 38 stiffens the panels
28 and 30 and thereby provides structure to the cap 10 so that the
cap better retains its shape. The attachment of buckram is a known
approach used for stiffening other types of cloth in the
manufacture of caps or other structured headwear. Advantageously,
the same approach can be use to stiffen cloth panels 28 and 30,
despite the fact that this cloth is intended to serve as a marking
surface. For example, the buckram 38 may be attached to the
interior surface of the erasable cloth by machine pressing the two
layer together, using a combination of heat and pressure to
activate fusing of the layers. The panels 28 and 30 may thereafter
be cut from the fused layers. The stiffening substrate 38 attached
to each panel 28 and 30 is co-extensive in size with that
panel.
[0019] Each of the panels 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 includes an
eyelet 40. The central apertures of eyelets 40 serve as vents for
venting excessive heat from the head of a wearer. Each eyelet is
made using a known approach which involves the punching of a hole
through the cloth (and, in the case of panels 28 and 30, through
the buckram 38) and the stitching of a periphery of the hole to
create the eyelet. The stitching prevents fraying of the edges of
the punched cloth. Advantageously, this approach for creating
eyelets can be used in panels 28 and 30 despite the fact they are
intended to act as a marking surface because panels 28 and 30 are a
type of cloth and are therefore capable of being punched and sewn
like other forms of cloth. This is in contrast to other types of
known writing surfaces (e.g. whiteboards) that are not easily
punched or sewn due to their relative rigidity.
[0020] The panels 28 and 30 may also be embroidered with decorative
patterns or text (not illustrated). Such decorative patterns or
text could constitute permanent design elements to which a wearer
may add erasable markings as desired. For example, the pattern may
be an outline of a face whose expression can erasably be drawn in
by the wearer to indicate the wearer's mood (e.g. by adding a smile
or a frown).
[0021] Manufacturing of the cap 10 is performed in a manner that is
similar to the manufacturing of conventional caps. Cloth panels 20,
22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 are placed adjacent to one another (not
necessarily all at once), and the adjacent panel edges are joined
together, by sewing, to create seam lines. To reinforce the seam
lines, seam tapes 50, 52 and 54 (see FIG. 3) are sewn to the
interior surface of adjacent panel edges. Each strip is sewn to the
panels using a pair of substantially parallel lines of stitches
60a, 60b and 60c that flank the corresponding seam, which stitches
are visible on the exterior surface of the crown 12 (see FIGS. 1
and 2). The color of the thread that is used for stitches 60a may
be chosen to match the color of the panels 28 and 30 (e.g. black)
so as to present a marking surface of uniform color.
Advantageously, the fact that panels 28 and 30 are made from cloth
permits conventional sewing equipment to be used to join the panels
28 and 30 to each other and to adjacent cloth panels 20 and 26.
That is, the same technique can be used to join the panels
regardless of whether the adjacent panels are made from
conventional cloth, erasable cloth or one of each.
[0022] After the panels have all been joined together to form the
article, a substantially head-shaped metal steamer may be used for
final shaping and smoothing of the article.
[0023] The cap 10 is topped with a cloth-covered button 62, which
is attached in a conventional manner at the point where the six
panels 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 meet. The button 62 may be
attached using a conventional method of attachment, since the
above-noted six panels, including panels 28 and 30 which constitute
the marking surface, are all made from cloth.
[0024] Panels 22 and 24 have a cutout portion 34 which accommodates
a conventional plastic adjuster 36 (FIGS. 3 and 4) for adjusting
the size of cap 10 to fit different head sizes. A sweatband 64
extending from one side of the adjuster 36 to the other side of
adjuster 36 is sewn around the inner periphery of crown 12 (FIGS. 3
and 4). At the front of crown 12, the sweatband 64 is sewn directly
to the inner surface of panels 28 and 30 (i.e. directly to the
inwardly facing side of the marking surface). Conventional sewing
equipment may be used to attach the sweatband 64.
[0025] Some embodiments of cap 10 may have an attached pocket,
container or other carrying means (not illustrated) for carrying
one or more writing implements for use in making markings on the
exterior of panels 28 and 30. For example, a pocket for holding
chalk could be sewn to an exterior of at least one of panels 20,
22, 24 or 26. The pocket may have an attached flap which permits
the pocket to be selectively opened or closed, e.g. using a
hook-and-loop fastener or snap.
[0026] In use, a wearer of cap 10 may make markings upon the
exterior of panels 28 and 30, e.g. using chalk. The markings may
for example constitute a personalized message (e.g. as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2) or an illustration. When it is desired to change the
markings, the wearer may erase the markings using an appropriate
eraser, such as a chalkboard eraser, dampened cloth, tissue or
other substrate, and new markings may thereafter be applied to
panels 28 and 30.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, an alternative embodiment of the
present invention, namely a bucket hat 100, is illustrated. The hat
100 has an integral cloth panel 108 for erasably receiving markings
thereupon. Panel 108 may be made from the same cloth as panels 28
and 30 of FIGS. 1 and 2 for example. Unlike panels 28 and 30 of
FIGS. 1 and 2, however, panel 108 does not have an attached
stiffening substrate (see FIG. 6). This is due to the fact that the
bucket hat 10 is an unstructured hat which is intended to be soft
and pliable. This illustrates the fact that attachment of a
stiffening substrate to the interior surface of the erasable cloth
panel(s) is not required in all embodiments. The panel 108 is sewn
to cloth panels 102 and 104 to define a cavity 106 for receiving a
head of a wearer. Panels 104 and 108 are also sewn to panel 110,
which serves as a downwardly sloping brim 110. The panels 102, 104
and 110 of hat 100 may for example be canvas or denim.
[0028] Four eyelets 105 similar to eyelets 40 of FIGS. 1 and 2 are
sewn into panel 104 for ventilation. One or more of the eyelets
could be made in panel 108 if desired (not shown).
[0029] Manufacturing of the hat 100 is performed in a similar
fashion to the manufacturing of conventional bucket hats. Cloth
panels 102, 104 and 108 and brim 110 are placed adjacent to one
another (not necessarily all at once), and the adjacent panel edges
are sewn together (or otherwise joined) to create seam lines. To
reinforce the seam lines, seam tapes 112, 114, 116 and 118 (see
FIG. 6) are sewn to the interior surface of adjacent panel edges
and to the brim 110. Each strip is sewn to the hat 100 with a pair
of substantially parallel lines of stitches 120 that flank the
corresponding seam. The stitches 120 are visible on the exterior of
hat 100 (see FIG. 5). A design or text may optionally be
embroidered into panel 108. Conventional sewing equipment may be
used for manufacturing the hat 100.
[0030] In use, a wearer of hat 100 may make markings upon the
exterior of panel 108, as shown in FIG. 5. In view of the
pliability of panel 108, the wearer may prefer to place the hat 100
on a hard, flat surface to facilitate the marking of panel 108.
When it is desired to change the markings, the markings may be
erased in the manner described above for cap 10, and new markings
may be made.
[0031] As should now be apparent, the integration of one or more
erasable cloth panels into an article of headwear advantageously
eliminates the need for separate equipment for the purpose of
attaching a conventional marking surface, such as a whiteboard, to
the headwear exterior. The marking surface is pliable and thus may
more easily shaped than certain known writing surfaces (e.g.
whiteboards). For example, a curvature which conforms to the head
of a wearer may be defined. The amount of conventional cloth
required to manufacture the article may be less than for known
designs, because the erasable cloth may define a panel of the
article rather than merely being sewn over top of panel of
conventional cloth. The absence of a separate, attached marking
surface may also reduce the weight and overall stiffness of the cap
in comparison to known designs. Conveniently, folding of the
marking surface portion of the cap, e.g. for storage, may be
possible (although some creasing may result in the case where a
stiffening substrate such as buckram has been applied to the
erasable cloth).
[0032] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art,
modifications to the above-described embodiments can be made
without departing from the essence of the invention. For example,
it will be appreciated the alternative embodiments may be articles
of headwear that are neither caps nor bucket hats, but rather are
other types of headwear, such as visors, knitted headwear, ivy
caps, newsboy caps, or fedoras.
[0033] In the case where the erasable cloth has an attached
stiffening substrate for providing structure to the article, the
substrate is not necessarily buckram. Other stiffening substrates,
such as interfacing, foam liner, or fusible-type reinforcements,
may be used for stiffening the cloth.
[0034] Although the above embodiments illustrate the incorporation
of one or two panels of erasable cloth into an article of headwear,
it will be appreciated that the number of panels of erasable cloth
could be more than two in some embodiments. The panels may be part
of the crown of a hat, as in the illustrated embodiments, or may
constitute other parts of the article, such as a peak or brim. The
panels which are not intended for marking may made from cloth, as
described above, or from any other material capable of being used
for making headwear (e.g. plastic mesh or foam).
[0035] In both of the embodiments described above in conjunction
with FIGS. 1-6, the panels comprising the article are joined by
sewing. Of course, it is conceivable that other methods of joining
panels, such as sonic welding, heat bonding or adhesion using
heat-activated or pressure-activated adhesives, could be used to
assemble alternative embodiments. The use of alternative joining
methods may depend upon the nature of the panels being joined. For
example, in the case of plastic mesh, which is capable of being
melted, it is possible that two panels could be attached through
the application of heat.
[0036] The color of the erasable cloth is not necessarily black in
all embodiments. For example, if the erasable cloth is made from
PVC, the PVC may be dyed to virtually any color.
[0037] It will also be appreciated that incorporation of eyelets
into articles of headwear, whether in the erasable cloth portion or
in the body portion of the article, is optional. If eyelets are
incorporated, the eyelets are not necessarily sewn (e.g. they may
be metal eyelets).
[0038] FIGS. 3-4 illustrate the incorporation of a plastic adjuster
36 into an exemplary article of headwear. It will be appreciated
that the adjuster 36 is not necessarily present in all embodiments.
Some embodiments may have a wholly closed back, providing an
adjustable fit by way of a substantially elastic headband used in
conjunction with stretchable substrates comprising the crown. If an
adjuster is used, it may be one of, but is not necessarily limited
to, a standard plastic fastener, hook-and-loop (e.g. Velcro.RTM.)
adjuster, slider, metal clasp, buckle or other adjustment device
used in the industry.
[0039] Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the
art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.
* * * * *