| Convertible cap -> Monitor Keywords |
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Convertible capRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Head CoveringsConvertible cap description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070044203, Convertible cap. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention relates to caps and more particularly, to a cap that can be converted to a visor by removing a removably attached crown portion covering the wearer's head. [0003] 2. Summary of the Background Art [0004] The patent literature includes several descriptions of caps including removably attached crowns, allowing the cap to be worn either as a normal cap or as a visor having a band extending around the head and a bill extending forward without a crown extending over the top of the head. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,338 describes a multi-use head cover comprising an adjustable size visor portion and a detachable fabric head covering portion. The visor portion includes a visor band with a divided after section to be worn at the back of the user's head joined by a pair of interlocking plastic strips. A bill is attached to a forward portion of the visor band, which is raised relative to the divided section and sides to provide effective sun shading. An upper edge of the visor band is trimmed with a first half of a zipper. The second half of the zipper is attached to the fabric dome in the shape of a yarmulke. The after edge of the dome may be recessed to correspond to the gap in the upper edge of the after section of the visor to prevent bunching of the fabric dome when the visor band is adjusted to smaller sizes. The portions of the head covering can be worn assembled to form a baseball-type cap, as a visor with the fabric dome removed, or the fabric dome may be worn by itself as a yarmulke or skullcap. [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,270 describes a head wear piece having a detachable crown and visor portion which can be connected together by two adjacent facing fastener mechanisms, such as zipper edge strips, one of which is located on the crown and the other on the visor portion of the head wear. The zipper strips may be concealed by liner flaps or band strips located either inside the interior of the visor or outside of them on the surface of the head wear. [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,524 describes a segmented cap assembly that includes selectively detachable crown component, sweatband component, and visor component. The sweatband component is formed having a forward part made of hook and loop tape, hook-portion-engaging material. The crown component selectively attaches to the sweatband component by engagement of hook and loop tape material fixedly attached to the inside portion of the crown component to the upper half of the hook and loop tape hook portion-engaging material. The visor component selectively attaches to the sweatband component by engagement of hook and loop tape material fixedly attached to the inside portion of the visor component to the lower half of the hook and loop tape material fixedly attached to the inside portion of the visor component to the lower half of the hook and loop type, hook-portion-engaging material. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a cap including a visor and a crown is provided. The visor includes a bill extending forward from a front portion of the visor, a visor band extending upward from the bill and rearward to an end along each side of the visor, a lower zipper strip facing upward and extending inside the visor band adjacent an upper edge of the visor band, and a rear band fastened to extend between the ends of the visor band, wherein a length of the rear band is variable. The crown covers a space above the visor and includes an upper zipper strip releasably engaging the lower zipper strip, wherein the crown extends downward to cover teeth within the upper and lower zipper strips. [0008] Preferably, the crown additionally extends downward to cover the rear band. The visor may additionally include a headband extending along the visor band, being disposed inwardly from the zipper strips and extending upward to inwardly cover teeth within the lower zipper strip. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cap made in accordance with the invention; [0010] FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the cap of FIG. 1; [0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a crown portion of the cap of FIG. 1, [0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a visor portion of the cap of FIG. 1 shown with the crown portion of FIG. 3 removed therefrom; [0013] FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the visor portion of FIG. 4; [0014] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a side of the cap of FIG. 1; [0015] FIG. 7 is a rear elevation of an alternative version of the cap of FIG. 1; and [0016] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the cap of FIG. 7, showing a rear portion thereof as viewed from inside. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0017] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a cap 10 built in accordance with the invention with FIG. 1 being a perspective view thereof, and with FIG. 2 being a rear elevation thereof. The cap 10 includes a visor 12, to which a crown 14 is releasably attached. The visor 12 includes a bill 16, extending forward in the direction of arrow 18, and a visor band 20, extending upward, in the direction of arrow 22, from the bill 16, and additionally extending rearward, opposite the direction of arrow 18, along each side of the visor 12. [0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the crown 14, shown as detached from the visor 12 of the cap 10, while FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the visor 12, shown with the crown 14 detached therefrom. For example, the crown 14 is made by sewing a number of fabric sections 24 together at seams 26, with a rolled edge 28 being formed at a lower edge, and with a button 30 being sewn in place at the upper intersection of the sections 24. A number of eyelets 32 may be installed within the sections 24 to provide air holes for cooling. For example, the visor band 20 is made by sewing a number of fabric sections 34 together at seams 36. The visor band 20 extends rearward, opposite the direction of arrow 18, along each side of the visor 12, to an end 38, with a rear band 40 being fastened to extend between the two ends 38. [0019] FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the visor 12, again shown with the crown 14 detached therefrom. Preferably, the rear band 40 is formed of an elastic material allowing the length of the band 40 to vary, so that the distance between the ends 38 of the visor band 20 is changed to accommodate the circumference of the wearer's head. [0020] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a side of the cap 10, shown with various elements held apart to show an internal structure of the cap 10. The visor 12 includes a lower zipper strip 42, disposed inwardly, in the direction of arrow 44, from the visor band 20, and fastened thereto to face upward, in the direction of arrow 22. The crown 14 includes an upper zipper strip 46, disposed inwardly from the fabric sections 24 forming the outer surface of the crown 14, being fastened to these sections 34 to extend downward, opposite the direction of arrow 22, with teeth 48 of the upper zipper strip 46 releasably engaging teeth 50 of the lower zipper strip 42. The visor 12 preferably additionally includes a headband 52, disposed inwardly from the lower zipper strip 42, extending upward to inwardly cover the teeth 50 of the lower zipper strip 42. In accordance with preferred versions of the invention, the teeth 48, 50 are inwardly covered so that they cannot become entangled within the wearer's hair. This is accomplished, for example, by the headband 52 of the visor 12 extending upward to cover the teeth 48 of the upper zipper strip 46 as well as the teeth 50 of the lower zipper strip 42. Optionally, the crown 14 may include a headband 54 extending downward to cover at least the teeth 48 of the upper zipper strip 46. Continue reading about Convertible cap... Full patent description for Convertible cap Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Convertible cap patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Convertible cap or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Golf glove Next Patent Application: Sweatband Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Convertible cap patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.19051 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Qualcomm , Schering-Plough , Schlumberger , Seagate , Siemens , Texas Instruments , 174 |
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