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Hats bearing related indiciaRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Head CoveringsHats bearing related indicia description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060277658, Hats bearing related indicia. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. Ser. No. 11/184,517, filed Jul. 19, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/693,412, filed Oct. 25, 2003, abandoned, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to hats that carry related indicia and more particularly to such hats that can be worn to focus upon one of such indicia, which indicia, for example, might commemorate a particular sporting event or other competition, designating rivals or contenders through the use of particular combinations of colors and logos. [0003] Hats serve many purposes and functions. They may be designed to protect the wearer's head, eyes and nape from natural elements, including wind, rain and sun, as well as from trauma of a blunt or sharp nature. One such hat, a baseball-style cap, generally consists of a hemispherical crown or dome portion that fits on the wearer's head plus a single visor or bill that is attached to and projects outwardly from the front region of the crown or dome. The crown is commonly composed of a plurality of substantially triangular fabric or leather sections or panels, called gores, that are joined laterally by seams. A fabric headband is preferably circumferentially attached along the inner base of the crown to provide structural support while facilitating the engagement of the wearer's head. Occasionally, the headband fabric is selected to provide either absorption of forehead and scalp perspiration or elasticity for adjustability of fit or both. [0004] Such caps are commonly used by athletes in the course of their games and often also by fans or supporters to demonstrate their team loyalties or affiliations as best reflected in the use of team colors and various indicia, usually located on the front of the crown of the cap just above the insertion of the visor element and/or on the upper surface of the visor itself. The economic pressure to reduce marketers' inventory volumes has prompted the evolution of many caps or hats that can be adjusted to fit a plurality of head sizes. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART [0005] For nearly a century, many patents have described the use of caps, hats or visors, with or without nape coverings, to protect wearers from the effects of the sun's glare and radiation. Rochet, U.S. Pat. No. 822,986; Silverstein, U.S. Pat. No. 1,816,346; Lipkin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,007; Shedd, U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,717; Shorts, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,259; and Oates, U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,995 disclosed caps with detachable nape or neck flaps. Klein, U.S. Pat. No. 1,648,551; Leibson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,677,187; and Robinson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,364 introduced caps and sun visors with single visors or bills that were movable from the front to the rear of the cap or sun visor. Oates, U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,995 describes a sports cap having an attachable rear brim unit of open mesh material and a partial crown which carries strips of Velcro that engage mating strips interior the rear of the crown to enable installation of the rear brim unit interior thereof. [0006] Recent efforts to achieve cap adjustability have often focused on the use of uni-axially or bi-axially expandable or elastic materials: Lipkin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,007; Beckerman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,415; Cho, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,540; and Cunliffe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,742 suggested that the rear gores of the crown may consist of a uni-axially stretchable material. Beckerman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,415; Cho, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,540; and Green, U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,046 disclosed headbands with a uni-axially stretchable component, while Cunliffe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,742; and Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,410 described a bi-axially stretchable, sweat-absorbent headband. In all instances, headband elasticity extended circumferentially, but did not include the area at the front of the crown where the visor is attached. [0007] Many cap wearers have chosen caps that are identified with a particular competitive event and/or with a sports team or the like; often such identification is by fabric colors, frequently with team names and/or logos that are painted, embossed or otherwise affixed to the front of the crown or to the upper surface of the visor. To facilitate a wearer's ability to identify with more than one team or more than one occasion, Proctor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,523; and Tapia, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,873,726 and 5,070,545 disclosed the use of detachable indicia or logos on the front crown or visor of a cap, which may also be a part of a modular headwear system. Connelly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,761 described the placement of pictorial displays on an insert located in the upper surface of the visor. [0008] None of the prior art has provided for a cap or hat that is constructed in such a manner so as to allow it to be worn in a manner to focus attention upon either of two related, but different, persons, subjects, objects or events. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] The present invention provides a cap or hat that is designed so that it may be worn to focus attention upon either of two related but different subjects, e.g., persons, subjects, groups, teams, objects, events, etc. For example, it may commemorate a special sporting event, such as the Super Bowl, or other such competition and optionally indicate date (year) and location. It may optionally further identify the two opponents/contenders in such event or competition by their respective color(s), and/or logos, each on one half of the crown of a baseball cap and the particular visor attached to it. For example, it may embody a harlequin or half and half color scheme and permanently mounted logos that depict two opponents or contenders in such a competition, which may also be memorialized by a third, laterally placed event logo, and optionally, a fourth contra-laterally placed event year and location marker. Preferably, the cap or hat adjusts in size to accommodate a plurality of head sizes, wherein the adjustable feature involves the use of stretchable material in the lateral regions of both the crown and the headband. [0010] In one particular aspect, the invention provides a baseball-style cap or hat for an event that comprises a crown portion, a headband and two visors, with the crown including multiple substantially triangular fabric panels or gores that are seamed together along their lateral edges to form a dome to fit over the wearer's head. The laterally aligned gores may comprise bi-axially stretchable material. The fabric of the front one half of the crown is in the color(s) of one contender in the event, while the rear half is in the color(s) of the opponent. A non-stretchable fabric headband, with laterally incorporated segments of a bi-axially stretchable material, is circumferentially attached to the inner lower perimeter surface of the crown. Two substantially identically shaped and sized visors or bills, made of substantially rigid material, are positioned opposite to each other, respectively at the front and at the rear base of the crown. Their respective visor color(s) schemes are the same as those of the respective crown regions to which they are attached. These visors are separated on each lateral side by that portion of the perimeter of the base of the crown that is faced with the stretchable portions of headband. On the crown portion immediately above the front visor, the indicia of the team or contender represented by its respective color(s) is attached, painted, embossed, monogrammed or otherwise non-detachably affixed; by indicia is meant the name, logo, nickname emblem or such other symbol that identifies that team or the like. Indicia representative of the opposing team or contender is similarly affixed to the crown portion above the rear visor. One lateral aspect of the crown portion may optionally have the name and/or symbol of the competition, e.g., the Super Bowl, attached, painted, embossed, monogrammed or non-detachably affixed. On the opposite lateral aspect of the crown portion, the date (year) and/or the location of the competition may be similarly affixed. When stretchable gores are incorporated, the name/symbol/date may be sewn or embroidered with elastic thread. [0011] In variations of the above, the laterally located gores and/or the laterally incorporated segments of the headband may be made of a uni-axially stretchable material or of non-elastic material. The cap colors and the affixed name and/or logo may represent different related subjects or different aspects of a single team in a particular competition, with or without reference to such particular competitive event. Openings allow a pony-tail to be routed through either crown at a location centrally above the visor. Holders are provided to conveniently secure a golf ball marker and a tube of lip balm/sunscreen. [0012] In another particular aspect, the invention provides a hat having a non-domed crown portion, a headband and a broad non-rigid circumferential brim where the crown portion consists of a fabric top and side cover, the interior base of which is attached circumferentially to the fabric headband that laterally incorporates segments of uni-axially or bi-axially stretchable material. The exterior base of the crown portion is attached circumferentially to a broad brim comprised of substantially oval or circular shaped fabric that is reinforced by stiffeners which may be attached by concentric rows of stitching. The fabric of the front one half of the non-domed crown and of the broad brim is in a color(s) representative of one contender team, subject, object, etc., while the rear half is in a contrasting color, e.g. that of an opponent or a different but related subject. On the front and rear crown portions immediately above the broad brim, the name and/or logo of the team, subject, object, associated with the respective color(s) is attached, painted, embossed, monogrammed or otherwise non-detachably affixed. Lateral aspects of the crown portion, may optionally carry indicia as set forth above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cap embodying various features of the present invention shown on a model's head. [0014] FIG. 2 is a left side elevation view of the cap of FIG. 1, illustrating different logos and shaded and non-shaded regions which represent different colors that distinguish two teams plus a symbol of a subject competitive event. [0015] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cap of FIG. 2 demonstrating the stretchable lateral segment of the headband and the stretchable lateral gores of the crown portion of the adjustable cap. [0016] FIG. 4 is a top view of the cap shown in FIG. 2. [0017] FIG. 5a is a front elevation view of the cap of FIG. 2, illustrating the logo and coloring of one team or contender. [0018] FIG. 5b is a rear elevation view of the cap of FIG. 2, illustrating the logo and coloring of the other team. [0019] FIG. 6a is a side elevation view of a hat embodying various features of the present invention, illustrating logos and different colors that distinguish the different teams, plus the symbol of the subject event, as generally also shown on the cap in FIG. 1. [0020] FIG. 6b is a top perspective view of the hat shown in FIG. 6a illustrating the broad circumferential brim. Continue reading about Hats bearing related indicia... Full patent description for Hats bearing related indicia Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Hats bearing related indicia patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. 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