Supports: racks – Special article – Hat type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-14
2001-09-25
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Hat type
C211S181100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293413
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cap holder. More particularly, the invention relates to a brim engaging holder for supporting a baseball type cap while also shaping the brim in an ideal manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baseball type caps have recently moved from a functional item worn to keep sun from a wearer's eyes and face, to fashion items worn by almost anyone anywhere. The new fashion status of these caps has created very specific personal styles of how the caps should be worn.
One such personal style for wearing these caps involves the curvature of the cap's brim. For many cap wearers it has become imperative that the cap's brim be bent in a highly specific manner. With this in mind, those concerned with the curvature of their brim will expend substantial effort to maintain the proper curvature in their cap's brim.
Such individuals are forced to resort to spending substantial time manually bending their caps or resort to a variety of available shaping devices. The shaping devices range from rubber banding the brim of a cap about a properly sized soda bottle to a variety of store bought forms upon which the cap's brim may be mounted.
Unfortunately, such store bought forms are commonly difficult to use and require that the cap wearer follow a variety of steps to properly secure the brim of the cap to the forming device. Examples of such devices include, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,782 to Hale et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,719 to Otteson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,073 to LaManna, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,652 to Levin and U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,465 to Berardis.
A review of the prior art shows that a need still exists for a simple and convenient holder which shapes the brim of a cap in a highly specific manner while the cap is supported thereon. The present invention provides such a cap holder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a cap holder for supporting the brim of a baseball type cap. The cap holder includes a bracket supporting a cap support member. The cap support member is composed of a substantially continuous frame member defining a substantially U-shaped opening shaped and dimensioned to selectively receive and retain the brim of a cap when bent and positioned through the U-shaped opening.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cap holder wherein the cap support member further includes means for shaping the cap while it is supported thereby.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cap holder wherein the cap support member is pivotally secured to the bracket.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cap holder wherein the frame member is a substantially rigid wire bent to a desired shape.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cap holder wherein the frame member is composed of a large first curvature member having inwardly extending first and second ledges extending from opposite sides of the large first curvature member, the first and second ledges being shaped and dimensioned to support and edge of the brim of the cap as it is placed through the U-shaped opening.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cap holder wherein the first ledge and the second ledge are substantially U-shaped.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cap holder wherein the first ledge includes a free end and the second ledge includes a free end, and the free ends of the first and second ledges are respectively coupled to the bracket to pivotally secure the cap support member to the bracket.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cap holder wherein the large first curvature member lies in a first plane, and the first and second ledges lie in a second plane oriented at an angle relative to the first plane.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cap holder wherein the second plane is oriented obliquely relative to the first plane.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth certain embodiments of the invention.
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Novosad Jennifer E.
Stodola Daniel P.
Welsh & Flaxman LLC
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