Apparel apparatus – Forming – pressing – molding – and stretching – Forms
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-20
2001-11-06
Mohanty, Bibhu (Department: 3741)
Apparel apparatus
Forming, pressing, molding, and stretching
Forms
C223S024000, C211S030000, C211S032000, C211S033000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311879
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
It is well known that baseball-type caps are very popular, and are worn by a wide cross-section of society, including children, men of all ages and many women. Such caps have a bill that is generally intended to face forward, but is frequently turned to the back by individuals attempting to achieve a different look. The bill is often constructed of fabric covered cardboard or similar material.
While it may seem to many observers that there are almost as many words and logos on caps as there are caps, people are always looking for a way to customize their cap from its original retail condition. One trend that is currently very popular is to bend the bill so that it is rounded, with the edges pointed generally downward.
While most such bending is done by hand, a device exists to maintain the curvature of the bill of a hat. U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,652, issued in 1994 to Levin, discloses a device that may be attached to the bill of a single cap. In use, the device forces the bill to assume a rounded shape. When the device is removed, the cap tends to maintain the rounded shape for a period of time.
Unfortunately, while such a device may have some utility with a single cap, it is not intended to maintain the shape of a plurality of caps simultaneously. Similarly, it is not intended to store caps in an organized manner for future use. As a result, a significant segment of the cap wearing market is still bending the bills of their caps manually.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a cap storage and bill shape maintenance device that can store a plurality of caps for future use,
SUMMARY
The present invention is directed to an apparatus that satisfies the above needs. A novel cap storage and bill shape maintenance device is disclosed that stores a plurality of caps for future use, while maintaining the shape of the bill of each cap.
The cap storage and bill shape maintenance device of the present invention provides some or all of the following structures.
(A) A main body
20
defines a plurality of bill slots. In operation, the bill of one cap may be manually curved and inserted into each bill slot. While alternative embodiments are possible, in a preferred embodiment of the main body includes interlocking front and back halves
30
,
50
that are substantially mirror images. Fastening means, carried by each half, engage the other half to result in a main body having attractively finished front and rear surfaces. The fastening means may include fastening pegs and sockets, interlocking rim and groove “snap-together” fasteners, or other known means.
(B) Similar left and right feet
70
,
80
are carried within left and right foot alignment recesses defined adjacent to a lower edge of the main body. Each foot provides an elongated base oriented perpendicularly to the lower edge of the main body. A sidewall extending vertically from the base defines a slot within which the lower edge of the main body is carried.
(C) A hanger having an elongated body terminating in upper and lower hook ends supports the main body from a door or other object. In a preferred embodiment, the upper hook is configured to slide over the top of a door, while the lower hook is sized to slide into a hole defined in the perimeter of the main body.
It is therefore a primary advantage of the present invention to provide a novel cap storage and bill shape maintenance device that both stores a plurality of caps, and which also maintains the curvature of the bill of each cap.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a novel cap storage and bill shape maintenance device that is inexpensive and attractive, and which may be conveniently supported by either feet or a hanger, and which will appeal to a large segment of the cap-wearing market interested in maintaining the curvature of the bill of their caps.
A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a novel cap storage and bill shape maintenance device that is efficiently constructed in a manner requiring no moving parts, elastic or springs, and which allows rapid insertion and removal of a cap in a convenient manner that encourages use, while leaving the other caps undisturbed.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification and the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 393970 (1998-05-01), Lee
patent: 3208597 (1965-09-01), Hansen
patent: 5038941 (1991-08-01), Bastiaansen
patent: 5137157 (1992-08-01), Lawson
patent: 5244102 (1993-09-01), Koenig
patent: 5480073 (1996-01-01), LaManna
patent: 5685465 (1997-11-01), Berardis
patent: 5727694 (1998-03-01), Larson
patent: 5758779 (1998-06-01), Atkins
Rigler Brenda J.
Rigler Jerry H.
Mohanty Bibhu
Thompson David S.
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