Apparel – Head coverings – With sweats or other supplementary head engaging member
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2001-03-13
Gravini, Stephen (Department: 3749)
Apparel
Head coverings
With sweats or other supplementary head engaging member
C002S181800, C034S066000, C034S099000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199214
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a ventilation device for use with headgear such as hats, caps or helmets.
BACKGROUND
In hot climates, and during spells of hot weather in temperate climates, it is common for people to wear headgear to provide protection and shading from the sun. Some people are also required to wear headgear for reasons connected with their work. Whilst there are proven benefits in wearing headgear in sunny weather, e.g. increased protection against skin cancer, the advantages are offset by the fact that a substantially enclosed air space is formed between the bowl of the hat and the wearers head. This space can entrap hot and humid air which causes the wearers head to become hot and the wearer to become extremely uncomfortable.
Items of headgear are sometimes formed with ventilation openings, but in general these are too small to provide effective ventilation. In GB 411 707 the ventilation openings are covered by a hat band 4.
WO 94/09658 discloses means for ventilating and stabilising headgear in the form of a flexible strip having, on one side, means of attachment to the headgear, and on its other side, a plurality of resilient or flexible spacers for spacing the headgear from a wearers head. A similar arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,901.
GB 485 873, GB 713 851 and U.S. Pat. No.4,274,157 all disclose a continuous sweat band which is held away from the inside of the hat by means of spacers.
The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of ventilation device for headgear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention proposes a ventilation device for attachment to an article of headgear, said ventilation device comprising:
an elongate flexible strip; and
a plurality of substantially flat wall sections disposed in an end-to-end mutually spaced relationship and lying substantially on a smooth curve which meets the flexible strip at opposite ends thereof, each of said wall sections being connected at opposite ends to the flexible strip such as to form a ventilation passage between the respective wall section and the flexible strip.
When the device is secured inside the rim of an item of headgear, air can flow through the ventilation space to effectively ventilate the interior of the headgear without significantly increasing the required size of the headgear or making the headgear uncomfortable to wear. The curvature of the ventilation device can be varied over a wide range allowing a single device to be used with a wide ranges of shapes and sizes of headgear.
The wall sections are preferably connected to the flexible strip by a pair of spacer walls which join opposite ends of the respective wall section to the flexible strip. The spacer walls preferably diverge towards the flexible strip so that the device provides the wearer with firm support.
The device preferably comprises a plastics moulding.
The inner wall of the device preferably comprises a plurality of apertures so that air flowing through the ventilation spaces can assist in the evaporation of moisture from the wearers skin. The inner wall is preferably covered by a layer of flexible moisture-absorbing porous material for contact with the wearers skin. The material aids removal of moisture by a wick effect, which is in turn assisted by increased evaporation due to air flow through the ventilation space.
The outer surface preferably comprises means for attachment to the inside of a hat, which preferably comprises a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive. Prior to use, the layer may be protected by a peelable backing.
The inner and outer wall s of the device may be transversely raked for increased comfort.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 29452 (1977-10-01), Townsend, Jr.
patent: 3897597 (1975-08-01), Kasper
patent: 4274157 (1981-06-01), Boden
patent: 4390998 (1983-07-01), Gallin
patent: 5313668 (1994-05-01), Bogan et al.
patent: 5365607 (1994-11-01), Benevento, Jr. et al.
patent: 5481760 (1996-01-01), Wood, Jr.
patent: 5625901 (1997-05-01), Healy
patent: 5787507 (1998-08-01), Sullivan
patent: 5920910 (1999-07-01), Calvo
Dorman Ira S.
Gravini Stephen
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