Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-31
2001-07-24
Mohanty, Bibhu (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
C002S175100, C002S195100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263508
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to hats and caps used as headwear, and more specifically to hats and caps having one or more bills or brims that also may be moved or rotated to various positions around the circumference of the crown of the headwear without detaching the bill or brim from the headwear.
This invention is an improvement over that described in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,534 issued Feb. 10, 1998 (Mobley), which describes headwear having a detachable bill or even a full brim that can be repositioned relative to the crown of the headwear while wearing the headwear and without detaching the brim or bill from the crown. It also describes unitary headwear that can give the appearance of being at least two separate hats and in which two or more bills or brims can be repositioned relative to balance of the headwear, such that neither the headwear nor the bills or brims need be removed from the headwear to be repositioned. As described in that patent, the ability to position easily one or more bills or fuller brims on a hat allows the wearer to adjust them to optimize their shading effect and protection from elements of weather such as rain or hail. Mobley also describes these uses of hats for self-expression, shading, and protection by freeing the wearer from the necessity of removing the hat or of detaching the bill or brim of the hat whenever the wearer wants to change its position. Again in Mobley, the means of attachment and detachment of the bills and brims to the headwear facilitates the creation of a unitary hat design that, when in place on the wearer's head, can give the appearance that two or more hats being worn.
Given that the bill or brim is capable of installation, removal and smooth repositioning as in Mobley, the present invention achieves the goal of improving the comfort, flexibility, durability and ease of change of the bill or brim portion of a cap or hat, by separating the bill or brim from the rest of the cap or hat with a unique arrangement for attachment of the bill or brim. This arrangement relieves mechanical strain, permits greater airflow, facilitates changes of one bill or brim for another, simplifies manufacture, and allows more flexible movement of the cap or hat in relation to the supporting structure for the bill or brim.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there can now be provided comfortable, durable, and easily-fabricated headwear having an easily-detachable bill or even a fill brim that, as in Mobley, can be repositioned relative to the crown of the headwear while wearing the headwear and without detaching the brim or bill from the crown. In addition, my invention preserves all of the features and advantages of Mobley as summarized and described in the aforementioned Mobley patent.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a hat or cap including a crown, at least one T-channel and at least one U-channel, one of which channels is attached to the crown by the unique arrangement and circumscribes at least a substantial portion of the periphery of the crown, a brim or bill which is attached to the other of the channels, the U-channel and the T-channel engaging each other such that the T-channel slides along the interior surface of the U-channel. If preferably one or more removable and/or replaceable bills or brims are desired, the channels can be constructed to permit ready attachment and detachment but are securely in place when attached to the crown.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to improve the means by which the bills or brims can be repositioned relative to the body of the headwear without detaching the bills or brim from the headwear or removing the headwear from the wearer's head.
It is yet another object of the present invention, as in Mobley, to hide or mask from view the means by which the brims or bills may be repositioned in order not to detract from the appearance of the headwear.
It is a further object of the invention to simplify the manufacture of the repositioning apparatus, and facilitate its assembly with the hat.
It is another object of the present invention, as in Mobley, to provide headwear having an attachment means so that the bills or brims of the headwear are easily detachable and reattachable, enabling the headwear to be worn with any of a number of bills or brims, or with no bill or brim at all.
It is another object of the invention to increase the wearer's comfort through provision of improved ventilation between the sweatband and the crown of the hat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1232992 (1917-07-01), Sterling
patent: 2855604 (1958-10-01), Austin
patent: 5471684 (1995-12-01), Casale
patent: 5533211 (1996-07-01), Mehrens
patent: 5613246 (1997-03-01), Alexander
patent: 5715534 (1998-02-01), Mobley
Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP
Mohanty Bibhu
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