Apparel – Head coverings – Combined with diverse article
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-07-10
Vanatta, Amy B. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Head coverings
Combined with diverse article
C002S906000, C362S106000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256795
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to novelty hats and items of clothing in general, and particularly to novelty hats having one or more candles, lamps or light holders depicted thereon. The hats may also be provided with flame tips or light bulbs which may be releasably attachable above the candles, lamps or light holders. Such hats may be worn by children during the joyous celebration of religious holidays, such as the Jewish holiday of Chanukah or the Christian holiday of Christmas.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
While there are many novelty hats and items of clothing of different varieties known in the art, there are no novelty hats or items of clothing particularly designed and configured for depicting the lighting of candles or lamps thereon. Additionally, there are no such hats or items of clothing having a Menorah depicted thereon for use during the celebration of the eight-day holiday of Chanukah. Nor are there any such hats having a Christmas tree, an Easter candle or an Advent wreath depicted thereon for use during Christmas, Easter and Advent, respectively.
While it is also well known that certain hats, such as yarmulkes worn by Jewish males, are worn in the practice of certain religions, the novelty hats of the present invention are in no way meant to be a replacement for or a mockery of any such religious hats. Rather, the hats of the present invention are hats which children may wear during times of religious celebrations or rituals which involve the lighting of candles in order to allow children's participation without the danger of fire. For example, such hats may be worn by children during their play time during the Chanukah celebration, such as when spinning their dreidels.
Among the novelty hats known in the prior art is the hat disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,235 wherein the hat has the shape of an automobile, a motorcycle or a boat. The hat is provided with an adjustable interior headband having VELCRO™ fasteners, i.e. detachably engaging plastic hook members and eye members, to allow the hat to fit on heads having various sizes and to permit the hat to be worn at various angles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,708 discloses a golf cap with blinders pivoted to the sides of the visor. The blinder flaps are permanently attached to the cap along a portion of their length, and have one end releasably attached to the visor of the cap by VELCRO™ pads, so as to permit the blinders to be inconspicuously secured when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,451 disclosed a pair of eye glasses or a visor having several patches of VELCRO™ which are aligned to overlay several opposing patches of VELCRO™ provided on the exterior of a headband or hat so as to allow the eye glasses or visor to be releasably attached to the headband or hat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a hat or item of clothing which has the shape of one or more candles, lamps and/or light holders either depicted on its exterior or provided for permanent or releasable attachment to the hat or item of clothing. One or more flame tips or light bulbs, which are preferably releasably attachable to the hat adjacent to the top of the one or more candles, are provided for attachment to the hat to depict the lighting of the one or more candles, lamps and/or lights as a symbolic gesture during a time of celebration or other occasion. The hat may be of any shape, and may either fully or partially cover the wearer's head or may be a headband. The one or more candles and corresponding flame tips may be of any size or shape. While, for the sake of simplicity the embodiments of the invention will be referred to herein as hats, it is understood that the invention includes any item of clothing, such as a shirt or vest.
In one embodiment, the hat may have nine candles depicted on its front and the candles may be configured in the general shape of a Menorah wherein the center candle extends upwardly above the other eight candles. This embodiment may be worn by children during the Jewish religious celebration of Chanukah. The tallest candle and one other candle have flame tips or light bulbs attached to their top ends on the first day of Chanukah, and on each of the next seven days of Chanukah a flame tip or light bulb is attached adjacent the top of one of the remaining seven candles.
In another embodiment, the hat may have one large Easter candle depicted on its front. A flame tip or light bulb may be attached adjacent the top of the candle during the celebration of the Christian religious holiday of Easter and whenever appropriate.
In another embodiment, the hat may have four candles depicted on its front in the general configuration of an Advent wreath. During each of the four weeks of Advent, a candle may symbolically be lit by attaching a flame tip or light bulb to the top of the candle.
While it is preferable for the candles to be permanently attached to the hat and the flame tips to be releasably attachable, both the candles and the flame tips may be releasably attachable. Additionally, both the candles and the flame tips may be permanently attachable to the hat.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 303036 (1989-08-01), Giles
patent: D. 340570 (1993-10-01), Gray
patent: 1242211 (1917-10-01), Leihgeber
patent: 2593188 (1952-04-01), Rikelman
patent: 3254444 (1966-06-01), Paterson
patent: 5541816 (1996-07-01), Miserendino
patent: 5676449 (1997-10-01), Newsome
patent: 5724675 (1998-03-01), Lipkin et al.
patent: 5741060 (1998-04-01), Johnson
Markey James
Vanatta Amy B.
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