Apparel – Head coverings – With sweats or other supplementary head engaging member
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-12
2003-05-27
Welch, Gary L. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Head coverings
With sweats or other supplementary head engaging member
C002S171000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567991
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to perspiration control devices and, more particularly, is concerned with a perspiration control device in the form of a headband having a water tight seal strip on an inner side of the headband for directing perspiration toward opposite ends of the strip.
Description of the Prior Art
It is a common practice for individuals engaged in strenuous activity such as jogging, basketball, tennis and other racket sports to wear perspiration control devices in the form of absorbent headbands. These headbands usually include an elasticized cotton material which is adapted to encircle the head of the user to absorb perspiration primarily on the brow of the user and to prevent droplets of perspiration from coming into contact with the eyes of the user. However, after a time these headbands will become saturated with perspiration and it will then start to drip and run down the user's forehead into his or her eyes.
Representative examples of perspiration control devices proposed in the prior art are those discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,859 to Burke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,519 to Nicastro, U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,903 to Brown et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,116 to Sullivan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,556 to Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,932 to Brown, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,518 to Brown. While these prior art perspiration control devices may be satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide an effective solution for the problem at hand.
Consequently, a need still exists for an innovation which will provide an effective solution to the aforementioned problem in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a perspiration control device designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The perspiration control device of the present invention includes a headband which can be either an article of apparel worn on the head of a user as a standalone component or a component of an article of apparel, such as a ballcap, worn on the head of the user. In either application, the headband has a water tight seal strip on an inner or back side of the headband which functions to direct perspiration toward opposite ends of the strip. Thus, the objective of the perspiration control device of the present invention is primarily not to absorb perspiration but to direct it away from the eyes of a user which are located below the strip.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a perspiration control device which comprises: (a) a headband having opposite outer and inner sides and opposite front and back portions; and (b) at least one elongated seal strip applied on the inner side of the front portion of the headband and having opposite ends such that the seal strip will cross a forehead of a user when the headband is worn by the user and the seal strip will function to direct perspiration toward the opposite ends of the seal strip and thus toward opposite sides of the forehead and beyond eyes of the user.
The present invention also is directed to an article of apparel which comprises: (a) a cap portion for wearing on a head of a user so as to substantially cover an upper portion of the head; and (b) a perspiration control portion attached on the cap portion, the perspiration control portion including (i) a headband having opposite outer and inner sides and opposite front and back portions, and (ii) an elongated seal strip applied on the inner side of the front portion of the headband and having opposite ends such that the seal strip will cross a forehead of a user when the article of apparel is worn by the user and the seal strip will function to direct perspiration toward the opposite ends of the seal strip and thus toward opposite sides of the forehead and beyond eyes of the user.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2320782 (1943-06-01), Larsen
patent: 4021859 (1977-05-01), Burke
patent: 4368545 (1983-01-01), Seidman
patent: 4393519 (1983-07-01), Nicastro
patent: 4521922 (1985-06-01), Mitchell et al.
patent: 4547903 (1985-10-01), Brown et al.
patent: 4626247 (1986-12-01), Frankel
patent: 4638512 (1987-01-01), Frankel
patent: 4856116 (1989-08-01), Sullivan
patent: 5640721 (1997-06-01), Jackson
patent: 5740556 (1998-04-01), Brown
patent: 5781932 (1998-07-01), Brown
patent: 5826277 (1998-10-01), McConville
patent: 5887284 (1999-03-01), Simmons
patent: 6026518 (2000-02-01), Brown
Holslag Nicholas J. C.
Ketchen Paul D.
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