Under-Helmet Sweat Absorbing and Wicking Headpiece

Abstract

A headpiece for use under helmets combines absorbent and wicking technical fabrics to prevent sweat from running into the user's eyes. The headpiece is specifically intended for use inside ventilated helmets, especially cycling helmets, but also climbing helmets, skating helmets, and even hard hats. The headpiece has a forehead-covering browpiece that incorporates an absorbent, soft wicking layer next to the forehead of the wearer, an absorbent layer of hydrophilic felt, and and outer skullcap “drape” of wicking fabric. The headpiece is worn on the user's head with the browpiece against the forehead. The inner layer and the middle layer go from approximately temple-to-temple across the user's forehead and the third layer extends over the top of the wearer's head. The outer “drape” wicks moisture from the absorbent hydrophilic layer so it evaporates and cools under the vented helmet top.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to headwear used primarily in athletic endeavors, and more specifically, to a sweat absorbent and wicking headpiece worn on a user's head between the head and a helmet, and even more specifically, to an under-helmet headpiece especially useful for cyclists.

BACKGROUND

Almost all cyclists sweat when undergoing strenuous rides and these days almost all cyclists wear helmets. Helmets are taken for granted as a requisite piece of safety equipment and as a result, most organized rides and races require helmets. Even with riders on casual rides it is rare to see a non-helmeted head. For some cyclists the head perspiration does not appear to cause significant problems or concerns; not only does the flow of air through the helmet's air vents and over the rider's head contribute relatively rapid evaporation of the sweat, but for some riders the sweat is simply not a concern.

However, sweat generated by a rider's head can lead to some very common problems that are experienced by many, many cyclists. For example, sweat drips onto the inside of glasses and sunglasses and causes fogging or blurring of the lens. For other riders, sweat flows into their eyes and causes stinging. Some riders even avoid the use of sunglasses in order to hasten evaporation so that excessive sweat does not into their eyes. While avoiding sunglasses may provide some relief due to increased evaporation—i.e., airflow to the eye area is increased and so, therefore, is evaporation—there is a tradeoff in terms of safety and comfort when sunglasses are not worn. Other cyclists experience similar eye-stinging problems when sweat mixes with sunscreen.

In view of the foregoing problems and in view of the relatively rapid ascension in the popularity of cycling over the past couple of decades, it is not surprising that there are many different devices on the market designed to alleviate the problems cyclists experience with their sweaty heads. But currently available devices that attempt to manage sweat for cyclists are typically in the form of elastic bands or skullcaps of one sort or another, some with a wicking flap; all are either tied or secured with elastic around the circumference of the head or friction fit over the front and rear of the cranium—the later, so called “do-rags”—typically closely fit the cyclists head and have a tie located behind the rider's head, below the lower edge of the helmet. Some elastic headband products include a circumferential “gutter” designed to channel sweat from the forehead toward the rear of the wearer's head. Regardless of the relative effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of known devices, and perhaps less important from a purely functional standpoint, but important nonetheless, cyclists are notoriously fussy about fashion when it comes to their cycling kits. Headbands, do-rags and sweat gutter systems are notoriously visible when worn under a helmet. Many riders simply are unwilling to wear a device with limited effectiveness when the device has the downside of being visible and unattractive.

It is also not unexpected that there are numerous patents directed to sweat absorbent headpieces. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,590 describes a headband that has an interior portion made of a terrycloth material that is said to have a high absorption and wicking capacity. A pad of chamois that can absorb large quantities of moisture is arranged next to and outwardly of the inner terrycloth layer and a cloth outer layer defines tie ribbons that are attached behind the user's head. Another headband-type of device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,097—the sweatband in that patent is intended to help prevent sweat stains on other headgear that is being worn. The sweatband has a spacer-fabric sweatband that is built into headwear that has an inner fabric layer that rests against the user's forehead and an outer layer that faces the other headgear. The two layers are connected by a multiplicity of hydrophobic monofilament-pile spacing elements that define and maintain a space between the layers that allows for airflow and venting.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,761 is directed to a removable liner that is designed for placement inside headwear for improved thermal comfort. The liner has two shell layers, specifically, the inner is an ultrathin, thermally reflective, synthetic, micro fibrous fabric that removes moisture and allows airflow and an outer layer that is a multi-membrane fabric that forms an insulating, breathable, windproof, and waterproof layer. Another liner—this one disposable—for helmets and hats is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,504. In that device, a main body has a central section and tapered end sections and has a liquid absorbing material. The main body is releasably secured to the head covering. The liners may be formed with a core of thermoplastic containing other fibers sandwiched between facing and backing sheets.

A sweat control headband that has a seal strip on the forehead or brow side of the headband is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,567,991. In that device the plastic strip is designed to seal against the wearer's skin and thereby direct sweat away from the user's eyes. A device akin to that disclosed in the '991 patent is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,122. The sweat diversion band described in that patent diverts sweat from the upper forehead and away from the eyes using laminated neoprene that is said to have capillary and hydraulic properties that allow it to absorb sweat divert it to behind the wearer's ears. And U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,271 is directed to a brow pad for use with the headband of a helmet and which is welded or joined to itself through openings through the headband. By joining the brow pad to itself in this manner, the brow pad stays in place and the openings provide some ventilation and enhance comfort.

Other examples of known head-sweat-control-devices include U.S. Patent Publication No. US20090077716, which describes a headband that is worn above the eyes (i.e., on the forehead). The headband has a fabric band that retains the band on the head and a channel member bonded to the lower edge of the fabric that channels excess sweat away from the wearer's eyes. U.S. Patent Publication No. US20060143788 is directed to a self-wicking and draining headband that includes free “tails” for wicking and draining moisture from the headband. And finally, U.S. Patent Publication No. US20060010568, entitled “Helmet Sweat Band” describes a sweatband design for use with protective helmets, such as military helmets. The sweatband is defined by a hydrophilic foam core covered with a moisture wicking fabric.

All of the foregoing examples describe sweat control devices, but most are inelegant and not highly effective for athletes and others involved in aerobic activity that requires use of a helmet. There is a need therefore for an effective sweat absorbent headpiece that may be used in these circumstances.

SUMMARY OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to a unique device that combines aggressively absorbent and aggressively wicking technical fabrics. This sweat absorbing and wicking helmet liner is specifically intended for use inside ventilated helmets, especially cycling helmets, but also climbing helmets, skating helmets, and even hard hats. The invention is defined by a headpiece that has a forehead-covering browpiece that incorporates an absorbent, soft wicking layer next to the forehead of the wearer, then an absorbent layer of hydrophilic felt, and third, outer skullcap “drape” of wicking fabric. The headpiece is worn on the user's head with the browpiece against the forehead; the browpiece contacts the inner-facing front surface of the helmet. The inner cushioning layer and the middle absorbent layer go from approximately temple-to-temple across the user's forehead. The third layer extends over the top of the wearer's head and loosely covers the top of the head, under the crown of the helmet. This outer “drape” wicks moisture collected in the absorbent hydrophilic layer across the top of the head, where it evaporates and cools under the openly vented helmet top. The fabric employed may have antimicrobial characteristics.

Unlike other sweat managing pads or bands, the helmet liner described herein is in a first embodiment passively secured between the user's head and the helmet. The headpiece is held in place simply by placing it in the helmet held upside down in front of the user, holding it at the sides in the helmet with the thumbs, and then placing the helmet on the head brow first—this is a typical way of donning a helmet, so there are no new techniques to be learnt. Once the helmet is placed on the user's head with the liner in place, the helmet's securing system retains the liner where it was placed, compressed between the user's forehead and the helmet.

A hook and loop equipped version of the helmet liner according to the present invention may optionally be used, wherein the hook and loop material may serve as a pad replacement system. In almost all cycling helmets, front (i.e., forehead) pads are secured in place with hook and loop fastening material—the loop material is typically adhered to the interior of the helmet (typically a dense foam or foam-like material). When the front helmet pads are removed, loop material across the interior of the helmet is exposed and attaches to the hook material that is attached to the front-facing outer surface of the helmet liner.

The helmet liner according to the present invention is approximately ⅔ of a half sphere, and the helmet liner is therefore retained entirely beneath and within the wearer's helmet and not visible beyond the boundaries of the helmet. Fashion conscious cyclists prefer this as a more attractive solution to the problem of heavy perspiration, as well as being more effective.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will be apparent by reference to the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view illustrating a first embodiment of the headpiece according to the present invention, and showing in dashed lines a typical athlete's head and a helmet.

FIG. 1A is a top plan view showing the component parts illustrated in FIG. 1B sewn together to fashion an assembled headpiece according to the invention.

FIG. 1B is a top plan view showing the component parts of the headpiece according to the present invention, with the component parts shown in an exploded view and laid out prior to assembly.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation and cross section view of the headpiece of the present invention, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1A and illustrating a portion of the browpiece in cutaway view to expose the various layers of fabric in the browpiece.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the headpiece illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view illustrating the interior side of the headpiece according to the present invention—that is, the side that rests against the user's head. In FIG. 4 two portions of the bill of the headpiece are shown in partial cutaway view to expose the various layers of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

A first illustrated embodiment of a headpiece 10 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Headpiece 10 is designed to be worn by a person wearing a helmet. For purposes of illustrating the environment in which the headpiece is used, the wearer and helmet are shown in FIG. 1 in phantom lines—the wearer is identified with reference number 100 and the helmet with reference number 200. Generally speaking, the wearer 100 is a person engaged in a strenuous activity such as cycling that causes the person's head to perspire. But the invention is not limited to use with helmets used for cycling. As such, helmet 200 may be of any type of protective headgear.

Relative directional terms are used at times to describe the headpiece 10 and components of it, and the positions of the components relative to the wearer 100 and the helmet 200. FIG. 1 is used as the reference view for a naming convention utilized throughout this specification: the ground plane is considered to be the surface of the ground on which the wearer 100 might be riding, and for purposes herein, is considered to be a horizontal ground plane although of course in use the ground plane has slope and irregularities. Other relative directional terms correspond to this convention: “upper” refers to the direction above and away from the ground plane; “lower” is generally in the opposite direction, “inner” or “inwardly” is the direction from the exterior of the headpiece toward the interior, and so on. Some common anatomical terms are also used, although their meaning is clear without reference to any naming convention. As used herein, the directional terms posterior and posteriorly refer to the direction defined by an axis extending from the front of the wearer's forehead parallel to the sagittal plane and the ground plane (in this case, the same as the anatomical “transverse plane”) and normal to the coronal plane.

Turning to the exploded view of FIG. 1B, headpiece 10 in a first embodiment comprises 5 separate pieces of fabric that are attached together (preferably by sewing) to form the finished headpiece. The “browpiece” 12 of headpiece 10 is that portion of the headpiece that rests on the user's forehead (reference number 14) above the user's eyes—browpiece 12 is also referred to herein as “bill” 12. The bill 12 comprises three layers, an inner layer 16 that rests against the user's forehead 14, a middle layer 18, and an outer layer referenced generally with reference number 20 that rests against the interior surface of the helmet 200 when the helmet is worn on user 100's head.

The inner layer 16 is preferably an absorbent polyester fleece material that is soft and comfortable against the user's head for long periods of time. The fleece fabric used for inner layer 16 is a directionally wicking fabric layer that absorbs perspiration from the user's forehead and wicks the moisture away from the user toward the middle layer 18.

The middle layer 18 is a highly absorbent layer of hydrophilic felt fabric. Because the fabric used in middle layer 18 is hydrophilic, moisture that is wicked away from the user's forehead by the fleece used for inner layer 16 is rapidly drawn into middle layer 18.

The third or outer layer 20 is also a wicking fabric that as detailed below defines the outer layer of the browpiece 12 and the drape 68. The fabric used for this outer layer 20 is a lighter weight polyester fabric that wicks the moisture away from the user (lighter weight relative to the inner layer 16 and outer layer 18).

Antimicrobial compounds may be optionally incorporated into any or all of the three layers described above.

With continuing reference to FIG. 1A, two side pieces 22 and 24 lie on opposite sides of a center piece 26. As detailed below, portions of the two side pieces 22 and 24 and the center piece 26 also define the outer layer 20 in the assembled headpiece 10, and more specifically, the forward portions of these three pieces of fabric define the outer layer 20 of the browpiece 12 in the assembled headpiece.

The pieces of fabric that are attached together to define the finished headpiece 10 are cut and attached to one another so that the headpiece is in the shape of a semi-sphere—much like the shape of the user 100's cranium. The headpiece 10 thus naturally assumes the general shape of most human heads. This shape is established by mating the various pieces described above and shown in FIG. 1B in a specific geometry. Thus, to assemble the headpiece 10, the forward most corner 28 of side piece 22 is aligned with the corner 30 of center piece 26 and the forward most corner 32 of side piece 24 is aligned with corner 34 of the center piece. The three pieces (side pieces 22 and 24 and center piece 26) thus aligned then laid over middle layer 18 and inner layer 16 such that the corners 36 and 38 of the middle and inner layers 18 and 16, respectively, lie directly beneath corner 29 of side piece 22. Likewise, the corners 40 and 43 of the middle and inner layers 18 and 16 lie directly beneath the aligned corner 33 of sidepiece 24. The adjacent pieces of fabric are then sewn together with appropriately seams. While many different seam types may be used, flat seams are preferred from a comfort perspective. Since the edge 42 of side piece 22 that mates with edge 44 of center piece 26 is curved, when those two mating pieces of fabric are sewn together the headpiece becomes curved in the nature of a sphere. Likewise with edge 48 of side piece 24 and mated edge 50 of center piece 26.

The aligned lowermost edges of the inner layer 16, middle layer 18 and outer layer 20 are similarly aligned and sewn. Thus, the lowermost edge 52 of middle layer 18 is aligned with the lowermost edge 54 of inner layer 16. The lowermost edge 56 of center piece 26 is aligned with the already aligned edges 52 and 54; and the lowermost edges 58 and 60 of side pieces 22 and 24, respectively, are aligned with the already aligned edges 52 and 54.

With the five pieces thus aligned, the seams where multiple pieces align and/or join are sewn with appropriate seam styles. The side outer peripheral edges that are single layer (e.g., outer edge 62 of side piece 22, outer edge 64 of side piece 24 and rearward edge 66 of center piece 26 are sewn as appropriate to prevent raveling of the fabric.

Inspection of the drawing of the assembled headpiece 10 shown in FIG. 1A illustrates how the pieces are geometrically oriented and joined at seams in order to form a semi spherically shaped unit. It will be understood that the outer layer 20 is formed by the forward portions of the three pieces (side pieces 22 and 24 and center piece 26) that overlap the underlying middle and inner layers 18 and 16. The “drape” 68 portion of headpiece 10—that is, the portion the headpiece 10 rearward of bill 12 is formed by the sewn together three pieces just mentioned—that is side pieces 22 and 24 and center piece 26. As seen in FIG. 1, the drape 68 extends posteriorly from the bill 12 and, when worn on the user's head, the rear edge 66 of the headpiece 10 rests posteriorly of the crown of the head.

The browpiece of bill 12 comprises the portion of headpiece 10 forward of drape 68 and for purposes herein is defined by the portion of the headpiece separated from the drape by the seam 70, which functions to connect together the three layers that define the bill. Thus, bill 12 is a three-layer portion defined by inner layer 16, middle layer 18 and outer layer 20. With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the seams that connect together the two side pieces 22 and 24 and the center piece 26 do not extend through the inner layer 16. Specifically, seams 72 connects edge 42 of side piece 24 to edge 44 of center piece 26, but the seam does not extend through either the inner layer 16 or the middle layer 18 in the area defined by bill 12. Likewise, seam 74 connects edge 48 of side piece 24 to edge 50 of center piece 26 but the seam does not extend through either the inner layer 16 or the outer layer 18 in the portion of the headpiece defined as bill 12. The absence of a seam extending across the inner layer aids in the comfort of the headpiece. In addition, a seam in this area of headpiece 10 could adversely affect the wicking functionality of the inner and middle layers if it were stitched across the inner and middle layers.

The cross sectional view of FIG. 2 illustrates the layering of fabric in the bill portion 12 and the single layer of fabric in drape 68. As noted above, in the bill portion 12 there are three layers of fabric: inner layer 16, middle layer 18 and outer layer 20. Outer layer 20 of bill 12 is defined by that portion of the outermost layer of fabric 22 that is forward of the seam 70, which separates the bill 12 from the drape 68. As alluded above, any appropriate seam types may be used to connect the various fabric components. The seams 70, 72 and 74 illustrated herein are double stitched—zigzag stitching may also be used with appropriate seam styles. The lowermost edges of the headpiece 10 in drape portion 68 are folded over and stitched with a single stitch seam to prevent fraying and unraveling of the fabric.

As best seen in FIG. 1, in use the bill 12 rests on user 100's forehead above the user's eyes and wraps bilaterally from the center of the forehead and posteriorly around the user's head to approximately over the user's temples. To use the headpiece 10, the helmet 200 is inverted and held in this orientation in front of user 100. The user holds the sides of the helmet with his or her thumbs or fingers. The headpiece 10 is laid into the helmet with the bill 12 portion lined up with and resting on the corresponding portion of the helmet. That is, the bill 12 is laid over the inward-facing frontal portion of the helmet that contacts the user's forehead. Holding the headpiece into the helmet in this orientation, the user the places the helmet and headpiece 10 on their head with the bill portion 12 contacting the user's brow first. With the helmet in place, the bill is compressed between the user's brow and the interior of the helmet and the drape 68 rests atop the user's cranium between the top of the user's head and the interior of the helmet. The helmet's chinstrap and other securing systems (such as typical rear-tightening mechanisms) are then adjusted in the usual way for that particular helmet. As seen in FIG. 1, the headpiece 10 is retained between the user's head and the interior of the helmet with the bill 12 compressed between the forehead and the interior front of the helmet. The entire headpiece is beneath the helmet and is not visible to other riders. Thus, the entire lower peripheral edge of the headpiece 10 lies beneath the lower peripheral edge of the helmet.

In a first embodiment the headpiece does not require any attachment between the helmet and the headpiece to fasten the headpiece to the helmet; the headpiece is retained passively in place and does not move even with strenuous and extended activity and movement. The compressive fit between the helmet and the user's forehead, with the bill portion 12 compressed therebetween, and the normal semi spherical shape of the headpiece contributes to the ability of the headpiece to remain in the position shown in FIG. 1 passively, without any active attachment. In addition, because the drape 68 is a single-layer of material it is very light (relative to the bill portion 12) and the lightness of the drape contributes to the ability of the headpiece to remain in the desired position on the head. Some users may prefer an active attachment between the headpiece and the helmet. With returning reference to FIG. 1A, a strip of hook material 78 may be attached to the outer layer 20 in the bill portion 12. The corresponding loop material in the interior front of the helmet may be already present in the helmet (for instance, where the loop material is used to attach padding) or may be added to accommodate the hook material 78 on the headpiece 10.

As the user sweats during exercise the sweat is absorbed by the inner layer 16 and is wicked into middle layer 18, away from the user's forehead. The middle layer is a hydrophilic material and the moisture is quickly pulled from the inner layer toward the middle layer. The moisture is then wicked to the outer layer 20. As the cyclist moves, air moves through vent holes in the helmet 200 (illustrated by the arrows A in FIG. 1), over the frontal exposed portions of bill 12 and over the top of the drape 68. The combination of airflow and wicking action of moisture by the headpiece 10 results in rapid evaporation of sweat from the headpiece. The headpiece is comfortable and may be worn for extended periods of time.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made to the headpiece described herein to create an equivalent device. For example, the specific cut patterns and stitching styles may be altered significantly and the resulting device is equivalent to that described above and shown in the drawings. As another example, the drape 68 need only be adjacent to the inner and outer layers of the browpiece such that perspiration in the inner and outer layers is transferred to the drape (by wicking action) and then evaporated therefrom.

While the present invention has been described in terms of preferred and illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill that the spirit and scope of the invention is not limited to those embodiments, but extend to the various modifications and equivalents as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A headpiece for use with a helmet, comprising:

a browpiece having at least three layers comprising an inner layer of sweat absorbent and wicking fabric, a middle layer of sweat absorbent and hydrophilic fabric, and an outer layer of sweat wicking fabric, said browpiece sized to extend across a user's forehead above the user's eyes and approximately between the user's temples; and

a drape attached to the browpiece and extending rearwardly therefrom, said drape comprising a sweat wicking fabric.

2. The headpiece according to claim 1 in which the headpiece when worn on a user's head is positioned between the user's head and the helmet and is retained in place between the helmet and the user's head passively.

3. The headpiece according to claim 1 in which the browpiece of the headpiece when worn on a user's head is compressed between the user's forehead and an interior surface of the helmet.

4. The headpiece according to claim 1 wherein said headpiece defines a semi spherically shaped member that is adapted to be worn on the user's head and the headpiece includes a lower peripheral edge, and wherein said headpiece is when worn on a user's head, said lower peripheral edge is completely within a lower peripheral edge of said helmet.

5. The headpiece according to claim 1 including means for attaching the headpiece to the helmet.

6. The headpiece according to claim 5 wherein the means for attaching the headpiece to the helmet is defined by hook and loop fasteners wherein the hook or loop material is located only on the browpiece.

7. The headpiece according to claim 1 in which said drape extends posteriorly of the browpiece and is sized so that a rear edge of the drape rests posteriorly of the crown of the user's head.

8. The headpiece according to claim 7 in which said drape defines the outer layer.

9. The headpiece according to claim 8 in which said drape is defined by three fabric pieces comprising opposed side pieces and a center piece between said side pieces.

10. The headpiece according to claim 1 in which the helmet is a cycling helmet.

11. A headpiece for use with a helmet, comprising:

a unitary semi spherically shaped head covering defined by a sweat-absorbent browpiece having at least an inner layer comprising an inner layer of sweat absorbent and wicking fabric and a middle layer of sweat absorbent and hydrophilic fabric, and an adjacent layer of sweat wicking fabric, said adjacent layer of sweat wicking fabric positioned adjacent to said middle layer such that perspiration in said middle layer is transferred to said adjacent layer, and a drape attached to the browpiece and extending posteriorly therefrom, said drape comprising a sweat wicking fabric.

12. The headpiece according to claim 11 wherein said browpiece is sized to extend across a user's forehead above the user's eyes and approximately between the user's temples.

13. The headpiece according to claim 12 in which the headpiece when worn on a user's head is positioned between the user's head and the helmet and is retained in place between the helmet and the user's head passively.

14. The headpiece according to claim 13 in which the browpiece of the headpiece when worn on a user's head is compressed between the user's forehead and an interior surface of the helmet.

15. The headpiece according to claim 14 having a lower peripheral edge and in which when worn on a user's head, said lower peripheral edge is completely within a lower peripheral edge of said helmet.

16. The headpiece according to claim 11 including means for attaching the headpiece to the helmet.

17. A headpiece for use with a helmet, comprising:

a browpiece having at least three layers including an inner layer configured for lying against a user's forehead, said inner layer defined by a sweat absorbent and wicking fabric, a middle layer immediately adjacent said inner layer and defined by a sweat absorbent and hydrophilic fabric, and an outer layer immediately adjacent said middle layer and is defined by a sweat wicking fabric, wherein said browpiece is sized to extend across the user's forehead above the user's eyes and approximately between the user's temples;

a drape attached to the browpiece and extending rearwardly therefrom, said drape comprising a sweat wicking fabric;

wherein, said headpiece defines a semi spherically shaped member that is adapted to be worn on the user's head between the helmet and the head.

18. The headpiece according to claim 17 having a lower peripheral edge and in which when worn on a user's head, said lower peripheral edge is completely within a lower peripheral edge of said helmet.

19. The headpiece according to claim 18 in which said headpiece is retained between the user's head and the helmet without any mechanism for attaching the headpiece to the helmet.

20. The headpiece according to claim 18 including means for attaching the headpiece to the helmet.