CAP HAVING A VENTED BILL
A cap includes a head cover and a bill extending from the head cover. The head cover is configured to be worn on the head of a user of the cap. The bill includes an inner wall that defines a vent through the bill. The cap may also include a mesh located in or across the vent and configured to allow airflow through the vent. In some embodiments, the vent may have a shape that imparts information to a view of the bill of the cap.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/148,301, entitled “CAP HAVING A VENTED BILL,” which was filed on Feb. 11, 2021, and the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDCaps, commonly referred to as “baseball caps,” are a form of headgear worn during some sporting activities (e.g., a baseball game) and, more frequently, as casual attire. A typical cap includes a head cover designed to fit over the wearer's head and a bill that extends away from the head cover. The bill is generally designed to provide an amount of shade and/or coverage for the wearer's eyes from the sun or other light source when the cap is worn in the forward orientation (i.e., with the bill facing forward). However, in other situations, the wearer may don the cap in a backward orientation (i.e., with the bill facing backward), such as when the sun or light is not a concern to the wearer and/or as part of the wearer's fashion.
Although the bill is designed to provide the wearer with some utility, including protection from the sun, the bill can also cause difficulties for the wearer in some circumstances. In particular, the bill may have the tendency to cause the cap to dislodge from the wearer's head during some activities or time periods, such as those in which a high velocity airflow is directed toward the bill. In such situations, the high velocity airflow can cause the bill to act as a “sail” and pull the cap off the wearer's head, regardless of whether the cap is worn in the forward or backward orientation. For example, caps are often worn by operators of motorcycles. However, while riding a motorcycle, airflow may be directed toward the bill at enough velocity to cause the bill to lift up and resultantly pull the cap off the operator's head.
SUMMARYAccording to an aspect of the present disclosure, a cap may include a head cover, a bill, and a mesh. The head cover may be configured to be worn on the head of a user of the cap. The bill may extends from the head cover and may include an inner wall that defines a vent through the bill. The mesh may be located in the vent and may be configured to allow an amount of airflow through the vent while the cap is worn by the user.
In some embodiments, the mesh may be embodied as a fabric mesh. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the mesh may be embodied as a rigid structure. In such embodiments, the rigid structure may include a rigid frame formed from a plastic material.
In some embodiments, the bill may include a top substrate and a bottom substrate. In such embodiments, a first inner wall of the top substrate and a second inner wall of the bottom substrate may cooperate to define the vent. Additionally, a periphery of the mesh may be positioned between the top substrate and the bottom substrate such that the mesh extends across the vent. Additionally, the mesh may be positioned centrally within the vent when the bill is viewed from a plane perpendicular to the vent and extending through the vent.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the cap may further include a bill covering. The bill covering may include a top cover that wraps around the first inner wall of the top substrate and a bottom cover that wraps around the second inner wall of the bottom substrate. Additionally or alternatively, the mesh may be secured to a bottom side of the bill. In such embodiments, the bill may include a substrate, and the mesh may be sewn to a bottom side of the substrate.
In some embodiments, the cap may also include a detached indicia structure secured to the mesh and spaced apart from the bill. The detached indicia structure may be secured to a top side of the mesh. In some embodiments, the detached indicia structure may be embodied as a top indicia structure secured to a top side of the mesh and a bottom indicia structure secured to a bottom side of the mesh such that a portion of the mesh is located between the top indicia structure and the bottom indicia structure. Additionally, in some embodiments, the top indicia structure and the bottom indicia structure have an identical shape. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the detached indicia structure may be formed to have a shape that provides information to a viewer of the bill of the cap when the bill is viewed from a top side of the bill.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the vent may have a shape that provides information to a viewer of the bill of the cap when the bill is viewed from a top side of the bill. For example, the vent may have an alphanumerical shape when viewed from the top side of the bill. Additionally or alternatively, the vent may be shaped as a logo or emoji. In some embodiments, the logo or emoji may be associated with an entity identified on the head cover of the cap.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a cap may include a head cover and a bill. The head cover may be configured to be worn on the head of a user of the cap. The bill may extend from the head cover and may include an inner wall that defines a vent through the bill. The shape of the vent, when viewed from a top side of the bill by a viewer, provides information to the viewer.
In some embodiments, the bill may include a substrate, a bill top covering attached to a top side of the substrate, and a bill bottom covering attached to a bottom side of the substrate. In such embodiments, the substrate may include the inner wall. The bill top covering and the bill bottom covering may be sewn to each other along the inner wall.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the bill may include a substrate and a bill covering attached to a top side of the substrate. In such embodiments, the substrate may include the inner wall, and the bill covering may wrap across the inner wall from a top side of the substrate to a bottom side of the substrate and is sewn to the a bottom side of the substrate along a periphery of the vent.
In some embodiments, the vent may have an alphanumerical shape when viewed from the top side of the bill. For example, the vent may be shaped as a logo or an emoji. In some embodiments, the logo or emoji may be associated with an entity identified on the head cover of the cap.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the inner wall may be embodied as a first inner wall and the vent may be embodied as a first vent. In such embodiments, the bill may further include a second inner wall defining a second vent through the bill. Additionally, in such embodiments, the first vent may have a shape, when viewed from a top side of the bill, in the form of a first alphabetical character and the second vent may have a shape, when viewed from a top side of the bill, in the form of a second alphabetical character different from the first alphabetical character.
The concepts described herein are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the accompanying figures. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Where considered appropriate, reference labels have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described herein in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives consistent with the present disclosure and the appended claims.
References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an illustrative embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may or may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. Additionally, it should be appreciated that items included in a list in the form of “at least one A, B, and C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C). Similarly, items listed in the form of “at least one of A, B, or C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).
In the drawings, some structural or method features may be shown in specific arrangements and/or orderings. However, it should be appreciated that such specific arrangements and/or orderings may not be required. Rather, in some embodiments, such features may be arranged in a different manner and/or order than shown in the illustrative figures. Additionally, the inclusion of a structural or method feature in a particular figure is not meant to imply that such feature is required in all embodiments and, in some embodiments, may not be included or may be combined with other features.
Referring now to
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The bill 104 is attached to (e.g., sewn to) and extends from the head cover 102. Similar to typical “baseball caps,” the bill 104 is configured to provide an amount of protection from sunlight and other light sources to the wearer while the cap 100 is worn in a forward direction (i.e., with the bill facing forward). However, unlike typical “baseball caps,” the bill 104 of the cap 100 includes an inner sidewall 120 that defines a vent 122 through the bill 104. The vent 122 is embodied as an open vent (e.g., allows unrestricted air flow there through) in the illustrative embodiment of
It should be appreciated that typical bills of “baseball caps” are designed to be solid, without the inclusion of any vents or holes, so as to provide the above-discussed protection from sunlight. However, the inclusion of the vent 122 in the bill 104 increases the likelihood that the cap 100 remains on the wearer's head during certain activities that may tend to cause typical caps with solid bills to become dislodged from the wearer's head. In particular, the vent 122 increases the likelihood, relative to a solid bill, that the cap 100 remains on the wearer's head during activities in which airflow is directed toward the bill 104 at a high velocity (e.g., while motorcycling, boating, jet skinning, etc.). Rather, the vent 122 allows an amount of the airflow directed toward the bill 104 to pass through the vent 122 and, as such, reduces the “sail-like” impact of the bill 104 that causes dislodgement of typical “baseball caps.” As discussed in more detail below, the number, shape, and size of the vent 122 may be selected and/or designed based on a number of criteria including, for example, the expected activity to be performed while wearing the cap 100, the size of the cap 100, any information that may be desired to be provided by the shape of the vent, other information displayed on the cap (e.g., on the front side 118), and/or other criteria. Although most illustrative embodiments are shown and discussed below as having a single vent 122, it should be appreciated that the cap 100 may have multiple, separate vents in other embodiments.
Illustratively, the bill 104 includes a substrate 130, which may be formed from any suitable rigid material such as a cardboard, plastic, or metallic material. In this way, the substrate 130 provides an amount of rigidity and structure to the bill 104. However, in some embodiments, the substrate 130 may allow manipulation by the wearer to adjust or form the shape of the bill 104 (e.g., to establish a desired frontal curvature to the bill 104). It should be appreciated that the substrate 130 includes the vent 122, which may be established during manufacturing of the cap 100 by forming (e.g., cutting or punching) the vent 122 into the substrate 130. In such cases, the sidewall 120 that defines the vent 122 is embodied as an inner sidewall 120 of the substrate 130 as shown in the illustrative embodiment of
The bill 104 also includes a bill covering 132, which wraps around the substrate 130. The bill covering 132 may be made from any suitable material such as a fabric or plastic material. Illustratively, the bill covering 132 includes a top bill covering 134, which is attached to or otherwise covers a top side 144 of the substrate 130, and a bottom bill covering 136, which is attached to or otherwise covers a bottom side 146 of the substrate 130 as shown in
As shown in
Of course, in other embodiments, the top bill covering 132 and the bottom bill covering 134 may be attached together along a seam located away from the inner sidewall 120. For example, as shown in
As discussed above, the vent 122 may have any suitable shape or size based on a various criteria. In some embodiments, the shape of the vent 122 is selected or otherwise defined so as to impart information to a viewer of the bill 104. For example, the vent 122 may be shaped in the form of a logo (e.g., a company or team logo), letter(s), number(s), word, phrase, emoji, emoticon, picture, alphanumerical representations, and/or other shape that imparts information to a viewer of the cap 100. For example, in the illustrative embodiment of
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the mesh 900 is attached to the top side or the bottom side of the bill 104 and positioned so as to cover the vent 122. For example, the mesh 900 may be attached to the top side 144 of the substrate 130. In such embodiments, a periphery of the mesh 900 may be positioned between the top bill covering 134 and the top side 144 of the substrate 130 and sewn, along with the top bill covering 134, to the substrate 130. Alternatively, the mesh 900 may be attached to the bottom side 146 of the substrate 130. In such embodiments, a periphery of the mesh 900 may be positioned between the bottom bill covering 136 and the bottom side 146 of the substrate 130 and sewn, along with the bottom bill covering 136, to the substrate 130.
Alternatively, as shown in the illustrative embodiment of
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While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such an illustration and description is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.
There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arising from the various features of the methods, apparatuses, and systems described herein. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the methods, apparatuses, and systems of the present disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of the methods, apparatuses, and systems that incorporate one or more of the features of the present invention and fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A cap comprising:
- a head cover configured to be worn on the head of a user of the cap; and
- a bill that extends from the head cover, wherein the bill includes an inner wall defining a vent through the bill; and
- a mesh located in the vent, wherein the mesh is configured to allow an amount of airflow through the vent while the cap is worn by the user.
2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the mesh comprises a fabric mesh.
3. The cap of claim 1, wherein the mesh comprises a rigid structure.
4. The cap of claim 3, wherein the rigid structure comprises a rigid frame formed from a plastic material.
5. The cap of claim 1, wherein the bill comprises a top substrate and a bottom substrate, wherein a first inner wall of the top substrate and a second inner wall of the bottom substrate cooperate to define the vent, and wherein a periphery of the mesh is positioned between the top substrate and the bottom substrate such that the mesh extends across the vent.
5. The cap of claim 4, wherein the mesh is positioned centrally within the vent when the bill is viewed from a plane perpendicular to the vent and extending through the vent.
6. The cap of claim 1, further comprising a bill covering, wherein the bill covering includes (i) a top cover that wraps around the first inner wall of the top substrate and (ii) a bottom cover that wraps around the second inner wall of the bottom substrate.
7. The cap of claim 1, wherein the mesh is secured to a bottom side of the bill.
8. The cap of claim 7, wherein the bill comprises a substrate and the mesh is sewn to a bottom side of the substrate.
9. The cap of claim 1, further comprising a detached indicia structure secured to the mesh and spaced apart from the bill.
10. The cap of claim 9, wherein the detached indicia structure is secured to a top side of the mesh.
11. The cap of claim 9, wherein the detached indicia structure comprises a top indicia structure secured to a top side of the mesh and a bottom indicia structure secured to a bottom side of the mesh such that a portion of the mesh is located between the top indicia structure and the bottom indicia structure.
12. The cap of claim 11, wherein the top indicia structure and the bottom indicia structure have an identical shape.
13. The cap of claim 9, wherein the detached indicia structure is formed to have a shape that provides information to a viewer of the bill of the cap when the bill is viewed from a top side of the bill.
14. The cap of claim 1, wherein the vent has a shape that provides information to a viewer of the bill of the cap when the bill is viewed from a top side of the bill.
15. The cap of claim 14, wherein the vent has an alphanumerical shape when viewed from the top side of the bill.
16. The cap of claim 14, wherein the vent is shaped as a logo or emoji.
17. The cap of claim 16, wherein the logo or emoji is associated with an entity identified on the head cover of the cap.
18. A cap comprising:
- a head cover configured to be worn on the head of a user of the cap; and
- a bill that extends from the head cover, wherein the bill includes an inner wall defining a vent through the bill and wherein a shape of the vent, when viewed from a top side of the bill by a viewer, provides information to the viewer.
19. The cap of claim 18, wherein the bill includes a substrate, a bill top covering attached to a top side of the substrate, and a bill bottom covering attached to a bottom side of the substrate, wherein the substrate includes the inner wall and the bill top covering and the bill bottom covering are sewn to each other along the inner wall.
20. The cap of claim 18, wherein the bill includes a substrate and a bill covering attached to a top side of the substrate, wherein the substrate includes the inner wall and the bill covering wraps across the inner wall from a top side of the substrate to a bottom side of the substrate and is sewn to the a bottom side of the substrate along a periphery of the vent.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 7, 2022
Publication Date: Aug 11, 2022
Inventor: Duke Sturges (Westfield, IN)
Application Number: 17/665,982