Wind Resistant Cap

Abstract

A wind resistant cap has a cap body having a brim extending outwardly from the cap body. The cap body has an inner circumference that includes a front portion adjacent the brim, a rear portion, and opposing sides. A securing strap has a strap body that extends to ends, each end being attached to one of the opposing sides of the inner circumference of the cap body, such that the strap body extends across the front portion of the inner circumference of the cap body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to caps, and more particularly to a cap that includes a strap for preventing the cap from being blown off the user's head.

Description of Related Art

Caps having brims, commonly called baseball caps, are frequently used in many outdoor and sporting settings, including boating, fishing, waterskiing, and other water related sports, as well as other sports that don't involve water. Wearing a cap in such a setting, especially while over the water in particular, can be a problem while wearing such caps, because the wind can blow the cap from the user's head, and it may be lost, particularly if lost into the water.

There is a long felt need in this field for a cap that is resistant to be being blown off the user's head. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.

The present invention provides a wind resistant cap comprising a cap body having a brim extending outwardly from the cap body. The cap body also has an inner circumference that includes a front portion adjacent the brim, a rear portion, and opposing sides. A securing strap having a strap body that extends to ends, each end being attached to one of the opposing sides of the inner circumference of the cap body, such that the strap body extends across the front portion of the inner circumference of the cap body.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a wind resistant cap having advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide a wind resistant cap that that will stay on a user's head when wind blows against a brim of the cap.

A further objective is to provide a wind resistant cap that includes a securing strap for retaining the cap on a user's head.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a wind resistant cap according to one embodiment of the present invention, and illustrating a securing strap having a fixed fastener;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the wind resistant cap being worn by a person during normal use;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the wind resistant cap being blown partially off the person's head, with the securing strap retaining the cap so it is not lost;

FIG. 4 is an exploded bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the wind resistant cap, showing the securing strap attached with a removable fastener;

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a third embodiment of the wind resistant cap, showing an alternative embodiment of the securing strap; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a person wearing the wind resistant cap of FIG. 5, with the alternative securing strap tightened around the person's head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a wind resistant cap that includes a securing strap for preventing the cap from being blown off the user's head.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wind resistant cap 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the wind resistant cap 10 comprises a cap body 20 having a brim 22 extending outwardly from the cap body 20, and further includes a securing strap 30 for preventing the cap from being blown off the user's head, as discussed above.

The wind resistant cap 10 illustrated in this embodiment is in the form of a baseball cap, but it may be implemented in any form of cap that includes a brim extending at least partially from the cap. The cap body 20 may typically be constructed primarily of cloth/fabric material, though additional or alternative materials may be used for different embodiments, as deemed suitable by one skilled in the art. The cap body 20 may be provided in a range of different heights, flexibility options, and shapes, which is not limited to the embodiment described herein.

As illustrated, in this embodiment, the cap body 20 comprises an inner circumference 24 that includes a front portion 26 that is typically worn to the front of the user, adjacent the brim 22. The inner circumference 24 further includes a rear portion 28 opposite the front portion 26, and opposing sides 29 that extend between the front and the back. While one example is shown and discussed herein, the inner circumference 24 of the cap body 20 may be provided in a variety of different sizes and dimensions, i.e., for differently sized heads or for stylistic purposes. In some embodiments, the rear portion 28, or other suitable portion, may include an adjustment strap (not shown), or other adjustment means, for adjusting the inner circumference 24, as is well-known in the art. Furthermore, the rear portion 28 and/or opposing sides 29 may extend downwardly past the brim 22 as in an aviator hat or similar, or they may be instead be generally level with the brim 22, or the brim 22 may angle more downwardly than the inner circumference 24.

In some embodiments, the brim 22 may be fixedly attached to the cap body 20, or it may be removable, wherein the user may optionally wear the cap 20 with the brim 22 and/or securing strap 30. The brim 22 may be different dimensions than illustrated, i.e., being wider, longer, more or less curved, etc. The brim 22 may be constructed of the same material as the cap body 20, or a different rigid or semi-rigid material. Other features known to be included in prior art caps may also be included, e.g., ornamental features, inner lining, structural reinforcements, etc., provided they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the securing strap 30 is attached to the inner circumference 24 of the cap body 20. In this embodiment, the securing strap 30 comprises a strap body 32 that extends to ends 34, wherein each end 34 is attached to one of the opposing sides 29 of the inner circumference 24 of the cap body 20, such that the strap body 32 extends across the front portion 26 of the inner circumference 24 of the cap body 20. An alternative example of the securing strap 30 is also shown in FIGS. 5-6 and discussed below.

In some embodiments, the ends 34 of the strap body 32 include a fastener 36 for fastening the securing strap 30 to the cap body 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the fastener 36 may be in the form of stitching, but in other embodiments the fastener 36 may be another type of fixed fastener (e.g., studs, an adhesive, links, etc.), or the fastener 36 may be a removable fastener, one example being shown in FIG. 4 and discussed further below.

In some embodiments, the strap body 32 may be fully or partially constructed of an elasticized material, so there is some give when the cap body 20 is pulled away from the head, shown in FIG. 3 and discussed below. However, in other embodiments, the strap body 32 may be constructed of an inelastic material. Furthermore, the securing strap 30 may include additional features (not shown), e.g., a forehead pad for additional stick and/or comfort, ornamental features, etc. or any other desired features known to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the wind resistant cap 10 being worn by a person during normal use, and FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof, showing the cap body 20 being partially blown off the person's head with the securing strap 30 retaining the cap so it is not lost. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, when the cap body 20 is positioned on a head of a user, the strap body 32 is positioned across a forehead of the user, and such that if the cap body 20 is blown off the user's head, the securing strap 30 will retain the cap body 20 so that it is not lost.

FIG. 4 is an exploded bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the wind resistant cap 10, showing the securing strap 30 attached with a removable fastener 37 of the securing strap 30. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment the fastener 37 of the securing strap 30 is in the form of a pair of first hook and loop strips 37a and 37b. One of the strips 37a is attached to the cap, and the other of the strips 37b is attached to the ends 34 of the securing strap 30.

In this manner, as described above, the securing strap 30 may be removably attached to the cap body 20, so the user may selectively use the securing strap 30 when desired. While one example of a removable fastener is shown and described, other removable fasteners may also be implemented, (e.g., snaps, single hooks, clips, etc.), provided the removable fastener does not come apart when encountering moderate wind resistance.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a third embodiment of the wind resistant cap 10, showing an alternative securing strap 40. FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a person wearing the wind resistant cap 10 of the FIG. 5, with the alternative securing strap 40 tightened around the person's head. As shown in FIGS. 5-6, in this embodiment, the securing strap 40 is in the form of a cord body 42 that extends to ends 44. Each of the ends 44 of the cord body 42 is attached to one of the opposing sides 29 of the inner circumference 24 of the cap body 20 via the fastener 36, in this case by passing through an aperture in the side of the cap. In this manner, the cord body 42 extends across the front portion 26 of the inner circumference 24 of the cap body 20, to abut the forehead of the user (or thereabouts).

As illustrated, in this embodiment, the fasteners 36 are in the form of a hole 46 formed in each of the opposing sides 29 of the cap body 20, wherein the securing strap 40 extends through each of the holes 46 to a middle cord portion 48. The opposing sides 29 may be folded such that the middle cord portion 48 is hidden, or the middle cord portion 48 may extend across the outside of the cap body 20. The middle cord portion 48 may further extend to a rear cord portion 49 that extends out of the rear portion 28 of the cap body to a connecting mechanism 50, in this embodiment a cord lock, but any connecting mechanism may be used (e.g., hook-and-loop strips, ties, clips, etc.).

In use, as shown in FIG. 6, the wearer may put on the cap 10 while the tightening mechanism 50 is loosened (FIG. 5), and then tighten as desired for comfort and security. The securing strap 40 should then function in the same manner as described for the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 and 4.

The title of the present application, and the claims presented, do not limit what may be claimed in the future, based upon and supported by the present application. Furthermore, any features shown in any of the drawings may be combined with any features from any other drawings to form an invention which may be claimed.

As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. The terms “approximately” and “about” are defined to mean +/−10%, unless otherwise stated. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application. While the invention has been described with reference to at least one particular embodiment, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather the scope of the invention is defined by claims made to the invention.

Claims

1. A wind resistant cap comprising:

a cap body having a brim extending outwardly from the cap body, the cap body having an inner circumference that includes a front portion adjacent the brim, a rear portion, and opposing sides;

a securing strap having a strap body that extends to ends; and

wherein each of the ends of the strap body is attached to one of the opposing sides of the inner circumference of the cap body, such that the strap body extends across the front portion of the inner circumference of the cap body.

2. The wind resistant cap of claim 1, wherein when the cap body is positioned on a head of a user, the strap body is positioned across a forehead of the user, and such that if the cap body is blown off the user's head, the securing strap will retain the cap body so that it is not lost.

3. The wind resistant cap of claim 1, wherein the ends of the strap body each include a fastener for fastening the ends to the opposing sides of the cap body.

4. The wind resistant cap of claim 3, wherein the fastener is in the form of stitching.

5. The wind resistant cap of claim 3, wherein the fastener is in the form of a removable fastener.

6. The wind resistant cap of claim 1, wherein the cap body is shaped like a baseball cap.