ARTICLE OF HEADWEAR

Abstract

An article of headwear for providing shade to a wearer comprising a bill attached to an attachment hem having fabric with two ends such as a scarf attached thereto, such that when the bill is placed proximate to the wearer's forehead and the two ends of the fabric are tied behind the wearer's head, the bill is positioned above the wearer's eyes.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to women's headwear and more particularly to a visor comprising folded fabric such as a scarf.

BACKGROUND

Scarves are commonly used as head coverings by women throughout the world. When used as headwear, square scarves, for example, can be folded in the shape of a triangle, placed over a wearer's head and secured in place by tying two of the three corners of the folded scarf behind the wearer's head. Scarves are also worn as headbands wherein the wearer successively folds the scarf longitudinally until the scarf comprises a folded band with two ends. To use the folded scarf as a headband, a wearer simply places the scarf over the top of their head and ties the ends in a bow or knot behind their head.

Various forms of head covering have been developed that protect the wearer's head and/or shield the wearer's eyes from the glare of the sun. Some of these head coverings have incorporated scarves in their construction. In particular, various forms of visor have been implemented that perform the aforementioned functions of head and/or eye protection. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,128 discloses headwear to protect the eyes, ears, neck and shoulders of a wearer and consists of a semi-rigid visor portion, a kerchief portion and a ribbon portion. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,369 discloses a method of making a reversible scarf with a visor that also covers the wearer's head. No visor has been developed, however, that combines a folded fabric such as a scarf, with a bill to create an article of headwear that is secured in place by tying end pieces of the banded scarf behind the wearer's head.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to a novel type of visor that comprises a bill connected to an attachment hem to which a folded fabric such as a scarf can be attached. In one embodiment, a visor in accordance with the present invention substantially comprises a folded scarf having two ends that is attached to the attachment hem thereby permitting the visor to be worn by placing the folded scarf portion of the visor around the wearer's forehead and securing the visor in place by tying the two ends of the scarf together behind the wearer's head. In one embodiment, a visor in accordance with the present invention leaves the top of a wearer's head exposed.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of embodiments of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like features and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the components of a visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the components of a visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention showing how a fabric portion is folded;

FIG. 4. is a perspective view of the components of a visor with a folded fabric in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a constructed visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6A is a sectional view of a constructed visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6B is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the fifth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the invention in position on a wearer;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the sixth embodiment of the invention showing how a fabric portion is folded;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a the construction process of the sixth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a constructed sixth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the sixth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a plan view: of the components of a seventh embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 19 is a plan view of a seventh embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure will now be set forth more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments are shown. The articles and methods may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-5, an article of headwear in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is depicted. In FIG. 1, a wearer 105 is depicted wearing a visor 100 in accordance with an embodiment. The visor 100 comprises a bill 101 attached to, or integrally formed with, an attachment hem 201 with a folded scarf 102 attached thereto. In an embodiment, the bill 101 is substantially crescent shaped and is constructed of one or more plies of fabric or cardboard or plaster or other material or combinations thereof to provide a desired amount of flexibility or rigidity. Alternatively, bill 101 can be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes. Attachment hem 201 may be formed of the same material as bill 101 and is attached to bill 101 and scarf 102 by stitching or other suitable form of attachment such as, for example, via adhesive, hook and loop material, tape, rivets, buttons, snaps and other fasteners or attachment mechanisms or modes. As depicted in FIG. 1, visor 100 is secured on the wearer's 105 head by wrapping scarf 102 around the wearer's 105 forehead and tying the ends 104 of folded scarf 102 in a knot 103 behind the wearer's 105 head.

As shown in FIG. 2, bill 101 comprises an attachment hem 201 onto which folded scarf 102 is sewn or otherwise attached. As further detailed in FIG. 2, folded scarf 102 comprises a square scarf although scarves of other shapes and dimensions can be used. In an embodiment, the scarf 102 is of a type typically worn by women and is constructed of foldable non rigid material such as silk or cotton for example, although other fabrics such as synthetics or other woven natural or synthetic fibers may be utilized. The scarf is repeatedly folded diagonally as shown in FIG. 3 to form an elongated band comprising two ends 104 as shown in FIG. 4. Of course, other folding methods are contemplated as is the use of a single or multi-layered elongated length of fabric. As shown in FIG. 5, there is depicted a folded scarf 102 attached to bill 101. A sectional detail of the constructed visor 100 shown in FIG. 5 is depicted in FIG. 6A. As is depicted therein, the folded scarf 102 is placed such that the folded scarf sandwiches attachment hem 201 prior to the stitching of folded scarf 102 onto attachment hem 201 or the implementation of some other attachment method. By sandwiching the attachment hem in this fashion a cushion is created between a wearer's forehead and the attachment hem when the visor is worn, thereby enhancing the wearer's comfort. Alternatively, the scarf can be attached to only one side of attachment hem 201.

In a further embodiment shown in FIG. 6B, the constructed visor further comprises a strip of padding 202 installed between the rearward portion of attachment hem 201 and an inner portion of folded scarf 102. The addition of padding 202 makes the visor more comfortable when worn. Alternatively, the padding 202 may be configured to lie directly in contact with a wearer's head or lie between the hem 201 and scarf 102 when the scarf is attached to only one side of hem 201. Also, the padding 202 may be removable and replaceable via the modes of attachment referred to earlier herein, so that as the padding 202 loses resilience over time or absorbs perspiration, it may be changed.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 7. As is depicted therein, a visor 700 comprises a bill 101 attached to, or integrally formed with, an attachment hem 501. Attachment hem 501 further comprises attachment loops 503 spaced along attachment hem 501. The visor 700 is constructed by passing a folded scarf 502, folded in the manner depicted in FIG. 3, 4 or 18 through attachment loops 503, thereby attaching folded scarf 502 to attachment hem 501. The completed assembly can then be worn by a wearer 704 by placing attachment hem 501 against the forehead of a wearer 704 and tying the ends of scarf 502 into a knot 702 behind the wearer's 704 head. A section of the visor 700 detailing the installation of scarf 502 through attachment loops 503 is shown in FIG. 8. In this manner, a user may utilize visor 700 with multiple scarves as desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, a further embodiment of the present invention 800 comprises a bill 901 attached to or integrally formed with an attachment hem 902 that comprises a continuous channel or pocket 903 along its length. A scarf, folded in the manner depicted in FIG. 3, 4 or 18 may be inserted through pocket 903, so that scarf 902 is retained within hem 901. Once constructed, the visor 800 can be worn by a wearer 704 by placing the visor assembly 800 against the wearer's 704 forehead and tying the ends 703 into a knot 702 behind the wearer's 704 head.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. As depicted therein, visor 904 in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention, comprises a bill 906 attached to, or integrally formed with, an attachment hem 905. A portion of a folded scarf or length of fabric 502 is attached, by sewing or other forms of attachment described herein, to attachment points 907 located at the ends of attachment hem 905. While the overall length of the combination of attachment hem 905 and fabric portions 502 is constant for a particular size of headwear in accordance with this embodiment, the precise location of attachment points 907 is a matter of design choice. Thus, longer fabric lengths 502 can be combined with a commensurately shorter attachment hem 905 to achieve one type of appearance or vice-versa.

Thus, by increasing the length of fabric portion 502 for instance, the resulting visor, when viewed from the front, would show more fabric than attachment hem. Conversely, decreasing the length of fabric portions 502 would result in a visor that revealed only the material of which the attachment hem 905 was composed when viewed from the front. In any event, once constructed, the visor 904 is worn in the same way as in the previous embodiments described above.

A further embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 13-17. As is depicted therein, the visor in accordance with a sixth embodiment is constructed in the same manner as the visor described in conjunction with the first embodiment described herein except that the scarf 502 in this embodiment is folded in a manner such that when it is attached to attachment hem 501, it provides coverage sufficient to cover a wearer's head as shown in FIG. 13. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, before the scarf 102 is attached to attachment hem 201, it is folded once diagonally forming a triangle. The base of the triangle formed by the fold is then attached to the bill 101 facing side of attachment hem 201 as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17.

Another embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 18-20. As shown in FIG. 18 the fabric portion 102 of a visor in accordance with a seventh embodiment is rectangular in shape with triangular ends. This fabric portion could be comprised of a portion of a scarf or some other material. When folded once longitudinally as shown in FIG. 19, fabric portion 102 can be attached to attachment hem 201 by placing attachment hem within the fold created in folded fabric portion 102 and attaching fabric portion 102 to attachment hem 201 by sewing or other forms of attachment described herein

All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims

1. An article of headwear comprising:

a bill comprising an attachment hem; and

a fabric connected to said attachment hem, said fabric having two ends, each end extending beyond a respective end of said attachment hem, the fabric having a length such that when said bill is placed proximate a wearer's forehead, said ends of said fabric may be tied behind the wearer's head, for securement of said bill above the wearer's eyes.

2. The article of headwear according to claim 1 wherein said fabric comprises a scarf.

3. (canceled)

4. The visor according to claim 1 wherein said fabric is repeatedly folded to form a band prior to attachment to said attachment hem.

5. The visor according to claim 1 wherein said fabric is folded diagonally prior to attachment to said attachment hem.

6. The article of headwear according to claim 1 wherein said bill is constructed of one or more plies of fabric to provide a desired amount of rigidity.

7. The visor according to claim 1 wherein said fabric is connected to said attachment hem by sewing.

8. The visor according to claim 1 wherein said fabric is removably attached to said attachment hem via hook and loop.

9. The article of headwear according to claim 1, wherein said attachment hem further comprises a removable portion.

10. An article of headwear comprising:

a bill connected to an attachment hem, said attachment hem further comprising a connecting portion having two ends; and

fabric portions, connected to each of said two ends of said connecting portion and having a length such that when said bill is placed proximate a wearer's forehead, said fabric portions may be tied behind the wearer's head for securement of said bill above the wearer's eyes

11. The article of headwear according to claim 10, wherein said fabric portions comprise portions of a scarf.

12. (canceled)

13. The article of headwear according to claim 10 wherein said bill is connected to said attachment hem by sewing.

14. The article of headwear according to claim 10 wherein said bill is removably connected to said attachment hem via hook and loop.

15. (canceled)

16. The article of headwear according to claim 10, wherein said attachment hem comprises a removable portion.

17. The article of headwear according to claim 10 wherein said attachment hem comprises a layer of padding on a surface of said attachment hem.

18. An article of headwear comprising:

a bill connected to an attachment hem, said attachment hem further comprising a connecting portion having two ends and a pocket portion defined therethrough for retaining a securement device therein.

19. The article of headwear according to claim 18 wherein said securement device comprises a foldable fabric having two ends for insertion through said pocket portion of said attachment hem and wherein each end of said fabric extends beyond said ends of said attachment hem such that when said bill is placed proximate a wearer's forehead, said ends of said fabric may be tied behind the wearer's head for securement of said bill above the wearer's eyes.

20. The article of headwear according to claim 19 wherein said fabric comprises a scarf.

21. The article of headwear according to claim 20 wherein said scarf is folded to form a band prior to insertion through said pocket portion.

22-23. (canceled)

24. The article of headwear according to claim 18 wherein said attachment hem further comprises a removable portion.

25. An article of headwear comprising:

a bill connected to an attachment hem, said attachment hem having two ends and further comprising an attachment loop positioned along a longitudinal extent of said attachment hem for retaining a securement device therein.

26. The article of headwear according to claim 25 wherein said securement device comprises a foldable fabric having two ends for insertion through said attachment loops of said attachment hem and wherein each end of said fabric extends beyond said ends of said attachment hem such that when said bill is placed proximate a wearer's forehead, said ends of said fabric may be tied behind the wearer's head for securement of said bill above the wearer's eyes.

27. The article of headwear according to claim 26 wherein said fabric comprises a scarf.

28. The article of headwear according to claim 26 wherein said fabric is folded to form a band prior to insertion through said attachment loop.

29. (canceled)

30. The article of headwear according to claim 26 wherein said bill is constructed of one or more plies of fabric to provide a desired amount of rigidity.

31. The article of headwear according to claim 26, wherein said attachment hem further comprises a removable portion.