Pom-Pom Scarf

Abstract

An adjustable scarf having two or more layers of fringed fabric enclosing a drawstring running lengthwise from end to end. The drawstring protrudes from the scarf near the scarf's midpoint and at the ends. By pulling the drawstring at the scarf's midpoint and locking the drawstring with the provided cord lock, the scarf is readily converted to a pom-pom for use at sporting events and the like.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable.

MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to fashion apparel and accessories, and more particularly to fabric scarves worn to warm the wearer and convertible to a pom-pom configuration for use in cheering and at sporting events.

2. Description of Related Art

In prior times, scarves have been fitted with draw strings for the purpose of fitting to the wearer's head or neck more securely. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,115 issued on Apr. 16, 1991, to Denbow et al., discloses an adjustable scarf in a tubular configuration in which one end of the tubular body may be adjusted by a drawstring. Suitable cord locks are disclosed in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,6095 issued on May 11, 1982, to V. James Hutchison, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,673 issued on Jan. 3, 1989, to Mitsuhiro Yamaguchi. The subject matter of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this disclosure.

The prior art also includes scarves having decorative fringes in colors associated with sports teams. U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2005/0125878 discloses a scarf having a pom-pom at each end in which the pom-poms may be decorated with the colors of a team. Such a scarf has the disadvantage that the pom-pom characteristic is limited to a small area at the ends and the scarf as a whole does not convert to a configuration that functions as a pom-pom.

Colorful pom-poms have long been used to enhance cheering by cheerleading squads as well as by sports fans. The prior art includes pom-poms that must be held by a handle, such as the pom-pom disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,313 to Herkimer. A disadvantage of such pom-poms must be actively grasped by a person's hand while in use or being carried from place to place. It is also known to provide pom-poms in which the strips of material comprising the body of the pom-pom may be recessed into the handle for storage and ease in transporting the pom-pom, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,535 to Young. A disadvantage of these pom-poms is that the colorful, decorative aspects of the pom-pom are lost when the pom-pom is reconfigured for storage or transport.

The present invention overcomes the limitations of prior art in that the entire length of the pom-pom scarf is fringed by strips cut into the edges of the fabric making up the body of the scarf and the entire scarf converts from an elongated scarf configuration to a condensed pom-pom configuration by action of a drawstring.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a scarf that is colorful and pleasing to the eye, warms the wearer when worn as a scarf, and that is capable of converting to a pom-pom configuration by a simple, easy adjustment.

It is a further object to provide a scarf that is adjustable to the wearer's desired length.

It is a further object to provide a pom-pom that may be held securely in a person's hand by grasping the loop of a draw string.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pom-pom scarf, showing the scarf in its elongated form while being worn about a person's neck and shoulders;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the scarf of FIG. 1 as viewed from one end of the scarf;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the scarf of FIG. 1 showing the portion of the scarf where the drawstring protrudes from the drawstring seam;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the scarf of FIG. 1 showing the scarf in a compressed pom-pom configuration; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the scarf of FIG. 1 showing the scarf in a compressed pom-pom configuration with the drawstring extending through each end cord stop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a pom-pom scarf having the capability to convert from an elongated scarf suitable for wearing about a person's neck or waist into a compact, pom-pom configuration suitable for use in organized cheering and dance routines as well as more generally by fans at sporting events. As depicted in FIG. 1, the scarf 1 in its elongated configuration may be worn on the neck and shoulders.

As shown in FIG. 2, the scarf 1 is constructed of a plurality of layers of fabric 10. Preferably either three or four layers of fabric 10 are used, but as few as two and as many as seven or more layers 10 may be used depending on the thickness and other characteristics of the fabric used. The number of layers selected will frequently depend on how many different colors a particular school or team uses in its uniforms. For example, if a team uses red, white, and blue as its colors, a three layer 10 scarf may be constructed with one layer 10 of each color. The fabric for each layer 10 may be chosen from a wide variety of known cloths and other materials preferably having the characteristics of softness, warmth retention, and bright colors. The term “fabric” is used in a broad sense and is not limited to cloths or woven materials. Certain other materials may also be used as the fabric from which the layers are constructed. For example, papers, plastics, vinyl, and leather, whether natural or synthetic. The preferred embodiment employs soft, warm, colorful cloth fabric, however, for scarves intended primarily for ornamental or decorative use, the softness and warmth are less important and the visual effect of the strips is the more important feature.

Each layer 10 consists of an elongated, substantially rectangular piece of fabric. In the preferred embodiment, each layer 10 is approximately 54-60 inches long by approximately 6 inches wide. When constructed with paper or plastic fabrics, it is desirable to each layer 10 measure 12-18 inches in width. If desired, the layer 10 selected to be positioned on top of the others may be embroidered or printed with a name or logo prior to further assembly. The fabric layers 10 are positioned one on top of another so that the outer edges of each are substantially aligned as shown in FIG. 2. The top layer 10a has a reinforced hole 14 cut through the layer 10a, preferably constructed like a button hole commonly found on shirts, although other suitable reinforcements may be used. One or more holes 14 may be employed in the scarf 1, however, in the simplest embodiment having one hole 14, the hole 14 is preferably placed near the center of the scarf 1, approximately 27-30″ from each end and 3″ from each side. In a scarf 1 constructed with two or more holes 14, the holes would be placed an equal distance apart along the scarf. For example, in a scarf 1 with two holes 14, the holes 14 would be spaced approximately 18-20″ apart and each would be approximately 18-20″ from the end of the scarf 1 nearest to that hole 14. A drawstring 16 is comprised of any suitable string or cord and is approximately 4-6″ longer than the scarf 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drawstring 16 extends the length of the scarf 1 and protrudes out each hole 14 as shown. Between the hole 14 and the cord stop 18, the drawstring 16 passes through a cord lock 20. The cord lock 20 may be of any suitable type, such as those described in the U.S. patents to Hutchison and Yamaguchi referenced above. The drawstring 16 is held in place by cord stops 18 that are attached to the drawstring 16 at each end of the scarf 1 and at each hole 14, as shown. The cord stops 18 may be any small object of sufficient size to prevent the drawstring from pulling through the hole 14 or the channel formed by the body of the scarf and the drawstring seam 12. As shown in FIGS. 2-5, a plastic ring approximately one inch in diameter may be used.

The scarf 1 may be most efficiently constructed by stitching the layers 10 together along the entire length approximately one-half inch from the center of the width of the scarf 1. The drawstring 16 may then be placed between the layers 10 near the center of the width of the scarf 1 and the layers again stitched together on the opposite side of the string from the first stitch, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

After the layers 10 are secured together by the stitching just described, and the drawstring 16 is secured by attachment of the cord lock 20 and cord stops 18, strips 22 are cut into the layers 10 substantially perpendicular to the length of the scarf, as shown in FIG. 3. For best results, all layers 10 should be cut at the same time. Each strip 22 should be approximately one-half inch in width and should extend from the edge of the scarf 1 to approximately one-quarter inch from the seam 12. Strips 22 are cut on both sides of the scarf and along the entire length of the scarf as shown in the figures.

The scarf 1 may be converted to a pom-pom configuration by pulling the drawstring 16 through the hole 14. As the drawstring is pulled, the ends of the scarf are pulled toward the center of the scarf, compressing the scarf into a shorter length. When the cord is pulled to its farthest extent, the scarf takes the shape of a pom-pom. When locked in this position with the cord lock 20, the scarf 1 and in particular the strips 22 along the edge of the scarf 1 retains the appearance of a hand held pom-pom as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. An advantage of using rings for cord stops 18 is that the drawstring 16 may be passed through the two cord stops 18 at the ends of the scarf 1 and form a loop in the drawstring 16 serving both to hold the pom-pom scarf 1 in a more compact shape and to provide a handle that may be wrapped around a person's hand.

Another benefit of the invention is that it provides the wearer a scarf that may be adjusted to a desired length. This is beneficial in that a shorter, more compact scarf provides added warmth around the wearer's neck by reducing draft due to the increased surface area of the scarf in a shorter amount of space around the neck. There is no need to make multiple wraps around the neck as with fixed-length scarves.

In an alternative embodiment, one may use a small, spring-loaded cord reel for retracting the drawstring 18 when the scarf 1 is in the pom-pom configuration. Such spring-loaded cord reels are known in the art, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,485 issued Sep. 25, 2001, to Edward J. Hollowed, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this disclosure.

Various modifications, substitutions, and changes may be made in the structure and embodiments shown without departing from the concept of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the terminology of the following claims and the legal equivalents thereof.

Claims

1) A scarf, comprising:

a plurality of layers of fabric, substantially rectangular in shape, each layer having strips cut into its edges;

a drawstring casing seam connecting the layers of fabric to each other;

a drawstring, having a first end and a second end, substantially inside the drawstring casing seam, said ends of said drawstring being attached to first and second cord stops for retaining said drawstring inside said drawstring casing seam;

a portion of said drawstring protruding through a hole in said drawstring casing seam;

a third cord stop attached to said portion of said drawstring; and

a cord lock coupled to said portion of said drawstring between said hole and said third cord stop.

2) The scarf of claim 1 wherein a plurality of holes are distributed substantially evenly along the length of the drawstring casing seam and wherein a portion of the drawstring protrudes through each of said holes and wherein to each protruding portion of said drawstring a cord stop and cord lock is attached.

3) The scarf of claim 1 wherein said cord lock comprises a spring-loaded reel for containing the drawstring when the drawstring is pulled to convert the scarf to a pom-pom configuration.