VISOR WITH INTERCHANGEABLE CLOTH HEADPIECE
A visor system with an easily removable cloth headpiece is disclosed. A visor is provided with clips or other attachments for receiving a fabric or sheet headpiece that covers at least the head and back of the neck of a wearer. In some embodiments, the headpiece is provided with sides that protect sides of the neck and face of the wearer. In other embodiments, a neck protector is provided that is held in place by the visor strap, and which covers the back and sides of the neck of the wearer. The headpieces may be constructed of fabric, plastic sheet material or even a thick absorbent paper material, and may have advertising or other printed material thereon.
This application is a continuation-in-part application of Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/301,693, filed Nov. 21, 2011, incorporated herein by reference, which claimed the benefit of Applicant's U.S. provisional application No. 61/416,293, filed Nov. 22, 2011, also incorporated herein by reference. This application further claims the benefit of Applicant's U.S. provisional application No. 61/799,652, filed Mar. 15, 2013, also incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to headwear, and particularly to a visor system wherein a visor is provided with clips or clamps to hold a cloth, fabric or other sheet material in place over the head and neck of a wearer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONVisors are popular among many people engaged in various diverse outdoor activities, such as sports, gardening and farming, construction and so forth. In general, a visor blocks sunlight and glare form the eyes, and further protects the forehead area and area around the eyes from sunburn. During inclement weather, a visor can protect the eyes from rain, snow and the like. However, a visor will not protect the neck, particularly the back of the neck, and top of the head of a wearer, particularly one who is bald or has thinning hair, from sunburn. For those who are typically outdoors, such as construction workers, athletes and others, use of a visor requires application of sunblock on the neck and sides of the face in order to prevent sunburn and dangerous levels of exposure to sunlight that could cause melanoma and other skin ailments.
In other situations, the weather is typically warm where people would wear a visor. Where a visor is configured having an inner absorptive fabric liner where the visor fits the head above the eyes, such a liner may serve as a sweatband to absorb sweat and prevent it from running into the eyes of a wearer. However, this does nothing to absorb sweat from the face and neck of a wearer, which may require the wearer to carry a towel, or use a shirt sleeve or shirt tail in order to wipe sweat from a wearer's face.
Accordingly, there is a need for a visor that includes a fabric or flexible sheet portion that at least covers the back of the neck of a wearer.
A visor and sun protection system having a removable and interchangeable headpiece or sheet material is disclosed. It is contemplated that a visor of the instant invention have a removable cloth, fabric or other sheet material headpiece that is removably attached to the visor with at least one connector, snap, clamp, clip or the like, and which covers at least the top of the head, and in some embodiments, the back of the neck of the wearer. In some embodiments, the headpiece may also extend downward over sides of the face. In these embodiments, sides of the headpiece may have openings that allow the sides of the headpiece to slide onto or be fitted to the strap of the visor. Removability of the headpiece from the visor is such that the headpiece is easily removed and replaced. This provides several advantages to Applicant's visor system. One advantage is that the headpiece may be used as a towel to wipe sweat from the wearer's head, face and neck. Another advantage is that reusable headpieces may be removed from the visor and washed without destroying the visor. This allows for a wearer who is a construction worker, athlete or the like to have several headpieces that may be changed as they become soiled. In some embodiments, the headpieces may be constructed of spun bonded absorbent material, or even a thick paper towel material such as the extra-thick, blue paper towels used by mechanics, so as to be disposable, and changed as needed. In this instance, the headpieces could be supplied in bulk packaging. Another advantage is for advertising and promotion purposes where advertising is printed on the back of the headpiece. Here, an advertiser who operates a restaurant or club located at or near a beach may give away inexpensively produced visors or sell them at a reduced price, with a purchase, such as a food or drink purchase, and also give away or otherwise make available headpieces with a variety of different advertisements, logos, novelty themes or the like to customers. In this instance, the headpieces may be inexpensively constructed of thin, flexible plastic sheet material that protects the head and neck from the elements, particularly the sun, and upon which the printed material is placed. Consumers could then collect and change the headpieces as desired.
As noted, the headpiece may be configured of a thin material, such as a plastic sheet material or thin artificial fabric material, such as a spun bonded material from which thin windbreakers and protective clothing are constructed of, simply to block the sun, rain, snow, cold wind and windborne debris, or anything else from protected areas of the wearer. In other embodiments, the headpiece may be of a thicker absorbent material, such as material similar to a terrycloth or Microfiber™ towel, so that the headpiece may be removed and used as a towel or other applications. In some embodiments, a water repellant may be applied to the headpiece fabrics to block rain or spray, and in other embodiments an antibacterial coating or the like may be applied to a fabric material of the headpiece. Of course, both may be used. In yet other embodiments, and as noted, advertising, school logos, insignia and the like may be printed on the headpiece for advertising purposes, to show team loyalty or to identify or distinguish a supervisor or other person in a crowd or group of people.
It is contemplated that, in some embodiments of the invention, an individual would purchase the visor, and use any fabric of any shape of his/her own choosing to use as a headpiece that covers at least the head of the wearer. In this regard, anything from a hand towel to a piece of fabric cut from a T-shirt could be used as a headpiece. As such, Applicant's visor is constructed to use any fabric that can be clamped or clipped to the visor, and of almost any shape. The only requirement is that the fabric or sheet material be sufficiently large so that it may be clamped in Applicant's visor and cover portions of the head and neck that the wearer desires to be covered. As such, it should also be apparent that a headpiece of the invention could be specifically configured to fit the head of an individual in a similar manner as a “do rag”, with depending portions extending downward over at least the back of the neck, and possibly sides of the neck, of a wearer.
Referring to
Visor 10 is provided with clips 18, 20 on opposed sides of the exterior of brim 14, and which removably hold the headpiece (shown in dashed lines) 22 in place, as by having a clamping surface or edge 24 that is biased by a spring 26 so that surface or edge 24 of the clip compressably bears against sides of bill 14. As such, the headpiece is held clipped or clamped in place on each side of the temples of the wearer, with a front edge 24 of the headpiece (dashed lines) extending over and around the front of the brim, as shown by dashed lines in
In yet another embodiment as shown in
It is again emphasized that any fabric of any configuration chosen by the wearer that may be fitted into whichever fabric holding configuration that is disclosed herein may be used with Applicant's visor. Further, for winter use, the elastic band or strap that holds the visor in place, or rigid ends of the visor itself, may also incorporate protectors for ears of the wearer, such as earmuff-like ear protectors, or possibly relatively heavy flaps that shield the side of the face and ears from cold wind, rain, snow and such.
In yet another embodiment, a face shield or shaded sheet of material configured similarly to sunglasses may be configured to slide over bill 12, and have extensions that attach to the visor by clips 20, 26 or knobs 40. Here, the top or upper end of such a sheet material would have a slit for bill 12 to protrude through, and depend downward in front of the face and/or eyes of the wearer. Such an embodiment would be useful in protecting the eyes against bright sunlight, as in snowy or beach environments, and in windy and sandy environments.
In another embodiment of a headpiece of the invention, and as shown in
Claims
1. A sun and weather protection system comprising:
- a visor,
- a sun-blocking material,
- at least one connector for removably holding said sun-blocking material to said visor.
2. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one connector further comprises a first clip on one side of said visor, and a second clip on an opposite side of said visor.
3. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sun-blocking material is a flexible sheet of material of a sufficient size to cover at least the head of a wearer.
4. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said sun-blocking material extends downward along a rear side thereof to cover at least a back of a neck of a wearer.
5. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said flexible sheet of material is configured to extend around at least sides of a face and sides of a neck of a wearer.
6. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flexible sheet of material is a fabric material.
7. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flexible sheet of material is a disposable paper material.
8. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flexible sheet of material is a flexible sheet of material is a flexible sheet plastic material.
9. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sun-blocking material extends around a back of a neck of a wearer, with said connector removably holding said sun-blocking material to a rear strap of said visor.
10. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sun-blocking material is a relatively rigid material that holds its shape when formed.
11. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 10 further comprising earpieces that rest over ears of a user.
12. A sun and weather protection system as set forth in claim 11 further comprising regions that extend generally to behind and below ears of a wearer.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 17, 2014
Publication Date: Jul 10, 2014
Inventor: Brian R. Toronto (Annapolis, MD)
Application Number: 14/216,250