EAR SUN PROTECTOR

Abstract

An ear sun protector that is attachable to a hat. The ear protector includes a clip having a front clip portion and a rear clip portion that are coupled at a bottom planar portion, where the front clip portion and the rear clip portion define a gap therebetween configured to accept a rim of the hat. The ear protector also includes a curved sunlight blocking portion that is affixed to a front face of the front clip portion and that is generally perpendicular relative to the clip. The sunlight blocking portion sits above an ear of a user when the ear protector is clipped to the hat.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to an ear sun protector used with a hat and, more particularly, to an ear sun protector that is removably attached to a hat to protect a user's ears from exposure to sunlight.

Discussion of the Related Art

Many people enjoy wearing hats, such as baseball hats, that usually do not protect the wearer's ears from the sun's damaging rays, which has certain health issues, such as skin cancer. Thus, there is a need in the art to protect the ears of hat wearers from sunlight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure describes an ear sun protector that is attachable to a hat. The ear protector includes a clip having a front clip portion and a rear clip portion that are coupled at a bottom planar portion, where the front clip portion and the rear clip portion define a gap therebetween configured to accept a rim or seam of the hat. The ear protector also includes a curved sunlight blocking portion that is affixed to a front face of the front clip portion and that is generally perpendicular relative to the clip. The sunlight blocking portion sits above an ear of a user when the ear protector is clipped to the hat.

Additional features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isomeric view of an ear sun protector affixed to a baseball hat on a person's head according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the ear protector;

FIG. 3 is front side view of the ear protector;

FIG. 4 is a top down view of the ear protector;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the ear protector;

FIG. 6 is a back side view of the ear protector; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom up view of the ear protector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following discussion of the embodiments of the invention directed to an ear sun protector that protects a user's ears from sunlight exposure is merely exemplary in nature, and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its applications or uses. For example, the ear sun protector disclosed herein has particular application for being removably attached to a baseball hat. However, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the ear protector described herein may be used with other headgear that does not provide ear protection.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an ear sun protector 10 that is removably attached to a side of a baseball hat 12 at a location on the hat 12 that sits directly above an ear 16 of a user's head 14. The ear protector 10 includes a clip 18 that holds the protector 10 to the hat 12 and a sunlight blocking portion 40 that blocks sunlight, as will be described in detail below. A pair of sunglasses 54 are shown sitting on a visor 52 of the hat 12, where an ear piece 56 of the sunglasses 54 is tucked between the clip 18 and the hat 12 so that a pair of the protectors 10 clipped to both sides of the hat 12 will hold sunglasses 54 in place.

Although the ear protector 10 is described as being used with the baseball hat 12, the ear protector 10 may be used with any hat, sun visor, etc. that does not provide suitable protection from the sun's rays for the user's ears. The ear protector 10 can be made of a wide variety of suitable materials such as, for example, plastic, cardboard, etc. The ear protector 10 can be rigid or flexible and may be a single integral member or an assembly of pieces attached together by glue or the like. The ear protector 10 can also include an exterior layer that is made from plastic, vinyl, fabric, etc., and may include a pattern or design, such as a college logo. The ear protector 10 can also come in a variety of colors, and may be a variety of sizes such that the ear protector 10 may be used for a wide range of persons and ear sizes.

FIGS. 2-7 are various views of the ear sun protector 10 separated from the hat 12. The clip 18 includes a front clip portion 20 and a rear clip portion 22 that are generally parallel and are attached by a bottom portion 24 to be spaced apart to define a gap 26 therebetween, where the bottom portion 24 may be rectangular or may be curved. Further, although the bottom portion 24 is shown in a center region of the sunlight blocking portion 40, the bottom portion 24 may be centered, near a left region, or near a right region of the sunlight blocking portion 40. The front clip portion 20 includes an angled section 28 so that a lower region of the gap 26 is wider than an upper region of the gap 26 to define a channel 30 that easily accepts a rim, seam or sweat band of the hat 12 and locks the protector 10 thereto. In this embodiment, the rear clip portion 22 is shorter than the front clip portion 20, which allows for easy attaching and detaching of the ear protector 10 to the hat 12. However, in other embodiments, the rear clip portion 22 may be taller than or the same height as the front clip portion 20. The front clip portion 20 may have rounded corners 34 at a top edge and/or square corners 36 at a bottom edge as shown. It will be understood however that the corners 34 and 36 may be round, square, or any other suitable shape.

As described, the front clip portion 20 slides over an outer surface of the side of the hat 12 and the rear clip portion 22 slides behind an inner surface of the side inside of the hat 12 so that the rim, seam or sweat band of the hat 12 is positioned within the channel 30 of the gap 26, where the front clip portion 20 and the rear clip portion 22 work together to press against and clip to the side of the hat 12. In this manner the ear protector 10 is removably attached to the side of the hat 12 and the channel 30 operates to hold rim of the hat 12. This ensures a secure fit between the ear protector 10 and the hat 12, and also ensures that the sunlight blocking portion 40 sits in an area that is just above the region of the ear 16 when worn by the user. This allows the user to comfortably wear the ear protector 10 without the ear protector 10 touching the ear 16, and allows the ear protector 10 to still be close enough to the ear 16 to provide protection from sunlight exposure as discussed herein.

Although the front clip portion 20 and the rear clip portion 22 work together to clip the ear protector 10 in place using pressure, i.e., clamping or clipping force, in this embodiment it is to be understood that the front clip portion 20 and/or the rear clip portion 22 may include any suitable means for removably attaching the ear protector 10 to the hat 12. For example, Velcro, snaps, etc. may be used in combination with or in place of clamping force to hold the ear protector 10 in place as desired.

The sunlight blocking portion 40 is affixed or configured to the section 28 of the front clip portion 20. In one non-limiting embodiment, the blocking portion 40 is about one-quarter of an inch above the bottom portion 24 to provide a proper position for the height of the blocking portion 40 above the ear 16. The blocking portion 40 has a curved shape such that a center region 42 of the blocking portion 40 is the high point of the portion 40 and ends 44 of the blocking portion 40 curve downward. This shape provides good sunlight blocking protection and ensures that any liquid that falls onto the top surface of the sunlight blocking portion 40, such as rain or beer, flows towards the ends 44 and off of the ear protector 10. An inside edge 46 of the blocking portion 40 is curved in a convex manner to better conform to the shape of the user's head 14 and an outside edge 48 of the blocking portion 40 has rounded corners 50. The convex shape of the edge 46 ensures a snug fit between the ear protector 10 and the hat 12, thereby ensuring that sunlight will not filter between the hat 12 and the edge 46 such that the user's ear 16 may be burned from sunlight exposure.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. An ear protector comprising:

a clip including a front clip portion and a rear clip portion that are coupled together by a bottom portion that allows the front clip portion and the rear clip portion to be spaced apart and define a gap therebetween; and

a sunlight blocking portion affixed to a front face of the front clip portion, said sunlight blocking portion extending away from the front face of the front clip portion and being generally perpendicular relative to the clip such that the sunlight blocking portion sits above a region of an ear of a user when the ear protector is clipped to a hat that is being worn by the user.

2. The ear protector according to claim 1 wherein the sunlight blocking portion has a curved shape such that a center portion is higher than edge portions when the ear protector is affixed to the hat.

3. The ear protector according to claim 1 wherein an inside edge of the sunlight blocking portion that is affixed to the front face of the front clip is convex such that it is shaped to the contour of a human head.

4. The ear protector according to claim 1 wherein the gap includes an upper area and a lower area where the lower area is wider than the upper area.

5. The ear protector according to claim 4 wherein the front clip portion includes an angled portion that forms the wider lower area.

6. The ear protector according to claim 5 wherein the sunlight blocking portion is affixed to the angled portion.

7. The ear protector according to claim 6 wherein the sunlight blocking portion is affixed to the angled portion about one-quarter of an inch from the bottom portion.

8. The ear protector according to claim 1 wherein the front clip portion is taller than the rear clip portion.

9. The ear protector according to claim 1 wherein the ear protector is made of plastic.

10. An ear protector comprising:

a clip including a front clip portion and a rear clip portion that are coupled together by a bottom portion that allows the front clip portion and the rear clip portion to be spaced apart and define a gap having a top opening, said gap including an upper area and a lower area where the lower area is wider than the upper area, said top opening being operable to receive an edge of a hat and the wider lower area being configured to hold a rim of the hat; and

a sunlight blocking portion affixed to a front face of the front clip portion, said sunlight blocking portion extending away from the front face of the front clip portion and being generally perpendicular relative to the clip such that the sunlight blocking portion sits above a region of an ear of a user when the ear protector is clipped to the hat that is being worn by the user, wherein an inside edge of the sunlight blocking portion that is affixed to the front face of the front clip portion is convex such that it is shaped to a contour of a human head.

11. The ear protector according to claim 10 wherein the sunlight blocking portion has a curved shape such that a center portion is higher than edge portions when the ear protector is affixed to the hat.

12. The ear protector according to claim 10 wherein the front clip portion includes an angled portion that forms the wider lower area.

13. The ear protector according to claim 12 wherein the sunlight blocking portion is affixed to the angled portion.

14. The ear protector according to claim 13 wherein the sunlight blocking portion is affixed to the angled portion about one-quarter of an inch from the bottom portion.

15. The ear protector according to claim 10 wherein the front clip portion is taller than the rear clip portion.

16. The ear protector according to claim 10 wherein the ear protector is made of plastic.

17. An ear protector that is removably clippable to a hat so as to be positioned to block sunlight for a user's ear, said ear protector comprising:

a clip including a front clip portion and a rear clip portion that are coupled together by a bottom portion that allows the front clip portion and the rear clip portion to be spaced apart and define a gap having a top opening, said gap includes an upper area and a lower area where the lower area is wider than the upper area, wherein the front clip portion includes an angled portion that forms the wider lower area, said top opening being operable to receive an edge of the hat and the wider gap area being configured to hold a rim of the hat; and

a sunlight blocking portion affixed to a front face of the front clip portion, said sunlight blocking portion extending away from the front face of the front clip portion and being generally perpendicular relative to the front clip portion and the rear clip portion such that the sunlight blocking portion sits above a region of an ear of the user when the ear protector is clipped to the hat, wherein an inside edge of the sunlight blocking portion that is affixed to the front face of the front clip is convex such that it is shaped to a contour of a human head, and wherein the sunlight blocking portion has a curved shape such that a center portion is higher than edge portions when the ear protector is affixed to the hat, and wherein the sunlight blocking portion is affixed to the angled portion.

18. The ear protector according to claim 17 wherein the sunlight blocking portion is affixed to the front face of the front clip portion about one-quarter of an inch from the bottom portion.

19. The ear protector according to claim 17 wherein the front clip portion is taller than the rear clip portion.

20. The ear protector according to claim 17 wherein the ear protector is made of plastic.