METHOD OF MAKING A COLLAPSIBLE HAT

Abstract

A collapsible hat having a brim is made by inserting a leading end portion of an elongated, three-dimensional, frame element into an opening of an annular compartment extending around an outer periphery of the brim until the leading end portion passes through another opening of the annular compartment. The leading end portion is connected to a trailing end portion to make the frame element circumferentially complete to thereby impart a three-dimensional shape to the outer periphery of the brim that corresponds to the configuration of the three-dimensional frame element.

Description

BACKGROUND

This invention generally relates to a method of making a collapsible hat.

Collapsible hats are readily foldable to a relatively small, compact size rendering the folded hat easy to store in one's pocket or purse, and readily simple to transport from place to place. Such collapsible hats are often provided with wide brims and are especially useful as informal headwear, such as sunhats, rain hats and sports hats. U.S. Pat. Nos. 480,041; 2,149,468; 2,495,041; 2,686,917; 4,096,590; 4,682,373; 4,999,851; 6,216,277; and 6,561,393, and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014/0331384, are exemplificative of such collapsible hats and methods of folding and making them.

Such collapsible hats are often provided with a pre-formed, circular, metal or plastic, wire or hoop that is sewn in the outer periphery of a brim of the hat to impart the circular shape of the hoop to the outer periphery of the brim when the hat is worn. The pre-formed hoop, however, can be relatively costly to manufacture, especially when plastic molds are employed. In addition, the pre-formed hoop generally lies in a plane, thereby configuring the outer periphery of the hat brim to also generally lie in a plane. Once the pre-formed hoop is sewn into the outer periphery of the hat brim, a crown of the hat, as well as any ribbon, bow, or like decorations for the hat, are prevented from being readily attached to the hat, except by hand, due to the presence of the sewn-in hoop.

Accordingly, it is desirable to make a collapsible hat that is less costly to manufacture, can have many diverse shapes, and can allow the crown and/or decorations to be readily attached to the hat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a partly broken-away, perspective view of a collapsible hat that is made according to the method of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a plurality of elongated, three-dimensional, frame elements cut from a generally planar sheet of material during a first stage of the method.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting steps in the method of making the hat of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 generally identifies a collapsible hat made in accordance with the steps of the method shown in FIG. 5. The hat 10 includes a flexible brim 12 having a generally annular shape and constituted of a thin, pliant sheet material, for example, a fabric material such as cloth. A synthetic resinous material, such as polyester or nylon, or similar materials, is also contemplated. The brim 12 has a generally circular, outer periphery about which a binding strip 14 is wrapped and stitched to form an internal, annular, tubular sheath or compartment 16 (see FIG. 2).

Hat 10 further includes a crown 18. As shown, the crown 18 includes a collapsible, generally cylindrical, crown panel 20 stitched along a lower circular region to a generally circular, inner periphery of the brim 12, and a generally circular, top panel 22 stitched about its periphery to an upper circular region of the crown panel 20. Other configurations for the crown 18 are contemplated. For example, the crown 18 may be rounded or hemispherical, as in the case of a baseball or sports cap.

As described in detail below, an elongated, three-dimensional, frame element 24 is received in the compartment 16 and preferably has a predetermined, three-dimensional shape that is imparted to the outer periphery of the brim 12. Preferably, the frame element 24 is constituted of a flexible, resilient material, such as metal or synthetic plastic, that is capable of returning to an initial position and an initial three-dimensional shape after having been folded, twisted or otherwise subjected to stress.

As shown in FIG. 4, the elongated frame element 24 is advantageously cut from a generally planar sheet 26 of metal or synthetic plastic material. The cutting is advantageously performed by a cutting die or a cutting laser. Multiple elongated frame elements 24 may be cut, either sequentially or simultaneously, from the same single sheet 26 to reduce manufacturing costs. Although five frame elements 24 are illustrated in FIG. 4, it will be understood that many more may be formed from the same sheet 26. The elongated frame element 24 may also be molded. After forming the elongated frame element 24, the frame element 24 is a generally ribbon-like, planar strip having opposite end portions 28, 30. The elongated frame element 24 can have any three-dimensional shape, such as, as illustrated, a sinuous form having many curved peaks and valleys alternating with one another, or a scalloped configuration, or may have any periodic or non-periodic shape whatsoever. Whatever shape is chosen for the frame element 24, that shape dictates the shape to be eventually imparted to the outer periphery of the brim 12 since the pliant material of the brim 12 will follow the shape of the more shape-retaining, frame element 24. Thus, in the case of a sinusoidal frame element 24, the peaks rise up above the general plane of the brim 12, while the valleys sink down below the general plane of the brim 12.

In accordance with one aspect of this invention, the annular compartment 16 is opened or split to expose opposite access openings 32, 34 (see FIG. 1). A leading one of the end portions, e.g., 28, of the frame element 24 is inserted into one of the openings, e.g., 32, of the annular compartment 16. Then, the leading end portion 28 is guided around the annular compartment 16 until the leading end portion 28 passes through the other opening 34 of the annular compartment 16. The trailing end portion, i.e., 30, of the frame element 24 is left exposed outside the opening 32. The sectional view of FIG. 2 shows that the frame element 24 preferably lies in an upright or vertical orientation inside the annular compartment 16.

The exposed end portions 28, 30 are then connected and joined together to make the elongated frame element 24 circumferentially complete to thereby impart the three-dimensional shape of the now annular frame element 24 to the entire annular periphery of the brim 12. When the frame element 24 is made of metal, then the exposed end portions 28, 30 are preferably welded, as shown in FIG. 3 at welds 36. When the frame element 24 is made of plastic, then the exposed end portions 28, 30 may be heat fused or adhered together. Any joining technique is contemplated.

Once the end portions 28, 30 are interconnected, the exposed end portions 28, 30 may be concealed, for example, by covering them with a bow, ribbon or like adornment, or the split in the annular compartment 16 may be repaired.

FIG. 5 depicts some of the steps in the method of making the hat 10. Thus, step 40 depicts the forming of the elongated frame element 24; step 42 depicts the insertion of the elongated frame element 24 into the annular compartment 16; step 44 depicts the joining of the exposed end portions 28, 30; and step 46 depicts the attachment of a hat component to the hat after the end portions 28, 30 have been joined.

Once the hat 10 is made, it may be collapsed or folded by, for example, twisting the hat about the axis 38 (see FIG. 1), a number of times, thereby configuring the annular framing element 24 having a predetermined diameter as multiple coils, each having a diameter smaller than the predetermined diameter. These smaller coils generally overlie one another in a stacked, collapsed condition for storage and/or transport. These smaller coils may then be pulled apart so that the framing element 24 can automatically unfold due to its inherent resilient characteristic and assume its larger annular shape when it is desired to wear the hat.

It is currently preferred to fixedly secure opposite ends of an elastic strap 48 to the underside of the hat 10, for example, underneath the brim 12 adjacent a front of the hat 10. The strap 48 is normally held taut against the underside of the brim 12. Once the hat is collapsed to the collapsed condition, the strap 48 is pulled around the overlying coils, thereby holding all the coils together. Advantageously, the strap 48 has sufficient elasticity to enable the strap 48 to be pulled away from the underside of the brim until the strap 48 engages underneath the wearer's chin, thereby serving as a chin strap in a use condition in which the hat is worn.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a method of making a collapsible hat, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the frame element 24 need not be a planar strip as illustrated, but could be a wire having a circular cross-section.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of making a collapsible hat having a brim of a pliant material, the method comprising:

forming an annular compartment extending around an outer periphery of the brim, and configuring the annular compartment with opposite openings;

forming an elongated, three-dimensional, frame element of a flexible, resilient material, and configuring the frame element with opposite end portions;

inserting one of the end portions of the frame element into one of the openings of the annular compartment, and guiding the one end portion around the annular compartment until the one end portion passes through the other opening of the annular compartment; and

connecting the end portions together to make the frame element circumferentially complete to thereby impart a three-dimensional shape to the outer periphery of the brim that corresponds to the configuration of the three-dimensional frame element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the annular compartment is performed by folding a binding strip about the outer periphery of the brim to form a hollow tubular sheath.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the frame element is performed by cutting the frame element from a generally planar sheet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the frame element is performed by configuring the frame element as one of a periodic and a non-periodic shape.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the inserting of the frame element is performed by maintaining the generally planar, frame element in an upright orientation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting of the end portions is performed by welding the end portions together.

7. The method of claim 1, and attaching a hat component to the hat after the end portions have been connected.

8. A method of making a collapsible hat having a brim of a pliant material, the method comprising:

forming an annular compartment extending around an outer periphery of the brim, and configuring the annular compartment with opposite openings;

forming an elongated, three-dimensional, frame element of a flexible, resilient material, and configuring the elongated frame element with a generally wavy shape and with opposite end portions;

inserting one of the end portions of the elongated frame element into one of the openings of the annular compartment, and guiding the one end portion around the annular compartment until the one end portion passes through, and is exteriorly of, the other opening of the annular compartment;

maintaining the other of the end portions exteriorly of the openings of the annular compartment; and

connecting the exterior end portions together to make the frame element circumferentially complete to thereby impart the three-dimensional sinusoidal shape of the circumferentially complete frame element to the outer periphery of the brim.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming of the frame element is performed by configuring the frame element as a sinusoid.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming of the frame element is performed by cutting the frame element from a generally planar sheet from which additional frame elements are cut.