Pack for Carrying Hat
A case or pack for carrying one or more hats include a base and cover hingedly attached together at their bottom ends. An attachment device, such as a zipper, can open and close the inner edges of the base and cover together to open and close the compartment for holding the hats in the case. At least one or a pair of shoulder straps is attached to the base of the case and is adjustable so the wearer can hold the case centered on the wearer's back hands-free. The base of the case can include a handle at the top end for also carrying the case. Internally, the case can include one or more structured inserts of foam or the like for accommodating and supporting the hat(s) in the compartment of the case.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Appl. 62/789,894 filed 8 Jan. 2019, which was filed concurrently with U.S. Design Appl. 29/676,106 entitled “Hat Carrying Pack,” which are both incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSUREThe present disclosure is generally directed to a case or a pack for carrying one or more hats. The case can be worn by a traveler to carry one or more hats on the traveler's back, leaving the traveler's arms free to handle luggage and other items.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURETransporting a hat while travelling can be cumbersome. The traveler may wear the hat while travelling, but this may not always be practical or even desirable, especially if the traveler has multiple hats to carry. The hat could be placed inside baggage with other items of clothing, shoes, or the like. However, the hat will likely be crushed and damaged. Finally, the hat can be placed by itself in a separate hat box so the hat is not damaged when transported. Unfortunately, this requires the traveler to carry and keep track of yet another item of luggage as the traveler gets into and out of vehicles, cabs, airplanes, etc.
What is needed is a device that protects one or more hats and that allows a traveler to carry the one or more hats hands-free and easily while travelling. The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
Referring to
The case 10 includes a cover 20, a base 30, a pair of straps 40, a handle 50, an attachment device 60, and a hinge 62. The figures include
The cover 20 and the base 30 enclose a storage compartment (12:
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The hinge 62 attaches a first portion of the surrounding base sidewall 34 to a second portion of the surrounding cover sidewall 24 toward the bottom of the case 10. As best shown in
Meanwhile, the attachment device 60 is affixed around the inner edges of the surrounding sidewalls 34, 24. The attachment device 60 is movable along the edges for connecting and disconnecting the cover 20 and base 30 together when opening and closing the case 10. For example, the attachment device 60 can include one or more zippers 61 movable along a track between the inner edges of the surrounding base and cover sidewalls 34, 24 for completely or partially opening the case 10.
Finally, the pair of adjustable straps 40 are provided for fitting over the shoulders of the wearer. As best shown in
Each of the straps 40 has a long strap piece 42 with first and second ends 44a-b. Each of the first, upper ends 44a of the long strap pieces 42 is affixed to an external side of the base surface 32 toward the top of the case 10, and each of the second, lower ends 44b of the long strap pieces 40 is adjustable by a buckle 48 and is affixed toward the bottom of the case 10. In general, each of the ends 44a-b of the long strap pieces 42 can be affixed toward the top and bottom of the base 30 using rivets, other fasteners, or the like and/or may be covered and sewn to the base 30 with additional material 45.
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Other conventional buckles 48 can be used. As shown in
Preferably, the cover 20 and base 30 are formed of a rigid or a semi-rigid substrate material that keeps its shape. The substrate material can include boarding, leather, padded fabric, plastic, foam, acrylic, polyvinyl, or the like, and the substrate material can be covered with a durable outer material, such as leather, fabric, canvas, nylon, or the like. The straps 40 and handle 50 are preferably formed of a flexible and durable material, such as leather, rubber, or plastic.
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Internally, the case 10 as shown in
The cover 20 can include one or more pockets disposed on the cover surface 22 in the second portion of the compartment (12). For example, the cover's inner surface 22 can include a pouch compartment 28 that snaps closed and can include a pocket compartment 29 that has a folded opening that snaps closed.
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Internally, the internal compartment 12 between the cover 20 and the base 30 can include internal structures to support the hat(s) or item(s) therein. The internal structures can include foam inserts or the like that are either permanent or removably affixed inside the compartment 12. For example, the foam inserts may fit with an interference fit inside the compartment or may affix with latch and hoop fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, or other fasteners.
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The foregoing description of preferred and other embodiments is not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the inventive concepts conceived of by the Applicants. It will be appreciated with the benefit of the present disclosure that features described above in accordance with any embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter can be utilized, either alone or in combination, with any other described feature, in any other embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter so hands-free carrying is achieved.
In exchange for disclosing the inventive concepts contained herein, the Applicants desire all patent rights afforded by the appended claims. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims include all modifications and alterations to the full extent that they come within the scope of the following claims or the equivalents thereof
Claims
1. A pack worn by a user for carrying one or more hats hands-free, the pack comprising:
- a base having a first surface and having a first surrounding sidewall disposed about the first surface, the first surrounding sidewall and the first surface defining a first portion of a compartment of the pack to hold the one or more hats;
- a handle attached outside the first surrounding sidewall toward a top of the pack;
- a cover having a second surface and having a second surrounding sidewall disposed about the second surface, the second surrounding sidewall and the second surface defining a second portion of the compartment of the pack to hold the one or more hats;
- a hinge attaching a first portion of the first surrounding sidewall to a second portion of the second surrounding sidewall toward a bottom of the pack;
- an attachment disposed between edges of the first and second surrounding sidewalls and being movable to connect and disconnect the edges; and
- at least one strap for fitting over at least one shoulder of the wearer, the at least one strap having first and second ends, the first end affixed toward the top of the pack, the second end adjustably affixed by a buckle toward the bottom of the pack.
2. The pack of claim 1, wherein the at least one strap comprises a pair of the at least one strap for fitting over the shoulders of the wearer, each of the straps having the first and second ends, each of the first ends affixed toward the top of the pack, each of the second ends adjustably affixed by the buckle toward the bottom of the pack.
3. The pack of claim 1, wherein the attachment comprises one or more zippers movably along tracks on the edges of the edges of the first and second surrounding sidewalls.
4. The pack of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the first and second surrounding sidewalls define flats toward the bottom of the pack on which the pack can stand.
5. The pack of claim 1, wherein the hinge comprises an external pliable sheet affixed externally across the edges between the portions of the first and second surrounding sidewalls.
6. The pack of claim 5, wherein the hinge comprises a plurality of fasteners affixing the external pliable sheet to the portions of the first and second surrounding sidewalls.
7. The pack of claim 5, wherein the hinge comprises an internal pliable sheet affixed internally across the edges between the portions of the first and second surrounding sidewalls.
8. The pack of claim 1, wherein the buckle comprises a loop attached to the external side of the first surface toward the bottom of the pack, the second end of the strap passed through the loop and folded to fit between one or more bands on the strap.
9. The pack of claim 8, wherein a folded strip passed through the loop is affixed to the external side of the first surface with one or more fasteners.
10. The pack of claim 8, wherein the buckle comprises a nodule disposed on a surface of the strap and being insertable in one of a plurality of adjustment holes defined in the folded second end of the strap.
11. The pack of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a plurality of cross straps disposed across the first surface in the first portion of the compartment, ends of the cross straps being connectable together to hold the hat in the pack.
12. The pack of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises one or more pockets disposed on the second surface in the second portion of the compartment.
13. The pack of claim 1, further comprising a pocket disposed on the external side of the first surface.
14. The pack of claim 1, wherein each of the first ends of the straps passes through a loop affixed to the external side of the first surface, the folded first end affixed to itself about the loop.
15. The pack of claim 14, wherein a folded strip passed through the loop is affixed to the external side of the first surface with one or more fasteners.
16. The pack of claim 15, wherein the external side of the first surface comprises a reinforcement sheet of material affixed to the external side against which the folded strip and fastener attach.
17. The pack of claim 14, wherein the folded first end is affixed to itself with one or more fasteners.
18. A pack worn by a user for carrying one or more hats hands-free, the pack comprising:
- a base having a first surface and having a first surrounding sidewall disposed about the first surface, the first surrounding sidewall and the first surface defining a first portion of a compartment of the pack to hold the one or more hats;
- a cover having a second surface and having a second surrounding sidewall disposed about the second surface, the second surrounding sidewall and the second surface defining a second portion of the compartment of the pack to hold the one or more hats;
- a hinge attaching a first portion of the first surrounding sidewall to a second portion of the second surrounding sidewall toward a bottom of the pack;
- an attachment disposed between edges of the first and second surrounding sidewalls and being movable to connect and disconnect the edges; and
- at least one strap for fitting over at least one shoulder of the wearer, the at least one strap having first and second ends, the first end affixed toward the top of the pack, the second end adjustably affixed by a buckle toward the bottom of the pack.
19. (canceled)
20. A method of constructing a pack according to claim 1.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 8, 2020
Publication Date: Mar 3, 2022
Inventor: Kelly Michelle Madden (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 17/421,679