Related Application

[0001 ] The present application is related to Australian provisional patent application 2015905363 filed on 23 December 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference.

Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a stand for an item of headwear, such as a cap.

Background of Invention

[0003] Caps are becoming an increasingly prevalent form of head gear. Although traditionally popular as a form of headgear used whilst playing sports (e.g. baseball, golf), caps are now well established as items of everyday wear for both men and woman.

[0004] The main parts of a cap are commonly referred to as the crown, bill, and the button. The crown is the part of the cap that sits on the wearer's head. Typically it is constructed from a number of different panels that all meet at the top of the crown. The crown diameter may be adjustable by virtue of a strap or elastic strip forming part of the crown. A button or stud is often located at the top of the cap. A bill or peak extends from the front of the crown and provides shade to the wearer's face. The bill may adopt different shapes and may either be flat or include a curved peak.

[0005] Different styles of cap are available. Some have what is known as a "low crown" whilst others have a "regular crown" or a "high crown". The type of crown generally reflects the distance the upper side of the crown of the hat is spaced from the top of the user's head. For example, a cap with a "low crown" is designed to sit snuggly against the user's head. A "high crown" cap is generally larger or more boxlike in shape than a "low crown" cap and the upper side of the cap sits away from the user's head. [0006] Caps are sold in many different materials, colours and with different decorations on them. Commonly, they are marked with different forms of decoration including, but not limited to, sporting logos, club affiliation logos, and slogans. Many people collect such caps and they can be quite expensive. Many collectors seek to store their caps in a manner that prevents damage and which also enables them to be on display.

[0007] The present invention seeks to provide a cap stand that safely stores and displays caps.

[0008] The discussion of the background to the invention herein is included to explain the context of the invention. This is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of this application.

Summary of Invention

[0009] According to the present invention there is provided a cap stand including a crown support, a bill support extending outwardly of the crown support, and mounting means for mounting the cap stand to a display surface.

[0010] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the crown support is arranged to provide support for the crown of the cap. The support is preferably provided by resting the folded crown on an upper surface of the crown support. The crown of the cap is folded so that the rear half of the crown is folded back into the front half of the crown.

[001 1 ] The crown support typically includes an upper generally horizontally extending part, a curved part and a generally lower vertically extending part. The curved part is located between the upper and lower parts.

[0012] The bill support is arranged to provide support for the bill of the cap. The support is provided by the bill resting on or against an upper surface of the bill support. The bill support preferably extends generally perpendicular to the lower part of the crown support. [0013] It will be appreciated that by providing both a crown support and a bill support the shape of the cap will be more readily maintained when it is stored on the cap support. Further, the configuration of the crown support and the bill support enables the cap to be readily viewed and thus the cap located on the cap stand becomes a decorative item and/or a display item.

[0014] The cap stand preferably includes a rear panel. The rear panel preferably is connected to one or both of the crown support and bill support. The mounting means is preferably located on, through or incorporated into the rear panel.

[0015] In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting means includes double sided tape that enables connection to the rear panel of the cap stand and to the display surface. Alternatively, the mounting means may include a screw, fastener, nail, wall adhesives, or wall adhesive systems of the type used to hang removable hooks. It is recognised that it is advantageous if the mounting means allows the cap stand to be readily moved from one location to another without damage being caused to the cap stand or to the display surface.

[0016] The display surface will typically be a wall or panel that extends

substantially upright. However, the display surface may be any surface to which the cap stand can be attached.

[0017] The cap stand preferably further includes a first illumination means. The first illumination means may be arranged to illuminate the cap and/or an area adjacent the cap stand. The first illumination means may be fixed relative or may be movable. The first illumination means is preferably located in or on an underside of the bill support.

[0018] The cap stand preferably includes a second illumination means. The second illumination means is arranged to provide a glowing effect to the hat stand. The second illumination means may be provided additional to or alternative to the first illumination means. Alternatively, the first illumination means may also function as a second illumination means.

[0019] The illumination means may be battery powered by at least one battery included in the cap stand or may be externally powered via a power port, or may be solar powered. The power port is preferably located on the underside of the bill support.

[0020] The cap stand may further include a sensor for sensing light or sound and in response thereto may activate the illumination means. Preferably, a mode select switch is provided to control the operational mode of the illumination means and/or the speaker.

[0021 ] The sensor is preferably located on an outer forward face of the crown support. The sensor is preferably located on the lower part of the crown support.

[0022] The cap stand may further include one or more speakers. The speakers may be connected to a sound port or may be arranged with blue tooth connectivity. The sound port may be an iPod dock or USB interface or any other suitable arrangement for connecting a form of sound device to the speakers.

[0023] The cap stand may further include at least one holder arranged to facilitate holding of the cap on the cap stand. The holder may contact a part of the crown of the hat or the button of the cap. The holder preferably extends from the upper part of the crown support or from the rear panel of the cap stand.

[0024] Preferably the cap stand further includes at least one load point arranged in use of the cap stand to press against the display surface and to facilitate holding of the cap stand in the desired orientation. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, two spaced apart load points extending rearward of the rear panel are provided.

[0025] The crown support and bill support are preferably shaped to adopt the general appearance of a portion of a cap. The portion of the cap being that portion extending generally forward (when viewed from the side) of the rearmost part of the bill.

[0026] The cap stand is preferably decorated to adopt the general appearance of a cap. Additionally, the cap stand may be decorated with the colours and logo of, for example, a sporting team, club or supplier (e.g. a baseball team, basketball team, race team, car maker) so that the cap stand adopts the appearance of the particular cap it is designed to support. Hence, when the cap is not stored on the cap stand, the cap stand adopts the appearance of the cap and thus remains an attractive display on the display surface.

[0027] A cap stand in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is suitable for supporting any form of headwear but is particularly suited to supporting an item of headwear with a crown and a brim. The term "cap" as used throughout the

specification is intended to include all forms of headwear that include both a crown and a brim.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0028] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0029] Figure 1 is an isometric view of a cap stand in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

[0030] Figure 2 is a side view of the cap stand shown in Figure 1 ;

[0031 ] Figure 3 is a front view of the cap stand shown in Figure 1 ;

[0032] Figure 4 is an underside view of the cap stand shown in Figure 1 ;

[0033] Figure 5 is a rear view of the cap stand shown in Figure 1 ;

[0034] Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the cap stand mounted to a display surface;

[0035] Figure 7 is a front view of a cap stand in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. The cap stand is similar to the cap stand shown in Figures 1 to 6 but includes a sensor;

[0036] Figure 8 is a top rear view of a cap stand according to a third embodiment of the invention;

[0037] Figure 9 illustrates four different cap stands according to embodiments of the invention decorated to look like caps; [0038] Figure 10 is a rear isometric view of a cap stand in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention;

[0039] Figure 1 1 is a rear view of the cap stand shown in Figure 1 1 ;

[0040] Figure 12 is an underside view of the cap stand shown in Figure 1 1 ;

[0041 ] Figure 13 is a front view of the cap stand with dashed lines representing a field of light emitted from the illumination means of the cap stand;

[0042] Figure 14 is an isometric view of a cap stand in accordance with a still further embodiment of the invention;

[0043] Figure 15 is a front view of the cap stand shown in Figure 14;

[0044] Figure 16 is a cross-sectional side view of the cap stand shown in Figure 14;

[0045] Figure 17 is an underneath view of the cap stand shown in Figure 14; and

[0046] Figure 18 is a front view of a cap stand according to a still further embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

[0047] Figures 1 to 5 illustrate a cap stand 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The cap stand 10 includes a crown support 12, a bill support 14 extending outwardly of the crown support 12, and mounting means 16 (Figure 5) for mounting the cap stand 10 to the display surface 100. Figure 6 illustrates the cap stand 10 mounted to a display surface 100.

[0048] The crown support 12 includes an upper generally horizontally extending part 12a, a curved part 12b, and a generally lower vertically extending part 12c. The bill support 14 extends generally perpendicular to the lower part 12c of the crown support 12.

[0049] As is apparent from the Figures, the crown support 12 and bill support 14 are shaped to form a body of the cap stand 10 with a shape that mimics a portion of a cap (not shown). More particularly, the crown support 12 and bill support 14 are preferably shaped and sized so that they mimic a cap having a particular size and shape of both crown and bill. This is to ensure that when that shaped cap is placed on the stand 10 with the crown folded into itself, the cap will sit on the cap stand 10 with the folded crown of the cap resting on an upper part 12a of the crown support 12 and with the bill of the cap resting on an upper surface 14a of the bill support 14. The curved part 12b and lower part 12c of the crown support 12 provide support to the folded crown support 12 preventing it from collapsing.

[0050] As caps come in a range of sizes, with varying crown height and bill size and shape, the components of a cap stand in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may vary in both size and shape to ensure best possible support for the cap it is arranged to receive.

[0051 ] As shown in Figure 5, the cap stand 10 includes a rear panel 18. In accordance with this embodiment, the rear panel 18 extends from each of the crown support 12 and bill support 14 so as to provide a continuous rear panel 18 closing off the interior of the cap stand 10. However, it is envisaged that this may not always be the case. Indeed, the cap stand 10 may not include a rear panel 18 in some embodiments.

[0052] In accordance with this embodiment, the mounting means 16 is located on the rear panel 18. However, the mounting means 16 may be otherwise located. The mounting means 16 may adopt any suitable form for attaching the cap stand 10 to the display surface 100. It is envisaged that the mounting means 16 may include a hook and loop type fastener system (i.e. Velcro®), double sided tape, or an adhesive connection may be provided. Alternatively, the mounting means 16 may include a screw, fastener, nail, common wall adhesives, or wall adhesive systems of the type used to hang removable hooks. It is recognised that it is advantageous if the mounting means 16 allows the cap stand 10 to be readily moved from one location to another without damage being caused to the cap stand 10 or to the display surface 100.

[0053] The cap stand 10 includes a holder 20 located at the top of the crown support 12 and is arranged to facilitate location and/or holding of the cap on the cap stand 10. The holder 20 may contact a part of the crown of the hat and/or the button of the cap. The holder 20 may adopt a variety of different configurations but in Figures 1 to 6 the holder 10 takes the form of two curved spaced fingers. The spacing between the fingers being such as to allow the button of the cap to be located therebetween or to be engaged by the fingers.

[0054] As best shown in Figures 4 to 6, the cap stand 10 further includes two load points 22 arranged in use of the cap stand 10 to press against the display surface 100 and to facilitate holding of the cap stand 10 in the desired orientation. The two spaced apart load points 22 extend rearward of the rear panel 18 and are arranged in use to contact the display surface 100. The load points 22 are provided to help support the weight of the cap, to maintain the weight load of the cap centrally on the cap stand 10 and thus prevent the cap stand 10 from twisting relative to the display surface 100.

[0055] The cap stand 10 may include a number of additional features that provide enhanced appeal and functionality. For example, the cap stand shown in Figures 1 to 6 includes illumination means in the form of a light 30. The light 30 may be arranged to illuminate the cap and/or an area adjacent the cap stand 10. The light 30 is shown located in and extending from the underside 14b of the bill support 14. The light 30 may be fixed or movable to enable adjacent of the throw of the light. The light 30 may be arranged to emit varying coloured light and the cap stand 10 may include means for emitting a programmed light display.

[0056] The light 30 may be battery powered by at least one battery included in the cap stand 10. The battery (not shown) may be located within a cavity at least partially defined by the crown part 12 of the cap stand 10. Alternatively, the light 30 may be solar powered or externally powered via a power port 32. The power port 32 is shown located on the underside 14b of the bill support 14. However, the power port 32 may be located elsewhere on the cap stand 10.

[0057] The cap stand 10 may further include a sensor 40 for sensing light or sound and in response thereto may activate the illumination means 30. A cap stand 10' including such a sensor 40 is shown in Figure 7. The sensor 40 is shown located on an outer forward face of the lower part 12c of the crown support 12. However, other locations for the sensor 40 on the cap stand 10 are envisaged. [0058] The cap stand 10 further includes a pair of speakers 50. The speakers 50 may be connected to a sound port 52 or may be arranged with blue tooth connectivity. The sound port 52 may be an iPod dock or USB interface or any other suitable arrangement for connecting a form of sound device to the speakers.

[0059] A mode select switch 60 is provided to control the operation mode of the illumination means 30 and/or the speakers 50.

[0060] Figure 8 illustrates a cap stand 10" according to a third embodiment of the invention. Cap stand 10" is very similar to cap stand 10. However, it will be noted that the holder 20" adopts a different configuration which is shaped to engage specifically with the button of the cap supported on the cap stand 10".

[0061 ] It will be appreciated that the holder 20" may adopt a wide variety of different shapes and configurations.

[0062] Figure 9 illustrates four different cap stands according to embodiments of the invention. These caps stand illustrate a variety of different shaped crown supports, bill supports, holders and load points. Further the cap stands are decorated in different manners.

[0063] Figures 10 to 13 illustrate a cap stand 200 in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention. Cap stand 200 includes a crown support 212, a bill support 214 extending outwardly of the crown support 212, mounting means 216 for mounting the cap stand 200 to a display surface 100, a rear panel 218, holder 220, and load points 222. The mounting means 216 is in the form of an aperture

configured to receive a screw or other fixing extending from the display surface 100.

[0064] The crown support 212 includes an upper generally horizontally extending part 212a, a curved part 212b, and a generally lower vertically extending part 212c. The bill support 214 extends generally perpendicular to the lower part 212c of the crown support 12. The holder 220 is similar to the holder 20 shown in Figure 1 .

[0065] As shown in Figures 1 1 to 13, the rear panel 218 extends from each of the crown support 212 and bill support 214 so as to provide a continuous rear panel 218 closing off the interior of the cap stand 210. The rear panel 218 includes a series of apertures 280 which are provided to allow light from a light source (not shown) located within the cap stand 200 to be emitted through the rear panel 218. The apertures 280 are located adjacent the edge of the rear panel 218 in an inverted U- shaped configuration. However, the apertures 280 may be provided in varying positions and numbers to provide a light pattern external of the cap stand 210 as desired. The outwardly directed arrows shown in Figure 10 schematically illustrate light being emitted through the apertures 280. Figure 13 illustrates one light pattern 300 (i.e. the cross-hatched area). The width or field of the light pattern as measured from the cap stand 200 may be varied by increasing the strength of the light source.

[0066] Located in the underside 214b of the bill support 214 is a battery cavity 295. The battery cavity 295 is arranged to receive a battery for powering, for example, a light source of the type described previously.

[0067] Figures 14 to 17 illustrate a cap stand 400 in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention. The cap stand 400 includes a crown support 402, a bill support 404 extending outwardly of the crown support 402, and mounting means 406 (in the form of a fastener receiving aperture) formed in a rear panel 408. A fastener, such as a screw can extend through the receiving aperture 406 and can be used to fasten and thus mount the cap stand 400 to a wall or other display surface.

[0068] The crown support 402 includes an upper generally horizontally extending part 402a, a curved part 402b, and a generally lower curved but still generally vertically or downwardly extending part 402c.

[0069] Extending from the rear panel 408 is a holder 410. The holder 410 is arranged to facilitate location and/or holding of the cap on the cap stand 400. Further, as shown in Figure 16, the holder 410 includes an elongate slot 412 sized for receiving and engaging with a part of the cap. The part of the cap received in the elongate slot 412 in accordance with this embodiment is the cap button. The cap button is received and held within the slot 412 of the holder 410 thereby keeping the cap in proper positioning on the cap stand 400.

[0070] The upper face 410a of the holder 410 may also provide an alternative means for securing the cap stand to a horizontally extending wall or display surface. For example, the upper face 410a of the holder 400 could be adhered to such a wall or surface. [0071 ] Figure 18 illustrates a cap stand 500 according to a further embodiment of the invention. It will be noted that cap stand 500 has a body shape (i.e. crown support 502 and bill support 504) that is substantially similar to the shape of the crown support 12 and bill support 14 of the cap stand 10 shown in Figure 1 . However, rather than adopting a holder according to the holder 20 shown in Figure 1 , the cap stand 500 includes a rear panel 508 and holder 510 substantially similar to the rear panel 408 and holder 410 of the cap stand 400 shown in Figures 14 to 17. Hence, cap stand 500 interchanges features of the cap stand 10 and the cap stand 400.

[0072] A cap stand according to an embodiment of the invention is preferably made of a light weight material such as a plastic.

[0073] The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention are envisaged.