FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cap which utilizes corresponding cooperating members to allow one or more emblems to be detachably affixed to the visor or crown of the cap, or to a separate member corresponding to the visor and/or crown of the cap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Headwear in the form of caps, commonly having a crown and a visor, including visors with a truncated crown, are popular throughout the world and are commonly worn as a fashion accessory. With respect to the present application, all such headwear will be referred to as a "cap" or "caps". Thus, it is understood that the term "cap" as used herein can encompass any head covering or hat which has a crown portion and a visor or brim portion, including, but not limited to what are commonly known as visors, cowboy hats, fedoras, bucket hats, newsboy caps, panama hats and porkpie hats.

Caps are often sold with insignias affixed to the crown as well as stickers affixed to the visor which identify the manufacturer, size or authenticity of the cap. Traditionally, these insignias are intended to be permanently affixed to the crown, such as by stitching, and the stickers are removably attached using an adhesive so that the stickers can be removed before the cap is worn for the first time. Recently, a trend has emerged to keep the stickers affixed to the visor of the cap even while the cap is worn. However, it is common for the stickers to lose their adhesion after a period of time and fall off the visor of the cap. U.S. Patent No. 5,509,144 describes a baseball cap having pile material on the crown and visor with corresponding logos equipped with hook fastener material. In addition, U.S. Patent No. 6,175,963 describes a baseball cap with magnets adhesively attached or embedded at specific locations in the material of the cap with corresponding magnetic emblems. However, the caps of the prior art lack the improvements disclosed herein.

Accordingly, a need exists for an improved cap which utilizes cooperating members, such as magnets or hook and loop fasteners, to allow one or more emblems to be detachably affixed to the cap at user-determinable locations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed generally to a cap comprising a crown portion and a visor portion, the visor portion comprising a top side and a bottom side, wherein the crown portion, the visor portion or both comprise a first component of cooperating members to permit removable attachment of a cooperating emblem comprising the second component of the cooperating members. More particularly, the present invention contemplates embodiments wherein the top side of the visor, the bottom side of the visor or both comprise the first component of the cooperating members with or without the crown comprising the first component of cooperating members.

The first component of the cooperating members may be affixed to the outside face of the visor portion or crown portion, such as in embodiments where the cooperating members are hook and loop fasteners, or may be embedded within the visor portion or crown portion, such as in embodiments where the cooperating members are magnets/magnetic material. Additionally, the first component of the cooperating members may be integrally formed with the crown portion and/or visor portions of the cap or may be separately formed and placed on the cap. In embodiments wherein the first component of the cooperating members is separately formed, it is preferred that a sleeve or cover comprises the first component of the cooperating members, wherein the sleeve or cover is sized to fit over or around the crown portion, visor portion or both. The sleeve is preferably connected to the cap by any known mechanical device or merely by a friction fit.

The cap of the present invention can be used in connection with an emblem comprising a front side and a back side wherein the back side of the emblem comprises the second component of the cooperating members. The front side of the emblem may contain any sort of

embellishment or design including logos, artwork, corporate names, trademarks, university names, and the like. For purposes of this application, the term "emblem" is intended to include all types of insignia, patches, stickers, pins or other items that may be or are commonly attached to a cap.

The present invention also provides for a system for detachably affixing an emblem to a cap comprising (1) a cap comprising a crown portion and a visor portion wherein the crown portion, the visor portion or both comprise a first cooperating member; and (2) an emblem comprising a second cooperating member. The emblem of the system has a front side and a back side wherein at least the back side of the emblem comprises the second component of the cooperating members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood when considered in view of the attached drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts. The drawings, however, are presented merely to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention without limiting the invention in any manner whatsoever.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the cap of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the cap of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the sleeve or cover which fits over the visor of the cap of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention comprises a cap 10 comprising a crown portion 11 and a visor portion 12 wherein the crown portion 11, the visor portion 12 or both comprise a first component 13 of cooperating members. Cooperating members suitable for use with the present invention include hoop and loop fasteners, magnets/magnetic material, snaps, clips, buttons, ties and the like.

In a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cap 10 is formed of a crown portion 11 and a visor portion 12, where the crown portion 11 has an outer crown 11a and an outer crown lib and the visor portion 12 has a visor top 12a and a visor bottom 12b. The present invention most preferably contemplates that at least the visor bottom 12b comprises a first component 13 of cooperating members. As shown in FIG. 1, the visor top 12a may also comprise the first component 13 of the cooperating members. The first component 13 of the cooperating members may also be associated with all or a portion of the outer crown 11a and/or inner crown lib of the crown portion 11. Generally, the crown portion 11 of a cap 10 is composed of 4 or 6 panels attached together by stitching or adhesive. Thus, the first component 13 of the cooperating members may comprise one or more panels of the crown portion 11 in embodiments where the cap 10 is composed of a plurality of panels.

In one preferred embodiment, where the first component 13 is associated with a portion of the cap 10, the first component 13 may be formed from a single sheet or from multiple pieces of the first component 13 material arranged together so as to be substantially the size and shape of a visor, crown and/or crown panel. Therefore, the first component 13, whether from a single sheet or from multiple pieces, should be associated with substantially all of the visor top 12a, substantially all of the visor bottom 12b, and/or substantially all of one or more sections of the crown portion 11. For example, in embodiments where the first component 13 of the

cooperating members only covers the visor bottom 12b, all or substantially all of the total surface area of the visor bottom 12b should comprise the first component 13.

The visor portion 12 may be constructed of any material suitable for a visor, including but not limited to cardboard or plastic. The crown portion 11 may be constructed of any material suitable for a crown, including but not limited to cardboard, plastic, batting, nylon, polyester, mesh and the like.

The first component 13 of the cooperating member is preferably unitarily formed with the visor top 12a and/or visor bottom 12b or both, as well with the outer crown 11a and/or inner crown lib or both (including one or more panels of the crown portion 11), by stitching, adhesive or any other method of permanently affixing known cooperating member materials.

In a preferred embodiment, the cooperating members used on the crown portion 11 and/or visor portion 12 are hook and loop fasteners associated with the surfaces of the visor top 12a and/or visor bottom 12b or both, and/or with the outer crown 11a and/or inner crown lib or both including one or more panels thereof. In this embodiment, it is understood that the first component 13 of the cooperating members may be either the hook member or the loop member, however, the loop member is preferred.

In another preferred embodiment, the cooperating members 13 are magnets or a magnet and a material attracted by magnets. Similarly, it is understood that the first component 13 may be either the magnet or the material attracted by magnets. The magnet can be any ferromagnetic material, including but not limited to, ferrite, alnico or neodymium. In a preferred embodiment, the magnet is a flexible magnet, of the type commonly used as refrigerator magnets. A flexible magnet allows for the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11 of the cap 10 to be bent or rounded without breaking the magnet. When the cooperating members are magnets or a magnet and a material attracted by a magnet, the visor portion 12 or crown portion 11 may optionally, but not necessarily, comprise a textile layer 16 which covers the first component 13 of the cooperating members.

In embodiments of the invention employing a textile layer 16, the first component 13 and the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11 can be held together by the textile layer 16 without the need for adhesive or stitching, although stitching the textile layer and the first component 13 is preferred. The textile layer 16 can be any material suitable for the exposed surface of the cap 10, as long as the material permits the first component to sufficiently engage the second component of the cooperating members 13, including but not limited to cotton, wool, nylon, polyester, vinyl, leather, synthetic leather, suede and combinations thereof.

In an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention, as in FIG. 2, the first component 13 can be used as the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11, e.g., the visor portion 12 and the first component 13 are one in the same, such that the first component 13 takes the place of the plastic or cardboard typically used in cap visors. Thus, for example, in embodiments where the first component 13 is used as a visor 12, the first component 13 is sized and shaped so as to be substantially the size and shape of a visor. The first component 13 in this embodiment should be both of sufficient flexibility to be bent or rounded without breaking, but of sufficient rigidity to maintain the shape of the visor 12 or crown 11 without sagging or drooping. A preferred first component 13 for this embodiment is a flexible magnet.

Given the characteristic of flexible magnets to have one face which is less magnetic than the other face, the first component 13 may also comprise two flexible magnetic substrates attached together on their less magnetic faces, so the more magnetic faces face outwards. The first component 13 in this embodiment may also optionally be covered by a textile layer 16.

In a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, as seen in FIG. 3, the first component of the 13 cooperating members can be incorporated into a separately formed sleeve or cover 18 which is then slipped over the visor portion 12 (not pictured in FIG. 4). Similarly, a sleeve or cover may also be fashioned to slip over the crown portion 11 or a single sleeve or cover may be made to slip over both the visor portion 12 and crown portion 11. The sleeve 18 is preferably sized and shaped so as to fit snugly over the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11 such that the sleeve 18 is maintained on the cap 10. The sleeve 18 comprises a first component

13 of cooperating members, such as those set forth above. In a preferred embodiment, the cooperating members of the sleeve 18 are similarly a hook and loop fastener system, magnets or a magnet and a material attracted by magnets.

The sleeve 18 may optionally comprise a substrate 19 to which the first component 13 is affixed by stitching or adhesive. The substrate 19 should fit snugly over the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate 19 is an elastomeric material, such as spandex, rubber, latex or neoprene, such that the substrate 19 forms to the shape, and clings to, the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11 when fitted over and around the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11.

Alternatively, the sleeve 18 can be held in place on the cap 10 by friction between the substrate 19 and the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11. Magnets, hook and loop fasteners, adhesives, snaps, clips, buttons, ties or pins may additionally be used to keep the sleeve or cover 18 held in place on the cap 10 and are preferred if no substrate 19 is employed. Furthermore, in embodiments wherein the first component 13 is a magnet, the attractive force between the magnets can be utilized to hold the sleeve or cover 18 in place on the cap 10.

The cap 10 of the present invention is used in connection with one or more emblems 14 having a front side and a back side wherein at least the back side of the emblem 14 comprises the second component 15 of the cooperating members so that the emblem 14 can be detachably affixed to the visor portion 12 and/or crown portion 11 of the cap 10. The second component 15 of the cooperating members is selected to correspond to the first component 13. For example, in embodiments of the present invention where the first component 13 is the loop member of a hook and loop fastener system, the second component 15 would be the hook member, or vice versa. Additionally, in embodiments where the first component 13 is a magnet, the second component 15 should be another magnet or a material attracted by magnets, or vice versa.

The present invention also provides a system for detachably affixing an emblem 14 to a cap 10 comprising (1) a cap 10 having a crown portion 11 and a visor portion 12 wherein the crown portion 11, the visor portion 12 or both comprise a first component 13 of cooperating members; and (2) an emblem 14 comprising a second component 15 of the cooperating members. The emblem 14 of the system has a front side and a back side wherein at least the back side of the emblem 14 comprises the second component 15 of the cooperating members. Of course, the front side of the emblem 14 can include the second component 15, especially when the cooperating members are magnets, to allow the emblem 14 to have indicia on both sides or to hide the indicia on one side if desired.

In keeping, one or more emblems 14 can be placed anywhere on the cap 10 with a cooperating member for attaching the emblem 14, preferably including the visor bottom 12b alone or in addition to the visor top 12a, the outer cap 11a and/or the inner cap lib. This permits the user to removably attach the emblem(s) 14 to various parts of the cap 10, including on the inner crown lib for storage if the user does not want to display a particular emblem 14.

Variations, modifications and alterations to the above detailed description will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, different portions of the cap 10 may utilize different cooperating members. All such variations, modifications and/or alternatives are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention, limited only by the claims. All cited patents and publications are hereby incorporated by reference.