BACKGOUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cap. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cap with an adjustment strap, the adjustment strap being configured to receive advertising material.

Various types of caps are known. Typically, caps include:

• a visor at the operative front of the cap, which visor protects the wearer from sunlight;

• panels that make up a crown, generally in the shape of a semi-hemisphere, for covering a wearer's head; and

· a pair of adjustable straps at the operative back of the cap for cooperatively adjusting the circumference of the semi-hemisphere opening to fit a wearer's head.

The adjustment strap is generally made of two parts that are releasably secured to each other through stud-like projections and corresponding apertures. The two straps may be released from one another to free an axial end of each of the straps.

It is known for advertising material to be attached to the straps, the advertising material being attached in a manner that allows the materials to be interchanged at will. Various manners of applying such advertising material is taught by Anthony Pizzacar in the prior art document U.S. patent no. 5 003 640.

Such prior art document describes, amongst others, one attachment manner of particular relevance, wherein the attachment of the advertising material is achieved via hook and loop fasteners. In this embodiment, the loop portion of the fastener is attached to one of the adjustable straps, with the hook portion of the fastener being attached to the advertising material, thereby enabling simple connection and disconnection of the advertising material to the cap. This means of attachment, while effective, results in a device that is susceptible to unsightly partial disconnection of the loop portion from the adjustable strap due to wear. These devices also inherently attract increased manufacturing and/or assembly costs. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cap that is capable of enabling easy connection and disconnection of interchangeable advertising materials, while addressing the shortcomings of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a cap including: a crown for operatively covering a wearer's head, the crown having a peak end and defining an opening at an opposing open end sized and shaped to receive the wearer's head, the opening being circumscribed by a peripheral edge running about the opening; a visor extending from crown; and an adjustment strap lying along the peripheral edge of the crown, the adjustable strap being configured for adjusting the perimeter of the peripheral edge of the crown, wherein the adjustment strap defines:

(i) an inner surface, directed inwardly into the crown;

(ii) an outer surface, directed outwardly from the crown; and

(iii) a means for securing advertising material thereto, the securing means being integrally formed with the outer surface of the adjustment strap.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjustment strap comprises first and second elongate securing straps, wherein each of the first and second securing straps comprises:

(i) a first axial end, fixedly secured to the crown;

(ii) an opposing free second axial end; and (iii) complementary engaging formations for releasably securing the first and second securing straps to one another in an at least partially axial overlapping arrangement, such that: (i) the inner surface of the adjustment strap lies on the first securing strap; (ii) the outer surface of the adjustment strap lies on the second securing strap; and (iii) the perimeter of the peripheral edge can be adjusted through increasing or decreasing the extent of the overlap of the first and second securing straps. It is further preferred that the second securing strap be made of a polymeric material.

The complementary engaging formations may optionally be in the form of stud-like projections on one of the first and second securing straps, and corresponding apertures on the other of the first and second securing straps, the stud-like projections and apertures being frictionally engageable to secure the first and second straps to one another.

Preferably, the securing means is in the form of hook or loop formations, for securing advertising material thereto having the other of the hook and loop formations present thereon. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the securing means is in the form of hook formations, each of the hook formations defining:

(i) a base having a basal diameter of at least 0.3 mm; (ii) an opposing free end;

(iii) a plurality of catch formations angularly spaced from one another about an axis extending between the base and the free end. It is further preferred that the securing means defines an advertising securing area of at least 50 mm in length along the longitudinal axis of the second securing strap.

Optionally, advertising material may be releasably secured to the advertising material securing means. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cap in accordance with the present invention, with an adjustment strap in the released condition; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cap of Figure 1 , with the adjustment strap in the secured condition; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cap of Figure 1 , with advertising material secured to the adjustment strap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A cap according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is designated generally in Figure 1 by reference numeral 10.

The cap 10 includes a crown 12 formed from a plurality of substantially triangular panels 14 contiguously joined to one another. The crown 12 includes a peak end defining a peak 16, from which the panels 14 radiate toward an opposing peripheral edge 18 to form a substantially semi- hemispherical shape for operatively covering the top of a wearer's head. The peripheral edge 18 defines an opening for receiving the wearer's head, the opening being circumscribed by the peripheral edge 18.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the semi-hemispherical shape may be altered through omission of the peak 16, thereby to result in the crown 12 being substantially ring shaped, with the peak end also defining an opening.

A visor 20 extends from the crown 12 along a portion of the peripheral edge 18 to shield a wearer's eyes and face from the sun. The crown 12 further includes an adjustment strap 22 extending along a portion of the peripheral edge 18 for adjusting the perimeter of the peripheral edge 18, thereby to enable a snug fit of the crown 12 on the wearer's head. The adjustment strap 22 comprises first and second elongate securing straps 24, 26.

The first and second securing straps 24, 26 are each secured to the crown 12 at first axial ends and have opposing second free ends. The first securing strap 24 defines a series of stud-like projections 28, while the second securing strap 26 defines a series of corresponding apertures 30 for frictional engagement of the stud-like projections 28, thereby to enable engagement of the first and second securing straps 24, 26 to one another in an arrangement of overlap along the longitudinal axes of the first and second securing straps 24, 26.

In this manner the perimeter of the peripheral edge 18 can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the extent of the overlap of the first and second securing straps 24, 26. The first and second securing straps 24, 26 are accordingly movable between an engaged condition, as illustrated in Figure 1 , and a released condition, as illustrated in Figure 2.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the stud-like projections 28 and the corresponding apertures 30 may be substituted with any other complementary engaging formations allowing relative adjustment and engagement of the first and second securing straps 24, 26.

With reference now to Figure 1 , it will be appreciated that when the first and second securing straps 24, 26 are in the engaged condition, the first securing strap 24 forms the inner portion of the adjustment strap 22, while the second securing strap 26 forms the outer portion of the adjustment strap 22. In this arrangement, the first securing strap 24 defines an inner surface directed inwardly into the crown (i.e. facing into the opening circumscribed by the peripheral edge) and the outer strap 26 defines an outer surface directed outwardly from the crown (i.e. facing away from the opening circumscribed by the peripheral edge).

The outer surface includes a means for securing advertising material thereto in the form of a plurality of hook formations 32 extending therefrom. Each of the hook formations 32 is in the form of a protuberance extending from the outer surface, thereby to define a base and an opposing free end. Each of the hook formations 32 defines three catch formations extending from the free end, the catch formations being angularly spaced from one another about an axis extending between the free and base of each protuberance. In use, the catch formations act as hooks for engaging loops 34 or other complementary formations located on the advertising material, illustrated as a panel 36. The cooperative engaging action of the plurality of hook formations 32 acts as a securing means across the surface of the second securing strap 26.

With the securing means as described above, the advertising panel 36 can be easily secured to the cap 10, as illustrated in Figure 3, or removed from the cap 10. Accordingly, a wearer is enabled to expediently interchange the advertising panel 36 with an alternative advertising panel 36 at will and with minimal effort. It is further preferred that the basal diameter of each of the protuberances is at least 0.3 mm. It will be appreciated that alternative securing means may be used without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.

The hook formations 32 and the second securing strap 26 are integrally formed, preferably from an elastomeric material formed through injection molding. In this manner, assembly of the cap 10 eliminates a step that is required for similar devices known in the prior art. Further, the integral formation of the second securing strap 26 and the means for securing the advertising material results in a unitary device that is exempt from unsightly disconnection of the securing strap 26 and the means for securing the advertising material thereto. It is further preferred that the hook formations 32 extends at least 50 mm along the longitudinal axis of the second securing strap 26, thereby to define an advertising securing area that is at least 50 mm in length as measured along the longitudinal axis of the second securing strap 26. Further, with the outer surface defining the securing means, the extent of overlap between the first and second securing straps 24, 26 does not affect the effective size of the advertising securing area.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that many modifications or variations of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.