The invention relates to a head piece adapted to be worn with and without earmuffs. Specifically, the invention relates to a head piece that may be used in two different modes, and which is easily adapted to be worn without earmuffs or headphones in a first mode and with earmuffs or headphones in a second mode.

Background

Many outdoor activities, such as lawn mowing, hunting, construction work etc. produce noise and loud sounds and therefore require the use of sound protectors. The failure to use sound protectors, such as earmuffs, may seriously harm the hearing ability. It is both a health and security risk to be exposed to loud noise, even if only for a very short period of time. The exposure to loud noise reduces a person's ability to concentrate, whereby the risk of injuries due to lack of concentration is substantially increased. Exposure to sounds in excess of 85 db for extended periods of time can result in long term hearing loss. Most countries apply laws and/or standards to make sure that workers' that are regularly or at times exposed to sounds in excess of 85 db need to wear effective sound protectors. Often it is the responsibility of the employer to make sure that workplace-caused harms including long term hearing loss are avoided.

Many of such sound producing outdoor activities are performed in all climates and regardless of the outside temperature. Therefore, in cold climates, there is a need to use a head piece to keep the head and ears warm at the same time as the earmuffs are used. Earmuffs are designed to fit closely around the ears of the person wearing them such that the rims of the earmuffs lie firmly against the head of the person wearing them.

Incorrect use of earmuffs may jeopardize the safety and health of the wearer substantially. Various solutions involving hats or head pieces that are especially adapted to be used with earmuffs have therefore been attempted but have not met with success in the marketplace.

Most of the prior art head pieces are only adapted to be used with earmuffs, whereas they are not at all adapted to be used without earmuffs .

In some activities, such as hunting and forest work the earmuffs are only needed for a short period of times and at specific moments. In such activities it would be desirable to put on and take off the earmuffs several times during a regular work shift. Systems which fail to provide for this flexibility increase the risk that ear protection will not be worn. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a head piece that offers rapid adjustment between a mode in which no earmuffs are worn and a mode in which earmuffs are worn.

In WO 2016/056950 a head piece is disclosed which is adapted to be used both with earmuffs and without earmuffs. The head piece includes at cover pieces that may be adjusted between an open mode in which it allows access of an earmuff through an opening and a closed mode in which the cover piece covers the ears of the wearer.

This is advantageous with respect to prior art head pieces. However, in some applications, there is a need to adjust the head piece between earmuff-mode and non-earmuff-mode more easily.

Further, there is a need of such a head-piece of an un-complicated design that is easier to produce and more forgiving with respect to the size and shape of the head of the person wearing the head piece.

Summary of the invention

An object of the invention is to provide a head piece that is well adapted for use both with and without earmuffs, and which is easily adapted between the two uses. This object is achieved by the invention according to claim 1, which relates to a head piece to be used with or without earmuffs or head phones, the head piece comprising an inner layer extending around a whole periphery of the head piece, which inner layer comprises two ear portions at opposite sides of the head piece, each ear portion comprising a material of a width corresponding to the size of an earmuff. An outer layer is arranged to overlap said ear portions of the inner layer, the outer layer being adjustable between a first, cover position in which it covers the ear portions of the inner layer and a second, active position in which it does not cover the ear portions of the inner layer.

In a specific embodiment of the invention the outer layer extends around a whole periphery of the head piece, said whole periphery being adjustable between said cover position and said active position.

In another specific embodiment of the invention, the ear portions of the inner layer are arranged to cover the upper portion of the ear of a person wearing the head piece, but not the lower portion of the ear of said person.

In one specific embodiment of the invention the outer layer is foldable between the first, cover position and the second, active position .

In one specific embodiment of the invention the outer layer is connected to the inner layer in an upper periphery thereof and is foldable between the first, cover position and the second, active position at said upper periphery.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the figures and from the detailed description of the shown embodiment.

The head piece may be fabricated in any suitable materials including but not limited to such materials as acrylic knit, polyester fleece, wool, silk, olefin, nylon, rayon, neoprene, dryfit, goretex, cotton knit, cotton canvas, Thinsulate etc. Short description of the drawings

In the following detailed description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a head piece according to the invention in a closed mode;

Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of figure 1 in an open mode;

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a head piece according to the invention in a closed mode; and

Fig. 4 shows the embodiment of figure 3 in an open mode;

Detailed description of the shown embodiment of the invention

In the following description similar features have been given the same reference numerals even though they are not identical.

In figures 1-2 a first embodiment of the head piece 1 according to the invention is shown. The innovative head piece 1 is adapted to be worn both with and without earmuffs.

As illustrated in the drawings, the head piece 1 comprises a top portion that is arranged to cover the top of the head of a person wearing the head piece and a rim portion comprised of an outer layer 2 and an inner layer 3. The outer layer 2 and the inner layer 3 extend around a lower periphery of the head piece, below the top portion that is arranged to cover the top of the head of a person wearing the head piece 1.

In fig. 1, the head piece 1 is shown in a first mode in which it is adapted to be worn without earmuffs or head phones. In this mode the outer layer 2 is arranged to cover the ears of the wearer.

As is visible in fig. 2, the head piece 1 comprises an inner layer 3 extending around a periphery of the head piece, which inner layer 3 comprises two ear portions 4 at opposite sides of the head piece 1, each ear portion 4 comprising a material of a width corresponding to the size of an earmuff and/or a head phone and a lower thickness than a main portion of the inner layer 3. The lower thickness of the inner layer 3 at the ear portion 4 allows the earmuff or head phone to be arranged in close contact with ear, or the region immediately around the ear, so as to minimise the admission of sound or noise between the earmuff or head phone and the head of the person wearing the head piece 1.

An outer layer 2 is arranged to overlap the inner layer 3, the outer layer 2 being adjustable between a first, cover position in which it covers the inner layer and a second, active position in which it does not cover the ear portion of the inner layer.

In fig. 1, corresponding to the first mode, the outer layer 2 is in the first, cover position in which it covers the inner layer 1, and in fig. 2, corresponding to the second mode, the outer layer 2 is folded into a second active position in which it does not cover the ear portion of the inner layer.

In the shown embodiment the ear portion of the inner layer is arranged to cover the upper portion of the ear of a person wearing the head piece, but not the lower portion of the ear of said person.

The outer layer is foldable between the first, cover position and the second, active position. This is, in the shown embodiment, achieved in that the upper rim of outer layer is fastened to the upper rim of the inner layer .

The outer layer is foldable between the first, cover position and the second, active position at said upper rim.

In figures 3 and 4 an alternative embodiment of the inventive head piece 1 is shown.

In this embodiment the outer layer 2 comprises a flap portion 5, on each side, that is arranged to cover the lower parts of the ears of a person wearing the head piece. Further, the flap portion 5 may be provided with an attachment device 6 for attaching the outer layer 2 in the active position.

In the shown embodiment, the attachment device 6 is comprised of a Velcro® portion and a complementary portion on an outer side of the head piece 1. As an alternative, the attachment device 6 may be comprised of buttons, laces or the like.

The invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. The invention is however not limited to these

embodiments. The invention comprises further embodiments and is only limited by the scope of protection as defined by the following claims.

Specifically, above the different embodiments of the head piece according to the invention have been described to be adapted to earmuffs or headphones of the around ear type. Normally, earmuffs are larger and have an oval form whilst headphones are often circular and somewhat smaller. Around-ear headphones are, however, as are earmuffs, adapted to be in contact with the ear or the area around the ear in order to keep out sounds from the surroundings. Therefore, the head piece according to the invention is just as advantageous when it comes to wearing head phones of the around ear-type as when wearing earmuffs in cold environments.