(b) Description of the Related Art Headgear is the general term for a cap or hat, which has a crown portion and a visor or a brim. When a person with long hair has their hair tied back and desires to wear a cap or hat, the bundle of hair is pressed down by the cap or hat, causing discomfort.

Further, when people keep their cap or hat on for a substantial amount of time or while exercising, their hair is pressed down to their scalp, resulting in discomfort of dermatitis or a bad smell due to sweat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-described drawbacks of conventional headgear.

It is an object of the present invention to provide headgear having at least one opening on its crown portion, so that it allows a long-haired wearer of various hair styles to pull their hair out through the opening as well as enhancing airy conditions and aesthetic appearance.

It is another object to provide headgear having an opening that can be closed and of which the size is adjustable such that it can be used for various purposes.

To achieve these objects, as embodied and broadly described herein, headgear according to the invention comprises at least one opening that is formed on a crown portion thereof, and a fastening member with which to open or close the opening.

The size of the opening is adjustable according to the extent of opening or closing of the fastening member. The fastening member may be selected from a zipper, a snap, a hook, a button, and Velcro tape.

The headgear preferably has an elastic sweatband which is formed around an inner periphery of the crown portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings provide a further understanding of the invention, and together with the Detailed Description, explain the principles of the invention. In

the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a cap according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate other examples of a fastening member of the first preferred embodiment; Fig. 4 shows the cap of Fig. 1 being worn; Fig. 5 shows a cap having two openings on left and right sides of the crown portion, according to the first preferred embodiment; Fig. 6 shows a cap according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7 shows the cap of Fig. 6 being worn; Fig. 8 shows a hat according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figs. 9 and 10 show various shapes of openings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals indicate the same elements herein.

Referring first to Fig. 1, a cap according to a first preferred embodiment of

the present invention will be described.

A cap 100 has a visor 150, a crown 120, an opening 130, and a fastening member 140. The visor 150 is joined to a front of the crown 120 so that it may block and prevent sunlight from dazzling a wearer of the cap 100.

An elastic sweatband 160 is preferably formed around an inner periphery of the crown portion 120. The elastic sweatband 160 imparts elasticity to the periphery of the crown portion 120, causing the cap 100 to fit the head of the wearer snugly.

The crown portion 120 is formed of a plurality of gores 121. The opening 130 is formed between a pair of gores which are disposed at the back of the crown 120. The fastening member 140 is attached on both sides of the opening 130 in order to open or close the opening 130.

As shown in Fig. 1, a zipper is employed as the fastening member 140.

The fastening member, however, may be implemented as various kinds of fasteners, some of which are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A Velcro tape 141 is employed as the fastening member as shown in Fig. 2, while snaps 142 are used in Fig. 3. Although it is not shown in the drawings, it is possible to use a hook or button as a fastening member as well.

The fastening member 140 can be opened or closed according to a simple operation, as necessary. The size of the opening 130 can also be adjusted to be small or large as necessary.

When a wearer with long hair wears the cap 100, the hair can be pulled out 5 through the opening 130 of the crown portion 120 and bound with bands, ribbons, or hairpins, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby accommodating the long-haired wearer.

Further, the size of the opening 130 may be adjusted with the fastening member 140 according to size of the bundle of hair.

The cap 100 may fit anyone, independent of the size of her or his head, 10 since the size of the cap is elastically variable. Further, the cap 100 can be well ventilated through the opening so that it provides the advantages of aesthetically pleasing design as well as convenience and comfort when it is used in hot weather or while exercising.

The opening of the cap 100 is not limited to being disposed at the back of the 15 crown portion. The number and disposition of the openings may be variable as needed. The cap of Fig. 5 shows two openings 130 which are disposed on both sides of the crown portion 120, thereby allowing two hair bundles to be pulled through the two openings.

Referring now to Fig. 6, a second preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described.

The headgear 200 of Fig. 6 is a cap having a crown portion 220, an opening 230, a visor 250, and a size adjustment member 280. The size adjustment member 5 280 is formed on the rear bottom of the crown portion 220, allowing the size of the crown portion 220 to be adjusted.

The size adjustment member 280 is disposed near a U-shaped cutout 290 and has a first adjustment band 281 attached on one side of the U-shaped cutout 290 and a second adjustment band 282 attached on the other side of the U-shaped 10 cutout 290. The first and second adjustment bands 281,282 have a plurality of interlocking holes and projections, respectively, allowing the size of the crown portion 220 to be adjusted.

The opening 230 is formed between a rear pair of gores 221 among a plurality of gores forming the crown portion 220. The fastening member 240 is 15 attached on both sides of the opening 230 in order to open or close the opening 230.

Although the fastening member 240 of the second preferred embodiment is a zipper which is attached on both sides of the opening 230, it may be implemented by various kinds of fasteners such as Velcro tape, snaps, hooks, or buttons as in the

first preferred embodiment.

The fastening member 240 can be opened or closed with a simple operation.

The size of the opening 130 can be adjusted to be small or large as necessary, and the number and disposition thereof can also be changed.

When a wearer with long hair wears the cap 200, the hair can be pulled out through the opening 230 and bound with bands, ribbons, or hairpins, thereby accommodating long-haired wearer. Further, the cap 100 can be well ventilated through the opening. The size of the opening 230 may also be adjusted by the fastening member 240 according to the size of the bundle of hair.

Referring next to Fig. 8, a third preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The headgear 300 of Fig. 8 according to the third preferred embodiment is implemented as a hat with a brim. The hat has a crown portion 320 and a brim 350.

The crown portion 320 is provided with an opening 330. A fastening member 340 is attached on both sides of the opening 330 in order to open or close the opening 330.

The fastening member 340 is implemented as a zipper as shown in Fig. 8, but it may be one of various kinds of fasteners such as Velcro tape, snaps, hooks, or buttons as is in the first or second preferred embodiments.

The crown portion 320 may be provided with an elastic sweatband, preferably formed around an inner periphery thereof. The elastic sweatband 160 can give elasticity to the periphery of the crown portion 320, causing the hat to fit the head of the wearer snugly.

5 The number and disposition of the openings may also be formed suitably as needed to enhance an airy condition in the hat when they are open, as well as to allow long hair to be pulled therethrough, providing the wearer with comfort and convenience.

Although the opening is formed in a longitudinal direction as described 10 above, the direction or shape of the opening may be variably modified. The opening 330 may formed in a lateral direction as shown in Fig. 9, in a necessary number.

The opening 330 may be shaped as a curved line as shown in Fig. 10, providing the advantage of headgear of an aesthetically pleasing design. Furthermore, the various shapes of the openings may well apply to the first or second preferred 15 embodiments.

Although the present invention is implemented as a cap or hat in the preferred embodiments as describe above, the present invention may be a beret or other various kinds of headgear, not being limited to the cap or hat.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.