AU711709B3 - A hat having a brow band - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Michael Francis KNIGHT As above CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, QId. 4000, Australia.

Invention Title: A HAT HAVING A BROW BAND The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me: A HAT HAVING A BROW BAND This invention relates to a hat accessory that keeps a hat from moving under windy conditions. In particular, the invention is directed to an elongate member such as a brow band which is fixed to each side of the hat and which can extend over the wearer's forehead to hold the hat onto the head of the wearer.

Hats and caps of the type which have a fairly prominent brim or peak are susceptible to being blown off by a gust of wind. For caps, there is a rear adjustment typically in the form of a stud and socket arrangement or a simple elastic strap which adjusts the size of the crown and therefore the fit of the cap on the person's head.

However, for hats which have a brim extending entirely around the hat, this type of adjustment is not possible as the circumference of the crown cannot be made larger or smaller.

Most hats therefore have a chin strip or neck strap that can be adjusted to push the hat firmly onto the person's head. Under severe conditions, the chin strap or neck strap is adjusted very tightly and this can cause discomfort to the wearer. Also, the function of these straps is to do no more than to pull the hat down further over a person's head and this can also cause discomfort around the person's head.

Many hats are fitted with toggles, buckles or clasps which are quite expensive to manufacture, are fiddley to adjust, can corrode if made of metal or are fairly easily broken if made of plastic.

A disadvantage with conventional chin straps, neck straps with or without buckles or toggles is that the straps need to be continually adjusted depending on the severity of the outside conditions. This is not entirely suitable for sportsmen where it is not always convenient to continually adjust the positioning of the hat. A particular example would be for boating or yachting where the person is extremely busy with the sails and tackle and has very little time to continually adjust the hat straps. While caps are less prone to being blown off, this is usually because caps have a much smaller brim and therefore provide much less sun protection.

VelcroTM is occasionally used as an adjustment for hats, but Velcro T M is prone to attract dirt and debris and quickly loses its grip. Velcro T M can also entangle with a person's hair which can be painful.

The present invention is directed to an accessory that can be attached to a hat and which can keep the hat at any desired fit under conditions they are in.

It is an object of the invention to provide a hat which may overcome the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful or commercial choice.

In one form, the invention resides in a hat having an elongate member which is fixed to each side of the hat and which, in use, extends over the forehead area of a wearer and which functions to hold the hat onto the head of the wearer.

In another form, the invention resides in a hat having an internal brow band which extends only across a forward inside part of the hat and which has two ends, one end being fixed to the inside of the hat and about mid-way therealong, the other end being fixed in a similar manner on the opposite side of the hat, the brow band, in use, extending over a wearer's forehead to keep the hat on the wearer's head.

In a further form, the invention resides in a hat as described above wherein the brow band is fastened to the hat only adjacent the ends, with the remainder of the band being flexible and therefor able to be fitted to different parts of the wearer's forehead region to vary the attachment of the hat to the person's head.

The elongate member, or the brow band, can be formed from a length of cord, leather, string, flexible band material, elastic material, and the like. The material typically extends across the person's forehead and to sides of the hat. Typically, a band of about 15 to 25cm and preferably approximately 20cm is suitable depending on the hat size and how and where the band is attached.

The elongate member, or band, is fixed to each side of the hat and this can be done by various types of attachments such as VelcroTM, press studs, stitching, knotting, adhesives, rivets, and the like.

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawing.

The drawing illustrates a bottom view of a hat. The hat has a front 10, a rear 11, a brim 12, a crown 13, and a brow band 14. Brown band 14 is formed from a 20cm flexible band which can be made from cord or leather or other material which is comfortable to wear. The brow band is attached to the left and right-hand side of the hat at attachment points In use, the brow band fits against the forehead of a person about the hairline and can be adjusted, not in length, but where on the forehead the brow band sits to adjust the tightness of the fit. For instance, by pulling the brow band further down the forehead, and away from the hat brim, the fit is tighter, while if the brow band is fitted higher on the forehead and close towards the hat brim, the fit is looser.

The brow band is better than existing products for many reasons. As the band works on the hairline, there are no dangerous strings hanging from the hat to get caught in machinery of any kind of professional or domestic work. For sports activities such as golf, lawn bowls, cricket or umpiring, there are no tight neck fittings or hindering components to affect the game. The band adjusts to your head automatically as soon as you put the hat on and there are no visible components to hamper the style and grace of some hats. For the police or the armed forces, there are no visible components for an adversary to get hold of, and the hat will not blow off while in active duty. The brow band is excellent for horse riding and also for general farm work. It does not have components that fit firmly around a throat and has no toggles and buckles which are difficult for children, elderly or handicapped people to use.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to the embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (2)

1. A hat having an internal brow band which extends only across a forward inside part of the hat and which has two ends, one end being fixed to the inside of the hat and about mid-way between the front and back of the hat, the other end being fixed in a similar manner to the opposite side of the hat, the brow band, in use, extending over a wearer's forehead to keep the hat on the wearer's head, wherein the brow band is fastened to the hat only adjacent its ends, with the remainder of the band being flexible and therefore able to be fitted to different parts of the wearer's forehead region to vary the attachment of the hat to the person's head.

2. The hat of claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing. DATED this 25th day of August 1999 Michael Francis KNIGHT By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.