CN103732093A - Swimming cap - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a swimming cap (6) defining a cavity for receiving the wearer's head (2). The cap further defines an enlarged volume portion (7). In use, the enlarged volume portion (7) is positioned at the nape (3) of the wearer's neck and accommodates the wearer's hair. This results in improved fluid dynamics compared to traditional swim cap designs, especially if the wearer has long hair.

Description

swimming cap

technical field

The present invention relates to swimming caps for use in swimming and related water sports.

Background technique

Swimming caps for covering a swimmer's hair are known to serve a number of functions. It prevents the hair from dragging in the water, which would otherwise slow and disturb the swimmer. In addition, the cap prevents hair detached from the swimmer's scalp from clogging filters or the like in swimming pools. When the cap is made of waterproof material, it can also provide a protective cover that prevents the swimmer's hair from getting wet. These hats also protect the wearer's hair and scalp from exposure to chlorine.

To facilitate wearing a hat, swimmers with long locks typically have their hair formed into a tight shape, such as a bun or ponytail. The hat is then placed on the head so that the hair is collected under the hat at the back of the head. This produces a head profile that essentially follows the shape of the skull, except for a high hair-containing ridge at the back of the head.

When swimming, a swimmer will generally assume a position in which there is a sunken area between the back of the head and the shoulders. This depressed area around the nape of the neck impedes the flow of water, thus adversely affecting the swimmer's hydrodynamics. In the case of conventional swimming caps, this depressed area is exacerbated by the bulge created by the hair at the back of the head, thus exacerbating the problem. Therefore, there is a need to provide a swim cap having improved hydrodynamics compared to known designs.

Contents of the invention

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a swimming cap defining a cavity for receiving the wearer's head, wherein the cap further defines an enlarged volume portion positioned in use At the nape of the wearer's neck, to accommodate the wearer's hair.

In traditional designs, the hair is usually collected on the parietal and occipital bones of the skull. However, in the hat of the present invention, the enlarged volume portion positions the hair at a lower distance of the parietal bone of the skull. The enlarged volume portion of the cap of the present invention preferably positions the main body of hair below the upper neckline and the inion of the occipital bone. Preferably, the enlarged volume portion of the cap of the present invention positions the hair such that the main body of the hair covers the base of the hairline at the back of the head.

Positioning the wearer's hair at the nape of the neck by providing an enlarged volume portion, the hat of the present invention provides for partially filling the recessed area between the back of the head and the shoulders (which in normal swimming position appear) way. Reducing the size of this recessed area improves water flow through this area. Accordingly, the swim cap of the present invention has improved hydrodynamics over conventional swim cap designs.

The swimming cap preferably has the approximate shape of a hollow dome delimiting the cavity, with a crown surrounded by a periphery, wherein a section of the periphery is raised to define an enlarged volume portion of the cavity. As explained above, this enlarged volume portion is positioned in use on the nape of the wearer and provides space for storing the wearer's hair.

Preferably, the profile of the cap is such that, in use, it has a substantially continuous gradient or slope from the crown to the enlarged volume portion, i.e. it has a smooth contour between the crown and the enlarged volume portion , without significant deviations (for example, dents or protrusions). This will ensure smooth water flow through the hat so that undue water resistance is minimized.

Preferably, the cavity of the swimming cap has a volume that substantially matches the volume of the wearer's head. Having a volume similar to the wearer's head ensures that the cap fits snugly to the head, minimizing areas of loose fit that could create hydrodynamic drag.

In some embodiments, the "wearer's head" is a 50% female head or a scaled version of such a head. In other embodiments, the "wearer's head" is a 50% male head or a scaled version of such a head. In a preferred embodiment, the "wearer's head" is the average of the 50% female head shape and the 50% male head shape, or a scaled version of this head.

Of course, the length of the wearer's hair will vary among wearers. Preferably, the hat is capable of accommodating hair extending from about 34cm to 70cm from the crown of the head.

Preferably, the swimming cap has a gripping section for fastening the cap to the wearer's head. The gripping section may extend around the rim of the cap, the rim defining the opening of the cavity. In some embodiments, the clamping section completely surrounds the opening of the cavity.

The gripping section may be elastic such that compression of the gripping section around a portion of the head holds the hat in place. Additionally or alternatively, the sections may be made of a non-slip material which holds the cap in place via friction. For example, the clamping section can be an elastic material, such as silicone rubber. The segments may contact the wearer's skin, such as the forehead, and/or the wearer's hair. The gripping section provides a means of holding the cap in place on the wearer's head. It also facilitates putting on the hat because the wearer can first position and fasten the gripping section to his head before placing the hat fully on the head.

The cap can be made of porous or non-porous material. The material may be elastic (in which case it is compressible against the wearer's head) or relatively inelastic (in which case it is not compressible against the wearer's head). Alternatively, it may comprise both elastic and non-elastic materials, combined in the same region of the hat (eg, in a layered configuration, or interwoven/entangled with each other) or present in separate regions. Examples of suitable materials include rubber materials such as silicone and latex, and textile materials such as polyamide materials (eg nylon) and Lycra ^™ .

Preferably, the cap is at least partially made of textile material. The textile material may be a woven fabric, preferably a stretch woven fabric. In a preferred embodiment, the cap is made of a textile material comprising non-elastic threads (eg polyamide material) and elastic threads (eg Lycra ^™ ). Preferably, the percentage of elastic thread (eg Lycra ^™ ) is about 25 weight percent. Preferably, the percentage of non-elastic threads (eg polyamide) is about 75 weight percent.

In a preferred embodiment, the cap is made of a textile material with a weight per square meter of 90-300 grams/ ^m2 . For example, the hat may have a weight per square meter of approximately 106 grams/ ^m2 .

Hats made of textile materials are easier to adjust than rubber hats after being placed on the head. The rubber material tends to grip the head (both through compression and due to high friction), making it difficult to reposition the cap after it has been placed on the head. In contrast, textile materials tend to clamp the head to a lighter degree, which facilitates repositioning.

The cap preferably has a streamlined exterior, eg the cap may have a smooth exterior surface. This ensures that the hydrodynamic drag created by the outer surface of the cap does not nullify the improved hydrodynamics due to the positioning of the cap to the hair.

The swim cap may be of unitary construction, ie formed from a single piece of material. For example, the hat can be a single piece of molded material/fabric. However, the swimming cap preferably comprises a plurality of panels joined by seams. Multi-panel construction facilitates the construction of the hat because the hat can be made into the desired shape by picking the positions of the panels and seams rather than by molding or knitting the hat into the shape. Such configurations may also increase the elasticity of the hat. For example, it does not require large expansions of the material, which can be more prone to tearing or improper deformation than multiple smaller panels.

The panels may be joined to each other by stitching or by gluing. Stitching is preferred because stitched seams can stretch at a similar stretch rate to fabric. This minimizes stresses in the cap that could otherwise cause damage. Various seam types are possible, but lap seams are preferred because they can be made to lie relatively flat against the hat with minimal drag.

Advantageously, the swimming cap includes tactile or visual position markers which, in use, align with body surface landmarks on the wearer's head to ensure correct wearing position of the cap. In some instances, markers can serve as both tactile and visual location markers.

By providing such position markers, the wearer of the hat can align the markers with appropriate body landmarks (eg, nose, ears, etc.) to ensure the hat is properly fitted. The correct fit ensures optimum comfort and/or optimum performance.

In some embodiments, the location of the position markers on the hat is determined by the location of body surface landmarks on 50% of the female head or a scaled version of this head. In other embodiments, the positions of the position markers on the cap are determined by the positions of the body landmarks on the 50% male head or a scaled version of the head. In a preferred embodiment, the positions of the position markers on the hat are determined by the positions of the body landmarks on the head which is the average of 50% female heads and 50% male heads, or a scaled version of this head. Sure. Tactile position marking is preferred (as the wearer may not be able to visually check the position of the hat without using additional assistance (eg, a mirror) when fitting the hat).

In use, the position marker may eg be positioned on the centerline of the wearer's forehead or on the centerline of the crown of the wearer's hat or on the centerline of the nape of the wearer's neck. Preferably, the position markers are provided on the forward facing edge of the hat (which in use is located on the wearer's forehead). More preferably, position markers are provided on the forward facing edge of the cap for alignment with the centerline of the wearer's forehead or nose. Preferably, instead or additionally, position markers (eg tactile position markers) are provided on one side of the cap for alignment with one of the wearer's ears. More preferably, the hat has position markings on opposite sides of the hat (or a single position marking extending between opposite sides of the hat), each for alignment with a respective one of the wearer's ears. Preferably said position markers for alignment with one of the wearer's ears are designed to align with a specific part of the ear, more preferably with the outer edge of the ear's tragus point.

The tactile position markers may comprise raised or recessed elements formed or provided on the surface of the cap. The raised elements may be, for example, bumps or ridges (eg, linear elongated ridges). Tactile location markers can be provided in a variety of ways. For example, the tactile position marker may be a separate element that is stitched or glued to the hat, or the tactile position marker itself may be a stitch (or row of stitches) with a raised outline. Alternatively, the indicia may be printed onto the fabric, for example using plastic printing.

The position marker may be an integral part of the hat, in which case it may be formed during manufacture of the hat or of the material used to produce the hat.

The tactile location marker may be a line element, or it may be in the shape of an arrow, where the apex of the arrow designates the point to be aligned/located on the body landmark, for example, where the apex of the arrow extends to the forward edge of the cap for Alignment of the apex with the centerline of the wearer's forehead. This allows the wearer to position the marker on the centerline of their forehead (by feeling the marker with their hands). By ensuring that the markings are in the correct position, the wearer can be sure that the hat is fitted correctly, maximizing comfort, watertightness and performance.

The visual location marker may be a visual indicator provided on the face of the hat. It can be of any design as long as it is obvious which part of the indicator has to be aligned with the body surface landmark. Examples of suitable designs are: geometric shapes such as circles, squares, triangles, rhombuses (where the center of the geometric shape is set as a point for alignment on body surface landmarks); points for alignment on body landmarks); crosses (where the center of the cross marks the points for alignment on body landmarks); and lines (which are especially useful when markings are to be aligned with linear body landmarks) . In a preferred embodiment, the visual location marker is a row of stitches of a color that contrasts with the background color of the hat. For example, the hat may be predominantly dark in color and the row of stitching may be a contrasting light color (or the hat may be predominantly bright in color and the row of stitching may be a contrasting dark color). In such embodiments, the row of sutures is also preferably raised so as to serve as a tactile position marker.

The visual position marker can be provided in a number of ways: it can be printed on the face of the hat; it can be embroidered on the face of the hat; or it can be formed during the manufacture of the fabric used to create the hat.

Advantageously, the cap may carry one or more position markers to locate other objects on the wearer's head, such as swimming goggles. For example, the hat may have markings on either side of the head to help locate the straps of swimming goggles. Additionally, or as an alternative, the nosepiece of the swimming goggle may align with position markings on the front section of the cap. Providing one or more position markers allows the wearer to securely fit the goggles. Proper fit of the goggles is necessary to ensure watertightness and reduce performance impairment caused by water resistance from improperly fitted goggles.

In hats comprising multiple panels, seams may be used as tactile or visual position markers and aligned with body surface landmarks such as noses, ears, etc.

For example, a swimming cap may have a central seam extending from the crown of the cap to the front portion of the cap, the central seam being positioned in use to align with the centerline of the wearer's forehead or nose. Preferably, the seam is partially raised or recessed, thereby allowing the user to feel the seam and securely position the cap by reference to his forehead, without the need to visually check that the cap fits correctly. Additionally, or alternatively, seams may serve as visual location markers. For example, a seam may have a row of lines with a color that contrasts with the background color of the hat.

In some embodiments, the central seam may extend from the rear portion of the hat through the crown to the front portion of the hat. In use, this may allow the wearer to position the seam at the front portion of the cap relative to his forehead, and the seam at the rear portion of the cap relative to another feature such as the middle of the nape of the neck. place. Positioning the hat relative to these two features will increase the accuracy of the hat fit.

Alternatively, or in addition to this seam, the swimming cap may have a seam extending from one side of the wearer's head to the opposite side of the head, said seam being positioned in use to match the wearer's head. align the ears of the recipient. The pair of side seams may extend between diametrically opposed portions of the brim of the hat, thereby defining the opening of the cavity. Advantageously, the pair of side seams provide position markers allowing quick and easy positioning of the cap on the wearer's head. Preferably, the seam is partially raised or recessed, allowing the user to feel the seam and securely position the cap by reference to his ear, without the need to visually check that the cap fits correctly. Additionally, or alternatively, seams may serve as visual location markers. For example, a seam may have a row of stitches in a color that contrasts with the background color of the hat.

In a preferred embodiment, the hat has both a central seam and opposing side seams, which preferably cross each other at the crown of the hat. Using one seam to position the hat relative to the ears and another seam to position the hat relative to the forehead can result in improved hat fit accuracy. Alternatively, the wearer may prefer to position the hat with reference to only one seam, thus having the choice of aligning the hat using the central seam or the opposite side seam.

The hat may include a seam extending from the rear portion of the hat to the crown of the head, the seam being offset to one side of the head. This offset back to crown seam defines the hat on the side of the head. Preferably, the hat includes two offset rear to crown seams.

In a preferred embodiment, the hat has a central seam, opposite side seams and two offset rear to crown seams. In this embodiment, preferably the central seam extends from the rear portion of the hat through the crown to the front portion of the hat, and two offset rear to crown seams are arranged on either side of this central seam. Additionally, the rear to crown seam preferably terminates at the opposite side seam. This seam arrangement provides position marks for aligning the hat relative to the center of the forehead or nose (using the center seam) and ears (using the opposite side seam).

In one embodiment of the invention, the cap is used as a swimming cap liner. "Swimming cap liner" means a cap worn under another swimming cap. In such embodiments, the swim cap of the present invention may be used to style the wearer's hair and then be covered with another swim cap.

The wearing of two swimming caps is known and is often referred to as a "double cap". However, this is usually done using two silicone or latex swim caps, often resulting in discomfort for the wearer. One source of discomfort can be caused by excessive retraction of the head by the two elastic caps. Another source may be overheating from the insulating effect of the silicone/latex cap.

Preferably, when the hat is used as a swimming cap lining, it is made of a textile material. As mentioned above, a hat made of textile material will be easier to reposition than a hat made of rubber material because a hat made of textile material grips the head more lightly. This allows the wearer to adjust the cap of the invention until an optimal placement of the hair is achieved, and then top it with another swimming cap. The textile material may contribute to improved heat dissipation from the head, thereby overcoming overheating issues common with dual caps of silicone/latex caps.

Most preferably, when the cap is used as a swimming cap liner, it is made of a relatively inelastic textile material that does not compress the head significantly. The cap can be overlaid with another swim cap that compresses the head. Advantageously, however, in this arrangement the overall compression effect will be less than with two silicone/latex caps.

When the cap is used as a swimming cap liner, it need not be made of waterproof material. The swimming cap liner can be made of non-waterproof material and overlaid with another cap made of waterproof material.

If the wearer wears swimming goggles, they can put on the swim cap liner, then put on their goggles, and finally top it with another swim cap. This arrangement reduces the chance of the goggle moving, such as when the wearer jumps into the water.

To put on the hat of the present invention, a swimmer first positions the hat on his forehead, and then pulls the hat back, over the head, to the nape of the neck, so that the loose hair remains protruding from the hat. Hair is then stuffed into the cap such that the hair is contained by the enlarged volume at the nape of the neck.

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

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a side view of a prior art swimming cap on the wearer's head;

Figure 2 is a side view of the swimming cap of the present invention on the wearer's head;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a hat with a gripping section for securing the hat to the wearer's head;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a hat made from multiple panels joined by seams;

Figure 5 is a side view of the hat in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a rear view of the hat in Figure 4; and

Detailed ways

In Figure 1 a prior art swimming cap 1 is shown having a conventional shape. The hat 1 fits snugly onto the wearer's head 2 and ends at the nape 3 of the neck at the back of the head. Normally, to put on the hat 1 , the wearer will first form the hair into a bun or similar structure on the back of the head 2 and then stretch the hat 1 over the head 2 . The location of the hair (high on the back of the head 2 ) creates a bulge 4 at the back of the head. This hump 4 reinforces the depressed area created at the nape 3 of the neck, thereby creating a depressed area 5 that leads to an increased recirculation of water and thus resistance during swimming.

Figure 2 shows a swimming cap 6 according to the invention. The swimming cap 6 defines a cavity for receiving the wearer's head 2 and further defines an enlarged volume portion 7 which, in use, is positioned at the nape 3 of the wearer's neck, with To accommodate the wearer's hair. The enlarged volume 7 positions the hair to form a low bun shape on the nape 3 of the neck, partially filling the depression between the back of the head and the shoulders, creating a depression 8 .

The enlarged volume portion 7 of the cap 6 positions the hair lower on the head 2 compared to the cap 1 of the prior art. The prior art hat 1 positions the hair on the parietal and occipital bones (and not on the neck) with the body portion above the upper neckline and the extraoccipital protuberance of the skull. In contrast, the enlarged volume 7 of the cap 6 does not position the hair on the parietal bone, but rather positions the main body of the hair on the neck, with a small portion of the hair covering the occiput. In Cap 6, the main body of hair is below the upper neckline and the inion of the skull.

The recessed area 8 at the nape 3 of the neck when using the swimming cap 6 is smaller than the recessed area 5 when using the cap 1 of the prior art. The arrangement of the hair produced by the enlarged volume portion 7 results in improved hydrodynamics compared to prior art swimming caps 1 .

In order to fasten the hat to the wearer's head 2, the hat comprises a clamping section. Such a cap 9 is shown in FIG. 3 with a continuous band 10 of silicone rubber around the edge 11 of the opening of the cavity 12 . In use, friction between the silicone rubber 10 and the wearer's skin and/or hair helps secure the cap 9 to the wearer's head 2 . In addition, the elastic force of the silicone rubber band 10 holds the cap 9 in place on the head 2 by compression.

Advantageously, the hat of the invention is made of a plurality of panels joined by seams. Such a cap 13 is shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 . Like cap 9, cap 13 has a silicone rubber band 10 for holding the cap in place.

Hat 13 comprises left front panel 14 and right front panel 15 joined by central lap seam 16 (where left and right are defined according to the perspective of the wearer wearing the hat). Seam 16 is a lapped construction held together by stitching. The seam 16 is raised slightly from the outer surface of the hat to about the thickness of the thread used to hold the seam together. This allows the seam 16 to act as a tactile position marker for the cap 13 , providing a guide for positioning the cap 13 on the wearer's head 2 . However, the seam is not excessively raised, as this could adversely affect the fluid dynamics of the cap 13 . In use, the wearer can align the seam 16 with the center of his forehead or his nose by feeling the position of the seam. The hat 13 also has a seam 17 extending from one side of the wearer's head across the crown to the other. Seam 17 protrudes slightly from the exterior of the cap similar to seam 16 to serve as a tactile position marker for positioning relative to the wearer's ear. The wearer aligns the seam 17 so as to extend from one ear to the other. Thus, aligning seam 16 with the center of the forehead or nose and/or aligning seam 17 with the ears allows the wearer to securely position the hat on the head. An additional seam 18 extends from seam 17 to the rear of hat 13 , creating a right central rear panel 19 , a right rear panel 20 , a left central rear panel 21 and a left rear central panel 22 .

The rear of the cap 13 has a smooth gradient profile, ie there is no significant deviation, which is undesirable as it would result in increased drag.

The seam 16 has a row of seams 23 of a color that contrasts with the background color of the cap. Seam 17 carries a similar row of stitches 24 . Sutures were used as visual position markers for alignment to the same body surface landmarks as their corresponding seams. In this example, the stitches form part of the seam structure. However, in other embodiments, the hat may have a row of stitches that is not integral to the seam structure to serve as a visual or tactile location marker.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the swim caps illustrated in the drawings and described above are examples embodying the inventive concepts described herein and that many and various modifications are possible without departing from the invention.

Claims (17)

CLAIMS 1. A swimming cap defining a cavity for receiving the head of a wearer, wherein the cap further defines an enlarged volume portion positioned in use on the neck of the wearer The nape is used to accommodate the wearer's hair. 2. A swimming cap according to claim 1 , wherein in use the enlarged volume portion positions the main body portion of the hair below the upper neckline and the inion of the occipital bone. 3. A swimming cap according to claim 1 or 2, having the approximate shape of a hollow dome so as to delimit said cavity, said cap having a crown surrounded by a periphery, wherein a section of said periphery is raised to The enlarged volume portion of the cavity is defined. 4. A swimming cap according to claim 3, wherein the cap is contoured such that, in use, the contour has a substantially continuous gradient between the crown and the enlarged volume portion. 5. A swimming cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cavity of the swimming cap has a volume that substantially matches the volume of the wearer's head. 6. A swimming cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cap has a gripping section for securing the cap to the wearer's head. 7. The swimming cap of claim 6, wherein the gripping section extends around a rim of the cap, the rim defining the opening of the cavity. 8. A swimming cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cap is made of a textile material. 9. The swimming cap of claim 8, wherein the textile material is a stretch woven fabric. 10. A swimming cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cap comprises panels joined by seams. 11. A swimming cap according to any one of the preceding claims comprising tactile or visual position markers positioned in use on body surface markers on the wearer's head To ensure the correct wearing position of the hat. 12. The swimming cap of claim 11, wherein the location markings are seams. 13. A swimming cap according to claim 12, wherein said position marking is a central seam extending from said crown of said cap to a front portion of said cap, said central seam passing through in use. Positioned to align with the centerline of the wearer's forehead. 14. A swimming cap according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the position marking is a seam extending from one side of the wearer's head to the other side of the wearer's head, the The seam is positioned to align with the wearer's ear in use. 15. A swimming cap according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein said cap includes a seam extending from a rear portion of said cap to said crown of said head, said seam The seam is biased to one side of the head. 16. A swimming cap according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising tactile or visual position markers for, in use, positioning the wearer's visor relative to the cap. 17. Use of a swimming cap according to any one of the preceding claims as a swimming cap liner for being overlaid with another swimming cap.

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