GB2343362A

GB2343362A - A bill shaping support for a cap

Info

Publication number: GB2343362A
Application number: GB9824295A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian John Porter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-11-05
Filing date: 1998-11-05
Publication date: 2000-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2018-11-05
Also published as: GB9824295D0; GB2343362B

Abstract

A resilient support 1 for shaping the bill of a cap including a body 4 having a surface adapted to engage and shape the bill to a desired configuration, means 6 for securing the body to the bill, and means 9 and 10 for the display of indicia.

Description

A DEVICE FOR A CAP The invention relates to a device for a cap, particularly to such a device as is used for shaping the bill of a cap.

Caps such as baseball caps usually have a peak or bill. Such peaks or bills usually are curved, but with use they can lose their shape. Alternatively, an owner may wish to alter the shape of the bill of the cap, particularly to alter the curve. This is not easy to achieve without damaging the cap and/or its bill.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to seek to mitigate this disadvantage.

According to the invention there is provided a device for shaping the bill of a cap, including a body having a surface adapted to engage and shape a bill of a cap to a desired configuration, and means to secure the body to the bill.

The body may be elongate and may define the surface as a curved upper, in use surface of the body for engaging an underneath surface of the bill. Thus the device may be positioned unobtrusively underneath the bill whilst acting to configure it to a desired shape.

The means to secure the body to the bill may comprise hook means at each lateral extremity of the body. This provides a particularly simple construction, particularly where the hook means may each include upwardly open, in use, channel means adapted to receive an edge of the bill.

The channel means may include an outwardly facing surface adapted to receive indicia. Thus the surface may include a logo, advertising, or other indicia.

The body may be raked forwardly in use from the hook means, preferably to a substantially central forward part, in which case the angle of rake is suitably about 45 . This construction provides that the device retains the desired curved shape over substantially the whole surface area of the bill from a rear part to the forward part thereof.

The substantially central forward part may include a downwardly, in use, directed projection, which may be of substantially semi-circular shape and may define a forwardly facing surface adapted to receive indicia. Thus the said surface may display a logo, advertising or other indicia.

The body may be resilient. This enables the body to be retained in position on a bill, and to retain the bill in the desired shape, owing to its own inherent resilience. This is particularly so when the device is made of plastic material, for example by being formed integrally by injection moulding.

It will be understood that the invention extends to a cap, with a device as hereinbefore defined, mounted on the bill thereof.

Devices embodying the invention are hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows to a smaller scale further embodiments of device according to the invention ; and Fig. 5 shows a cap with a device according to the invention mounted on a bill thereof.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a device 1 for shaping the bill 2 of a cap 3, including a body 4 having a surface 8 adapted to engage and shape the bill 2 of the cap 3 to a desired configuration, and means 6 to secure the body 4 to the bill.

In the embodiments, the device 1 is formed integrally by injection moulding of plastic material so that it has an inherent resilience. The body 4 is elongate, and is raked forwardly, as considered in use, from the securing means 6 to a substantially central forward part 7.

The angle of rake from each securing means 6 is about 45 in the embodiments, so that in use as shown in Fig. 5, the body 4 extends from or near the root of the bill 2 to the forward part, so supporting and shaping the bill from below over substantially the whole surface area, the upper, curved, surface 5 engaging the lower surface of the bill 2 for this purpose. The securing or retaining means 6 comprise upwardly, as viewed, open channel members in the form of hook means, the gap 8 between the limbs thereby being sufficient to receive the thickness of the edge of the bill 2, the natural resilience of the plastics material holding the device in position. The outer limb 9 of the hook means 6 is of semi-circular shape in the embodiments shown, and can be used to receive indicia such as a logo, trade mark, advertising material or other indicia.

The forward central part 7 has a downwardly directed projection 10 of semi-circular configuration, the forwardly, in use, directed surface of which can also be used to bear indicia such as a logo, trade mark, advertising or other indicia.

The shape bestowing surface 5 may be of any desired configuration other than that shown in Figs. 1,2 and 5, for example as shown in Fig. 4.

The device 1 is generally permanently attached to the bill 2, is worn when the cap 3 is worn, and can be used to shape the bill 2, or to alter the bill to a desired configuration. It will be understood pressure which is the result of the natural resilience of the material retains the device 1 on the bill 2 being sufficient to suspend the weight of the device from underneath the bill. The forward projection or tab 10 can also be used to mount the device on the bill 2 or to pull it off.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A device for shaping the bill of a cap, including a body having a surface adapted to engage and shape a bill of a cap to a desired configuration, and means to secure the body to the bill.
2. A device according to Claim 1, the body being elongate and defining the surface as a curved upper, in use, surface of the body for engaging an underneath surface of the bill.
3. A device according to Claim 2, the means to secure the body to the bill comprising hook means at each lateral extremity of the body.
4. A device according to Claim 3, the hook means each including upwardly open, in use, channel means adapted to receive an edge of the bill.
5. A device according to Claim 4, the channel means including an outwardly facing surface adapted to receive indicia.
6. A device according to any of Claims 3 to 5, the body being raked forwardly in use from the hook means.
7. A device according to Claim 6, the body being raked forwardly to a substantially central forward part.
8. A device according to Claim 7, the substantially central forward part including a downwardly, in use, directed projection.
9. A device according to Claim 8, the projection being of substantially semi-circular shape and defining a forwardly facing surface adapted to receive indicia.
10. A device according to any preceding claim, the body being resilient.
11. A device according to Claim 10, formed from plastic material.
12. A device according to Claim 11, being integrally formed by injection moulding.
13. A device for shaping the bill of a cap, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. A cap, with a device according to any preceding claim, mounted on the bill thereof.