KR20140053920A - Swimming cap - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a swim cap (6) defining a space (2) for receiving a wearer's head. The cap further defines an expanded volume fraction (7). In use, the expanded volume fraction (7) is disposed in the wearer ' s neck (3) and includes the wearer ' s hair. This improves fluid dynamics, especially when the wearer has long hair, as compared to traditional swim cap designs.

Description

Swim Cap {SWIMMING CAP}

The present invention relates to a swim cap for use in swimming and related water sports.

Swim caps for swimmer's hair are known to perform many functions. They prevent the head from being pulled underwater, otherwise it will slow the swimmer and disturb the concentration. The cap also prevents the hair removed from the scalp of the swimmer from getting caught in the filter of the swimming pool. When made of a waterproof material, the cap may also provide a protective cover to prevent the swimmer's hair from getting wet. These caps also protect the wearer ' s hair and scalp from chlorine.

To aid in wearing hats, swimmers with long hanging hair will generally make their hairs close together, for example, to ply or to make ponytails. After that, a hat is put across the head and hair is collected under the cap from the back of the head. This results in a head profile along substantially the bifurcated shape, except for the protrusions that protrude from the back of the head that contains the hair.

When swimming, the swimmer will generally take a stance with a recess between the back of the head and shoulders. This indentation near the nape of the neck interferes with the flow of water, adversely affecting the swimmer's fluid dynamics. In a traditional swim cap, the indentation is exacerbated by the convexity produced by the hair in the back of the head, which exacerbates the problem. Therefore, there is a need to provide a swim cap that improves fluid dynamics compared to existing designs.

Summary of the Invention

Thus, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a swim cap defining a space for receiving a wearer's head, the cap comprising an expanded volume fraction disposed in the wearer ' s neck to include the wearer ' define.

In traditional designs, hair is generally collected across the two parietal and occipital bones. In the cap of the present invention, however, the expanded volume places the hair at the bottom distant from the two parietal bones. The expanded volume of the cap of the present invention preferably disposes a substantial portion of the hair under the nape of the upper back of the occipital bone and beneath the outer occipital bone. Preferably, the expanded volume of the cap of the present invention places the hair such that a substantial portion of the hair lies at the base of the hairline at the back of the head.

By providing an expanded volume that places the wearer ' s hair at the neck, the cap of the present invention provides a means for partially filling the recesses between the back and shoulders occurring in normal swimming postures. By reducing the size of this recess, the flow of water over this area is improved. Thus, the swim cap of the present invention improves fluid dynamics compared to a traditional swim cap design.

The swim cap preferably has a shape simulating a hollow hemisphere defining a space having a crown portion surrounded by a peripheral portion, wherein a portion of the peripheral portion bulges to define an expanded volume of the space. As discussed above, the expanded volume is disposed over the neck of the wearer in use to provide space for storing the wearer ' s hair.

Preferably, the profile of the cap is such that, in use, the gap between the crown portion and the expanded volume portion has a substantially continuous gradient or slope, i. E. Significant deflections between the crown portion and the expanded volume portion Or protrusions) of the surface. This is to ensure a smooth flow of water across the cap to minimize undesirable water resistance.

Preferably, the space of the swim cap has a volume that substantially matches the volume of the wearer's head. By having a volume similar to that of the wearer's head, the loosely fit areas where the cap fits on the head to create hydrodynamic drag are minimized.

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

Of course, the length of the wearer's hair will vary from wearer to wearer. Preferably, the cap is capable of receiving a hanging hair extending from ~ 34 cm to 70 cm from the crown of the head.

Preferably, the swim cap has a gripping section for securing the cap to the wearer's head. The grip portion can extend around the edge of the cap, and the edge defines the opening of the space. In certain embodiments, the grip portion completely surrounds the opening of the space.

The grip portion may be resilient such that compression of the grip portion surrounding the head portion maintains the cap in place. Additionally or alternatively, this portion can be made of a non-slip material that keeps the cap in place through friction. For example, the grip portion may be an elastomeric material, such as silicone rubber. This portion may contact the skin of the wearer, e.g. the wearer ' s forehead, and / or the hair. The grip portion provides a means for holding the cap in place on the wearer's head. This can also help the cap to be worn, since the wearer can place and fix the grip on the head of the wearer before the cap is completely worn on the head.

The cap may be made of a porous or non-porous material. The material may be elastic (in this case can compress against the wearer's head) or relatively inelastic (in which case it may not compress against the wearer's head). Alternatively, it may include both elastic and non-elastic materials that are combined within the same areas of the cap (e. G., Stratified or interwoven / interlaced) or in separate areas. Examples of suitable materials include rubber materials such as silicone and latex, and fabric materials such as polyamide materials (e.g., nylon) and Lycra (TM).

Preferably, the cap is at least partially fabricated from a fabric material. The fabric material may be woven fibers, preferably stretch woven fibers. In preferred embodiments, the cap is made of a fabric material that includes both inelastic yarns (e.g., polyamide materials) and elastic yarns (e.g., Lycra ™). Preferably, the percentage of elastic yarns (e.g., Lycra ™) is about 25 wt%. Preferably, the percentage of inelastic yarns (e.g., polyamide) is about 75 wt%.

In preferred embodiments, the cap is made of a fabric material having a weight per square meter of 90-300 g / m ² . For example, a cap can have a weight per square meter of about 106 g / m ² .

Hats made from textile materials may be easier to adjust after being placed on the head than rubber hats. Rubber materials tend to tighten the head (both by compression and through high level of friction), making it difficult to reposition the cap after it is placed on the head. In contrast, fabric materials tend to tighten the head to a lesser extent, aiding relocation.

The cap preferably has a streamlined outer surface, for example the cap may have smooth outer surfaces. This prevents the hydrodynamic drag produced by the outer surface of the cap from offsetting the improved fluid dynamics of the cap placement of the hair.

The swim cap may have an unified configuration, i. E. May be formed of a single piece material. For example, the cap can be a single piece of molding material / fiber. However, it is desirable that the swim cap includes multiple panels that are connected by a seam. The multi-panel construction is advantageous for the construction of the hat, since the desired shape can be produced by selecting the positions of the panels and the seam instead of molding or weaving the hat into the desired shape. This configuration can also increase the resilience of the hat. This, for example, eliminates the need for materials to have larger material expansions that can be more prone to tearing or unwanted deformation compared to multiple smaller panels.

The panels can be connected to one another by sewing or by gluing. Stitching is preferred because the stitching seams can stretch at a similar rate to the fibers. This minimizes the stresses in the cap which can cause damage. While various seam types are possible, overlap seams are desirable because they can make the hat relatively flat and minimize drag.

Advantageously, the swim cap includes a tactile or visual position marker aligned with the anatomical mark on the wearer ' s head to ensure the correct wearing position of the cap when in use. In certain cases, the markers can act as both tactile and visual location markers.

By providing such a position marker, the wearer of the cap can align the marker with an appropriate anatomical marker (e.g., nose, ear, etc.) to ensure that the cap is correctly fitted. Accurate wear ensures optimal comfort and / or optimum performance.

In some embodiments, the position of the cap position marker is determined by the position of the anatomical marker on the female head of the 50 th percentile, or on the resized version of the head. In other embodiments, the position of the cap position marker is determined by the position of the male head at the 50 th percentile, or the anatomical marker on the resized version of the head. In preferred embodiments, the position of the cap position marker is determined by the average of the female head at the 50 th percentile and the male head at the 50 th percentile, or the location of the anatomical markers on the resized version of the head. Tactile position markers are desirable (because wearing a hat may prevent the wearer from visually confirming the position of the hat without using additional aids, such as a mirror).

The position marker can be placed in use, for example on the centerline of the wearer ' s forehead or on the center of the crown of the wearer or on the centerline of the neck of the wearer. Preferably, the position marker is provided on the front edge of the cap (in use, on the wearer's forehead). More preferably, the position marker is provided on the front edge of the cap to align with the center line of the wearer ' s forehead or nose. Preferably, the location marker (e.g., tactile location marker) is alternatively or additionally provided on the side of the cap for alignment with one ear of the wearer. More preferably, the caps each have position markers (or one position marker that extends between opposite sides of the cap) on opposite sides of the cap to align with one ear of the wearer. Preferably, the position marker for aligning with one ear of the wearer is designed to align with a particular part of the ear, most preferably with the outer edge of the tragion of the ear.

The tactile location marker may include raised or recessed elements formed or provided on the surface of the cap. The lift element may be, for example, a dull or ridge (e.g., a linear, extended ridge). The tactile location marker may be provided in a number of ways. For example, the tactile location marker may be a separate element stitched or bonded to the cap, or the tactile location marker itself may be a stitch (or stitch line) with an elevated profile. Alternatively, the markers can be printed on the fibers, for example using a Plastisol print.

The location marker can be an integral part of the cap, in this case it can be formed during the making of the cap or during the production of the materials used to create the cap.

The tactile location marker may be a linear element or may have a vertex of an arrow pointing to an aligned / arranged point on an anatomical landmark, e.g., an apex of an arrow extending to the front edge of the cap for alignment of the wearer's forehead center line and apex It can be in the form of an arrow. This allows the wearer to position the markers over their forehead center lines (with their hands feeling the markers). By ensuring that the marker is in place, the wearer can be assured that the hat has been worn correctly to maximize comfort, watertightness and performance.

The visual location marker may be a visual marker provided on the surface of the cap. Any design can be made if it is clear which part of the marker should be aligned with the anatomical marker. Examples of suitable designs include: geometric shapes such as circle, square, triangle, diamond (the center of the geometric shape is provided as a point for alignment on an anatomical landmark); Arrows (vertices of arrows indicate points for alignment on anatomical markers); A cross (the center of the cross indicates the point for alignment above the anatomical marker); And lines (especially useful when the marker needs to be aligned with a linear anatomical marker). In a preferred embodiment, the visual location marker is a stitch line having a color contrasted with the background color of the hat. For example, a hat can be mostly dark, and a stitch line can be a contrasting light color (or vice versa). In this embodiment, it is preferred that the stitch line is also a rising portion for functioning as a tactile location marker.

The visual location marker can be provided in a number of ways: it can be printed on the surface of the cap; It can be embroidered on the surface of the cap; Or it can be formed during fabrication of the fibers used to create the caps.

Advantageously, the cap may include other objects on the wearer's head, such as one or more position markers for placing the swimming goggles. For example, a hat may have a marker on either side of the head to help position the swimming goggles strap. Additionally or alternatively, the nose of the swimming goggles may be aligned with respect to the marker at a location on the front portion of the cap. By providing one or more position markers, the wearer can be sure to wear the goggles. Accurate wearing of the goggles is necessary to ensure watertightness and to reduce performance damage caused by water resistance caused by wearing incorrect goggles.

In hats that include multiple panels, seams can be aligned with anatomical indicia, such as the nose, ears, etc., using tactile or visual location markers.

For example, a swim cap may extend from the crown portion of the cap to the front of the cap and have a center seam disposed in line with the centerline and line of the wearer's forehead or nose when in use. Preferably, the seam is partly raised or recessed so that the user feels a seam and can reliably position the cap with reference to the forehead without having to visually confirm that the cap has been worn correctly. Additionally or alternatively, the seam can function as a visual location marker. For example, the seam may include a line of threads having a color that is contrasted with the background color of the cap.

In some embodiments, the center seam can extend from the back portion of the cap to the front portion of the cap across the crown portion. In use, this allows the wearer to position the seam at the front of the cap against the forehead and the seam at the back of the cap against another feature, such as the center of the neck. The placement of the caps on these two features will increase the accuracy of wearing the caps.

Alternatively or in addition to the seam, the swim cap may have seams going from one side of the wearer's head to the opposite side of the head, aligned with the wearer's ears and lines in use. This side-to-side type seam can extend between the opposite parts of the edge of the cap defining an opening in the space. Advantageously, such side-to-side seams provide position markers that allow quick and easy placement of the cap on the wearer's head. Preferably, the seam is partly raised or recessed so that the user feels a seam and can reliably position the cap relative to the ear without having to visually confirm that the cap is worn correctly. Additionally or alternatively, the seam can function as a visual location marker. For example, the seam may include a stitch line having a color that is contrasted with the background color of the cap.

In a preferred embodiment, the cap preferably includes both a center seam that intersects each other in the crown portion of the cap, and a side-to-side seam. Using one seam to place the hat on the ear and another seam to place the hat on the forehead can improve hat wearing accuracy. Alternatively, the wearer may prefer to place the cap with reference to only one seam, so that they choose whether to align the cap with a center seam or a side-to-side seam.

The hat may include seams from the back of the hat to the crown of the head, which is offset (offset) to the side of the head. This offset rear-to-crown buckle seams form a hat on the side of the head. Preferably, the cap includes two offset rear-to-crown-shaped seams.

In a preferred embodiment, the cap has a center seam, a side-to-side seam, and two offset back-to-crown-shaped seams. In this embodiment, it is preferred that a center seam extends across the crown portion from the rear of the cap to the front of the cap, and two offset rear-to-crown-shaped seams are arranged on one side of the center seam. In addition, it is preferred that the rear-to-crown-shaped seams end in a side-to-side seam. The arrangement of these seams provides position markers for aligning the cap (using the center seam) with respect to the center of the forehead or nose (using the center seam) and the ear (using the side-to-side seam).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cap is for use as a swimming cap liner. "Swimming cap liner" means a cap worn under an additional swim cap. In these embodiments, the swim cap of the present invention may be used to arrange the wearer ' s hair and then use an additional swim cap.

The wearing of two swim caps is known and is often referred to as "wearing double hats". However, this is generally done using two silicone or latex swim caps, which often make the wearer feel inconvenienced. One reason for the discomfort can be attributed to the excessive shrinkage of the head by two elastic caps. Additional causes may be overheating resulting from the thermal insulation effect of the silicone / latex caps.

Preferably, when the cap is used for a swim cap liner, it is made of a fabric material. As described above, hats made of textile materials will tend to be more easily relocated than those made of rubber materials because the hats tighten the head less. This allows the wearer to adjust the cap of the present invention until an optimal arrangement of the hair is achieved and then use an additional swim cap here. Fabric materials can overcome common overheating problems in wearing double hats using silicone / latex hats by promoting improved heat dissipation from the head.

Most preferably, when the cap is used as a swimming cap liner, it is made of a relatively inelastic fabric material that does not significantly compress the head. You can use an additional swim cap to compress your head on this hat. But advantageously the overall compression effect in this arrangement will be less than when using two silicone / latex hats.

When the cap is used as a swimming cap liner, it need not be made of a waterproof material. Swim cap liner is made of non-flammable material and you can use additional hats made of waterproof material.

If the wearer wears swimming goggles, they may be placed on the swimwear liner and placed on these goggles before the final swim cap is finally worn. The arrangement reduces the chance of goggles moving, for example, when the wearer dives into the water.

In order to wear the hat of the present invention, the swimmer first places the hat across the forehead and then pulls the hat back over the head with the hanging hair protruding from the hat. Then the hair is put into the cap and the hair is included in the volume fraction expanded from the neck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.

Brief Description of Drawings

1 is a side view of a prior art swim cap on a wearer's head;

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

Figure 3 is a section side view of a cap having grip portions for securing the cap to the wearer's head;

Figure 4 is a section side view of a cap made of multiple panels joined by a seam;

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

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the cap shown in Fig. 4; Fig.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A prior art swim cap 1 having a traditional form is shown in Fig. The cap (1) fits on the head (2) of the wearer and ends at the neck (3) of the back of the head. Usually, in order to wear the hats 1, the wearer will first stretch the hats 1 over the head 2, first forming the hairs in the back neck 2 or similar structure. The position of the hair on the back of the head (2) makes the convex (4) on the back of the head. The convex portion 4 emphasizes the concave portion generated in the neck 3 to create the concave portion 5 and increases the recirculation of water during swimming to generate drag.

2 shows a swim cap 6 according to the present invention. The swim cap 6 defines a space for receiving the wearer's head 2 and further defines an expanded volume 7 disposed in the wearer's neck 3 to include the wearer's hair in use do. The expanded volumetric portion 7 locates the hair to form a low profile across the neck 3 to partially fill the recesses between the back of the neck and the shoulders to create the recesses 8.

The expanded volume 7 of the cap 6 places the hair lower on the head 2 compared to the cap 1 of the prior art. The prior art cap (1) places the hair across the parietal and occipital bones (not across the neck), with a substantial portion on the two upper nuchal lines and the outer occipital bone bumps. In contrast, the expanded volume 7 of the cap 6 does not place the hair across the pelvic bone, but instead a significant portion of the hair is placed over the neck and a smaller portion is placed over the occipital bone. In the cap 6, a substantial portion of the hair is under the two upper nuchal lines and the outer occipital bone bumps.

The recess 8 in the neck 3 is smaller than the recess 5 in the case of using the hat 1 of the prior art when the swim cap 6 is used. The arrangement of the hair produced by the expanded volume fraction 7 improves the hydrodynamics compared to the swim cap 1 of the prior art.

To fix the cap to the wearer's head (2), the cap includes a gripping section. The cap 9 is shown in Fig. 3, which has a continuous band 10 of silicone rubber enclosing the edge 11 of the opening into the space 12. In use, the friction between the silicone rubber 10 and the skin and / or the hair of the wearer assists in fixing the cap 9 to the wearer ' s head 2. The elasticity of the silicone rubber band 10 also keeps the cap 9 in place on the head 2 by compression.

Advantageously, the caps of the present invention are made of multiple panels connected by a seam. The cap 13 is shown in Figs. As in cap 9, cap 13 includes a silicone rubber band 10 for holding the cap in place.

The hat 13 includes a left front panel 14 and a right front panel 15 connected by a central overlapping seam 16 (left and right are defined in terms of wearer wearing a hat). The seam 16 has an overlapping configuration that stitches and is held together. The seam 16 is slightly raised to about the thickness of the yarn used to hold the seams together on the outer surface of the cap. This allows the seam 16 to act as a tactile position marker for the cap 13 to provide guidance on the position of the cap 13 on the wearer's head 2. [ However, the seam is not excessively elevated so as to adversely affect the fluid dynamics of the cap 13. In use, the wearer can sense the position of the seam and align the seam 16 with the forehead or nose center. The cap 13 also has a seam 17 extending from one side of the wearer's head to the other side of the head over the crown portion. The seam 17 acts as a tactile location marker for positioning slightly against the wearer ' s ear, slightly elevated from the outside of the cap, similar to the seam 16. The wearer aligns the seam 17 so that it extends from one ear to the other. Thus, by aligning the seam 16 with the center of the forehead or nose and / or the seam 17 with the ears, the wearer can securely seat the cap on the head. The additional seams 18 go from the seam 17 to the rear of the hats 13 and to the right side central rear panel 19, the right side rear half panel 20, the left rear half center panel 21 and the left side rear half panel 22 ).

The rear portion of the cap 13 has a smooth slope profile, i.e. there are no undesirable significant deflections which can cause drag increase.

The seam 16 includes a stitch line 23 having a color contrasted with the background color of the cap. The seam 17 includes a similar stitch line 24. Stitches are used as visual positioning markers to align their corresponding seams to the same anatomic markers. In this case, the stitches form part of the seam structure. In other embodiments, however, the cap may include stitch lines to act as visual or tactile location markers that are not incorporated into the seam structure.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the swim caps exemplified in the Figures and described above are examples of implementing the concepts of the invention described herein, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the invention.

Claims (17)

A swim cap defining a space for receiving a wearer's head, the swim cap further defining an expanded volumetric portion disposed on a wearer's neck to include the wearer's hairs when in use. The swim cap of claim 1, wherein in use the swollen volume portion places a substantial portion of the hair under the borders of the upper nasal line and the outer occipital bone of the occipital bone. 3. A swimming cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has a shape simulating a hollow hemisphere defining a space, a crown part surrounded by a peripheral part, and a part of the peripheral part bulging to define the swollen volume of the space . 4. The swim cap of claim 3, wherein the profile of the cap has a substantially continuous gradient between the crown portion and the expanded volume fraction in use. The swim cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the space of the swim cap has a volume that substantially matches the wearer's head volume. 6. The swim cap according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having a gripping section for securing the cap to the wearer's head. 7. The swim cap of claim 6, wherein the grip portion extends around an edge of the cap, the edge defining an opening into the space. 8. A swim cap according to any one of claims 1 to 7, made from a textile material. 9. The swim cap of claim 8, wherein the fabric material is stretch weave fibers. 10. A swim cap according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising panels connected by a seam. 11. A swim cap according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a tactile or visual position marker placed on the anatomical indicia on the wearer's head to ensure the correct wearing position of the cap in use. 12. The swim cap of claim 11 wherein the location marker is seam. 13. The swim cap of claim 12, wherein the position marker is in line with the centerline of the wearer's forehead in use, and is a center seam extending from the crown portion of the cap to the front portion of the cap. 14. The swim cap of claim 12 or 13, wherein the position marker is seamed from one side of the wearer's head to the other side of the wearer's head, aligned with the wearer's ear and line when in use. 15. A swim cap as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14, comprising a seam to the crown of the head at the back of the cap, said seam being deflected to one side of the head. 16. A swim cap according to any one of claims 1 to 15, comprising a tactile or visual position marker used to position the wearer ' s goggles against the cap in use. Use as a swimwear liner for wearing an additional swim cap of a swim cap according to one of the preceding claims.

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