US20060031977A1

US20060031977A1 - Headgear article incorporating a bottle opener

Info

Publication number: US20060031977A1
Application number: US10/957,985
Authority: US
Inventors: James Wysopal
Original assignee: James Wysopal
Current assignee: JSW ENTERPRISES D/B/A OPENERS PLUS
Priority date: 2004-06-15
Filing date: 2004-10-04
Publication date: 2006-02-16
Also published as: CN101035445A; EP1799057A4; WO2006041988A2; EP1799057A2; WO2006041988A3; CN100502710C

Abstract

A headgear article is disclosed including a head-engaging portion, a brim attached to the head-engaging portion, and a bottle opener forming a portion of either the head-engaging portion or the brim.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application for a utility patent is a continuation-in-part of a previously filed design patent, still pending, having the application Ser. No. 29/207,574, filed Jun. 15, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to headgear articles, and more particularly to a headgear articles incorporating an integral bottle opener.
2. Description of Related Art
Headgear articles such as hats are widely worn outdoors to protect wearers' eyes and/or heads from solar radiation and rain. A typical hat includes a top head covering portion called a “crown” and projecting edge called a “brim.” A cap is a well-known type of hat with a close-fitting crown and a partial brim called a “visor.”
The present invention includes the combination of a headgear article such as a baseball cap that includes an integral bottle opener.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A headgear article is disclosed including a head-engaging portion, a brim attached to the head-engaging portion, and a bottle opener forming a portion of either the head-engaging portion or the brim.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a headgear article including a head-engaging portion, a crown, and a brim, wherein a bottle opener is positioned in an opening on a right side of the brim;
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the headgear article of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a back elevation view of the headgear article of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view of the headgear article of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a left side elevation view of the headgear article of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the headgear article of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the headgear article of FIG. 1 wherein the bottle opener is positioned on a left side of the brim.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a headgear article 10 including a head-engaging portion 12, a crown 14, and a brim 16. The crown 14 and the brim 16 are attached to the head-engaging portion 12 and a bottle opener 18 is positioned in an opening 20 on a right side of the brim 16.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the headgear article 10 is a cap and the brim 16 is a partial brim or visor projecting from a front edge of the cap. In other embodiments, the headgear article 10 may be, for example, a hat, or a “shade visor” without the crown 14. For clarity and ease of understanding, herein below the headgear article 10 will be referred to as cap 10, and the brim 16 will be referred to as visor 16.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, head-engaging portion 12 is a band adapted to encircle a head of a wearer. As indicated in FIG. 1, the crown 14 covers the head-engaging portion 12. The head-engaging portion 12 is preferably lined with a soft material (e.g., soft cloth) for wearer comfort. The soft material also preferably readily absorbs moisture (e.g., sweat). In other embodiments, the head-engaging portion 12 may be, for example, a pair of arms adapted to engage and grasp opposite sides of the head of the wearer, thus holding the cap 10 in place.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the bottle opener 18 is integrated into the visor 16, and the wearer removes the cap 10 from his or her head to use the bottle opener 18. In other embodiments, the bottle opener 18 may form an integral portion of the head-engaging portion 12. Further, in other embodiments the bottle opener 18 may be detachable from the visor 16 (or from the head-engaging portion 12) such that the wearer need not remove the cap 10 from his or her head to use the bottle opener 18.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the bottle opener 18 is formed in a sheet of a substantially rigid material 22. The sheet of material 22 advantageously forms an underside layer of the visor 16, and helps to maintain a desired shape (e.g., curvature) the visor 16. The bottle opener 18 has an aperture 24 positioned in the opening 20 of the visor 16. The aperture 24 is dimensioned to receive a portion of a bottle cap covering an opening in a neck of a bottle. The bottle opener 18 also includes a projection 26 extending into the aperture 24 for engaging an edge of a rim of the bottle cap.
It is noted that the bottle opener 18 may form a portion of the visor 16 in other ways. For example, the sheet of material 22 may be smaller than the visor 16, and may be attached to or within the visor 16 such that the aperture 24 is positioned within the opening 20 of the visor 16.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the cap 10 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a back elevation view of the cap 10 of FIG. 1. Visible in FIG. 3 is a size adjustment mechanism 30 that forms a part of the head-engaging portion 12. The size adjustment mechanism 30 is used to adjust a circumference of the head-engaging portion 12. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the size adjustment mechanism 30 is the well known overlapping plastic strap system. One of the plastic straps has tabs spaced apart by a distance, and the other plastic strap has holes spaced apart by the same distance. Inserting the tabs into different holes varies the circumference of the head-engaging portion 12.
It is noted that other known size adjustment mechanisms may also be used, including size adjustment mechanisms with elastic straps, hook-and-loop fasteners, buckles, etc.
FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view of the cap 10 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a left side elevation view of the cap 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the cap 10 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the cap 10 of FIG. 1 wherein the bottle opener 18 is positioned on a left side of the visor 16.
While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.

Claims

1. A headgear article, comprising:

a head-engaging portion;

a brim attached to the head-engaging portion; and

a bottle opener forming a portion of either the head-engaging portion or the brim.

2. The headgear article as recited in claim 1, wherein the head-engaging portion comprises a band adapted to encircle a head of a wearer.

3. The headgear article as recited in claim 1, wherein the bottle opener forms an integral portion of either the head-engaging portion or the brim.

4. The headgear article as recited in claim 1, wherein the bottle opener forms an integral portion of the brim.

5. The headgear article as recited in claim 4, wherein the brim comprises a visor, and wherein the bottle opener forms an integral portion of the visor.

6. The headgear article as recited in claim 5, wherein the visor comprises an opening, and wherein the bottle opener is positioned in the opening of the visor.

7. The headgear article as recited in claim 6, wherein the bottle opener comprises a sheet of a substantially rigid material having an aperture dimensioned to receive a portion of a cap covering an opening in a neck of a bottle.

8. The headgear article as recited in claim 7, wherein the aperture of the bottle opener is positioned in the opening of the visor.

9. The headgear article as recited in claim 7, wherein the bottle opener further comprises a projection extending into the aperture for engaging an edge of a rim of the cap.

10. A headgear article, comprising:

a head-engaging portion;

a brim attached to the head-engaging portion; and

a bottle opener forming an integral portion of the brim.

11. The headgear article as recited in claim 10, wherein the head-engaging portion comprises a band adapted to encircle a head of a wearer.

12. The headgear article as recited in claim 10, wherein the brim comprises a visor, and wherein the bottle opener forms an integral portion of the visor.

13. The headgear article as recited in claim 12, wherein the visor comprises an opening, and wherein the bottle opener is positioned in the opening of the visor.

14. The headgear article as recited in claim 13, wherein the bottle opener comprises a sheet of a substantially rigid material having an aperture dimensioned to receive a portion of a cap covering an opening in a neck of a bottle.

15. The headgear article as recited in claim 14, wherein the aperture of the bottle opener is positioned in the opening of the visor.

16. The headgear article as recited in claim 15, wherein the bottle opener further comprises a projection extending into the aperture for engaging an edge of a rim of the cap.