US20220369750A1 - Headwear with layered construction - Google Patents
Headwear with layered construction Download PDFInfo
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- US20220369750A1 US20220369750A1 US17/660,595 US202217660595A US2022369750A1 US 20220369750 A1 US20220369750 A1 US 20220369750A1 US 202217660595 A US202217660595 A US 202217660595A US 2022369750 A1 US2022369750 A1 US 2022369750A1
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A42—HEADWEAR
- A42B—HATS; HEAD COVERINGS
- A42B1/00—Hats; Caps; Hoods
- A42B1/02—Hats; Stiff caps
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A42—HEADWEAR
- A42C—MANUFACTURING OR TRIMMING HEAD COVERINGS, e.g. HATS
- A42C5/00—Fittings or trimmings for hats, e.g. hat-bands
- A42C5/02—Sweat-bands
Definitions
- the disclosure relates to a headwear such as a hat including a three-layered sandwich construction.
- Headwear may be utilized to shield a wearer from environmental hazards, such as sunlight, debris, rain, etc.
- a wearer may also perform various activities while wearing headwear.
- a wearer may desire that the headwear be lightweight and breathable, and thus the headwear may be made from flexible material and/or include areas of breathable material, such as mesh panels.
- the inclusion of flexible and/or breathable material reduces the structural support in the headwear, which may result in unsightly bunching or wrinkling of the headwear.
- some types of headwear, such as visors demand a certain amount of structural integrity and thus incorporating flexible and/or breathable materials into these types of headwear may be challenging. For example, when a crown of a hat is insufficiently supported, the crown may fold over and have a visually unappealing appearance.
- headwear according to the following disclosure may include a headwear body comprising one or more panels, where at least one panel of the one or more panels is comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material including a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the second layer positioned intermediate the first layer and the third layer and comprised of a semi-rigid mesh material.
- the semi-rigid mesh material may provide hidden structure to the headwear while also maintaining flexibility and breathability of the headwear.
- FIG. 1 shows a side view of example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 shows a cross-section view of a side panel of the headwear of FIG. 1 including a three-layer sandwich of material, according to a first embodiment
- FIG. 3 shows a side view of another example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure
- FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of another example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 5 shows a cross-section view of a side panel of the headwear of FIG. 1 including a three-layer sandwich of material, according to a second embodiment.
- FIG. 1 shows a left side view of an example headwear 100 .
- Headwear 100 may include a brim 102 (e.g., a visor) extending from or otherwise carried by a hat body 104 .
- the hat body 104 of the headwear 100 may include a crown 105 including a front panel 106 coupled to a side panel 108 and a size adjusting mechanism 110 coupled to the side panel 108 (only one side of the headwear 100 is shown in FIG. 1 , and it is to be appreciated that a second side panel may be coupled to the size adjusting mechanism 110 and the front panel 106 ).
- the crown 105 may not cover the wearer's head, allowing a wearer's head to remain exposed to the environment while wearing the hat.
- the brim 102 may be coupled to the crown 105 along a bottom circumferential edge of the front panel 106 of the crown 105 .
- each panel or the entirety of the hat body/brim
- one or more panels may include a different type of material than the other panels.
- at least one of the panels e.g., the side panel 108
- FIG. 2 schematically shows an example three-layer sandwich of material 200 that may be included in one or more portions of headwear, such as headwear 100 .
- FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through the side panel 108 of FIG. 1 taken across line A-A′.
- the three-layer sandwich of material 200 may include a first, outward-facing layer 202 , a second, intermediate layer 204 , and a third, inward-facing layer 206 .
- Each layer of the three-layer sandwich of material 200 may be maintained separate from each other (e.g., with gaps therebetween) except at a top attachment segment and a bottom attachment segment, which may include a top stitching 208 and a bottom stitching 210 , respectively, in some examples.
- Each of the top stitching 208 and the bottom stitching 210 may extend through each of the layers, thereby coupling the first layer 202 to the third layer 206 via the second layer 204 .
- two or more (e.g., all three) layers of the three-layer sandwich of material 200 may be joined together (e.g., via adhesive or fused via another mechanism such as compression, heat, RF welding).
- the first layer 202 is positioned on an exterior of the headwear and may be comprised of a suitable material for providing desired qualities of the headwear (e.g., waterproof, sun resistant, reflective).
- the first layer 202 may be comprised of a flexible woven, non-woven, or knit material, such as synthetic materials (e.g., polyester, nylon), natural materials (e.g., cotton), or blended materials (e.g., polyester and cotton).
- the first layer 202 may be tightly woven or knit such that visible holes between threads of the material are not present.
- the first layer 202 may include a coating to enhance waterproofing or sun resistance.
- the second layer 204 may be comprised of a semi-rigid, structural mesh material, such as polyester or another plastic material.
- the second layer 204 may include visible holes (e.g. having a width or diameter of 1-3 mm, as a non-limiting example) between the threads/material comprising the second layer 204 , and thus may be referred to as an open hole mesh material.
- the holes/mesh of the second layer 204 may be mechanically provided holes that are generated via a knit material, needlepoint plastic webbing, or a semi-rigid solid material with die cut shapes (e.g., circles, ovals, triangles, etc.) removed to create the holes.
- the holes in the second layer 204 may be present uniformly across the second layer 204 at a suitable hole/pore density, such as 5-15 holes per square cm of material. In other examples, the hole/pore density may be smaller or larger, or the holes may be distributed non-uniformly, thereby providing areas of higher hole/pore density and areas of lower hole/pore density.
- a suitable hole/pore density such as 5-15 holes per square cm of material.
- the hole/pore density may be smaller or larger, or the holes may be distributed non-uniformly, thereby providing areas of higher hole/pore density and areas of lower hole/pore density.
- the second layer 204 may be more rigid than the first layer 202 and the third layer 206 , which may provide structure to the three-layer sandwich of material 200 .
- the second layer 204 may not bend on itself under force of gravity (e.g., may not bend vertically) and may retain its shape unless acted on by a relatively strong force.
- the second layer 204 may maintain enough flexibility to conform to the shape of the wearer's head and/or to the shape of the headwear.
- the second layer 204 may maintain its shape unless acted on by an external force, but when an external force acts on the second layer 204 , the second layer 204 may bend or flex along at least one axis.
- the second layer 204 may be flexible such that the second layer 204 , when bent or flexed via an external force, does not break. Further, because the second layer 204 is comprised of a mesh material, the second layer 204 may be breathable and may allow moisture wicking, unlike conventional structural materials such as buckram. The rigidity and/or thickness of the second layer may vary depending on a desired amount of structure the second layer 204 is intending to provide, which may be based on where the three-layer sandwich of material is positioned in the headwear (e.g., the crown versus a neck cape).
- the three-layer sandwich of material may be stiffer than when the second layer 204 is comprised of woven canvas with dissolving thread mechanical holes.
- the second layer 204 may be more rigid than the first layer 202 and more rigid than the third layer 206 , thereby providing desired structure while allowing breathability.
- the second layer 204 is a semi-rigid material that includes breathable gaps in a fabric or plastic mesh.
- the second layer 204 provides breathable structure and body to the three-layer sandwich of material 200 , which allows the first layer 202 and the third layer 206 to be selected to provide desired technical properties (e.g., sun protection, waterproof, moisture wicking, etc.).
- desired technical properties e.g., sun protection, waterproof, moisture wicking, etc.
- the porous nature of the second layer 204 allows the first layer 202 and the third layer 206 to maintain desired function without altering the performance of these outer/inner layers while providing additional structure that may not be inherent to the first layer 202 and/or the third layer 206 .
- the second layer 204 may act as an endoskeleton that does not hamper breathability while providing structure, and without negatively affecting the performance characteristics of the first or third layers.
- the second layer 204 may be woven, non-woven, or knit.
- the third layer 206 is positioned on an interior of the headwear, such that the third layer 206 is configured to be positioned in contact with a head of a wearer of the headwear, at least along some portions of the third layer 206 .
- third layer 206 may comprised of a flexible mesh material that is configured to wick moisture, such as polyester.
- the third layer 206 may include visible holes between the threads/material comprising the third layer 206 , at least in some examples.
- the third layer 206 may not be comprised of a mesh material and could be comprised of any material that provides a desired function (e.g., wicking, waterproof, water resistant, etc.).
- the third layer 206 may be woven, non-woven, or knit.
- the headwear 100 may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material shown in FIG. 2 in one or more regions of the headwear 100 .
- the side panel 108 (as well as the other side panel not shown in FIG. 1 ) may be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the side panel 108 may include the top stitching 208 and the bottom stitching 210 and the outward-facing material of the side panel 108 may be the first layer 202 .
- the front panel 106 may additionally or alternatively be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the headwear 100 may include an eyewear retainer 112 that includes a slit 114 providing access to one or more pockets or channels in the side panel 108 .
- the pocket(s) or channel(s) may be formed by the three-layer sandwich of material.
- vertical stitching 116 on the side panel 108 proximate the slit 114 may act to couple together the first layer 202 and the second layer 204 but not the third layer 206 , thereby creating an opening between the second layer 204 and the third layer 206 into which an earpiece of eyewear (e.g., sunglasses) may be inserted.
- the vertical stitching 116 may act to couple together the second layer 204 and the third layer 206 but not the first layer 202 , thereby creating an opening between the first layer 202 and the second layer 204 into which an earpiece of eyewear (e.g., sunglasses) may be inserted.
- the three layers of the three-layer sandwich of material may be bonded together (e.g., via adhesive, fused), and thus to form the pockets or channels, two of the layers may not be bonded together at that region (e.g., the first and second layers may not be bonded at the opening and along the channel or pocket.
- the first, second, and third layers of the three-layer sandwich of material may be joined together in a suitable manner.
- all three layers may be stitched together throughout the body of the panel or other headwear element that includes the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the second and third layers may be stitched together for a clean internal finish, and the first layer may be stitched to the second and third layers around only the edges of the panel/headwear element, which would minimize external stitch lines.
- the first and second layers may be stitched together throughout the body of the panel/headwear element while the third layer may only be stitched along the edges.
- the three layers may be stitched together only along the edges of the panel/headwear element (e.g., without additional internal stitching), or the first and third layers may be stitched together along the edges and the second layer may be held in place via friction and/or via having a shape and size that corresponds to a shape and size of a pocket formed by the first and third layers.
- a double sided breathable adhesive layer may be present at one or more regions of the three-layer sandwich of material, or the three layers may not be joined together at all via stitching or adhesive material.
- the stitch properties may vary based on the hole sizes of the second layer, e.g., larger holes may demand a different stitch density (e.g., stitches per inch) than smaller hole sizes. Further still, in some examples, a binding may be present around the edges of the panel to envelop the second layer.
- FIG. 3 shows another example headwear 300 in the form of a cap.
- the cap may include one or more regions (e.g., one or more panels, a sweatband, etc.) that are comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material, thus allowing the cap to benefit from additional hidden structure that is ultra-breathable, while also allowing the use of lightweight materials and still having a structured crown or paneling.
- Headwear 300 includes a brim 302 extending from or otherwise carried by a hat body 304 .
- the hat body 304 of the headwear 300 may include a crown 305 including a front panel 306 coupled to a side panel 308 and a size adjusting mechanism 310 coupled to the side panel 308 (only one side of the headwear 300 is shown in FIG. 3 , and it is to be appreciated that a second side panel may be coupled to the size adjusting mechanism 310 and the front panel 306 ).
- the crown 305 may cover the wearer's head, and thus the front panel 306 may extend across a top of the crown 305 .
- the brim 302 may be coupled to the crown 305 along a bottom circumferential edge of the front panel 306 of the crown 305 .
- the crown 305 may have more or fewer panels (e.g., five panels, six panels, or be of unibody construction and thus include only one panel) without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
- One or more of the panels of the crown 305 may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the front panel 306 may be comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the side panel 308 (and the other side panel not shown in FIG. 3 ) may be comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the headwear 300 further includes an inner sweatband 312 positioned in an interior of the headwear 300 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3 to convey that the sweatband 312 is not visible from the exterior of the headwear 300 ).
- the sweatband 312 may be coupled to a bottom circumferential edge of the side panel 308 (as well as the other side panel not visible in FIG. 3 ) and the bottom circumferential edge of the front panel 306 .
- the sweatband 312 may extend vertically (e.g., from the bottom circumferential edges of the side panels and the front panel toward a top of the crown) only a portion of the vertical height of the crown, e.g., the sweatband 312 may have a vertical height that is 10-20% of the vertical height of the crown.
- the sweatband 312 may be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the three-layer sandwich of material may be included in one or more regions of the sweatband 312 , e.g., only along the side panels, only along the front panel, etc. In the region(s) of the sweatband 312 that include the three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material may extend the full vertical height of the sweatband 312 .
- the material forming the crown 305 may form the first layer of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the side panel 308 may be comprised of the first layer of material as described above with respect to FIG. 2 (e.g., the first layer 202 ), and the sweatband 312 may additionally include the second layer (e.g., the second layer 204 ) and the third layer (e.g., the third layer 206 ) stitched to the first layer.
- the material forming the crown 305 may not form a part of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the sweatband 312 may be formed (partially or entirely) of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer stitched together along a top and a bottom of the sweatband, and the sweatband may be coupled to the material forming the crown (e.g., the side panel, front panel, etc.) along only the bottom of the sweatband or along both the top and bottom of the sweatband.
- the headwear in the region(s) where the three-layer sandwich of material is present, may include four or more layers of material (e.g., the material forming the crown and the three-layer sandwich of material).
- the crown panels and the sweatband are formed partially or entirely of the three-layer sandwich of material is exemplary and non-limiting, and other configurations of the headwear 300 are possible.
- the panels of the crown 305 e.g., the side panel 308 , the other side panel not visible in FIG. 3 , and/or front panel 306
- the sweatband may not be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- only the sweatband may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the three-layer sandwich of material may be interrupted by or covered by region(s) of mesh only material, regions of reflective material, etc., at least in some examples.
- FIG. 4 shows an example bottom view of an example headwear 400 .
- Headwear 400 is a non-limiting example of headwear 100 and/or headwear 300 and as such includes a brim 402 extending outward from a hat body 404 (only a bottom circumferential edge of the hat body 404 is shown in FIG. 4 ).
- the hat body 404 may include a region 406 that is comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the region 406 may include a sweatband and/or a crown panel comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material.
- the region 406 is located at the front of the hat body 404 where the hat body 404 couples to the brim 402 .
- the strength of the headwear 400 may be increased where the headwear 400 may be exposed to additional forces from the brim 402 .
- the remainder of the hat body 404 e.g., other than the region 406
- the example presented in FIG. 4 is non-limiting, and other region(s) of the headwear may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material, such as the side panels, the sweatband, the brim, etc.
- FIG. 5 schematically shows another example three-layer sandwich of material 500 that may be included in one or more portions of headwear, such as headwear 100 .
- FIG. 5 shows a cross-section through the side panel 108 of FIG. 1 taken across line A-A′.
- the three-layer sandwich of material 500 may include a first, outward-facing layer 502 , a second, intermediate layer 504 , and a third, inward-facing layer 506 .
- the first layer 502 , the second layer 504 , and the third layer 506 may each be the same or similar to the first layer 202 , the second layer 204 , and the third layer 206 , respectively, of FIG. 2 .
- the second layer 504 may be comprised of a semi-rigid material that has a higher rigidity than a rigidity of the first layer 502 and a rigidity of the third layer 506 .
- the three-layer sandwich of material 500 may be joined together via attachment segments that only extend through the first layer 502 and the third layer 506 and that do not extend through the second layer 504 . Rather, the first layer 502 and the third layer 506 may be longer (e.g., in a vertical direction) than the second layer 504 , and the excess material on the top and bottom of the first layer 502 and the third layer 506 may be joined together via the attachment segments, such as top stitching 508 and bottom stitching 510 , to form a pocket within which the second layer 504 is accommodated. It should be appreciated that the first layer 502 and the third layer 506 may be joined along the top and/or bottom via other suitable mechanisms, such as adhesive or the layers may be fused together.
- the three-layer sandwich of material described herein may be included in any headwear, whether a cap, a visor, or another type of headwear, to provide hidden structure that is still breathable.
- the headwear can benefit from the breathable construction technique to add support to the appearance of the crown while not limiting breathability.
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- Helmets And Other Head Coverings (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/191,866, filed May 21, 2021, and entitled “HEADWEAR WITH LAYERED CONSTRUCTION,” the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
- The disclosure relates to a headwear such as a hat including a three-layered sandwich construction.
- Headwear may be utilized to shield a wearer from environmental hazards, such as sunlight, debris, rain, etc. A wearer may also perform various activities while wearing headwear. During some conditions and/or activities, a wearer may desire that the headwear be lightweight and breathable, and thus the headwear may be made from flexible material and/or include areas of breathable material, such as mesh panels. However, the inclusion of flexible and/or breathable material reduces the structural support in the headwear, which may result in unsightly bunching or wrinkling of the headwear. Further, some types of headwear, such as visors, demand a certain amount of structural integrity and thus incorporating flexible and/or breathable materials into these types of headwear may be challenging. For example, when a crown of a hat is insufficiently supported, the crown may fold over and have a visually unappealing appearance.
- The disclosure provides embodiments of headwear material construction that mitigate the above-described issues. For example, headwear according to the following disclosure may include a headwear body comprising one or more panels, where at least one panel of the one or more panels is comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material including a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the second layer positioned intermediate the first layer and the third layer and comprised of a semi-rigid mesh material. In this way, the semi-rigid mesh material may provide hidden structure to the headwear while also maintaining flexibility and breathability of the headwear.
- The disclosure may be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below:
-
FIG. 1 shows a side view of example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 shows a cross-section view of a side panel of the headwear ofFIG. 1 including a three-layer sandwich of material, according to a first embodiment; -
FIG. 3 shows a side view of another example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of another example headwear in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 5 shows a cross-section view of a side panel of the headwear ofFIG. 1 including a three-layer sandwich of material, according to a second embodiment. -
FIG. 1 shows a left side view of anexample headwear 100.Headwear 100 may include a brim 102 (e.g., a visor) extending from or otherwise carried by ahat body 104. In the illustrated example, thehat body 104 of theheadwear 100 may include acrown 105 including afront panel 106 coupled to aside panel 108 and asize adjusting mechanism 110 coupled to the side panel 108 (only one side of theheadwear 100 is shown inFIG. 1 , and it is to be appreciated that a second side panel may be coupled to thesize adjusting mechanism 110 and the front panel 106). Thecrown 105 may not cover the wearer's head, allowing a wearer's head to remain exposed to the environment while wearing the hat. Thebrim 102 may be coupled to thecrown 105 along a bottom circumferential edge of thefront panel 106 of thecrown 105. In some embodiments, each panel (or the entirety of the hat body/brim) may include the same type of fabric or other material. In other embodiments, one or more panels (or the hat brim) may include a different type of material than the other panels. As will be explained in more detail below with respect toFIG. 2 , at least one of the panels (e.g., the side panel 108) may be comprised of a three-layer sandwich of material that includes an intermediate structural layer that provides structural rigidity while also allowing for air venting and breathability. -
FIG. 2 schematically shows an example three-layer sandwich ofmaterial 200 that may be included in one or more portions of headwear, such asheadwear 100. In the example shown,FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through theside panel 108 ofFIG. 1 taken across line A-A′. The three-layer sandwich ofmaterial 200 may include a first, outward-facinglayer 202, a second,intermediate layer 204, and a third, inward-facinglayer 206. Each layer of the three-layer sandwich ofmaterial 200 may be maintained separate from each other (e.g., with gaps therebetween) except at a top attachment segment and a bottom attachment segment, which may include atop stitching 208 and abottom stitching 210, respectively, in some examples. Each of thetop stitching 208 and thebottom stitching 210 may extend through each of the layers, thereby coupling thefirst layer 202 to thethird layer 206 via thesecond layer 204. In other examples, two or more (e.g., all three) layers of the three-layer sandwich ofmaterial 200 may be joined together (e.g., via adhesive or fused via another mechanism such as compression, heat, RF welding). - The
first layer 202 is positioned on an exterior of the headwear and may be comprised of a suitable material for providing desired qualities of the headwear (e.g., waterproof, sun resistant, reflective). For example, thefirst layer 202 may be comprised of a flexible woven, non-woven, or knit material, such as synthetic materials (e.g., polyester, nylon), natural materials (e.g., cotton), or blended materials (e.g., polyester and cotton). Thefirst layer 202 may be tightly woven or knit such that visible holes between threads of the material are not present. In some examples, thefirst layer 202 may include a coating to enhance waterproofing or sun resistance. - The
second layer 204 may be comprised of a semi-rigid, structural mesh material, such as polyester or another plastic material. Thesecond layer 204 may include visible holes (e.g. having a width or diameter of 1-3 mm, as a non-limiting example) between the threads/material comprising thesecond layer 204, and thus may be referred to as an open hole mesh material. The holes/mesh of thesecond layer 204 may be mechanically provided holes that are generated via a knit material, needlepoint plastic webbing, or a semi-rigid solid material with die cut shapes (e.g., circles, ovals, triangles, etc.) removed to create the holes. The holes in thesecond layer 204 may be present uniformly across thesecond layer 204 at a suitable hole/pore density, such as 5-15 holes per square cm of material. In other examples, the hole/pore density may be smaller or larger, or the holes may be distributed non-uniformly, thereby providing areas of higher hole/pore density and areas of lower hole/pore density. - The
second layer 204 may be more rigid than thefirst layer 202 and thethird layer 206, which may provide structure to the three-layer sandwich ofmaterial 200. For example, thesecond layer 204 may not bend on itself under force of gravity (e.g., may not bend vertically) and may retain its shape unless acted on by a relatively strong force. However, thesecond layer 204 may maintain enough flexibility to conform to the shape of the wearer's head and/or to the shape of the headwear. For example, thesecond layer 204 may maintain its shape unless acted on by an external force, but when an external force acts on thesecond layer 204, thesecond layer 204 may bend or flex along at least one axis. Thesecond layer 204 may be flexible such that thesecond layer 204, when bent or flexed via an external force, does not break. Further, because thesecond layer 204 is comprised of a mesh material, thesecond layer 204 may be breathable and may allow moisture wicking, unlike conventional structural materials such as buckram. The rigidity and/or thickness of the second layer may vary depending on a desired amount of structure thesecond layer 204 is intending to provide, which may be based on where the three-layer sandwich of material is positioned in the headwear (e.g., the crown versus a neck cape). For example, when thesecond layer 204 is comprised of a semi-rigid plastic mesh, the three-layer sandwich of material may be stiffer than when thesecond layer 204 is comprised of woven canvas with dissolving thread mechanical holes. However, in either example, thesecond layer 204 may be more rigid than thefirst layer 202 and more rigid than thethird layer 206, thereby providing desired structure while allowing breathability. - Thus, the
second layer 204 is a semi-rigid material that includes breathable gaps in a fabric or plastic mesh. Thesecond layer 204 provides breathable structure and body to the three-layer sandwich ofmaterial 200, which allows thefirst layer 202 and thethird layer 206 to be selected to provide desired technical properties (e.g., sun protection, waterproof, moisture wicking, etc.). The porous nature of thesecond layer 204 allows thefirst layer 202 and thethird layer 206 to maintain desired function without altering the performance of these outer/inner layers while providing additional structure that may not be inherent to thefirst layer 202 and/or thethird layer 206. Thesecond layer 204 may act as an endoskeleton that does not hamper breathability while providing structure, and without negatively affecting the performance characteristics of the first or third layers. Thesecond layer 204 may be woven, non-woven, or knit. - The
third layer 206 is positioned on an interior of the headwear, such that thethird layer 206 is configured to be positioned in contact with a head of a wearer of the headwear, at least along some portions of thethird layer 206. In some examplesthird layer 206 may comprised of a flexible mesh material that is configured to wick moisture, such as polyester. Thethird layer 206 may include visible holes between the threads/material comprising thethird layer 206, at least in some examples. However, in some examples, thethird layer 206 may not be comprised of a mesh material and could be comprised of any material that provides a desired function (e.g., wicking, waterproof, water resistant, etc.). Thethird layer 206 may be woven, non-woven, or knit. - Returning to
FIG. 1 , theheadwear 100 may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material shown inFIG. 2 in one or more regions of theheadwear 100. For example, as described above, the side panel 108 (as well as the other side panel not shown inFIG. 1 ) may be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. In the example shown inFIG. 1 , theside panel 108 may include thetop stitching 208 and thebottom stitching 210 and the outward-facing material of theside panel 108 may be thefirst layer 202. In some examples, thefront panel 106 may additionally or alternatively be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. - In some examples, the
headwear 100 may include aneyewear retainer 112 that includes aslit 114 providing access to one or more pockets or channels in theside panel 108. In some examples, the pocket(s) or channel(s) may be formed by the three-layer sandwich of material. For example,vertical stitching 116 on theside panel 108 proximate theslit 114 may act to couple together thefirst layer 202 and thesecond layer 204 but not thethird layer 206, thereby creating an opening between thesecond layer 204 and thethird layer 206 into which an earpiece of eyewear (e.g., sunglasses) may be inserted. In other examples, thevertical stitching 116 may act to couple together thesecond layer 204 and thethird layer 206 but not thefirst layer 202, thereby creating an opening between thefirst layer 202 and thesecond layer 204 into which an earpiece of eyewear (e.g., sunglasses) may be inserted. In some examples, the three layers of the three-layer sandwich of material may be bonded together (e.g., via adhesive, fused), and thus to form the pockets or channels, two of the layers may not be bonded together at that region (e.g., the first and second layers may not be bonded at the opening and along the channel or pocket. - The first, second, and third layers of the three-layer sandwich of material may be joined together in a suitable manner. For example, all three layers may be stitched together throughout the body of the panel or other headwear element that includes the three-layer sandwich of material. In other examples, the second and third layers may be stitched together for a clean internal finish, and the first layer may be stitched to the second and third layers around only the edges of the panel/headwear element, which would minimize external stitch lines. Alternatively, the first and second layers may be stitched together throughout the body of the panel/headwear element while the third layer may only be stitched along the edges.
- In still further examples, the three layers may be stitched together only along the edges of the panel/headwear element (e.g., without additional internal stitching), or the first and third layers may be stitched together along the edges and the second layer may be held in place via friction and/or via having a shape and size that corresponds to a shape and size of a pocket formed by the first and third layers. Further, depending on desired structural properties, a double sided breathable adhesive layer may be present at one or more regions of the three-layer sandwich of material, or the three layers may not be joined together at all via stitching or adhesive material. In examples where the second layer is stitched to the first and/or third layer, the stitch properties may vary based on the hole sizes of the second layer, e.g., larger holes may demand a different stitch density (e.g., stitches per inch) than smaller hole sizes. Further still, in some examples, a binding may be present around the edges of the panel to envelop the second layer.
- The three-layer sandwich of material may be incorporated into different types of headwear. For example,
FIG. 3 shows anotherexample headwear 300 in the form of a cap. As described herein, the cap may include one or more regions (e.g., one or more panels, a sweatband, etc.) that are comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material, thus allowing the cap to benefit from additional hidden structure that is ultra-breathable, while also allowing the use of lightweight materials and still having a structured crown or paneling.Headwear 300 includes abrim 302 extending from or otherwise carried by ahat body 304. In the illustrated example, thehat body 304 of theheadwear 300 may include acrown 305 including afront panel 306 coupled to aside panel 308 and asize adjusting mechanism 310 coupled to the side panel 308 (only one side of theheadwear 300 is shown inFIG. 3 , and it is to be appreciated that a second side panel may be coupled to thesize adjusting mechanism 310 and the front panel 306). Thecrown 305 may cover the wearer's head, and thus thefront panel 306 may extend across a top of thecrown 305. Thebrim 302 may be coupled to thecrown 305 along a bottom circumferential edge of thefront panel 306 of thecrown 305. Thecrown 305 may have more or fewer panels (e.g., five panels, six panels, or be of unibody construction and thus include only one panel) without departing from the scope of this disclosure. - One or more of the panels of the
crown 305 may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material. For example, thefront panel 306 may be comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. Additionally or alternatively, the side panel 308 (and the other side panel not shown inFIG. 3 ) may be comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. - The
headwear 300 further includes aninner sweatband 312 positioned in an interior of the headwear 300 (shown in dashed lines inFIG. 3 to convey that thesweatband 312 is not visible from the exterior of the headwear 300). Thesweatband 312 may be coupled to a bottom circumferential edge of the side panel 308 (as well as the other side panel not visible inFIG. 3 ) and the bottom circumferential edge of thefront panel 306. Thesweatband 312 may extend vertically (e.g., from the bottom circumferential edges of the side panels and the front panel toward a top of the crown) only a portion of the vertical height of the crown, e.g., thesweatband 312 may have a vertical height that is 10-20% of the vertical height of the crown. - In some examples, the
sweatband 312 may be comprised entirely or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. When thesweatband 312 is comprised partially of the three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material may be included in one or more regions of thesweatband 312, e.g., only along the side panels, only along the front panel, etc. In the region(s) of thesweatband 312 that include the three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material may extend the full vertical height of thesweatband 312. Further, in the region(s) of thesweatband 312 that include the three-layer sandwich of material, the material forming the crown 305 (e.g., the material forming the side panel 308) may form the first layer of the three-layer sandwich of material. For example, theside panel 308 may be comprised of the first layer of material as described above with respect toFIG. 2 (e.g., the first layer 202), and thesweatband 312 may additionally include the second layer (e.g., the second layer 204) and the third layer (e.g., the third layer 206) stitched to the first layer. In other examples, the material forming thecrown 305 may not form a part of the three-layer sandwich of material. In such examples, thesweatband 312 may be formed (partially or entirely) of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer stitched together along a top and a bottom of the sweatband, and the sweatband may be coupled to the material forming the crown (e.g., the side panel, front panel, etc.) along only the bottom of the sweatband or along both the top and bottom of the sweatband. In these examples, in the region(s) where the three-layer sandwich of material is present, the headwear may include four or more layers of material (e.g., the material forming the crown and the three-layer sandwich of material). - The example presented herein where the crown panels and the sweatband are formed partially or entirely of the three-layer sandwich of material is exemplary and non-limiting, and other configurations of the
headwear 300 are possible. For example, only one or more of the panels of the crown 305 (e.g., theside panel 308, the other side panel not visible inFIG. 3 , and/or front panel 306) may be comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material, and the sweatband may not be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material. In other examples, only the sweatband may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material. In examples where one or more of the panels are comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material, the three-layer sandwich of material may be interrupted by or covered by region(s) of mesh only material, regions of reflective material, etc., at least in some examples. -
FIG. 4 shows an example bottom view of anexample headwear 400.Headwear 400 is a non-limiting example ofheadwear 100 and/orheadwear 300 and as such includes abrim 402 extending outward from a hat body 404 (only a bottom circumferential edge of thehat body 404 is shown inFIG. 4 ). Thehat body 404 may include aregion 406 that is comprised fully or partially of the three-layer sandwich of material. For example, theregion 406 may include a sweatband and/or a crown panel comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material. In the example shown, theregion 406 is located at the front of thehat body 404 where thehat body 404 couples to thebrim 402. By including the three-layer sandwich of material at theregion 406, the strength of theheadwear 400 may be increased where theheadwear 400 may be exposed to additional forces from thebrim 402. In some examples, the remainder of the hat body 404 (e.g., other than the region 406) may not include the three-layer sandwich of material. The example presented inFIG. 4 is non-limiting, and other region(s) of the headwear may be comprised of the three-layer sandwich of material, such as the side panels, the sweatband, the brim, etc. -
FIG. 5 schematically shows another example three-layer sandwich ofmaterial 500 that may be included in one or more portions of headwear, such asheadwear 100. In the example shown,FIG. 5 shows a cross-section through theside panel 108 ofFIG. 1 taken across line A-A′. The three-layer sandwich ofmaterial 500 may include a first, outward-facinglayer 502, a second,intermediate layer 504, and a third, inward-facinglayer 506. Thefirst layer 502, thesecond layer 504, and thethird layer 506 may each be the same or similar to thefirst layer 202, thesecond layer 204, and thethird layer 206, respectively, ofFIG. 2 . Thus, thesecond layer 504 may be comprised of a semi-rigid material that has a higher rigidity than a rigidity of thefirst layer 502 and a rigidity of thethird layer 506. - The three-layer sandwich of
material 500 may be joined together via attachment segments that only extend through thefirst layer 502 and thethird layer 506 and that do not extend through thesecond layer 504. Rather, thefirst layer 502 and thethird layer 506 may be longer (e.g., in a vertical direction) than thesecond layer 504, and the excess material on the top and bottom of thefirst layer 502 and thethird layer 506 may be joined together via the attachment segments, such astop stitching 508 andbottom stitching 510, to form a pocket within which thesecond layer 504 is accommodated. It should be appreciated that thefirst layer 502 and thethird layer 506 may be joined along the top and/or bottom via other suitable mechanisms, such as adhesive or the layers may be fused together. - Thus, the three-layer sandwich of material described herein may be included in any headwear, whether a cap, a visor, or another type of headwear, to provide hidden structure that is still breathable. By reinforcing the panels of the headwear with the three-layer sandwich of material, the headwear can benefit from the breathable construction technique to add support to the appearance of the crown while not limiting breathability.
- It will be understood that the configurations and/or approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various structures and configurations, and other features, functions, acts, and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US17/660,595 US20220369750A1 (en) | 2021-05-21 | 2022-04-25 | Headwear with layered construction |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
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US202163191866P | 2021-05-21 | 2021-05-21 | |
US17/660,595 US20220369750A1 (en) | 2021-05-21 | 2022-04-25 | Headwear with layered construction |
Publications (1)
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US20220369750A1 true US20220369750A1 (en) | 2022-11-24 |
Family
ID=84103960
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US17/660,595 Abandoned US20220369750A1 (en) | 2021-05-21 | 2022-04-25 | Headwear with layered construction |
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Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
USD992865S1 (en) * | 2023-03-20 | 2023-07-25 | Xiaolin Lu | Sport sun visor |
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