US3321772A - Swim cap - Google Patents

Description

May 30, 1967 .J. J. ARPS ETAL SWIM CAP Filed Oct. 19, 1964 FIG. 3

CARL E. HASKETT A TTOR/VEY United States Patent Filed Oct. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 404,706 7 Claims. (Cl. 2---68) This invention relates to a bathing cap and more particularly to a cap in which capillary forces serve to direct flow of water away from hair covered thereby and to entrap such water as may tend to enter the cap.

A primary object in the use of a bathing cap 15 to minimize or avoid wetting the ban. Var ous cap constructions have been employed in the past in attempts to form a seal between the rim of a bathing cap and the skull. If an effective seal is formed, then hair inside the cap will be maintained free from moisture when the head is submerged. However, the failure of such prior art structures is the common experience and represents a direct 1mpediment to wide participation in aquatic actlvities. i The present invention provides a bathing cap which w ll protect the hair and will serve to entrap and collect moisture tending to flow along the skull underneath a bathing cap. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a multiple layer cap having a capillary force generator between the two layers which tends to suck any water traveling under the rim of the cap and along the skull into the capillary reservoir and to avoid and prevent entry of water into the inner cap and to wet the hair.

More particularly, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a combination of an inner cap forming an impervious membrane with a central aperture An outer impervious membrane or cap larger than the inner cap is maintained in spaced relation from the inner cap by a strongly hydrophylic material of high porosity having strong capillary pressure characteristics. The layer has a peripheral zone of contact outside the margin of the inner cap to draw water flowing towards the inner cap into the zone between the two caps for entrapping such water. In a further aspect, means are provided for generating an inert gas in the region between the caps for the production of an enhanced overpressure inside the inner cap. In a further aspect, the reservoir is provided in the zone between the caps in the region surrounding the apertures in the inner cap.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference may now be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the gram-matic form;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the cap of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a partial section of the gas generator insert.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, the invention has been illustrated as comprising a dual layer cap. In practice it may actually take the for-m of two separate caps or of a single cap having two layers in which the entire edge portion of the outer cap is adapted to engage the skin outside the perimeter of the inner cap. More particularly, the inner cap is like a conventional cap and is somewhat smaller than the outer cap 12. Cap 10 goes over the head, covering the hair. Cap 10 is provided with a plurality of holes 14 in the center. Cap 12 is positioned over the cap 10 and extends beyond the margin of cap 10.

The inner surface of cap 12 is lined with a layer 20 of material which has strong capillary characteristics. Layer 20 may be of material such as a sponge rubber, a natural sponge, synthetic materials, plastics, diatomatious earth present invention in a diacap showing a or like materials which have a high porosity, a low permeability, high capillary characteristics, and are extremely Water wet. Layer 2% has a central aperture 22 therein. The margin of aperture 22 is spaced 2. distance from the holes 14 in the cap 1%. A ring 24 of like material encircles the holes 14 to assure the presence of a reservo1r 26 around holes 14.

In operation any water that enters the outer cap 12 will, by the capillary action, be sucked up in layer 20. The capillary forces are greater than the force tending to move water inside cap Ill. Water moving into the layer 20 between the cap 10 and cap 12 will displace air which can only escape through holes 14. This causes an overpressure on the interior of cap 10, thereby keeping water from entering it. The ring 24 around the holes 14 traps any water that has wetted the layer 20 and prevents the Water from getting into the hair through holes 14. More particularly, Water is sucked up into the absorbent layer 21 but When it encounters an air gap such as between the layer 20 and ring 24, which is not filled with absorbent material, it cannot continue to advance because there is no absorbent material to continue the capillary process. However, if any water gets into this space because of eX- ternal or squeeze pressure exerted on the outer cap, some of the water which has invaded the absorbent mass may be squeezed into the air gap. This might be caused by external pressure, but would not be due to capillary action. To prevent such squeeze Water from reaching apertures 14 a barrier is provided. This barrier is ring 24, which will pick up water squeezed out of the absorbent mass across the air gap so that it will not get through apertures 14 into the hair under the inner cap 10 Thus, the present invention involves a double bathing cap, with the highly capillary layer in the intermediate space which not only sucks up the water but in doing so expels air, which in turn keeps the water out of the inner cap. Note that there is a portion of layer 20 exposed for contact with the skin outside the rim of cap 10 which provides for entry of water into the zone between caps 10 and 12.

In construction, the

present invention is contrary to most bathing caps. In the past, manufacturers have tried to assure a tight fit to keep the water out. For several reasons this approach is erroneous. First, headaches result when the straps are tightened too much. Second, and more important, as two surfaces are closely pressed together, the capillary force sucks the water into the cap faster. The capillary forces are made more intense by pressing two surfaces together. This feature of caps of the prior art is opposite from the basis for the present invention. The cap can be worn with comfort. Water entering is trapped in the layer 26. With use the layer 20 will become loaded with water. The cap may be removed, squeezed to expel the water and then put back on ready for further use.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the overpressure produced in the layer 20 by the action of the capillary force of the porous material may be enhanced. Included at spaced locations within the layer 20 are containers of a material which, upon being Wet, will produce a gas which will then travel through the porous material to the holes 14! and thus increase the overpressure inside cap 10. As shown in FIGURE 3, a porous cylindrical capsule 30 is embedded in the layer 20. The capsule 30 may be located .in the region X of FIGURE 2. An additional capsule or capsules may be located in the region Y of FIGURE 2 or may be disposed in an array having symmetry with respect to the location of the holes 14. The containers 30 may be thin-walled plastic containers which are filled with a powder which generates an inert gas upon contact with water. The containers 30 have a number of perforations to admit advancing water. The powder may be a mixture of citric acid or salicylic acid with sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. The addition of water to such powder will generate an inert harmless carbon dioxide gas which will pass through the holes 14 and add to the effectiveness of the action of the cap. The powder to be employed may be any organic water soluble acid mixed with a suitable carbonate or bicarbonate salt. Other mixtures of powders which will generate inert gases upon wetting by water may be employed. The action of the generator 30 enhances the action of the strongly hydrophylic or water-wet material of high porosity and strong capillary pressure characteristics which occupy the layer 20.

While the foregoing description has been based upon a bathing cap in which the inner cap and the outer cap are separate, it will be readily appreciated that they may be made integral by interconnecting strips suitably spaced in the areas at which the caps confront one another. Further, the porous material has been described as lining the inside of the outer cap 12. The lining may be affixed to both the inner and outer caps. Alternately, the liner may actually form a third layer so that these separate caps would be successively donned by the wearer. In such case, the margins of the inner cap 10, the intermediate layer 20 and the outer cap 12 would be in a successively overlapping relationship.

Having described the invention in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that further modifications may now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bathing cap which comprises:

(a) an inner cap formed of an impervious membrane having a centrally located aperture,

(b) an outer impervious cap larger than said inner cap, and

(c) a porous permeable layer of strongly hydrophylic water-wet material characterized by high capillary pressure in the zone between said caps having a peripheral zone disposed to contact the skull outside the margin of said inner cap and inside the margin of said outer cap whereby, upon inflow of water to said zone, capillary forces generated in said zone create pressure in the region of said aperture tending to cause air flow through said aperture toward the margins of said inner cap.

2. A bathing cap which comprises:

(a) an inner cap centrally perforated,

(b) an impervious outer cap larger than said inner cap, and

(c) means in the space at least between the margins of said inner cap and said outer cap forming a contact surface for attracting water tending to enter said inner cap into the zone between said inner and said outer cap whereby pressure created by entry of said water creates pressure in the region of said aperture tending to cause air flow through said aperture toward the margin of said inner cap.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which said means comprises a porous liner separating said inner cap from said outer cap and is continuous with said inner and outer caps except for a central aperture encompassing the perforations in said inner cap.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the attracting means includes a porous member generating high capillary forces in said zone extending outside the margin of said inner cap.

5. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which a generating means included in said zone is operative when Wet to generate a gas.

6. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the gas generator comprises at least one perforated container filled with an acid and a carbonate for generation of CO gas.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the gas generator comprises an array of perforated containers each filled with an acid and a carbonate in powder form for generating CO gas when wet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,063,056 11/1962 Blanchard et al. 2-68 3,131,400 5/1964 Blanchard et al. 2-68 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, H. H. HUNTER,

Assistant Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. A BATHING CAP WHICH COMPRISES: (A) AN INNER CAP FORMED OF AN IMPERVIOUS MEMBRANE HAVING A CENTRALLY LOCATED APERTURE, (B) AN OUTER IMPERVIOUS CAP LARGER THAN SAID INNER CAP, AND (C) A POROUS PERMEABLE OF STRONGLY HYDROPHYLIC WATER-WET MATERIAL CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH CAPILLARY PRESSURE IN THE ZONE BETWEEN SAID CAPS HAVING A PERIPHERAL ZONE DISPOSED TO CONTACT THE SKULL OUTSIDE THE MARGIN OF SAID INNER CAP AND INSIDE THE MARGIN OF SAID OUTER CAP WHEREBY, UPON INFLOW OF WATER TO SAID ZONE, CAPILLARY FORCES GENERATED IN SAID ZONE CREATE PRESSURE IN THE REGION OF SAID APERTURE TENDING TO CAUSE AIR FLOW THROUGH SAID APERTURE TOWARD THE MARGINS OF SAID INNER CAPS.

Images