Cap with conforming ear band

Abstract

An improved self adjusting cap for all weather use is disclosed. The improvement lies in the modified attached ear protecting band. The band has an upper edge attached to the crown and a shorter lower edge generally parallel to the upper edge. The lower edge has a shorter linear length than the upper edge so the band more closely conforms to the head of the wearer. Also, the band conforms to the head of the wearer when folded up into the cap without any bunching of material. Additionally, the two forward edges running from the upper edge to the lower edge have an arcuate shape which allows more of the face of the wearer to be protected without obstructing the peripheral vision of the wearer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of The Invention [0002] This invention relates generally to an all-weather cap with ear protection. More specifically, it relates to self sizing cap having a crown constructed from multiple gores and having a bill, an elastic band around its lower rim, and an ear covering flap foldably extending from the opening. [0003] 2. Description of The Related Art [0004] In general, caps in the art are constructed from cloth gores which are triangular in shape, having a base and two sides extending from the base to meet at a point. Several gores, usually six, are sewn together along these sides in a closed circle fashion with the points of the gores coming together in the same spot. The result is a dome shape with its opening circumscribed by the base of the triangular gores. A bill is attached to this dome and is usually centered on a seam between two gores with the attached edge of the bill extending slightly past those two gores to contact, and be...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] The present invention is an improved multi-sized cap with ear protection. The crown of the cap is constructed from several gores. A bill is centered on the seam of two of the gores and partially overlaps a gore to either side of those two. A single ear protecting band is attached to the interior of the base of the crown. This band starts just to the rear of the bill on one side, wraps around the back, and ends at the same location on the opposite side. The edge of the ear protecting band opposite the one attached to the crown is shorter than the edge attached to the crown. This causes the cap to form to the wearer's head by cupping under the ears and conforming more closely to the ears. Conversely, when the ear protecting band is folded into the crown, it tapers and fits the interior of the crown and avoids bunching. A biaxially elastic band circumscribes the inside of the crown and ear band with the ear band in the down position.

[0015] Accordingly, it is a primary objective of this invention to improve the fit of a cap having ear protection. The cap should conform more closely to the wearer's head and have less tendency to easily blow off in the wind.

[0016] It is a further objective of this invention to improve the compactness of a cap having ear protection when the ear protecting component is retracted.

[0018] It is another objective of this invention to protect forward areas of the wearer's face from the cold without obstructing the wearer's peripheral vision.

[0019] It is a further objective of this invention to provide an all weather cap that features an ear warming band which can benefit the wearer in cold temperatures, and yet, upon retraction of the ear warming band, the cap is still lightweight for warm temperature comfort.

Problems solved by technology

Although a variety of prior art caps can be found that feature an ear protection band, they generally also include features that limit or compromise the utility of the band.

This compromises the cap's utility in warmer weather.

A heavily insulated cap will be uncomfortable at that point.

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