GB2228181A - Sweatband - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a sweatband comprising a skin-contacting layer 12 of a moisture permeable but non-retaining material and an outer moisture absorbing layer 13, the skin-contacting layer being wider than the outer layer so that the outer layer does not contact the skin but the skin-contacting layer has at least one edge region 15 which is not covered by said outer layer. <IMAGE>

Description

SWEATBAND This invention relates to a sweatband such as might be used in sports and in industrial environments, operating theatres and the like.

Conventional sports sweatbands are made of thick fleecy material or terry cloth made of fibres such as cotton or wool and are relatively expensive so as not to constitute disposable items, but require laundering after use if they are to remain presentable.

US Patent 4,675,915 discloses an improved sweatband which is said therein to overcome a problem associated with such conventional sweatbands, namely that they eventually become saturated and moisture will then flow from the sweatband back on to the body, the effect being as if the sweatband was not there at all.

The improved sweatband of the US patent comprises an outer sleeve of moisture absorbent material and an inner sleeve of a non-moisture absorbent material. It may be fashioned as a wristband or a legband or a headband, the inner sleeve being, of course, in contact with the skin. The outer and inner sleeves have top and bottom edge portions which are relatively staggered, so that the outer sleeve top edge portion extends above the inner sleeve top edge, and the inner sleeve lower edge portion extends below the outer sleeve top edge. Both the extending outer sleeve top edge portion and the inner sleeve lower edge portion are in contact with the skin, therefore. The idea, as explained in the US patent, is that perspiration flowing down, for example, the leg is absorbed by the outer sleeve top edge portion and is dispersed through the outer sleeve.The inner sleeve forms a continuous barrier to the thus absorbed perspiration which does not permeate or penetrate the inner sleeve. Certain advantages claimed for this construction are described in the US patent, on the basis of a test carried out with wristbands of control conventional terry cloth and of the patented construction.

These patented sweatbands, as described in the US patent, appear, as regards the construction of the outer layer, to be similar to conventional sweatbands as regards their general appearance and construction and, hence, cost. The additional inner sleeve represents an additional cost, therefore, which militates against such items being regarded as more "disposable" than -conventional sweatbands.

Whilst, moreover, it is not suggested that the patented sweatband does not work as claimed, it is apparent that the test described, carried out on a wristband, may have less relevance to a headband arrangement, where most of the perspiration emanates not from above the sweatband but from the skin area covered by the sweatband. In this situation, since the perspiration does not permeate or penetrate the inner sleeve, it can, from the region below the top edge of the inner sleeve, never reach the outer sleeve to be asborbed thereby.

The present invention provides a sweatband which, whilst being more particularly suited to use as a headband than what is described in the US patent, affords even better comfort generally, and is realisable as a disposable item particularly suited for industrial use. A further inventive feature facilitates its use with hats (such as hard hats used in industrial situations) which, for the conventional sweatband, is frequently out of the question.

The invention comprises a sweatband comprising a skin-contacting layer of a moisture permeable but nonretaining material and an outer moisture absorbing layer, the skin-contacting layer being wider than the outer layer so that the outer layer does not contact the skin but the skin-contacting layer has at least one edge region which is not covered by said outer layer.

The sweatband may have an adhesive patch on one of its faces at one of its ends to enable the band to be secured as a loop, there being a release peel removable from the patch when the band is required for use.

The sweatband may be in the form of a headband in which the skin-contacting layer forms a loop over a part of which, adapted to encompass the forehead of a wearer, the outer layer is disposed, the rest of the loop being elasticated to hold the headband to the head.

One circumferential edge of the skin-contacting layer and one edge of the outer layer may be sewn together.

The said rest of the loop may be elasticated by having elastic sewn to at least one circumferential edge thereof.

A single seam may join the said circumferential edge of the skin-contacting layer and the said edge of the outer layer and continue around the rest of the loop securing elastic thereto.

The sweatband may be in the form of a hatband adapted to be secured to the inside of a hat. The hatband may be adapted to be secured to the inside front of a hat so as to be in contact with the forehead only, when the hat is worn. The sweatband may comprise a line of adhesive on the said outer layer for securing the same to the inside of a hat, and the line of adhesive may be covered by a protective release peel which can be peeled off prior to securing the band to a hat. The said adhesive may be of the type which can readily be peeled off a surface to which it is properly secured.

The skin-contacting layer may be for example of nylon, polyester or polypropylene and may be of a lightweight non-woven fabric such as an adhesive or thermo-bonded fabric.

The outer layer may be of viscose and, again, may be of a non-woven fabric, which may be heavier than the skin-contacting layer, and may comprise a needle punched fleece.

The sweatband may be of very light weight as compared with conventional sweatbands, for example, the skin-contacting layer may have an area density of 20 grams per square metre, the outer layer 90 grams per square metre or more. This not only clearly facilitates its use under, so to speak, a hat - particularly a hard hat - but also contributes in large measure to the disposable nature of the article, and the possibilitity to make it of inexpensive non-woven fabric is of additional importance in that regard.

Embodiments of sweatbands according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a cross-section through a sweatband in operative contact with the skin; Figure 2 is a view of a headband; Figure 3 is a cross-section through a hatband; and Figure 4 is a cross-section through the hatband of Figure 3 in operative position on a hard hat worn on the head.

Figures 1 to 4 illustrate sweatbands 11 comprising a skin-contacting layer 12 of a moisture permeable but non-retaining material and an outer, moisture absorbing layer 13, the skin-contacting layer 12 being wider than the outer layer 13 so that the outer layer 13 does not contact the skin 14 (Figure 1) but the skin-contacting layer 12 has at least one edge region 15 which is not covered by the said outer layer 13.

In the drawings, the layer 12 is indicated to be a permeable layer by being shown as a perforated layer in fact, the layer can of course be permeable without having any visible perforations.

Figure 2 illustrates a sweatband 11 in the form of a headband in which the skin-contacting layer 12 forms a loop over a part 21 of which adapted to encompass the wearer's forehead, the outer layer 13 is disposed, the rest, 22 of the loop being elasticated to hold the headband to the head.

One, in fact, the top circumferential edge 12a of the skin-contacting layer and one edge 13a of the outer layer 13 are sewn together. The rest, 22, of the loop is elasticated by having elastic 23 sewn to the upper and lower cirfumferential edges thereof; a single seam joins the edges 12a and 13a and continues around the upper edge of the rest 22 of the loop securing the elastic 23 thereto. This is a very simple and inexpensive method of assembly. All the seaming is preferably overlock seaming.

Alternatively the layer 13 may be secured to the layer 12 by adhesive rather than stitching.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a sweatband 11 in the form of a hatband adapted to be secured to the inside of a hat 41 (Figure 4). The hatband is in fact adapted to be secured to the inside front 41a of the hat 41 so as to be in contact with the forehead 14 only, when the hat 41 is worn.

The sweatband comprises a line of adhesive 31 on the outer layer 13 for securing the same to the inside of the hat 41. This line of adhesive is covered by a protective release peel 32 which is peeled off prior to securing the band 11 to the hat 41. The adhesive 31 is of the type which can readily be peeled off a surface to which it is properly secured so that the band 11 can be peeled off the hat 41 when it needs to be replaced.

Because the outer layer 13 is permeable, the adhesive 31 may also secure the outer layer 13 to the skin-contacting layer 14. This, in this embodiment as for the embodiment shown in Figure 2, is a very simple and inexpensive manner of assembly of the sweatband 11.

A separate adhesive band may however be used instead.

The skin-contacting layer 12 in each embodiment is of non-woven eg adhesive or thermo-bonded nylon or polyester fibre material and may have a weight eg of some 30 grams per square metre.

The outer layer 13 is also a non-woven fabric of viscose (but could be of a cotton or wool fabric or other moisture absorbent material. It is heavier than the skin-contacting layer, possibly 60 to 100 grams per square metre, and may be a needle punched fleece material.

The hatband 11 of Figures 3 and 4 especially could be made symmetrical about the line 31 of adhesive so that it would not matter which way up it was placed on a hat.

Whilst two embodiments of headband have been described, the like principles will of course operate for wrist and legbands.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible, without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Thus for example the sweatband may have an adhesive patch on one of its faces at one of its ends to enable the band to be secured as a loop, there being a release peel removable from the patch when the band is required for use.

In such an arrangement it is particularly suitable that the permeable skin contacting and moisture absorbing layers are joined by adhesive rather than by stitching.

Claims (18)

1. A sweatband comprising a skin-contacting layer of a moisture permeable but non-retaining material and an outer moisture absorbing layer, the skin-contacting layer being wider than the outer layer so that the outer layer does not contact the skin but the skin-contacting layer has at least one edge region which is not covered by said outer layer.

2. A sweatband according to claim 1, having an adhesive patch on one of its ends enabling the band to be secured as a loop around the part of the body on which it is to be worn.

3. A sweatband according to claim 2, including a release peel removable from said patch when the band is required for use.

4. A sweatband according to claim 1, in the form of a headband in which the skin-contacting layer forms a loop over a part of which, adapted to encompass the forehead of a wearer, the outer layer is disposed, the rest of the loop being elasticated to hold the headband to the head.

5. A sweatband according to claim 4, in which one circumferential edge of the skin-contacting layer and one edge of the outer layer are sewn together.

6. A sweatband according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the said rest of the loop is elasticated by having elastic sewn to at least one circumferential edge thereof.

7. A sweatband according to claim 5, in which a single seam joins to said circumferential edge of the skin-contacting layer and the said edge of the outer layer and continues around the rest of the loop securing elastic thereto.

8. A sweatband according to claim 1, in the form of a hat band adapted to be secured to the inside of a hat.

9. A sweatband according to claim 8, adapted to be secured to the inside front of a hat so as to be in contact with the forehead only, when the hat is worn.

10. A sweatband according to claim 8 or claim 9, comprising a line of adhesive on the said outer layer for securing the same to the inside of a hat.

11. A sweatband according to claim 10, in which the line of adhesive is covered by a protective release peel which can be pealed off prior to securing the band to a hat.

12. A sweatband according to claim 10 or claim 11, in which the adhesive is of the type which can readily be peeled off a surface to which it is properly secured.

13. A sweatband according to any one of claims 1 to 10, of which the skin-contacting layer is of nylon, polyester or polypropylene.

14. A sweatband according to any one of claims 1 to 13, in which the skin-contacting layer of a lightweight non-woven fabric.

15. A sweatband according to claim 14, in which the non-woven fabric comprises an adhesive or thermo-bonded fabric.

16. A sweatband according to any one of claims 1 to 15, in which the outer layer is of viscose.

17. A sweatband according to any one of claims 1 to 16, in which the outer is of a non-woven fabric hevier that the skin-contacting layer.

18. A sweatband according to any one of claims 1 to 17, in which the outer layer comprises a needle punched fleece.