JPH06341008A - Hat provided with cover for operational tool for size adjusting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a cap having a cover for enabling the operation of the operation tool of a size-adjusting mechanism from the outside of the crown. CONSTITUTION: This cap is composed of a crown 12 having an opening for receiving the head of the wearing person, a freely inflatable air-bag 20, an attaching means to attach the air-bag to the crown in a state to position the bag between the crown 12 and the head of the wearing person, a fluid- introducing means 82 to selectively introduce a fluid into the air-bag 20, a cover for covering the fluid-introducing means and enabling the operation of the fluid-introducing means from the outside of the crown 12 and a bonding means for bonding the cover to the crown.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cap of a type having a size adjusting mechanism, and more particularly to a size adjusting mechanism operating device for enabling the size adjusting mechanism operating device to be operated from outside the crown. Regarding the cover of. The term "hat" here means any type of hat worn on the head. "Crown" is the crown of a hat.

[0002]

The present inventor has recently achieved significant improvements in conventional hats. One of the improvements is US Pat. No. 5,031,246 (hereinafter, “US Pat. No. '246”).
For short). The invention of U.S. Pat. No. '246 is directed to a hat in which an air bag is attached to the crown that provides a deformable cushioning layer between the crown and the wearer's head. At least a portion of the air sac and crown are deformable so that they can conform to the wearer's head. In one aspect of the invention of US '246, the air sacs can be selectively inflated or deflated to change the effective diameter of the head receiving opening of the hat.

In the US '246 cap, fluid, preferably air, can be introduced into or expelled from the sac while the cap is still on. The air sacs can be loaded with air by repeatedly squeezing the valve-type actuator until the air sacs are filled with the desired amount of air. When deflating the air sacs, the relief valve can be operated to expel air from the air sacs.

One difficulty associated with this type of hat is the problem of incorporating the valve-type actuator and relief valve into the flexible crown portion of, for example, a baseball cap-type cap so that it can be operated from outside the crown. is there. There are three primary goals that designers must address in integrating valve-type actuators and relief valves integrally into the crown, and in some cases may conflict. First, the valve-type actuator and relief valve must be easily accessible to the wearer of the hat. Secondly, the valve-type actuator and the relief valve are
It must be mounted in such a way that it is durable enough to withstand the wear effects of its repeated use. Third,
Valve-type actuators and relief valves should not significantly impair the overall aesthetics of the cap.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to achieve the above three objects at the same time, and further, to minimize the manufacturing cost of an air bag having a valve type actuator and a relief valve. The present invention is particularly directed to improving the basic structure disclosed in US Pat. No. '246.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a crown defining an opening for receiving a wearer's head and a position between the crown and the wearer's head. An inflatable air sac attached to the crown, a fluid introducing means for selectively introducing a fluid into the air sac, and a fluid attached to the crown, covering the fluid introducing means, And a cover for allowing the introduction means to be operated from outside the crown. The cover is preferably a flexible film made of plastic or rubber. In one embodiment, the membrane has a preformed receiving cavity for receiving the fluid introduction means and is at least partially cup-shaped to define a suitable receiving cavity. it can.

To connect the membrane to the crown, and in particular to the flexible crown, holes are drilled in the crown which are aligned with the fluid introducing means. The rim of the membrane defines a shoulder that abuts the inner surface of the wall of the crown. A bead engages the perimeter of the crown hole and holds the perimeter between the bead and the membrane rim. The bead and the rim and the peripheral edge of the hole of the crown are appropriately fixed by, for example, a suture. The beads and rims are not necessarily continuous, but are preferably continuous around the hole of the crown and have a shape that matches the shape of the perimeter of the hole. In one embodiment, a cut is made in the bead and a suture is made through the wall of the cut.

The membrane can also be shaped to receive a relief valve for draining fluid from the air sac.
The membrane is provided with a port for draining fluid from the air sac to the outside of the crown.

The present invention also provides a crown defining an opening for receiving a wearer's head, a size adjustment mechanism for selectively changing the size of the opening, and the size adjustment mechanism. And a cover coupled to the crown for covering.

The cover, in one embodiment, comprises a membrane having a cup-shaped portion projecting outside the crown through a hole drilled in the crown to facilitate operation of the size adjustment mechanism. In one embodiment, the portion of the crown that receives the membrane is formed of a flexible material such as woven fabric. One example of a hat suitable for applying the present invention is a baseball cap type cap.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a hat 10 suitable for incorporating the present invention. Although the cap 10 is a baseball cap type cap, the present invention can be applied to almost any type of cap that has a crown that covers the head of the wearer. For example, the hat may be a visor or a hat.

The hat 10 is an inverted cup type crown 12.
And an eaves or collar 14 attached to it and projecting forward. The crown 12 is formed by six triangular cloths 16 sewn along the side edges that abut each other. The lower edge 17 of the crown 12 defines an opening 18 that receives the wearer's head.

An air bag 20 is connected to the crown 12 to form a deformable cushion layer between the lower edge 17 of the crown 12 and the wearer's head. The advantages afforded by this air bag are detailed in Applicant's US Pat. No. 5,031,246. The air sac 20 is the opening 18 of the crown.
Around at least 270 ° and preferably over 360 ° to form a continuous member that holds the wearer's head. The air bag 20 has a first layer 22 and a second layer 24 that define an airtight space (also referred to as the “air bag space”) for containing a movable fluid (preferably air). The air sac 20 is shown in all figures as a solid line as being made of a single piece, but may alternatively be formed by face-to-face bonding of separate sheets at the locations indicated by dashed line 28 in FIG. You may. Also, the bladder 20 may be formed as an endless loop, but in the preferred embodiment it is formed as a tubular strip and its ends are heat-sealed along two lines 30, 32 to enclose the fluid. A closed space 26 for
To define

Before connecting the air sacs 20 to the crown 12,
A sweat leather 34 formed of a moisture absorbing cloth is partially attached to the air bag 20. Bonding of the sweat bag 34 to the air bag 20 and the pre-combined air bag 20 and the crown 1 of the sweat bag 34
To facilitate bonding to the two, the two layers 22 and 24 of the air sacs are heat sealed or fused to form weld beads 36 and 38 at the upper and lower edges 40 and 42 of the air sacs, respectively. The fusing beads 36, 38 provide attachment portions that allow sutures to pass through the air sacs 20 without damaging the seal around the air sacs space 26.

Before the air bag 20 is assembled to the crown 12, the sweat leather 34 is folded back so as to wrap the upper edge 40 of the air bag 20, and a continuous suture line 44 is formed on the fusion bead 36 and the bead 36 of the upper edge 40 of the air bag 20. The first subassembly (air bag 20 and sweat) which can be attached to the crown 12 as a unit by applying the first layer 46 and the second layer 48 of the wrapped sweat leather 34 through the first layer 46 and the second layer 48 (see FIG. 6). An assembly with leather 34) is obtained.

Next, the air bag 20 having the sweat leather 34 partially attached thereto is attached to the crown 12. Before that, the sweat leather 34 is folded back around the lower edge 42 of the air bag 20 and the lower edge 42 is wrapped. The lower edge 42 of the air sac 20 is the crown 12
Are joined together by a suture line 50 which extends all around. The suture line 50 is the fusion bead 3 on the upper edge 40 of the air bag 20.
8 and two layers 52,5 of sweat leather 34 wrapped around the bead
4 and the downward folding flap 56 of the crown 12 are penetrated and provided (refer FIG. 6). A reinforcing strip 58 may be attached to the flap 56 by a suture 60.

Free ends 62 and 64 of sweat leather 34 (see FIG. 8)
Are overlapped at the rear of the hat 10. The free ends 62 and 64 of the superposed sweat leather 34 are covered with rectangular splicing cloth pieces 66 (see FIGS. 3 and 5), and the upper and lower edges of the cloth pieces 66 are respectively the upper edge 40 and the lower edge of the air bag 20. The flaps 68 and 70 are formed by folding back 42. More specifically, the lower flap 70 of the splicing cloth piece 66 is attached to the sweat leather 34.
Between the layer 54 and the flap 56 of the crown 12 so that when the bead 38 is joined to the crown 12, the flap 70 is also sewn together with its seam 50 (see FIG. 3).

After the stitching with the suture line 50 is completed, the upper flap 68 of the splicing cloth piece 66 is folded back around the upper edge of the sweat leather 34 so as to cover the overlapped free ends 62 and 64 of the sweat leather 34. The free ends 62 and 64, the two folded layers of the splicing cloth piece 66, the bead 36 at the upper edge of the air bag 20 and the seam 71 passing through the crown 12 are sewn together. Thus, the upper edge 40 of the air bag 20 is secured to the crown 12 at the rear of the cap 10 over its slight circumferential extent, preferably less than 90 °. The remainder of the upper edge 40 of the air sac 20 does not bond to the crown 12 to allow the air sac 20 and sweat leather 34 to fold down from the crown opening 18.

One feature of the present invention is to provide a structure that facilitates forming the air sacs 20 to conform to the curved shape of the lower edge 17 of the crown. In order to achieve this, the first layer 22 and the second layer 24 of the air bag 20 are
The air sacs are connected to each other at regular intervals in the circumferential direction.
More specifically, the first layer 22 and the second layer 24 of the air bag 20 are bonded by an adhesive, or more preferably, they are fused by heat. Thereby, a local restriction (narrowed portion) is formed in the space 26 in the air bag 20. As means for forming such a local restriction portion in the space of the air sac, it is possible to use means other than the above-mentioned joining or fusion.

The heat fusion is, in one embodiment, a bladder 20.
The first layer 22 and the second layer 24 are fused along two horizontal lines 72 and 74 which are vertically separated from each other. The lines 72,74 or fusion or heat seal lines divide the space 26 of the air bag 20 into a plurality of circumferentially adjacent chambers 76,78, confined between the adjacent chambers 76,78. A (narrowed) communication passage 80 (see FIG. 2) is defined. The fusion lines 72 and 74 are
There, it prevents the bladder 20 from expanding completely outward. Therefore, the air bag 20 expands outward at the chambers 76, 78 more than the portions of the air bag 20 aligned above and below the fusion lines 72, 74. As a result,
The air bag 20 can be bent like a hinge around the fusion lines 72 and 74. The air bag 20 is a fusion line 7
If the characteristic structure according to the present invention such as 2,74 does not exist, it may be bridged like a straight bridge over a relatively long circumferential portion (span) of the crown 12. The air bag 20 of the present invention provided with space limiting means such as the fusion lines 72 and 74 can easily bend following the contour of the crown 12. In the preferred embodiment, the fusion lines 72 and 74 are about 38.1 meters around the circumference of the air bag 20.
It is formed at an interval of m.

The air sac 20 may be completely enclosed to contain a volume of movable fluid, but the fluid within the air sac 20 may be modified to change the effective size of the crown opening 18. It is also desirable to provide means to allow the amount to be changed. To this end, a fluid supply / drainage means 82 (see FIGS. 1, 5-10) for directing the movable fluid into the air bag 20 and for allowing the fluid to exit the space. Can be provided.
The fluid supply / drainage means 82 is a conduit 86 communicating with the air-sac space 26.
And a valve 84 having User can use valve 8
Air can be introduced through duct 86 into air bag space 26 by repeatedly squeezing 4. The construction of a suitable valve 84 with a one-way pumping function is well known to those skilled in the art.

The fluid supply / discharge means 82 also includes a relief valve 88 for discharging the fluid from the air bag 20. Relief valve 8
8 is a cylindrical mounting base 9 mounted on the air bag 20.
Has 0. The mounting base 90 has operation buttons 94.
It has a stepped through hole 92 for receiving an operating device in the form of. The operation button 94 has an operation rod 96 that connects the stopper head 98 and the enlargement operation head 100. The coil spring 102 is provided between the shoulder portion 104 defined by the annular bead 106 of the mounting base 90 and the head 94 so as to surround the operating rod 96. Coil spring 102
Normally presses the sealing surface 108 of the stopper head 98 against the shoulder 110 of the annular bead 106, thereby preventing fluid from escaping from the space 26 to the exterior of the bladder 20. As shown in FIG. 7, when the actuator or operation button 94 is pressed, the sealing surface 108 is separated from the shoulder 110 and an annular passage 112 is created to expel air from the space 26 in the direction of arrow 113. be able to.

Covering the fluid supply / discharge means 82 and the relief valve 88,
To attach them to the crown 12, the cover 12
0 is set. The cover 120 consists of a membrane 122 having two adjacent cup-shaped receiving cavities 124, 126 for receiving the valve 84 and the relief valve 88, respectively. The receiving cavities 124, 126 are shaped such that when the sweat leather 34 is attached to the crown with the bladder 20, the valve 84 fits within the receiving cavity 124 and the relief valve 88 fits within the receiving cavity 126. It is dimensioned.

The user can still introduce air into the air bag space 26 by wearing a protective device 10 and later turning his hand to push in the portion 128 of the membrane 122 that covers the valve 84. Similarly, when air is to be discharged from the air-sac space 26, the portion 130 of the membrane 122 covering the operation button 94 of the relief valve 88 may be pushed in. Membrane 122 has ports 132 and 134 for discharging fluid from air bag 20 to the outside of membrane 122. Membrane 122 is preferably formed of a rubber or plastic material having sufficient elasticity to facilitate operation of valve 84 and relief valve 88. At the same time, the rubber or plastic material of the membrane 122 is
8,130 should be sufficiently restorative to maintain the normally expanded state.

The present invention provides a novel bonding means for bonding the membrane 122 to the crown 12. A hole 136 is formed in the cloth, which is the material of the crown 12, to receive the membrane 122. The hole 136 is defined by a cloth perimeter 138 that follows the contours of the valve 84 and the relief valve 88. However, this particular shape is a matter of design choice. Membrane 122 has an integral rim 140 that extends around hole 136 and defines a shoulder 142 that abuts inner surface 144 of wall 146 of crown 12. Wall of crown 12
A bead 148 having a shape that substantially conforms to the rim 140 is applied to the outer surface 150 of 46 opposite the rim 140. The bead 148 has a peripheral notch 152 that defines an outwardly facing wall 154.

A suture 156 is applied through the wall 154, the cloth perimeter 138 and the rim 140, thereby creating a cloth perimeter 138.
Is sandwiched between the rim 140 and the bead 148 and fixed. The combination of the rim 140 and the bead 148 forms an aesthetically pleasing bond and reinforces the fabric perimeter 138 to firmly bond the membrane 122 to the crown 12.

The above configuration facilitates assembly of the membrane 122 to the crown 12. That is, in order to assemble the membrane 122 onto the crown 12, the holes 136 are first formed in the crown 12.
The membrane 122 is then aligned from the inside of the crown 12 with the hole 136, the membrane 122 is projected outward through the hole 136 and the membrane rim 140 is abutted against the inner surface 144 of the crown wall 146. Thus, the membrane part 12
The reference numerals 8 and 130 project outside the crown 12 so that they can be easily accessed from the outside. The bead 148 then surrounds the protruding membrane portions 128, 130 to surround the rim 1.
Apply facing 40. In this state, the suture line 1
Assembling 56 completes the assembly.

The inner peripheral edge 158 of the bead 148 closely conforms to the contours of the membrane portions 128, 130 to form an orderly bond and, if the fabric peripheral edge 138 is frayed, covers such frays. I will end up. The notches 152 also help to keep the appearance of the cover 120 tidy.

The cover 120 can be used for more than just a controller for an inflatable bladder. For example,
The cover 120, which is a combination of the membrane 122, the rim 140, and the beads 148, can also be incorporated into a hat with size adjustment means of a type other than an inflatable bladder.

As can be seen from the above description, the size of the hat 10 of the present invention can be easily changed even while being worn on the head. That is, the user can increase the pressure in the air bag 20 and reduce the effective size of the cap by operating the valve 84 on the rear side of the cap while the cap 10 is worn on the head, and the relief valve can be released. If you press 88, the air bag 2
The pressure within 0 can be reduced to increase the effective size of the hat. The structure of the present invention provides a hat that is durable and yet economical to manufacture.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the structures and modes of the embodiments illustrated herein, and deviates from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be understood that various embodiments are possible and that various changes and modifications can be made.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a baseball cap-type cap having an air bag that provides a deformable cushioning layer to a crown that defines a warning portion that receives a wearer's head.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a portion of the air sac showing the pattern of fluid flow through a restricted portion of the air sac space.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a portion of the air sac showing the manner of attachment to the crown at the upper and lower edges of the air sac.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a portion of the air sacs showing the pattern of fluid flow through an unrestricted portion of the air sacs space.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial elevational view of the back of the cap,
For directing a movable fluid into the space of the air sac,
And the cover of the present invention covering the fluid supply / drainage means for allowing the fluid to drain from the space.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid discharge means taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5, showing the fluid discharge means in a normal state.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the fluid ejecting means ejecting fluid from the bladder.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial front view showing a connection mode between both ends of the air sac.

9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 in FIG. 4, showing the fluid supply / drainage means and the cover of the present invention covering the same.

FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the fluid supply / drainage means and the cover of the present invention covering the same, showing a state in which the crown and the cover are opened from the fluid supply / drainage means.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Hat 12: Crown 17: Lower edge 18: Opening 20: Air sacs (deformable cushioning layer) 22: First layer 24: Second layer 26: Air sacs space 34: Sweat leather 36, 38: Fusion beads 40 : Upper edge 42: Lower edge 44: Suture line 46, 48: 1st and 2nd layers of sweat leather 50: Suture line 52, 54: 1st and 2nd layer of sweat leather 58: Reinforcing strip 60: Suture line 71: Suture line 72, 74: Fusion line 76, 78: Chamber 80: Communication passage 82: Fluid supply / discharge means 84: Valve 88: Relief valve 94: Operation button (operator) 120: Cover 122: Membrane 124 , 26: cup-shaped receiving space 136: hole 138: peripheral edge 140: rim 142: shoulder 148: bead 152: notch 156: suture line

Claims (24)

[Claims] 1. A crown defining an opening for receiving a wearer's head, an inflatable air sac, the air sac such that it is located between the crown and the wearer's head. Means for attaching to the crown, fluid introduction means for selectively introducing fluid into the air sac, and covering the fluid introduction means to allow operation of the fluid introduction means from outside the crown A cover, a coupling means for coupling the cover to the crown,
Hat consisting of. 2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a flexible membrane. 3. The cap according to claim 2, wherein the membrane is made of plastic or rubber. 4. The cap of claim 2, wherein the membrane has a preformed receiving cavity for receiving the fluid introducing means. 5. A hole is opened in the crown,
2. The means of claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes a rim provided on the membrane that defines a shoulder that presses against an inner surface of a wall of the crown when the cover is coupled to the crown. hat. 6. The cap according to claim 5, wherein the rim is formed integrally with the membrane. 7. The hat of claim 6, wherein the rim extends seamlessly around the hole in the crown. 8. The crown has a perimeter that surrounds the hole, and the coupling means includes a bead and a means for clamping the perimeter of the crown hole between the bead and the rim. The hat of claim 5, comprising: 9. The cap of claim 8, wherein the bead extends seamlessly around the hole in the crown. 10. The cap according to claim 9, wherein the rim and the bead have shapes that match each other. 11. A fluid drainage means for selectively draining fluid from the air sac, the air sac having a port for draining fluid from the air sac to the exterior of the crown. The hat according to claim 2. 12. The cap according to claim 8, wherein the means for holding the peripheral edge of the hole of the crown is a suture line provided through the rim and the bead. 13. The bead has a notch,
13. The cap of claim 12, wherein the suture extends through the incision. 14. A crown defining an opening for receiving a wearer's head, size adjustment means for selectively changing the size of the opening, and at least a portion of the size adjustment means. A cover for covering, a coupling means for coupling the cover to the crown,
Hat consisting of. 15. The cap of claim 14, wherein the cover comprises a flexible membrane made of plastic or rubber that allows the size adjusting means to be manipulated from outside the crown. 16. The cap of claim 14 wherein the membrane has a preformed cup shape that defines a cavity for receiving the size adjusting means. 17. A hole is provided in the crown and the coupling means is provided in the membrane defining a shoulder that presses against an inner surface of a wall of the crown when the cover is coupled to the crown. 17. The hat of claim 16 including a rim that is trimmed. 18. The cap of claim 17, wherein the rim is integrally formed with the membrane and extends seamlessly around the hole in the crown. 19. The crown has a peripheral edge that surrounds the hole, and the coupling means includes a bead that extends continuously around the peripheral edge of the hole of the crown, and the peripheral edge is the bead. 19. The cap of claim 18, including means for pinching between the rims. 20. The means for pinching the perimeter of a hole in a crown between a rim and a bead comprises a suture threaded through at least one of the rim and the bead. Hat described in 19. 21. The bead has a notch,
21. The cap of claim 20, wherein the suture extends through the incision. 22. The cap of claim 19, wherein the membrane projects outwardly from the crown beyond the outer surface of the wall of the crown. 23. The hat of claim 14, wherein the crown is at least partially flexible and the holes are opened in the flexible portion of the crown. 24. The cap of claim 1, wherein the cap is a baseball cap type cap.