Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HEADGEAR WITH EYEWEAR ATTACHMENT
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to headgear, such as a cap or visor, having an
eyewear
attachment, such as sunglasses, integrated with the headgear.
SACKGROUND ART
People who are active in the outdoors must protect their eyes from the
damaging
effects of the sun. Many people who work or play outdoors find it difficult to
maintain their
active lifestyles when encumbered by eyewear, such as prescription glasses or
ultraviolet
(UV) eyewear. Devices have been developed or proposed for supporting eyewear
on
headgear. However, an adjustable, portable and easily exchangeable device is
needed that is
comfortable, safe and provides maximum ease in use. It would further be
desirable that the
headgear be waterproof and have a pocket to hold small essential articles,
such as
identification cards or money.
Numerous headgear conibined with eyewear have been developed where the eyewear
can rest against a visor. U.S. Patent Publication Number 2002/0129433,
published on
September 19, 2002, describes a reconfigurable eyewear apparatus for headwear
visor. The
eyewear apparatus comprises a support member securable to the headwear visor,
an eyewear
assembly adjustably coupled to the support member and at least one fastening
assembly
coupled to the eyewear assembly and the support member.
U.S. Patent Number 2,004,701, issued to Livengood on June 11, 1935, describes
a
goggle support. The support comprises at least one channel member joined to
the under side
of a visor, a member positioned within the channel that is then attached to
eyewear. A spring
is used in the support to hold the member under pressure as the eyewear is
positioned on the
headwear.
U.S. Patent Number 2,500,280, issued to Feldman on March 14, 1950, describes a
combination cap and sunshade. The shade is joined to the underside of the cap
by stud posts
that have ball portions at an opposite end. The eyewear has brackets that are
joined to the
ball portions of the posts and cooperate to move the eye shield around.
U.S. Patent Number 2,648,091, issued to Jones on August 11, 1953, describes a
fastening assembly for attaching an eye shield to a visor. The assembly uses a
stud and
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socket snap fastener. The stud is attached to the eye shield and the socket is
attached to the
visor. The snap fastener cooperates in a snapping fashion to allow the shield
to tilt against
the underside of the visor.
U.S. Patent Number 2,654,089, issued to Tannenbaum on October 6, 1953,
describes
a combination cap and eyeshield. The eyeshield is attached to a visor portion
of the cap by a
track member and a pair of universally inter-engaging members that is slide
and rotates
within the track member.
U.S. Patent Number 2,725,560, issued to Feldman on December 6, 1955, describes
a
combination cap and eyeshield. A track or channel member is attached to the
underside of
the cap's visor by rivets. The shield is attached to the cap by a mounting
means that
comprises an inter-engaged ball and socket member cooperating with a track
member to slide
the eyewear in a desired position.
U.S. Patent Number 4,869,585, issued to Chung on September 26, 1989, describes
a
cap and sunglasses combination. A frame of the sunglasses has an assembly
comprising a
fixing shaft at each of its sides for fitting within a fixer. The fixer has a
hole at one end to
receive the fixing shaft and a slot at an opposite end to slide onto a visor.
The fixer is
ultimately fixed on the sides of the visor to hold the sunglasses in an
adjustable position on
the cap.
U.S. Patent Number 5,347,655, issued to Garrett on September 20, 1994,
describes an
eyewear and visor combination. The eyewear has a frame with posts extending
from each
end of the frame. The visor has scalloped edges extending from the sides of
the visor within
which the posts rest to adjustably hold the eyewear.
U.S. Patent Number 5,533,208, issued to Tonoyan et al. on July 9, 1996,
describes a
cap and glasses combination. The glasses are attached to a rim of the cap by
an assembly,
which includes an attachment rail, an attachment member having a cylindrical
member and a
hexagonal support member that is joined to a lens support structure for the
glasses.
U.S. Patent Number 5,687,420, issued to Chong on November 18, 1997, describes
a
device for fixing sunglasses to a cap. The device comprises of a left and
right clip element
mounted on left and right sides members of an anchoring means that then clips
onto a rod-
like left and right side portions on the sunglasses. The sunglasses are then
rotated upward or
downward about the rod-like portions.
U.S. Patent Number 5,689,827, issued to Ryder on November 25, 1997 describes a
fastener assembly for a combination visor and eyeshield. The eyeshield is
coupled to a
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connector that is then connected a base disposed on the underside of the
visor. The eyeshield
may be pivoted to any position, vertical or horizontal, as desired by the
user.
U.S. Patent Number 5,692,234, issued to Yuen on December 2, 1997, describes a
clip
body for attaching glasses to a bill of a cap. U.S. Patent Number 6,553,570,
issued to Flynn
on April 29, 2003, describes a cap and glasses combination. A mounting
assembly hinges the
glasses to the underside of the cap.
U.S. Patent Number 6,275,992, issued to Bondy on August 21, 2001, describes an
eye
shield assembly. A pair of C-clips is attached to the underside of a hat brim.
The eye shield
has a frame to which a pair of spaced posts protrudes up from the top of the
frame. A ball is
located at the top of the frame. The ball is positioned within a spherical
recess in the C clip
to allow the eye shield to pivot under the brim of the hat.
British Patent Number 2,337,443, published on November 24, 1999, describes a
hat
having spectacles mounted to the underside of the hat. The spectacles are
supported under
the brim of the hat by a magnet, frictional means or a clip.
W.I.P.O. Patent Number 03/048842, published on June 12, 2003, describes
glasses for
use with a cap. The glasses have gear-fixing grooves on its upper ends to
receive gears that
are coupled to a clip. The clip has a slot to receive a brim of the cap.
Headgear having pockets is disclosed in U.S. Design Patent Number 456,118,
issued
to Hill on April 30, 2002; U.S. Patent Number 5,724,678, issued to McCallum et
al. on
March 10, 1998; U.S. Patent Number 6,023,788, issued to McCallum et al. on
February 15,
2000; U.S. Patent Number 6,317,892, issued to Galigani on November 20, 2001;
British
Patent Number 2,295,307, published on May 29, 1996 and European Patent Number
1,151,683, published on November 7, 2001.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in
combination, is
seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, an article of
headgear with an
eyewear attachment solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
This disclosure is directed to an article of headgear with an eyewear
attachment. The
article of headgear with an eyewear attachment includes a headgear article
that has a visor
extending from the article. The visor has a top brim portion and a bottom brim
portion. The
article of headgear with an eyewear attachment further includes an eyeglass
attachment
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fastener that has a track member, a slidable track-engaging member, an
eyeglass attachment
end and means for vertically adjusting the eyeglass attachment end in an
upward or
downward direction.
The track member is attached to the bottom brim portion of the visor. The
track member
defines a longitudinal slot extending through the track member. The
longitudinal slot
receives the track-engaging member. The eyeglass attachment end is connected
to the track-
engaging member. The eyeglass attachment end is adapted to attach to an
eyeglass frame.
The eyeglass frame is slidable toward and away from a user wearing the
headgear article.
The eyeglass frame is rotatable against the bottom brim portion of the
headgear article and is
adjustable vertically in an upward or downward direction.
This disclosure is also directed to an article of headgear with an eyewear
attachment.
The article of headgear with an eyewear attachment includes a headgear article
that has a
visor extending from the article. The visor has a top brim portion and a
bottom brim portion.
The article of headgear with an eyewear attachment also includes an eyeglass
attachment
fastener that has a track member, a slidable track-engaging member, an
eyeglass attachment
end and means for vertically adjusting the eyeglass attachment end in an
upward or
downward direction. The track member is attached to the bottom brim portion of
the visor.
The track member defines a longitudinal slot extending through the track
member. The
longitudinal slot receives the track-engaging member. The eyeglass attachment
end is
connected to the track-engaging member. The article of headgear with an
eyewear
attachment additionally includes an eyeglass frame that has a pair of lenses
mounted therein.
The eyeglass attachment end of the eyeglass attachment fastener is adapted to
attach to the
eyeglass frame. The eyeglass frame is slidable toward and away from a user
wearing the
headgear article. The eyeglass frame is rotatable against the bottom brim
portion of the
headgear article and is adjustable vertically in an upward or downward
direction.
This disclosure is further directed to an article of headgear with an eyewear
attachment. The article of headgear with an eyewear attachment includes a
headgear article
that has a visor extending from the article. The visor has a top brim portion
and a bottom
brim portion. The top and bottom brim portions define a storage envelope. The
article of
headgear with an eyewear attachment further includes an eyeglass attachment
fastener that
has a track member, a slidable track-engaging member and an eyeglass
attachment end. The
track member is attached to the bottom brim portion of the visor. The track
member defines a
longitudinal slot extending through the track member. The longitudinal slot
receives the
track-engaging member. The eyeglass attachment end is connected to the track-
engaging
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member. The article of headgear with an eyewear attachment also includes an
eyeglass frame
that has a pair of lenses mounted therein. The eyeglass attachment end of the
eyeglass
attachment fastener is adapted to attach to the eyeglass frame. The eyeglass
frame is slidable
toward and away from a user wearing the headgear article. The eyeglass frame
is rotatable
5 against the bottom brim portion of the headgear article.
These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent
upon
consideration of the following specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a headgear with eyewear
attachment
according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a fragmented, exploded perspective showing details of the eyewear
attachment mechanism according to the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a rear section view of the headgear with eyewear attachment
according to the
present invention, showing the storage envelope in the interior of the
headgear.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently
throughout
the attached drawings.
BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The headgear with eyewear attachment is an article of headgear with an
interchangeable eyewear attachment that is removably attached to the headgear.
The
headgear may be any sort of hat or cap having a visor or bill. The eyewear may
be
prescription glasses, or eyewear for protection from ultraviolet light, such
as sunglasses. The
eyewear is attached to the visor of the headgear by a removably attachable
fastener. The
fastener used with the headwear and eyewear combination allows a user to
remove and
exchange eyewear for other types of eyewear. For instance, different users can
use the
headgear with their own individual prescription eyewear or UV sunglasses,
provided that the
eyewear has the fastener member that corresponds to the fastener member
disposed on the
headgear.
The fastener may comprise a track member used in conjunction with a ball and
socket
fastener, with the socket member disposed on the visor and the ball member
disposed on the
eyewear, or vice-versa. The ball and socket fastener permits the eyewear to
rotate about a
horizontal axis to lie flat against the visor. The fastener may additionally
be adjusted to the
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wearer's face by pushing the ball and socket portion of the fastener up or
pulling it down
according to the needs of the user.
The socket has an end that is disposed within a longitudinal slot of a track
member.
The track member can be any length and is disposed on a bottom brim portion of
the visor.
The socket can slide from one end of the longitudinal slot to a second end,
allowing the
eyewear to be positioned at a selectable distance from a user's eyes once the
eyewear is
attached to the visor. The longitudinal slot is lined with bristles to prevent
particles from
becoming lodged in the slot and causing premature deterioration and possible
malfunction.
The bristles are made of a flexible material that can easily bend when the
socket is pulled
within the longitudinal slot.
The headgear may have a pocket or envelope to hold personal possessions, such
as
money, credit cards, identification cards, etc. The envelope may be disposed
in the visor
where a top brim portion and the bottom brim portion of the visor define the
envelope. The
headgear may be waterproof, and may be made of buoyant material to keep the
headgear
afloat if dropped in water.
The present invention is a headgear article having an eyewear attachment. As
shown
in Fig. 1, the headgear with eyewear attachment comprises a headgear article
30 that may be
a hat, cap, or the like, and an eyewear accessory 20 attached to the headgear
article 30. The
headgear article 30 may also simply comprise a band with a bill or visor
extending therefrom,
without a crown. The headgear 30 has a bill or visor 32, which has a top brim
portion 34 and
a bottom brim portion 36. The eyewear 20 is removably attached to the visor 32
of the
headgear 30.
Referring now to Fig. 2, eyewear 20 is removably attached to the bottom brim
portion
36 of the visor 32 by a fastener 60. The fastener 60 comprises a socket member
40, a ball
member 46 mating with the socket member 40, and a track member 50. The socket
member
40 is a track-engaging member that has a shaft 43 having a bal142 or other
slidable piece at
the top end that is adapted to engage the track member 50 and a bottom end
forming the
socket 44 and defining a ball-receiving aperture 45. The ball member 46
comprises a stem 48
having a ba1147 or any other type of piece that is engagable with the shaft 43
at one end and
an eyeglass attachment end 49 disposed at the opposite end of the stem 48. The
eyeglass
attachment end 49 of the ball member 46 may comprise a fork having a multi-
pronged end or
other appropriate structure that attaches to a frame 22 of the eyewear 20 with
a screw 41 or
other similar fastener. The eyeglass attachment end 49 of the ball member 46
may
alternatively have a clip at the eyeglass attachment end 49 to allow the ball
member 46 to be
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attached to the frame 22 of the eyewear 20. The fastener 60 may also be
attached to the
frame 22 of the eyewear 20 with rivets or magnets. The eyeglass attachment end
49 of the
fastener 60 may be magnetized and may be adapted to attach to an eyeglass
frame 22 having
a mating magnet connected to the frame. This will allow the user to adjust the
height of the
eyewear accessory 20 to any point comfortable for the user, while maintaining
the eyewear
accessory 20 to the fastener 60. The mating magnet may additionally be
incorporated into the
material of the eyewear accessory 20 itself. The socket member 40 attaches to
the visor 32 of
the headgear 30 by inserting the ball 42 into the track member 50, which is
fixed to the
bottom brim portion 36 of the visor 32. The eyeglass attachment end 49 is not
directly
incorporated into the eyewear frame 22 itself and allows for the exchange of
multiple types of
eyewear 20, including glasses, sunglasses or the like.
While a ball member 46 and a socket member 40 are shown attached to each
other,
the socket member 40 having a ball 42 or other slider that engages the track
member 50 may
be used without the addition of the ball member 46. The socket 44 of the
socket member 40
would alternatively be constructed as an eyeglass attachment end, allowing the
socket
member 40 to directly connect to the eyewear accessory 20. Further, the ball
member 46 and
socket member 40 may be interchangeable, with a ball hanging from the end of a
stem
connected to a track-engaging piece and a socket attached to the ball at one
end and attached
to an eyeglass attachment end 49 at the other end of a shaft.
The fastener 60 may be adjusted to better position the eyewear accessory 20.
The
stem 48 of the ball member 46 may be notched, allowing the eyeglass attachment
end 49 to
be adjusted up or down at the discretion of the user. The shaft 43 of the
socket member 40
may be notched so that the socket 44 may be moved up or down the shaft 43 to
adjust the
height of the eyewear accessory 20. Alternatively, the track member 50 may
include notches
along the height of the track member 50 to allow the socket member 40 to be
pushed up or
pulled down and "locked" into the track member 50.
The track member 50 has apertures 52 defined in opposite ends thereof, a
longitudinal
slot 54 defined through the track member 50 and bristles 56 or other gasket
material lining
the longitudinal slot 54. The track member 50 may be any length that fits
under the visor 32.
The longitudinal slot 54 is dimensioned and configured to receive the ball 42
or other slider at
the top end of the socket member 40. The bristles 56 border the longitudinal
slot 54 to
prevent particles or debris from becoming lodged in the slot 54, causing
premature
deterioration and possible malfunction of the track member 50. The bristles 56
will be made
of flexible material that can easily bend when the socket fastener 40 is slid
within the
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longitudinal slot 54. The bristles 56 can be made of polypropylene or nylon
material. The
track member 50 may be secured to visor 32 by rivets extending through
apertures 52, or by
any other attachment means. The track member 50 may be integrated within the
visor 32
itself, being placed between the visor base material and the external covering
of the visor 32.
A slot would be defined within a portion of the external covering of the
headgear 30 adjacent
the longitudinal slot 54 of the track member 50 so that the socket member 40
may still be able
to be inserted within the longitudinal slot 54 of the track member 50.
The fastener 60, specifically the socket member 40 and the ball member 46, is
not
critical, and any fastener that is a removably attachable fastener that allows
the eyewear 20 to
flip up against the visor 32 can be substituted for the fastener 60. The
fastener 60 should also
be able to allow the user, or different users, to remove and exchange eyewear
20. The
headgear permits use by different users at different times by allowing the
user to replace the
eyewear with their own prescription eyewear or sunglass type of eyewear. The
eyewear 20
may include a frame and lenses attached to a frame or may alternatively be one
continuous
piece with lenses and omitting the frame. The exchange of eyewear 20 is made
easy by
requiring the fastener member that is attached to the frame 22 of the eyewear
20 to
correspond to the fastener member attached to the visor 32.
The fastener 60 may be attached to the bottom brim portion 36 of the visor 32
by any
of a number of methods, including attachment by molding or riveting the
fastener 60 to the
bottom brim portion 36. The fastener 60 may also be attached using adhesive to
affix the
fastener 60 to the visor 32. The fastener 60 may be made from metal, plastic,
any moldable
material, or any combination thereof.
Referring now to Fig. 3, a pocket or storage envelope 70 is formed in the
visor 32 of
the headgear 30. The top brim portion 34 and the bottom brim portion 36 of the
visor 32
define the envelope 70 cavity. Both the top brim portion 34 and the bottom
brim portion 36
of the visor 32 should be rigid permanent portions of the headgear 30 that can
separate when
desired by the user. The envelope 70 is accessed from inside the headgear 30
at a point where
the user's forehead meets a back end of the visor 32. The envelope 70 is
sealed by a closure
such as hook and loop fastening material, or an interlocking bead and groove
closure that
snaps the entire length of the opening of the envelope 70 shut. The envelope
70 may be used
to hold money M, credit cards, identification cards or any other flat article.
The entire
headgear with eyewear attachment may be made from waterproof material, and may
be made
from buoyant material keeping the headgear afloat if dropped in water.
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While the pocket 70 has been described as being formed in the visor 32 of the
headgear 30, the pocket 70 may be built into any section of the headgear 30,
including the
portion of the headgear 30 that is situated on the head of the user.
The external covering of the headgear 30 may be made from any type of material
typical to hats, visors and the like, including cotton, polyester, rayon or
any combination
thereof. The external covering material may be made with UV protecting
material to protect
against burning due to sun exposure. The visor 32 may have non-reflective
material affixed
to the bottom brim portion 36 of the visor 32. The visor 32 may be of any
length or width
appropriate to shield the eyes from sun glare.
A buckle may be incorporated into the headgear 30 to allow for adjustment of
size of
the headgear 30. A bottle-opening device may be attached to the buckle of the
headgear 30
or may be incorporated into the design of the buckle itself.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the
embodiment
described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of
the following
claims.
