US20070157366A1

US20070157366A1 - Headwear and sweatband applied to the same

Info

Publication number: US20070157366A1
Application number: US11/327,989
Authority: US
Inventors: Byoung-Woo Cho
Original assignee: Yupoong Inc
Current assignee: Yupoong Inc
Priority date: 2006-01-09
Filing date: 2006-01-09
Publication date: 2007-07-12

Abstract

Elasticity of headwear and wearing comfort are enhanced with headgear of the present invention, thereby improving quality of the headwear. The headwear includes a head-covering portion for being worn on a head of a wearer, and a sweatband combined to an interior side of the head-covering portion. The sweatband includes a sweat absorbing member and a cover for partially covering the sweat absorbing member. The cover and sweat absorbing member include a bonding portion combined by bonding.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to headwear and a sweatband applied to the headwear. More particularly, the present invention relates to headwear with an improvement in wearing comfort and quality, and a sweatband applied to the headwear.
(b) Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 16, a cap includes a crown portion 101 for being worn on a head of a wearer, and a visor portion 103 formed entirely or partially at an interior circumference of a bottom side of the crown portion 101.
Such a cap may include a sweatband 105 combined thereto at its lower interior. The sweatband 105 absorbs sweat exuding from a head or forehead of a wearer, such that the cap may maintain its comfort.
Such a sweatband 105 may include a sweat absorbing member 107, a protecting member 109 for maintaining the shape of the sweat absorbing member 107, and a cover 111 for covering the sweatband 105 and the protecting member 109 and maintaining exterior aesthetic features of the sweatband 105.
In particular, the sweat absorbing member 107, the protecting member 109, and the cover 111 are stitched together with four rows of sewing thread 113 along a length direction thereof. Stitches of the sewing thread 113 of the sweatband 105 are protruded toward and push the forehead of the wearer such that a dent is made on the forehead of the wearer.
In addition, friction occurs between the sewing thread 113 of the sweatband 105 and the forehead of the wearer when the wearer puts the cap on or takes it off, thereby causing a drawback of a deterioration of wearing comfort and quality of the cap.
In addition, stretchability of an existing sweatband is provided by loosening stitches of the sewing thread, but the amount of stretchability of the sweatband is insufficient.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide headwear and a sweatband applied to the headwear having advantages of enhancing wearing comfort by preventing stitches of sewing thread of the sweatband from protruding toward a forehead of a wearer, thereby improving quality of the headwear.
In addition, the present invention provides headwear with efficient stretchability and a sweatband applied to the headwear.
Exemplary headwear according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a head-covering portion being worn on a head of a wearer, a visor portion combined to the head-covering portion, and a sweatband combined to an interior side of the head-covering portion. The sweatband includes a sweat absorbing member for absorbing sweat exuding from the forehead of the wearer, a cover for covering the sweat absorbing member, and a bonding portion for combining the cover and the sweat absorbing member.
The cover may be provided with a protecting member disposed at an interior side of the cover for maintaining the shape of the sweatband.
The bonding portion may be combined by ultrasonic bonding or thermal bonding.
The protecting member may be adhered together between the cover and the sweatband.
A fabric panel of the cover may be formed of polyester synthetic fiber.
An interior side of the fabric panel of the cover may be provided with a synthetic resin coating layer.
The sweat absorbing member may be formed of a cushion member having elasticity.
The bonding portion may be consecutively disposed along a length direction of the absorber.
The bonding portion may be disposed along a length direction of the absorber at a given interval.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cap according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cap according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a different angle view of the cap of FIG. 2 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a different angle view of the cap of FIG. 4 according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a different angle view of the cap of FIG. 6 according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 is a different angle view of the cap of FIG. 8 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1.
FIG. 11 is a different angle view of the cap of FIG. 10 according to the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 shows the sweatband which is not stretched according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line B-B in FIG. 10.
FIG. 13 shows the sweatband which is stretched according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line B-B in FIG. 10.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a hat, having a brim, applied with the sweatband according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a visor cap applied with the sweatband according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 16 shows a cap having a conventional sweatband according to the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) to refer to the same or like parts.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cap according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cap includes a crown portion 1 for being worn on a head of a wearer, a visor portion 3 extruded from the crown portion 1, and a sweatband 5 disposed at the interior side of the crown portion 1. The sweatband 5 may be entirely combined to an interior circumference of a bottom side of the crown portion 1, or partially combined to a front portion where the visor portion is extruded from the crown portion 1.
FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show a sweatband 50 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1.
The sweatband 50 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a band-type sweat absorbing member 7 for absorbing sweat exuding from the forehead of the wearer, and a cover 9 made of a synthetic fiber for covering the sweat absorbing member 7.
The sweat absorbing member 7 and the cover 9 respectively include bonding portions 11 formed by ultrasonic bonding or thermal bonding, and the sweat absorbing member 7 provides a sufficient function of absorbing sweat and is made of a material appropriate for the sufficient function of absorbing sweat and ultrasonic bonding.
As shown in FIG. 3, the bonding portion 11 is disposed to a side of the cover 9 along a length direction, the side being opposite to a side facing the forehead of the wearer, but it is not restricted to this configuration. It may be disposed to the side facing the forehead of the wearer.
The cover 9 may be used for enhancing exterior aesthetic features, and is formed of a material appropriate for ultrasonic bonding or thermal bonding and providing wearing comfort since it directly contacts the wearer's skin.
A lower interior side of the sweatband 50 is combined to the crown portion 1 by a sewing thread S, and then the sweatband 50 and the crown portion 1 are combined by ultrasonic bonding or thermal bonding. The sweatband 50 and the crown portion 1 are combined together without the sewing thread being protruded toward the forehead of the wearer.
Methods and processes for combining the sweatband 50 and the crown portion 1 may vary as long as the sewing thread S does not protrude toward the forehead of the wearer. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sweatband is manufactured first and then the sweatband is combined to the crown portion 1 by bonding or sewing.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a sweatband 51 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention corresponding to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
The sweatband 51 includes the same constituent elements as the sweatband 50 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and further includes a protecting member 13 disposed at one side of the sweat absorbing member 7.
The sweat absorbing member 7 and the protecting member 13 disposed at one side of the sweat absorbing member 7 are adhered together with the cover 9. The protecting member maintains the shape of the sweat absorbing member 7 when the shape of the sweat absorbing member 7 cannot be constantly maintained due to characteristics of its material, and protects the sweat absorbing member 7 from being damaged due to an external force.
Similar to the first exemplary embodiment, the cover 9, the protecting member 13, and the sweat absorbing member 7 are adhered by ultrasonic bonding or thermal bonding according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A difference between the first exemplary embodiment and the second exemplary embodiment is that the sweatband 7 further includes the protecting member 13. This implies that the described embodiments may be modified with various constituent elements, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.
Operation and effect of the second exemplary embodiment are similar to those of the first exemplary embodiment, and thus a further description will not be provided.
That is, similar to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the bonding portion 11 for adhering the cover 9, the protecting member 13, and the sweat absorbing member 7 is disposed to a side of the cover 9, being opposite to a side facing the forehead of the wearer, along a length direction. However, the bonding portion 11 may be disposed to the side facing the forehead of the wearer.
FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show a sweatband 52 according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
The third exemplary embodiment will be compared to the first and second exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and only differences between the third exemplary embodiment and the first and second embodiments of the present invention will be described.
According to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a cover 19 includes a coating layer 15 formed of a synthetic resin layer coated on an interior circumference of the cover 19. The coating layer 15 is provided to the interior circumference of the cover 19 for easy bonding of the cover 19 in the case that a material of the cover 19 is inappropriate for ultrasonic bonding or thermal bonding.
Therefore, compared to other exemplary embodiments, the cover 19 may be fabricated from various materials, thereby enhancing exterior aesthetic features of the sweatband 52 according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Further, the cap with the sweatband 52 having an improved function of sweat absorbing can be fabricated.
FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show a sweatband 53 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
Compared to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a sweat absorbing member 17 of the sweatband 53 is formed of a cushion member C for providing a cushioning function according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the sweat absorbing member 17 disposed adjacent to the forehead of the wearer provides the cushioning function, thereby further enhancing wearing comfort.
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 show a sweatband 54 according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be compared to the third exemplary embodiment, and only differences between the fifth and third exemplary embodiments will be described. The bonding portion 11 for adhering the cover 19, the protecting member 13, and the sweat absorbing member 7 is consecutively arranged in two lines along the length direction according to the third exemplary embodiment, whereas the bonding portion 21 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is arranged in two lines at a given interval.
The bonding portion may be provided in a single line or a plurality of lines along a lengthwise direction of the sweatband according to another embodiment of the present.
Efficient elasticity may be provided to a non-bonding portion by arranging the bonding portion 21 with the given interval according to the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and accordingly, lengthwise stretchability of the sweatband 54 may be enhanced.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the sweatband 54 which is not stretched, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the sweatband 54 which is stretched. As shown in FIG. 13, the non-bonding portion is significantly stretched. Therefore, the sweatband 54 according to the fifth exemplary embodiment is suitable for headwear having sufficient lengthwise stretchability.
As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.
In addition, an interval of the bonding portion can be adjusted by ultrasonic bonding, and accordingly, stretchability can also be controlled, thereby minimizing limitation to the elasticity due to materials of the sewing thread. Therefore, headwear with improved stretchabiliby can be designed and fabricated.
FIG. 14 shows the sweatband 5 applied to a hat having a brim according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. That is, the sweatband 5 may be applied to an interior side of the crown portion 1.
In addition, FIG. 15 shows the sweatband 5 applied to a visor cap according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. That is, the sweatband 5 may be applied to an interior side of a band-type wearing portion.
As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the sweatband may be applied to various types of headwear according to the above described embodiments of the present invention.
According to the embodiments of the present invention, the wearer does not get a dent on their forehead when they wear the headwear for a long period of time by preventing the stitches of the sewing thread from protruding toward the forehead of the wearer, thereby enhancing wearing comfort and quality of the headwear. In addition, stretchability of the sweatband can be controlled by controlling intervals between the bonding portions according to the above described embodiments of the present invention.
While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Headwear comprising:

a head-covering portion for being worn on a head of a wearer;

a visor portion combined to the head-covering portion; and

a sweatband combined to an interior side of the head-covering portion,

wherein the sweatband comprises

a sweat absorbing member for absorbing sweat,

a cover for covering the sweat absorbing member, and

a bonding portion for combining the cover and the sweat absorbing member by bonding.

2. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the cover is provided with a protecting member disposed at an interior side of the cover for maintaining the shape of the sweatband.

3. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the bonding portion is combined by ultrasonic bonding or thermal bonding.

4. The headwear of claim 2, wherein the protecting member is adhered together with the cover and the sweat absorbing member.

5. The headwear of claim 1, wherein a fabric panel of the cover is formed of polyester synthetic fiber.

6. The headwear of claim 1, wherein an interior side of the fabric panel of the cover is provided with a synthetic resin coating layer.

7. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the sweat absorbing member is formed of a cushion member having elasticity.

8. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the bonding portion is consecutively disposed along a length direction of the sweatband.

9. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the bonding portion is disposed along a length direction of the sweatband at a given interval.

10. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the sweatband has stretchability.

11. A sweatband provided at an interior side of headwear, the sweatband comprising:

a sweat absorbing member for absorbing sweat;

a cover for partially covering the sweat absorbing member; and

12. The sweatband of claim 11, wherein the cover is provided with a protecting member disposed at an interior side of the cover for maintaining the shape of the sweatband.

13. The sweatband of claim 11, wherein the bonding portion is formed by ultrasonic bonding or thermal bonding.

14. The sweatband of claim 12, wherein the protecting member is adhered together with the cover and the sweat absorbing member.

15. The sweatband of claim 11, wherein a synthetic resin coating layer is provided at an interior side of a fabric panel of the cover.

16. The sweatband of claim 11, wherein the sweat absorbing member is formed of a cushion member having elasticity.

17. The sweatband of claim 11, wherein the bonding portion is consecutively disposed along a length direction of the sweatband.

18. The sweatband of claim 11, wherein the bonding portion is disposed along a length direction of the sweatband at a given interval.

19. The sweatband of claim 11, wherein the sweatband has stretchability.