TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Nowadays, many swimwear manufacturers seem interested in making swimming caps that
owing to their materials and design, manage to reduce the friction in the water of
the frontal surface of the head and, consequently, to improve the speed of competition
swimmers, its supposedly main users.
[0002] By concentrating chiefly on such features and end users, the manufacturers of the
sector seem to ignore the existence of this other large group of potential users composed
of recreational bathers of all ages, who would like to be able to use swimming caps
that were:
roomy (with adequate and well distributed interior space, able to properly accommodate
hair of different lengths or to preserve hairdos of different shapes and volumes);
watertight (of materials and structures that made them waterproof and resistant to liquid filtration);
comfortable (of materials and structures that made its placement and removal easy and its grip
on the head comfortable); and
sober (of making, size, and materials that made them inconspicuous).
[0003] Unfortunately, the swimming caps available in the market do not necessarily meet
these qualities. Therefore, and given that in many public aquatic facilities the use
of the cap is mandatory, numerous potential users, not having the swimming cap that
meets their needs, renounce to the practice of aquatic exercise and, therefore, to
its beneficial effects on their physical and mental health.
BACKGROUND ART
[0004] Despite the sparse presence in the market of swimming caps with the qualities mentioned
above (
roominess, watertightness, comfort, and sobriety), many inventors have been trying to achieve them since long ago.
[0006] To achieve capacity, the cap in the Bowditch patent (1949) uses a cavity for receiving
the hair, composed of several wide segments of rigid material that fold on both sides
of a zipper that, when closed, constricts them adjusting the back of the cap. The
cap also includes a strap that fastens below the chin to ensure the grip and tightness
of the cap's front.
[0007] The cap in the Melnikolf patent (1965) consists of a hemispherical flexible piece
with laces crimped with eyelets that adjust its volume to that of the user's hair.
The hemispherical piece has a lateral expansion gusset to facilitate the accommodation
of the hair, and is bordered by a strip that secures the cap to the head with a snap
closure or similar.
[0008] The Brown patent (2015) relates to a swimming cap that resembles a wide shower cap
bordered by a silicone adjusting band. Given its ampleness, the cap easily adapts
to different head sizes and receives hairstyles of varying lengths and volumes.
[0009] The Martienssen patent (1974) presents a cap composed of a flexible receptacle that
covers the hair loosely, an annular band made up of three segments that follow the
outline of the hairline in the forehead, temples and neck areas, and an elastic oval
ring placed between the receptacle and the band and glued to both of them.
[0010] The cap patented by Waller, Johnson, and Neal (2014) consists of a cavity bordered
internally by a band of silicone that widens at the nape of the neck. The widening
allows the placement of long hair collected in a low bun, in the area below the upper
nuchal line and the external occipital protuberance of the occipital bone. This minimizes
the neck depression in said area and, supposedly, improves swimming hydrodynamics.
[0011] Illustrative examples of inventions concerned primarily with the watertightness of
the swimming cap include those disclosed in patents such as: "Watertight cap"
US Pat. No. 20,100,192,273, by Karetha Dodd (2010); "Leak-proof cap with improved seal construction"
US Pat. No. 5,349,702, by John L. Runckel (1994); "Bathing cap"
US Pat. No.2,285,659, by Howland Thomas (1942); and "Waterproof bathing cap"
ES Pat. No. 1,074,697 U, by Fe Cerezo Miró (2012).
[0012] The swimming cap patented by Dodd (2010) consists of a cavity with an annular edge
and an elastic fringe joined to the cavity by said edge. To optimize its hermetism,
the cap may additionally include two straps that attached to the elastic fringe at
the ears, fasten at the back of the neck with a closing mechanism like velcro.
[0013] The cap of the Runckel patent (1994) comprises a hemispherical cavity for sheltering
the top of the head and a band for covering the forehead, temples, and back of the
neck. The cap also comprises an internal sealing structure consisting of an inflatable
air chamber and a ribbon of foam material superimposed to it. When inflated, the camera,
together with the ribbon, seals the large and small protuberances in the shape of
the head, thus preventing possible leaks.
[0014] The Thomas patent (1942) refers to a cap with a main cavity and two ribs mounted
on a flexible piece adhered to the cap's inside. This mounting supports the protruding
ribs in such a way that when the user's head presses against them, they move away
from each other and oscillate towards the inside of the cavity. By doing so, the ribs
force out the air from the space between them, thus preventing possible leaks.
[0015] The cap patented by Cerezo Miró (2012) concerns a waterproof cap consisting of a
plastic bag bordered by a tube wrapped in an elastic band of silicone that allows
the adjustment of the cap to the scalp without tightening it. Both the plastic bag
and the tube are inflatable and have decompression valves. An additional standard
cap, made of fabric or the like, allows the hiding of the waterproof cap after its
decompression with a portable vacuum pump.
[0016] Undoubtedly valuable, the previous models are not without limitations like the following:
- 1) the receptacles for receiving the hair in some of the caps addressing roominess
(e.g., the caps patented by Brown or by Martienssen) lack the structure required to
adequately keep the shape of the hairdo. In addition, the bulkiness of those receptacles
makes the caps too showy, thus limiting their popularization among many water sports
practitioners;
- 2) the structuring of the hair lodging cavity in the other models addressing roominess,
poses problems of another sort. For example, in the cap patented by Waller, Johnson,
and Neal, the protrusion of the long hair housing cavity in the nuchal area may compromise
the watertightness of the cap since, due to its weight, the hair may cause leaks when
pressing down the cap adjustment band; and
- 3) Certain devices utilized by some of the caps considered here are somewhat problematic.
For instance, the zippers, snap fasteners, laces, or eyelets used by the caps that
bet on roominess (e.g., those of Bowditch or Melnikolf) may deteriorate rapidly in
contact with the chemicals used for water sanitation in aquatic facilities. Likewise,
the belts, inflatable chambers, or vacuum valves used by the caps seeking watertightness
(e.g., those of Dodd, Runckel, or Cerezo Miró) may be uncomfortable, difficult to
handle, and easy to break.
[0017] Therefore, in light of the background art illustrated by, among others, the aforesaid
models, it seems that there is still room for creating a swimming cap that, like the
one described below, keeps the shape of the hairdo, prevents the hair from getting
wet, is comfortable to wear, and attracts the target user for its discretion.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0018] The invention disclosed here refers to a swimming cap that due to its
roominess, watertightness, comfort, and sobriety, may interest that large female, and male, clientele, that practices or would like
to practice, recreational swimming or other non-competitive water sports.
[0019] The invention materializes in the
Swimming Cap Respectful with the Hair, which, among others, offers three possible embodiments, "A," "B," and "C." In its
"A" embodiment, the cap consists of a main body for receiving the hair, and a positioning-blocking
unit responsible for the grip and watertightness of the cap.
[0020] The main body includes: a) an upper portion in the form of a spherical cap for receiving
long hair compactly collected (e.g., bun or horsetail) or the top of voluminous hairdos,
such as to prevent its flattening, or; b) a middle portion in the form of a spherical
zone composed of twelve assembled pieces that ensure the stability of the portion's
shape, for receiving the bulk of the hair; and c) a lower portion in the form of a
concave surface of revolution whose lower part, when the cap is put on, contacts the
user's head below the hairline and separates from it above that line.
[0021] This three-part structure of the main body, which as a whole replicates to some extent
the shape of a standard hairdo, gives the cap enough roominess to prevent it from
ruining the hairdo and to ensure the comfort of its use.
[0022] As far as the positioning-blocking unit of the cap is concerned, it includes the
annular band that secures the cap to the user's head. Made of elastic material, the
band is joined to the rim of the lower portion of the cap by only one of its edges;
as a result, the pressure of the band on the user's head decreases, thus increasing
the comfort of the cap, and the band gains in ductility thanks to its loose edge.
[0023] The positioning-blocking unit also includes the leak-preventing strip. Joined by
one of its ends to the inner surface of the annular band and overhanging by its other
end the band loose edge, the strip is characterized by the absorption power it derives
from its construction in folds and its manufacturing material, and by the protection
area it reaches overhanging the annular band. Filling in the voids that may form between
the inner face of the cap and the irregular spaces in the shape of the head in the
nape of the neck, the leak-preventing strip stops and absorbs any possible leaks in
that region.
[0024] In its three embodiments, the cap may include two additional leak-preventing strips.
In such case, the strips are placed over the annular band at the temples to impede
the latter, given their often concave contour, from becoming supplementary sources
of leaks.
[0025] The cap can be manufactured in different sizes based on the size of one or several
of its components, including the height and width of the three parts of the cap's
main body, the diameter of the annular band, and the width of the leak-preventing
strip. Validation of these standard sizes would draw on data collected from a broad
population sample, on skulls and necks dimensions and on hairdos volumes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0026] The
Swimming Cap that is Gentle on the Hair offers, among other possible ones, three embodiments illustrated by the seven Figures
included in this Report: embodiment "A," exemplified by Figures 1 to 4; embodiment
"B," visualized by Figure 5; and embodiment "C," represented by Figures 6 and 7.
Embodiment "A"
Figure 1.- Shows a front view of the cap.
Figure 2.- Shows a front view of the interior of the cap.
Figure 3.- Shows a front view of an enlarged fragment of Figure 2 that highlights
components (16) and (17) of the interior of the cap.
Figure 4.- Shows a side view of the interior of the cap positioned on the user's head.
Embodiment "B"
Figure 5.- Shows a front view of the cap.
Embodiment "C"
Figure 6.- Shows a front view of the interior of the cap.
Figure 7.- Shows a front view of an enlarged fragment of Figure 6 that highlights
components (17), (21), and (22) of the interior of the cap.
DRAWINGS: REFERENCE NUMBERS
[0027]
11: upper portion of the cap in the shape of a spherical cap
12: middle portion of the cap in the form of a spherical zone
13: one of the twelve pieces of material that make up the middle portion of the cap
14: lower portion of the cap consisting of a concave surface of revolution
15: shirring covering part of lower portion 14
16: annular band that holds the hat to the user's head
17: leak-preventing strip attached to annular band 16
18: in embodiment "B," the lower portion of the main body of the cap
19: in embodiment "B," one of the twelve pieces that make up lower portion 18
20: in embodiment "C," main body of the cap molded in one piece
21: in embodiment "C," annular band consisting of an extension of 20 folded inwards
from the edge of the cap opening
22: in embodiment "C," loop that holds leak-preventing strip 17 attached to annular
band 21
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Next, with the support of the aforementioned Figures 1-7, the three embodiments of
the cap mentioned above are described in detail.
Embodiment "A"
[0029] Figure 1 offers a front view of portions (11), (12) and (14) of the main body of
the
Swimming Cap that is Gentle on the Hair in its "A" embodiment.
[0030] The upper portion (11) is a spherical cap whose shape can be obtained, among other
ways, by applying sewing darts to a circular piece of the material chosen for the
manufacture of the cap, or by joining by two of their sides several triangular pieces
of the manufacturing material, so as to make them converge on a vertex.
[0031] The middle portion (12) consists of a spherical zone composed of twelve pieces (13).
Six of the pieces alternate with the other six placed in reverse direction, which
optimizes the control of possible curvature variations of the portion.
[0032] The lower portion (14) is a concave surface of revolution made possible by the shirring
(15) that covers part of the portion and frames the opening of the cap.
[0033] Figure 2 provides a front view of the inside of the cap showing the reverse of portions
(11), (12) and (14), and the components of the positioning-blocking unit. Those components
include the annular band (16) that secures the cap to the user's head, and the leak-preventing
strip (17) that stops leaks through the edge of the cap
[0034] Figure 3 offers a front view of an enlarged fragment of the lower portion (14) that
allows a detailed view of components (16) and (17) of the positioning-blocking unit.
The Figure shows the annular band (16) with its lower edge stitched to the rim of
the cap, and the leak-preventing strip (17) stitched to the inner face of (16) and
overhanging freely over its upper edge.
[0035] Being sewn to the lower portion (14) of the cap only by its lower edge, the annular
band (16) exerts less pressure on the head, and thus makes the cap more comfortable.
[0036] In addition, the fact that the annular band (16) is loose on its upper edge facilitates
the function of the leak-preventing strip (17) joined to it. Thanks to its "flexible
union" with the annular band, the leak-preventing strip and particularly its overhanging
portion, fills in the spaces that may form between the cap inner face and the irregularities
in the shape of the head in the nape of the neck, shape which varies greatly from
one person to another, so as to stop and absorb any possible leaks in that region.
[0037] Figure 4 shows an internal side view of the cap positioned on the user's head, which
displays: the upper portion (11) covering the top of the skull, the middle portion
(12) covering the area of the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital bones, and
the lower portion (14) contouring the left side of the face and neck.
[0038] Figure 4 also shows the annular band (16) surrounding the head by the area of the
frontal, sphenoid, and temporal bones, below the ear lobe, and by the nape of the
neck. The Figure equally reveals the position of the leak-preventing strip (17) over
the section of the band (16) that goes behind the head between both ears, in the neck
region.
[0039] The inside view of the left side of the cap provided by Figure 4 reveals the space
between the cap and the user's head. Such space begins at the hairline in (14), increases
gradually in (12) and reaches its maximum in (11), thereby minimizing the flattening
of the hair and the ruining of the hairdo.
Embodiment "B"
[0040] Figure 5 provides a front view of the
Swimming Cap that is Gentle on the Hair in its "B" embodiment, which differs from that of embodiment "A" in the structure
of its lower portion (18).
[0041] In this embodiment, the
concave surface of revolution of the lower portion (18) results not from the shirring (15) of the lower portion
(14) as in embodiment "A," but from the twelve pieces (19) joined to each other in
a straight and reverse sense.
[0042] The structure of portion (18) allows the diversification of the cap's manufacturing
materials. While embodiment "A" uses waterproof and rigid materials (e.g., polyethylene-vinyl
acetates), embodiment "B" uses materials that are waterproof and elastic (e.g., waterproof
and elastic lycra and waterproof spandex).
[0043] These differences de structure and materials of embodiments "A" and "B" impacts the
stretching experienced by lower portions (14) and (18) when the cap is positioned
on the head, as well as the interior space generated by such stretching.
[0044] While in embodiment "A" the stretching of shirring (15) affects the entire lower
portion (14), in embodiment "B," the stretching of the lower portion (18) impacts
mainly the six pieces (19) whose assembled bases form the rim of the cap opening.
[0045] The other six pieces (19) stretch little since, given their inverted position with
respect to their homonymous, they affect the opening of the cap only by their vertices.
However, these pieces (19) being connected to the six pieces (13) of the middle portion
(12), they ensure that the space between their internal face and the skull distributes
and increases uniformly from the lower to the middle portion of the cap.
[0046] The result is a cap with an interior space that is structurally more defined and
stable than the one of embodiment "A," something that may particularly attract those
users who do not want water exercise to ruin their hair.
[0047] Although not shown in Figure 5, embodiment "B" of the cap also includes the annular
band (16) and the leak-preventing strip (17) of embodiment "A" of the cap, illustrated
in Figures 2 and 3.
Embodiment "C"
[0048] Figure 6 provides a front view of the interior of the
Swimming Cap that is Gentle on the Hair in its "C" embodiment. Made of rubber compounds or custom molded polymers such as
silicones (e.g., methyl vinyl silicone), the main body of the cap according to this
embodiment integrates in one piece (20) portions (11) and (12) of embodiment "A" and
portion (18) of embodiment "B." The piece retains the ribbings of the joints of the
three portions of the cap as well as the ribbings of the joints of the various parts
(13) and (19) constitutive of those portions.
[0049] Inside, the cap features the annular band (21). Unlike band (16) that is a separate
element sewn or glued to portion (14) in embodiments "A" or to portion (18) in embodiment
"B," band (21) is an extension of the one piece (20) constitutive of the main body,
bent inward from the
rim of the cap opening. However, like band (16), band (21) has its innermost edge loose.
[0050] Also inside, embodiment "C" of the cap features the leak-preventing strip (17). This
strip is not sewn or glued to (16), as it is in embodiments "A" and "B," but held
on to (21) by several loops (22) made of the same materials of (20) and (21) (e.g.,
rubber or custom molded polymers).
[0051] Figure 7 provides an inside view of an enlarged part of Figure 6 showing three of
the loops (22) joined to the annular band (21) by their two ends, one to the loose
upper edge of the band and the other to the band internal face.
[0052] The use of the loops (22) in embodiment "C" of the cap allows the extraction of the
leak-preventing strip (17) for its washing and drying. This prevents the untimely
deterioration that the strip could suffer if it were stationary and hence in constant
contact with the cap non-breathable manufacturing materials (e.g., rubber or polymers).
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0053] The three modalities "A", "B," and "C" of the swimming cap described here allow the
use of manufacturing materials like those which, noted above, are summarized below.
[0054] The manufacture of the main body of the cap in its "A" embodiment uses rigid, very
lightweight, and waterproof materials such as, among others, polyethylene vinyl acetate
and nylon woven fabrics coated with silicone (e.g., silnylon).
[0055] The manufacture of the main body of the cap in its "B" embodiment resorts to waterproof,
lightweight, and highly stretchable fabrics (e.g., waterproof and elastic lycra, waterproof
spandex).
[0056] The annular band of the "A" and "B" embodiments of the cap is made of elastic materials
such as rubber, latex, silicone, or the like. As for the leak-preventing strip of
the three embodiments of the cap, it is made of microfiber fabric, or similar, very
thin and highly absorbent.
[0057] In embodiment "C of the cap, the main body, the annular band, and the loops that
hold the leak-preventing strip, are made of custom-molded rubber or polymer compounds
such as silicones (e.g., methyl vinyl silicone).
[0058] Elastic yarn, or other suitable equivalents, is used to make the shirring of the
lower portion of the cap in embodiment "A," and the folds of the leak-preventing strip
in the three embodiments of the cap.
1. Swimming cap that for its manufacture allows the use of diverse techniques and waterproof
materials and that is
characterized by:
a. A main body comprising:
- an upper portion consisting of a spherical cap where lodges long hair compactly
collected or the top of voluminous hairdos,
- a middle portion consisting of a spherical zone composed of twelve pieces where
seats the bulk of the hair, and
- a lower portion consisting of a concave surface of revolution, achievable in various
ways, where lodges the hair adjacent to the face, temples, and back of the neck.
b. An internal positioning-blocking unit comprising:
- an annular band, made of elastic material such as latex, joined to the rim of the
lower portion of the main body by only one of its edges, and
- a leak-preventing strip, pleated and made of absorbent material like microfiber,
that by one of its ends attaches to the inner surface of the annular band while by
the other overhangs the band loose edge, and that filling in the spaces that may form
between the cap inner face and the head, due to the irregularities in the shape of
the latter in the nape of the neck, it stops and absorbs any possible leaks in that
region.
2. Swimming cap according to claim 1 that in its "A" embodiment (Figures 1 to 4) is
characterized by:
- the shirring that covers part of the lower portion of the main body and gives the
portion its concave shape , and
- the waterproof and rigid materials used for the manufacturing of the three portions,
upper, middle, and lower, of the main body, such as polyethylene-vinyl acetate, silnylon,
or the like.
3. Swimming cap according to claim 1 that in its "B" embodiment (Figure 5) is
characterized by:
- the twelve pieces that confer the concave shape to the lower portion of the main
body, and
- the waterproof and elastic materials used for the manufacturing of the three portions,
upper, middle and lower, of the main body, such as lycra, spandex, or similar.
4. Swimming cap according to claim 1 that in its "C" embodiment (Figures 6 and 7) is
characterized in that:
- the main body is a one piece molded on the upper and middle portions of the cap
in its "A" and "B" embodiments and on the lower portion of the cap in its "B" embodiment.
- the annular band is an extension of the main body bent towards the inside of the
cap from its opening and detached from the cap wall,
- the leak-preventing strip is removable and holds over the inner face of the annular
band by means of loops whose ends respectively join the internal face and the loose
edge of said band, and
- the manufacture of the main body, the annular band, and the loops, uses custom-molded
rubber or polymer compounds such as silicones (e.g., methyl vinyl silicone), and it
resorts to molding techniques rather than to those of sewing or gluing applied in
embodiments "A" and "B."
5. Swimming cap according to claim 1 that in its "A", "B" and "C" embodiments is
characterized by:
- the possible addition over the annular band at the temples, of two leak-preventing
strips to avoid any leaks at those regions due to the temples often concave contour.
Amended claims under Art. 19.1 PCT
1. Swimming cap that for its manufacture allows the use of diverse techniques and waterproof
materials and that is
characterized by:
a. A main body comprising:
- an upper portion consisting of a spherical cap for receiving long hair compactly
collected or the top of voluminous hairdos,
- a middle portion consisting of a spherical zone composed of twelve pieces for receiving
the bulk of the hair, and
- a lower portion consisting of a concave surface of revolution that contacts the
user's head below the hairline and separates from it above that line.
b. An internal positioning-blocking unit comprising:
- an annular band, made of elastic material, attached to the rim of the lower portion
of the main body by only one of its edges, and
- a leak-preventing strip, pleated and made of an absorbent material, that attaches
by one of its ends to the inner surface of the annular band while by the other end
protrudes above the loose edge of said band, and that by filling the spaces that may
form between the inner face of the cap and the head because of the irregularities
in the shape of the latter in the nape of the neck, it stops and absorbs any possible
leaks in that region.
2. Swimming cap according to claim 1 that in its "A" embodiment is
characterized in that:
- its lower portion is partially covered by a shirring that frames the opening of
the cap, and
- for its manufacture it uses waterproof and rigid materials such as polyethylene-vinyl
acetate or silnylon.
3. Swimming cap according to claim 1 that in its "B" embodiment is
characterized in that:
- its lower part is composed of twelve pieces alternately arranged in straight and
reverse sense, such as the bases of six of them form the edge of the cap opening,
and
- for its manufacture it uses waterproof and elastic materials such as waterproof
and elastic lycra or waterproof spandex.
4. Swimming cap according to claim 1 that in its "C" embodiment is
characterized in that:
- the main body is molded in one piece that keeps the ribbings of the joints of the
three portions of said body,
- the annular band is an extension of the single piece of the main body, bent inwardly
from the rim of the cap opening and loose at its innermost side,
- the leak-preventing strip is removable and holds over the inner face of the annular
band by means of loops whose ends respectively join the internal face and the free
edge of said band, and
- for its manufacture it uses rubber compounds or custom molded polymers such as silicones.
Statement under Art. 19.1 PCT
In the Written Opinion of the International Search Administration on PCT / ES2018
/ 000006 (Form PCT/ISA/237(Box V continued 2) (January 2015), it is said that claims
1 and 3 do not meet the requirement of inventive activity, and it is questioned that
claim 4 depends on claim 1.
In relation to the inventive activity requirement of claim 1, the modifications made
(see Replacement Sheets p. 11, lines 6, 8-9, 10-12 and 19-22) concerning the function
of the three portions of the main body of the cap and the function of the positioning
of the leak-preventing strip, indicate that said claim fulfills that requirement.
With respect to the inventive activity requirement of claim 3, the modification made
(see Replacement Sheets p. 11, lines 33-35) relative to the way in which the twelve
pieces of the lower portion of the main body of the cap in its "B" embodiment shape
the concave surface of revolution that characterizes the portion, indicates that said
claim meets such requirement.
Regarding the dependence of claim 4 of claim 1, the reformulation made (see Replacement
Sheets: page 12, lines 5-6) shows that, although molded in one piece, the main body
of the cap in its "C" embodiment retains the characteristics of the main body of the
cap according to claim 1 as far as its tripartite shape and appearance is concerned,
thereby securing such dependence.
The aforementioned modifications (together with those included in the Replacement
Sheets and explained in the Accompaniment Letter) reaffirm the characteristics and
relationships of claims 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the filed PCT patent.
These modifications could involve the replacement of the paragraph (lines 26-29, page
4) of the original Description by this one:
"The invention materializes in the Swimming Cap that is Gentle on the Hair, consisting of a main body for inserting the hair and a positioning-blocking unit
reponsible for the grip and watertightness of the cap."
This would avoid the potential confusion that the original paragraph could cause vis-a-vis
independent claim 1.