Head gear

Abstract

 Head gear including a peak member (1) , comprising a peak portion (2) and an upstand portion (3) , and a net (6). The net (6) is attached to the peak member (1) and the head gear further comprises an elastic peripheral portion (4) and is arranged to be self-adjusting for retention on a wearer's head, with the upstand portion (3) lying adjacent to the wearer's forehead region and the net (6) covering a portion of the wearer's head.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to head gear. In particular, the invention relates to head gear for use in the food, catering or other industries where, for reasons of hygiene or the like, it is desirable for workers' hair to be covered, or otherwise restrained. However, head gear in accordance with the invention can be designed for and used in other fields and can comprise golf caps, baseball caps and the like.

[0002] Current practice in the food industry, for covering and restraining worker's hair, is to employ disposable hair nets which each comprise an open mesh net, dimensioned to cover a wearer's head of hair, and provided with a peripherally extending elasticated band for holding the net in place, over a wearer's head. Such nets are generally woven from a thin synthetic yarn, such as nylon.

[0003] Hair nets of the aforementioned type are not popular with users, because of their unsightly nature and because, unlike a conventional hat, a hair net does not have a brim or peak and cannot provide any shade to the eyes. In the past, these disadvantages have been addressed by the use of hat, placed on the head and over a hair net of the aforementioned type. Clearly, such an arrangement is both cumbersome and inconvenient.

[0004] In certain embodiments, the present invention is intended to address at least some of the aforementioned difficulties. In other embodiments, the invention provides a form of head gear which is inexpensive to manufacture compared to currently available designs.

[0005] In accordance with the present invention there is provided head gear including a peak member, comprising a peak portion and an upstand portion, and a net, wherein the net is attached to the peak member and the head gear further comprises an elastic peripheral portion and is arranged to be self-adjusting for retention on a wearer's head, with the upstand portion lying adjacent to the wearer's forehead region and the net covering a portion of the wearer's head. Preferably, the net has an elasticated peripheral portion arranged to retain the net over a wearer's head and the upstand portion adjacent to the wearer's forehead region.

[0006] In an embodiment, the head gear is arranged so that the net can be retained over substantially all of a wearer's head of hair and, preferably, the wearer's ears in addition. It is preferred that the elasticated peripheral portion of the net can be located at or below the wearer's hair line when the net is covering his or her head of hair. In a preferred embodiment, the net is attached to the peak member such that the net lies between at least half and preferably a majority of the upstand portion and a wearer's head, when the net is retained over the wearer's head of hair with the upstand portion adjacent to his or her forehead region.

[0007] An advantage of the present invention is that the upstand obscures an observer's view of the net and the peak provides shade, without the need for a wearer to don a separate net and hat. Also, company logos or decorations can be applied to the upstand.

[0008] The upstand portion can be arranged such that it can be held adjacent to the sides and even a portion of the back of a wearer's head, in addition to his or her forehead. Such arrangements are generally, but not exclusively, employed in embodiments of the inventive head gear intended for use outside the food industry, such as in golf and baseball caps.

[0009] Preferably, the peak member is integrally formed, preferably as a single piece of a plastic material and the net, preferably, comprises a washable synthetic yarn. It is preferred that the peak member is manufactured by vacuum forming from sheet plastic material, such as polyethylene, or by heat forming a suitably dimensioned polyethylene foam sheet. The preferred synthetic yarns, from which the net is woven, are comprised of nylon or polypropylene.

[0010] In an embodiment, the net is attached to the peak member by a, preferably lock stitched, sewn thread. An advantage of this embodiment of the invention is that the net can be sewn to the peak member using a conventional "plain seaming" or "flat bed" sewing machine of the type conventionally employed in garment manufacture. It was most surprising that this simple technique was found to be effective since, prior to the present invention, it had been considered that such a simple sewing technique would cause the peak member to tear, especially when formed from a sheet plastic material like polyethylene. An advantage of this aspect of the invention is that it allows the use of expensive double chain stitching machines, which produce very long double chain stitches of the type conventionally employed where tear resistance is important, to be avoided.

[0011] In all embodiments of the present invention, it is preferred that the materials employed are sufficiently robust to endure repeated washing and drying.

[0012] Additional means, such as a badge or the like, can be sewn to the peak member by the stitches which hold the net to the latter and it is preferred that the net and additional means, if present, should be attached to the upstand portion of the peak member.

[0013] In a second aspect, the invention provides a method of joining an article, preferably a woven net, to a sheet of plastic, preferably polyethylene, material, comprising sewing the article to the sheet material with a lock stitched thread or threads.

[0014] A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of head gear in accordance with the present invention and;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the same head gear.

[0015] A peak member 1, comprising a peak portion 2 and an upstanding flange 3, is produced by vacuum forming from a sheet of polyethylene. A pair of flexible parallel elastic members 4 are woven into and extend around the peripheral region 5 of an open mesh net 6, woven from a synthetic yarn, such as nylon. A portion of the net's peripheral region 5, carrying the elastic members 4, is attached to the upstanding flange 3, by a lock stitched polycotton bulked thread 7, using a "plain seaming" sewing machine. The stitching can be supplemented by a strip of hot melt adhesive, such as a polyolefin resin in admixture with a tackifier and having a melting point of about 190°C.

[0016] In use, the net carrying side of the upstanding flange 3, is placed against a wearer's forehead, with the net 6 over his or her hair. The elastic members 4 are then stretched, pulled down and over the wearer's head of hair and then allowed to contract so as to conform to the outline of the wearer's head, substantially below his or her hair line. Once so located, the peak portion 2 can shade the wearer's eyes and the net 6 covers and restrains all of the wearer's head of hair.

Claims

1. Head gear including a peak member, comprising a peak portion and an upstand portion, and a net, wherein the net is attached to the peak member and the head gear further comprises an elastic peripheral portion and is arranged to be self-adjusting for retention on a wearer's head, with the upstand portion lying adjacent to the wearer's forehead region and the net covering a portion of the wearer's head.

2. Head gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the net has an elasticated peripheral portion arranged for retaining the net over a wearer's head, with the upstand portion adjacent to the wearer's forehead region.

3. Head gear including a peak member, comprising a peak portion and an upstand portion, and a net having an elasticated peripheral portion, wherein the net is attached to the peak member and the head gear is arranged such that the upstand portion can lie adjacent to a wearer's forehead region, with the net retained over the wearer's head by its elasticated peripheral portion.

4. Head gear as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the net is dimensioned and arranged to be retainable over substantially all of a wearer's head of hair and, preferably, the wearer's ears in addition.

5. Head gear as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the net is attached to the peak member such that the net lies between at least half and preferably a majority of the upstand portion and a wearer's head, when the net is retained over the wearer's head with the upstand portion adjacent to his or her forehead region.

6. Head gear as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the upstand portion is arranged to extend around the sides and, preferably, a portion of the back of a wearer's head.

7. Head gear as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the peak member is integrally formed, preferably by vacuum forming, from sheet plastic, preferably polyethylene, material.

8. Head gear as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the net is attached to the peak member by a, preferably lock stitched, sewn thread or threads.

9. Head gear as claimed in claim 8, wherein additional means, preferably a badge or the like, is attached to the peak member by said sewn thread or threads.

10. A method of joining an article, preferably a woven net, to a sheet of plastic, preferably polyethylene, material, comprising sewing the article to the sheet material with a lock stitched thread or threads.

Drawing