Headwear with pass-through slots

• US 10,143,254 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart3 Creative Products LLC, Under Armour Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Inventors: Hawes, Eric, Enck, Whitney
• Primary Examiner(s): Muromoto, Jr., Bobby
• Application Number:
  US15/153,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20160331057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/041 Peakless soft head coverings, e.g. turbans or berets A42B1/045, A42B1/046 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/245 Means for mounting audio or communication systems

Abstract

An article of headwear made of a resilient material includes at least two panels that cooperate to form openings or pass-through slots through which a user may thread earbuds or headphones while maintaining coverage of the ear. The ends of the at least two panels may overlap one another. The ends of the panels may be reconfigurable between a first configuration where the panels lay flat over one another and a second configuration, where the panels are manipulated to no longer lay flat over one another to define at least one opening. One of the panels may include a non-resilient material coupled to at least one of the panels proximate to the end of the panel to aid the user in threading earbuds through the at least one opening at least partially defined by the non-resilient material.

Claims

1. An article of headwear comprising:

a first fabric panel including a first edge disposed on a first side of the article of headwear and a second edge disposed on a second side the article of headwear, the second side being opposite the first side; and

a second fabric panel coupled to the first fabric panel, the second fabric panel including a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edge of the first fabric panel is coupled to the first edge of the second fabric panel and the second edge of the first fabric panel is coupled to the second edge of the second fabric panel, the first edge of the first fabric panel and the first edge of the second fabric panel forming a first opening on the first side of the article of headwear, and the second edge of the first fabric panel and the second edge of the second fabric panel forming a second opening on the second side of the article of headwear, and wherein, when the article of headwear is worn by a user, the first opening is configured to be disposed over a first ear of the user and the second opening is configure to be disposed over a second ear of the user.

2. The article of headwear of claim 1, wherein the first edge of the first fabric panel at least partially overlays the first edge of the second fabric panel, and the second edge of the first fabric panel at least partially overlays the second edge of the second fabric panel.

3. The article of headwear of claim 2, wherein the first fabric panel includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, and the second fabric panel includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, and the headwear is reconfigurable between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the first configuration comprises the interior surface of a portion of the first fabric panel proximate to the first and second edges of the first fabric panel being disposed adjacent the exterior surface of a portion of the second fabric panel proximate to the first and second edges of the second fabric panel, and the second configuration comprises the portion of the interior surface of the first fabric panel being distanced from the exterior surface of the second fabric panel.

4. The article of headwear of claim 2, wherein a heat retaining material is disposed on one or more interior surface portions of the first fabric panel and the second fabric panel.

5. The article of headwear of claim 1, further comprising a non-resilient reflective material is coupled to least the first edge and the second edge of the first fabric panel.

6. The article of headwear of claim 1, wherein the first fabric panel and the second fabric panel are constructed from a resilient material.

7. An article of headwear comprising:

a sheet of fabric forming a first side of the article of headwear, a second side of the article of headwear that is disposed opposite the first side, an exterior surface of the article of headwear, and an interior surface of the article of headwear;

a first opening disposed in the sheet of fabric proximate to the first side of the article of headwear, the first opening defined by a first edge and a second edge, where the first edge overlaps the second edge; and

a second opening disposed in the sheet of fabric proximate to the second side of the article of headwear, the second opening defined by a third edge and a fourth edge, where the third edge overlaps the fourth edge, wherein, when the article of headwear is worn by a user, the first opening is configure to be disposed over a first ear of the user and the second opening is configure to be disposed over a second ear of the user.

8. The article of headwear of claim 7, wherein the sheet of fabric is constructed from a resilient material.

9. The article of headwear of claim 7, wherein the sheet of fabric is constructed of a plurality of fabric panels.

10. The article of headwear of claim 7, wherein the first opening has a closed position, where the first edge overlaps the second edge, and an open position, where a portion of the first edge is distanced from the second edge.

11. The article of headwear of claim 7, wherein the second opening has a closed position, where the third edge overlaps the fourth edge, and an open position, where a portion of the third edge is distanced from the fourth edge.

12. The article of headwear of claim7, wherein a heat retaining material is disposed on interior surfaces of the first fabric panel and the second fabric panel.

13. The article of headwear of claim 7, further comprising a non-resilient reflective material coupled to least the first edge and the third edge.

14. An article of headwear comprising:

a first fabric panel including an exterior surface, an interior surface, a first edge disposed on a first side of the article of headwear, and a second edge disposed on a second side of the article of headwear, the second side being opposite the first side; and

a second fabric including an exterior surface, an interior surface, a first edge disposed on the first side of the article of headwear, and a second edge disposed on the second side of the article of headwear, the second fabric panel being coupled to the first fabric panel, wherein the first edge of the first fabric panel overlays the first edge of the second fabric panel on the exterior surface of the second fabric panel and the second edge of the first fabric panel overlays the second edge of the second fabric panel on the exterior surface of the second fabric panel, wherein the first edge of the first fabric panel and the first edge of the second fabric panel form a first opening disposed on the first side of the article of headwear, and the second edge of the first fabric panel and the second edge of the second fabric panel form a second opening disposed on the second side of the article of headwear, and wherein, when the article of headwear is worn by a user, the first opening is configure to be disposed over a first ear of the user and the second opening is configure to be disposed over a second ear of the user.

15. The article of headwear of claim 14, wherein the headwear is reconfigurable between a first configuration, where the first and second openings are closed, and a second configuration, where the first and second openings are open.

16. The article of headwear of claim 15, wherein, in the first configuration, an interior surface portion of the first fabric panel proximate to the first and second edges of the first fabric panel is adjacent an exterior surface portion of the second fabric panel proximate to the first and second edges of the second fabric panel.

17. The article of headwear of claim 16, wherein, in the second configuration, the interior surface portion of the first fabric panel is distanced from the exterior surface portion of the second fabric panel.

18. The article of headwear of claim 14, wherein a heat retaining material is disposed on one or more interior surface portions of the first fabric panel and the second fabric panel.

19. The article of headwear of claim 14, further comprising a non-resilient reflective material coupled to least the first edge and the second edge of the first fabric panel.