Hat for hands-free telephone operation

• US 20040204207A1
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John A. Parker
• Original Assignee: John A. Parker
• Inventors: Parker, John A.
• Application Number:
  US10/138,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204207A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/245 Means for mounting audio or communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone

Abstract

A hat, or baseball cap, modified to include a removable headset having a speaker and microphone and a rear mounted pocket holding a cell phone, the hat having an internal flap. held in place by VELCRO, and slits for running cord between the headset and the cell phone. The headset is snapped to the hat to overhang the wearer'"'"'s ear. A speaker is located near the ear, and a swiveling microphone arm is provided. A button on the microphone allows the wearer to answer calls, hang up, or activate phone voice recognition to make telephone calls. The headset and cell phone may be easily removed for cleaning by pulling away the cord holding flap, disconnecting it from the phone, removing the phone from the pocket and unsnapping the headset from the hat. The phone and headset system can be reinstalled on a similar hat.

Claims

1. A telephone hat having hands-free telephone operation comprising:

a hat having a pocket mounted thereon, so sized and configured as to receive a cellular telephone;

a headset mounted a side of said hat;

said headset having a connector cable extending rearward to the base portion of said pocket; and

said cable having a connector for connection with the headphone socket of a cellular telephone;

whereby the user may answer a ringing cellular telephone located within said pocket, hang up the telephone, and actuate the voice-actuated feature of the telephone.

2. The telephone hat of claim 1, said pocket being rear-mounted and upward-opening, said hat having a lower surrounding brim.

3. The telephone hat of claim 2, wherein said headset further comprises:

an earpiece body removably mounted on the side of said hat so as to overhang the user'"'"'s ear below said brim;

a speaker mounted on a lower portion of an inner side of said earpiece body and positioned below said brim;

an actuator button for answering said cellular telephone when ringing and for actuating voice actuated dialing of said telephone;

a microphone;

a microphone arm holding said microphone at a remote end in the vicinity of the users'"'"' mouth and rotatably attached to said earpiece body on an outer side thereof and connecting said microphone and said earpiece body for transfer of signals therebetween;

whereby said microphone may alternately be moved to the user'"'"'s mouth for conversation purposes or moved away from the users mouth to a storage position by rotating said microphone arm around said earpiece body.

4. The telephone hat of claim 3, wherein said actuating button is located on said microphone.

5. The telephone hat of claim 3, wherein said hat actuating button is located on said ear piece body.

6. The telephone hat of claim 3, wherein said ear piece body has at least one snap socket located on an upper portion of said inner side of said ear piece, and said hat has at least one snap stud on a side thereof above the user'"'"'s ear for removable attachment of said ear piece body of said headset, whereby said speaker is positioned over the ear of the user.

7. The telephone hat of claim 6, wherein there are two snap sockets located on said ear piece and two corresponding snap studs located on said hat for receiving said snap sockets.

8. The telephone hat of claim 3, wherein said hat has a lower brim and partial band extending upward from said brim on the inside of said hat and extending around said brim between said ear piece body and said rear mounted pocket, said connector cable being positioned between said partial band and the inside surface of said hat along said brim thereof.

9. The telephone hat of claim 8, wherein said partial band is removably attached to the inside surface of said hat by hook and loop material, whereby said partial band may be pulled away from the inside of said hat for removal of said connector cable while remaining attached at said brim.

10. The telephone hat of claim 8, wherein said hat has a slit near said lower brim at the pocket end of said partial band and near said pocket and so sized as to allow the exit of said connector cable therethrough to the outside of said hat.

11. The telephone hat of claim 10, said pocket having a bottom wall and a surrounding side wall, said pocket having an entrance in one of said bottom wall and the lower portion of said side wall for receiving said connector cable for connection with the cellular telephone held within said pocket.

12. The telephone hat of claim 2, wherein said pocket has a cover flap, said cover flap defining an opening for extension of the antenna of the cellular telephone contained within said pocket.

13. The telephone hat of claim 2, wherein said headset and said telephone are removable from said hat and are transferable to another similar hat, thereby allowing said hat to be cleaned without damaging the said had set and said telephone.

14. The telephone hat of claim 12, wherein said hat has identifying colors, logos, and decorations identifiable with certain sports teams and said headset and telephone is transferable to said similar hat with different colors, logos, or decorations identifiable with another sports team.

15. The telephone hat of claim 13, wherein said hat has novelty items mounted thereon.

16. The telephone hat of claim 3, wherein said hat is a baseball style cap having a front located bill which is useful for wear absent said cellular telephone and headset and said pocket is useful for carrying personal articles.

17. A telephone hat having hands-free telephone operation comprising:

a baseball style hat having a front mounted bill, a crown portion, and a surrounding lower brim defining the lower edge of said crown, said hat having an rear-mounted upward-opening pocket so sized and configured as to receive a cellular telephone;

a headset mounted a side of said hat;

said headset having a connector cable extending rearward to the base portion of said pocket; and

said cable having a connector for connection with the headphone socket of a cellular telephone;

said headset further comprising;

an earpiece body removably mounted on the side of said hat so as to overhang the user'"'"'s ear below said brim;

a speaker mounted said brim on a lower portion of an inner side of said earpiece body and located below said brim;

an actuator button for answering said cellular telephone when ringing, for hanging up said cellular telephone, and for actuating voice actuated dialing of said telephone;

a microphone;

a microphone arm holding said microphone at a remote end in the vicinity of the users'"'"'s mouth and rotatably attached to said earpiece body on an outer side thereof and connecting said microphone and said earpiece body for transfer of signals therebetween;

whereby the user may answer a ringing cellular telephone located within said pocket, hang up the telephone, and actuate the voice actuated feature of the telephone; and

whereby said microphone may alternately be moved to the user'"'"'s mouth for conversation purposes or moved away from the users mouth to a storage position by rotating said microphone arm around said earpiece body.

18. The telephone hat of claim 17, wherein said actuating button is located on said microphone.

19. The telephone hat of claim 17, wherein said actuating button is located on said ear piece body.

20. The telephone hat of claim 17, wherein said headset and said telephone are removable from said hat and are transferable to another similar hat, and wherein said hat has identifying colors, logos, and decorations identifiable with certain sports teams and said headset and telephone is transferable to said similar hat with different colors, logos, or decorations of another sports team.