Wearable headwear accessory device for communicating

• US 20090119819A1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roger G. Thompson
• Original Assignee: Roger G. Thompson
• Inventors: Thompson, Roger G.
• Application Number:
  US12/319,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119819A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/209.130
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/002 External devices or supports adapted to retain the shape of hats, caps or hoods for changing the size A42C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/0182 Peaks or visors
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/248 Insignia, logos, emblems or the like

Abstract

A headwear accessory device removably engages a portion of a baseball cap or other headwear to be worn on the headwear. A multiplicity of different headwear accessory devices are wearable on the headwear to communicate in various ways with surrounding environs and people. The devices may include electronic communicating devices, and lighted printed and shaped visual and auditory indicia.

Claims

1. An accessory device for attaching to a portion of an article of headwear, which accessory device may be instantly applied to a portion of the headwear and worn with the accessory device in place on the portion of the headwear and which accessory device provides means for communicating with surrounding environs and people, the device comprising:

a headwear accessory device removably attached to a portion of an article of headwear, the headwear accessory device conforming to the shape of the portion of the headwear, the headwear accessory device comprising an elongated element having an exposed upperside and an underside contacting the portion of the headwear, and means for attaching the headwear accessory device to the portion of the headwear comprising at least one binding device for removably binding at least a portion of the headwear accessory device to the portion of the headwear so that the headwear accessory device is attachable thereto and removable therefrom, thereby enabling the headwear accessory device to be instantly applied to the portion of the headwear and enabling the headwear to be worn with the headwear accessory device in place on the portion of the headwear, the headwear accessory device comprising means for a wearer of the headwear to communicate with surrounding environs and people.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for communicating visually with the surrounding environs and people.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for visually recording elements of the surrounding environs and people.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for visually displaying visual information to be viewed by the surrounding environs and people.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the means for visually displaying visual information comprises at least one visual display means taken from the list of visual display means comprising an imprinted image, a shaped image, a lighted image, a moving image screen, an imprinted indicia, a powered indicia, an electrically powered indicia, a magnetically attachable indicia, a light emitting display, a light emitting indicia, a light pipe display, an electroluminescence display, a fiber optic display, a pinned indicia, a snapped on indicia.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for viewing the surrounding environs and people.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the accessory device comprises means for communicating aurally with the surrounding environs and people.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for audibly recording elements of the surrounding environs and people.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for audibly broadcasting to the surrounding environs and people.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for listening to the surrounding environs and people.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises an electronic acoustic receiver mounted on the upperside of the headwear accessory device for receiving and magnifying sounds emitted from the surrounding environs and people and at least one headphone mounted on a side of the headwear accessory device for a wearer to listen to the magnified sounds of the surrounding environs and people.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the acoustic receiver is mounted by a pivot connection to the upperside of the headwear accessory device and the acoustic receiver is normally in a storage position on the headwear accessory device and is pivoted downwardly to a listening position adjacent to at least one ear of a wearer of the headwear.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for communicating visually and aurally with the surrounding environs and people.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the headwear accessory device comprises means for visually and audibly recording elements of the surrounding environs and people.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the device comprises a means for visually and audibly broadcasting to the surrounding environs and people.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the means for visually and audibly broadcasting comprises an active image producing screen and a speaker.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises at least one device taken from the list of devices comprising an electronic device, a one-way radio, a two-way radio, an MP3 player, a video camera, a video camera recording video to a remote server, a video camera to transmit images to Liquid Crystal Diode glasses, a cellular phone, a global positioning satellite (GPS) device, a short wave radio, and at least one of the electronic accessories taken from the list of electronic accessories comprising a power source within the accessory device, a power source on the underside of the bill, electronic circuitry inside the accessory device, a remote control for the accessory device, a photovoltaic panel on top of the device for charging the power source, and an antenna, and at least one light excluding device taken from the list of light excluding devices including a rear sun shading device, a shaded eyewear device.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the headwear accessory device extends to two opposing edges of a bill of the headwear from side-to-side and the binding device comprises at least one edge binding strip having a groove therein to bind the headwear accessory device to edge of the bill in the groove on each of the two opposing edges.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein binding device comprises at least one of a pair of connector elements on an upperside and an underside of a bill of the headwear to bind the headwear accessory device to the bill.

20. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for attaching the headwear accessory device comprises an attaching means taken from the list of attaching means comprising a sliding attachment, a built-in attachment, a snap attachment, a pin attachment, a clip attachment, a hinge attachment, an insertion attachment, a magnetic attachment, a mating hook and loop fastener, an adhesive strip, a friction fit, a swivel attachment, a mechanical fastener.