SELF-CONSTRICTING PONYTAIL LOOP

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/897,374, filed by the same inventor on Jan. 25, 2007, now pending.

BACKGROUND

People with long hair often restrain their hair when engaged in physical activity. A common and convenient method of restraint is to gather the hair into a single bundle at the back of the head, forming a ponytail. The ponytail is then held together by a band, a clip, or any of an enormous number of other suitable devices.

A ponytail can be less convenient when worn under a hat that covers the ears and back of the head. The bulk of the ponytail changes the fit of the hat and forms an uncomfortable lump against the head and neck. The ponytail tends to force the wearer's hat up and off of the head. Additionally, such headwear rarely contains a ponytail effectively.

These problems can be avoided with an opening in the rear of the hat that allows the ponytail to pass through the hat and extend behind the head in the usual fashion. However, a hole large enough to allow a ponytail to easily pass through is generally too large to hold the ponytail in a tight bundle and may expose too much of the head. Many conventional restraining devices tend to snag when pulled through smaller openings. Even devices compact and sleek enough to avoid snagging impose an undesirable extra step in the process of restraining long hair under a hat.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention remedy the defects of known hair restraint devices. In a simple embodiment, a self-constricting loop is constructed in a sheet of material by creating a gap in an edge of the sheet. Each side of the gap has a tail. The tails are overlapped and attached along an outer edge to create an opening in the sheet. When the outer edge is not under tension, the area of the opening can be increased by placing two or more fingers in the opening and spreading the fingers, thereby causing the unattached inner edges to separate and the outer edges to twist. When tension is placed on the outer edges, the outer edges straighten and the inner edges are forced together, causing the loop to constrict.

When this loop is constructed in the rear of a hat, the loop can be expanded to allow a ponytail to be easily drawn through. The hat is then drawn down onto the wearer's head, causing the headband to tighten and the loop to constrict, thereby easily restraining the ponytail without creating an uncomfortable lump under the hat.

All of these features and advantages of the present invention, and more, are illustrated below in the drawings and detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a hat utilizing an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a rear elevation view of the hat of FIG. 1 with the lower edges overlapped and attached to form a closed loop and a continuous lower edge.

FIG. 3A shows a wearer inserting a thumb and finger into the loop and enlarging the loop.

FIG. 3B shows a hat being slid forward and downward onto a wearer's head.

FIG. 3C shows a loop restraining a ponytail.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in a headband.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a polyester fleece hat 10 utilizing an embodiment of the invention. A self-constricting loop is created in the back of the hat 10 by constructing the hat 10 with a small opening 100 having tails 102, 104 extending below the opening 100. The opening 100 is preferably semi-circular or elliptical, but other shapes may be used. The lower edges 106, 108 of the tails 102, 104 are drawn together until they overlap and are then sewn, bonded, or otherwise attached to each other. The upper edges 112, 114 of the tails 102, 104 are left unattached.

The edges of the opening and tails may be finished with binding tape, top stitching, cover stitching, or by other means known in the art. Although the invention is especially useful in close-fitting hats and caps used in work or athletic activities, it may be built into headbands or any other sort of headwear made from any material known in the art. Materials with some elasticity are preferred, although the invention will function with inelastic materials.

FIG. 2 shows a rear elevation view of the hat 10 of FIG. 1 with the lower edges 106, 108 overlapped and attached, forming a closed loop 200 and a continuous lower edge 210 to the hat 10 that conforms to the circumference and shape of a wearer's head. The bottom edge 220 of the loop 200 is formed by the upper edges 112, 114 of the tails 102, 104 and is displaced above the lower edge 210 of the hat 10. Since the tails 102, 104 are attached only at the lower edge 210, the upper edges 112, 114 of the tails 102, 104 may separate and slide apart laterally when not pressed outward by the insertion of a wearer's head into the hat 10.

The tails 102, 104 may be extended to any desired length and shaped to create a variety of aesthetically-pleasing profiles without compromising the function of the loop. A loop 200 of a diameter between 1.5 and 2 inches has been found most effective in containing most ponytails, although larger or smaller loops may be preferred for specific applications.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C show a method for using the loop to restrain a ponytail. As shown in FIG. 3A, a wearer inserts a thumb and finger into the loop 200 from the exterior of the hat 10, then enlarges the loop 200 by spreading the thumb and finger apart. As the loop 200 is enlarged, the lower edge 210 twists toward the interior of the hat 10, forming an approximate “S” contour and allowing the upper edges 112, 114 of the tails 102, 104 to separate and slide apart laterally. The area enclosed by the loop 200 is thereby enlarged and the longest dimension of the loop 200 approximately doubled. The wearer encircles a ponytail 300 with the thumb and finger, then pulls the ponytail 300 upward through the loop 200.

Once the ponytail has been pulled through the loop 200, the wearer may slide the hat 10 forward and downward onto the wearer's head in the manner shown in FIG. 3B. As the wearer's head fills and stretches the hat 10, the lower edge 210 is forced into a more uniformly circular contour, which in turn forces the upper edges 112, 114 of tails 102, 104 together. The loop 200 is constricted as it is forced back into the undistorted shape shown in FIG. 2, thereby restraining the ponytail 300 in the manner shown in FIG. 3C. The wearer is thus able to easily and simultaneously don headwear and restrain a ponytail without additional restraining devices or uncomfortable bulk under the headwear. Moreover, while the self-constricting loop holds the ponytail together, the ponytail holds the rear portion of the headwear securely in place.

As described above, the self-constricting loop confers the same benefits on other types of headwear. FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in an exemplary headband.

The principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing specification. The embodiments disclosed herein should be interpreted as illustrating the present invention and not as restricting it. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the range of equivalent structure available to a person of ordinary skill in the art in any way, but rather to expand the range of equivalent structures in ways not previously contemplated. Numerous variations and changes can be made to the foregoing illustrative embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.