Floatable Hat Clip

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/606,283, filed Mar. 15, 2024.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hat accessory which enables flotation of a hat or cap in a body of water. More particularly, the present invention relates to a floatable hat clip which is affixed to the bill or crown of a hat or ball cap and which enables the cap to float in a body of water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The need to limit sun damage to human skin has become more imperative in recent years. Protecting the face, neck and ears from sun damage can be accomplished quite simply by the wearing of a hat, particularly a ball cap with a bill or brim extending outwardly to shade the wearer's face. However, it is quite common for an individual to a worn hat while engaging in water activities as the hat can be blown off the head of the wearer and fall into a body of water, typically sinking, and the hat being lost forever.

PRIOR ART

Attempts have been made in the prior art to provide devices which can be attached to small objects to enable the small objects with the ability to float, rather than sink, in a body of water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,860 B2 to Reed discloses a flotation device in the form of a float formed of buoyant material and having an opening therethrough for engaging both ends of a lanyard having a carabiner-type clip which can be attached to a small object to prevent the object from sinking in a pool of liquid.

In U.S. Pat. No. 8,888,545 B2 to Rossini, provides a float attachment device for providing buoyancy to a water-proof camera or another object of interest, the device having a buoyant body adapted to be fastened directly to a housing of the object of interest, such as by double-sided tape. U.S. Patent Published Application 2023/0087795 A1 to Schwartz is directed to floatable headwear comprising a head engaging portion adapted for placement on the head of the wearer and a bill having a proximal end attached to the head engaging portion and having a rigid, plastic shaped retainer board composed of HDPE and a neoprene layer, the neoprene layer of the bill providing sufficiency buoyancy of the headwear if the headwear is dropped into a body of water.

Despite the attempts of the prior art, a need still exists for a simple floatable hat clip which can be attached to the bill or crown of a hat or cap with the express purpose of providing flotation to a hat which has been placed or dropped into a body of water. The device also should be in the form of a U-shaped clip-on device which is easy to removably install onto the hat or cap and simple to use. Further, such a device should be capable of being removably attachable to the bill or crown of any hat, regardless of the thickness or the bill or crown of the hat.

Unlike floatable hats the incorporate buoyant materials into the hat structure, the floatable hat clip of the present subject matter provides a universal, removably attachable clip that can be affixed to most hat types. Its compact, low-profile design maintains the hat's original aesthetics while delivering practical functionality for water-related activities. Unlike prior art devices, the instant floatable hat clip comprises features such as inner ridges to enhance the gripping ability of the clip and a molded foam insert to provide additional flotation means. Additionally, such a floatation hat clip should be capable of being produced in customizable shapes and sizes, making it suitable for use across diverse consumer applications and environments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention of the present subject matter relates to a removable, floatable hat clip that is designed to attach to the bill or crown of most hats, thereby enabling the hat to float when it is placed or misplaced into a body of water. In particular, the floatable hat clip comprises a rigid, durable, structural core clip composed of a buoyant plastic an upper surface to which a closed-cell foam component is affixed. This combination of a buoyant plastic structural core clip and closed-cell foam component affixed thereto provides sufficient flotation force to keep the hat afloat without requiring any permanent modification to the hat itself.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present subject matter to provide a floatable hat clip that can be simply and easily attached to the bill or crown of a hat.

It is another object of the present subject matter to provide a floatable hat clip which is designed to attach universally to the bill or crown of any hat, regardless of the hat style.

It is still another object of the present subject matter to provide a floatable hat clip which is low-profile in design, rigid in structure, and does not rely on attachment to the snap-back of a baseball cap.

It is a yet another object of the present subject matter to provide a floatable hat clip which combines practicality, universality, and unobtrusiveness in hat retention and flotation.

It is a further object of the present subject matter to provide a universal floatable hat clip which is capable of being securely attached to the bill or crown of hats of various styles, thereby providing a one-size-fits-all solution.

It is yet a further object of the present subject matter to provide a floatable hat clip which maintains the hat's aesthetic appeal without adding bulk or noticeable alterations to the hat.

It is still a further object of the present subject matter to provide a floatable hat clip which is durable, rigid, and capable of maintaining its shape over time.

It is an additional object of the present subject matter to provide a floatable hat clip which when attached to the bill or crown of a hat ensures that the hat will remain afloat when placed or dropped into a body of water.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a floatable hat clip which attaches to the bill of a hat and ensures that the hat remains afloat in a body of water, thereby preventing loss of the hat and providing peace of mind to hat wearers engaged in water-based activities.

These and other objects of the present subject matter are accomplished by providing a floatable hat clip comprising a U-shaped structural core clip composed of a buoyant plastic material for attachment to a bill of a hat, and a closed-cell foam component affixed to the core clip to provide the clip with sufficient buoyancy that the hat will float in a body of water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the floatable hat clip of the present subject matter attached to the bill of a ball cap.

FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of the floatable hat clip of the present subject matter showing the structural core clip and the closed-cell foam component.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the floatable hat clip of the present subject matter.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the floatable hat clip of the present subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, like reference numbers are used to identify like elements. Furthermore, the drawings are intended to illustrate major features of exemplary embodiments in a diagrammatic manner. The drawings are not intended to depict every feature of every implementation nor relative dimensions of the depicted elements and are not drawn to scale. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to clearly describe various specific embodiments disclosed herein. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the presently claimed invention may be practiced without all the specific details discussed below. In other instances, well known features have not been described so as not to obscure the invention.

The terms “brim”, “rim”, “bill”, and similar terms may be used throughout the specification and it is to be understood that such terms are interchangeable and all refer to the bill portion of a hat, particularly a ball cap.

Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of the terms “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

The present subject matter is directed a floatable hat clip which is removably attachable to the bill of a hat as illustrated in FIG. 1. The floatable hat clip comprising a structural core clip composed from a buoyant plastic material for attachment to a bill or a crown of a hat, and a closed-cell foam component affixed to the structural core clip to provide the clip with additional buoyancy.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the floatable hat clip 100 of the present subject matter comprises a structural core clip 110 and a foam component 120. The structural core clip 110 comprises an outer surface 111 and an inner surface 112, the inner surface provided with a plurality of teeth-like ridges 114. In one embodiment, the structural core clip is composed of an extrudable rigid and durable plastic material such that it is formed as a U-shaped one-piece component having an upper portion 115 and a lower portion 116, the upper portion 115 having a recessed surface area 117. Preferably the plastic material is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). More preferably, the plastic material is polypropylene which has the ability to float. The plastic material should be durable, rigid, and capable of maintaining its shape over time. However, it is to be understood that the structural core clip can be composed of any suitable plastic material which can be extruded molded as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner surface 112 of both the upper portion 115 and the lower portion 116 can be provided with a plurality of teeth-like ridges 114. The incorporation of the ridges 114 ensures sufficient friction will be provided when the floatable hat clip is removably attached onto the bill or crown of a hat. This added friction maintains the clip 110 on the bill or crown of the hat, rather than sliding off the hat. The U-shaped structural clip core with the plurality of inner ridges enables the floatable hat clip of the present subject matter to accommodate hats having bills or crowns or various thicknesses.

The recessed surface area 117 disposed on the upper portion 115 provides a recess within which the foam component 120 is affixed. The foam component can be affixed within the recessed area 117 by any suitable adhering means. In one embodiment, the foam component 120 is affixed within the recess by a double-sided tape material. The foam material preferably is a closed-cell foam composite, such as molded ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam. The use of the closed-cell foam component which uses nitrogen or other compressed stable gases, provides additional buoyancy to the floatable hat clip 100. Preferably, the foam component 120 is configured to have the same surface size as the recessed area 117.

The floatable hat clip of the present subject matter is designed specifically for universal attachment to the bill or crown of various hat styles. In this manner, the floatable hat clip 100 has a one-size-fits-all solution. Further, the design of the floatable hat clip maintains the hat's aesthetic appeal without adding bulk or noticeable alterations to the hat, thereby providing practicality, universality, and unobtrusiveness in hat retention and flotation. And, the floatable hat clip is removably attached to the bill or crown of a hat, rather than being permanently integrated with a hat. In this manner, the floatable hat clip can easily and readily be removed from one cap and used on another hat, thereby providing universality to the floatable hat clip and enabling a user who has many hats to grab a particular hat and removably attach the floatable hat clip thereto, rather than having to provide a floatable hat clip to each and every hat in the user's collection of hats.

The floatable hat clip of the present subject matter can be configured in a variety of shapes, including for example, oval, heart, square, circle, star, diamond, shield, certain animals' profiles, sport team logos, and company logos. Size dimensions of the hat clip will vary depending on the selected shape but should range between from about 0.25 inch to about 4 inches in width, between from about 0.25 inch to about 4 inches in length, and between from about 0.25 inch to about 4 inches in height/depth. In one embodiment, the floatable hat clip is formed as an elongated oval shape dimensioned 1.25″ in width, 3.25″ in length and 0.75″ in height. In another embodiment, the floatable hat clip is formed as an elongated oval shape dimensioned 1″ in width, 2″ in length and 0.75 in height. The floatable hat clip can be designed with any color or combination of colors as will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art.

While several illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, numerous variations and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Such variations and alternative embodiments are contemplated and can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The foregoing detailed description of exemplary and preferred embodiments is presented for purposes of illustration and disclosure in accordance with the requirements of the law. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form(s) described, but only to enable others skilled in the art to understand how the invention may be suited for a particular use or implementation. The possibility of modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. No limitation is intended by the description of exemplary embodiments which may have included tolerances, feature dimensions, specific operating conditions, engineering specifications, or the like, and which may vary between implementations or with changes to the state of the art, and no limitation should be implied therefrom.

Applicant has made this disclosure with respect to the current state of the art, but also contemplates advancements and that adaptations in the future may take into consideration of those advancements, namely in accordance with the then current state of the art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims as written and equivalents as applicable. Reference to a claim element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated. Moreover, no element, component, nor method or process step in this disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, under the provisions of 35 U.S.C § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for . . . ” and no method or process step herein is to be construed under those provisions unless the step, or steps, are expressly recited using the phrase “step(s) for . . . .”