Headwear with article securing aperture

Abstract

A headwear is provided to secure a longitudinally extending article, such as a golf tee. The headwear includes a crown adapted to substantially conform to a wearer's head, the crown formed from at least one substantially planar panel having opposing interior and exterior surfaces. An aperture extends through the panel from the interior surface to the exterior surface. The article is inserted through the aperture so that a proximal end of the article is contactingly supported adjacent to the exterior surface of the panel and a medial portion of the article extends adjacent to and substantially parallel with the interior surface of the panel. In some embodiments, the article is inserted into a gap between the panel and an interior headband. In other embodiments, a distal end of the article projects through a second aperture to the exterior surface of the panel.

1 . A headwear comprising a crown adapted to substantially conform to a wearer's head, the crown comprising a substantially planar panel having opposing interior and exterior surfaces and an aperture which extends through the panel from the interior surface to the exterior surface, the aperture operably configured to secure a longitudinally extending article so that, when the article is inserted through the aperture, a proximal end of the article is contactingly supported adjacent to the exterior surface of the panel and a medial portion of the article is supported so as to extend adjacent to and substantially parallel with the interior surface of the panel.  
   
   
       2 . The headwear of  claim 1  in combination with the article inserted through the aperture as described in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       3 . The headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a golf tee and wherein the proximal end of said golf tee includes a golf ball support surface configured to contactingly support a golf ball.  
   
   
       4 . The headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture is characterized as a first aperture and wherein the headwear further comprises a second aperture in the panel, the second aperture extending from the interior surface to the exterior surface and being aligned with the first aperture so that, upon insertion of the article through the first aperture, a distal end of the article extends through the second aperture and is contactingly supported adjacent the exterior surface of the panel.  
   
   
       5 . The headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the crown comprises a plurality of adjacently disposed panels.  
   
   
       6 . The headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the panel is formed of a layer of flexible fabric.  
   
   
       7 . The headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture comprises a slit.  
   
   
       8 . The headwear of  claim 7 , wherein the aperture further comprises a peripherally disposed series of adjacent loops of threads so that the aperture is characterized as having a substantially button-hole configuration.  
   
   
       9 . The headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the headwear further comprises an 
 interior headband affixed to the panel and which extends about an interior circumference of the crown, and wherein the aperture is located in the panel so that, upon insertion of the article through said aperture, the medial portion of the article and a distal end of the article are contactingly supported in a gap between the interior surface of the panel and the headband.    
   
   
       10 . The headwear of  claim 9 , wherein the panel comprises a flap portion which wraps around and affixes to the headband, and wherein the headwear further comprising a layer of protective material disposed at a base of the flap portion between the distal end of the article and said base to reduce wear of the flap portion by the distal end.  
   
   
       11 . The headwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a bill which projects from the crown to form a visor for the wearer, and wherein the panel is contactingly adjacent to the bill.  
   
   
       12 . The headwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a bill which projects from the crown to form a visor for the wearer on a first side of the crown, and wherein the panel is disposed on a second side of the crown opposite the first side.  
   
   
       13 . The headwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a backing layer affixed to the inner surface of the panel to form a closed sleeve to accommodate and enclose the medial portion of the article.  
   
   
       14 . A headwear, comprising: 
 a crown adapted to substantially conform to a wearer's head, the crown comprising a substantially planar panel having opposing interior and exterior surfaces; and    means for securing a longitudinally extending article to the panel and for substantially maintaining the same overall appearance of the headwear with or without the article.    
   
   
       15 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a headwear comprising a crown adapted to substantially conform to a wearer's head, the crown comprising a substantially planar panel having opposing interior and exterior surfaces and an aperture which extends through the panel from the interior surface to the exterior surface; and    a golf tee having a proximal end with a golf ball support surface to contactingly support a golf ball, a medial portion and a tapered distal end, the golf tee inserted through the aperture so that the proximal end is contactingly supported adjacent to the exterior surface of the panel and the medial portion of the article extends adjacent to and substantially parallel with the interior surface of the panel.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the aperture comprises a slit.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the aperture is characterized as a first aperture and wherein the apparatus further comprises a second aperture in the panel, the second aperture extending from the interior surface to the exterior surface and being aligned with the first aperture so that the distal end of the golf tee extends through the second aperture and is contactingly supported adjacent the exterior surface of the panel.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second apertures each further comprise a peripherally disposed series of adjacent loops of threads so that the first and second apertures are each respectively characterized as having a substantially button-hole configuration.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the headwear further comprises an interior headband affixed to the panel and which extends about an interior circumference of the crown, and wherein the aperture is located in the panel so that, upon insertion of the golf tee through said aperture, the medial portion and the distal end of the golf tee are supported in a gap between the interior surface of the panel and the headband.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a backing layer affixed to the inner surface of the panel to form a closed sleeve to accommodate and enclose the medial portion of the golf tee.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the crown is imprinted with a first human discernable symbol, and wherein a second human discernable symbol corresponding to said first symbol is further disposed on the golf tee so that at least a portion of said second symbol is visible to an observer while concurrently or consecutively viewing said first symbol.