Sweatband material and headwear piece incorporating the sweatband material

Abstract

An elongate sweatband material for incorporation into a headwear piece and having a length. Thread is knitted to define interengaged U-shaped loops that: a) have a width that is enlarged to permit elongation of the sweatband in a lengthwise direction a first amount under a tensile force of a first magnitude applied in a direction parallel to the length of the sweatband material; and b) cooperate to reinforce each other in a direction transversely to the lengthwise direction so that the sweatband stretches transversely to the lengthwise direction a second amount that is substantially less than the first amount under a tensile force of the first magnitude applied in a direction transversely to the length of the sweatband material.

1 . An elongate sweatband material for incorporation into a headwear piece, the elongate sweatband material having a length and comprising:
 thread knitted to define interengaged U-shaped loops that: a) have a width that is enlarged to permit elongation of the sweatband material in a lengthwise direction a first amount under a tensile force of a first magnitude applied in a direction parallel to the length of the sweatband material; and b) cooperate to reinforce each other in a direction transversely to the lengthwise direction so that the sweatband material stretches transversely to the lengthwise direction a second amount that is substantially less than the first amount under a tensile force of the first magnitude applied in a direction transversely to the length of the sweatband material.   
     
     
         2 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 1  wherein the U-shaped loops are reconfigured under a tensile force applied parallel to the length of the sweatband material primarily by repositioning of the thread without any significant elongation of the thread. 
     
     
         3 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 1  wherein the sweatband material is elongated under a tensile force applied parallel to the length of the sweatband material primarily by widening of the U-shaped loops without any significant elongation of the thread defining the U-shaped loops. 
     
     
         4 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 1  wherein the sweatband material is made substantially entirely from thread of a single composition. 
     
     
         5 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 1  wherein the U-shaped loops are made from polyester thread. 
     
     
         6 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 1  wherein the sweatband material is made substantially entirely from polyester thread. 
     
     
         7 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 6  wherein the polyester thread has a composition that is the same throughout substantially the entire sweatband material. 
     
     
         8 . The elongate sweatband material in combination with a headwear piece having an inside region that embraces a wearer's head with the headwear piece in an operative position, and the elongate sweatband material is applied to the headwear piece to reside at the inside region and against a wearer's head. 
     
     
         9 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 8  wherein the headwear piece has a crown that extends continuously around a wearer's head and the elongate sweatband material extends continuously around the crown at the inside region. 
     
     
         10 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 8  wherein the headwear piece comprises a baseball-style cap with a crown and a rim/bill projecting from the crown and the elongate sweatband material is applied at the inside region on the crown. 
     
     
         11 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 8  wherein the elongate sweatband material has a width and spaced widthwise edges and the elongate sweatband material is sewn to the headwear piece along one of the spaced edges. 
     
     
         12 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 11  wherein the headwear piece has a crown and the elongate sweatband material extends through 360° around the crown at the inside region. 
     
     
         13 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 11  wherein a line of stitching is formed at the other of the spaced edges. 
     
     
         14 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 13  wherein the other of the spaced edges is not connected directly to the headwear piece. 
     
     
         15 . An elongate sweatband material for incorporation into a headwear piece, the elongate sweatband material having a length and width and comprising:
 a thread of a first composition that is knitted to extend in both lengthwise and widthwise directions to: a) permit elongation of the sweatband material in a lengthwise direction a first amount under a tensile force of a first magnitude applied in a lengthwise direction; and b) limit elongation of the sweatband material in a widthwise direction to an amount that is substantially less than the first amount under a tensile force of the first magnitude applied in a widthwise direction.   
     
     
         16 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 15  wherein the sweatband material is made substantially entirely from the thread of the first composition. 
     
     
         17 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 15  wherein the elongation of the sweatband material in the lengthwise direction under an applied tensile force results primarily from repositioning of the thread without any significant elongation of the thread. 
     
     
         18 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 15  in combination with a headwear piece having an inside region that embraces a wearer's head with the headwear piece in an operative position, and the elongate sweatband material is applied to the headwear piece to reside at the inside region and against a wearer's head. 
     
     
         19 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 18  wherein the headwear piece has a crown that extends continuously around a wearer's head and the elongate sweatband material extends continuously around the crown at the inside region. 
     
     
         20 . The elongate sweatband material according to  claim 18  wherein the headwear piece comprises a baseball-style cap with a crown and a rim/bill projecting from the crown and the elongate sweatband material is applied at the inside region on the crown.