Headwear

Abstract

A bill 3 or stiffening member for a bill for headwear 1, such as a baseball cap, having first and second opposed surfaces and including a retaining means 9 arranged to automatically retain the bill in either of a first curved state in which the first side of the bill is convex and the second side concave and a second, oppositely, curved state in which the first side is concave and the second side is convex when the bill it urged towards the first or second states respectively. The retaining means may be a curved, resilient, elongate member such as a rod 9. The retaining means may be secured to a flexible sheet of material 6. The sheet of material may also be resilient.

1 . A bill for headwear, the bill having first and second opposed surfaces and comprising a bi-stable retaining means arranged to automatically retain the bill in either of a first curved state in which the first side of the bill is convex and the second side concave and a second, oppositely, curved state in which the first side is concave and the second side is convex when the bill is urged towards the first or second states respectively. 
     
     
         2 . A bill as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the retaining means comprises a curved elongate member. 
     
     
         3 . A bill as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the elongate member has a substantially circular cross-section. 
     
     
         4 . A bill as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the elongate member is resilient. 
     
     
         5 . A bill as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the elongate member is rotatably secured to the bill to enable it to rotate relative to the bill as the bill is urged between the first and second curved states. 
     
     
         6 . A bill as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the elongate member is secured to the body of a stiffening member comprised in the bill. 
     
     
         7 . A bill as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the elongate member is secured along an edge of the body of the stiffening member. 
     
     
         8 . A bill as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the elongate member is secured to the bill or body of the stiffening member by stitches. 
     
     
         9 . A bill as claimed in  claim 2  comprising two or more elongate members. 
     
     
         10 . Headwear comprising a bill as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A baseball cap comprising a bill as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A baseball cap as claimed in  claim 11  carrying different designs on opposed surfaces and which may be worn in normal or reversed configurations to selectively reveal either of the two designs to the outside of the cap. 
     
     
         13 . A stiffening member for the bill of headwear, the stiffening member comprising a body having first and second opposed surfaces and comprising a bi-stable retaining means arranged to automatically retain the stiffening member in either of a first curved state in which the first side of the stiffening member is convex and the second side concave and a second, oppositely, curved state in which the first side is concave and the second side is convex when the stiffening member is urged towards the first or second states respectively. 
     
     
         14 . A stiffening member as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the body comprises a flexible sheet material. 
     
     
         15 . A stiffening member as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the retaining means comprises a resilient, curved elongate member. 
     
     
         16 . A bill as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the elongate member is rotatably secured to the body of the stiffening member to enable it to rotate relative to the stiffening member as the stiffening member is urged between the first and second curved states.