Headgear brim band

Abstract

A headgear accessory encompasses and encases the edge of a brim typically found on headgear such as a baseball cap. The elastically pliable band slips over and engages the upper and lower surfaces of the brim of a hat, encompassing the forward edge of the brim, and extending longitudinally along the curvilinear length of the brim. A channel runs the longitudinal length of the band which includes an area void of material and is configured to accept and secure the edge of the brim. As the surfaces of the channel expand apart to accept the edge of the brim, the brand is elastically deformed creating a normal force between the band and the respective surfaces of the brim. The normal force combined with the applicable coefficient of friction and other mechanical/structural configurations results in a frictional force that secures the band to the brim of the headgear.

1 . A headgear accessory wherein the headgear is to be worn on a head of a wearer and wherein the headgear includes a crown with a circumference covering a portion of the head and a bill projecting away from the crown and extending from less than fully around the circumference of the crown and wherein the bill includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an edge, contiguous with the top surface and the bottom surface, that includes a front edge portion that blends into a first side portion and a second side portion, the headgear accessory comprising:
 a band encompassing the edge of the bill wherein the band includes a curvilinear length that substantially matches an edge length of the edge starting from the first side portion continuing through the front edge portion and ending with the second side portion, and   wherein the band includes a first portion extending along the curvilinear length that is in continuous contact with the top surface of the bill and a second portion extending along the curvilinear length that is in continuous contact with the bottom surface of the bill, and   wherein the first portion includes one or more upper gripping surfaces along the curvilinear length that engage the top surface of the bill, and   wherein the second portion includes one or more lower gripping surfaces along the curvilinear length that engage the bottom surface of the bill.   
     
     
         2 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the band includes a channel extending along the curvilinear length and wherein the channel has an opening void of material. 
     
     
         3 . The headgear accessory of  claim 2 , wherein the opening of the channel is elastically deformable to encompass the edge of the bill. 
     
     
         4 . The headgear accessory of  claim 3 , wherein the channel, responsive to encompassing the edge of the bill, exerts a first normal force against the top surface of the bill and a second normal force against the bottom surface of the bill. 
     
     
         5 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the band in pliable along the curvilinear length and conforms to the shape of the bill. 
     
     
         6 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the band is resistant to deformation along a cross-sectional axis. 
     
     
         7 . The headgear accessory of  claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional axis is orthogonal to the curvilinear length. 
     
     
         8 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the upper gripping surface includes one or more angular portions that engage the top surface of the bill. 
     
     
         9 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the lower gripping surface includes one or more angular portions that engage the bottom surface of the bill. 
     
     
         10 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the band is a monolithic component of an extruded polymer. 
     
     
         11 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the band is an extruded plastic. 
     
     
         12 . The headgear accessory of  claim 11 , wherein the extruded plastic is selected from a group consisting of polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). 
     
     
         13 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the band is secured to the first side portion of the bill by a first retaining clip and the bill is secured to the second side portion of the bill by a second retaining clip. 
     
     
         14 . The headgear accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the band includes a substantially planar surface oriented perpendicular to the top surface of the bill and extending along the length of the band. 
     
     
         15 . A headgear accessory, comprising:
 a flexible and substantially rectangular band having a first end, a second end and curvilinear length wherein the band includes
 a channel extending from the first end to the second end throughout the curvilinear length, 
 an interior upper surface of the channel and an interior lower surface of the channel forming 
 a gap between the interior upper surface and the interior lower surface wherein the gap is void of material, and 
 wherein the band is elastically deformable to accept an edge of a bill of a headgear within the gap and responsive to the edge of the bill of the headgear being encompassed by the channel of the rectangular band, the interior upper surface of the channel is in contact with the top of the bill and the interior lower surface is in contact with the bottom of the bill. 
   
     
     
         16 . The headgear accessory of  claim 15 , wherein the rectangular band is pliable and adapts to a curvilinear shape of the edge of the bill of the headgear. 
     
     
         17 . The headgear accessory of  claim 15 , wherein a frictional force caused by elastic deformation of the rectangular band upon its interaction with the edge of the bill of the headgear secures the band to the edge of the headgear. 
     
     
         18 . The headgear accessory of  claim 15 , wherein the band is formed from an extruded plastic selected from a group consisting of polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). 
     
     
         19 . The headgear accessory of  claim 15 , wherein in a non-deformed condition, the interior upper surface and the interior lower surface are divergently angled away from each other as they approach a base of the channel. 
     
     
         20 . The headgear accessory of  claim 19 , wherein responsive to the edge of the bill of the headgear being encompassed within the channel, the interior upper surface and the interior lower surface are substantially parallel. 
     
     
         21 . The headgear accessory of  claim 15 , wherein the body includes a planar surface opposite the gap of the channel and, responsive to the edge of the bill being encompassed by the channel the planar surface is substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the bill of the headgear. 
     
     
         22 . The headgear accessory of  claim 15 , wherein the planar surface includes a text region suitable for the display of text.