Sizing mechanism for headwear

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for headwear including a crown and a size-adjusting mechanism extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the crown. An example size-adjusting mechanism is adapted to selectively adjust a size of the crown, and includes an outwardly-protruding dial having a gear disposed in an interior of the dial, and a first and second band section each coupled to the crown. The gear of the example size-adjusting mechanism is configured to engage each of the first and second band section to adjust a relative position of the first and second band section relative to one another.

1 . Headwear comprising:
 a crown; and   a size-adjusting mechanism extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the crown and adapted to selectively adjust a size of the crown, the size-adjusting mechanism comprising an outwardly-protruding dial having a gear disposed in an interior of the dial, and a first and second band section each coupled to the crown and having separable terminating ends, the gear configured to engage each of the first and second band section to adjust a relative position of the terminating ends of the first and second band section relative to one another.   
     
     
         2 . The headwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a brim extending from the crown and a headband extending around a portion of the perimeter of an interior of the crown, each of the first and the second band section being coupled to the headband. 
     
     
         3 . The headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the size-adjusting mechanism includes a housing configured to secure the first and second band sections and the dial to the headwear. 
     
     
         4 . The headwear of  claim 3 , wherein the first and the second band sections form terminating ends of a continuous band, the continuous band extending around the perimeter of the crown and coupled to the crown, and the terminating ends of the continuous band are housed within the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The headwear of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first and the second band section comprises a first terminating end coupled to the crown and a second terminating end secured within the housing of the size-adjusting mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The headwear of  claim 5 , wherein the first terminating end of each of the first and the second band sections is coupled to the crown indirectly via an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         7 . The headwear of  claim 3 , wherein the gear comprises a first plurality of teeth, and wherein each of the first and the second band section comprises a second plurality of teeth, the first plurality of teeth configured to engage the second plurality of teeth to adjust a relative position of the first and the second band section to one another. 
     
     
         8 . The headwear of  claim 7 , wherein the second plurality of teeth of each of the first and second band section extend from a leg of that band section, the leg of that band section extending from the terminating end of that band section toward and/or into the housing in an assembled condition and terminating without looping back to the terminating end of that band section. 
     
     
         9 . The headwear of  claim 3 , wherein the gear comprises a ratcheting mechanism including a looped band extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the gear, and one or more protrusions extending from the looped band. 
     
     
         10 . The headwear of  claim 9 , wherein the dial comprises an adjustment knob and a shaft, the adjustment knob including one or more locking teeth extending from an inner surface of the adjustment knob and configured to engage at least one of the one or more protrusions of the ratcheting mechanism of the gear. 
     
     
         11 . The headwear of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more protrusions is configured to engage a third set of teeth, the third set of teeth being positioned in an opening of the housing, the shaft of the dial being configured to pass through the opening of the housing in an assembled condition. 
     
     
         12 . The headwear of  claim 9 , wherein the looped band is anchored to the gear at a location along the looped band, the one or more protrusions being disposed at a terminating end of the looped band and spaced from the location at which the looped band is anchored to the gear. 
     
     
         13 . The headwear of  claim 12 , wherein the looped band is a first looped band anchored to the gear at a first location, the ratcheting mechanism further including a second looped band anchored to the gear at a second location, the first location being spaced from the second location. 
     
     
         14 . The headwear of  claim 13 , wherein the first location is opposite from the second location around a circumference of the gear. 
     
     
         15 . Headwear comprising:
 a crown; and   a size-adjusting mechanism extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the crown and adapted to selectively adjust a size of the crown, the size-adjusting mechanism comprising:
 a housing, 
 a dial having a gear disposed in an interior of the dial, the dial protruding o outwardly from the housing, and 
 a first and second band section each coupled to the crown via respective first terminating ends and having separable second terminating ends, the gear configured to engage each of the first and second band section within an interior of the housing to adjust a relative position of the terminating ends of the first and second band section relative to one another. 
   
     
     
         16 . The headwear of  claim 15 , wherein the first terminating ends of the first and second band sections include c-shaped clamps configured to couple the size-adjusting mechanism to a headband disposed around at least a portion of an interior circumference of the crown, and wherein the size-adjusting mechanism is disposed in a pocket of a sewable substrate. 
     
     
         17 . The headwear of  claim 15 , wherein the gear is configured to engage with the second terminating end of the first band section along a top portion of the gear, and wherein the gear is configured to engage with the second terminating end of the second band section along a bottom portion of the gear, the second terminating end of the first band section passing over the second terminating end of the second band section within the housing responsive to rotation of the gear via rotation of the dial. 
     
     
         18 . A size-adjusting mechanism adapted to selectively adjust a size of an associated object, the size-adjusting mechanism comprising:
 a housing;   a dial having a gear disposed in an interior of the dial, the dial protruding outwardly from the housing; and   a first and second band section each coupled to the object via respective first terminating ends and having separable second terminating ends, the gear configured to engage each of the first and second band section within an interior of the housing to adjust a relative position of the terminating ends of the first and second band section relative to one another.   
     
     
         19 . The size-adjusting mechanism of  claim 18 , wherein the gear is configured to engage with the second terminating end of the first band section along a top portion of the gear, and wherein the gear is configured to engage with the second terminating end of the second band section along a bottom portion of the gear, the second terminating end of the first band section passing over the second terminating end of the second band section within the housing responsive to rotation of the gear via rotation of the dial. 
     
     
         20 . The size-adjusting mechanism of  claim 19 , wherein the dial further comprises a biasing member and a housing engagement gear, the housing engagement gear configured to engage with a housing gear track of the housing, and the biasing member configured to bias the dial to one or more locked positions of the housing gear track.