Method of making a collapsible hat

Abstract

A collapsible hat having a brim is made by inserting a leading end portion of an elongated, three-dimensional, frame element into an opening of an annular compartment extending around an outer periphery of the brim until the leading end portion passes through another opening of the annular compartment. The leading end portion is connected to a trailing end portion to make the frame element circumferentially complete to thereby impart a three-dimensional shape to the outer periphery of the brim that corresponds to the configuration of the three-dimensional frame element.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method of making a collapsible hat having a brim of a pliant material, the method comprising:
 forming an annular compartment extending around an outer periphery of the brim, and configuring the annular compartment with opposite openings;   forming an elongated, three-dimensional, frame element of a flexible, resilient material, and configuring the frame element with opposite end portions;   inserting one of the end portions of the frame element into one of the openings of the annular compartment, and guiding the one end portion around the annular compartment until the one end portion passes through the other opening of the annular compartment; and   connecting the end portions together to make the frame element circumferentially complete to thereby impart a three-dimensional shape to the outer periphery of the brim that corresponds to the configuration of the three-dimensional frame element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming of the annular compartment is performed by folding a binding strip about the outer periphery of the brim to form a hollow tubular sheath. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming of the frame element is performed by cutting the frame element from a generally planar sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming of the frame element is performed by configuring the frame element as one of a periodic and a non-periodic shape. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the inserting of the frame element is performed by maintaining the generally planar, frame element in an upright orientation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting of the end portions is performed by welding the end portions together. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , and attaching a hat component to the hat after the end portions have been connected. 
     
     
         8 . A method of making a collapsible hat having a brim of a pliant material, the method comprising:
 forming an annular compartment extending around an outer periphery of the brim, and configuring the annular compartment with opposite openings;   forming an elongated, three-dimensional, frame element of a flexible, resilient material, and configuring the elongated frame element with a generally wavy shape and with opposite end portions;   inserting one of the end portions of the elongated frame element into one of the openings of the annular compartment, and guiding the one end portion around the annular compartment until the one end portion passes through, and is exteriorly of, the other opening of the annular compartment;   maintaining the other of the end portions exteriorly of the openings of the annular compartment; and   connecting the exterior end portions together to make the frame element circumferentially complete to thereby impart the three-dimensional sinusoidal shape of the circumferentially complete frame element to the outer periphery of the brim.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the forming of the frame element is performed by configuring the frame element as a sinusoid. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the forming of the frame element is performed by cutting the frame element from a generally planar sheet from which additional frame elements are cut.