Performance layering technology for apparel, headwear and footwear

Abstract

Performance layering technology includes apparel, headwear and/or footwear. The performance layering technology of the apparel, headwear and/or footwear has interchangeable color and textural accent panels. These interchangeable color and textural accent panels are configured to conform to various color schemes. In addition, the interchangeable color and textural accent panels can be included behind cutouts or embroidery so color appears through the cutouts or the embroidery. Wherein, the performance layering technology is configured to provide cool and warm relief to athletes.

1 . A hat with a bill, a crown and a band, the hat comprising:
 memory material inside of the bill configured to maintain the bill in a curved-up orientation, a flat orientation, and a curved-down orientation;   a bill guard configured for protecting the bill and keeping it clean;   a swatch insert configured to be inserted inside the bill through an opening to change a swatch color of the opening;   performance layering technology with interchangeable accent panels that are configured to conform to various color or pattern schemes, wherein the interchangeable accent panels are configured to be included behind embroidery or cutouts in the crown of the hat so the various color or pattern schemes appear through the embroidery or cutouts in the crown of the hat;   an inside pocket behind four panels of the hat;   a headband attached to the band configured to wick away sweat or keep heat in; or   combinations thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The hat of  claim 1  comprising:
 memory material inside of the bill configured to maintain the bill in a curved-up orientation, a flat orientation, and a curved-down orientation; 
 a bill guard configured for protecting the bill and keeping it clean; 
 a swatch insert configured to be inserted inside the bill through an opening to change a swatch color of the opening; 
 performance layering technology with interchangeable accent panels that are configured to conform to various color or pattern schemes, wherein the interchangeable accent panels are configured to be included behind embroidery or cutouts in the crown of the hat so the various color or pattern schemes appear through the embroidery or cutouts in the crown of the hat; 
 an inside pocket behind four panels of the hat; and 
 a headband attached to the band configured to wick away sweat or keep heat in. 
 
     
     
         3 . The hat of  claim 1  further comprising a cap liner insert configured for added warmth or cooling comfort, wherein the cap liner insert is configured to cover an inside of the hat for added warmth or cooling comfort, wherein the cap liner insert is made of a liner material selected from a group consisting of: Resin Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) or mylar; Spacer fabrics; knits and wovens in polyester; spandex and nylon blends; cotton, wool and bamboo viscose blends; evaporative cooling fabric; treated polyethylene separated by a cotton mesh for strength; or combinations thereof;
 wherein said cap liner insert is shaped to form to an inside of the hat, said cap liner insert having a periphery with:
 a rounded portion configured to fit along the band of the hat when positioned inside of the hat, and 
 a cutout portion configured to fit around a front portion of the hat; 
 
 said cap liner insert having a liner attachment means around the periphery configured to attach to the band of the hat on the inside of the hat and around the front portion of the hat on the inside; 
 wherein the liner attachment means is a hook and loop type fastener, where a hook portion or a loop portion is positioned on the periphery of the cap liner insert and the opposite of the hook portion or the loop portion is positioned on the band of the hat on the inside of the hat and around the front portion of the hat in the inside of the hat. 
 
     
     
         4 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the memory material in the bill is selected from a group consisting of: shape-memory metals; shape-memory alloys; shape-memory polymers; plastic composites; rubber composites; and combinations thereof, wherein the memory material of the bill is configured to flip up on outer edges as well as three bendable areas. 
     
     
         5 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the bill guard is made from a plastic material or a rubber material with a desired color, a desired pattern, a desired molded quality, or combinations thereof, wherein the bill guard includes a channel configured to fit snuggly around a portion of the bill, wherein the bill guard is configured to slide on the bill and be held on by friction forces. 
     
     
         6 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the swatch insert is made from plastic and the bill including a bill cutout positioned by the opening for the swatch insert, whereby, when the swatch is inserted into the opening, the swatch color of the swatch insert is shown through the bill cutout for changing color of the bill cutout. 
     
     
         7 . The hat of  claim 1  further comprising a hole positioned in the band of the hat configured for hanging the hat, wherein the hole is a grommet, wherein the grommet including:
 a carabiner device positioned therethrough configured for hanging the hat; or 
 a threaded inside configured to receive a threaded plug with a hook portion configured for hanging the hat. 
 
     
     
         8 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the interchangeable accent panels have a triangular shape with panel attachment means around a periphery of the triangular shape, the panel attachment means is configured to attach the interchangeable accent panels to a panel of the hat on the inside of the hat, where the panel attachment means is hook and loop type fasteners, where the accent panel includes a hook portion or a loop portion around the periphery of the triangular shape, and the panel of the hat includes an opposite of the hook portion or the loop portion. 
     
     
         9 . The hat of  claim 8 , wherein the interchangeable accent panels including a different placement marker at each corner of the triangular shape, and the panel of the hat including corresponding placement markers configured for positioning the accent panel in a correct orientation behind the panel of the hat. 
     
     
         10 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the interchangeable accent panels include a panel pocket configured to hold a heating device or a cooling device, whereby the performance layering technology is configured to provide cool or warm relief;
 wherein the heating device or the cooling device is a bead pack or a peal pack.   
     
     
         11 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein the panel pocket is on an inner side of the accent panel, where the panel pocket is made from a treated polyethylene-cotton blended material with nanopores that is configured to allow water vapors to evaporate by the nanopores in the treated polyethylene-cotton blended material allowing the treated polyethylene-cotton blended material to breathe. 
     
     
         12 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the interchangeable accent panels include a reflecting material on a panel outside facing away from the hat, wherein the reflecting material is a resin Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) or mylar, wherein the interchangeable accent panels are configured to hold warm temperatures in cold weather and reflect warm temperatures in hot weather. 
     
     
         13 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the cutouts includes shapes of various sizes and sequences that contains a mesh, transparent or translucent material covering the cutout shape, wherein the accent panel is configured to be positioned behind the cutouts whereby the various color or pattern schemes appear through the cutout in the crown of the hat; or   the embroidery includes removed material within or around the embroidery, wherein the accent panel is configured to be positioned behind the embroidery whereby the various color or pattern schemes appear through the removed material of the embroidery in the crown of the hat.   
     
     
         14 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the performance layering technology includes the hat made out of a cooling effect fabric configured to create a cooling effect, wherein the cooling effect fabric being selected from a group consisting of: ice and compression wrap material; spacer fabrics;
 knits and wovens in polyester; spandex and nylon blend, cotton, wool or bamboo viscose blends, evaporative cooling fabric; or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the performance layering technology also includes a firm backing material configured to be positioned behind the accent panel for keeping shape of the accent panel behind the cutouts or embroidery. 
     
     
         16 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the inside pocket is made from a treated polyethylene-cotton blended material with nanopores that is configured to allow water vapors to evaporate by the nanopores in the treated polyethylene-cotton blended material allowing the treated polyethylene-cotton blended material to breathe. 
     
     
         17 . The hat of  claim 1  wherein the head band is made from a material configured to wick away sweat or keep heat in, and wherein the headband is configured to be pulled down and cover ears of a user. 
     
     
         18 . Performance layering technology for apparel, headwear or footwear comprising:
 interchangeable accent panels that are configured to conform to various color or pattern schemes, wherein the interchangeable accent panels are configured to be included behind embroidery or cutouts in the apparel, the headwear or the footwear so the various color or pattern schemes appear through the embroidery or cutouts in the apparel, the headwear or the footwear.   
     
     
         19 . The performance layering technology for apparel, headwear or footwear of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the interchangeable accent panels include a panel pocket configured to hold a heating device or a cooling device, whereby the performance layering technology is configured to provide cool or warm relief to a user, the heating device or the cooling device is a bead pack or a peal pack, the panel pocket is on an inner side of the interchangeable accent panels, where the panel pocket is made from a treated polyethylene-cotton blended material with nanopores that is configured to allow water vapors to evaporate by the nanopores in the treated polyethylene-cotton blended material allowing the treated polyethylene-cotton blended material to breathe; and   the interchangeable accent panels include a reflecting material on a panel outside facing away from the apparel, headwear or footwear, wherein the reflecting material is a resin Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) or mylar, wherein the interchangeable accent panels are configured to hold warm temperatures in cold weather and reflect warm temperatures in hot weather.   
     
     
         20 . The performance layering technology for apparel, headwear or footwear of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the interchangeable accent panels have a shape with panel attachment means around the periphery of the shape, the attachment means are configured to attach the interchangeable accent panels to an inside of the apparel, headwear or footwear, where the panel attachment means are hook and loop type fasteners, where the accent panel includes a hook portion or a loop portion around the periphery of the shape, and the inside of the apparel, headwear or footwear includes an opposite of the hook portion or the loop portion;   the interchangeable accent panels including a different placement marker at each corner of the shape, and the inside of the apparel, headwear or footwear including corresponding placement markers configured for positioning the accent panel in a correct orientation behind the embroidery or the cutouts of the apparel, headwear or footwear;   wherein:
 the cutout includes shapes of various sizes and sequences that contains a mesh, transparent or translucent material covering the cutout shape, wherein the accent panel is configured to be positioned behind the cutout whereby the various color or pattern schemes appear through the cutout in the apparel, headwear or footwear; or 
 the embroidery includes removed material within or around the embroidery, wherein the accent panel is configured to be positioned behind the embroidery whereby the various color or pattern schemes appear through the embroidery in the apparel, headwear or footwear; 
   the apparel, headwear or footwear is made out of a cooling effect fabric configured to create a cooling effect, wherein the cooling effect fabric being selected from the group consisting of: ice and compression wrap material; spacer fabrics; knits and wovens in polyester; blends with spandex and nylon, blends with cotton, wool or bamboo viscose, evaporative cooling fabric; or combinations thereof;   the performance layering technology includes a firm backing material configured to be positionedbehind the accent panel for keeping the shape of the accent panel behind the cutout or embroidery; or   combinations thereof.