Shape-holding deformable brim extender

Abstract

A brim extender attaches to any standard baseball-style cap and includes a malleable shape-holding portion that allows the user to deform portions of the brim extender to meet the sub-blocking and/or aesthetic needs of the user. Thus, the brim extender may provide advantages including (1) improved sun protection that may be customized by reconfiguring the shape of the brim extender, (2) additional options for style and appearance of the hat, (3) display of promotional items (e.g., a new thing that can be labeled, colored, or styled to market a brand), and/or (4) an added barrier between the head and the crown of the cap to shield or partially shield the cap from perspiration and other substances coming from the scalp or hair.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A brim extender comprising:
 a sheet of material with a central aperture sized to fit over the crown of a baseball-style cap; and   a malleable shape-holding member attached at or near a peripheral margin of at least a portion of the periphery of the brim extender;   wherein the malleable shape-holding member is configured to retain manual manipulations of the brim extender.   
     
     
         2 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , wherein the malleable shape-holding member comprises a wire. 
     
     
         3 . The brim extender of  claim 2 , wherein the wire is in the range of 12 to 23 gauge. 
     
     
         4 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , wherein the malleable shape-holding member comprises polypropylene. 
     
     
         5 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , wherein the malleable shape-holding member comprises one or more of a malleable metal, steel, or copper. 
     
     
         6 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , wherein the malleable shape-holding member is sewn to the brim extender 
     
     
         7 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , wherein the malleable shape-holding member is sewn to the brim extender by enclosing it within an elastic or non-elastic fabric binding that is sewn or glued at or near the periphery of the brim extender. 
     
     
         8 . The brim extender of  claim 7 , wherein the periphery of the brim extender comprises at least a generally semicircular outer circumference of the sheet of material. 
     
     
         9 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , wherein the malleable shape-holding member extends around the entire outer circumferences of the sheet of material. 
     
     
         10 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet of material comprises at least two laminated sheets. 
     
     
         11 . The brim extender of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the sheets is suitable for printing. 
     
     
         12 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more tabs comprising an attachment component configured to adhere to the baseball-style cap.   
     
     
         13 . The brim extender of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more tabs comprises an adhesive. 
     
     
         14 . The brim extender of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more tabs comprise a hook-and-loop fastening material. 
     
     
         15 . The brim extender of  claim 14 , wherein the hook-and-loop fastening material is positioned to adhere to a corresponding hook-and-loop fastening material in a matching portion of the baseball-style cap. 
     
     
         16 . The brim extender of  claim 1 , further comprising an adhering material located along the undersurface of the sheet of material and is configured to adhere the sheet of material to a similar material located on an upper portion of a bill of the baseball-style cap. 
     
     
         17 . The brim extender of  claim 12 , wherein the attachment component is located along an upper surface of at least one tab and is configured to attach to similar attachment material along an undersurface of a crown of the baseball-style cap. 
     
     
         18 . A brim extender comprising:
 a substantially oval or circular shaped substrate comprising a central aperture sized to receive a crown portion of a baseball cap; and   a malleable shape-holding member attached to the substrate near an outer edge of the substrate, the malleable shape-holding member configured to retain manual deformations of the malleable shape-holding member and a corresponding attached portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         19 . The brim extender of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the malleable shape-holding member is glued or sewn to the substrate.   
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a brim extender comprising:
 positioning a malleable shape-holding member between a first layer comprising a substantially stiff backing material and a second layer comprising a fabric, wherein each of the first and second layers include a central aperture sized to receive a crown portion of a baseball cap; and   bonding or sewing the first layer to the second layer so that the malleable shape-holding member is positioned near an outer circumferences of the first and second layers.