US3381305A - Swim cap - Google Patents

Description

y 1968 F. o. BUZZELLI 3,381,305

SWIM CAP I Filed Jan. 10, 1966 FRANK 0 5022544/ man/5 United States Patent Office 3,381,305 Patented May 7, 1968 3,381,305 SWIM CAP Frank D. Buzzelli, 28803 W. Nine Mile Road, Farmington, Mich. 48024 Filed Jan. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 519,660 4 Claims. (Cl. 2-68) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A swim cap has a unidirectional valve formed in its surface, adapted to permit air to' escape from the space between the cap and the head of a wearer. The perimeter of the cap is equipped with a special band adapted to form an air tight seal with the head of the wearer. In one embodiment the band is formed with a plurality of indentations which act as suction cups. In the second embodiment the band is formed of an adhesive material. The valve and the band cooperate to evacuate air from between the cap and the head and thereby provide a Water tight protector for the head.

The present invention relates to swimming garments and more particularly to an improved swimming cap.

Heretofore women have used various types of protective head accessories or caps to keep their hair arrangements dry and protected from the elements while bathing, swimming, sunbathing and the like. The desirable characteristics of a cap when utilized for swimming are that it provide a watertight enclosure for the hair and in addition that the cap have sufiicient resiliency so as not to adversely affect an expensive hair arrangement.

The problem associated with the modern swimming cap has been to obtain an effective air tight seal that will not work itself loose when the wearer is actively swimming. The conventional cap has a sealing means around the perimeter usually in the form of a band that clings to the head when the chin strap is secured. However, there is ordinarily a residue of air remaining within the cap after it is donned. When the wearer immerses herself in the water in the process of swimming, the water exerts a pressure on the cap that urges the residue of air out under the band sealing the cap. As this air escapes, the opening in the band allows water to seep in which wets the hair.

The present invention provides an improved swimming cap that obviates the problem of residue air breaking the water tight seal when the head of the swimmer is immersed in water by providing a plurality of unidirectional valves incorporated in the crown of the cap. When water pressure on the cap urges residue air within the cap to escape, the unidirectional flap type valves located in the crown of the cap allow the air to expel through the valves rather than through the sealed perimeter of the cap. The valves are designed so that while air can escape from within the cap, water cannot enter to wet the hair.

An additional improvement in the present invention over older type swimming caps is reflected in an improved sealing means around the perimeter of the cap comprising a double band seal. The inner band is formed with a plurality of recesses that when urged against the surface The present invention may preferably be embodied as either a permanent cap of durable material or as a disposable cap of inexpensive material for one-time use which can be utilized by travelers and the like.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a head covering for swimming with an improved sealing band for maintaining a water tight enclosure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a means for captive air within a swimming cap to be exhausted through unidirectional valves without breaking the watertight seal around the perimeter of the cap.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a protective head covering for swimming that can be embodied as either a permanent long wearing swim cap or as an inexpensive, disposable cap for one time use.

Still further objects and advantages will readily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing how it is worn as a protective head cover for swimming;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational side view of the preferred swimming cap showing the unidirectional valves;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view taken from the opposite side of FIGURE 2 and with a portion cut away for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 4 shows a cross-section view of the sealing band as seen substantially from line 44 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 shows a cross-section view of a unidirectional valve as seen substantially from line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Now referring to the drawings in detail, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a swimming cap 10 is formed of a waterproof material and is generally shaped to fit the contour of a head in a manner that is well known. Dog eared portions 12 are provided on opposite sides of the cap 10 that cover the ears of the wearer. Preferably a pair of straps 14 are attached to the dog eared portions 12 that can be brought together under the chin and fastened together by a suitable fastening device such as the snaps 16. A single strap fixed to one dog car 12 and fastened to the opposite dog ear 12 may also be used.

A double band 18 forms the perimeter of the cap 10. The band 18 comprises an inner band 20 formed with a plurality of indentations 24 on the inner side so that when the band is urged against the surface of the head, a suction cup effect results. The inner band 20 is formed so that for every indentation 24 on the inner surface, there is a corresponding bulge 26 on the back surface. The exterior surface 28 of the outer band 22 in the preferred embodiment is smooth but it may be formed with any pleasing texture if desired. The enclosed inner surface of the outer band 22 is formed with a plurality of protuberances 30 which are positioned so as to overlay the bulges 26. Upon donning the cap, the wearer fastens the straps 14 which urge the protuberances 30 on the outer band 28 against the bulges 26 thereby exhausting the air from the indentations 24 and creating a suction cup effect. The suction cup effect causes the inner band 20 to cling to the surface of the head thereby sealing the head enclosed by the cap 10 from the elements.

In order to permit air trapped within the cap 10 to escape Without breaking the seal formed by the double band 18, a plurality of unidirectional flap type valves generally indicated at 32 are formed in the crown of the cap 10.

FIGURE 5 shows a preferred valve 34. The cap 10 has an aperture 36 formed in the crown. A flap member 38 hinged to the cap 10 is adapted to normally lie over the aperture 36. Preferably the fiap 38 is formed as an integral part of the cap. When air within the cap increases to a pressure where it will seek to escape from the cap due to some external force on the cap, the air will tend to raise the flap 38 sufficiently to exhaust through the aperture 36 rather than to seep through the sealing means provided by the double band 18. When the air has been exhausted sufficiently tolower the pressure existing within the cap 10, then the inherent tendency of the flap 38 to close reinforced by water pressure acting against the external flat area of the flap will prevent water from entering through the aperture 36.

The cup may be formed of any conventional rubber type material when a long wearing swim cap is desired or of an inexpensive plastic-like material such as polyethylene film or the like if a disposable cap for one time use is preferred. In a disposable version of the present invention, the band sealing means may alternatively be comprised of a single peripheral band coated on the inner side of a pressure-sensitive adhesive of any well known type.

It can be readily seen that I have described a swim cap that efiectively seals the hair of the wearer from water and by means of a novel flap type valve means for venting air enclosed within the cap allows a wearer to actively swim without worrying about water seeping through the seal and wetting the hair. The invention may be embodied in a durable long wearing version or in an inexpensive material as a disposable version.

It is to be understood from the foregoing description that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a swim cap contoured to fit the head of the swimmer, band means operative to urge the perimeter of the cap against the head of the swimmer so that the cap is sealed to the head; said band means comprising:

(a) an inner band connected to the perimeter of the cap, said band having a plurality of indentations on the inner side of said inner band;

(b) an outer band connected along an edge to the inner band and overlying the inner band, said outer band having a plurality of protuberances on the inner side of said outer band extending entirely around the periphery of said cap, said protuberances adapted to each overlay the back side of an indentation on the inner band; and

(c) a strap member connected to the inner and outer bands on one side of said cap and adapted to stretchedly fasten under the chin of the wearer to the inner and outer bands on the opposite side of the cap so that the outer band urges the protuberances against the indentations on the inner band thereby creating a plurality of suction cup seals between the cap and the head of the wearer.

2. The swim cap of claim 1, including a unidirectional valve means formed as an integral part of the cap and adapted to permit air to escape from the space between the cap and the head of the swimmed through said valve means and to prevent water from entering therethrough.

3. The swim cap as recited in claim 2 wherein said cap has an aperture formed in the crown and the unidirectional valve means comprises: a fiat member hingedly connected to the exterior of the cap and adapted to normally cover said aperture, but to uncover said aperture when the air pressure on the aperture side of the flat member overcomes water pressure on the opposite side.

4. The swim cap as recited in claim 3 wherein the flat member is an integral part of the cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,520,049 12/ 1924 Beman 268 1,746,477 2/ 1930 Howland 268 2,520,049 8/ 1950 Moore 268 3,026,522 3/1962 Di Julio 226 X 3,070,805 l/ 1963 Bozocos 268 FOREIGN PATENTS 701,073 12/ 1953 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Examiner.

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