US6481021B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cooling headwear
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 2001-08-06
•
Granted: 2002-11-19
•
Expires: 2021-08-06
Abstract
Abstract Provided herein are articles of headwear that comprise a pouch portion which may be charged with ice. Ice so charged is caused to melt under the effects of ambient temperature and is caused to drip from the pouch portion onto the neck of a person wearing such article. According to a preferred form of the invention, the head of a wearer is not contacted by ice or water during use of such article.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald C. Spell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 00:01
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F7/00; A61F7/10; A61F7/103; A42; A42B; A42B1/00; A42B1/008; A42B1/018; A42B1/0186; A42B1/04; A42B1/06; A42B3/00; A42B3/04; A42B3/28; A42B3/285; A42C; A42C5/00; A42C5/04; A61F2007/0001; A61F2007/0002; A61F2007/0009; A61F2007/0011; A61F2007/105; A61F9/00; A61F9/04; A61F9/045; F; F25; F25D; F25D2303/00; F25D2303/08; F25D2303/082; F25D2303/0822; F25D2400/00; F25D2400/26; F25D2500/00; F25D2500/02; F25D3/00; F25D3/02; F25D3/06; F25D3/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
198 words
A headwear article useful for cooling its wearer comprising: a) a head fitment portion; and b) a pouch portion having an opening portion through which ice may be charged into said pouch, wherein said pouch comprises a first panel disposed towards the neck of the wearer and a second panel disposed away from the neck of the wearer, said panels being attached to one another so as to provide said pouch with an interior portion between said panels which is adapted to contain ice, said pouch having an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein said pouch is affixed directly to said head fitment portion at said upper portion, such that a portion of the first panel beneath which said interior portion lies is disposed to be in direct contact with the neck of the wearer and wherein said pouch portion comprise a length dimension and a width dimension, wherein said width dimension of said pouch portion is defined by an angle α that measures the coextensive extension of said pouch portion about the head of a wearer of such article, wherein α may be any angle between 30 degrees and 300 degrees, including every degree therebetween.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
198 words
A headwear article useful for cooling its wearer comprising: a) a head fitment portion; and b) a pouch portion having an opening portion through which ice may be charged into said pouch, wherein said pouch comprises a first panel disposed towards the neck of the wearer and a second panel disposed away from the neck of the wearer, said panels being attached to one another so as to provide said pouch with an interior portion between said panels which is adapted to contain ice, said pouch having an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein said pouch is affixed directly to said head fitment portion at said upper portion, such that a portion of the first panel beneath which said interior portion lies is disposed to be in direct contact with the neck of the wearer and wherein said pouch portion comprise a length dimension and a width dimension, wherein said width dimension of said pouch portion is defined by an angle α that measures the coextensive extension of said pouch portion about the head of a wearer of such article, wherein α may be any angle between 30 degrees and 300 degrees, including every degree therebetween.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
An article according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said panel portions includes an opening into which ice may be charged.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
An article according to claim 2 wherein said opening includes a means for closing said opening that is selected from the group consisting of: hook-and-loop type fasteners, buttons, zippers, and hook-and-eye fasteners.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
An article as in claim 1 wherein the interior portion that is adapted to contain ice is of such size that the entire volume of the interior portion adapted to contain ice lies beneath more than 50% of the surface area of the panels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
An article as in claim 1 wherein the interior portion that is adapted to contain ice is of such size that the entire volume of the interior portion adapted to contain ice lies beneath more than 80% of the surface area of the panels.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
An article as in claim 1 wherein said pouch portion comprises a plurality of panels which each have a length dimension and a width dimension that define their surface area and the interior portion that is adapted to contain ice is of such size that 80% of the surface area of the panels is used in defining the dimensions of the interior portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
An article as in claim 1 wherein said interior portion of said pouch portion is disposed within said pouch portion such that melted ice exits said pouch portion at its lower portion and contacts the neck of the wearer upon its exit from said pouch.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
An article as in claim 1 wherein said head fitment portion comprises an article of headwear selected from the group consisting of: visors, baseball caps, cowboy hats, sweatbands, bucket hats, hard hats, and straw hats.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
An article as in claim 1 wherein said pouch portion comprises a first panel portion that faces the head of its wearer, and a second panel portion that faces away from its wearer, wherein said first panel portion comprises a material that is impervious to water.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
An article as in claim 1 wherein the first panel portion of said pouch comprises an effective insulative material disposed on its surface which resides within the pouch that is sufficient to preclude a sensation of numbness experienced by the wearer when the pouch portion is charged with ice and said article is worn about the head.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
An article as in claim 1 , further comprising: c) a plastic bag containing ice disposed within the interior portion of said pouch.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
An article according to claim 1 further comprising: c) ice contained in the interior portion of said pouch.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article as in claim 1 wherein said pouch portion is of a singular construction.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
An article as in claim 13 wherein said pouch portion is a plastic bag having an upper portion and a lower edge portion, and comprising perforations along its lower edge.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
An article according to claim 1 wherein the shape of said pouch portion is selected from the group consisting of: rectangular, square, triangular, trapezoidal, rhombohedral, circular, and semicircular.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
An article according to claim 1 in which the pouch portion has a length dimension of any value between 3.00 inches and 16.00 inches, including every hundredth inch therebetween.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
An article according to claim 1 wherein the vertex of angle α is located at about the rear of the wearer's head.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
An article according to claim 1 wherein the interior portion includes a bottom portion and wherein said bottom portion of said interior portion coincides with the lower portion of the pouch.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
An article according to claim 1 wherein said pouch portion is constructed of a material which permits the passage of water through its walls.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
An article according to claim 1 wherein said pouch portion is constructed of a material which prevents the passage of water from the interior of said pouch portion to the external surroundings.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article according to claim 1 further comprising: c) ice within said pouch portion.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
An article according to claim 1 wherein said pouch portion is charged with a material selected from the group consisting of: an ice pack or a coolant-filled pouch.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
An article according to claim 1 wherein said pouch portion is affixed to said head fitment portion with a closure means selected from the group consisting of: a zipper, a button, a hood-and-loop fastener, or snaps.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
188 words
A headwear article useful for cooling its wearer comprising: a) a head fitment portion; and b) a pouch portion, wherein said pouch portion includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and an interior portion adapted to contain ice, and wherein said pouch portion is affixed to said head fitment portion at the upper portion of said pouch portion, and wherein said pouch portion is disposed sufficiently to be in contact with the neck of said wearer, said panels each having a length dimension and a width dimension that define their surface area and the interior portion that is adapted to contain ice is of such size that at least 75% of the surface area of said panels is used in defining the dimensions of the interior portion and wherein said pouch portion comprise a length dimension and a width dimension, wherein said width dimension of said pouch portion is defined by an angle α that measures the coextensive extension of said pouch portion about the head of a wearer of such article, wherein α may be any angle between 30 degrees and 300 degrees, including every degree therebetween.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
188 words
A headwear article useful for cooling its wearer comprising: a) a head fitment portion; and b) a pouch portion, wherein said pouch portion includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and an interior portion adapted to contain ice, and wherein said pouch portion is affixed to said head fitment portion at the upper portion of said pouch portion, and wherein said pouch portion is disposed sufficiently to be in contact with the neck of said wearer, said panels each having a length dimension and a width dimension that define their surface area and the interior portion that is adapted to contain ice is of such size that at least 75% of the surface area of said panels is used in defining the dimensions of the interior portion and wherein said pouch portion comprise a length dimension and a width dimension, wherein said width dimension of said pouch portion is defined by an angle α that measures the coextensive extension of said pouch portion about the head of a wearer of such article, wherein α may be any angle between 30 degrees and 300 degrees, including every degree therebetween.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
An article according to claim 24 wherein at least 85% of the surface area of the panels is used in defining the dimensions of the interior portion.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
An article according to claim 24 wherein at least 90% of the surface area of the panels is used in defining the dimensions of the interior portion.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
164 words
A headwear article useful for cooling its wearer comprising: a) a head fitment portion; and b) a pouch portion, wherein said pouch portion includes: i) an upper portion; ii) a lower portion, and iii) an interior portion adapted to contain ice, said interior portion including a bottom portion, wherein said bottom portion of said interior portion coincides substantially with the lower portion of the pouch, and wherein said pouch portion is affixed to said head fitment portion at the upper portion of said pouch portion, and wherein said pouch portion is disposed sufficiently to be in contact with the neck of said wearer and wherein said pouch portion comprise a length dimension and a width dimension, wherein said width dimension of said pouch portion is defined by an angle α that measures the coextensive extension of said pouch portion about the head of a wearer of such article, wherein α may be any angle between 30 degrees and 300 degrees, including every degree therebetween.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
164 words
A headwear article useful for cooling its wearer comprising: a) a head fitment portion; and b) a pouch portion, wherein said pouch portion includes: i) an upper portion; ii) a lower portion, and iii) an interior portion adapted to contain ice, said interior portion including a bottom portion, wherein said bottom portion of said interior portion coincides substantially with the lower portion of the pouch, and wherein said pouch portion is affixed to said head fitment portion at the upper portion of said pouch portion, and wherein said pouch portion is disposed sufficiently to be in contact with the neck of said wearer and wherein said pouch portion comprise a length dimension and a width dimension, wherein said width dimension of said pouch portion is defined by an angle α that measures the coextensive extension of said pouch portion about the head of a wearer of such article, wherein α may be any angle between 30 degrees and 300 degrees, including every degree therebetween.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
103 words
A headwear article useful for cooling its wearer comprising: a) a head fitment portion; and b) a pouch portion, wherein said pouch portion includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and an interior portion adapted to contain ice, wherein said pouch portion is a plastic bag of singular construction having an upper portion and a lower edge portion, and having perforations along its lower edge, and wherein said pouch portion is affixed to said head fitment portion at the upper portion of said pouch portion, and wherein said pouch portion is disposed sufficiently to be in contact with the neck of said wearer.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
103 words
A headwear article useful for cooling its wearer comprising: a) a head fitment portion; and b) a pouch portion, wherein said pouch portion includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and an interior portion adapted to contain ice, wherein said pouch portion is a plastic bag of singular construction having an upper portion and a lower edge portion, and having perforations along its lower edge, and wherein said pouch portion is affixed to said head fitment portion at the upper portion of said pouch portion, and wherein said pouch portion is disposed sufficiently to be in contact with the neck of said wearer.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-18 | 2006-05-20 | 2006-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-18 | 2010-05-20 | 2010-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-18 | 2014-05-20 | 2014-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |