1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a weather guard for use with headwear, more particularly to a removable weather guard having a simplified staying tab arrangement.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, extensive media coverage has been devoted to the adverse effects on skin related to prolonged exposure to the sun. While caps, such as baseball caps having forward facing bills, may reduce the degree of direct sunlight contacting the face, such caps are limited in the protection which they afford to neck and shoulder regions. Accordingly, several attempts have been made to provide such caps with sunshades and weather guards, which also reduce the amount of precipitation that rims off the back of the hat and down the neck.
Such sunshades and weather guards have been manufactured as integral members of the cap (i.e., the headwear associated with the French Foreign Legion) and as a removable element that may be attached to the cap when desired and removed when unnecessary or undesired. The removable sunshades and weather guards have been provided in a variety of configurations. For instance, when stripped to its essence, a handkerchief or bandana is placed over the head and allowed to drape over the neck of the wearer. The handkerchief or bandana is then held in position by a hat that is placed on the head of the wearer over the handkerchief or bandana. Over time, the handkerchief or bandana may bunch or work free from the hat and, therefore, will require frequent adjustment or repositioning.
Another simplified configuration involves tucking the handkerchief or bandana into an upturned sweatband portion of the cap. Again, this configuration often results in uncomfortable bunching of the handkerchief or bandana, particularly within the headband of the cap. Moreover, the tucked material of the handkerchief or bandana, due to its flexible nature, will easily slide from its tucked position in the headband and, therefore, will also require frequent adjustment or repositioning.
Because the simplified configurations did not provide an adequate solution, many more elaborate configurations were developed. For instance, hook and loop (i.e., Velcro.RTM.) fasteners were positioned either inside the cap band or outside on the cap's exterior. The corresponding fastener was positioned on the sunshade or weather guard to enable the sunshade or weather guard to be attached to the cap. The inside arrangement led to discomfort due to the increased thickness caused by the hook and loop fastener while the outside arrangement detracted from the appearance of the cap when the sunshade or weather guard was unattached. Additionally, the outside arrangement proved ineffective for weather guard applications as the gap allowed rain and the like to run between the cap and the weather guard.
Other similar configurations have also resulted in unsightly clips or fasteners which were exposed on the exterior of the cap either when the sunshade or weather guard was affixed to the cap or when the sunshade or weather guard was removed from the cap. Additionally, substantially rigid structures that were suggested typically caused discomfort for the wearer during extended periods of use. Moreover, complicated fastening arrangements often increased manufacturing costs and drove the final product cost beyond the range commercially acceptable to the purchasing public.