Folding hat

Abstract

A folding hat formed from sheet material, including a crown and a brim, wherein the brim is attached to the crown, and a bottom rim portion of the crown imparts shaping to the brim. In one form, an upper surface of the crown is indented, and the bottom rim portion of the crown supports the brim in a generally continuous curve whereby an upper surface of the brim is curved from one edge of the brim to an opposite edge of the brim.

1 . A folding hat formed from sheet material, including a crown and a brim, wherein the brim is attached to the crown, and a bottom rim portion of the crown imparts shaping to the brim. 
     
     
         2 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the crown is indented. 
     
     
         3 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bottom rim portion of the crown supports the brim in a generally continuous curve whereby an upper surface of the brim is curved from one edge of the brim to an opposite edge of the brim. 
     
     
         4 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the upper surface of the brim is convexly curved from one edge of the brim to an opposite edge of the brim. 
     
     
         5 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the upper surface of the brim is convexly curved from a front edge of the brim to a rear edge of the brim. 
     
     
         6 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hat is held together entirely by folding said sheet material. 
     
     
         7 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the brim is attached to the crown by a plurality of tabs formed in one of the brim or crown, said tabs interlocking with slots formed in the other of the brim or crown. 
     
     
         8 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the crown is folded at the bottom rim portion, with said slots formed at or near said fold, and wherein said tabs are formed at an inside edge of the brim. 
     
     
         9 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sheet material is printed on only one side, and the hat is arranged such that all surface of the hat visible from above the head of a wearer are printed. 
     
     
         10 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hat has a detachable coupon, the coupon being adapted such that it can be removed from the hat without affecting the appearance of the hat when worn. 
     
     
         11 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sheet material is paper. 
     
     
         12 . A folding hat formed from sheet material, including a crown and a brim, wherein the brim is attached to the crown, and the hat is adapted to be folded between a flat condition and an erect condition. 
     
     
         13 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the brim is attached to the crown in both the flat condition and the erect condition. 
     
     
         14 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein in the flat condition the hat is fully flat to accommodate flat stacking of a plurality of like folding hats. 
     
     
         15 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the brim has transverse folds across the brim, the transverse folds being folded in the flat condition so as to layer portions of the brim, and the transverse folds being unfolded in the erect condition. 
     
     
         16 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein when in the flat condition the transverse folds are folded such that a section of an upper surface of the brim is folded onto itself. 
     
     
         17 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the transverse folds diverge toward an outer edge of the brim. 
     
     
         18 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the crown has an upper portion which, when in the erect condition, is indented to form a concave top surface providing lateral structure to the crown, and, when in the flat condition, is folded along a central fold running centrally of the upper portion. 
     
     
         19 . A folding hat as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein, when in the erect condition, the brim is curled across the transverse folds to maintain the transverse folds in an unfolded state. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a hat, including the steps of:
 forming a brim from a first sheet portion;   forming a crown from a second sheet portion;   attaching the brim to the crown; and   indenting an upper surface of the crown,   
       wherein the hat is configured such that a bottom rim portion of the crown supports the brim in a curve whereby an upper surface of the brim is convexly curved. 
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a hat as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the bottom rim portion of the crown supports the brim in a curve whereby an upper surface of the brim is convexly curved from one edge of the brim to an opposite edge of the brim. 
     
     
         22 . A folding hat formed from sheet material, wherein the hat has a detachable coupon, the coupon being adapted such that it can be removed from the hat without affecting the appearance of the hat when worn. 
     
     
         23 . A method of assembling a hat from a sheet to a flat deconstructed hat, the hat being a hat as claimed in  claim 12 , the method including the steps of: forming the brim from a first sheet portion;
 forming the crown from a second sheet portion; and   attaching the brim to the crown;   wherein transverse folds of the brim are folded such that a surface of the brim is folded onto itself to layer portions of the brim.   
     
     
         24 . A method of erecting a hat from a flat condition to an erect condition, the hat being a hat as claimed in  claim 12 , the method including the steps of: indenting an upper surface of the crown;
 unfolding transverse folds of the brim; and   curling the brim across the transverse folds to maintain the transverse folds in an unfolded state.   
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled)