Hat with elastic snap sizing band

Abstract

An adjustable hat is provided. The hat uses snap together back adjustment straps at the back of the hat to allow adjustment of the size of the hat. The back adjustment straps are made from an elastic material such as silicone that has a high degree of elongation without failure and a low elastic modulus. The elastic properties of the back adjustment straps allow a user to provide a desired amount of tension in the hat lower band to customize the wearing experience and make the hat more comfortable to wear.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hat having a snap back adjustment comprising:
 a crown;   a crown lower edge extending around a bottom of the crown, the lower edge defining an opening configured to receive the head of a person wearing the hat into the crown;   an adjustment opening disposed at a back side of the crown, the adjustment opening extending through the crown and being open at the lower edge of the crown;   a first adjustment strap attached to the hat crown at a first side of the adjustment opening and adjacent to the crown lower edge, wherein the first adjustment strap extends in alignment with the crown lower edge, wherein the first adjustment strap is formed from an elastic material, the first adjustment strap comprising:
 a plurality of posts extending from the first adjustment strap, the plurality of posts extending in an array along a line oriented along a length of the first adjustment strap, wherein each of the plurality of posts comprises a neck which extends from the surface of the first adjustment strap and a head which is enlarged in width relative to the neck; 
   a second adjustment strap attached to the hat crown at a second side of the adjustment opening and adjacent to the crown lower edge, wherein the second adjustment strap extends in alignment with the crown lower edge, wherein the second adjustment strap is formed from an elastic material, the second adjustment strap comprising:
 a plurality of holes formed in and extending through the second adjustment strap, the plurality of holes extending in an array along a line oriented along a length of the second adjustment strap; 
   wherein the first adjustment strap overlaps the second adjustment strap;   wherein a post of the plurality of posts is removably positioned through a hole of the plurality of holes such that the post neck is positioned in the hole to attach the first adjustment strap to the second adjustment strap.   
     
     
         2 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein first adjustment strap and the second adjustment strap are formed from a material capable of 150 percent elongation without failure. 
     
     
         3 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment strap and the second adjustment strap are formed from a material with an elastic modulus lower than about 50 MPa. 
     
     
         4 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the post head has a diameter which is at least about 120 percent of a diameter of the holes. 
     
     
         5 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of holes is about 3 mm in diameter, and wherein each of the plurality of posts comprises a head which is about 4 mm in diameter or greater. 
     
     
         6 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of holes is about 3 mm in diameter, and wherein each of the plurality of posts comprises a neck which is about 3 mm in diameter and a head which is about 4.5 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment strap and the second adjustment strap comprise a width which is about 2 cm, a length which is about 8 cm, and a thickness which is about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The hat of  claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment strap and the second adjustment strap and formed from an elastic silicone. 
     
     
         9 . The hat of  claim 1 , further comprising a bill extending from a front of the hat crown. 
     
     
         10 . A hat having a snap back adjustment comprising:
 a hat having a lower edge extending around a bottom thereof, the lower edge defining an opening configured to receive the head of a person wearing the hat;   an adjustment opening disposed at a back side of the hat, the adjustment opening extending through and interrupting the lower edge of the hat;   a first adjustment strap attached to the hat at a first side of the adjustment opening, wherein the first adjustment strap extends across at least a portion of the adjustment opening, wherein the first adjustment strap is formed from an elastic material, the first adjustment strap comprising:
 a plurality of posts extending from the first adjustment strap, the plurality of posts extending in an array along a line oriented along a length of the first adjustment strap, wherein each of the plurality of posts comprises a neck with a first end which extends from the surface of the first adjustment strap and an enlarged head attached to a second end of the neck; 
   a second adjustment strap attached to the hat at a second side of the adjustment opening, wherein the second adjustment strap extends across at least a portion of the adjustment opening, wherein the second adjustment strap is formed from an elastic material, the second adjustment strap comprising:
 a plurality of holes extending through the second adjustment strap, the plurality of holes extending in an array along a line oriented along a length of the second adjustment strap; 
   wherein the post heads are larger in size than the holes;   wherein the first adjustment strap is positionable by a user to selectively overlap the second adjustment strap;   wherein the first adjustment strap is attachable to the second adjustment strap by a user to adjust the size of the hat by elastically stretching the second adjustment strap to allow a post head to pass through a hole.   
     
     
         11 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein the size of the hat may be adjusted by selectively placing a plurality of post heads through a plurality of holes. 
     
     
         12 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein first adjustment strap and the second adjustment strap are formed from a material capable of 150 percent elongation without failure. 
     
     
         13 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein the first adjustment strap and the second adjustment strap are formed from a material with an elastic modulus lower than about 50 MPa. 
     
     
         14 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein the post head has a diameter which is at least about 120 percent of a diameter of the holes. 
     
     
         15 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of holes is about 3 mm in diameter, and wherein each of the plurality of posts comprises a head which is about 4 mm in diameter or greater. 
     
     
         16 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of holes is about 3 mm in diameter, and wherein each of the plurality of posts comprises a neck which is about 3 mm in diameter and a head which is about 4.5 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         17 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein the first adjustment strap and the second adjustment strap comprise a width which is about 2 cm, a length which is about 8 cm, and a thickness which is about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The hat of  claim 10 , wherein the first adjustment strap and the second adjustment strap and formed from an elastic silicone. 
     
     
         19 . The hat of  claim 10 , further comprising a bill extending from a front of the hat crown.