Floatable Hat Clip

Abstract

A floatable hat clip which is attached to the bill or crown of a hat to prevent the hat from sinking in a body of water. The floatable hat clip comprises a structural clip core composed of a rigid, durable, and buoyant plastic material and which may be extruded as a one-piece U-shaped component, and a closed-cell foam component which is affixed to the structural clip core to provide additional buoyancy to the floatable hat clip. The floatable hat clip can be formed into a variety of shapes, colors and sizes while maintaining an appealing aesthetic combining practicality, universality and unobtrusiveness in hat retention and flotation.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A floatable hat clip comprising:
 a. a structural core clip formed of a rigid, durable, and buoyant plastic material, said core clip having an upper portion and a lower portion defining a generally U-shaped configuration, an inner surface configured to frictionally engage the bill or crown of a hat, and an outer surface, and   b. a foam component composed of a closed-cell material having buoyant properties, said foam component being affixed to said upper portion of said structural core clip,   wherein when said floatable hat clip is attached to a hat, the hat is capable of remaining afloat in a body of water, said floatable hat clip being removably attachable and universally adaptable to the bill of any hat having a bill or the crown of any hat having a crown, regardless of thickness of the hat's bill or the hat's crown.   
     
     
         2 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a recessed area disposed within said outer surface of said upper portion and wherein said foam component is affixed within said recessed surface area by an adhesive material. 
     
     
         3 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said foam component is affixed within said recessed surface area by a double-sided adhesive tape. 
     
     
         4 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said foam component is composed from a molded ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam. 
     
     
         5 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said plastic material is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). 
     
     
         6 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein said plastic material is a polypropylene plastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said structural core clip is configured to be extruded as a one-piece component. 
     
     
         8 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said inner surface comprises a plurality of ridges configured to enhance the gripping ability of said floatable hat clip to the bill of a hat or the crown of a hat. 
     
     
         9 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said clip is formed in a shape selected from the group consisting of oval, shield, circle, logo-based shapes, and custom graphic profiles. 
     
     
         10 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 1  having a width between from about 0.25 inch to about 4 inches, a length between from about 0.25 inch to about 4 inches, and a height between about 0.25 inch to about 4 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The floatable hat clip in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said floatable hat clip is low-profile and configured to maintain the aesthetic appearance of a hat to which is it removably attached.