The present invention relates to the combination of a cap and flashlight holding construction. More particularly, the invention relates to the combination of a baseball type cap and a pair of flashlights secured to the sides of the cap by flashlight attachment means.
There are many tasks which are performed at night or in a dark environment which require the use of a flashlight. Examples are numerous, but those that often arise are the tasks associated with hunting or fishing at night, exercising at night, working on an automobile engine or the like, and performing household or other repairs in a dark space. It has been a problem in the past that individuals performing these or similar tasks have had difficulty in controlling a flashlight while attempting to perform the task. It has also been a problem in the past that many of the aforementioned tasks, especially those involving repairs, require accurate placement of the beam of light. In the situation where the individual is attempting to hold the beam of light while conducting repairs such accuracy has been difficult to maintain.
It has long been the practice to mount a light source to various types of headgear. As an example, it is well known in the prior art for miners to rigidly mount carbide lamps on their hard hats. More recently, battery powered lamps have replaced the carbide lamps, but it has continued to be the practice to rigidly attach the various types of lamps to the hard hat. These various types of coal miner lamps enable the coal miner to freely use both of his hands while working. This type of mounting is an effective means of securing a light source to a hard hat. As one would expect, however, the hard hat, the mounting structure, and the lamp itself are heavy and cumbersome to use as well as being expensive. An additional problem associated with a heavy light mounted on a hard hat is that typically the hard hat/light combination is ill fitting and does not allow for minor adjustments in the direction of the beam of light to be made.
The prior art also contains numerous examples of light sources being attached to headbands of various sorts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,064 issued to Schweitzer discloses an elastic headband with an adhesively bonded tubular clip orientated laterally and transversely on the headband by a wedge whereby friction retains the flashlight in the clip. However, Schweitzer's invention does not embody means for retaining more than one flashlight thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,126 issued to Slay discloses an apparatus for holding a flashlight comprising a longitudinally aligned first and a second strap, and a section of elastic material affixed to the second strap and arranged so as to define an expandable flashlight receiving hole suitable for receiving a flashlight.
Although a headband provides a suitable means of supporting a light source, a headband does not readily allow for minor adjustments in the fit and position of the headband to be made as is possible with a typical baseball cap. A headband also lacks the forward extending bill of a baseball cap, as well as the front strap present on many baseball caps, both of which provide support and serve to secure the light source, and, in particular, the light emitting forward end of the light source when the wearer is in motion. Because of these various limitations, the typical headband is only capable of supporting a single light source and the size of the light source, and thus the intensity and brightness of the light emitted, is limited by the minimal supporting apparatus provided by a headband.
In order to overcome the various problems associated with the prior art it is desirable to provide a lightweight and inexpensive means of attaching a light to a baseball style cap. A cap having a pair of flashlights attached to the sides provides tremendous utility and versatility for an individual attempting to work in an area with a limited supply of light such as under a sink or in a similarly confined area. As another example, night fisherman commonly wear a baseball or similar cap formed entirely of cloth or with a cloth bill or brim and a plastic mesh crown. A baseball cap having the attachment means claimed herein is capable of supporting a larger diameter and thus brighter flashlight than the various support structures of the prior art. The use of a baseball cap as a support mechanism as disclosed and claimed in the claimed invention also allows for a much greater level of comfort for the wearer than the various support mechanisms of the prior art.