Granted Patent B2

US 12,329,231 · App. 18/407,684 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Inventor: Dylan McClain Sasser (St Simons Island, GA)

A42B7/00A44B9/00A44D2203/00

Abstract

Claims (23)

1. A cover for covering a headgear closure strap, the cover comprising:

a cover body defining a central passage for accepting the headgear closure strap, wherein the cover body is configured to encircle a cross-sectional profile of the headgear closure strap and extend along at least a portion of the extension of the headgear closure strap, wherein the cover body is formed from a sheet of flexible material having a semi-rectangular outline;

a magnet disposed inside of the cover body behind a rear outer face of the cover body when the cover body is installed on the headgear closure strap, wherein an edge of the sheet of flexible material is folded over and fastened to the remainder of the sheet of the material to form a pocket in which the magnet is retained;

a fastening mechanism for securing a top and a bottom wrap portion of the cover body together in front of a front inner face of the cover body when the cover body is installed on the headgear closure strap, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises a pair of snaps, wherein first portions of the pair of snaps are mounted through a lower front face of the sheet of flexible material, and wherein second portions of the pair of snaps are mounted through an upper rear face of the sheet of flexible material, so that when the cover body is wrapped around the closure strap, active ends of the first and second portions of the pair of snaps may be fastened together to secure the cover body around the closure strap; and

a frame for retaining the magnet within the pocket, the frame comprising a frame rim having a shape conformed to an outer profile of the magnet, and defining side edges and a bottom edge that at least partially surround the magnet on at least three sides, and a pair of extensions extending from sides of the frame past the centers of the second portions of the pair of snaps and defining voids positioned at the centers of the second portions of the pair of snaps for accepting posts of the second portions of the pair of snaps, wherein the frame and the magnet are retained within the pocket by the posts of the second portions of the pair of snaps.

2. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the second portions of the pair of snaps are outer button portions that are visible on an outer rear face of the cover when the cover is installed on the headgear closure strap, wherein the second portions of the pair of snaps secure the edge of the sheet of flexible material that is folded over to form the pocket.

3. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises a plate behind which the frame rim is formed, wherein the frame rim defines a cavity in front of the plate, wherein the extensions are extensions of the plate, and wherein the magnet is mounted in the cavity with a rear face of the magnet contacting the plate within the cavity, so that the plate positions the magnet rearward in the pocket against the cover body, and so that the cover body magnet flexes rearward in the cover to facilitate contact of the cover with an external magnetic surface.

4. The cover of claim 3 , wherein a length of the cover along the central passage is approximately double a length of the magnet, and wherein the pair of snaps are located on either side of the magnet at a distance that provides relief for the flexible material to bend and allow projection of the magnet rearward by the frame to a distance of 75% or more of a height of the magnet above the base.

5. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the pair of snaps are disposed on either side of the magnet, to prevent interference of outer faces of the snaps with contact of the magnet with a magnetic surface.

6. The cover of claim 1 , wherein a length of the cover along the central passage is approximately two and one-half inches, and wherein a height of the cover when the fastening mechanism is secured together is approximately one inch.

7. A method of detachably retaining headgear to a magnetic surface, the method comprising:

forming a cover body from a sheet of flexible material having a semi-rectangular outline;

covering a headgear closure strap of the headgear with a cover that includes the cover body and defining a central passage for accepting the headgear closure strap, wherein the cover body is configured to encircle a cross-sectional profile of the headgear closure strap and extend along at least a portion of the extension of the headgear closure strap, wherein the covering comprises folding an edge of the sheet of flexible material over and fastening the edge of the sheet of flexible material to the remainder of the sheet of flexible material to form a pocket, and wherein the installing the magnet installs the magnet in the pocket so that the magnet is retained;

securing the cover body around the headgear closure strap with a fastening mechanism including a pair of snaps, wherein the fastening mechanism secures securing a top and a bottom wrap portion of the cover body together in front of a front inner face of the cover body when the cover body is installed on the headgear, and wherein the securing comprises mounting first portions of the pair of snaps through a lower front face of the sheet of flexible material, and mounting second portions of the pair of snaps through an upper rear face of the sheet of flexible material, so that when the cover body is wrapped around the closure strap, active ends of the first and second portions of the pair of snaps may be fastened together to secure the cover body around the closure strap;

installing a magnet disposed inside of the cover body behind a rear outer face of the cover body when the cover body is installed on headgear;

installing a frame for retaining the magnet within the pocket, wherein the frame includes a frame rim having a shape conformed to an outer profile of the magnet, and defining side edges and a bottom edge that at least partially surround the magnet on at least three sides, and a pair of extensions extending from sides of the frame past the centers of the second portions of the pair of snaps and defining voids positioned at the centers of the second portions of the pair of snaps for accepting posts of the second portions of the pair of snaps;

retaining the frame and the magnet within the pocket using the posts of the second portions of the pair of snaps; and

bringing the cover in contact with the magnetic surface, whereby the headgear is detachably retained to the magnetic surface.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second portions of the pair of snaps are outer button portions that are visible on an outer rear face of the cover when the cover is installed on the headgear, wherein the second portions of the pair of snaps secure the edge of the sheet of flexible material that is folded over to form the pocket.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the frame further includes a plate behind which the frame rim is formed, wherein the frame rim defines a cavity in front of the plate, wherein the extensions are extensions of the plate, and wherein the installing the magnet mounts the magnet in the cavity with a rear face of the magnet contacting the plate within the cavity, so that the plate positions the magnet rearward in the pocket against the cover body, and so that the cover body magnet flexes rearward in the cover to facilitate contact of the cover with an external magnetic surface.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a length of the cover along the central passage is approximately double a length of the magnet and wherein the pair of snaps are located on either side of the magnet at a distance that provides relief for the flexible material to bend and allow projection of the magnet rearward by the frame to a distance of 75% or more of a height of the magnet above the base.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pair of snaps are disposed on either side of the magnet, to prevent interference of outer faces of the snaps with contact of the magnet with a magnetic surface.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein a length of the cover along the central passage is approximately two and one-half inches, and wherein a height of the cover when the fastening mechanism is secured together is approximately one inch.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (23)