[0036] There will be described hereafter a preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a head covering.

[0037] The device according to the invention however is not thus limited.

[0038] It is at once to be noted that the visor 3 shown in the different figures constitutes a possible accessory of the head covering described here, without thereby being a necessary element.

[0039] According to the invention, the head covering comprises, to cover the upper portion of the head, different elements articulated together.

[0040] These elements are panels indicated at 1 in the different figures and notably in FIG. 1.

[0041] Within the scope of the invention, the panels 1 are connected by means of a pivot articulation 4, at a single end thereof.

[0042] Articulation 4 seen for example in FIG. 2, can be made by the formation of holes 5 at one of the ends 6 of each of the panels 1 and by a rivet disposed through the holes 5.

[0043] In this way, an assembly of panels 1 is produced, adapted to be deployed by a circular movement.

[0044] In the folded position, the panels 1 are all superposed and stacked on the assembly of their surface.

[0045] On the contrary, in the deployed position, only their first ends 6 are superposed and stacked.

[0046] To permit the shaping of the head covering from substantially flat panels 1 permitting a flat deployment, there are preferably used panels 1 of a flexible material and particularly from sheets of plastic material of small thickness.

[0047] The preformed panels can thus be used according to the curvature to be given to the headwear.

[0048] In addition to these panels 1 articulated by a single pivot 4, the head covering according to the invention comprises means for holding the panels 1 in deployed position.

[0049] These means ensure the securement of the configuration of the head covering for its use and, within the scope of shaping by bending the panels 1 of flexible material, permit holding in curved position each of the panels 1.

[0050] According to a preferred embodiment as shown in the different figures, the holding means are constituted by slides 8 visible in FIG. 5.

[0051] A slide 8 is formed between successive panels 1.

[0052] Moreover, the holding means comprise assembly means for the end panels 2a, 2b also seen in FIG. 5.

[0053] The slides 8 ensure the placing in deployed position of the panels 1 whilst maintaining a partial overlap of the panels 1.

[0054] Moreover, the assembly means definitively fix in position the panels 1.

[0055] Preferably, the assembly means for the end panels 2a, 2b are constituted on the one hand by a tongue 20 formed on one of the end panels 2a and one or several slots 21 formed on the other end panel 2b.

[0056] The use of several slots 21 permits adjusting the diameter of the head covering.

[0057] As to the slides 8 formed between two successive panels 1, they could be comprised as shown in the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0058] In this framework, each slide 8 comprises an oblong hole 9 formed substantially adjacent the second end 7 of the panel 1.

[0059] Moreover, to conform to the circular deployment movement of the panels 1 imposed by the central pivot 4, the oblong holes 9 are curved on the arc of a circle centered on the pivot 4.

[0060] To coact with the oblong hole 9, there is formed on the other panel 1 supporting the slide 8, a rivet 10 shown particularly in FIG. 5 and movable in the oblong hole 9.

[0061] In this way, the rivet 10 permits the sliding of the panel 1 which carries it through the oblong hole 5 between two end positions, one corresponding to the folded position, the other corresponding to the deployed position.

[0062] Preferably, and as previously indicated, the head covering according to the invention comprises a visor shown at 3 in the drawings.

[0063] This is preferably assembled to the rest of the head covering by two of its corners 13 and 14.

[0064] These latter are shown in FIG. 1.

[0065] By the corners 13, 14, the visor 3 can be mounted on two panels 1 spaced apart substantially by a length corresponding to that of the visor 3.

[0066] Again preferably, the visor 3 is pivotally mounted by one of its corners 13 on one of the panels 1.

[0067] As shown particularly in FIG. 5, this pivotal mounting is effected by a rivet assembling the corner 13 and a pivot projection 11 formed at the end 7 of the panel 1.

[0068] Moreover, according to this arrangement, the other corner 14 is assembled with another panel 1 which supports the visor by means of a hook 23 adapted to coact dis-assembleably with a hooking rivet 24.

[0069] This hooking rivet 24 can be constituted on a hooking projection 12 formed at the end 7 of the panel 1 in question.

[0070] As shown also in FIG. 5, bend lines 25 are preferably constituted on the visor 3 so as to permit adaptation of the shape according to the passage from a folded position to a deployed position.

[0071] Moreover, to help shape the visor 3 and hold it, a tongue 15 formed at the end 7 of the medial panel (the one located at an equal distance between the two panels 1 carrying the corners 13, 14 of the visor 3) is present to coact with a slot 18 formed in a corresponding fashion on the visor 3.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, the tongue 15 could comprise a base 16 of substantially triangular shape and provided at its free end with a ferrule 17 for example substantially circular, adapted to be inserted into a slot 18 present on the visor 3 and comprising, at its bottom, a bottom 19 of hollowed shape adapted to receive the ferrule 17.

[0073] As previously indicated, one of the advantages of the invention is to be deployable along a plane then adapted to be shaped to constitute the three-dimensional head covering.

[0074] To this end, there is used a plastic material whose flexibility is suitable to produce the panels 1 and as the case may be, the visor 3.

[0075] Moreover, to increase the flexibility or to adjust it, it is possible to constitute the cutouts 22 preferably in the direction of the length of the panels 1.

[0076] An example of cutout 22 is shown in the drawings and particularly in FIG. 5.

[0077] Moreover, the cutouts provide supplemental aeration to the head covering.

[0078] FIG. 6 shows the final result of the deployment of the head cover according to the invention.

[0079] To reach this result, the visor 3 in the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, is freed from the hooking corner 14 which coacts with the hooking projection 12.

[0080] Thus the position shown in FIG. 3 is achieved.

[0081] At this time, a pivoting of the visor about the pivoting corner 13, as shown in FIG. 4, permits disengaging the stack panels 1.

[0082] There is then carried out a circular deployment movement shown by an arrow in FIG. 5, permitting constituting a surface which will permit the covering of the head of the user.

[0083] It is to be noted that at this time, it is possible to use the head covering according to the invention in the form of a fan because it is substantially flat.

[0084] Moreover, the hook 23 carried by the visor 3 can constitute a securement and holding element in the position in the shape of a fan, for example by hooking the hook 23 at the pivot 4.

[0085] To obtain the head covering, the end panels 2a, 2b are assembled by means of assembly means for example constituted by a tongue 20 and a slot 21.

[0086] At this time, the head covering is set up and the mounting can be finalized by the definitive securement of the visor 3 in use position.

[0087] This is carried out by insertion of the hook 23 into the hooking rivet 24 carried by one of the panels 1.

[0088] Moreover, the tongue 15 can be emplaced as shown in FIG. 6 at the bottom 19 of the slot 18.

[0089] The folding of the head covering according to the invention takes place in the reverse manner of the steps previously described.

[0090] The position shown in FIG. 2 is thus resumed in which the visor 3 is folded about the stack of panels so as to hold them.

[0091] It is possible to use the hook 23 to hold the assembly in folded position.

[0092] In this connection, the hook 23 is hooked into one of the rivets 10 constituting the slides 8.

[0093] In addition to a head covering, the solar protective device of the invention could be present in the form of a parasol or an umbrella, a sleeve prolonged by a shaft being brought to the pivot 4.