U.S. patent application number 09/894736 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-03 for infant sock.
Invention is credited to Boersema, Tasha.
Application Number | 20020000003 09/894736 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26908938 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020000003 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boersema, Tasha |
January 3, 2002 |
Infant sock
Abstract
An infant sock for crawling infants includes a generally tubular
sock member having an upper surface, a lower surface, a toe surface
forming a closed end, and an open end. An elastic band is attached
at the open end receiving an infant's foot. A gripper member covers
at least a portion of the upper surface, the lower surface and the
toe surface and has an increased coefficient of friction.
Inventors: |
Boersema, Tasha; (Holland,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
William J. Clemens
MacMillan, Sobanski, & Todd, LLC
One Maritime Plaza, Fourth Floor
720 Water Street
Toledo
OH
43604
US
|
Family ID: |
26908938 |
Appl. No.: |
09/894736 |
Filed: |
June 28, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60214377 |
Jun 28, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/239 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41B 13/00 20130101;
A41B 11/008 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/239 |
International
Class: |
A41B 001/00; A41D
001/00; A41B 011/00; A43B 017/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An infant sock for crawling infants comprising: a generally
tubular sock member having an exterior upper surface and an
exterior lower surface extending between an open end and a closed
end, said closed end having an exterior toe surface, said open end
being adapted for receiving an infant's foot; and a gripper member
connected to said sock member, said gripper member covering at
least a portion of each of said upper surface, said lower surface
and said toe surface, said gripper member having a coefficient of
friction greater than a coefficient of friction of any of said
upper surface, said lower surface and said toe surface.
2. The infant sock according to claim 1 wherein said portion of
said upper surface covered by said gripper member is greater than
said portion of said lower surface covered by said gripper
member.
3. The infant sock according to claim 1 wherein said portion of
said lower surface covered by said gripper member is greater than
said portion of said upper surface covered by said gripper
member.
4. The infant sock according to claim 1 wherein said gripper member
is formed from a rubberized material.
5. The infant sock according to claim 1 wherein said gripper member
is adhered to said sock member by a thermal process.
6. The infant sock according to claim 1 wherein said gripper member
is a continuous member.
7. The infant sock according to claim 1 wherein said gripper member
has a plurality of spaced ribs extending transverse to a length of
said sock member.
8. The infant sock according to claim 7 wherein said extending
around a circumference of said toe surface.
9. The infant sock according to claim 1 wherein said sock member is
generally human foot-shaped.
10. The infant sock according to claim 1 including an elastic band
attached at said open end of said sock member.
11. The infant sock according to claim 1 including an entrance band
attached at said open end of said sock member.
12. An infant sock for crawling infants comprising: a generally
tubular sock member having an exterior upper surface and an
exterior lower surface extending between first and second ends, and
an exterior toe surface closing said first end, said second end
being open to receive an infant's foot; an elastic band attached to
said open end of said sock member; and a gripper member forming at
least a portion of each of said upper surface, said lower surface
and said toe surface, said gripper member having a coefficient of
friction greater than a coefficient of friction of a material
forming said sock member.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional
patent application Serial No. 60/214,377 filed Jun. 28, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a sock for an
infant and, in particular, to a sock designed to provide additional
traction for a crawling infant.
[0003] Dressing an infant with fabric socks is advantageous in many
ways. Socks are aesthetically pleasing, keep the infant's feet warm
and protect the infant's feet from minor cuts and abrasions. When
the infant becomes ambulatory, however, socks can be
disadvantageous on smooth floor surfaces, such as hardwood or
linoleum floors, because there is a very low coefficient of
friction between fabric material of the socks and the floor
surface. This poses an increased risk of injury because the infant
may slip and fall on the smooth surface while wearing only the
fabric socks. Dressing the infant with shoes is one solution to
this problem, but it is not always desirable, and is often
difficult, to put shoes on an ambulatory infant.
[0004] This is a recognized problem, and many prior art infants
socks, therefore, have been fitted with material that provides
greater traction on the bottom of the sock. This material is also
referred to as a gripper area. These prior art socks have worked
well for those infants who have already progressed to walking,
because the portion of the sock with the gripper area is in contact
with the smooth floor surface. These prior art socks, however, have
been disadvantageous for crawling infants, because typically the
feet of crawling infants contact the floor surface with portion of
the foot closest to the toes or the top of the foot, rather than
the bottom of the foot. Because the top portion of the prior art
socks did not contain a gripper area on the toes or top of the
sock, the same problems were encountered as with socks without any
gripper area, which results in an increased risk of injury to
crawling infants wearing the prior art socks.
[0005] It is desirable to provide an infant sock that will provide
greater traction for crawling infants as well as for infants that
are already walking.
[0006] It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an
infant sock suitable for both crawling and walking infants with a
decreased risk of injury to the crawling infant wearing the
sock.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention concerns an infant sock for use with a
crawling infant. The infant sock includes a tubular sock member
with an upper surface, a lower surface, and a toe portion
connecting and enclosing the upper and lower surfaces at a leading
edge of the sock member. At the opposite end of the tubular sock
member, the upper surface and lower surface form an open end for
receiving a foot. A gripper area is attached to the exterior
portion of the sock member and preferably extends from the upper
surface to the toe area and further to the lower surface. The
gripper area is preferably a single piece of frictional material
that covers an area along the lower surface, and a lesser area on
the upper surface. The gripper is preferably attached to the fabric
of the sock member by a thermal process. The sock member preferably
includes an elastic member at the open end to keep the sock in
place on the infant's foot and lower leg.
[0008] Alternatively, the sock member is advantageously foot-shaped
for ease of dressing the infant.
[0009] Alternatively, the gripper area is formed in a tread pattern
and can include transversely or circumferentially spaced ribs along
the upper surface, toe portion, and lower surface.
[0010] The present invention recognizes that prior art socks were
suitable neither for providing traction to crawling infants nor for
reducing the risk of injury to crawling infants on smooth floor
surfaces. With a gripper area at the top surface and toe portion of
the sock member, the present invention provides infants wearing the
present invention a greater ability to crawl on smooth surfaces,
while reducing the risk of injury to crawling infants. The present
invention is also suitable for infants who have progressed to
walking, because the gripper area extends to the lower surface of
the sock member.
[0011] The present invention is a novel improvement over the prior
art because while the prior art teaches many different varieties of
infant socks, none of the prior art teaches an infant sock with a
gripper area extending to the toe and the upper surface of the sock
member for the purpose of providing traction to crawling
infants.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The above, as well as other advantages of the present
invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art
from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment
when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an infant sock in accordance with
the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side view of the infant sock in FIG. 1; and
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
an infant sock in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an infant sock is shown
generally at 10. The infant sock 10 includes a generally tubular
sock member 11. The sock member 11 includes an upper surface 18, a
lower surface 16, and a toe surface 14 on the exterior thereof. The
toe surface 14 defines an enclosed end of the sock member 11
opposite an open end for receiving an infant's foot (not shown).
The sock member 11 is preferably constructed of a natural fabric
material, such as cotton, or a synthetic fabric material, such as
Lycra or spandex, or a combination of such materials. Preferably
the infant sock 10 is latex free. The upper surface 18 and the
lower surface 16 preferably consist of the same amount of fabric
material so as to ensure a good fit on an infant's foot (not
shown.) The infant sock 10 is preferably sized to fit an infant
learning to crawl. A typical age for such an infant is about four
months of age to about one year of age.
[0017] A gripper member 12 is adhered to the lower surface 16, the
upper surface 18, and the toe surface 14. Preferably the gripper
member 12 covers a continuous area of the sock member 11 extending
from a seam on the upper surface 18 (not shown) at the toe surface
14 to a front-to-mid section of the lower surface 16 of the sock
member 11. The area covered by the gripper member 12 on the lower
surface 16 is preferably greater than the area covered by the
gripper member 12 on the upper surface 18. The gripper member 12
preferably covers most of the area of the toe surface 14.
Alternatively, the gripper member 12 covers a greater area on the
upper surface 18 than on the lower surface 16. The gripper member
12 is preferably constructed of a material that increases the
coefficient of friction with a floor surface, such as a rubberized
material or the like, having a coefficient of friction greater than
a coefficient of friction of the material from which the sock
member 11 is made. The material of the gripper member 12 is
flexible and withstands laundering. The material of the gripper
member 12 may be adhered to the sock member 11 by a thermal
process, such as an applique process.
[0018] The sock member 11 also includes an annular elastic band 22
attached to the upper surface 18 and lower surface 16 that forms
the open end for receiving the infant's foot. The elastic band 22
also aids in keeping the sock member 11 in place on the infant's
lower leg (not shown.) The elastic band 22 preferably includes a
fabric sheath for comfort. A tubular entrance band 24 is attached
to the elastic band 22. The entrance band 24 is preferably
constructed of the same material as the sock member 11 and may
include a typical knitting pattern 26. The knitting pattern 26
preferably consists of multiple parallel ribs of knitted fabric
that may be folded towards the toe surface 14 as desired for
aesthetic purposes. The sock member 11 also includes an emblem or
similar indicia 20 on the lower surface 16. The emblem 20 may be
constructed of the same material as the gripper member 12.
Alternatively, the emblem 20 is attached to the upper surface 18 or
to the entrance band 24.
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of an
infant sock is shown generally at 100. The infant sock 100 includes
a generally foot-shaped sock member 111. The sock member 111
includes an upper surface 118, a lower surface 116, and a toe
surface 114. The toe surface 114 forms an enclosed end of the upper
surface 118, and the lower surface 116. The sock member 111 is
preferably constructed of a natural fabric material, such as
cotton, or a synthetic fabric material, such as Lycra or spandex,
or a combination of such materials. Preferably the infant sock 100
is latex free. The infant sock 100 is preferably sized to fit an
infant learning to crawl. A typical age for such an infant is about
four months of age to about one year of age.
[0020] A gripper member 112 is adhered to the lower surface 116,
the upper surface 118, and the toe surface 114. The gripper member
112 can be formed as a tread pattern composed of a series of spaced
ribs 113 extending transverse to a length of the sock member 111.
The ribs 113 may be spaced along the lower surface 116, and may
extend to the upper surface 118, and the toe surface 114.
Preferably the gripper member 112 covers an area of the sock member
111 extending from a seam on the upper surface 118 (not shown) at
the toe surface 114 to a front-to-mid section of the lower surface
116 of the sock member 111. The area covered by the gripper member
112 on the lower surface 116 is preferably greater than the area
covered by the gripper member 112 on the upper surface 118, and the
gripper member 112 may extend back to a heel portion 115 of the
sock member 111. The gripper member 112 preferably covers most of
the fabric material of the toe surface 114. The transverse ribs 113
on the toe surface 114 may extend completely around the
circumference of the toe surface 114. The gripper member 112 is
preferably constructed of a material that increases the coefficient
of friction between two materials, such as a rubberized material or
the like. The material of the gripper member 112 is flexible and
withstands laundering. The material of the gripper member 112 may
be adhered to the sock member 111 by a thermal process, such as an
applique process.
[0021] The sock member 111 also includes a tubular elastic band 122
for receiving the infant's foot that also aids in keeping the sock
member 111 in place on the infant's lower leg (not shown.) The
elastic band 122 preferably contains a fabric sheath for comfort.
An emblem or similar indicia 120 can be affixed to the sock member
111. The emblem 120 may be constructed of the same material as the
gripper member 112. A packaging tab 124 can be attached to the sock
member 111 as desired.
[0022] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes,
the present invention has been described in what is considered to
represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted
that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically
illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or
scope.
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