U.S. patent application number 12/049517 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-03 for stretchable high friction sock.
This patent application is currently assigned to TOESOX, INC.. Invention is credited to Joe Patterson.
Application Number | 20080156044 12/049517 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39199097 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080156044 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Patterson; Joe |
July 3, 2008 |
Stretchable High Friction Sock
Abstract
A woven sock body having a multitude of high friction dots
defining friction buttons arrayed around the bottom thereof.
Inventors: |
Patterson; Joe; (Carlsbad,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MANUEL F. DE LA CERRA
6885 CATAMARAN DRIVE
CARLSBAD
CA
92011
US
|
Assignee: |
TOESOX, INC.
Carlsbad
CA
|
Family ID: |
39199097 |
Appl. No.: |
12/049517 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11179068 |
Jul 12, 2005 |
7346935 |
|
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12049517 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
66/178R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41B 11/008 20130101;
D04B 1/26 20130101; A41B 11/004 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
66/178.R |
International
Class: |
D04B 11/00 20060101
D04B011/00 |
Claims
1. High friction grip sock comprising: an elastic knit tube formed
with an ankle and foot portion, the foot portion including a sole
portion defining toe, ball and heel sections; the toe section being
formed with five tubes for receipt of the wearer's toes; an array
of high friction buttons spaced substantially uniformly about and
adhered to at least the bottom of the toe ball and heel sections;
and the foot portion being stretchable to cooperate in fitting over
a wearer's foot and the buttons being so sized and arranged as to,
when the sections are flexed with articulation of the foot for foot
portions to make contact with an underlying floor surface, maintain
a plurality of the buttons in contact with the surface to
frictionally resist sliding of the foot on the surface.
2. The sock of claim 1 for use in pilates and that includes: a
field of at least 900 high friction buttons spaced substantially
equal distance apart throughout the underside of the sole.
3. The sock of claim 1 wherein: the high friction buttons are
constructed of rubberized material.
4. The sock of claim 1 wherein: the high friction buttons have a
diameter of about 1/8'' of an inch and are spaced apart about 3/8''
of an inch.
5. The sock of claim 1 wherein: the elastic tube is constructed of
knit cotton.
6. The sock of claim 1 that includes: a field of substantially high
friction buttons distributed throughout the underside of the
sole.
7. The sock of claim 1 wherein: the high friction buttons are
formed with bottom walls configured with respective upwardly
concave dimples.
8. The sock of claim 1 that includes: at least 500 high friction
buttons distributed about the sole portion.
9. The sock of claim 1 wherein: the high friction buttons are
spaced substantially throughout the underside of the sole.
10. The sock of claim 1 that includes: substantially 33
transversely extending rows of high friction buttons spaced
longitudinally along the sole.
11. The sock of claim 1 that includes: 27 longitudinally extending
columns of high friction buttons spaced laterally across the
sole.
12. The sock of claim 1 that includes: substantially 27
longitudinal columns of high friction buttons spaced equidistant
apart laterally across the sole and defining substantially 33
lateral rows.
13. The sock of claim 1 wherein: the high friction buttons are
disposed along rows projecting diagonally of the sole.
14. The sock of claim 1 wherein: the tube is seamless.
15. A high friction pilates grip sock comprising: an elastic woven
tube formed with an ankle and heal portion, the foot portion
including a sole defining ball and heal sections and the foot
portion further including five toe tubes defining the respective
bottom walls thereof cooperating to form the sole; an array at
least 900 high friction buttons spaced substantially uniformly
throughout and adhered to the bottom of the sole; and the foot
portion being stretchable to cooperate the fitting over a wearer's
foot and the high friction buttons being so comprised and arranged
as to the disposed under the toe ball and heel sections so that
when the wearer's weight is applied to any one of such sections,
the plurality of the buttons will be in contact with an underlying
support surface.
16. The sock of claim 14 wherein: the buttons are substantially
1/8'' of an inch in diameter and horizontal cross section and are
spaced apart substantially 3/16'' of an inch throughout the array
when the sole is in its unstretched condition.
17. The sock of claim 14 wherein: the high friction buttons are
constructed of rubberized material.
18. The sock of claim 14 wherein: the buttons are adhered to the
sole by an adhesive.
19. The sock of claim 14 wherein: the high friction buttons are
formed on their underside with respective upwardly concave
dimples.
20. The sock of claim 14 wherein: the tube is seamless.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Text
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to socks and
particularly to low profile active wear socks that can be worn for
various exercises and disciplines and particularly pilates, yoga,
karate, gymnastics and other floor sports.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Description of the Prior Art
[0003] Various slippers and footwear have been proposed for use in
active routines involving quick precise movement on a floor
surface. Early work led to the proposal of stockings formed with
tubes for receipt of a wearer's toes so that the toes could be
articulated in use. A stocking of this type is shown in U.S. Pat.
No. 1,308,483 to Craighead.
[0004] Other efforts have led to the proposal of socks of various
configurations to address issues of perspiration. One such dry sock
system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,575 to Prychak. This sock is
constructed with an upper portion fabricated from an elastomeric
material and a lower portion constructed from an absorbent material
and including toe sections. Socks of this type are satisfactory for
their intended purpose but suffer the shortcoming that participants
involved in active floor sports wearing such socks would not
typically enjoy feeling of firm and reliable gripping with the
underlying floor.
[0005] Various footwear has been proposed to enhance the
performance of, for instance, track and field participants. In this
regard, it has been proposed to construct a form fitting foot and
toe cover from a stretchable fabric and to apply a rubber like
material by a spatula to the entire bottom of the covering or to
specific selected areas to act as spikes as by a hot melt glue. A
device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,354 to Petrey.
Petrey purposes that the rubberized material be built up to form a
spike shape for better grip of the track or playing field. While
satisfactory for track or field sports, such coverings have the
shortcoming that the rubberized pads or spikes do not typically
provide for firm gripping with a floor surface and, for instance,
pilates. Furthermore, full sole coverings or spike-like patches do
not lend to use or comfortable low profile relatively thin woven
sock material and would likely be subject to cracking as the
material was flexed in use.
[0006] The need for anti-skid gloves and footwear in high
disciplined yoga exercises has long been recognized. In this
regard, it has been proposed to provide footwear constructed of
leather and covered in certain areas by a rubber material. Device
of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,536 to Aarons. While
providing some support against slippage, devices of this type
suffer the shortcoming that the footwear does not provide for a
high degree of flexing and identical toe tubes and fails to afford
the tactility simulating the feel of bare foot exercises.
[0007] Other efforts to provide gloves and socks for yoga activity
has led to a proposal that a sock be formed with a separate big toe
tube, the remaining toes being housed together at the end of the
sock and a low coefficient of friction material be added. A device
of this type is shown in Publication No. 2005/0091729 published May
5, 2005 to Alley. Such socks suffer a number of shortcomings
including the fact that for pilate applications it is important
that the five toes of the foot be allowed to spread apart during
the athletic maneuvers involved and that all five toes have a high
coefficient grip with the underlying floor surface.
[0008] Other athletic socks have been proposed which include
separate toe compartments and are designed particularly for
athletic activity. Such a sock is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,348
to Romay. Socks of this type suffer the shortcoming that, in
addition to being relatively expensive to manufacture, they have a
relatively slippery sole surface which discourages use in direct
contact with floor exercises.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The gripping sock of the present invention is characterized
by a woven low profile sock configured with a sole area having
small dots in the form of high friction buttons arrayed about the
bottom thereof to, in practice, maintain frictional contact with
the underlying support surface during the active maneuvers in a
floor exercises.
[0010] There has been outlined rather broadly the more important
features of the invention in order that the detailed description
thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the
present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There
are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be
described herein and which will form the subject matter of the
claims appended hereto.
[0011] In this respect, before explaining my preferred of the
invention in detail, it is to be understood is not limited in its
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements
of the components set forth in the following description or
illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced and carried in various ways.
Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology
employed herein are for the purposes of descriptions and should not
be regarded as limiting.
[0012] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate the
conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be
utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods
and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present
invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded
as including such equivalent constructions in so far as they do not
depart from the spirit of the present invention.
[0013] The sock will be form fitting and actually present a feeling
not unlike a second skin, The toes are separated in practice to
enhance the balance, flexibility, performance and minimize
perspiration. In those embodiments where the sock is constructed of
cotton, a natural fiber that breathes that, it serves to reduce
moisture and friction between the toes, provides precise control
and can eliminate blistering during workouts.
[0014] Other features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way
of example, the features of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a gripping sock embodied in
the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a left hand side view thereof;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a partial vertical sectional view, in a large
scale, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a right side view, in reduced scale, of the high
friction sock of FIG. 1 on a wearer's foot;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a partial top plan view taken along the line 6-6
of FIG. 5; and
[0021] FIG. 7 is a detail view, in a large scale, taken from the
circle 7 in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1, 4 and 7, the gripping sock of the
present invention includes, generally, a knit tube 21 in the shape
of a sock, an ankle portion 23 foot portion 25 and sole 27. The
sole includes heel and ball and sections 31 and 33 toe sections
formed by the bottom walls of respective tubes 34, 35, 36, 37, 38
and 39 adhered to the underside of the sole portion is an array of
high friction small diameter buttons 37 spaced throughout and
located under at least the heel ball and toe portions of the
sock.
[0023] Socks and particularly golf socks and the like are available
in a relatively thin gauged material and are typically woven such
that the sock material will stretch to fit over feet of various
different sizes and shapes. In my invention, I prefer a relatively
thin gauged weave, seamless weave, preferably about 30 gauge, to
enhance the tactical characteristics thereof in use. The heddle may
be about 130 (60.times.2) and the thread 30S single cotton. A sock
is typically formed with a band around the ankle area and with a
cup shape in the area of the heel section 31. In a typical sock for
adult use, the sock, in its unstretch condition, may have a sole
width of about 31/2'' inches and be about 6'' inches long. I prefer
to have a fairly dense concentration of high friction buttons 37
disposed about the entire sole area and particularly in the heel
ball and toe section. I have found that by applying a generally
uniform concentration of small diameter buttons about the sole area
I can be assured that the working foot area of the athlete in
contact with the underlying floor surface will always have several
buttons in contact with the floor surface to maintain a high
friction resistance to unwanted slippage. In my preferred
embodiment, I array the buttons in a diagonal, spaced apart rows
underneath the sole and arranged in checker board fashion so as to
also form approximately 27 to 29 longitudinal columns spaced
laterally apart and about 33 lateral rows spaced longitudinally
apart. I array about 13 to 15 buttons in the section underneath the
big toe and about 8 to 9 under the second toe, 7 to 9 under the
third toe, about 7 on the fourth toe and about 5 under the little
toe.
[0024] Underneath the ball, arch and heel I prefer at least 500
buttons, 900 preferably and for high energy activities about 950
buttons so that the small diameter buttons will add only minimum
bulk to the body of the sock and present little resistance to foot
articulation, while assuring that a plurality of buttons are always
in contact with the underlying surface to thus maintain a firm grip
to prevent accidental slippage.
[0025] In my preferred embodiment, I provide buttons which actually
are more like dots and having a horizontal cross section of about
1/8'' of an inch, a height of about 1/16'' of an inch and a pattern
spacing buttons uniformly apart 3/8'' of an inch center to center.
The button are preferably manufactured of rubberized material
having substantial flexibility and are either flat on the bottom or
formed with upwardly concave dimples to act as mini-suction cups
when pressed against smooth polished floor. The sock body may be
woven in a conventional manner and the button adhered thereto by a
high temperature and moisture resistant adhesive.
[0026] With this construction I have discovered that the
participant can easily slide the gripping sock onto his or her foot
and to present a feel not unlike that of a bare foot thus affording
maximum flexibility, maneuverability and gripping action. The
placement of the wearer's toes within the toe tubes 34, 35, 36, 38
and 39 positions the toes for ready splaying during various floor
maneuvers such that the toes can be bent in the metatarsal area as
shown in FIG. 5 to spread out as shown in FIG. 6 to thus provide a
high degree of maneuverability and flexibility giving the athlete a
sense of freedom and security as is so important for pilates. As
the exercise is undertaken and forces applied through the foot to
the underlying floor, the composite array of buttons in, for
instance, the ball and toe area will provide total support for the
wearer's weight and will resist slippage as shown in FIG. 7 thereby
maintaining a firm grip on the floor surface and resisting unwanted
sliding during the floor maneuver.
[0027] My invention has proven particularly popular amongst pilates
enthusiasts. In this regard, the socks are relatively compact to
pack in the wearer's tote kit and, when the exercises are to be
commenced, the wearer's street shoes may be removed and the thin
woven sock will readily stretch approximately 10% to slide over the
wearer's foot and up over the ankle with the toes being received in
the toe tubes 34, 35, 36, 38 & 39 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
Then, as the wearer manipulates through various maneuvers, whether
with the weight primary on the heel, on the ball, foot or up on the
toes a firm reliable grip will be maintained with the floor
surface. That is, the multiple friction buttons under the ball of
the foot and toe as the wearer rises up on the ball of the foot and
toes as shown in FIG. 5, the toes are free to splay apart and, on
the order of 44 to 45 buttons under the toes and an additional 4 to
5 rows of buttons under the ball of the foot will be in contact
with the floor to thus create a substantial cumulative area of
frictional contact to provide a stable and reliable support
platform under the foot to thereby generate confidence in the mind
of the wearer. The buttons, being dimpled upwardly in the center of
the bottom surfaces, tend to assume an individual large area foot
prints to afford a high degree of frictional contact and acting
somewhat as small suction cups.
[0028] As the wearer moves about the floor and assumes different
positions thus maneuvering the foot about from front to back and
side to side, her or she can expect a high number of buttons to
maintain favorable contact with the floor surface to thus afford a
grip which will minimize slippage irrespective of the particular
degree to which the foot is articulated medially, laterally,
forward or back.
[0029] From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the high grip
foot sock of the present invention provides an economical and
highly reliable sock which is comfortable to wear, reliable and
which will enhance the tactical feel one desires to achieve in high
skill active floor exercises.
* * * * *