FOOT STABILIZER SOCKS AND STABILIZER PADS THEREFOR

• US 20110119808A1
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTX IP Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: PTX Performance Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Sherman, Daryl C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,856,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/239
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/007 Hosiery with an added sole, e.g. sole made of rubber or leather
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/02 Reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0111 for the feet or ankles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0127 for the feet A61F5/0111 takes precedence

Abstract

A stabilizing sock has a foot section having a shape corresponding to a human foot and comprising a rearfoot portion corresponding to human calcaneous and talus bones and to tibial and fibular malleoli, a forefoot portion corresponding to human metatarsal and phalanx bones, and a midfoot portion between the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion and corresponding to human cuboid, navicular and cuneiform bones. The sock has a medial stabilizer region on a medial side of the sock and a lateral stabilizer region on a lateral side of the sock. The medial stabilizer region covers a forward medial region of the rearfoot portion and a rearward medial region of the midfoot portion, and the lateral stabilizer region covers a forward lateral region of the rearfoot portion. The sock may also include lace bite protector regions and boot bang protector regions. Kits for assembling stabilizing socks are also described.

Claims

1. A sock having a foot section, wherein:

the foot section has a shape corresponding to a human foot and comprises;

a rearfoot portion corresponding to human calcaneous and talus bones and to tibial and fibular malleoli;

a forefoot portion corresponding to human metatarsal and phalanx bones; and

a midfoot portion between the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion and corresponding to human cuboid, navicular and cuneiform bones;

the sock has a medial stabilizer region on a medial side of the sock corresponding to a medial side of the foot and a lateral stabilizer region on a lateral side of the sock corresponding to a lateral side of the foot;

the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region are separate and distinct from one another;

the medial stabilizer region covers a forward medial region of the rearfoot portion and a rearward medial region of the midfoot portion; and

the lateral stabilizer region covers a forward lateral region of the rearfoot portion.

2. The sock of claim 1, wherein:

the medial stabilizer region extends from a position on the rearfoot portion corresponding to a position on the foot posterior to the tibial malleolus and anterior to an Achilles tendon, across a part of the rearfoot portion corresponding to a lower medial part of the talus and an upper medial part of the calcaneous to terminate at a position on the midfoot portion corresponding to the navicular bone; and

the lateral stabilizer region extends from a position on the rearfoot portion corresponding to a position on the foot posterior to the fibular malleolus and anterior to the Achilles tendon, across a lower part of the rearfoot portion corresponding to a lower lateral part of the talus and an upper lateral part of the calcaneous.

3. The sock of claim 2, wherein:

the medial stabilizer region includes a medial malleolal concavity at its upper edge to accommodate the tibial malleolus; and

the lateral stabilizer region includes a lateral malleolal concavity at its upper edge to accommodate the fibular malleolus.

4. The sock of claim 3, wherein the lateral stabilizer region extends to and terminates at a position on the rearfoot portion corresponding to a position on the foot posterior and proximal to the cuboid bone.

5. The sock of claim 4, wherein:

the sock includes a leg section corresponding at least to lower portions of human tibia and fibula bones;

the lateral stabilizer region extends from a position corresponding to a lateral position posterior to the fibular malleolus, anterior to the Achilles tendon, along an area of the leg section corresponding to a lower posterior part of the fibula; and

the medial stabilizer region extends from a position corresponding to a medial position posterior to the tibial malleolus, anterior to the Achilles tendon, along an area of the leg section corresponding to a lower posterior part of the tibia.

6. The sock of claim 1, wherein each of the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region consists of a pocket for receiving, respectively, a medial stabilizer pad and a lateral stabilizer pad.

7. The sock of claim 1, wherein each of the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region consists of a region over which is secured a textile selected from a group consisting of hook-surfaced textile and loop-surfaced textile.

8. The sock of claim 1, wherein a medial stabilizer pad corresponding in size and shape to the medial stabilizer region is secured to the sock at the medial stabilizer region and a lateral stabilizer pad corresponding in size and shape to the lateral stabilizer region is secured to the sock at the lateral stabilizer region.

9. The sock of claim 1, wherein the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region comprise portions of the sock having material that is substantially thickened, relative to surrounding material, to form protrusions that define the medial stabilizer region and lateral stabilizer region.

10. A stabilizer pad for a human foot, which human foot includes a rearfoot comprising calcaneous and talus bones and tibial and fibular malleoli and a midfoot comprising human cuboid, navicular and cuneiform bones, the stabilizer pad being shaped to, when positioned adjacent a medial part of the foot consisting of a forward medial region of the rearfoot and a rearward medial region of the midfoot, extend from a position on the foot posterior to the tibial malleolus and anterior to an Achilles tendon, across a lower medial part of the talus and an upper medial part of the calcaneous to terminate at the navicular bone.

11. The stabilizer pad of claim 10, wherein a malleolal concavity is defined in an upper edge of the stabilizer pad to accommodate the tibial malleolus.

12. The stabilizer pad of claim 11, wherein the stabilizer pad is formed from one of:

a material comprising silicone, a foam, or a gel-filled enclosure.

13. A stabilizer pad for a human foot, which human foot includes a rearfoot comprising calcaneous and talus bones and tibial and fibular malleoli and a midfoot comprising human cuboid, navicular and cuneiform bones, the stabilizer pad being shaped to, when positioned adjacent a forward lateral region of the rearfoot, extend from a position on the foot posterior to the fibular malleolus and anterior to the Achilles tendon, across a lower lateral part of the talus and an upper lateral part of the calcaneous.

14. The stabilizer pad of claim 13, wherein a malleolal concavity is defined in an upper edge of the stabilizer pad to accommodate the fibular malleolus.

15. The stabilizer pad of claim 14, wherein the stabilizer pad is formed from one of:

a material comprising silicone, a foam, or a gel-filled enclosure.

16. A kit for assembling a stabilizer sock, comprising:

at least one sock, each sock having a foot section, wherein;

the foot section has a shape corresponding to a human foot and comprises;

a rearfoot portion corresponding to human calcaneous and talus bones and to tibial and fibular malleoli;

a forefoot portion corresponding to human metatarsal and phalanx bones; and

a midfoot portion between the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion and corresponding to human cuboid, navicular and cuneiform bones;

the sock has a medial stabilizer region on a medial side of the sock corresponding to a medial side of the foot and a lateral stabilizer region on a lateral side of the sock corresponding to a lateral side of the foot;

the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region are separate and distinct from one another;

the medial stabilizer region covers a forward medial region of the rearfoot portion and a rearward medial region of the midfoot portion; and

the lateral stabilizer region covers a forward lateral region of the rearfoot portion;

a plurality of stabilizer pads of various thicknesses, each stabilizer pad having a perimeter shape matching a perimeter shape of at least one of the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region and being securable at the corresponding at least one of the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region.

17. The kit of claim 16, wherein:

each medial stabilizer region extends from a position on the rearfoot portion corresponding to a position on the foot posterior to the tibial malleolus and anterior to an Achilles tendon, across a part of the rearfoot portion corresponding to a lower medial part of the talus and an upper medial part of the calcaneous to terminate at a position on the midfoot portion corresponding to the navicular bone; and

each lateral stabilizer region extends from a position on the rearfoot portion corresponding to a position posterior to the fibular malleolus and anterior to the Achilles tendon, across a lower part of the rearfoot portion corresponding to a lower lateral part of the talus and an upper lateral part of the calcaneous.

18. The kit of claim 17, wherein:

the perimeter shape of each medial stabilizer region includes a medial malleolal concavity at its upper edge to accommodate the tibial malleolus; and

the perimeter shape of each lateral stabilizer region includes a lateral malleolal concavity at its upper edge to accommodate the fibular malleolus.

19. The kit of claim 18, wherein:

each sock includes a leg section corresponding at least to lower portions of human tibia and fibula bones;

the lateral stabilizer region extends from a position corresponding to a lateral position posterior to the fibular malleolus, anterior to the Achilles tendon, along an area of the leg section corresponding to a lower posterior part of the fibula; and

the medial stabilizer region extends from a position corresponding to a medial position posterior to the tibial malleolus, anterior to the Achilles tendon, along an area of the leg section corresponding to a lower posterior part of the tibia.

21. A foot-supporting sock system, comprising:

a sock; and

two opposed reniform pads disposed on opposite sides of the sock.

20. The kit of claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

selecting stabilizer pads and securing the selected stabilizer pads at the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region.

22. The foot-supporting sock system of claim 21, wherein:

the sock has a closed toe end and an open foot insertion end; and

each reniform pad has a first end pointing generally toward the closed toe end of the sock and a second end pointing generally toward the open foot insertion end of the sock.

23. The foot-supporting sock system of claim 22, further comprising a set of pockets affixed to the sock, each of the pockets enclosing a corresponding one of the pads.

24. The foot-supporting sock system of claim 23, wherein each of the pockets includes an opening at a portion of the pocket opposite a surface of the sock to which the pocket is affixed, each opening permitting removal of a respective enclosed pad.

25. A foot-supporting sock system, comprising:

a sock; and

two opposed reniform pockets disposed on opposite sides of the sock.

26. The foot-supporting sock system of claim 25, wherein:

the sock has a closed toe end and an open foot insertion end; and

each reniform pocket has a first end pointing generally toward the closed toe end of the sock and a second end pointing generally toward the open foot insertion end of the sock.

27. The foot-supporting sock system of claim 26, further comprising a set of reniform pads each of which is enclosed in a corresponding one of the pockets.

28. The foot-supporting sock system of claim 26, wherein each of the pockets includes an opening at a portion of the pocket opposite a surface of the sock to which the pocket is affixed, each opening permitting removal of a respective enclosed pad.