Sock

• US 7,213,420 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Legend Care IP Limited
• Original Assignee: Legend Care IP Limited
• Inventors: Thompson, Andrew, Bourke, Maria, Lynch, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): WORRELL JR, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US10/290,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20030089136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 661/78.R, 66179-188, 223/9, 224/0
• US Class Current: 66/186
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/005 Hosiery made essentially of a multi-ply construction
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 17/005 Low friction features
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2400/34 antimicrobial or antibacterial
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/108 Gussets, e.g. pouches or heel or toe portions
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/26 stockings
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 15/02 Loop-transfer points
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 9/40 with provision for transfer of knitted goods from one machine to another
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/042 polymers of fluorinated hydrocarbons, e.g. polytetrafluoroethene [PTFE]
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/021 hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/022 hydrophylic
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/13 anti-allergenic or anti-bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/023 Fabric with at least two, predominantly unlinked, knitted or woven plies interlaced with each other at spaced locations or linked to a common internal co-extensive yarn system

Abstract

A knitted sock has an inner layer 2 comprising a toe end 4 and an outer layer 3 comprising a toe end 7. The inner and outer toe ends are aligned and joined wale stitch to wale stitch to form a composite toe end, which is closed to provide a flat toe seam 10. The layered sock is manufactured complete in a single process being knit continuously from the inner toe end to the outer toe end. It comprises reciprocated heel and toe portions. The foot portion of the inner layer is knit from a yarn with properties such as a low coefficient of friction and/or antifungal/antibacterial properties. The low friction fiber is a fluoropolymer such as polytetrafluroethylene. The outer layer may comprise a cushion structure.

Claims

1. A knitted sock comprising:

an inner sock layer comprising a reciprocated heel portion, a toe portion and a sole portion and the heel portion, toe portion and sole portion are of the same yarn composition, the inner sock layer having an inner toe end;

an outer sock layer having an outer toe end;

the inner toe end and the outer toe end being interconnected by at least one joining course to form a single composite toe end;

sections of said joining course of the single composite toe end being sewn together to provide a substantially flat toe seam.

2. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer sock layer comprises a heel portion, a toe portion and a sole portion.

3. The sock as claimed in claim 2 wherein the outer sock layer comprises a reciprocated heel portion.

4. The sock as claimed in claim 2 wherein the heel portion, toe portion and sole portion of the outer sock layer is of a different yarn composition to the yarn composition of the heel portion, toe portion and sole portion of the inner sock layer.

5. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner toe end and the outer toe end are joined by substantially stitch for stitch.

6. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the joining course comprises a knitting yarn.

7. The sock as claimed in claim 6 wherein the knitting yarn is a polyamide yarn.

8. The sock as claimed in claim 6 wherein the knitting yarn is a Nylon yarn.

9. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are a number of joining courses.

10. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the yarn of the composite toe end is the same as that of the outer toe.

11. The sock as claimed in claim 9 wherein there are at least two joining courses.

12. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sections of said joining course of the single composite toe end are joined substantially stitch for stitch.

13. The sock as claimed in claim 12 wherein sections of said joining course of the single composite toe end are knit together by a knitting yarn.

14. The sock as claimed in claim 13 wherein the knitting yarn is a polyamide yarn.

15. The sock as claimed in claim 13 wherein the knitting yarn is a Nylon yarn.

16. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the toe seam is recessed with respect to the main body of the sock.

17. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the toe seam has a thickness that is less than the thickness of main body of the sock adjacent the seam.

18. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sock is a two layer sock comprising the inner sock layer and the outer sock layer, the inner and outer sock layers having welt ends, and the welt ends are contiguous.

19. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the inner sock layer is at least partially knit from at least one technical yarn.

20. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn is unplated.

21. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn is plated.

22. The sock as claimed in claim 21 wherein a technical yarn is plated with another technical yarn.

23. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn comprises a blend of fibers.

24. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn is corespun with an elastomeric yarn.

25. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn has low friction properties.

26. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn has antibacterial properties.

27. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn has antifungal properties.

28. The sock as claimed in claims 19 wherein a technical yarn comprises a low friction fiber.

29. The sock as claimed in claim 28 wherein the low friction fiber comprises a fluropolymeric fiber.

30. The sock as claimed in claim 28 wherein the low friction fiber comprises a polytetrafluroethylene fiber.

31. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn is a composite yarn comprising a first fiber having a low coefficient of friction and a second fiber having a higher coefficient of friction than that of the first fiber.

32. The sock as claimed in claim 31 wherein the first fiber comprises a fluropolymeric fiber.

33. The sock as claimed in claim 31 wherein the first fiber comprises a polytetrafluroethylene fiber.

34. The sock as claimed in claim 31 wherein the second fiber is a polyester fiber.

35. The sock as claimed in claim 31 wherein the second fiber is a polypropylene fiber.

36. The sock as claimed in claim 31 wherein the second fiber is a polyamide fiber.

37. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn comprises a blend of a polytetraflouroethylene fiber and a polyester fiber.

38. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn comprises coated Nylon fiber.

39. The sock as claimed in claim 38 wherein the Nylon fiber is coated with silver.

40. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein the portion of the inner sock layer which is at least partially knit from at least one technical yarn is one or more of an ankle portion, a heel portion, a sole portion and a toe portion.

41. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein the portion of the inner sock layer which is at least partially knit from at least one technical yarn comprises an ankle portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, and a toe portion.

42. The sock as claimed in claim 19 wherein a technical yarn is of a hydrophobic material.

43. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner layer comprises a leg portion.

44. The sock as claimed in claim 43 wherein the leg portion of the inner layer is of an unrestrictive construction.

45. The sock as claimed in claim 43 wherein the leg portion of the inner layer is of a polyamide fiber.

46. The sock as claimed in claim 43 wherein the leg portion of the inner layer is of a Nylon fiber.

47. The sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer layer comprises a foot portion and a leg portion.

48. The sock as claimed in claim 47 wherein at least the foot portion of the outer layer is of a cushion structure.

49. The sock as claimed in claim 48 wherein at least the foot portion of the outer layer is of a terry structure.

50. The sock as claimed in claim 47 wherein at least the foot portion of the outer layer is of a hydrophilic material.

51. The sock as claimed in claim 47 wherein the leg portion of the outer layer is of relaxed construction.

52. The sock as claimed in claim 47 wherein the leg portion of the outer layer is of restrictive construction.

53. The sock as claimed in claim 47 wherein at least portion of the outer layer of the sock comprises a technical yarn.

54. The sock as claimed in claim 53 wherein a technical yarn is a fiber having antifungal and/or antibacterial properties.

55. The sock as claimed in claim 54 wherein the fiber is a coated Nylon.

56. The sock as claimed in claim 55 wherein the Nylon is coated with silver.