Sock with zones of varying layers

• US 9,365,960 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Craig, Kenneth T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoey, Alissa L
• Application Number:
  US13/090,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20120266362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 223/9, 224/0, 661/78.R, 661/79, 661/82, 661/84, 661/85, 661/86, 661/87
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/005 Hosiery made essentially of a multi-ply construction
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/26 stockings
• 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 sock with zones of varying numbers of layers is formed as a single tube on a circular knitting machine. At least one end of the tube is doubled back over a portion of the remainder of the tube to form a double layer first zone. The sock further includes a single layer zone adjacent to the double layer first zone, where no such folding occurs. Optionally, a second end of the tube may also be folded to create a third zone having two layers of material.

Claims

1. A sock with zones of varying numbers of layers of materials, the sock being formed by:

knitting a sock blank in the form of a single continuous tube of material;

the sock blank including

a first heel and ankle portion, the first heel and ankle portion extending from a first end of the sock blank to a heel end fold line;

a second heel and ankle portion, the second heel and ankle portion being adjacent to the first heel and ankle portion, and extending from the heel end fold line to a first zone division line;

a midfoot portion, the midfoot region extending from the first zone division line to a second zone division line;

a first toe portion, the first toe portion extending from the second zone division line to a toe end fold line; and

a second toe portion, the second toe portion extending from the toe end fold line to a second end of the sock blank;

forming a double-layer first zone of the sock by folding the first heel and ankle portion at the heel end fold line so as to be coextensive with the second heel and ankle portion, such that the first heel and ankle portion corresponds to a first layer of the sock in the first zone and the second heel and ankle portion corresponds to a second layer of the sock in the first zone;

the portion of the sock located between the first zone division line and the second zone division line being a single-layer second zone of the sock; and

forming a double-layer third zone of the sock by folding the second toe portion at the toe end fold line so as to be coextensive with the first toe portion, such that the second toe portion corresponds to a first layer of the sock in the third zone and the first toe portion corresponds to a second layer of the sock in the third zone;

wherein material at the toe end fold line is attached to itself so as to form an entirely closed toe end of the sock, the entirely closed toe end of the sock including a double layer of the first layer and the second layer, the double layer continuously and entirely circumscribing, and extending around a circumference of, the sock and the entirely closed toe end in the double-layer third zone.

2. The sock according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the sock blank is attached to the second heel and ankle portion at the first zone division line.

3. The sock according to claim 1, wherein the second end of the sock blank is attached to the first toe portion at the second zone division line by an attachment mechanism that extends radially and entirely around the circumference of the tube of material.

4. The sock according to claim 3, wherein the material at the toe end fold line is attached to itself by another attachment mechanism that extends radially around at least part of the tube of material.

5. The sock of claim 4, wherein the other attachment mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:

stitching, knitting, fastening, and hook-and-loop systems.

6. A sock with zones of varying numbers of layers of material, the sock comprising:

a first zone, the first zone surrounding a circumference of the sock and extending axially along a length of the sock from a first end of the sock to a first zone division line;

the first end of the sock being an open end, having an opening for a wearer'"'"'s foot;

the first zone having a first-zone inner layer of material and a first-zone outer layer of material;

a second zone adjacent to the first zone, the second zone surrounding the circumference of the sock and extending axially along the length of the sock from the zone division line in a direction away from the first zone;

the second zone having a single layer of material; and

a third zone adjacent to the second zone and extending to a second end of the sock, the third zone surrounding the circumference of the sock and extending axially along the length of the sock, the third zone having a third-zone inner layer of material and a third-zone outer layer of material,

wherein a first attachment mechanism attaches a terminal end of the third-zone inner layer to the third-zone outer layer, the first attachment mechanism extending radially entirely around the circumference of the sock, and

wherein a second attachment mechanism extends radially at least partially around the circumference of the sock and closes the second end of the sock.

7. The sock of claim 6, wherein the first zone division line is located adjacent to a midfoot region of the sock, such that a heel area of the sock includes both the inner layer of material and the outer layer of material, and wherein the heel area of the sock includes the inner layer of material and the outer layer of material throughout its entirety.

8. The sock of claim 6, wherein

the third zone being non-overlapping with either of the first zone and the second zone, and being adjacent to the second zone.

9. The sock of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the second zone differs from at least a portion of the first zone with respect to at least one physical property selected from the group consisting of:

elasticity, strength, softness, friction, density, thickness, liquid absorption, shock absorption, appearance, color, knitting type, knitting pattern, yarn composition, yarn thickness, and yarn count.

10. The sock of claim 6, wherein the sock is fabricated from a sock blank comprised of a single tube of material.

11. The sock of claim 10, wherein:

the first zone of the sock is formed by folding a first portion of the single tube of material at a fold line, such that the first portion of the single tube of material is coextensive with a second portion of the single tube of material;

the first portion of the single tube of material corresponding to a first layer of the sock in the first zone, the second portion of the single tube of material corresponding to a second layer of the sock in the first zone.

12. The sock of claim 11, wherein the first layer is the inner layer of material in the first zone, and the second layer is the outer layer of material in the first zone.

13. The sock of claim 11, wherein the first layer is the outer layer of material in the first zone, and the second layer is the inner layer of material in the first zone.

14. The sock of claim 11, wherein:

the first layer is connected to the second layer at a first anchor point,

and the first layer is connected to the second layer at a second anchor point;

the first layer being continuous with the second layer at the first anchor point, the first anchor point corresponding to the fold line;

the first layer being fixedly attached to the second layer at the second anchor point, the second anchor point being an attachment between a first end of the sock blank and the second portion of the single tube of material.

15. The sock of claim 10, wherein

the third zone of the sock is formed by folding a first portion of the single tube of material at a fold line, such that the first portion of the single tube of material is coextensive with a second portion of the single tube of material;

and

the first portion of the single tube of material corresponding to a first layer of the sock in the third zone, the second portion of the single tube of material corresponding to a second layer of the sock in the third zone.

16. The sock of claim 15, wherein the first layer is the inner layer of material in the third zone, and the second layer is the outer layer of material in the third zone.

17. The sock of claim 15, wherein the first layer is the outer layer of material in the third zone, and the second layer is the inner layer of material in the third zone.