Garment for foot with triangular ankle panels
A knit garment is provided to be worn on the foot that has a toe, foot, and heel area. The garment also has a medial triangular ankle panel and a lateral triangular ankle panel. The medial triangular ankle panel has a first medial vertex near the rear, top portion of the foot area, a second medial vertex near the top of the heel area, and a third medial vertex below and between the first and second medial vertices. The lateral triangular ankle panel has a first lateral vertex near the rear, top portion of the foot area, a second lateral vertex near the top of the heel area, and a third lateral vertex below and between the first and second lateral vertices. The sides of the medial and lateral triangular panels extending between the respective first and second medial and lateral vertices define an opening of the garment for a foot.
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The present disclosure relates to garments, such as socks or footies, designed to be worn on a foot. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a method of knitting such garments, and the garments themselves, that provide a better fit.
BACKGROUNDVarious styles of socks are now available. Commercially manufactured socks are typically produced using circular knitting machines. These machines employ needles mounted on a cylinder, or sometimes a double cylinder. The cylinder spins and the needles interlock loops of yarn. In some aspects, the circular knitting process results in a circular tube that is open on both ends. Additionally, different sock styles are now available, such as a calf-length sock, a mid-calf sock, or a footie designed to terminate around the ankle of the wearer. In a typical footie-type sock, the open end (allowing entry of the wearer's foot) is typically a generally circular opening, produced by the circular knitting process, having a finished, welted cuff. This opening may result in a fit that could be improved. The sock described below is manufactured on circular knitting machines with a structure providing a better fit around the ankle area.
BRIEF SUMMARYThis Summary provides a high-level overview of the disclosure and introduces a selection of concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description below. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Aspects herein generally relate to a garment to be worn on the foot, such as a sock. The garment has a toe area, and a foot area having a top and a bottom, the foot area being contiguous with the toe area. The garment further has a heel area that is contiguous with at least a portion of the foot area. The garment has a medial triangular ankle panel and a lateral triangular ankle panel. The medial triangular ankle panel has a first medial vertex near the rear, top portion of the foot area, a second medial vertex near the top of the heel area, and a third medial vertex below the first and second medial vertices, generally midway between the first and second medial vertices. The lateral triangular ankle panel has a first lateral vertex near the rear, top portion of the foot area, a second lateral vertex near the top of the heel area, and a third lateral vertex below the first and second lateral vertices, generally midway between the first and second lateral vertices. The side of the medial triangular panel extends between the first and second medial vertices, and the side of the lateral triangular panel extends between the first and second lateral vertices, defining an opening of the garment for a foot. In some aspects, this opening is a non-circular opening, such as an oval.
In an additional aspect, a method of knitting a garment, using a circular knitting machine, to be worn on a foot, is provided. The method includes knitting a toe area and foot area using all of the needles on the circular knitting machine. The method further includes knitting a first triangular panel in a first ankle area, adjacent the foot area, using only a first portion of the needles on the circular knitting machine, while the remaining needles hold yarns from the last course of knitting the foot area. The method further includes knitting a second triangular panel in a second ankle area opposite from the first ankle area, using only a second portion of the needles on the circular knitting machine, while the remaining needles hold the yarn from the last course of knitting the first triangular panel. The method further includes resuming knitting of the garment using all of the needles of the circular knitting machine. The method could also be reversed, starting at a top of the sock, and knitting toward the toe (rather than starting the knitting with the toe).
In an additional aspect, a method of knitting a sock having a tubular structure with at least a closed toe end and an open end, using a circular knitting machine, is provided. The method includes knitting a first triangular panel at the open end, using only a first portion of the needles on the circular knitting machine, while the remaining needles hold yarns from the last course of knitting prior to knitting the first triangular panel. The method further includes knitting a second triangular panel at the open end, opposite from the first triangular panel, using only a second portion of the needles on the circular knitting machine, while the remaining needles hold the yarn from the last course of knitting the first triangular panel. In some aspects, the first and second triangular panels form a non-circular opening for the sock, such as an oval.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein:
The subject matter of aspects of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. But the description itself is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the claims. Rather, the claimed subject matter might be embodied or carried out in other ways to include different elements or combinations of elements similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies.
In general, this disclosure relates to a garment having features that provide a fit better adapted to a wearer's body. More specifically, the disclosure, in some aspects, relates to a sock having an opening better adapted to fit around the leg, or ankle area, of the wearer. Referring initially to
With reference to
With reference to
After the first triangular ankle panel 18 is knit, the second triangular ankle panel 20 is knit, as shown in
An exemplary method 100 of knitting the sock 10 is shown in
From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.
It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Claims
1. A garment to be worn on a foot, comprising:
- a toe area;
- a foot area contiguous with the toe area, the foot area having a top and a bottom;
- a heel area contiguous with at least a portion of the foot area, the heel area having a top and a bottom;
- a medial triangular ankle panel having a first medial vertex near a rear portion of the top of the foot area, a second medial vertex near the top of the heel area, and a third medial vertex below the first medial vertex and the second medial vertex, generally midway between the first medial vertex and the second medial vertex; and
- a lateral triangular ankle panel having a first lateral vertex near the rear portion of the top of the foot area, a second lateral vertex near the top of the heel area, and a third lateral vertex below the first lateral vertex and the second lateral vertex, generally midway between the first lateral vertex and the second lateral vertex,
- wherein a side of the medial triangular ankle panel extending between the first medial vertex and the second medial vertex forms a free side of the medial triangular ankle panel, and a side of the lateral triangular ankle panel extending between the first lateral vertex and the second lateral vertex forms a free side of the lateral triangular ankle panel, such that the free sides of the medial triangular ankle panel and the lateral triangular ankle panel define an opening of the garment to be worn on the foot.
2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is a sock and the medial triangular ankle panel and the lateral triangular ankle panel are knitted with an elastic yarn.
3. The garment of claim 2, wherein the elastic yarn is a spandex yarn.
4. The garment of claim 1, wherein the opening defined by the side of the medial triangular ankle panel extending between the first medial vertex and the second medial vertex, and the side of the lateral triangular ankle panel extending between the first lateral vertex and the second lateral vertex, is a non-circular opening.
5. The garment of claim 4, wherein the defined opening is an oval shape.
6. The garment of claim 5, wherein the side of the medial triangular ankle panel extending between the first medial vertex and the second medial vertex, and the side of the lateral triangular ankle panel extending between the first lateral vertex and the second lateral vertex are non-welted.
7. A method of knitting a garment, using a circular knitting machine, to be worn on a foot, comprising:
- knitting a toe area and a foot area using all of the needles on the circular knitting machine;
- knitting a first triangular panel in a first ankle area, adjacent the foot area, using only a first portion of the needles on the circular knitting machine, while the remaining needles hold yarns from a last course of knitting the foot area;
- knitting a second triangular panel in a second ankle area opposite from the first ankle area, using only a second portion of the needles on the circular knitting machine, while the remaining needles hold yarns from a last course of knitting the first triangular panel; and
- resuming knitting of the garment using all of the needles of the circular knitting machine.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first portion of the needles used to knit the first triangular panel is different from the second portion of the needles used to knit the second triangular panel.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising using an elastic yarn to knit the first triangular panel and the second triangular panel.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first triangular panel has a free side adjacent to a free side of the second triangular panel, and wherein the free sides of the first triangular panel and the second triangular panel define an opening in the garment.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the defined opening is non-circular.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising knitting the free sides of the first triangular panel and the second triangular panel such that they are non-welted.
13. A method of knitting a sock having a tubular structure with at least a closed toe end and an open end, using a circular knitting machine, comprising:
- knitting a first triangular panel at the open end, using only a first portion of the needles on the circular knitting machine, while the remaining needles hold yarns from a last course of knitting prior to knitting the first triangular panel; and
- knitting a second triangular panel at the open end, opposite from the first triangular panel, using only a second portion of the needles on the circular knitting machine, while the remaining needles hold yarns from a last course of knitting the first triangular panel.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the needles used to knit the first triangular panel is different from the second portion of the needles used to knit the second triangular panel.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising using an elastic yarn to knit the first triangular panel and the second triangular panel.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first triangular panel has a free side adjacent to a free side of the second triangular panel, and wherein the free sides of the first triangular panel and the second triangular panel define the opening of the open end.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the defined opening is non-circular.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising knitting the free sides of the first triangular panel and the second triangular panel such that they are non-welted.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 6, 2017
Date of Patent: Aug 20, 2019
Patent Publication Number: 20180220714
Assignee: NIKE, Inc. (Beaverton, OR)
Inventors: Hannah R. Amis (Portland, OR), Ronen Yehuda (Portland, OR)
Primary Examiner: Danny Worrell
Application Number: 15/425,475
International Classification: D04B 1/26 (20060101); A41B 11/00 (20060101); D04B 1/10 (20060101);