Stock assembly

Abstract

A sock assembly for absorbing sweat from a foot placed within a shoe while presenting visibly distinct material outside of the shoe is provided. A first version is appealing to diabetic persons who wish to protect their feet from moisture induced damage. The device includes a sock assembly having an upper section coupled with a foot bottom. The foot bottom is at least partially comprised of a fluid absorbing fabric and may include a toe section, an underside section and a heel section. The coupling of the upper section and the foot bottom is affected by a suitable connection structure known in the art used to secure two pieces of fabric to include, but not limited, to glue or thread.

Description

CO-PENDING APPLICATION

The present invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/762,946 entitled “Sock assembly”, and filed on Jan. 26, 2006. Aforementioned U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/762,946 is hereby incorporated in its entirety and for all purposes in this patent application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to foot stocking designed to absorb moisture. More particularly, the present invention relates socks configured to present a fashionable appearance while provide fluid absorption from the foot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modern consumer marketing principles teach that profits are most typically maximized when a product can be manufactured and sold in large quantities of the same unit. The sock industry is therefore generally driven to provide socks of pleasing aesthetic appeal, that are made of a single textile or fabric, and that can be mass produced as identical units and sold to the largest available market.

The prior art includes many efforts to address the health needs of diabetics in clothing design. U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,517 discloses a knit sock; U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,431 discloses an apparatus and method for applying a total contact cast; U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,883 discloses a sock for detection of pressure points on feet; U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,949 discloses a sock for detection of pressure points in feet; U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,142 discloses a double-layer sock having inverted, side-by-side toe closure seams; U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,750 discloses a sock system; U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,289 discloses a double-layer sock having inverted, side-by-side toe closure seams; U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,447 discloses a foot support device with adjustable forefoot rocker angle; U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,253 discloses a seamless, form fitting foot sock; U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,820 discloses a double layer sock with low friction layer to layer interface; U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,397 discloses a sock for q long-legged person; U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,683 discloses a protection and treatment device for ankle, heel and elbow prominences; U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,317 discloses a garment and method for preventing contact sores with the human body; U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,948 discloses a support/sport sock; U.S. Pat. No. 6,770,793 discloses a disposable absorbent wound dressing with skin health treatment additives; U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,209 discloses a breathable disposable sanitary product construction and backsheet therefore; U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,702 discloses a double ply sock and method of making same; U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,943 discloses a seamless pedorthic sock and method of knitting same; U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,650 discloses a vacuum formed conformable shoe; U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,347 discloses a personalized sock kit for relieving foot and ankle pain; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,867 discloses a foot therapy apparatus and method.

Specialty manufacturing of socks designed to meet special needs of smaller of groups of people tend to result in higher per unit costs. In particular, the fashion industry has been slow to address the needs of diabetics and arthritics in part because the cost of changing over a manufacturing line from the production of one sock design to another can more significantly affect the cost of manufacturing of each sock when unit volumes per production run are lower. Persons with special sensitivities related to footwear, such as diabetics and arthritics, are therefore generally provided with a limited range of commercially available footwear.

Furthermore, conventional dress socks typically are made of types and thicknesses of material that will absorb less moisture than athletic or sports socks. In addition, conventional dress socks often include dyes or coloring agents throughout the sock, including the area of the sock that is placed between a wearer's foot and shoe, wherein heat and moisture build-up increase any potential risk of irritation to the users foot by the dye. Yet, the benefits of providing a sock designed to provide aesthetic appeal while meeting a medical condition of certain types of consumers can be economically significant.

Enabling healthy foot care by diabetics, for example, by providing socks with a higher aesthetic appeal and that can both absorb moisture and be manufactured at unit costs closer to typical sock fabrication costs would reduce the health expenses of diabetic wearers of such socks. There is therefore a long felt need to provide a sock assembly that can be more cost efficiently manufactured to meet the fashion and health needs of certain groups of persons having special medical needs.

The entire disclosures of each and every patent mentioned in this present disclosure, to include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,606,750, 6,550,289 and 7,007,517 as noted above, are incorporated herein by reference and for all purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Towards this object, and other objects that will become obvious in light of the Prior Art and the present disclosure, the Method of the Present Invention provides a first preferred embodiment of the Present invention, or first version. The first version is a sock assembly configured to enclose a foot of a selected size range. The sock assembly includes an upper section coupled with a foot bottom and the upper section is designed to receive the foot and enable positioning of the foot within the sock assembly. The foot bottom extends the length of a bottom surface of the foot and less than one quarter inch beyond the bottom surface of the foot. The upper section may include a dye or a coloring agent, while the foot bottom comprises a fluid absorbent fabric, e.g., such as polypropylene, cotton terry.

A second preferred embodiment of the Present Invention, or second version, is a sock assembly having an upper section coupled with a foot bottom, where the foot bottom includes a toe section, an underside section for substantially enclosing an arch of the foot, and a heel section. The toe section is designed to enclose all or a plurality of toes of the foot, the underside section is provided to substantially enclose an arch of the foot, and the heel section is meant to enclose at least a portion of a heel of the foot. In the second version the upper section and the foot bottom heel section present a uniform color, and the foot bottom underside section and the foot bottom toe section are made of a fluid absorbent fabric.

A third preferred alternate preferred embodiment of the Present Invention, or third version, is a sock assembly having a fluid absorbent fabric coupled with a decorative material, where the fluid absorbent fabric is designed to be entirely enclosed by a shoe when a foot of a selected size wearing the sock is fully placed within the shoe. The decorative material may optionally present a visible signage, and the fluid absorbent fabric may optionally comprise a plurality of absorbent particles. The absorbent particles may comprise a plurality a super absorbent polymer particles in a size range of from about 300 to about 500 microns. Alternatively, the absorbent particles may be comprised of other suitable superabsorbent materials known in the art, e.g., SAP (a sodium salt of an acrylic based copolymer), EVA (an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer), or a combination thereof. If desired, ordinary suitable absorbent particles known in the art (rather than superabsorbent particles) may be used.

In certain alternate preferred embodiments of the Present Invention, the foot bottom toe section and underside section and are substantially comprised of non-colored fabric or a raw fabric, to include, but not limited to the group of fluid absorbent fabrics consisting of cotton, raw cotton, cotton wool, wool, linen, and terry cloth.

In various still alternate preferred embodiments of the Present Invention, the sock assembly may include (a.) a heel section extends ⅓ of a length of the foot bottom; (b.) a toe section that extends to enclose a top of the foot for greater than 30% of a length of the foot bottom when the foot is enclosed within the sock assembly; (c.) an underside section comprises a sidewall extending greater than one inch along a side of the foot when the foot is enclosed within the sock assembly; (d.) second side wall of the underside section that extends greater than one inch along a second side of the foot when the foot is enclosed within the sock assembly; and/or (e.) a bottom surface of the foot bottom having a friction surface that may be more than 20% of a bottom side of the foot bottom The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These, and further features of the invention, may be better understood with reference to the accompanying specification and drawings depicting the preferred embodiment, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the Present Invention, or first version;

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the first version of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the first version of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the Present Invention, or second version;

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the second version of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the Present Invention, or third version; and

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the third version of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his or her invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the Present Invention have been defined herein.

Referring now generally to the Figures and particularly to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a front view of a first preferred embodiment of the Present Invention, or first version 2. The first version 2 is a first sock assembly 2 configured to enclose a foot (not shown) of a selected size range. The first version 2 includes an upper section 4 coupled with a foot bottom 6. The upper section is dyed or colored while the foot bottom 6 is made of raw or uncolored cloth. The upper section 4 is designed to receive the foot and enable positioning of the foot within the first sock assembly 2. The foot bottom 6 extends the length of a bottom surface of the foot and presents a sidewall 8 that extends less than one quarter inch beyond the bottom surface of the foot, when the first sock assembly 2 is worn by a foot substantively conforming to a standard size N of the foot size range of the first sock assembly 2. The upper section may include a dye or a coloring agent 10, while the foot bottom 6 comprises a fluid absorbent fabric 12. The fluid absorbent fabric 12 may be substantially comprised of non-colored fabric or a raw fabric, to include, but not limited to the group of fluid absorbent fabrics consisting of cotton, raw cotton, cotton wool, wool, linen, and terry cloth.

Referring now generally to the Figures, and particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, FIG. 2 is a left side view of the first version 2 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the first version 2 of FIG. 1. A friction surface 6A of the foot bottom 6 may extend over more than 20% of a bottom side 6B of the foot bottom 6.

Referring now generally to the Figures, and particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, FIG. 5 is a front view of a second preferred embodiment of the Present Invention 14, or second version 14, and FIG. 5 is a left side view of the second version 14. The second version 14 is a second sock assembly 14 having a second upper section 16 coupled with a second foot bottom 18, where the second foot bottom 18 includes a toe section 20, an underside section 22, and a heel section 24. The toe section 20 is designed to enclose all or a plurality of toes of the foot, the underside section 22 is provided to substantially enclose an arch of the foot, and the heel section 24 is meant to enclose at least a portion of a heel of the foot. In the second version 14 the upper section 16 and the foot bottom heel 24 section present a uniform color, and the foot bottom underside section 22 and the foot bottom toe section 20 are made of a suitable fluid absorbent fabric known in the art, e.g., terry cloth. The toe section 20 and underside section 22 and are substantially comprised of non-colored fabric or a raw fabric, to include, but not limited to the group of fluid absorbent fabrics consisting of cotton, raw cotton, cotton wool, wool, linen, and terry cloth.

In various still alternates of the second version 14 (a.) the heel section 24 extends ⅓ of a length of the second foot bottom 18; (b.) the toe section 20 extends to enclose a top of the foot for greater than 30% of a length of the second foot bottom 18 when the foot is enclosed within the sock assembly 16; (c.) the underside section 22 comprises a first sidewall 26 extending greater than one inch along a side of the foot when the foot is enclosed within the second sock assembly 14; and/or (d.) a second side wall 28 of the underside section 22 that extends greater than one inch along a second side of the foot when the foot is enclosed within the second sock assembly 14.

Referring now generally to the Figures, and particularly to FIGS. 6 and 7, FIG. 6 is a front view of a third preferred embodiment of the Present Invention 30, or third version 30, and FIG. 5 is a left side view of the third version 30. The third version 30 is a third sock assembly 30 having a fluid absorbent fabric 32 coupled with a decorative material 34, where the fluid absorbent fabric 32 is designed to be entirely enclosed by a shoe when a foot of a selected size N wearing the third sock assembly 30 is fully placed within the shoe. The decorative material 34 may optionally present a visible signage 36, and the fluid absorbent fabric 32 may optionally comprise a plurality of fluid absorbent particles 38. The absorbent particles 38 may be or comprise a plurality a super absorbent polymer particles in a size range of from about 300 to about 500 microns. Alternatively, the absorbent particles 38 may be comprised of other suitable superabsorbent materials known in the art, e.g., SAP (a sodium salt of an acrylic based copolymer), EVA (an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer), or a combination thereof. If desired, ordinary suitable absorbent material known in the art (rather than superabsorbent particles) may be used to form the particles 38.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The examples given should only be interpreted as illustrations of some of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and the full scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed should, therefore, be determined with reference to the knowledge of one skilled in the art and in light of the disclosures presented above.

Claims

1. A sock assembly, the sock assembly configured to enclose a foot of a selected size range, assembly comprising:

an upper section coupled with a foot bottom, the upper section configured to receive the foot and enable positioning of the foot within the sock assembly;

the foot bottom comprising a toe section for enclosing a plurality of toes of the foot, an underside section for substantially enclosing an arch of the foot, and a heel section for enclosing at least a portion of a heel of the foot; and

wherein the upper section and the foot bottom heel section presents a uniform color, and the foot bottom underside section and the foot bottom toe section comprise a fluid absorbent fabric.

2. The sock assembly of claim 1, wherein the foot bottom toe section and underside section and are substantially comprised of non-colored fabric.

3. The sock assembly of claim 1, wherein the wherein the foot bottom toe section and underside section are substantially comprised of a raw fabric.

4. The sock assembly of claim 1, wherein the foot bottom toe section and underside section are substantially comprised of a fabric selected from the group of fluid absorbent fabrics consisting of cotton, raw cotton, cotton wool, wool, linen, terry cloth and XX.

5. The sock assembly of claim 1, wherein the heel section extends ⅓ of a length of the foot bottom.

6. The sock assembly of claim 1, wherein the toe section extends to enclose a top of the foot for greater than 30% of a length of the foot bottom when the foot is enclosed within the sock assembly.

7. The sock assembly of claim 1, wherein the underside section comprises a sidewall extending greater than one inch along a side of the foot when the foot is enclosed within the sock assembly.

8. The sock assembly of claim 7, wherein the underside section comprises a second side wall extending greater than one inch along a second side of the foot when the foot is enclosed within the sock assembly.

9. The sock assembly of claim 7, wherein the toe section extends to enclose a top of the foot for greater than 30% of a length of the foot bottom when the foot is enclosed within the sock assembly.

10. The sock assembly of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the foot bottom comprises a friction surface.

11. The sock assembly of claim 10, wherein the friction surface comprises more than 20% of a bottom side of the foot bottom.

12. A sock assembly comprising a fluid absorbent fabric coupled with a decorative material, the fluid absorbent fabric configured to be entirely enclosed by a shoe when the sock is containing a foot of a selected size.

13. The sock assembly of claim 12, wherein the fluid absorbent fabric comprises non-colored fabric.

14. The sock assembly of claim 1, wherein the fluid absorbent fabric comprises a raw fabric.

15. The sock assembly of claim 12, wherein the fluid absorbent fabric comprises a fabric selected from the group of fluid absorbent fabrics consisting of cotton, raw cotton, cotton wool, wool, linen, and terry cloth.

16. The sock assembly of claim 12, wherein a bottom surface of the fluid absorbent fabric comprises a friction surface.

17. The sock assembly of claim 16, wherein the friction surface comprises more than 20% of a bottom side of the fluid absorbent fabric.

18. The sock assembly of claim 12, wherein the decorative material presents visible signage.

19. The sock assembly of claim 12, wherein the fluid absorbent fabric comprises absorbent particles.

20. A sock assembly, the sock assembly configured to enclose a foot of a selected size range, assembly comprising:

an upper section coupled with a foot bottom, the upper section configured to receive the foot and enable positioning of the foot within the sock assembly; and

the foot bottom extending the length of a bottom surface of the foot and less than one quarter inch beyond the bottom surface of the foot, wherein the upper section a color, and the foot bottom comprises a fluid absorbent fabric.