Sock with zones of varying layers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016278441-A1
Application number	US-201615178867-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2011
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

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.

First claim

1 - 25 . (canceled)

26 . A sock with one or more zones of varying numbers of layers of material, the sock comprising:
a tubular structure having an open end and a closed end, the tubular structure including a set of one or more first zones and a second zone; the set of one or more first zones surrounding a circumference of the tubular structure and extending axially along a length of the tubular structure from the open end to a zone division line; the second zone being adjacent to the set of one or more first zones, the second zone surrounding the circumference of the tubular structure and extending axially along the length of the tubular structure from the zone division line in a direction away from the set of one or more first zones, the second zone extending to the closed end, the second zone having a second-zone inner layer of material and a second-zone outer layer of material,
wherein a first attachment mechanism attaches a terminal end of the second-zone inner layer to the second-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 tubular structure and closes the closed end of the sock.

27 . The sock of claim 26 , wherein the tubular structure includes a sock blank constructed from a single tube of material.

28 . The sock of claim 27 , wherein the second zone 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 forms the second-zone inner layer.

29 . The sock of claim 26 , wherein the first and second attachment mechanisms include stitching, knitting, or any combination thereof.

30 . A sock with one or more zones of varying numbers of layers of material, the sock comprising:
a tubular structure having an open end and a closed end, the tubular structure including a set of one or more first zones and a second zone; the set of one or more first zones surrounding a circumference of the tubular structure and extending axially along a length of the tubular structure from the open end to a zone division line; and the second zone being adjacent to the set of one or more first zones, the second zone surrounding the circumference of the tubular structure and extending axially along the length of the tubular structure from the zone division line in a direction away from the set of one or more first zones, the second zone extending to the closed end, the second zone including a second-zone outer layer of material and a second-zone inner layer of material that are folded on top of one another at a toe-end fold line, the second-zone inner layer and the second-zone outer layer being coextensive with one another,
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 second-zone inner layer and the second-zone outer 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 second zone.

31 . The sock according to claim 30 , wherein the second-zone inner layer and the second-zone outer layer include a terminal end that is attached at the zone division line by an attachment mechanism that extends radially and entirely around the circumference of the tubular structure.

32 . The sock according to claim 31 , 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 tubular structure.

33 . A method for fabricating a sock with zones of varying numbers of layers of material, the method comprising:
knitting a sock blank in the form of a single continuous tube of material on a circular knitting machine, the sock blank being symmetric about a fold line from a first end of the sock blank to a zone division line; folding a first portion of the sock blank at the first fold line so as to be coextensive with a second portion of the sock blank, the first portion extending from the first end of the sock blank to the fold line, the second portion extending from the fold line to the zone division line; attaching the first end of the sock blank to the second portion of the sock blank at the zone division line; and forming an entirely closed toe end of the sock by attaching material at the fold line to itself while the first portion of the sock blank is coextensive with the second portion and is forming a double layer, which continuously and entirely circumscribes, and extends around a circumference of, the sock and the entirely closed toe end.

34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein attaching the first end of the sock blank to the second portion of the sock blank at the zone division line includes applying an attachment mechanism that extends radially entirely around a circumference of the tube of material.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein attaching material at the fold line includes applying another attachment mechanism that extends radially at least partially around the circumference of the tube of material.

36 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the attachment mechanism and the other attachment mechanism include stitching, knitting, or any combination thereof.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Craig Kenneth T

Classifications

• D04B1/26 Primary

  stockings · CPC title

• A41B11/005 Primary

  Hosiery made essentially of a multi-ply construction · CPC title

• D10B2403/023

  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 · CPC title