Boots – shoes – and leggings – Boots and shoes – Felt and fabric
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-10-30
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Boots and shoes
Felt and fabric
C036S011000, C036S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308438
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a slipper sock, and a method for use in its manufacture. More specifically, the invention relates to slipper socks for providing enhanced comfort and protection to the wearer's feet, and methods for use in their manufacture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reinforced socks designed to be worn without shoes are commercially available in a variety of forms. For example, some socks have rubber-type treads applied to their lower surface (i.e. the floor contacting portion known as the sole), while some others have a flat leather-type sole applied to the lower surface of the sock.
In the leather-soled slipper socks, a flat piece of leather-type material is typically positioned on the bottom of the sole, and a narrow band of leather material is secured around the periphery of the sock. In such slipper socks, the leather-type material is typically secured to the sock at the terminal edge of the leather-type material overlay. Although such articles therefore provide some reinforcement of the bottom of the sock, the thin piece of leather-type material does not provide any significant protection for the wearer's foot. As a result, such products are typically limited to indoor wear, where the risk of incurring stone bruises and the like is minimized. Furthermore, when the prior art slipper socks are worn, the wearer's foot has a tendency to slip relative to the leather overlay, particularly along the sole of the article. This lateral relative motion of the sock with respect to the leather sole can cause the article to be uncomfortable when the wearer is walking, and can enable the sock to form wrinkles beneath the wearer's foot. This can in turn lead to discomfort and even the formation of blisters on the wearer's foot.
Examples of slipper socks are illustrated in the following patents:
U.S. Design Pat. No. 347,518 to Stewart illustrates a slipper sock design having a sole applied to a sock. There is no footbed illustrated, and the sole portion only extends up a minor portion of the sides of the sock, with the remainder of the design just being the sock material.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,276,671 and 4,317,292 to Melton describe a sock having a flat sole applied thereto; the sole does not extend over any portion of the side of the sock.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,272 to Guille describes a sock and bedroom slipper combination having a sock with a fibrous sole secured thereto by way of a molded side portion of flexible plastic material.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,852,272 and 4,907,350 to Chilewich describe a method for making a slipper sock which includes the steps of adhering a foam insert and suede outer to a sock, inverting the sock and sewing around the perimeter of the sock's sole, then turning the sock right-side-out for wearing. The foam insert is illustrated as being a flat piece of foam material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,585 to Fons et al. describes a slipper sock having a rubber sole liner. The sock is embedded within the rubber liner, with a major portion of the sole of the sock not being bonded to the rubber sole, so that the bottom of the wearer's foot will contact fabric rather than rubber. The rubber sole liner terminates at the sides of the sock, and does not extend over the foot portion thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,494 to Johnson illustrates an insulated sock having an arrangement of non-stretchable fabric combined with a plurality of panels of stretch fabric and an inner shell of insulating material. The fabrics are lined with a waterproof, breathable liner. A stretch cuff is connected to the open end of the sock.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 297,068 to Lee illustrates a design for a combined stocking and slipper. The design includes a cuffless foot covering having an arch, and protrusions along the sole.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 317,376 illustrates a slipper sock having a pointed toe and stripes along the side thereof. It does not appear to show any kind of sole overlay.
SUMMARY
With the foregoing in mind, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a slipper sock which provides enhanced wearer comfort.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a slipper sock which provides protection to a wearer's feet, for example, by minimizing the forces that the foot feels when stepping on stones and the like.
It is a further object, in some embodiments of the invention, to provide slipper socks which protect a wearer's feet from moisture.
In addition, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a method for efficiently manufacturing a slipper sock providing enhanced wearer comfort and protection.
These and other advantages are achieved through the provision of a slipper sock having a specially-constructed sock in combination with a shaped footbed and a material overlay defining a slipper. This unique construction enhances wearer comfort by, among other things, providing a protective footbed having a specially-constructed shape, and a sock which cooperates with the specially-constructed footbed to reduce the lateral, medial, anterior, and posterior relative motion (collectively referred to herein as “lateral relative motion”) proximate the plantar surface of the wearer's foot when the wearer engages in activities such as walking.
The slipper sock of the instant invention includes a sock having at least a ball portion, an arch portion, a heel portion and an instep portion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sock is in the form of a full sock for covering substantially the entire foot of the wearer as well as a portion of the ankle and/or leg thereof.
The sock desirably includes thickened padded portions on at least the ball and heel portions, with a relatively thinner arch portion being located therebetween. Socks manufactured in this manner are described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,517 to Throneburg et al., the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In a preferred form of the invention, the sock is knit to include a plurality of terry loops covering the inner surface of substantially the entire sock, with the thickened padded portions being formed by way of terry regions having a greater loop density than surrounding regions. Also in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the thickened padded region along the ball portion of the sock extends forwardly across the toe cap region, to define a padded toe portion. Furthermore, the thickened heel portion desirably extends rearwardly around the heel and up the Achilles region of the sock, to define a padded Achilles region for protecting the Achilles tendon portion of the wearer's anatomy.
The slipper sock also desirably includes a contoured footbed. In a preferred form of the invention, the footbed includes a first receptacle for underlying the ball portion of the sock, and a second receptacle for underlying the heel portion of the sock, with the arch portion of the footbed located between the first and second receptacles having a greater thickness than that of the receptacles. In a preferred form of the invention, the arch includes a tapered protrusion along one of its sides, with this protrusion being shaped to accommodate the arch of a wearer's foot.
The footbed also desirably includes a thickened lip surrounding substantially the entire dimension of the receptacles, with the lip having a greater thickness than that of the receptacles. The lip is desirably tapered from the outer periphery of the footbed toward the bottom of the receptacles. In this way, the lip serves to assist in stabilizing the slipper sock from relative motion between the sock and foot and the footbed, by cradling the wearer's foot in its proper position with respect to the footbed. The footbed is positioned so that the first receptacle underlies the ball portion of the sock and the second receptacle underlies the heel portion of the sock, so that the sock matingly interfaces with the footbed to assist in the stabilization of the respective elements from relative lateral, med
Gallenstein Victor J.
Kravetz Stanley I.
Throneburg James L.
Alston & Bird LLP
Sewell Paul T.
Stashick Anthony
Throneburg James L.
LandOfFree
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