Apparel – Nether garments – Stockings
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2001-01-16
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Nether garments
Stockings
C002S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173452
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns the field of athletic apparel and, more particularly, a sport sock designed to enhance the wearer's athletic performance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Elastic compression stockings have long been used for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Generally, such “anti-embolism” stockings extend over the wearer's leg and foot and are adapted to exhibit a controlled, gradient compressive force on the leg. Typically, the compressive force is greatest at the ankle area and diminished over the length of the stocking to a minimum at the top. Examples of such compression hosiery are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,172,456; 4,502,301; 4,513,740; 2,574,873 and 2,816,361.
CVI is defined as any abnormality of the peripheral venous system that reduces or restricts venous return, thereby causing blood pooling and increased venous pressure. Patients exhibiting such blood pooling and increased venous pressure are at increased risk for developing blood clots in their legs, with the attendant risk of the clots breaking loose and traveling through the venous circulation back to the heart and into the lungs, thus leading to a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. CVI includes a spectrum of circulatory problems, including vein competency, patency and wall properties, as well as extravascular factors. These extravascular factors include the muscle pumps of the foot, calf and thigh which are in turn dependent on proper neuromuscular function and mobility of the joints (particularly the ankle) and connective tissue support by fascia.
The spectrum of symptoms attributed to those afflicted with CVI includes lower leg extremity pain, itching, burning, fatigue, cramps, swelling, and in advanced stages, ulceration of the lower leg. Gradient compression of the leg is highly effective in reducing lower extremity venous pressure and venous pooling. This enables the calf muscle pump to increase venous return. Thus, CVI patients undergoing compression hose therapy are usually relieved of nearly all symptoms, including ulceration.
While gradient compression stockings are in widespread use for the treatment of CVI, they have not heretofore generally been used by those who are free of this disease. Because they are restricted to medical applications, the compression hosiery are usually physician prescribed or are available over the counter upon the recommendations of a physician.
Aerobic type exercise is increasingly becoming a part of the normal fitness regime. The benefits of such exercise need not be discussed in detail here, but include reduced incidence of coronary disease, greater stamina and strength, increased energy levels, increased longevity, etc. Thus, a large number of healthy adults engage in such aerobic exercise on a regular basis.
While undoubtedly beneficial, aerobic exercise and other athletic activities involving the strenuous use of the lower extremities carry certain risks. In particular, the lower leg, ankle, and foot include a number of intricate intrinsic muscle and joint complexes. Instability of the foot and ankle joint complexes resulting from excessive pronation and supination, with added impact trauma to the lower leg, has been associated with a number of overuse injuries. These injuries include Achilles tendinitis, peroneal tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis. The motion of pronation is characterized by inward rotation of the lower leg upon the foot causing the arches to flatten out. Supination involves an outward rotation of the lower leg resulting in high arches in the foot.
Conventional methods of stabilizing the foot and reducing trauma to the lower leg include arch supports, specially designed athletic shoes such as high top basketball shoes, and various athletic training taping procedures. U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,923, for example, discloses a wearing article including highly stretchable portions which extend along the muscle groups of a body portion in order to simulate a “taping” function. These prior art methods have all produced somewhat limited benefits.
Thus, both “weekend” and serious athletes could benefit from increased protection of these intricate muscle and joint complexes. Furthermore, increased blood flow through the lower extremities could well give these athletes a “boost” in performance, as well as reducing fatigue and pain caused by build up of lactic acid within the muscles, as well as reducing the likelihood of developing CVI.
Thus, what is needed is a device which both enhances the performance of casual and serious athletes in an easy to use and nonintrusive manner, and which also provides the added benefit of protecting the user from injury and disease.
What is also needed is a new use for gradient compression stockings which offers enhanced athletic performance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein has been designed to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art noted above. The invention is a support/sport sock designed to cover the leg of a wearer and a novel method of using the sock to enhance athletic performance. The support/sport sock includes a sock body having a foot portion configured to enclose the wearer's foot. A cushioning member, either in the form of a heel pad or a region of increased thickness, is disposed in a heel area of the sock portion to cushion and protect the wearer's heel when the wearer is engaged in activity. Alternatively, it may cover the whole plantar surface of the sock.
The sock body further includes a calf portion which extends up the leg of the wearer for a distance and terminates in a proximal end. In one embodiment of the support/sport sock of the present invention, the calf portion of the sock body extends up to the wearer's knee. In a second embodiment, the calf portion extends only partially up the wearer's calf to form a “crew” length sock. In yet another embodiment, the sock body extends up the wearer's thigh and joins that of the other leg to form a sport tight.
The sock body is comprised of an elastomeric material (such as a spandex or spandex blend knit) which exerts a compressive force against the wearer's leg. The compressive force exhibits a gradient which varies from a maximum at the foot or ankle of the sock body to a minimum at the proximal end. Such a compressive force gradient can be formed in any manner known in the prior art, such as varying the tension of the elastomeric yarn when the sock is knitted, using panels of compressive forces, using yams of different elasticity, etc. However the gradient force is achieved, it will cause the sock of the present invention to enhance the natural pumping action of the wearer's calf muscles and increase venous return to the heart. This, in turn, causes increased blood flow into the legs of the user, which increases the amount of available oxygen to the muscle cells of the legs, and enhances athletic performance.
Judicious selection of yams may provide the sock of the present invention with even additional benefits. Antimicrobial and antifungal textiles or textile coatings may be employed. An insulating hollow core synthetic material, such as Thermax7 (manufactured by the Dupont Corporation) may be used in the yam to improve the stocking's heat retention capabilities.
Preferably, the support/sport sock of the present invention further includes a layer of a relatively hydrophobic material (such as the polypropylene fiber Cool Max7, manufactured by the Dupont Corporation) disposed on the inside of the sock body. This layer of material functions as a wicking gradient to wick perspiration generated by the wearer while engaged in activity to the outside surface of the sock, thus lending to the comfort of the device.
In another embodiment, the sock may further comprise an athletic shoe or other type of footwear.
The sock of the present invention is used to enhance athletic performance.
REFERENCES:
patent: 963878 (1910-07-01), Diver
patent: 2574873 (1951-11-01), Jobst
patent: 2816361 (1957-12-01), Jobst
patent: 4156294 (1979-05-01), Hor
Fredericksen Ray M.
Kelly Graham M.
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
Hale Gloria M.
Kelly Graham M.
LandOfFree
Support/sport sock and method of use does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Support/sport sock and method of use, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Support/sport sock and method of use will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2508352