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Fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock for fitting over athletic protective equipmentRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Head Coverings, StockingsFastenable and unfastenable athletic sock for fitting over athletic protective equipment description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060156455, Fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock for fitting over athletic protective equipment. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention pertains to athletic footwear, and more particularly pertains to an athletic sock that includes a fastenable and unfastenable slit that facilitates the stretching and fitting of the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment disposed on the individual's lower leg and foot. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Shin guards and shin pads are the primary athletic protective equipment in those sports where the primary contention over the physical object that defines the sport is about the players' legs, knees and feet. Such sports include soccer, field hockey, ice hockey and floor hockey. The shin guards and pads predominantly protect the players' shins from being struck during play as such contact can result in cuts, bruises and broken bones. Shin guards and pads include a foot strap that conforms to the individual's foot and through which the foot is inserted, and one or more flexible straps that encompass the individual's lower leg for securing the shin guard thereto. [0003] Shin guards and pads are generally disposed against the players' lower leg, and are covered by a form fitting and tight fitting sock that extends up to the knee region. The sock is tight fitting in order to assist in maintaining the position of the shin guard or pad on the player's lower leg and over the shin, as any shifting of the guard or pad may expose the player's shin to injury. However, the tight fitting nature of the sock greatly impedes the easy pulling of the sock over the shin guard or pad and considerable effort must be exerted in pulling and stretching the sock over the shin guard and up to the knee area. This is an especial difficulty for youthful athletes that require assistance from their parents in pulling their athletic socks over their shin guards. The difficulty is amplified by the generally awkward angle the parent or adult must take in pulling and stretching the athletic sock over the shin guard. Parental aggravation and frustration is increased if the parent is hurried and must quickly pull the tight fitting sock over the shin guard--often with less than full cooperation from the child. [0004] Thus, the prior art discloses various types of athletic footwear and equipment for placement and protection on the individual's lower leg and foot. [0005] For example, the Castiglia patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,315) discloses a shin guard that includes a tubular member fitting about the lower leg adjacent the shin of the wearer, and a tapered rigid member that conforms to and protects the fibula of the wearer. [0006] The Jones patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,126) discloses an athletic sock that includes a full-length tubular knit sock fitting on the lower leg and foot of the wearer, and a partial sock fitting over the front of the full-length sock and between which a shin pad is nested. [0007] The Woodson et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,791) discloses a knitted sock that includes a sock portion fitting onto the wearer's lower leg and foot with the sock portion having an upper cuff layer attached thereto. An outer storage compartment sock layer is circumferentially attached adjacent the lower end of the sock portion and when the cuff layer is folded down about the outer storage compartment sock layer, an interior storage compartment for the storage of items is formed. [0008] The Hicks patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,817) discloses a tubular sports sock having an elastic top disposed intermediate of a cuff and the foot portion of the sock. With a shin guard placed against the sock and below the elastic top, the cuff is folded downward over the shin guard past the elastic top and adjacent the foot portion to circumferentially enclose and hold the shin guard therebetween. [0009] The Lindaman patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,945) discloses a sock for securing the position of shin guards and includes a pair of upper and a pair of lower fasteners for securing the shin guard between the fasteners and to the sock. [0010] The Bear patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,844) discloses an external shin guard strap for holding the shin guard in place and includes at least one pair of straps that are placed contiguous to the athletic sock over and above the shin guard that is enclosed between the wearer's leg and the inner surface of the sock for maintaining the position of the shin guard. [0011] Nonetheless, despite the ingenuity of the above devices, there remains a need for an athletic sock that facilitates the easy and quick disposition of the sock over the shin guards or pads, and easy and quick removal therefrom. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0012] The present invention comprehends an athletic sports sock that facilitates and expedites the process of slipping the athletic sock onto the individual's foot and then stretching the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment disposed about the ankle and shin region. The athletic sports sock of the present invention is designed to minimize and avoid the struggle of pulling on an athletic sock over shin guards, especially in regard to the struggle every parent has hitherto encountered with pulling a standard tight-fitting athletic sock over the child's shin guard. [0013] Thus, the improved athletic sock of the present invention includes a cuff, a major leg portion, an ankle/shin portion, and a foot portion, and is further defined by an internal surface and an external surface. The sock includes a longitudinal slit that extends from the cuff down to the ankle/shin portion of the sock, and the slit defines an opening that expedites and eases the process of pulling and stretching the sock onto and over the shin guard or shin pad. The slit defines two opposed longitudinal edges with each edge having a strip member that can be fastened to and unfastened from the other strip member for opening the slit to expedite the insertion or removal of the individual's foot into the sock, and for closing the slit after the sock has been stretched up over the shin guard. The sock of the present invention can also be used as a medical compression sock for the treatment and alleviation of certain medical conditions, especially those that involve lower leg and foot circulatory ailments as well as providing comfort and protection for the lower leg and foot after surgery. [0014] It is an objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that facilitates the stretching and fitting of the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment such as the shin guard or the shin pad. [0015] It is another objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that includes features that makes it easier for both parents and children to fit the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment such as the shin guard or the shin pad. [0016] It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that saves time and eliminates the aggravation for both parents and children alike when pulling and stretching the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment during the process of putting on the athletic sock. [0017] It is still yet another objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that can be used with athletic protective equipment used in such sports as soccer, field hockey, ice hockey and floor hockey. [0018] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an athletic sock that is capable of adjustable securement upon the athletic protective equipment in order to achieve a maximally comfortable fit on the wearer's lower leg. [0019] Still yet another objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that includes features that allow the sock to be used as a medical compression sock for both home and hospital use. [0020] These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon a perusal of the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading about Fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock for fitting over athletic protective equipment... Full patent description for Fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock for fitting over athletic protective equipment Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock for fitting over athletic protective equipment patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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