| Rear zipper sock -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Rear zipper sockRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Head Coverings, StockingsRear zipper sock description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060130218, Rear zipper sock. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PROVISIONAL PATENT [0001] This application claims priority based on a provisional patent, specifically on the Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/637,533 filed Dec. 20, 2004. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Technical Field [0003] The present invention is directed to stockings and, more particularly, to a rear zipper sock including a generally cylindrical sock body having a foot portion, a generally upright leg portion and a heel section intermediate the foot portion and the leg portion, a rear open seam formed in the leg portion extending from the top of the leg portion downwards through the heel section and extending generally upright and parallel with the center upright axis of the leg portion and a zipper mounted on the rear open seam for alternately opening and closing the rear open seam such that a user can open the zipper and easily place the sock on the foot and leg without requiring significant bending of the ankle or knee during the fitting. [0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0005] A common problem encountered by persons having arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases is that it becomes very difficult to put on or remove clothing, particularly clothing that ordinarily requires the wearer to significantly bend their joints, for example, socks or shirts. There have been significant advances in the design of shirts and pants for persons with arthritis, including the addition of hook-and-loop fasteners and/or zippers in the body, sleeves and legs of the shirts and pants to permit the shirts and pants to be opened, placed over the body part to be covered, and closed via the strategically located hook-and-loop fasteners and/or zippers. However, there is currently no similar modification available in connection with socks, and it is in connection with the use of socks that many arthritis sufferers find their most difficulty. There is therefore a need for an improved sock which will permit a user to place the sock on the foot without requiring significant bending of the ankle or knee. [0006] Even more difficulties arise when the afflicted person also has degenerative or painful arthritic conditions in his or her knee joints, and the combination of pain and stiffness in both the knee and ankle joints renders it virtually impossible to put a pair of socks onto the feet of the afflicted individual. It is important to note that, for any sock or stocking to be placed on the foot and lower leg of the afflicted individual without requiring flexion of the ankle, it is mandatory that the foot be able to be slid into the foot receiving portion of the sock with the upper portion of the sock then extending around the lower leg and calf of the wearer of the sock. Various methods and devices have been proposed which attempt to address and solve this problem, but each of them include some variation of a side opening or the like which does not permit the individual to easily insert his or her foot into the foot receiving portion of the sock and then place the remainder of the sock on the lower leg. There is therefore a need for an improved sock which will permit the foot to enter into the foot receiving portion of the sock and then permit the upper portion of the sock to be extended around and secured on the lower leg of the wearer of the sock. [0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved rear zipper sock. [0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rear zipper sock which includes a generally cylindrical sock body having a foot portion, a generally upright leg portion, and a heel section intermediate the foot portion and leg portion with a rear open seam formed in the leg portion extending from the top of the leg portion downwards through the heel section towards the base of the sock. [0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rear zipper sock in which the seam is releasably closable by means of a zipper affixed thereto such that the zipper may be opened and closed to open and close the rear open seam to permit the sock to be easily placed on and removed from the foot, ankle, and lower leg of the individual wearing the sock. [0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a rear zipper sock which can be quickly and easily placed on and removed from the foot and leg of the wearer without requiring significant bending of the ankle or knee during the fitting. [0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rear zipper sock in which the rear zipper does not significantly interfere with the comfort of the sock despite the location of the zipper adjacent the heel of the individual wearing the sock. [0012] Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved rear zipper sock which is relatively simple and durable in design and in construction, and which is safe, efficient and effective in use. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] The present invention provides a rear zipper sock including a generally cylindrical sock body having a foot portion, a generally upright leg portion and a heel section intermediate the foot portion and the leg portion with a rear open seam formed in the leg portion extending from the top of the leg portion downwards at least partially through the heel section, the rear open seam extending generally upright and parallel with the center upright axis of the leg portion of the sock body. A zipper closure device is mounted on the sock body adjacent the rear open seam, the zipper closure device operative for alternately opening and closing the rear open seam such that a user can open the zipper closure device and insert the foot into the foot portion without requiring significant bending of the ankle or knee during the fitting. [0014] The present invention as thus described provides a significant advantage over those socks and stockings found in the prior art. For example, because the rear zipper can be unzipped all the way down to the heel, specifically adjacent the base of the heel, insertion of the foot into the foot receiving portion of the sock is rendered far easier, and likewise removal of the foot from the foot receiving portion is also facilitated. Furthermore, because there is no need to "pull" the sock on and over the ankle, due to the rear open seam, it is extremely unlikely that an individual using the present invention would accidentally bend or flex their ankle during the process of putting the sock on, and therefore accidental injury or exacerbation of the medical condition of the wearer is rendered highly unlikely. Also, it should be noted that, because the rear open seam is formed at the rear of the sock, insertion and removal of the foot from the foot portion of the sock is made far easier than that encountered in connection with those socks found in the prior art which include a side opening or the like. Finally, one of the significant benefits of including the zipper for closure of the rear open seam is that, with the addition of a pull string or ribbon or the like connected to and extending from the zipper pull, it is much easier to operate the zipper to enclose the lower leg within the sock than is encountered in the use of hook and loop closure devices or the like. It is therefore seen that the present invention provides a substantial improvement over those devices and methods found in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rear zipper sock of the present invention on a wearer's foot; [0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention prior to being placed on the wearer's foot; and [0017] FIG. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rear zipper sock being placed on a foot showing how the wearer need not significantly bend the ankle during fitting. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [0018] The rear zipper sock 10 of the present invention is shown best in FIGS. 1-3 as including a flexible fabric sock body 12 which is generally cylindrical in shape and would preferably be constructed of a stretchable and comfortable fabric material such as cotton, wool, or a man-made fabric material such as nylon, polyester or the like. The sock body 12 would include a foot portion 14 and a leg portion 16, and would further include a heel section 18 intermediate the foot portion 14 and leg portion 16. The rear zipper sock 10 will preferably be constructed as a standard sock up to this point, but the critical inventive features of the present invention will now be described and the modifications from a standard sock will soon be made readily apparent. [0019] The rear zipper sock 10 further includes a rear open seam 20 formed in the leg portion 16 which extends from the top of the leg portion 16 downwards to and through the heel section 18 to the point on the sock body 12 generally adjacent the base of the heel section 18 above the bending of the heel section 18 into the foot portion 14 of the sock body 12, as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2. Importantly, however, the rear open seam 20 must be positioned at the rear of the leg portion 14 so that the entire rear of the sock body 12 is openable to allow the foot to be inserted into the sock body 12, particularly into the foot portion 14, without requiring the ankle or knee to be significantly bent. To facilitate this functional feature, the rear open seam 20 preferably extends generally upright and parallel with the center upright axis of the leg portion. Continue reading about Rear zipper sock... Full patent description for Rear zipper sock Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Rear zipper sock 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. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Rear zipper sock or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Garments with means to hydrate the skin Next Patent Application: Sock Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Rear zipper sock patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.13826 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Accenture , Agouron Pharmaceuticals , Amgen , AT&T , Bausch & Lomb , Callaway Golf 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
