Abstract:
Socks with ribs, channels and padding positioned to facilitate moisture movement from the interior of the sock upwardly and outwardly from a shoe or boot to aid in maintaining a dry condition for a sock and footwear. The sock heel may have an ankle open end that is connected to a leg portion. The tubular portion of the sock has multiple tube ribs transversally positioned and longitudinally spaced apart to form multiple tube channels wherein the tube ribs are formed by at least one additional yarn of material extending from an inner surface of the tubular portion. A portion of the multiple tube ribs are curved from a straight line on at least a portion of the inner surface to extend upwardly into the instep portion and may curve towards the heel portion. The toe portion of the sock may have toe ribs extending upwardly toward the instep portion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to human footwear and more particularly to socks. The socks have ribs, channels and padding positioned on the inner surface of the sock to facilitate movement of moisture from the interior of the sock upwardly and outwardly from a shoe, boot or like footwear to aid in maintaining a dry condition in the footwear of users. 
     Socks may be known that use or employ materials such as woven or knit yarn that is absorbent and may facilitate wicking action or that is nonabsorbent and may be a barrier to moisture. The structure of the use of such materials hydrophilic and hydrophobic, in a sock is important to maintaining a proper moisture-dryness condition for a user of socks and footgear, such as, shoes, boots and the like. Socks with zones or areas of absorbent and nonabsorbent material to create conditions in clothing or socks may be known. Also socks with rib structures may be known for moisture control. Rib structures may also be known for frictional engagement with the foot or shoe of a user. However, it is believed there is not a sock structure of ribs, channels and pads that use hydrophilic, hydrophobic and combinations of these materials to move moisture in a sock effectively out of footwear for evaporation. There is a need for a sock with an interior structure positionable against a user&#39;s foot to move or urge vapor or moisture that is normally sweat away from the toe, heal and sole of a foot toward the side and upper portion or instep of a foot to exit footwear for evaporation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to garments or socks that with ribs, channels and padding positioned to facilitate moisture movement from the interior of the sock upwardly and outwardly from a shoe or boot to aid in maintaining a dry condition for a sock and footwear of a user. A sock may have a foot portion with a toe at one end and a heel at the other end with a tubular portion connected between the toe and heel. The heel may have an ankle open end that is connected to a leg portion of the sock. The tubular portion has multiple tube ribs transversally positioned and longitudinally spaced apart to form multiple tube channels wherein the tube ribs are formed by at least one additional yarn of material extending from an inner surface of the tubular portion to position the tube ribs to contact a foot inserted in the sock. A portion of the multiple tube ribs are curved from a straight line on at least a portion of the inner surface to extend upwardly in a direction toward the heel from the sole portion of the tubular portion to the instep portion. 
     The toe portion of the sock on the sole portion may also have toe ribs that extend upwardly toward the instep portion of the tubular member. The heel may have a heel pad with heel ribs extending upwardly and spaced apart to engage leg ribs in the leg portion of the sock to facilitate movement of moisture upward to exit footwear such as a boot to facilitate moisture evaporation. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective side elevation view of a sock according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a an exploded perspective side elevation view of a sock according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a bottom sole inner surface view of a sock according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a top instep inner surface view of a foot portion without a heel of a sock according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description represents the best currently contemplated modes for carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , a sock  10  has a foot portion  12  and a leg portion  14 . The foot portion  12  has a heel  20  at one end that may be a heel pocket and a toe that may be a toe box at the opposite end. Extending between the heel  20  and toe  22  is a sole portion  24  and an instep portion  26  that are joined together along longitudinal edges  28  or the sole  24  and instep  26  portions may be formed as a tube  30  all to form a complete foot portion  12  of the sock  10 . 
     The sock may be pieced or integrally knitted. 
     The leg portion  14  has an ankle and lower leg portion  40  and may have an upper band portion  42 . The leg portion  14  is joined at a lower edge  44  to an ankle opening edge  32  of the foot portion  12 . The term longitudinal refers to the direction or axis of the sock  10  from the toe  22  to the band portion  42 . The term transverse refers to the direction orthogonal or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the sock  10  is illustrated in an inside out configuration with the inner surface  50  of the sock  10  exposed or visible and the outer surface  52  other than a portion at the upper band portion  42  not visible. The tube  30  portion of the foot portion  12  may have one or more tube ribs  60  of raised material formed on the inner surface  50 . The tube ribs  60  are curved from a straight line on at least a portion of the inner surface  50  to deviate in a direction toward the heel  20  of the foot portion  12  as the tube ribs  60  traverse upwardly from the sole portion  24  toward the instep portion  26  of the foot portion  12 . A heel edge rib  62  that is formed of hydrophilic yarn may be curved along the edge  34  where the heel  20  joins with the tube  30  to wick moisture upwardly toward the instep portion  26 . The ribs  60 ,  62  may be a raised cushion yarn type construction, for example, Terry cloth, with a height above the inner surface  50  sufficient to create channels  64  to allow air circulation to carry moisture or sweat as a vapor or fluid from the relatively lower portion of a user&#39;s foot toward the upper portion or instep of the foot. 
     The heel pocket  20  of the foot portion  12  may have a hydrophilic heel pad  66  of yarn material with at least one heel rib  68  extending generally vertically from the heel pad  66  on the inner surface  50  to end adjacent the ankle opening edge  32 . The instep portion  26  of the foot portion  12  may have a hydrophilic woven yarn construction to wick moisture toward the ankle opening edge  32 . With the rearward biased curve of the ribs and the wicking structure of the instep portion  26  it has been found that with a user&#39;s action of walking or running, the motion and foot flexure inside a shoe or boot causes moisture to progress upwardly and rearwardly in the user&#39;s sock  10 . 
     The toe box  22  of the foot portion  12  may be formed as a toe pad  78  of hydrophilic material to wick moisture toward the tube  30  under motion and pressure of a user&#39;s foot during walking and running to urge moisture through the sock  10  to remove moisture out of a shoe or boot. The toe box  22  may have one or more toe ribs  74  to form toe channels  76  to channel moisture toward the tube  30 . 
     The leg portion  14  of the sock  10  may have leg ribs  70  that are a raised material formed on the inner surface  50  and that extend in the longitudinal direction of the leg portion  14  to be positioned generally vertically when worn by a user. The leg ribs  70  may be formed of a hydrophilic yarn material of a structure raised above the inner surface  50  with the leg ribs  70  spaced apart to form leg channels  72  in the leg portion  14 . The leg channels  72  may allow air movement to carry moisture or sweat as vapor or fluid from the ankle opening edge  32  to the upper edge  46  of the sock  10 . There may be an upper band portion  42  formed at the end of the leg portion  14  that may have leg ribs  70  and leg channels  72 . The leg ribs  70  may be formed of a hydrophilic or hydrophobic yarn or a combination of both materials. If hydrophilic yarn, it may aid in moving moisture upwardly and out of a shoe or boot worn by the user. Once moisture is moved out of a shoe or boot it can more easily evaporate thereby aiding in maintaining a dry condition environment for a user. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , an example of the shape or form of the rib and channel structure relative to the inner surface  50  of a sock  10  are illustrated. In  FIGS. 2 and 3  the tube ribs  60  are formed with an intersection point  80  or vertex for two rib members  82  that curve rearward toward the heel  20 . The rib end portions  84  in the instep portion  26  of the tube  30 , reference longitudinal line  28 , are generally inclined toward the heel  20 , but those rib end portions  84  adjacent to the heel may curve toward the toe  22  because of the shape of a sock  10  when worn on a user. See for example the rib end portions  84  of the heel edge rib  62  in  FIG. 1 . The rib end portion  84  of ribs such as the heel edge rib  62  may be eliminated from the rib structure of a sock  10  to facilitate moisture movement toward ankle opening edge  32 . 
     The rearward curved or angled orientation of the tube ribs  60  as the tube ribs progress upward toward the instep portion  26  aid in moisture movement upward toward the instep portion  26  that may be a material to facilitate movement or wicking of moisture toward the ankle opening edge  32  of the tube  30 . While the tube ribs  60  are illustrated with an angular vertex  80 , a smooth curved apex transition between the two rib members  82  may also be used. The intersection point  80  may also have an opening or less dense portion  86  as illustrated in  FIG. 3  for one or more of the tube ribs  60  to allow moisture flow directly rearward toward the heel  20 . This may allow generally trapped moisture to move rearwardly and eventually upwardly to exit the shoe or boot of a user. 
     Any channel, vent, or passageway may be made up of two or more elevations that have any degree of curvature and or angle other than a straight line, running inside of the bottom of the sock, up the sides and to the top or instep continuously. These channels or ribs may have a bias toward the sock heel. These channels can be knit using hydrophobic or hydrophilic yarns or any percentage combination of both. Because of the inherent shape of the channels, air carrying sweat vapor is forced through the channels with every step by a user. Although a “V” shape channel design is illustrated, the structure will essentially work with channels of multiple height with any degree of curvature and or angle that have a constant flow. The channels start at the bottom of the sock starting at the toe box continuing to the heel cup. They generally flow up the sides of the foot and to the top instep area of the sock. All channels and elevations are knit on the inside of the sock, thus creating a space between the foot and the sock allowing air to flow through and facilitate the evaporation process. These channels allow for unrestricted airflow without blockage by nature of design from the inside bottom of the sock, up the sides and to the top instep. Once the air carrying sweat vapor flows through the channel to the top instep of the sock, the evaporation process can be better facilitated and expedited. Ultimately this allows for a drier, more comfortable foot. 
     While the various ribs  60 ,  62 ,  68 ,  70  have been described in general or in certain instances as being hydrophilic yarn material, it will be understood that as long as the various ribs are structured to create channels to facilitate the movement of moisture away from the bottom of a user&#39;s foot toward the instep or leg in order to move moisture outwardly from a shoe, boot or the like, the various ribs may be formed of hydrophilic or hydrophobic yarn or a combination of both material. Where in the structure of the sock  10  a wicking action is desired, for example, a toe pad  78 , a heel pad  66  or a rib such as a heel edge rib  62 , then a material structure with hydrophilic characteristics may be used. Where water barrier characteristic material may be desired, for example in the bottom of a heel pocket  20 , to inhibit collection of moisture from a user&#39;s foot, a material structure with hydrophobic characteristics may be used. 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the illustrated embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.