Patent Publication Number: US-2016242471-A1

Title: Asymmetrical form fit wet sock

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This disclosure claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/117,957 filed on Feb. 19, 2015 which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure is related to footwear that provides improved ability to enter a wet suit. In particular, the disclosure is related to footwear that is configured to form fit a foot of the user and, in combination with a smooth material, enter within the wet suit without gripping to the interior of the wet suit. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure. Accordingly, such statements are not intended to constitute an admission of prior art. 
     Persons spending time in an ocean or other similar body of water wear wet suits. Such wet suits can be used when surfing, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, water skiing, or other similar activities. Persons can wear socks or Spandex or similarly constructed footwear when using a wet suit. 
     Known sock designs include a tubular construction along a body of the sock with a sewn seam in the toe portion of the socks to seal off one side of the tube. This tube sock design is useful in many applications, as the construction is inexpensive and the tubular sock design fits the form of a user&#39;s foot well enough for most applications. Tubular socks can be essentially cylindrical in shape, relying on elasticity of the material to fit to the heel of the user. Tubular socks can include asymmetrical weaving patterns in the tube, for example, with a bulge in the tube being formed into a shape of a heal, such that the foot of the user fits within the sock with the heal portion fitting over the heal of the user. However, tubular socks are constrained to a generally symmetrical shape, for example, with a left side of the sock and a right side of the sock being generally the same. A user&#39;s foot is not symmetrical. As a result, tubular sock designs are prone to not precisely fit the foot of the user. Either loose material is likely to gather over the smaller toes or the sock must be so tight that the large toe is under severe constriction. 
     SUMMARY 
     A wet sock is disclosed for use in sports. The wet sock includes a first piece of elastic material covering a top of a foot including tops of toes of the foot, a second piece of elastic material covering a bottom of the foot including bottoms of the toes, and a sewn seam joining the first piece and the second piece to form the wet sock, wherein the sewn seam runs along a left side of the foot and a right side of the foot and traverses a toe portion of the wet sock. A toe portion of the sock is asymmetrical to form fit a foot of a user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary wet sock constructed of two pieces of material and configured to form fit a foot of the user, including a separate form for a big toe of the user, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the wet sock of  FIG. 1  worn upon a foot of a user, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates in cross section the wet sock of  FIG. 1  worn upon a foot of a user, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the wet sock of  FIG. 3  being pushed through a wet suit cavity, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary sock of known construction, including bunched or loose portions of the sock failing to form fit to a foot of a user, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the sock of  FIG. 5  being pushed though a wet suit cavity, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary alternative wet sock configuration, including a round toe configuration not including a separate form for a big toe of the user, in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the wet sock of  FIG. 1 , with the sock turned inside out to illustrate exemplary stitch patterns that can be used to construct the wet sock, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a foot of a diver entering or leaving a diving boot, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates the sock of the right foot of  FIG. 7 , wherein the sock includes two pieces of material, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an alternate construction of the disclosed wet sock including more than two pieces of material, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates photographically one exemplary embodiment of the disclosed wet sock, in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 13  illustrates photographically another exemplary embodiment of the disclosed wet sock, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A wet sock is disclosed that is constructed of two pieces of material joined along seams running the length of the wet sock. The two pieces of material enable asymmetrical shapes in the sock, such that the sock can form fit a foot of the wearer and not bunch up on the foot. Smooth stitching can be used to construct the sock, such that the sock lies entirely flat against the foot and does not create a seam standing perpendicular to a surface of the foot. A smooth, elastic material can be used to construct the wet sock, further promoting the sock to form fit the foot of the user, while the elastic material can include a non-sticky, non-tacky surface to promote the sock to smoothly slide past material used to construct wet suits. These properties of an exemplary wet sock combine to enable one to put the wet sock on and insert the socked foot within a wet suit without the sock sticking to or hanging up upon the inside of the wet suit. 
     A wide variety of materials can be used to construct a wet sock as disclosed herein. Exemplary materials include at least modest elasticity to permit the heal, ankle, arch and other portions of the user&#39;s anatomy within the sock to fit within the sock and not bunch up the sock. In one exemplary configuration, a combination of either Spandex and nylon or Spandex and polyester can be used to create the two pieces of the sock. In one example, a particular range of material blends have been shown to be particularly useful in the disclosed wet socks. The following three blends perform well being inserted within a wet suit, failing to stick to the interior of the wet suit, while the exterior of the materials include sufficient friction to enable the user to ride a surf board with the wet socks on their feet: 1) 70-80% polyester and 20-30% Spandex; 2) 70-80% nylon and 20-30% Spandex; and 3) 70-80% recycled polyester and 20-30% Spandex. These materials are provided as examples. Any material that enables elasticity and enables the sock to slide along the interior of a wet suit can be used, and the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular examples provided herein. The material can be different thicknesses depending upon the desired thermal and waterproof properties of the sock. The socks disclosed herein can be described as elastic, enabling the socks to be stretched over features of a foot such as a heel, although it will be appreciated that the material should be selected with a strong resistance to stretching, applying significant return force when stretched, in order to keep the sock material as close to the form of the foot as possible without bunching. 
     Socks disclosed herein can be used in diving, water skiing, surfing, and other aquatic sports. It will be realized that the socks or similar designs can be used beneficially in other sports and applications as well. For example, socks according to the disclosure can be used in hunting, fishing, downhill skiing, and snowboarding applications. A form fitting sock as disclosed herein can include thermal benefits, for example, retaining body heat close to the feet. The socks can aid in getting feet easily in and out of fishing waders. The form fit shape of the socks along with the texture that is useful for increased friction to a surfboard can similarly provide improved contact and feel within a ski boot or a boot attached to a snow board. In all instances of the disclosure wherein the sock is referred to as a wet sock for use in aquatic sports, the disclosure is intended to permit similar use for other sports such as the alternative examples provided herein. 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating certain exemplary embodiments only and not for the purpose of limiting the same,  FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary wet sock constructed of two pieces of material and configured to form fit a foot of the user, including a separate form for a big toe of the user. Wet sock  10  is illustrated in a flat state prior to being worn by a user. Wet sock  10  includes a first piece of material  12  sewn to a second piece of material  14 . Wet sock  10  includes an opening  11  that a user can insert a foot within. Sewn seam  20  connects each of the long sides of and the toe portions of pieces  12  and  14 . Sewn seam  20  begins at a top portion of the sock at opening  11 , runs vertically down a left side of the sock, traverses a toe portion of the sock, and runs vertically up a right side of the sock to the top portion, meeting opening  11  at a distal side of the opening  11  from where sewn seam  20  began. The portion traversing the toe portion of the sock can but need not be segmented by a separate seam defining a separate form for the big toe. Wet sock  10  includes an optional separate form  30  containing the big toe of the user separately from the other four toes in portion  32 . Interior seam  40  joins pieces  12  and  14  between the big toe form  30  and portion  32 . Opening  11  includes a hem stitched pattern  22  around a perimeter of opening  11 , wherein each of pieces  12  and  14  are folded over and sewn to itself, respectively. A bubble illustration is used to illustrate an exemplary flat stitch pattern that can be used to prevent the material standing up or bunching and catching upon an interior or a wet suit. The flat stitches disclosed herein include exemplary patterns where two pieces are joined together end to end without flat sides of the pieces being folded over and sewn face to face. 
     The sock of  FIG. 1  is provided as a flat construction. If no foot is provided within the sock, the sock can lie flat on a surface, being constructed of two flat pieces of material. However, the disclosure envisions an alternative construction including a form fit piece of material, for example, including a dimple formed in the shape of a heal, and the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the exemplary material shapes provided herein. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the wet sock of  FIG. 1  worn upon a foot of a user. Wet sock  10  is illustrated including first piece of material  12  and second piece of material  14  joined by seam  20 . Big toe form  30  is illustrated containing a big toe of the user. Calf portion  16  is illustrated extending over a calf of the leg of the user. By extending over the widened calf of the user, wet sock  10  is retained in a fully pulled up state better than if the wet sock  10  stopped below the calf 
       FIG. 3  illustrates in cross section the wet sock of  FIG. 1  worn upon a foot of a user. Wet sock  10  is illustrated form fitting to foot  100 . Because sock  10  is not required to be left/right symmetrical along the toe portion of the sock, the sock can fit snuggly against foot  100  without bunching. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the wet sock of  FIG. 3  being pushed through a wet suit cavity. Wet sock  10  is illustrated being worn by a user as the user extends his or her leg through a wet suit cavity  111  of wet suit  110 . The material of wet sock  10  comes into contact with an interior surface of wet suit  110 . Known sock configurations can be exceedingly difficult to push through a wet suit. Some materials tend to stick to the interior surface of the wet suit. Bunched up material on a sock especially grips to the interior surface of the wet suit and can make the process difficult or uncomfortable. As seen in the illustrated bubble of  FIG. 4 , the material of wet sock  10  is taut over the foot of the wearer. Because the sock cannot bunch up on the foot, minimal contact between wet sock  10  and wet suit  110  is maintained, thereby easing the effort of inserting the foot through wet suit  110 . Further, because the tow pocket/form fitting construction of sock  10 , internal friction between the sock and the foot causes the sock to stay in place upon the foot and not slide along the foot as the foot moves in relation to the wet suit. The disclosed wet sock includes advantages over other sock configurations first because the sock is form fit and does not include extra bunched up material around the foot, and further second because the sock, being taut and form fit to the foot, resists being displaced or moved along the foot as the foot moves relative to a wet suit, a boot, or other surface. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary sock of known construction, including bunched or loose portions of the sock failing to form fit to a foot of a user. Sock  210  is illustrated as a known sock formed in with exemplary tubular material. Because the sock is not form fit to the feet of the user, bunched portions  220  can form around sock  210 . These areas where there is a gap between the foot and the material or where the material is not smoothly taut over the foot can ripple or create wadded up material as the sock is pushed through a wet suit. These ripples or wads can grip upon the inside of the wet suit and increase the effort required to move the foot through the suit. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the sock of  FIG. 5  being pushed though a wet suit cavity. Sock  210  is illustrated being worn by a user as the user extends his or her leg through a wet suit  110 . The material of wet sock  10  comes into contact with an interior surface of wet suit  110 . As seen in the illustrated bubble of  FIG. 6 , the material of sock  210  is bunched up over the foot of the wearer. This bunching increases the likelihood that the user will experience difficulty getting the foot through the suit. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary alternative wet sock configuration, including a round toe configuration not including a separate form for a big toe of the user. Wet socks  310 A and  310 B are illustrated being worn by a user. the material of the wet socks is stretched or taut over the foot of the user. Sewn seam  320  extends around both of the pieces of both of the socks. Sewn seam  320  spans the round toe portions  312 A and  312 B, respectively. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the wet sock of  FIG. 1 , with the sock turned inside out to illustrate exemplary stitch patterns that can be used to construct the wet sock. Wet sock  10  is illustrated turned inside out for clarity. Wet sock  10  includes sewn seam  20 . A bubble illustration is used to illustrate the other side of the flat stitch pattern of sewn seam  20  of  FIG. 1 . In order to maintain the surface of wet sock  10  as smooth and taut as possible, neither side of sewn seam  20  includes bent material of either piece  12  or piece  14  standing up perpendicularly from the faces of the pieces. Seam  42 , on the other hand, being between the big toe and the adjacent second toe, can have material of pieces  12  and  14  joined in a face to face seam, as the material between the toes does not come into direct contact with the interior of an adjacent wet suit. 
     A person wearing the disclosed wet sock can wear a diving boot or other footwear over the sock. A common problem to divers is that wet skin can form an airtight seal when water intrudes between the skin and a rubberized boot. As a result, a person wearing diving boot directly over his or her bare feet can have a difficult time either removing the foot from the boot or inserting the foot within the boot. However, the disclosed sock can include a fibrous, cloth outer surface. This fibrous surface, when viewed in close detail, includes grooves or high and low points. This uneven surface to the sock aids the person in removing or putting on the boot. Further, the form fit construction of the disclosed sock, the sock being stretched taut over the features of the foot, resists moving in relation to the foot as the foot is moved in relation to the boot. This close grip of the sock to the foot further aids in easing the effort of moving the foot in relation to the boot. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a foot of a diver entering or leaving a diving boot. Foot  100  is illustrated including wet sock  10 . Diving boot  400  is illustrated including interior wall  402  of boot  400 . Foot  100 , without the presence of sock  10 , could create an airtight seal against wall  402  and result in a suction/pressure differential when foot  100  is attempted to be removed from boot  400 . However, the presence of sock  10  including a fibrous surface to sock  10  eases the effort of removing foot  100  by permitting air to pass between sock  10  and wall  402 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the sock of the right foot of  FIG. 7 , wherein the sock includes two pieces of material. A first piece of material  350  covers a front of the shin, a front of the ankle, and a top of the foot including tops of the toes. A second piece of material  340  covers a back of the leg, a heal and a bottom of the foot. Seam  320  runs down a left side of the sock over the lower leg and ankles, along side surfaces of the foot, and across tips of the toes. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates an alternate construction of the disclosed wet sock. Wet sock  510  is illustrated including a first piece of material  512  covering a front of the ankle and a top of the foot including the tops of the toes, a second piece of material  514  covering a heal and a bottom of the foot including the bottom of the toes, and a tubular piece of material  516  covering the lower leg. Seam  520  runs along sides of the foot and along the tips of the toes. Seam  518  joins tubular piece of material  516  to the other two pieces. The locations of the seams in  FIG. 10  are exemplary. For example, tubular piece of material  516  can be extended to the arch of the foot or near the toes of the foot, with pieces of material  512  and  514  correspondingly being adjusted to still span the tips of the toes and connect with the tubular piece of material. While such a configuration, with a tubular portion extending over the ankles and down the foot, can continue to exhibit benefit according to the disclosure by continuing to the fit to the shape of the toes. However, it will be appreciated that as more and more of the foot is covered by the tubular portion, the resulting we sock configuration including tubular material not form fit to the foot, for example with bunched material forming around the angle and under the arch of the foot, will lose benefits of the form fit sock as disclosed herein. 
     Material for two pieces that make up a single wet sock can but need not be the same material. In one example, a piece that includes a bottom of the foot can use a material that has a more rough or slightly tackier material to enable the user to stay upon a surf board, and a piece that does not include the bottom of the foot can include a smoother, more slippery material to increase the ability of the material to slide through a wet suit with greater ease. 
     The stitching can take many forms. According to one exemplary description, the stitching can include a merrow thread between toes, a flatlock stitch around pattern edges/joining edges, and a flatlock stitch at the calf hem stitch. According to one process to make a wet sock in accordance with the disclosure, one can cut material as a two piece pattern, join the two pieces on one edge with a base/lead stitch, and apply a merrow stitch to the inside out sock between the toes. Then the sock is swathed and flatlock switching applied to the seams. 
     Wet socks are described herein as having two pieces. The two pieces aid in form fitting the sock. It will be appreciated that a wet sock can be divided into more pieces, for example, three or more, according to the disclosure, and still exhibit the benefits described herein. 
     Spandex is a commonly known material, known alternatively as Lycra or elastane. Spandex is classified as a polyester-polyurethane copolymer. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates photographically one exemplary embodiment of the disclosed wet sock.  FIG. 13  illustrates photographically another exemplary embodiment of the disclosed wet sock. 
     The disclosure has described certain preferred embodiments and modifications of those embodiments. Further modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the specification. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.