Sports socks (football) allowing variable or zero tension on the calves.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sports sock, particularly for playing football, comprising an opening at the user's calf, designed to reduce or eliminate compression in that area. This opening is delimited by an elastic or non-elastic seam and covered by a fold-over section secured with hook-and-loop fasteners. This system allows for precise pressure adjustment on different areas of the calf, providing a better morphological fit and helping to prevent muscle injuries related to excessive compression. Various embodiments are proposed, including, in particular, bands with elastic, tabs that can be inserted into reinforced slits, or a simple flexible overlay without mechanical constraint. "Figure to be published for the abstract: Figure 2.a"

Description

Title of the invention: Sports socks (football) allowing variable or zero tension on the calves.

[0001] Technical field of the invention. The present invention relates to a sports sock (especially for football) which has an opening at the calf with a foldable (mobile) part allowing the sportsman to exert more or less strong tension (or even zero in the case of the sock without a foldable part) on the calf according to his need.

[0002] Technological background of the invention. For athletes (especially footballers), wearing new or even worn socks often puts significant strain on the calves, which can lead to discomfort or even injury due to excessive pressure. The pressure exerted by the sock fabric causes the muscles to contract, and over time, this can sometimes result in injuries, muscle tightness, or a feeling of excessive compression that becomes uncomfortable during exertion. Short socks exist that don't cover the calves, but they don't meet the needs of players because they don't conform to football standards (in particular), where wearing high socks is often mandatory. Furthermore, short socks don't cover shin guards, which are required in competitions. To alleviate this tension, most players cut their own socks, which isn't very aesthetically pleasing and doesn't completely free the calf from the strain of the fabric, since in most cases the holes are made manually and often don't cover the entire calf. Some clubs or coaches don't allow or frown upon this type of cutting of their players' socks. There are compression socks with compression bands covering the calf, but this type of sock is designed to exert additional pressure on the calf and is often used for post-exercise recovery, unlike the sock presented here, which aims to reduce tension on the calf during exercise. The athlete (football player) will have the option of wearing a sock that is open at the calf, thus avoiding pressure, or the option of adjusting the fit. the tension on the calf by positioning a foldable part of the sock which comes to rest on the opening of the sock and allows to exert more or less pressure on the calf by adjusting the foldable part as the athlete wishes.

[0003] GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims in particular to avoid the drawbacks of prior techniques.

[0004] To this end, it proposes a sock with an opening at the calf, allowing the calf to breathe and preventing it from being covered by the sock fabric, which results in pressure on the calf. This pressure is all the greater when the sock is new and the fabric has little or no elasticity. The main objective being to reduce the tension exerted on the calf, the sock will be equipped with a fold-over section made of the same material as the sock or a different material, allowing for improved breathability, comfort, tension, or any other benefit that a technical fabric can provide to the calf. This section can be positioned using hook-and-loop fasteners or self-gripping bands and will allow the tension on the calf to be increased or decreased according to the user's preference.If the athlete wants significant tension, they can pull the removable part of the sock and position it so that the fabric is taut on the calf, and they can also reduce or even eliminate the tension on the calf by positioning the removable part so that the fabric is no longer taut and no longer exerts any tension on the calf, the removable part simply covering the calf without exerting any pressure. This sock allows athletes (football players) to have their calves free from any pressure caused by traditional sock fabric. They can adjust the pressure using the fold-over section, adapting it to their needs at any time. This fold-over section allows for greater or lesser pressure on the calf, depending on the athlete's requirements. This adaptability provides the athlete with greater comfort and reduces the risk of calf injuries, which are most often caused by excessive tension from traditional socks, leading to muscle contractions and ultimately resulting in injury. In addition, the mobile part can serve as a marketing medium and the sports club (especially football) can affix the club emblem, the sponsor, the equipment supplier or the number and name of the player or any other possible marking. The sock according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following characteristics which may be combined with each other: * The opening made in the sock can follow the contour of the calf or have a more suitable shape to free the calf as much as possible, while still maintaining support for the sock. * The opening of the sock may be fitted with a simple or elastic seam preventing the hole from enlarging and adapting to the shape of the calf. * The sock may have a fold-over section which will cover the opening in the sock and has a hook and loop fastener on the fold-over section horizontally and vertically which will allow the fold-over section to stay securely in place on the sock once it has been folded over. * The fold-over section has a fairly wide simple hook and loop fastener sewn inside the fold-over section and a hook and loop fastener on the sock. The hook and loop fastener of the foldable part will be positioned on the hook and loop fastener of the sock according to the tension desired by the athlete (footballer in particular), the hook and loop fastener being sewn inside the foldable part, the hook and loop fastener will not be visible once the mobile part is folded down. * The closure of the fold-over section may have several hook and loop fasteners positioned along its length; these hook and loop fasteners will be shorter and equipped with elastic bands inserted in the width of the fold-over section, which will allow for more precise adjustment of the tension on the calf; each hook and loop fastener can be adjusted individually and applied with more or less force. * The fold-over section can be fitted with several hook-and-loop fasteners positioned on long tabs that pass through slots provided for this purpose in the sock and fold over themselves onto a second hook-and-loop section. The slots will be positioned and reinforced with stitching to prevent tearing, allowing the hook-and-loop fasteners to be tightened according to the athlete's desired level of tension. * The sock can be very simple with a simple opening around the calf; the opening will be reinforced with a seam or with elastic bands, more or less stretched around the opening, to keep the opening in place as well as the sock in place. * The sock may have an opening with a seam and / or elastic, and a section that covers the opening and is sewn onto the sock, but without exerting much or any tension on the calf. The covering section simply serves to conceal the opening and allow for marketing or personalized branding. The fabric may The upper should be made of the same material as the sock or any other material offering specific advantages (breathability, comfort, etc.). The outer layer should not exert pressure on the calf, but simply cover it. The aim is to leave the calf free from any tension while still providing coverage. The sock may have two openings reinforced by elastic stitching around their edges and connected by a slightly elastic reinforced fabric section. Each opening has a hook-and-loop fastener strip running through the center, allowing the opening to be partially or almost completely closed when the strip is pulled to its maximum. The hook-and-loop strip attaches to a second section that holds it in place. The player can adjust each opening as desired using the hook-and-loop strip, applying more or less tension depending on the need. * The sock can be very simple and have an opening reinforced by a suitable seam or an elastic band to keep the opening in place. The calf remains exposed to the air and is not subjected to pressure.

[0005] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [Fig. 1] represents a sock model (3) with an opening (2) around the calf. The edge (l) of the opening is sewn and may have an elastic band allowing the opening to conform to the shape of the calf. The sock has a fold-over section (8) that can be positioned more or less taut on the calf using hook-and-loop fasteners (6 and 7). [Fig. 1].b shows a less taut positioning that does not completely cover the hook-and-loop fastener (6.1), thus allowing for less tension on the calf, leaving it freer and less subject to the tension exerted by the fabric. Figure (1e) shows the fold-over section (8) positioned further forward on the hook-and-loop fastener, and therefore exerting greater tension on the calf.

[0006] [Fig.2] represents the same system with an important variation on the part foldable (8), indeed the hook and loop fasteners 6 and 7 are divided into several parts (which can vary in number if needed). In the example of [Fig. 2], the hook and loop fasteners (7) are divided into 3 parts, each equipped with an elastic band (9) sewn into the fabric of the foldable part (8). This allows each hook and loop fastener (7) to be positioned with varying degrees of tension on the hook and loop fasteners (6), thus providing three different levels of tension on the calf (upper, lower, and mid-calf). The aim is to have the possibility to adjust the tension on the calf even more precisely than the model in [Fig. 1]. A marking (4) can be added to the outside of the fold-over section (8).

[0007] [Fig. 3] is based on the model in [Fig. 2] with one important variation. The sock (3) is now equipped with several reinforced openings (10) in the sock fabric. These openings allow the passage of hook-and-loop tabs (11) with elastic bands (12) sewn into the fabric of the fold-over section (8). The hook-and-loop tabs (11) can pass through the openings (10) and return to their position on the outside of the fold-over section, which has hook-and-loop strips on its outer face (9). The hook and loop fasteners (11) can be positioned with varying degrees of tension on the hook and loop fasteners (9) positioned on the outside of the folding section (8). A marking (4) can be added to the outside of the folding section (8).

[0008] [Fig. 4] is a sock design with an opening on the calf (2), equipped with a seam and / or an elastic band (1) to hold the opening in place and also to conform to the shape of the calf. In this design, a section (5) made of the same fabric as the sock or with different technical characteristics (allowing for improved breathability, comfort, elasticity, or any other technical benefit) will be sewn over the opening. Its main characteristic is that it will not exert any tension on the calf. Indeed, the primary objective of this design is to prevent the calf from experiencing fabric tension as in a conventional sock. The composition and / or the seam and the positioning of section (5) will be designed to exert no (or very little) tension on the calf. Section (5) will serve only to cover the opening on the calf and will also allow for the application of a marketing mark..

[0009] [Fig.5] is a sock (3) simply equipped with an opening (2) made in the sock allowing the calf to not be subjected to any tension, a seam and / or an elastic band (1) will hold the opening in place and follow the contours of the calf.

[0010] [Fig. 6] is a sock (3) with two openings (2) separated by a reinforced elastic or non-elastic fabric band (13). Each of the two openings has a hook-and-loop fastener (7) positioned in the middle of each opening, allowing the openings to be closed by tightening the hook-and-loop fasteners (7) over a second hook-and-loop section (6). Depending on the positioning of the hook-and-loop fastener on the second section, the pressure on the calf will be greater or lesser, allowing the calf greater freedom of movement and less pressure.

[0011] DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED IMPLEMENTATION MODEL OF THE INVENTION. Figures 1 (a, b, and c) depict a sock (3) with an opening at the calf (2). The calf is exposed, and the edge of the opening (1) is sewn either simply or with an elastic band to prevent the opening (2) from expanding to conform to the shape of the calf. The seam (1), whether or not it has an elastic band, allows the opening to remain securely in place around the calf. The sock is equipped with a movable part (8) made of a fabric identical to the sock or, depending on the needs, of a technical fabric allowing better breathability, comfort or elasticity or any other technical contribution, this part folds down over the opening (2), using hook and loop fasteners (7.1 and 7.2) which fold down over the hook and loop fasteners (6.1 and 6.2) so that the foldable part (8) remains in place on the opening (2).The fold-down section (8) can be positioned with varying degrees of tension using the hook-and-loop fasteners (6 and 7). The athlete can position the fasteners as desired to achieve greater or lesser tension. For example, if the athlete wants significant tension, they can position the hook-and-loop fastener (7.1) furthest to the left of the hook-and-loop fastener (6.1), resulting in very high tension on the calf ([Fig.l].c]. Conversely, if the athlete wants little or no tension on their calf, they should position the hook-and-loop fastener (7.1) to the right of the hook-and-loop fastener (6.1) ([Fig.l].b), which will reduce or eliminate the tension exerted by the fabric on the calf. The hook-and-loop fastener can be adjusted according to the athlete's preferences and also during the game to adapt the tension to their changing needs. The athlete can reduce ([Fig. 1] .b) or increase ([Fig. 1] .c) the tension during the match if necessary. On the outside of the folding part (8) it will be possible to add all possible markings (4) (Club logo, sponsor, name or number of the athlete, or any other marketing marking).

[0012] Reference sign lists: 1: Seam with or without an elastic band. 2: Opening in the sock. 3: Sock. 4: Markings (Logo, ad, number or player name). 5: Part of fabric (not exerting pressure) sewn onto the sock. 6: Self-gripping strips on the sock. 7: Self-gripping strips on the folding part. 8: Folding section. 9: External hook and loop fastener strips on tabs. 10: Lateral openings (slits) allowing the passage of self-gripping tabs. 11: Folding tabs with hook and loop fasteners. 12: Elastic sewn into the hook and loop tabs allowing for a better fit. 13: Reinforced fabric band that may be slightly elastic.

Claims

Demands

1. Sports sock, in particular intended for playing football, comprising an elastic textile structure capable of conforming to the shape of the foot and leg (3), characterized in that it includes an opening (2) arranged at the level of the calf, said opening being delimited by a peripheral seam (1), optionally reinforced by an elastic band, and covered by a fold-over part (8), said fold-over part being fixed by means of adjustable fastening means comprising hook and loop fasteners (6.1, 6.2; 7.1, 7.2), allowing the tension exerted on the calf to be modulated in order to limit muscle compression and reduce the risk of injury.

2. Sock according to claim 1, characterized in that the hook and loop fasteners (6.1, 6.2; 7.1, 7.2) are positioned inside the fold-down part (8) and / or the external surface of the sock (3), so as to be concealed once said fold-down part is in the closed position.

3. Sock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fold-over part (8) comprises several hook and loop fasteners (7) distributed along the length of said fold-over part, each of said fasteners being connected to an elastic band (9), allowing individualized tension adjustment on different areas of the calf (upper, middle, lower).

4. Sock according to claim 3, characterized in that each hook and loop fastener (7) is able to cooperate independently with a complementary band (6) positioned on the external surface of the sock (3), so as to allow a personalized modulation of the pressure exerted on the calf according to the user's needs.

5. Sock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foldable part (8) is equipped with longitudinal tabs (11) having elastic elements (12), said tabs being dimensioned to pass through reinforced slots (10) provided in the sock (3), and to fasten themselves with a second self-gripping surface (9) disposed on the external face of said foldable part, thus ensuring a precise and secure fit.

6. Sock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening (2) is covered with a soft fabric (5), attached to the sock (3), not exerting any significant pressure on the calf, said fabric being arranged for aesthetic, marking or personalization purposes (4), while keeping the muscular area free from mechanical stress.

7. Sock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two separate openings (2), separated by a band of reinforced fabric (13), elastic or non-elastic, each of said openings being provided with a hook and loop closure system (7), cooperating with a counter band (6) attached to the sock (3), said configuration allowing differentiated adjustment of compression over several areas of the calf and better prevention of trauma related to excessive pressure.

Images