socks

Abstract

The present invention provides a sock that can be knitted using a conventional circular knitting machine and has a bulging section that can be knitted continuously into the sock body. [Solution] The sock 1 is integrally and continuously knitted by circular knitting on a circular knitting machine, and comprises a sock body 10 having at least a heel covering portion 13 that covers the wearer's heel, and an intermediate covering portion 14 knitted continuously with the heel covering portion 13 and covering the wearer's instep and sole, and a bulge portion 20 knitted in the intermediate covering portion 14, the bulge portion 20 being knitted with a part of the cylinder 100 of the circular knitting machine as the knitting range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sock that can be produced using a conventional circular knitting machine and is provided with a bulging portion that can be knitted continuously with the sock main body portion.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, socks capable of accommodating functional members that can impart specific functions and effects to the wearer have been developed.

[0003] For example, a conventional sock is used with a functional member mounted thereon, and includes a sock main body portion and a double bottom portion provided inside the sock main body portion. The double bottom portion is integrated with the sole portion of the sock main body portion at a part of the peripheral edge portion, and an opening for inserting and removing the functional member into and from the space between the double bottom portion and the sole portion is provided in a part of the peripheral edge portion that is not integrated with the sole portion (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The sock described in Patent Document 1 has, on its inner side, a double bottom portion which is approximately the same size as the sole portion on the sole side and whose peripheral edges are integrated, separately from the sole portion, and the space formed between the sole portion and the double bottom portion is used as a storage portion. A part of the peripheral edges of the double bottom portion and the sole portion is formed as an opening without being sewn, and an insole as a functional member is inserted into the storage portion through this opening.

[0006] However, the sock having the above-described configuration needs to be knitted using a special knitting machine capable of implementing the manufacturing method called WHOLEGARMENT (registered trademark), which leads to high introduction costs for the knitting machine. Furthermore, when using conventional knitting machines, the double sole must be knitted separately from the sock body, and this double sole must be sewn to the sole of the sock body, which results in higher manufacturing costs.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above problems and relates to a sock that can be knitted using a conventional circular knitting machine and has a bulging section that can be knitted continuously into the sock body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The sock according to the present invention is a sock that is integrally and continuously knitted by circular knitting on a circular knitting machine, and comprises at least a sock body having a heel covering portion that covers the heel portion of the wearer, an intermediate covering portion knitted continuously with the heel covering portion and covering the instep and sole of the wearer, and a bulge portion knitted in the intermediate covering portion, wherein the bulge portion is knitted with a part of the cylinder of the circular knitting machine as the knitting range.

[0009] Thus, in this invention, since the bulging portion knitted in the intermediate covering section is knitted using a part of the cylinder of the circular knitting machine as the knitting range, the bulging portion can be knitted using the same method as the heel covering section, etc., without introducing a special knitting machine. This avoids the increased cost that would otherwise be incurred by knitting the sock body and the bulging portion continuous with the sock body together using a conventional circular knitting machine.

[0010] In the sock according to the present invention, the heel covering portion and the bulging portion are knitted using the same range of the cylinder as the knitting range, as necessary.

[0011] Thus, in this invention, since the heel covering portion and the bulge portion are knitted within the same range of the cylinder, the bulge portion can be knitted on the sole side of the sock body, which is on the same side as the heel covering portion, in the same manner as the knitting of the heel covering portion, and the wearer's sole can be provided with effects such as arch formation using the bulge portion.

[0012] In the sock according to the present invention, the bulging portion is knitted within a narrower range of the cylinder than the heel covering portion, as necessary.

[0013] Thus, in this invention, since the bulge is knitted within a narrower area of ​​the cylinder than the heel covering portion, the width of the knitted bulge can be reduced, and not only the width of the bulge but also its position can be easily changed according to the application.

[0014] In the sock according to the present invention, the bulge is positioned on the inside of the portion of the sock body that corresponds to the sole of the wearer's foot, if necessary.

[0015] Thus, in this invention, since the bulge is positioned on the inside of the part of the sock body that corresponds to the wearer's sole, the bulge can be positioned close to the wearer's sole, and if a functional component is housed within the bulge, the function exhibited by the functional component can be directly applied to the wearer's sole.

[0016] The sock according to the present invention optionally has a bulge that includes an opening formed along the width direction of the sock body and a bag-like body knitted continuously with the opening, wherein the bag-like body is knitted so that it can be pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body through the opening.

[0017] Thus, in the present invention, the bag-like body in the bulge is knitted in such a way that it can be pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body through the opening. As a result, the knitted fabric on the sole side of the sock body is interposed between the wearer's sole and the bag-like body in the bulge. When a functional component is housed inside the bag-like body, the thickness of the knitted fabric interposed between the wearer's sole and the functional component can be arbitrarily adjusted depending on whether the bag-like body is positioned inside or outside the sock body, allowing the wearer to appropriately change the degree of function exhibited by the functional component.

[0018] The sock according to the present invention is, as necessary, configured such that the bulging portion is knitted to be stretchable independently of the sock main body.

[0019] As described above, in the present invention, since the bulging portion is knitted to be stretchable independently of the sock main body, the bulging portion can be stretched and contracted regardless of the amount of elongation of the sock main body in the longitudinal direction or the width direction. When a functional member is accommodated in the bulging portion, the bulging portion elongates to match the size of the functional member, so that the functional member can be positioned at a predetermined position and stably held. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a schematic view of the sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a side view and (b) is a bottom view. [Figure 2] It is a side view showing another arrangement example of the bulging portion in the sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a side view showing another arrangement example of the bulging portion in the sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a bottom view showing another example of the bulging portion in the sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a schematic view showing a method of accommodating a functional member in the bulging portion of the sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a schematic view of a functional member that can be accommodated in the bulging portion of the sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a plan view, (b) is a left side view, (c) is a right side view, and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of (a). [Figure 7] It is a schematic view showing a knitting method for the sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a schematic view showing a knitting method for the sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a bottom view of the sock according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a schematic view showing a knitting method for the sock according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11]This is a schematic diagram showing a method for knitting socks according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] A schematic diagram of a sock according to a third embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a side view and (b) is a bottom view. [Figure 13] This is a side view showing another arrangement example of the bulging portion in a sock according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] (First embodiment of the present invention) Hereinafter, a sock according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Throughout this embodiment, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0022] As will be described in detail later, the socks according to this embodiment are knitted integrally and continuously by circular knitting and are formed as an elastic tubular knitted fabric (tubular body). The socks according to this embodiment can be knitted, for example, by plain knitting.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the sock 1 comprises a sock body 10 that covers at least the wearer's foot, and a bulging portion 20 located on the inside of the portion of the sock body 10 corresponding to the wearer's sole, which is capable of accommodating an object. The socks 1 are not particularly limited as long as they are fitted snugly to the wearer's feet, and may include knee-high socks, sneaker socks, over-the-knee socks, etc.

[0024] The sock body 10 comprises an opening portion 11 that fastens around the wearer's lower leg, a lower leg covering portion 12 made of a tubular body that covers the wearer's lower leg, a heel covering portion 13 that covers the wearer's heel, an intermediate covering portion 14 made of a tubular body that covers the wearer's instep and sole, and a toe covering portion 15 that covers the wearer's first toe to fifth toe.

[0025] The opening portion 11 is knitted in a bag-like shape around the entire circumference of the part corresponding to the wearer's lower leg. The opening portion 11 is knitted such that the stretch resistance in the course direction is greater than the stretch resistance in the wale direction, and it functions as an anchor for the sock 1 by positioning the opening portion 11 in a predetermined position on the wearer's lower leg. The opening portion 11 is knitted, for example, using a 1x1 rib knit, in which knit wales and purl wales are arranged alternately in the vertical direction, and the process of knitting in and not knitting in the elastic yarn is repeated alternately for each wale.

[0026] The sock 1 covers the wearer's lower leg and toes, but it can also be constructed so that the toe end is open and does not cover the wearer's toes. The toe covering portion 15 may be a round type that covers all the toes together, or it may be a five-toe type that covers each toe individually.

[0027] The intermediate covering portion 14 has a bulging portion 20 that is knitted continuously with the intermediate covering portion 14. This bulging portion 20 is knitted to be expandable and contractible independently of the sock body 10 (bag-like body 22), regardless of the expansion and contraction of the sock body 10. The bulging portion 20 only needs to be expandable and contractible in at least one direction; for example, it can be knitted to be expandable and contractible only in the width direction and not expandable or hardly expandable in the longitudinal direction of the sock body 10, or it can be knitted to be expandable and contractible in both the width direction and the longitudinal direction. As described above, the bulge portion 20 is knitted to be expandable and contractible independently of the sock body 10. Therefore, the bulge portion 20 can expand and contract regardless of the amount of stretch in the longitudinal and width directions of the sock body 10. When a functional member M, described later, is housed in the bulge portion 20, the bulge portion 20 will expand to match the size of the functional member M, allowing the functional member M to be positioned in a predetermined location and held stably.

[0028] The bulging portion 20 has an opening 21 formed along the width direction of the sock body 10, and a bag-like body 22 that is continuously formed from the opening 21, with the opening 21 serving as an insertion point for a functional member M to be contained. In the example shown in Figure 1, the opening 21 is formed along the width direction near the portion corresponding to the entire sole of the foot, including the posterior arch, but is not limited to this. The opening 21 can also be sewn shut. The bag-like body 22 is positioned on the toe-covering portion 15 side relative to the opening 21 and is constructed to be roughly the size from the opening 21 to the vicinity of the wearer's metatarsal heads. As shown in Figure 2, the bag-like body 22 can also be positioned on the heel-covering portion 13 side relative to the opening 21.

[0029] Thus, since the bulge 20 is positioned on the inside of the part of the sock body 10 that corresponds to the wearer's sole, the bulge 20 can be positioned close to the wearer's sole. When a functional component M is housed within the bulge 20, the function provided by the functional component M can be directly applied to the wearer's sole. Furthermore, since the opening 21 is formed over the entire sole side, including the area near the posterior arch of the wearer's foot, a functional member M that matches the size of the wearer's instep can be housed in the bulge 20 through the opening 21, thereby providing the effects and functions of the functional member M to the entire sole of the wearer's foot in the width direction.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the bulge portion 20 can be pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body 10. When the bulge portion 20 is stored inside the sock body 10, the outer fabric of the sock body 10 is on the inside of the bag-like body 22 and the lining is on the outside of the bag-like body 22. However, by turning the bulge portion 20 inside out, that is, by making the outer fabric of the sock body 10 the outside of the bag-like body 22 and the lining the inside of the bag-like body 22, it can be pulled out to the outside of the sock body 10. The pulled-out bulge portion 20 may be positioned on the toe covering portion 15 side of the opening 21, or on the heel covering portion 13 side, as described above.

[0031] Thus, since the bag-like body 22 in the bulging portion 20 is knitted in such a way that it can be pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body 10 through the opening 21, the knitted fabric on the sole side of the sock body 10 is interposed between the wearer's sole and the bag-like body 22 in the bulging portion 20. When a functional member M is housed inside the bag-like body 22, the thickness of the knitted fabric interposed between the wearer's sole and the functional member M can be arbitrarily adjusted depending on whether the bag-like body 22 is positioned inside or outside the sock body 10, allowing the wearer to appropriately change the degree of function exhibited by the functional member M. Furthermore, discomfort to the wearer's sole caused by the pad P can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the bag-like body 22 can be positioned on either the toe-covering portion 15 side or the heel-covering portion 13 side of the opening 21, different functional members M with different effects can be used depending on the position of the bag-like body 22.

[0032] The bulge 20 can be knitted using the same knitting method throughout, but the knitting method can also be varied depending on the part. For example, if the bulge 20 is placed on the inside of the sock body 10, it may be knitted so that the side facing the wearer's sole is thinner and the side facing the sole of the sock body 10 is thicker. In this case, if the bulge 20 is turned inside out and pulled to the outside of the sock body 10, the thicker knit of the bulge 20 will be on the side facing the sock body 10, and the thinner knit will be on the opposite side from the sock body 10. In addition, the part corresponding to the wearer's arch can be knitted thicker to assist in the formation of the medial longitudinal arch, etc., without using functional members M.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1(b), the bag-like structure 22 in the bulging portion 20 is generally knitted symmetrically with respect to a center line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sock 1 as the axis of symmetry. However, it is not limited to this, and the bag-like structure 22 can also be knitted asymmetrically. Specifically, the bag-like structure 22 can be knitted with its tip portion shifted to one of the two ends of the sock body 10. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the bag-like structure 22 can be knitted on the side corresponding to the arch of the wearer's foot.

[0034] To house the functional member M inside the bulge 20 while the bulge 20 is stored inside the sock body 10, as shown in Figure 5, the wearer can put on the sock 1, then insert the functional member M through the opening 21 and push it all the way to the back of the bag-like body 22, thereby housing the functional member M inside the bulge 20. Alternatively, the wearer may house the functional member M inside the bulge 20 before putting on the sock 1. In this way, with the bulge portion 20 stored inside the sock 1, the functional component M can be inserted into and removed from the bulge portion 20 even while the wearer is wearing the sock 1. Therefore, the functional component M can be easily stored inside the bulge portion 20 at the wearer's convenience, such as when returning home, going out, or going to bed, without having to take the sock 1 off.

[0035] In order to house the functional member M inside the bulge 20 with the bulge 20 extended to the outside of the sock body 10, the wearer must house the functional member M inside the bulge 20 beforehand, before putting on the sock 1. In this case, by forming a separate opening on the side circumference of the bag-like body 22, it is also possible to house the functional member M inside the bulge 20 after the wearer has put on the sock 1.

[0036] Functional components M housed in the bulge 20 include cooling or warming materials that regulate the temperature of the wearer's soles. Furthermore, when the bulge 20 is positioned on the toe-covering 15 side of the opening 21, the functional component M may be an elastic or inelastic pad that assists in the formation of the transverse arch, medial longitudinal arch, and / or lateral longitudinal arch. Alternatively, when the bulge 20 is positioned on the heel-covering 13 side of the opening 21, the functional component M may house an elastic or inelastic pad in the bulge 20 to raise the heel for purposes such as increasing muscle strength (e.g., calf muscles) and blood flow in the lower leg. Furthermore, the functional member M may have a length in the longitudinal direction that is greater than the length of the bag-like body 22.

[0037] The following describes an example of a pad that can be used as a functional component M. As shown in Figure 6, the pad P is formed in a roughly oval shape that generally corresponds to the arch of the wearer's foot, with a wider front portion corresponding to the toes and a narrower rear portion corresponding to the heel.

[0038] A mountain-shaped protrusion 30 is formed on the central side of the pad P. The protrusion 30 gently undulates and rises from the portion corresponding to the metatarsals that constitute the medial longitudinal arch, passing through the portion corresponding to the cuneiform bones, and having its highest point 31 located roughly in the portion corresponding to the navicular bone, from this point 31 toward the portion corresponding to the talus and calcaneus (see Figure 6(a)). Furthermore, in the width direction of the pad P, the protrusion 30 is formed from the point 31 to roughly the portion corresponding to the first metatarsal bone or the third metatarsal bone (see Figure 6(b)). The pad P shown in Figure 6 is for the right foot, and the protrusion 30 is formed on the left central side corresponding to the medial side of the body. Note that the protrusion 30 does not necessarily have to be formed in the portion corresponding to the metatarsals or calcaneus as long as it can form the medial longitudinal arch; for example, the protrusion 30 may be formed in the portion corresponding to the metatarsals or navicular bone. Thus, since the protrusion 30 of the pad P is formed with the apex 31 near the portion corresponding to the navicular bone in the anterior-posterior direction and extends to the portion corresponding to the metatarsal bone or calcaneus, it supports the wearer's arch and pushes it upward, thereby assisting in the formation of the medial longitudinal arch. Furthermore, since the protrusion 30 of the pad P is formed in the width direction to the portion corresponding to the first metatarsal bone or third metatarsal bone, it supports the metatarsal bone on the cuneiform bone side and pushes it upward, thereby assisting in the formation of the transverse arch.

[0039] The bottom surface 32 of the pad P is formed to curve outward from the contact surface as it extends from the central part toward the front-to-back direction corresponding to the wearer's toes and heels, thereby mitigating the impact when the wearer's foot makes contact with the ground.

[0040] The inner surface of the pad P, which corresponds to the inside of the wearer's body, has inclined surfaces 33 and 34. The inclined surface 33 is formed at an angle toward the outer surface of the pad P with respect to the vertical line of the contact surface, while the inclined surface 34 is formed at an angle steeper than that of the inclined surface 33 toward the outer surface of the pad P with respect to the vertical line of the contact surface. Since the inclined surface 33 is formed at a gentler angle than the inclined surface 34, it supports the wearer's arch while distributing the load applied during walking along the incline, suppressing the sinking of the convex portion 30 and effectively maintaining the medial longitudinal arch. Furthermore, since the inclined surface 34 is formed at a steeper angle than the inclined surface 33, it reduces the contact area between the bottom surface 32 of the pad P and the contact surface, distributing the load applied during walking along the incline to effectively maintain the medial longitudinal arch, and minimizing the impact received by the arch of the foot from the contact surface. Thus, since the pad P has inclined surfaces 33 and 34 on its inner surface that are tilted toward the outer surface with respect to the vertical, the load applied during walking is distributed along the inclination, and the medial longitudinal arch can be effectively maintained. In addition, the contact area between the bottom surface 32 of the pad P and the ground can be reduced, minimizing the impact that the arch of the foot receives from the ground.

[0041] The pad P is preferably made of an elastic material, for example, urethane resin, from the viewpoint of mitigating impact on the arch of the foot and facilitating its placement in the bulge 20. Furthermore, if the pad P is made of an elastic material, this elastic force can be used as a propulsive force for walking, thereby assisting the wearer's walking.

[0042] Furthermore, the pad P may be configured to have other protrusions in addition to the protrusion 30 to assist in the formation of the outer longitudinal arch and transverse arch. In this case, the length of the bag-like body 22 in the longitudinal direction is adjusted as appropriate.

[0043] Next, the knitting method for the sock 1 according to this embodiment using a circular knitting machine will be explained with reference to Figures 7 and 8.

[0044] The knitting of sock 1 using a circular knitting machine involves sequentially knitting the opening portion 11, the lower leg covering portion 12, the heel covering portion 13, the rear of the intermediate covering portion 14, the bulging portion 20, the front of the intermediate covering portion 14, and the toe covering portion 15, thereby knitting the loose course that forms the opening at the tip of the sock body 10.

[0045] First, the opening portion 11 is formed by starting the knitting on the circular knitting machine at the lower end of the opening portion 11 (the part that forms the boundary with the lower leg covering portion 12), and knitting the fabric in a double-knit pattern from the lower end to the upper end (the part that forms the opening of the sock 1), and then returning from the upper end to the lower end (see Figure 7(a)).

[0046] Next, the lower leg covering portion 12 is constructed by sequentially repeating multiple courses, with the construction area A, which is the entire circumference of the cylinder 100, as the construction area (see Figure 7(b)).

[0047] The heel covering portion 13 uses knitting range B, which is approximately half the circumference of the cylinder 100 in the circular knitting machine, as the knitting range. The bat needles in knitting ranges other than the knitting range used by the cylinder 100 are raised to the non-knitting level (upper surface of the center cam), and the fabric is knitted by decreasing and increasing stitches using the needle-raising picker and needle-down by the forward and reverse reciprocating rotation of the cylinder 100 with the bat needles between the knitting ranges used by the cylinder 100 (see Figure 7(c)).

[0048] The area behind the intermediate covering portion 14, from the heel covering portion 13 to the opening 21 of the bulging portion 20, is constructed by sequentially repeating multiple courses, with the construction range A being the entire circumference of the cylinder 100 (see Figure 7(d)).

[0049] The bulging section 20 uses knitting range B, which is approximately half the circumference of the cylinder 100 in the circular knitting machine, as its knitting range. It raises the bat needles in knitting ranges other than the knitting range used by the cylinder 100 to the non-knitting level (upper surface of the center cam), and knits the fabric by decreasing and increasing stitches using the needle-raising picker and needle-down by the forward and reverse reciprocating rotation of the cylinder 100 with the bat needles between the knitting ranges used by the cylinder 100 (see Figure 8(a)).

[0050] The area in front of the intermediate covering portion 14, from the opening 21 of the bulging portion 20 to the toe covering portion 15, is constructed by sequentially repeating multiple courses, with the construction area A being the entire circumference of the cylinder 100 (see Figure 8(b)).

[0051] The toe covering section 15 uses knitting range B, which is approximately half the circumference of cylinder 100 in the circular knitting machine, as the knitting range. The bat needles in knitting ranges other than the knitting range used by cylinder 100 are raised to the non-knitting level (upper surface of the center cam), and stitch decreases and increases are performed by needle-raising pickers and needle-downs using the bat needles between the knitting ranges used by cylinder 100 through the forward and reverse reciprocating rotation of cylinder 100, thereby knitting the fabric up to the loose course (see Figure 8(c)). In the knitting of the heel covering portion 13, the bulging portion 20, and the toe covering portion 15, the number of courses knitted by the circular knitting machine does not need to be the same and can be adjusted as appropriate. In particular, the number of courses in the bulging portion 20 is set as appropriate according to its intended use.

[0052] Finally, using the knitting range corresponding to the entire circumference of the cylinder 100 in the circular knitting machine, at least one course is knitted with a coarse knit to create a loose course. This loose course is then knitted as a bag-shaped sock 1 by inserting stitches into the linking line using a dial linking machine.

[0053] As described above, since the bulging portion 20 knitted in the intermediate covering portion 14 is knitted using a portion of the cylinder 100 of the circular knitting machine as the knitting range, the bulging portion 20 can be knitted in the same way as the heel covering portion 13, etc., without introducing a special knitting machine. This does not increase costs by knitting the sock body 10 and the bulging portion 20 continuous with the sock body 10 as a single unit using a conventional circular knitting machine.

[0054] Furthermore, since the heel covering portion 13 and the bulge portion 20 are knitted within the same range of the cylinder 100, the bulge portion 20 can be knitted on the sole side of the sock body 10, which is on the same side as the heel covering portion 13, in the same manner as the knitting of the heel covering portion 13, etc., and the bulge portion 20 can be used to provide the wearer's sole with effects such as arch formation.

[0055] The bulge 20 can also be incorporated into the part of the sock body 10 that corresponds to the wearer's instep. When the bulge 20 is incorporated into the part that corresponds to the wearer's sole, as shown in Figure 8(a), the incorporating range B, which is approximately half the circumference of the cylinder 100 on the right side of the page, is used as the incorporating range. However, when the bulge 20 is incorporated into the part that corresponds to the wearer's instep, for example, the incorporating range that is approximately half the circumference of the cylinder 100 on the left side of the page will be used for incorporating.

[0056] (Second embodiment of the present invention) In the sock according to the first embodiment described above, the bulging portion was knitted using approximately half the circumference of the cylinder, similar to the heel covering portion, but it is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 9, the bulging portion can also be knitted using an even narrower knitting area. In the following description, any configurations that overlap with the first embodiment described above will be omitted.

[0057] As shown in Figure 9, the bulging portion 40 has an opening 41 formed in a part of the sock body 10 along the width direction in the portion corresponding to the sole of the wearer's foot, and a bag-like body 42 that is knitted continuously from the opening 41, with the opening 41 serving as an insertion point for a functional member M to be contained.

[0058] The opening 41 is formed at the rear of the portion corresponding to the arch of the wearer's foot, with a length of approximately half the widthwise length of the intermediate covering portion 14 (one-quarter of the total circumferential length). The bag-like body 42 is positioned on the toe-covering portion 15 side relative to the opening 41, and is constructed to a size that extends roughly from the opening 41 to the vicinity of the portion corresponding to the metatarsal head in the longitudinal direction, and to a length (width) that is approximately the same as the opening 41 in the width direction. Thus, since an opening 41 is formed along the width direction of the sock body 10, in a part of the sole side including the area near the posterior arch of the wearer's foot, the function and effect of the functional member M can be accurately applied to the arch of the wearer's foot. When the pad P is housed in the bulge 40 as the functional member M, it can appropriately assist in the formation of various arches, such as the medial longitudinal arch.

[0059] The bag-like body 42 can also be positioned on the heel covering portion 13 side relative to the opening 41, similar to the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, the bag-like body 42 can be pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body 10, and even when the bag-like body 42 is pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body 10, it may be positioned on the toe covering portion 15 side or on the heel covering portion 13 side.

[0060] To house the functional member M inside the bulge 40 with the bulge 40 stored inside the sock body 10, the wearer may, after putting on the sock 1, insert the functional member M through the opening 41 and push it all the way to the back of the bag-like body 42 to house it inside the bulge 40, or the wearer may, before putting on the sock 1, house the functional member M inside the bulge 40 in advance before putting on the sock 1.

[0061] In order for the functional member M to be housed within the bulge portion 40 with the bulge portion 40 extended to the outside of the sock 1, the wearer must house the functional member M within the bulge portion 40 beforehand, before putting on the sock 1.

[0062] Examples of functional members M housed in the bulging portion 40 include elastic or inelastic pads that assist in the formation of various arches, such as an inner longitudinal arch, and the pad P described above can also be suitably used. In this case, the length of the pad P in the width direction (length of the horizontally flat portion) is adjusted as appropriate.

[0063] Next, the knitting method for the sock 1 according to this embodiment using a circular knitting machine will be explained with reference to Figures 10 and 11.

[0064] The knitting of sock 1 using a circular knitting machine involves sequentially knitting the opening portion 11, the lower leg covering portion 12, the heel covering portion 13, the rear of the intermediate covering portion 14, the bulging portion 40, the front of the intermediate covering portion 14, and the toe covering portion 15, thereby knitting the loose course that forms the opening at the tip of the sock body 10.

[0065] First, the opening portion 11 is formed by starting the knitting on the circular knitting machine at the lower end of the opening portion 11 (the part that forms the boundary with the lower leg covering portion 12), and knitting the fabric in a double-knit pattern from the lower end to the upper end (the part that forms the opening of the sock 1), and then returning from the upper end to the lower end (see Figure 10(a)).

[0066] Next, the lower leg covering portion 12 is constructed by sequentially repeating multiple courses, with the construction area A, which is the entire circumference of the cylinder 100, as the construction area (see Figure 10(b)).

[0067] The heel covering portion 13 uses knitting range B, which is approximately half the circumference of cylinder 100 in the circular knitting machine, as the knitting range. The bat needles in knitting ranges other than the knitting range used by cylinder 100 are raised to the non-knitting level (upper surface of the center cam), and the fabric is knitted by decreasing and increasing stitches using needle-raising and needle-down functions by the forward and reverse reciprocating rotation of cylinder 100 with bat needles in the knitting ranges used by cylinder 100 (see Figure 10(c)).

[0068] The area behind the intermediate covering portion 14, from the heel covering portion 13 to the opening 41 of the bulging portion 40, is constructed by sequentially repeating multiple courses, with the construction range A being the entire circumference of the cylinder 100 (see Figure 10(d)).

[0069] The bulging section 40 uses a knitting range C that is narrower than the knitting range B of the heel covering section 13 and is approximately a quarter of the circumference of the cylinder 100 in a circular knitting machine. The bat needles in knitting ranges other than the knitting range used by the cylinder 100 are raised to the non-knitting level (upper surface of the center cam), and the fabric is knitted by decreasing and increasing stitches using the needle-raising picker and needle-down by the forward and reverse reciprocating rotation of the cylinder 100 with the bat needles in between the knitting ranges used by the cylinder 100 (see Figure 11(a)).

[0070] The area in front of the intermediate covering portion 14, from the opening 41 of the bulging portion 40 to the toe covering portion 15, is constructed by sequentially repeating multiple courses, with the construction area A being the entire circumference of the cylinder 100 (see Figure 11(b)).

[0071] The toe covering section 15 uses knitting range B, which is approximately half the circumference of cylinder 100 in the circular knitting machine, as the knitting range. The bat needles in knitting ranges other than the knitting range used by cylinder 100 are raised to the non-knitting level (upper surface of the center cam), and stitch decreases and increases are performed by needle-raising pickers and needle-downs using the bat needles between the knitting ranges used by cylinder 100 through the forward and reverse reciprocating rotation of cylinder 100, thereby knitting the fabric up to the loose course (see Figure 11(c)).

[0072] Finally, using the knitting range corresponding to the entire circumference of the cylinder 100 in the circular knitting machine, at least one course is knitted with a coarse knit to create a loose course. This loose course is then knitted as a bag-shaped sock 1 by inserting stitches into the linking line using a dial linking machine.

[0073] As described above, since the bulge portion 20 is formed within a narrower area of ​​the cylinder 100 than the heel covering portion 13, the width of the formed bulge portion 20 can be reduced, and not only the width of the bulge portion 20 but also its position can be easily changed according to the application.

[0074] (Third embodiment of the present invention) In the sock according to the first embodiment described above, the bulge was provided near the part corresponding to the arch of the foot. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 12, the bulge can also be provided in the part corresponding to the toes. In the following description, any configurations that overlap with the first embodiment described above will be omitted.

[0075] As shown in Figure 12, the sock 1 according to this embodiment has a bulge 50 on the front of the intermediate covering portion 14 and on the sole side of the toe covering portion 15. The bulging portion 50 has an opening 51 formed on the plantar side along the width direction in a portion corresponding to the first to fifth metatarsal heads, and a bag-like body 52 that is continuously formed from the opening 51, with the opening 51 serving as an insertion point for the functional member M. The bag-like body 52 is positioned on the toe-covering portion 15 side relative to the opening 51, and is knitted to a size that extends roughly from the opening 51 to the tip of the sock body 10, which corresponds to the toes, in the longitudinal direction, and is knitted to taper towards the tip from the opening 51 in width.

[0076] In this way, since an opening 51 is formed along the width direction of the sock body 10 near the portion corresponding to the wearer's first to fifth metatarsal heads, the function and effect of the functional member M can be accurately applied to the wearer's toes and metatarsal heads. When a pad is housed in the bulge 50 as the functional member M, it can appropriately assist in the prevention and correction of bunions and hammertoes, and / or the formation of the transverse arch.

[0077] The bag-like body 52 can also be positioned on the heel covering portion 13 side relative to the opening 51. Furthermore, the bag-like body 52 can be pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body 10, and may be positioned on the toe covering portion 15 side or on the heel covering portion 13 side when the bag-like body 52 is pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body 10.

[0078] To house the functional member M inside the bulge 50 with the bulge 50 stored inside the sock body 10, the wearer may, after putting on the sock 1, insert the functional member M through the opening 51 and push it all the way to the back of the bag-like body 52 to house it inside the bulge 50, or the wearer may house the functional member M inside the bulge 50 beforehand before putting on the sock 1, and then put on the sock 1.

[0079] In order to house the functional member M inside the bulge 50 with the bulge 50 extended to the outside of the sock body 10, the wearer must house the functional member M inside the bulge 50 beforehand, before putting on the sock 1.

[0080] Functional members M housed in the bulging portion 50 include elastic or non-elastic pads that prevent and correct hallux valgus and tailor's bunions, and / or assist in the formation of the transverse arch. For example, a pad can be used as a functional member M that has protrusions in the area corresponding to the space between the toes that protrude to separate the toes from each other, and has a mountain-shaped protrusion in the area corresponding to the first to fifth metatarsal heads, with the third metatarsal head as the apex.

[0081] Furthermore, the bulging section 50 can also accommodate cooling or heat-retaining materials. When cooling or heat-retaining materials are placed in the bulging section 50, they will be positioned below the wearer's toes.

[0082] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, when the bulging portion 50 is pulled out to the outside of the sock body 10, the wearer's toes can be inserted into the bulging portion 50 as the contents to be contained, and a functional material M such as a cooling pack can be contained in the toe covering portion 15, with the cooling pack or the like positioned above the wearer's toes. In this way, with the bulge 50 pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body 10, the wearer's toes are inserted into the bulge 50. This allows the functional material M to be housed in the toe covering portion 15, which is the tip of the sock body 10. This allows the functional material M, such as a heat-retaining material, to be applied to the wearer's toes and metatarsal heads from above without hindering the wearer's walking or other movements.

[0083] The sock 1 according to this embodiment can be knitted in the same manner as the first embodiment described above.

[0084] As described above, since the bulging portion 50 knitted in the intermediate covering portion 14 is knitted using a portion of the cylinder 100 of the circular knitting machine as the knitting range, the bulging portion 50 can be knitted in the same way as the heel covering portion 13, etc., without introducing a special knitting machine. This avoids increasing costs by using a conventional circular knitting machine to knit the sock body 10 and the bulging portion 50 continuous with the sock body 10 as a single unit.

[0085] Furthermore, the above embodiments can be used in combination as appropriate. For example, the sock 1 can be constructed with a bulge 20 and a bulge 50, and the same or different functional members M can be housed in each of the bulge 20 and 50. Alternatively, depending on the condition of the wearer's foot, the functional member M can be housed in only one of the bulges. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 1. Socks 10 Sock body 11. Opening of the shoe 12 Lower leg covering 13 Heel covering 14 Intermediate coating section 15 Toe covering part 20 Bulge 21 Opening 22 Bag-like body 30 Convex part 31 Top 32 Bottom 33, 34 Slope 40. Bulging part 41 opening 42 sac-like structures 50 bulge 51 opening 52 sac-like structures 100 シリンダ M functional parts P パッド

Claims

1. A sock that is knitted in a continuous, integrated manner using a circular knitting machine, A sock body having at least a heel covering portion that covers the wearer's heel, and an intermediate covering portion that is knitted continuously with the heel covering portion and covers the wearer's instep and sole, The intermediate covering portion comprises a bulging portion formed therein, A sock characterized in that the bulging portion is knitted using a part of the cylinder of a circular knitting machine as the knitting range.

2. In the socks described in claim 1, A sock characterized in that the heel covering portion and the bulging portion are knitted within the same range of the cylinder.

3. In the socks described in claim 1, A sock characterized in that the bulging portion is knitted within a narrower range of the cylinder than the heel covering portion.

4. In the socks described in claim 1, A sock characterized in that the bulging portion is positioned on the inside of the portion of the sock body that corresponds to the sole of the wearer's foot.

5. In the socks described in claim 4, The bulging portion has an opening formed along the width direction of the sock body and a bag-like body knitted continuously with the opening. A sock characterized in that the bag-like body is knitted in such a way that it can be pulled out from the inside to the outside of the sock body through the opening.

6. In the socks described in claim 1, A sock characterized in that the bulging portion is knitted to be stretchable independently of the sock body.

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