Integrally Knit Toe Anchor for Open Toe Sock Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional toe anchors in socks are often secured through stitching, which can be unreliable and require additional post-knitting steps, leading to potential disengagement and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
An open-toe sock design featuring an integrally knit toe anchor, where toe-anchor knit courses are formed during knitting, providing structural stability and comfort by eliminating seams and requiring no additional post-knitting affixation steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional stitching methods are used to secure toe anchors, then the toe anchor can be attached to the sock, but the stitching may come undone, fray, or break causing the toe anchor to become disengaged
Solution Approach 1:
The toe anchor knit courses are integrally knit with the sock body knit courses, merging the toe anchor and sock body into a single integrated structure. This eliminates the need for separate stitching operations and ensures the toe anchor cannot become disengaged, as it is formed as one continuous piece of knitted fabric.
Solution Approach 2:
The toe anchor is formed during the knitting process itself, before the sock is completed. By incorporating the toe anchor knit courses into the main knitting sequence, the attachment is established during manufacturing rather than requiring subsequent stitching operations, preventing future disengagement.
2Ease of manufacture
If toe anchors are formed in a post-knitting step, then they can be affixed to the sock, but additional manufacturing steps and time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The formation of the toe anchor is merged with the sock knitting process. The toe anchor knit courses are created during the same knitting operation that forms the sock body, eliminating the need for separate post-knitting steps and improving manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The knitting process continues uninterrupted to form both the sock body and the toe anchor. By maintaining continuous knitting action and integrating the toe anchor formation into the main production flow, manufacturing time and complexity are reduced.
3Reliability
If stitching is used to attach the toe anchor, then the toe anchor can be secured to the sock, but seams and stitching points may cause discomfort to the wearer
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the toe anchor and sock body into an integrally knit structure, the invention eliminates stitching seams that would otherwise be present. The continuous knitted fabric provides attachment reliability without the discomfort of stitched seams against the wearer's foot.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects herein are directed to a sock and methods for forming the sock on a circular knitting machine. The sock in accordance with aspects herein having a plurality of toe-anchor knit courses that form a toe anchor that divides a toe-end opening of the sock into a first toe-end opening and a second toe-end opening by extending across the toe-end opening from a dorsal portion of the toe-end opening to a plantar portion of the toe-end opening. The toe-anchor knit courses are integrally knit with the sock body.