Patent Application
20080034477
a) illustrates two pads that may be attached to the sole of the convertible sock/slipper legwarmer illustrated in
b) illustrates a single pad that may be attached to a sole of the convertible sock/slipper legwarmer illustrated in
The sock/slipper legwarmer may include a sock-like tube 101 having an open end 103 and a closed end 105.
The sock-like tube 101 may include a lower instep portion 107 overlapping an upper instep/leg portion 109 that may cooperate to form an overlapped opening 111. The overlapped opening 111 may extend across approximately half of the sock-like tube 101 and may be located behind the beginning of the toes and in front of the ankle after the sock-like tube 101 is placed over the foot and leg.
The sock-like tube 101 may be placed over the foot and leg by sliding the toes through the open end 103 of the sock-like tube 101 and by then pulling the open end 103 over the instep, over the heel, and up the leg. The open end 103 may be pulled upwardly until the closed end 105 of the sock-like tube reaches the tip of the toes and the material in the sock-like tube is substantial free of wrinkles.
Before sliding the sock-like tube 101 over the foot and leg, the sock-like tube may be oriented so that the overlapped opening 111 will be positioned substantially over the instep of the foot after the foot and leg are fully inserted into the open end 103 of the sock-like tube 101. If a misalignment occurs, the sock-like tube may be rotated while on the foot so as to cause the overlapped opening 111 to be positioned substantially over the instep of the foot.
The sock-like tube 101 may be of any size. For example, it may have a circumference sized to snuggly fit over the foot and leg. It may be uniform in width or vary in width along its length. It may have a length sufficient to cover the ankle when worn. The length may also be sufficient to cover all or only portions of the calf, knee or thigh. The length may be approximately 21 or 27 inches or any other measurement.
The sock-like tube 101 may be made of wearable material that that is stretchable and elastic, such as cotton jersey, polar fleece, knit material, and/or lycra. If sufficiently stretchable and elastic, a sock-like tube of one size may be used for feet and legs of different sizes. The sock-like tube may instead be made and sold in different sizes, such as petite, small, medium, large, extra large, etc. The sock-like tube 101 may be made of fuzzy material for coziness such as yarn.
At any time, the user may also move the open end 103 back down the leg, such as to the position shown in
a), (b), and (c) illustrate three pieces of material that may be used in the convertible sock/slipper legwarmer illustrated in
Each portion of material may have a width that is approximately half of the circumference of the sock-like tube 101. The rear and underfoot portion 115 may have a length that is approximately equal to the length of the sock-like tube 101; the upper instep/leg portion 109 may have a length that is less than the length of the sock-like tube 101 but greater than half of its length; and the lower instep portion 107 may have a length that is less than half of the length of the sock-like tube 101. The sum of the lengths of the upper instep/leg portion 109 and the lower instep portion 107 may be greater than the length of the sock-like tube 101, thus providing the material that may be used to form the overlapped opening 111.
The three pieces of material may be attached in any manner, such as by sewing, glue, heat, or pressure. The upper instep/leg portion 109 and the lower instep portion 107 may be attached to the rear leg and underfoot portion 115 shown in
a) illustrates two pads on the sole of the convertible sock/slipper legwarmer that is illustrated in
b) illustrates a single pad that may be attached to the sole of the convertible sock/slipper legwarmer illustrated in
The pads 701, 703, and 705 may be positioned such that they are opposite of the overlapped opening 111. They may be made of any material, such as rubber. They may be of any thickness and rigidity, such as a thickness and rigidity that provides meaningful cushioning to the portions of the foot that will lie over them. The pad rigidity and its thickness may be selected so as to allow the pad to be rolled along with the closed end 105 as it is moved back across the instep of the foot.
The pads 701, 703, and 705 may be affixed to the sock-like tube 101 by any means, such as by sewing, glue, heat, pressure or otherwise.
The components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages that have been discussed are merely illustrative. None of them, nor the discussions relating to them, are intended to limit the scope of protection in any way. Numerous other embodiments are also contemplated, including embodiments that have fewer, additional, and/or different components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages. The components and steps may also be arranged and ordered differently. In short, the scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended to be as broad as is reasonably consistent with the language that is used in the claims and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents.
For example, the openings 111 and/or 911 may have a different shape, other than longitudinal, and may be in a different location. Although the sock-like tubes 101, 803, and 901 have thus-far been described as being useful for covering the foot and leg, similarly-configured tubes may be used to cover other appendages, such as the hand and arm. In this embodiment, the opening may be configured so as to end up over the outside or underside of the hand, between the knuckles and wrists, or elsewhere.
The sock-like tubes 101, 803 and/or 901 may include reinforcing in the area of the toes, heel, open end, opening, and/or any other area.
The phrase “means for” when used in a claim embraces the corresponding structure and materials that have been described and their equivalents. Similarly, the phrase “step for” when used in a claim embraces the corresponding acts that have been described and their equivalents. The absence of these phrases means that the claim is not limited to any corresponding structures, materials, or acts.
Nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is recited in the claims.
