Patent Grant
10492543
The present application is related to and claims priority from prior Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/046,360, filed Feb. 17, 2016 which application is incorporated herein by reference.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates to a heated garment system, and more particularly, to 15 heated socks with a pocket for receiving a pervious oxygen-activated chemical heating pouch to keep the wearer's feet and toes warm.
Cold weather and winter sports are very popular. Hunting, fishing, walking, hiking, game-watching and camping are often at their best in cooler weather. In addition, athletic sports such 20 as football, soccer, skiing and ice skating are done during the winter. These and other winter activities require protection from the cold with proper clothing to best enjoy the sport. For a spectator, or an active participant, the feet and hands are most vulnerable to the cold. There have been many devices suggested to provide needed warmth to these areas including passive devices which provide additional insulation to hold the body's own heat and active devices which generate heat and apply the heat to the needed areas of the body. Also, many people suffer from foot pain and discomfort, which may be due to various factors that may include injury, structural imbalance and excessive activity. These factors lead to various foot conditions such as plantar fascitis, metatarsalgia, bunions, heel 5 pain, as well as blisters, corns and calluses. Various attempts to alleviate foot pain and discomfort have been developed including the use of cushioned hosiery, such as stockings and socks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,935, issued Nov. 10, 1987, to Albert Traffanstedt and Roy Traffanstedt, discloses a pair of heatable socks for keeping the wearer's feet warm in a cold 10 environment and comprising a resistive heating unit secured in the toe of each sock, a battery source which is carried on the wearer's body, and switching means controllable by the wearer for acting in combination with the resistive heating unit to selectively cause different and controllable amounts of electric current from the battery source to flow through the resistive heating units to thereby generate different and desired amounts of heat in the socks.
Other U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,185 to Gross and U.S. Pat. No. 2,692,326 to Crowell show a shoe heated by a resistive element which is powered by a battery carried on the wearer's clothes. Both of these also disclose battery powered resistive elements in which the maximum battery voltage is always connected across the entire resistive heating element and, accordingly, will usually heat the heating elements to a higher than needed and perhaps uncomfortable temperature when the battery is fresh and fully charged and then, after an hour or two, when the user is tried and the cold has penetrated well into the shoes, the battery will be partially discharged and will not be able to heat the resistive heating elements to a foot comfortable temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,333, issued Jul. 27, 1993, provides “Thermal sock having a toe 25 heating pocket”. This was developed to provide an improved thermal sock construction for warming the toes of the user by means of a chemical heating pouch inserted into a pocket formed on the top of the toe portion of the sock.
Accordingly, a need remains for a warming or heating apparatus for keeping the feet warm and the like. As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved heated socks as set forth by the instant invention which addresses the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction in providing the heated socks for 5 use in providing warmness and aids in comfort to the feet of the user and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of feet and toes warming apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention provides the heated socks wherein the same utilizes an oxygen-activated heating chemical for warming the feet of the user and use on process of various components employed in the procedure. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide new and improved heated socks which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
Accordingly, it is a primary aspect of the present invention to provide the heated socks, which keeps the wearer's feet and toes warm. For the purpose, heat is caused by the chemical exposed to air. In another aspect, the present invention provides the heated socks which comprise a pocket for oxygen-activated chemical heating pouch. In another aspect, the present invention provides the heated socks which cause heat through friction. It is yet another aspect of the present invention where the heated socks are provided with the extra cushion on the bottom of the feet to aid in comfort for the person.
Further aspect of the present invention provides the heated socks which have been shaped to fit within footwear to provide warmth and comfort to the feet of the wearer. It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide new and improved heated socks which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide new and improved heated socks which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further aspect of the present invention is to provide new and improved heated socks which is susceptible to a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such heated socks economically available to the buying public.
Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from time to time throughout the specification as hereinafter related. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
The present invention holds significant improvements and serves a Heated Sock To Keep The Wearer Feet And Toes Warm. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, a Heated Sock To Keep The Wearer Feet And Toes Warm, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using the terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention provides the heated socks which allow the wearer to always have warm feet and toes. The heating element is inbuilt in the heated socks, provided with the pocket, which comprises the oxygen activated heating chemical pouch. The heating chemical generates heat as it is exposed to the air. Further, when the wearer causes friction by running or jumping or even walking, the heat generates and extends from top of the toe to the heel portion.
The inventive product provides comfort to the wearer as the cushion element is provided within the sock. Also, the inventive product would prove to be beneficial to keep the feet dry for longer hours. Moreover, if the foot perspires, the moisture does 5 not affect the heating capability of the warmer.
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
Further
The heated sock of the present invention is formed of a relatively thick knitted fabric material—such as wool, a synthetic fiber/wool or cotton-polypropylene blend, or the like—as normally used in socks. Preferably, the heated sock is formed of Marino wool with at least one or more in combination from the three materials: HOLLOFIL, THERMAX, or THERMOSTAT. In accordance with the invention, the heated sock also comprises the synthetic wicking material like polypropylene and COOLMAX woven into the sock to enhance the moisture wicking performance of the heated sock.
Another embodiment discloses the cushion element provided in the sock comprises the material like acrylic weaved into one or more area(s) to increase the density of the cushion, especially in the areas which causes stress to the foot while walking or hiking or the like activities, and thereby which aids in providing comfort to the wearer. Further, the heated sock also comprises supporting materials like stretch nylon or spandex to facilitate the shape of the sock and to minimize the wrinkles of the fabric.
The sock design can be made as no-show, ankle, or crew socks. Each sock can have different areas having the heat chemicals. Some designated areas for the heat chemicals can be the toes, the heel, the bottom of foot, and the top of foot. The chemicals will be dispersed in a way that the wearer can wear the sock comfortably without the heated areas feeling bulky. Particular details of each of these areas are as follows:
Toes: The material for designated heat area will begin at the top of the toes, go around the front of the toes, and continue down around the bottom of the toes. There will be a seam around that area connecting it to the rest of the sock (like a regular sock's seam would appear but this would have the heating chemicals inside total area).
Top of foot: This area will have a rectangular or square shaped seam/hem with the heat chemicals sewn inside.
Bottom of foot: This area will span the bottom of the foot from under the ball of the foot to right before the heel area. The seams will also slightly come up and around the inner and outer edges of the foot. The heating chemical will be sewn into this area.
Heel: This area's seams will cup itself around the heel, and slightly go up the back of the foot (for shorter socks) or up the back of the foot higher ending toward the back ankle area (for longer socks). The socks can be made with a thicker weave for added cushion.
Referring now to the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in
Further features of the preferred embodiment include the oxygen activated chemical being adapted and configured to generate heat via chemical reaction with oxygen or via friction between a wearer's foot and the heated sock when in use. The sock body may also include a cushioning element for providing comfort to the wearer, and wherein the cushioning element may be formed from a knitted fabric material including wool, synthetic fibers, synthetic wool, or a cotton-polypropylene blend. The knitted fabric wool can be formed from MERINO wool combined with a polyester material, or in combination with HOOLOFIL, THERMA, and THERMOSTAT materials. The sock body may also be formed from a material that includes a synthetic wicking material, and wherein the synthetic wicking material may be polypropylene or COOLMAX to enhance the moisture wicking performance of the heated sock. The sock body may also be formed from a material including stretchable nylon to facilitate the shape of the sock body and to minimize wrinkles in the sock body, and wherein the stretchable nylon material may be SPANDEX.
As per the positioning of the sock body portions, the inner and outer edge portions can be attached to respective opposite sides of the sole portion, the toe portion can be attached to a front edge of the sole portion, the heel portion can be attached to a back edge of the sole portion, the toe portion can be attached to a front edge of the sole portion, and the top portion can be attached to a top edge of the toe portion.
As a further feature of the preferred embodiment, the toe portion may include a plurality of slat members 19 each adapted to reside between and warm two adjacent toes of a foot of a wearer. As such, there may be four slat members in the toe portion to respectively reside between five toes of a foot of the wearer.
Further details of the preferred embodiment includes the oxygen activated chemicals including iron powder, activated charcoal, sodium chloride, and vermiculite. Particular functions of each of these chemicals are as follows:
As illustrated in
It should be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶6. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods of use arrangements such as, for example, different orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc., may be sufficient.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6576003 | Kotack | Jun 2003 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180146718 A1 | May 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15046360 | Feb 2016 | US |
| Child | 15879496 | US |
