EP1912523B1

EP1912523B1 - Anti-distorsion sock

Info

Publication number: EP1912523B1
Application number: EP06795093A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Nicola Dallatana; Simone Campanini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-07-15
Filing date: 2006-07-11
Publication date: 2012-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 2026-07-11
Also published as: WO2007010343A1; ITMI20051361A1; EP1912523A1; ATE549948T1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sock (200) advantageously provided with at least one band (206) having a first end (207) attached to a part of the sock that stretches from the user's heel to the knee and a second end (208, 209) that can be removable secured to the sock. The band wraps around the heel area of the sock and it extends at least partially to where the user' s lateral malleolus (205) is located. The sock has an anti-sprain function and is suitable for practicing sports or for the therapeutic or post-traumatic treatment of the user.

Description

This invention concerts an anti-distorsion sock, in particular concerns an anti-sprain sock for the sport practice.
Socks have been available on the market since time expressly designed to be used in the practice of sports. For example, the Japanese patent application n° JP 2005-009011 concerns a sock having a diversified structure which increases its user's comfort and decreases fatigue during workout In particular the sock is provided with a knitted part having an X-shaped mat that has its crossing point located in correspondence of the foot lower fibula (anterior inferior tibio-fibular ligament and its extremities in correspondence of the ankle and the foot plant.
The international patent application n° WO 03/063622 concerns a sock designed to play football or rugby. It has two bands that can be winded as a horizontal ring-shaped wrap below the knee or on the ankle respectivety. The two bands can be crapped around a shinguard to steadily secure the same to the sock, in this way preventing the shinguard to come loose while wearing it.
DE-U1-20301812 discloses a sock for sport activities equipped with an X-cross bandage which provides support to the bone in the transitional area between the leg and the foot. The traction of the bandage and the position with respect to the ligaments can not be changed or adjusted.
The traditional socks, more particularly those used for sports activities, in general do not to present or limit ankle sprains that may occur during sports activities. Therefore the need for a sock that actually prevents sprains or reduces their impact has been existing for some time.
The goal of the present invention is to provide a sock that can overcome the drawbacks of the traditional socks in a simple and effective way, being at the same time simple to manufacture and cheap.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sock that decreases the risks of the wearer in undergoing an ankle sprain.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a sock that supports ligaments of the external part of the ankle and stabilises the tibio-tarsic articulations. This and other objects are met by the present invention, which relates to a sock according to claim 1.
Advantageously, the band provides an effective support for the ligaments of the external compartment of the ankle of the user. Contrary to traditional socks, the sock according to the present invention provides for stabilising the tibio-tarsic articulations of its user in a way to minimize the possibility of the ankle to undergo sprain or eversion.
In correspondence of the external part of the ankle of the user, the band overlaps the ligaments, that is the band extends in the direction of the users' ligaments.
Preferably, the first end of the band is attached to the medial portion of the smock, for example it is attached in correspondence of the internal part of the user's ankle above the malleolus and extends, at least partially, in correspondence of the user's medial malleolus to the heel The portion of the band extending between the two ends wraps around the heel of the user. The second end of the band can be fastened to the sock in correspondence of the medial malleolus. In other words the second end of the band is secured in correspondence of the first end after passing under the heel and in correspondence of the lateral malleolus (external zone). Once the band is in the right position, that is when the second end is attached to the sock it forms a ring that tapes at least partially the user ankle passing underneath the heel, working as a stirrup. Preferably, one part of the band extends along the user's lower anterior fibula. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the band composes a third end fixable onto the sock. Fox example the band can have a generic Y-shape, i.e. it can be provided with a portion that branches off laterally and terminates with the above-mentioned third end.
Alternatively, the sock can be provided with two bands, a first band of the type described above, and a second band, attached to the sock in correspondence of the first end of the first band and having the third end.
The third end can be attached to the sock in correspondence of the third medium of the user's tibial tuberosity.
Also the portion of the band which terminates with the third end, or also the second band, can be taped around the heel of the user like a stirrup.
Preferably the band is made of an elastic material In this way the user can put in traction the band and adapt the same to the shape of the foot The band overlaps the sock and its function is to support the ligaments of the user.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the band is integral with the sock, i.e. the sock is manufactured in such a way that a portion of the same is extendible as a band.
The sock according to the present invention can be advantageously used in practising sports in order to minimise the occurrence of sprains or eversions of the ankle. Moreover, should this kind of injury occur, the sock according to the present invention allows for minimizing its impact. For instance, the sock of the present invention is particularly suitable for playing football/soccer, especially indoor.
The presence of one or more bands does not reduce the comfort of the sock which, therefore, can also be worn for daily use.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be made clearer by the following illustrative, not limiting, description with reference to the enclosed schematic drawings in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the sock according to the present invention;
figure 2 is a perspective view of the sock shown in figure 1;
figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the sock according to the present invention, in a first configuration;
figure 4 is a perspective view of the sock shown in figure 3, in a second configuration;
figure 5 is a side view of a third embodiment of the sock according to the present invention;
figure 6 is a perspective view, from behind, of the sock shown in figure 5.

With reference to figures 1-2 it is shown a sock 100 according to the present invention. In particular figures 1 and 2 show, in perspective view, the internal side I of a sock 100 for fitting on the left foot (the external side E is partially visible in figure 6). The sock 100 has a portion 101 suitable to wrap around the wearer's foot and a portion 102 suitable to wrap, at least partially, around the wearer's ankle. The length of the portion 102 can vary, in general, according to the uses of the sock 100. For instance the sock 100 can be short and the extendible portion 102 can extend in correspondence of the tibial zone of the user, or the sock 100 can be long and the portion 102 can extend to the knee of the user.
To clarify this even better, the portion of the sock 100 that wraps the user's toes has been marked with the reference number 103. The portion 104 is located in correspondence of the heel. The transversal axes X extends across the two malleola (medial and lateral) and corresponds to the axis of the tibio-tarsic articulation. In particular the portion 105 of the sock 100 is located in correspondence of the internal malleolus of the user (as shown in dashed-line in figure 1, underneath the band 105). Advantageously, the sock 100 is provided with a band-shaped element 106 intended to support the ligaments of the external part of the ankle of the user.
The band 106 (figure 2) has a first end 107 attached to the sock 100, preferably attached to the portion 102 located in correspondence of the medial malleolus. For instance the first end 107 can be integral with the sock 100, i.e. it can form a whole with the sock, or it can be sewn onto the sock 100 or attached by means of one or more Velcro-bands. According to an embodiment of the invention, the end 107 extends substantially vertical, while covering the medial malleolus.
A second end 108 of the band 106 can be attached in a non-permanent way to the sock 100. Preferably, the second end 106 can be attached to the sock 100, for example by means of one or more Velcro-strips or equivalent systems, in correspondence of the area 105, that is next to the medial malleolus. The end 108 can also be attached to the sock 100 by means of a button-lock.
The central portion of the band 106 extending between the two ends 107 and 108 is wrapped around the heel of the user and covers, at least partially, the lateral malleolus area so that it supports the ligaments.
The width of the band 106 can be adjusted to support larger or smaller areas of the ankle. For instance the width of the band 106 can be included in the range from 1 cm to 6 cm.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention the band 106 is made of a partially extendible material. In other words, the band 106 is preferably made of a material that can be partially elastically deformed in its length. In this way it is possible to adapt the band 106 to the shape of the user's foot while applying a tension on the band 106 which increases the support by the sock 100. For instance, the band 106 can be obtained by shaping an elastic gauze. The maximum extendibility of the band 106 caused by traction may reach 120% of the initial length. Other values can be provided for different applications.
Alternatively, the band 106 can be non extendible, for instance it can be made of a plastic material which is flexible but not elastically extendible.
In the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2 the band 106 forms a ring around the user's foot, covering the medial malleolus, the heel, the lateral malleolus and the lower anterior fibula. The band 106 can also be shaped in way that it can wrap twice around the user's foot, i.e. it can be long enough to form two rings.
The user of the sock 100 put into the proper position the band 106, eventually by adjusting its length to the leg and the foot. Once it is positioned, the band 106 does not interfere with normal movements of the foot and therefore does not reduce the comfort of the sock 100.
It will become clear to the skilled person that the sock 100 for the left foot and the sock 100 for the right foot are symmetrical, i.e. they take into account the natural symmetry of the legs.
The sock 100 can be used to practice sports such as football/soccer, rugby, basketball etc. Moreover, the sock 100 can be used for the treatment of particular pathologies of the ankle.
In comparison to existing socks, in fact, the sock 100 significantly limits the risk of twisting and eversing the ankle. The band 106 supports the ligaments, especially those situated in the outside area of the ankle, and limits significantly the possibility of sprains. In fact those ankle eversion-movements that are potentially harmful are limited thanks to the band 106.
The band 106 initially absorbs part of the energy of the ankle's inversion or eversion movement by extending until it has reached the maximum length in traction. When the movement in eversion/inversion increases and becomes dangerous, that is when the angle formed by the foot in relation to the ankle tends to increase and exceeds normal values, the band 106 prevents the foot to rotate further, in this way limiting the possibility that a sprain injury occurs (anti-sprain function).
The band 106 can be advantageously made out of one piece with the sock 100, in other words it can be integral with the same.
The figures 3 and 4 show in perspective a second embodiment 200 of the sock according to the present invention. The sock 200 is a sock for the left foot shown in perspective from its internal side I, that is the side that faces the right leg of the user (not illustrated). The portion 203 is the tip that goes around the toes, the portion 204 is the one corresponding to the heel and the portion 205 covers the medial malleolus. Unlike the sock 100 shown in figures 1 and 2, the sock 200 has a band element 206 having a generic form of a Y as shown in figure 3. The band 206 has a first end 207 that is the equivalent to the first end 107 of the sock 100, it extends initially following the heel and then branches off in a second strip that terminates with a second end 208 and in a third strip that terminates with a third end 209. The second end 208 is equivalent to the second end 108 of the sock 100 and is ideally attached on the malleolus area 205 as shown in figure 4. The third end 209 is wrapped around the ankle close to the lateral (external) malleolus 205 or next on it, and is preferably attached to the area where the anterior tibial tuberosity is located, as shown in figure 4.
The sock 200 allows for the effective support of the ligaments of the ankle, especially those located in the external area and the lower fibula area. The anti-sprain function is optimised since the band 206 terminates with two strips 208 and 209.
The figures 5 and 6 show a sock 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In particular the figure 5 shows a lateral view of the sock 300, from the internal side I of the sock, and figure 6 is a perspective view (3/4 from behind) of the same sock 300 in which a portion of the external side E of the sock can be seen, being the portion that faces the user's left side, in the opposite direction from the right leg. The sock 300 has two bands, a first band 306 equivalent to the band 106 of sock 100, and a second band 310. The band 310 can be connected to the first band 306 and/or to the sock 300, for instance by sewing. The first band 306 has the ends 307 (permanently attached to the sock) and 308 (attached in a removable, not permanent way to the sock) and forms a first ring, similar to the ring shown in figure 1, formed by band 106. In the shown embodiment, in correspondence of the heel 304 is located the second band 310 between the first band 306 and the fabric of the sock 300, being provided with an end 311 that extends around the ankle to support the ligaments along the lateral malleolus. The ends 311 can be attached to the sock 300 at the ends 307 of band 306 or can be secured directly onto the band 306.
The free ends of the bands 308 and 311 can be fixed to the sock 300 or to portions of the same bands by means of clips, buttons, velcro or equivalent items designed for stable fixing in a non permanent way.
The socks 100, 200 or 300 according to the present invention can be advantageously used while practising sports to reduce the impact of eversion ankle sprains and also for therapeutic purposes in the treatment of ankle sprains/eversions. In fact, the described bands provide support to the ankle ligaments and reduce eversion movements without any loss of comfort.
The bands 106, 206, 306 and 311 can be attached to the already finished respective sock, or they can be manufactured with the same sock, i.e. they can be integral with the same.

Claims

A sock (100, 200, 300) including at least one band (106, 206, 306) having a first end (107, 207, 307) attached to a portion of the sock which extends from the heel to the knee of the user, and a second end (108, 208, 308) which can be removable fastened to the sock, said band wrapping around the heel portion (104, 204, 304) of the sock and extending at least in part in correspondence of the portion of the sock in correspondence of the lateral malleolus of the user, characterised in that said first end of said at least one band is connected permanently to the sock portion in correspondence of the user's medial malleolus area (105) and in that said at least one band is external to the sock.
The sock according to claim 1, characterised in that said second end of said band can be removable secured to the sock in correspondence of the user's medial malleolus (105).
The sock according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that said at least one band comprises a third end (209) which is removable fixable to said sock.
The sock according to claim 3, characterised in that said third end can be secured to the sock in correspondence of the user's third medium of the anterior tibial tuberosity.
The sock according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterised in that said at least one band has a generic Y-shape.
The sock according to the previous claim from 3 to 5, characterised in that said third end (209) can be wrapped around the heel area of the sock.
The sock according to any of previous claims, characterised in that said at least one band is made of a partially extensible material.
The sock according to any of previous claims, characterised in that said second and third ends of said at least one band can be attached to the sock by means of velcro.
The sock according to any of previous claims, characterised in that the said least one band is integral with said sock.
Use of the sock according to any of the previous claims for practicing sports.