FR2879405A1 - Gripping system for pulling on knitted garments such as socks or stockings consists of knitted tongues or loops made near the open end - Google Patents

Abstract

The gripping system consists of a pair of tongues or loops (1) that are made as part of the socks or stockings during manufacture. They are positioned close to the the garment's open end (22) and located one on each side, on either side of the ankle. They can be knitted from the same yarn as that used for the socks or from a different yarn, and are made on a circular knitting machine with appropriate extra needles.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of textiles and relates to a

  gripping device intended to equip a piece of knitted clothing, of the sock type, which is defined by an element of substantially tubular shape, one of which

  end has an opening for the introduction of the foot, while the other end, closed, has a tip adapted to receive the toes, said tubular element being further provided with a zone for receiving the heel.

  The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a gripping device.

  It is already known to equip clothing items such as socks, ankle socks or stockings, a means to facilitate their donning and their adjustment on the ankle or leg. This means is conventionally in the form of a tongue or a loop, attached to the outer surface of the tubular knitted piece serving sock, stocking or sock, and adapted to be grasped between the fingers to exercise, by this intermediate, the movement back and forth vertical or horizontal for placing the tubular part in the desired position.

  Document GB 2 271 923 thus teaches, for example, the fact of equipping a sock with at least one gripping loop sewn on the edge of the opening allowing the passage of the foot, in such a way that extends outward, at the rear area of the sock. The presence of this loop, to pull the sock to the appropriate position, is thus supposed to facilitate the threading of the latter.

  Such a solution, however, does not appear completely satisfactory, because of its design, which not only requires additional manufacturing steps to sew the gripping loop or loops on the sock, but which is also characterized by great fragility. It is indeed obvious that the fact of exerting repeated tractions on the said loop or loops inevitably leads, more or less long term, to a break in the seam used to fix it or on the sock.

  Document US Pat. No. 4,514,863 also discloses a sock equipped with a stiffening band sewn longitudinally on the front zone and intended to prevent the sock from sagging with respect to the ankle. This stiffening strip is extended by a loop, emerging at the opening for the introduction of the foot, said loop defining a gripping means that can be used to pull the sock upwards, and adjust it properly along ankle.

  This last embodiment also has the disadvantage of requiring additional manufacturing steps, since the stiffening strip is, again, reported by stitching on a sock whose garment is already completed.

  It should be noted that knitted socks are also known, designed to prevent the sock from slipping on the foot and into the shoe.

  These elements protrude from the sock towards the outside thereof, a pompom for example, to abut on the edge of the shoe. These elements are not intended for gripping, in addition, they are woven using the needles for making the heel, so that they are necessarily positioned at the back of the sock, which does not constitute a ease of donning or removal.

  The present invention aims to provide a means for facilitating the introduction of clothing items such as socks or the like, but also to facilitate removal, and a method for the manufacture of this means, said device and said method does not have the disadvantages previously mentioned.

  Such an invention is thus primarily able to avoid any additional manufacturing steps, while offering the guarantee of a solid finished product and perfect quality.

  On the other hand, the object of the invention is also to propose a method of manufacture advantageously making it possible to make an infinity of models of gripping devices, in order to give them, if necessary, a certain playful and decorative character.

  For this purpose, the invention proposes a gripping device for knitted clothing part, of sock type defined by a substantially tubular shaped element whose one end has an opening for the introduction of the foot, while the other end, closed, has a tip adapted to receive the toes, said tubular element being further provided with an area for receiving the heel, characterized in that it comprises at least two handles, extending on the outer surface of the tubular element , in the vicinity of said opening, said loops being derived from knitting said tubular element.

  On the other hand, the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a device, characterized in that during the knitting of a tubular element defining a sock type of clothing piece, made in. continuous circular, we select the corresponding needles at the desired location of said handles, we program the cancellation of the other needles and they are placed in the waiting position, we knit said handles one by one in a movement alternating, then taking the needles previously placed in the waiting position, to continue the continuous circular knitting of the tubular element.

  The present invention also relates to the features which will emerge in the course of the description which follows, and which should be considered in isolation or in all their possible combinations.

  This description relating to exemplary embodiments, given by way of indication and not limitation, will make it easier to understand how the invention can be made, with reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. 1 represents a diagrammatic side view of A sock equipped with a device according to the invention 5 according to a first possible embodiment, - Figure 2 corresponds to a schematic view of the rear of the sock shown in Figure 1, the present invention relates to a gripping device adapted to be incorporated in a piece of clothing such as a sock 2, which is in the form of a tubular element 20, one end 21 of which has an opening 22 for the passage of the foot, while other end 23 is closed by a seam 24 to define a point in which are housed the toes. The tubular element 20 further has a zone 25 shaped to correspond to the shapes of a heel and intended to accommodate the latter.

  The sock 2 as shown in the figures is further provided, all around the opening 22 for the passage of the foot, at the end 21 of the tubular element 20, elastomeric elements forming an elastic band 26 able to grip the ankle and maintain the sock 2, once threaded, correctly in place.

  According to the invention, the gripping device is defined by two handles 1, extending on the outer surface of the tubular element 20, close to the opening 22. These handles 1 are derived from the knitting of the sock 2 , their respective ends 10, 11, are therefore joined through a mesh to the neighboring zones of the tubular element 20. The loops 1 are advantageously an integral part of the tubular part 20 which eliminates any risk of inadvertent tearing by sewing tear as encountered with the conventional devices mentioned above.

  As can be seen in FIG. 2, the handles 1 of the gripping device are incorporated in the tubular part 20 in such a way that they are not only each at an identical distance from the opening 22 for the passage of the foot, but also on both sides of the ankle, once the sock 2 threaded.

  Such an embodiment has an undeniable practical character. Indeed, it is thus possible, to coat the sock 2, to insert the right index finger in the handle 1 located on the right side of the sock 2, the left index finger in the handle 1 located on the left side sock 2, then to spread the opening 22 with the two thumbs, to introduce the foot into the sock 2, then to exert traction on each of the handles 1 simultaneously, to finally bring the element tubular 20 to the proper position around the ankle.

  The fact of allowing the simultaneous use of both hands for the introduction of the sock 2, allows to distribute the tensile stresses on several areas, which further reduces the risk of untimely tearing and possible pulling of the handles 1.

  The gripping device according to the invention may also adopt other embodiments, without limiting the solid and practical character desired.

  Thus, the number of loops 1 can advantageously be increased, so as to offer more possibilities to the user, who is then free to select those supposed most suited to the movement to be performed to properly position the sock 2.

  Moreover, for the same purpose of increasing the range of models that can be envisaged for a gripping device according to the invention, and of reconciling the practical and aesthetic characteristics, the handles 1 incorporated in the sock 2 are either all knitted using of the same thread as: that used to make the sock 2, either all knitted using a different thread than that used to make the sock 2, or each knitted with a thread that is specific to it .

  It is therefore quite possible to provide, for example, a knitted sock 2 from a thread of a certain color, knitted handles 1 using one or more threads of a different color. of the last. Similarly, it is also possible to obtain contrasts of materials, by using, to make the sock 2 and the handles 1, a plurality of son of different material.

  In the figures, the handles 1 are arranged at a distance from the opening 22, but it is perfectly possible to provide them at the level of the latter, as shown in broken lines.

  The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a gripping device as previously described, which consists of adapting the knitting method conventionally used to make a tubular element 20 defining a sock type clothing part 2, so as to to incorporate directly all the loops 1 desired without additional manufacturing steps.

  For this purpose, the present method provides that during the knitting of a tubular element 20, conventionally produced using a single-cylinder machine with electronic control working in a continuous circular, the needles corresponding to the desired location of the handles 1, it is programmed the cancellation of the other needles by placing them in the waiting position, then we knit the handles one by one in three dimensions in a reciprocating movement, finally we take the needles again previously placed in the waiting position, to continue the continuous circular knitting of the tubular element 20.

  In order to allow the preparation of the various models that can be envisaged for the gripping device 1, the present method is also advantageously characterized by selecting for each of the loops 1 a predetermined number of needles, corresponding to the desired final width for each of them, and then knitting each of the handles 1 with the appropriate number of ranks, corresponding to the final height of the handle 1 desired.

  Similarly, the present method also provides the possibility of using, for the knitting of the handles 1, a thread of predetermined material and color, according to the same or different case for each of the loops 1, the thread can be defined by the one used to manufacture the tubular element 20 defining the sock 2 or another wire.

  It goes without saying that the present invention can not be limited to the foregoing description of several of its embodiments, may undergo some modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

  1) gripping device for knit clothing part, sock type (2) defined by a member (20) of substantially tubular shape, one end (21) has an opening (22) for the introduction of the foot, while the other end (23), closed, has a tip adapted to receive the toes, said tubular element (20) being further provided with a zone (25) for receiving the heel, characterized in that it comprises at least two handles (1), extending on the outer surface of the tubular element (20), in the vicinity of said opening (22), said handles (1) being derived from the knitting of said tubular element (20).   2) A gripping device according to claim 1, characterized in that the handles are two in number, and each disposed on one side, on either side of the ankle, once the sock 2 threaded.   3) gripping device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the handles (1) are all knitted using the wire used to make the sock (2).   4) gripping device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the handles (1) are knitted using one or more son different from that used to make the sock (2).   5) A method of manufacturing a device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during the knitting of a tubular element (20) belonging to a piece of clothing type sock (2), realized in a continuous circle, the needles corresponding to the desired location of the handles (1) are selected, the other needles are canceled and they are placed in the waiting position, the handles are knitted (1 ) one by one in a reciprocating movement, then takes the needles previously placed in the waiting position, to continue the knitting of the tubular element (20).   6) Method according to claim 5, characterized in that one selects for each of the handles (1) a predetermined number of needles, corresponding to the desired final width for each of them, and knit each of said handles (1) using a predetermined number of rows, corresponding to the desired final height of the handle (1) considered.   7) A method according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that one uses for the knitting of the loops, a thread of predetermined material, according to the same or different case for each of said loops, said thread can be defined by that used to manufacture said tubular member or other wire.