GB2111833A

GB2111833A - Medical thigh-length stockings

Info

Publication number: GB2111833A
Application number: GB08202975A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Reinhart Barth
Original assignee: Lohmann GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Lohmann GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1981-12-22
Filing date: 1982-02-02
Publication date: 1983-07-13
Also published as: GB2111833B

Abstract

A medical circumferentially elastic thigh-length stocking which in use exerts on the leg a compressive force gradually decreasing towards the upper part of the stocking, having a substantially wedge-shaped gusset 6 of circumferentially elastic material inserted in the upper thigh part of the stocking 4, a band 8 of elastic material extending round an upper part of the stocking, fastened to the main body of the stocking and to the gusset and so located as to contact the upper thigh of a wearer to prevent slipping, wherein the stocking, at the level, including the band, is more easily stretchable in the region of the gusset than elsewhere. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Medical thigh-length stocking The present invention relates to a medical thigh length stockings.

Medical thigh-length stockings are known with a circumferentially elastic leg, which exerts on the leg of a wearer a compression force gradually decreasing towards the upperthigh. Such stockings may have a substantially wedge-shaped gusset inserted in the upper thigh part, the circumferentially elastic material of which gusset is softer and fits more closely or is more comfortable, supple or pliant than the material of the stocking into which it is fitted.

There may be an elastic strip or band extending round the top edge of the stocking, fastened to the main body of the stocking and to the gusset and contacting the wearers upper thigh to prevent slipping.

Stockings of this type are known and are used, in particular, in post-operative treatment to counteract the danger of embolism by increasing the venous return rate. This is achieved by the elastic stocking exerting a compression force on the leg,the best results being obtained if the compression force gradually decreases up the leg.

In order to reduce the danger of these stockings slipping down, which arises because of the lower compression force at the top, a peripheral band of elastic, or attached garter, has been provided at the upper edge of the stocking to prevent slipping. This has generally been provided with a coating of soft silicone rubber. However, the danger arose of the band cutting into the upper thigh, particularly in the case of patients with a large upper-thigh diameter, so that the effect aimed at by decreasing the compression force progressively up the leg was negated.

It has already been attempted to overcome this disadvantage by using not a complete peripheral of elastic band but a band extending only around part of the stocking top and not into the zone of the gusset. However, these stockings had the disadvantage that they readily slipped out of place, since the band serving to prevent slip did not extend all the way round the upper thigh.

According to the present invention there is provided a medical circumferentially elastic thighlength stocking which in use exerts on the leg a compressive force gradually decreasing towards the upper part of the stocking, having a substantially wedge-shaped gusset of circumferentially elastic material inserted in the upper thigh part of the stocking, a band of elastic material extending round an upper part of the stocking, fastened to the main body of the stocking and to the gusset and so located as to contact the upper thigh of a wearer to prevent slipping, wherein the stocking, at the level, including the band, is more easily stretchable in the region of the gusset than elsewhere.

The ease of stretching of the top part of the stocking may be expressed by a coefficient of elongation. The coefficient of elongation a is defined by the following formula a=A1/1a in which, Al signifies the change in length, 1 the original length and a the tension.

Preferably, the coefficient of elongation a of the stocking at the level of the band in the zone of the gusset is approximately 1.5 to 2.5 times its coefficient of elongation over the remaining part of the circumference of the thigh. However, it is possible to exceed or drop below these values within wide limits.

The increase in the coefficient of elongation may be a property of the band itself or may be due to the manner in which it is fixed and may be achieved in various ways.

According to one embodiment, it is possible to use an elastic band which contains elastic threads in the peripheral or circumferential direction, which threads in the zone of the gusset are either provided in a lower number and/or with a higher coefficient of elongation than in the remainder of the band. For this purpose, for example, it is possible to sew togethertwo band portions with a different number of elastic threads, the band portion joined to the gusset containing less elastic threads. However, the number of elastic threads may also be the same in the zone of the gusset and in remainder, with thinner elastic threads used being adjacent the gusset.

Moreover, it is also possible to reduce the width of the elastic band in the zone of the gusset.

In specifically preferred embodiments, however, the band may be uniform along its length and in the untensioned condition, either (a) the length of the elastic band fastened to the gusset is greater than the untensioned length of the gusset material where it is attached, e.g. at the upper edge, and/or (b) the length of the elastic band fastened to the remainder is the same as or smaller than the untensioned length of the stocking material to which it is attached. In these embodiments, therefore, the elastic band is fastened to the untensioned gusset with a greater or pucker and/or to the untensioned remainder of the upper thigh part with a smaller gather, without gather or with a slight pretensioning.In either case, the band is rendered more easily stretchable adjacent the gusset by a difference in the tension of the material to which it is attached adjacent the gusset and elsewhere along its length.

The elastic band may be fastened in a conventional manner by sewing to the top edge of the gusset and of the upper thigh part. The seams may be applied as 1-3-needle/double-chain stitch, zigzag quilting stitch or back-stitching and overcast seam.

The elastic band may be fed to a sewing-machine head, together with the upper edges of the stocking, advantageously by means of feed cylinders, by means of which the pretensioning of the band can be adjusted.

The invention is illustrated below by a description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a thigh-length stocking according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a top view of the stocking with gathered elastic band in the region of the gusset; Figure 3 shows a top view of the stocking with gathered stocking material attached to the band except at the gusset.

In Figure 1 the lower leg part is designated 2 and the wider upper thigh part is designated 4. Both parts consist of a perse known circumferentially elastic material and they merge uniformly into one another. The compression force exerted on the leg gradually decreases towards the upper thigh part.

The stocking is normally a seamless, circular-knitted one, the elasticity of which is dependent on elastomeric yarns.

A substantially wedge-shaped gusset 6 is inserted in the upper thigh part, i.e. is normally sew in subsequently. The gusset 6, like the upper thigh part, consists of a circumferentially elastic material which, however, is softer and fits more closely than the material of the upper thigh part, or stretches more easily.

At the upper edge of the stocking is provided a peripheral elastic band 8 which is sewn both to the upper thigh part of the stocking main body 4 and to the gusset 6. The band 8 is applied under the upper thigh part 4 and the gusset 6 so as to contact the upper thigh and serves to prevent slip. For this purpose, it is advantageous to provide a soft silicone rubber coating or similar material on the surface applying against the upper thigh. Elastic threads are diagrammatically indicated at 10, which extend in the circumferential direction of the band 8. The higher coefficient of elongation of the band 8 in the region of the gusset 6 is denoted by the fact that the elastic threads 10 are not shown so close together in this area.The elastic band may, however, also contain thinner or otherwise inherently more easily stretchable elastic threads in this region or a narrow- er band portion may be inserted.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the band is uniform along its length but the length of the elastic band 8 fastend in the region of the gusset 6 is greater than the length of the top edge of the gusset 6, i.e. the elastic band 8 is fastened to the untensioned gusset 6 with a gather, namely at the fastening points 12.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 the band is once again uniform along its length, however, the length of the elastic band 8 fastened to the upper thigh part of the stocking's main body 4 is less than the length of the top edge of the upper thigh part 4, i.e. the material of the upper thigh part 4 is gathered and is joined to the elastic band 8 only at the fastening points 12.

In both embodiments the coefficient of elongation is lower in the region of the gusset than in the region of the upper thigh part when the stocking is put on and stretched over the upper thigh. No constriction is caused by the elastic band 8 and, furthermore. this latter also prevents the stocking from slipping down.

As specifically exemplified the stocking of the invention enables the compression force to decrease gradually towards the upper thigh part, without the band used to prevent slip cutting into the upper thigh and without the stocking slipping out of place.

Claims

1. A medical circumferentially elastic thighlength stocking which in use exerts on the leg a compressive force gradually decreasing towards the upper part of the stocking, having a substantially wedge-shaped gusset of circumferentially elastic material inserted in the upper thigh part of the stocking, a band of elastic material extending round an upper part of the stocking, fastened to the main body of the stocking and to the gusset and so located as to contact the upper thigh of a wearer to prevent slipping, wherein the stocking, at the level, including the band, is more easily stretchable in the region of the gusset than elsewhere.

2. A stocking as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coefficient of elongation of the stocking, at the level including the band, in the region of the gusset is approximately 1.5 to 2.5 times its coefficient of elongation of the remainder of the stocking at that level.

3. A stocking as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the band contains circumferentially extending elastic threads, which threads are provided in a lower number and/or with a higher coefficient of elongation in the band at the region of the gusset than in the remainder of the band.

4. A stocking as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the untensioned condition the length of the band fastened to the gusset is greater than the untensioned length of the gusset fastened thereto and/or wherein the untensioned length of the band fastened to the remaining part of the stocking is the same as or smaller than the untensioned length of the part of the stocking.

5. A stocking as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material of the gusset is softer and fits more closely or is more easily stretchable than the stocking material into which it is inserted.

6. A stocking substantially as hereinbefore de scribedwith reference to and illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A medical thigh-length stocking having a circumferentially elastic, lower leg part and a corresponding upper thigh part, which exert on the leg a compression force gradually decreasing towards the upper thigh part, and having a substantially wedgeshaped gusset inserted in the upper thigh part, the circumferentially elastic material of which gusset is softer and fits more closely than the material of the upperthigh part, and having a hand of elastic material extending round the top edge of the stocking, fastened to the upper thigh part and to the gusset for contact against the upper thigh of the wearer to prevent slipping, wherein the band in the region of the gusset has a higher coefficient of elongation than in the region of the upper thigh part.