JP2010100981A - Socks - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pair of socks enabling obtaining effects of preventing swelling of the leg and reducing fatigue when walking, and supporting a kicking force when walking. <P>SOLUTION: This pair of socks is so formed that a pressing force of a plain knit area 13 of a leg part 1 is gradually brought to a high pressure in the vertical direction from a leg inserting part 11 to an ankle part 12, and a support area 14 whose pressing force is higher than that of the plain knit area 13 is set in the leg part 1 so as to surround swelling of the calf of a person from the lower side. As a result, the socks assist expansion and contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle and support a kicking force when walking because of obtaining a force lifting from the lower side without applying an unnecessary tightening force to the gastrocnemius muscle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sock that can prevent leg edema and reduce fatigue during walking and can support a kicking force during walking.

Conventionally, socks have been proposed in which the tightening pressure on the leg is changed from strong to weak from the sole to the upper end forming the foot insertion opening.
JP-A-2005-240222

  For example, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the tightening pressure at the lowermost ankle portion is in the range of 20 hPa to 30 hPa, the tightening pressure at the uppermost calf upper portion is in the range of 11 hPa to 18 hPa, At the middle calf and lower calf between the ankle and upper calf, the clamping pressure at the calf lower part is in the range of 15 hPa to 23 hPa, which is weaker than the clamping pressure at the ankle, and the clamping pressure at the calf mid is tightened at the calf lower part. Socks set to be in a range of 13 hPa to 19 hPa weaker than the applied pressure are disclosed.

  According to this conventional sock, since the tightening pressure on the leg is changed from strong to weak from the sole to the upper end part that forms the foot insertion opening, suppression of leg edema and recovery of fatigue on the leg or It is said that the effect of promoting the reduction can be obtained.

Conventionally, the knitting method is different not only in the wale direction of the leg part but also in the course direction of the front shin side and the rear bulge shin side of the leg part, and the bulge shin side where many venous blood vessels exist Socks having a configuration in which the tightening pressure on the legs is changed so as to effectively tighten the legs are also proposed.
JP 2006-104599 A

  For example, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, a first knitting structure for generating a first wearing pressure is arranged on the rear surface side of the leg portion, and the second knitting structure is weaker than the first wearing pressure on the front surface side of the leg portion. A second knitting structure that generates a pressure is disposed, and a predetermined pressure that is an intermediate value relative to the first and second pressures at an intermediate portion between the first knitting structure and the second knitting structure of the leg. A sock having a configuration in which a third knitting structure for generating the above is arranged is disclosed.

  According to this conventional sock, blood circulation of the foot can be promoted, and effects such as fatigue reduction by smooth blood flow can be obtained.

  By the way, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the muscles on the back side of the human lower leg are roughly divided into the gastrocnemius 30 and the soleus 40, and the gastrocnemius 30 is divided into an inner head 31 and an outer head 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the medial head 31 starts from the medial epicondyle of the femur 33, and the lateral head 32 originates from the lateral epicondyle of the femur 33, and reaches the radius 35 through the Achilles tendon 34.

  FIG. 6 illustrates an operation (b) of ankle joint bottom bending (in a state where the toes are lowered) and an operation (a) of dorsiflexion (in a state where the toes are lowered) opposite to the plantar bending. The gastrocnemius 30 is a calf muscle that is involved in the movement of the plantar flexion of the ankle joint and the bending motion of the knee joint as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the gastrocnemius 30 is a biarticular muscle that starts at the femur 33, and thus exerts a force when the knee is extended, and has a plantar flexion shown in FIG. 6 (b). It is responsible for movement.

  On the other hand, unlike the gastrocnemius muscle 30, the soleus muscle 40 is not involved in the bending motion of the knee joint, but is involved only in the motion of the ankle joint. When the knee is bent, the force of the gastrocnemius muscle 30 is weakened. Therefore, the soleus 40 is mainly used for the plantar flexion in the state where the knee is bent.

  FIG. 5 is a cut surface taken along the line A-A ′ in FIG. 4, and shows the positional relationship between the soleus 40 and the gastrocnemius 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the gastrocnemius 30 is located on the outer side (side closer to the skin surface) than the soleus 40.

  When a person walks, the knee joint flexes, and when the toe and the base of the finger catch the ground and kick out, as shown in FIG. To do. For this reason, the gastrocnemius 30 is used more frequently than the soleus 40 during the kicking out of the walking.

  Therefore, if lactic acid accumulates in the gastrocnemius muscle 30 due to exercise or walking for a long time and the expansion and contraction is hindered, it will affect the bottom flexion of the ankle joint and the kicking force will be weakened, which will interfere with comfortable walking and exercise. It will be. Therefore, in order to obtain a strong kicking force and perform a comfortable walking exercise, a sock having a pressure-contact structure that assists the expansion and contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle 30 is required.

  However, among the conventional socks described above, first, the sock disclosed in Patent Document 1 specifies a stepping pressure in the vertical direction of the leg portion, but the rear surface from the front shin side of the leg portion. There is a problem that the gastrocnemius muscle 30 is tightened more than necessary because there is no change in the wearing pressure in the course direction toward the calves.

  The sock disclosed in Patent Document 2 is configured to generate different pressures in the course direction of the leg portion, but is exclusively for the purpose of promoting blood circulation, so it is worn on the calf side where there are many venous blood vessels. It is configured to provide a high pressure region. Therefore, in the sock of patent document 2, there existed a problem that fastening the gastrocnemius 30 located in the calf side was inevitable.

  In addition, the socks of Patent Documents 1 and 2 cannot obtain the effect of supporting the gastrocnemius muscle 30 from below without giving the gastrocnemius muscle 30 itself excessive tightening.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that conventional socks do not apply excessive pressure to the gastrocnemius that is involved in the kicking force during walking, and cannot support the gastrocnemius from below. It is.

In order to achieve the above object, the sock of the present invention comprises:
The wearing pressure of the flat knitting area of the leg part is gradually increased in the vertical direction from the foot insertion part to the ankle part, and the swelling of the calf shin of the sock wearer is surrounded by the leg part from below. The most important feature point is that a support region having a higher wearing pressure than the flat knitting region is provided.

  According to the sock of the present invention, the support force can be obtained in the direction of lifting from the bottom to the top without applying an excessive tightening force to the gastrocnemius, so that the extension of the gastrocnemius that is involved in the kicking force during walking is assisted. can do. Therefore, if the socks of the present invention are worn, a comfortable walking motion can be promoted.

  The purpose of the present invention is not only to prevent swelling of the legs and to reduce fatigue, but also to support from the lower side without applying excessive pressure to the gastrocnemius muscle, and to apply the wearing pressure in the flat knitting area of the leg portion from the foot insertion portion. A strong pressure is gradually applied in the vertical direction over the ankle portion, and a support region having a higher wearing pressure than the flat knitting region is provided in the leg portion so as to surround the swelling of the calf shin of the sock wearer from below. Realized by that. The “wearing pressure” refers to a tightening force by which the knitted fabric of the sock tightens the leg portion in the course direction.

  In the present invention, it is more preferable that the support area gradually reduces the wearing pressure as it approaches the calf portion that covers the swelling of the calf shin of the sock wearer. This is because if the pressure is gradually reduced, the shape of the bulge of the calf will follow and the knitted fabric in the support area will not stretch.

  In addition, in order to prevent leg edema and make it difficult to get tired, it is necessary to promote blood flow not only in the leg portion but also in the foot portion. Therefore, in the sock of the present invention, it is desirable that the wearing pressure of the foot part is gradually increased from the heel part to the toe part.

  In addition, there is a sole arch structure consisting of vertical and horizontal arches on the soles of the human foot, acting as a spring to relieve shock when walking on the ground and distribute the weight throughout the foot And play a role in smooth weight transfer. However, if the toe standing on high heels or walking with hard leather shoes continues for a long time, the bottom side tufted ligament or the long plantar ligament, which maintained the longitudinal arch, continued to be overstretched. The arch of the footbow falls and it becomes difficult to maintain a normal curve. For this reason, if the shape of the vertical arch of the vertical arch cannot be maintained, the impact absorption effect during walking cannot be obtained sufficiently, and normal walking movements cannot be performed, causing fatigue of the feet and pain in specific areas. Cause.

  Therefore, in the present invention, it is more desirable to provide a non-stretchable region from the center of the sole of the foot to the front in the vicinity of the ankle inside and outside so that not only the gastrocnemius but also the sole arch can be supported. This is because the non-stretchable region supports the direction in which the sole arch is lifted upward, and the descent of the sole arch can be prevented as much as possible.

  Hereinafter, the best mode of the sock of the present invention and the manufacturing method thereof will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2 and FIGS. 7 to 11. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a sock according to the present invention for a right foot as viewed from the side, where (a) is an inner side, (b) is an outer side, and FIG. 2 (a) is the sock. FIG. 2B is an explanatory view of the sock viewed from the back direction, and FIGS. 7 to 9 are examples of the structure of the knitting structure of the support region of the sock of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of the knitting structure of the calf part of the sock of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of the flat knitting constituting the leg part of the sock of the present invention. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sock S of the present embodiment is knitted by a sock knitting machine, and is composed of a leg portion 1 and a foot portion 2 as in a normal sock. In FIG.1 (b), the leg part 1 has the leg insertion part 11 above AA 'line, the ankle part 12 between a BB' line and CC 'line, and AA'. It is comprised with the cylindrical part between a line and BB 'line.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the front surface side of the cylindrical portion between the A-A 'line and the B-B' line includes a shin side portion upper portion 16a and a shin side portion lower portion 16b. On the other hand, the rear surface side includes a calf part 17a that covers the bulge part of the calf shin of the sock wearer, a calf part lower part 17b, and an ankle part upper part 17c. In FIG. 1, a region without a pattern represents a flat knitting region 13.

  In the present invention, the most characteristic configuration is that the wearing pressure of the flat knitting region 13 of the leg portion 1 is gradually increased in the vertical direction from the foot insertion portion 11 to the ankle portion 12, and the leg portion 1 A support region 14 having a higher wearing pressure than the flat knitting region 13 is provided so as to surround the swelling of the socks wearer's calf shin from below.

  Since the socks of the present invention are more closely attached to the skin than ordinary socks, it is desirable to use natural fibers that are gentle to the skin in consideration of the feeling of wear, and also has moisture absorption and deodorization properties. Fiber is the best. The sock S of the present embodiment uses wool yarn as a fiber material having both of these.

  The sock S of this embodiment is knitted with front and back yarns using a normal sock knitting machine. As the back yarn, it is desirable to use FTY which has good knitting properties and allows easy adjustment of the wearing pressure. FTY is a fiber that is generally used as a back thread of a sock in which a nylon fiber or a polyester fiber is covered with a polyurethane fiber. In addition, weaving pressure is improved over ordinary socks by weaving rubber threads throughout the socks.

  In the sock S of this embodiment, as a means for gradually increasing the wearing pressure of the flat knitting region 13 of the leg portion 1 in the vertical direction from the foot insertion portion 11 to the ankle portion 12, the rubber yarn is fed. A method of adjusting the amount of filling and the stitch density is adopted, and the pressure on the skin of the leg (tightening force) is gradually reduced from the ankle portion 12 to the foot insertion portion 11 with one course as one unit. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the leg part itself is also formed with a taper by reducing the diameter on the ankle part 12 side, increasing the diameter on the foot insertion part 11 side, and tightening the leg insertion part 11 side. We are weak.

  In addition, as the amount of rubber thread fed per course decreases, the contact pressure (clamping force) increases, and as the density increases, the contact pressure (clamping force) increases. However, the adjustment of the mesh density has a higher influence on the contact pressure than the adjustment of the amount of rubber thread fed. Therefore, in the sock S of the present embodiment, the stitch density is intensively adjusted in consideration of the shape of the human leg.

  Specifically, the amount of rubber thread fed from the foot insertion portion 11 to the ankle portion 12 is gradually reduced, while the stitch density is gradually increased. By adopting such a structure, an effect of assisting a function of appropriately pushing the blood flow upward is exerted, so that edema of the legs can be prevented and fatigue can be prevented. Moreover, since the shape of the beautiful leg tightened can also be maintained, it is suitable also as a sock for women.

  In addition, in order to prevent leg edema and make it hard to get tired, it is necessary to promote not only the legs but also the blood flow of the soles. Therefore, the sock S of this embodiment increases edema by increasing the wearing pressure of the foot part 2 stepwise from the heel part 21 to the toe part 22 and promoting blood circulation of the sole by the same method as described above. The prevention effect is enhanced.

  By adopting a configuration in which the wearing pressure of the flat knitting region 13 of the leg portion 1 is gradually increased in the vertical direction from the foot insertion portion 11 to the ankle portion 12, prevention of edema during standing work, during walking exercise Although it can reduce fatigue, this alone cannot avoid meaningless pressure on the calf shin, impedes the movement of the gastrocnemius, and cannot support the kicking force. Therefore, in the sock of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the leg portion 1 has a support region 14 having a higher wearing pressure than the plain knitting region 13 so as to surround the swelling of the sock wearer's calf shin from below. It was provided. Accordingly, the support force is applied in the direction in which the gastrocnemius is lifted from the bottom to the top without excessively tightening the gastrocnemius muscle, so that the kicking force during walking is good.

  Next, the knitting structure of the support area 14 will be described. The sock S of the present embodiment is roughly divided into five different knitted fabric regions as the entire sock S. Specifically, in FIG. 1, regions 14a, 14b, and 14c are knitted by tack knitting, region 15 is knitted by mesh, and region 13 is knitted by flat knitting. The tuck knitting of the regions 14a, 14b, and 14c changes the stretchability by changing the yarn usage and the knitting pattern.

  7 to 11 illustrate knitted structures in the order of the regions 14a, 14b, 14c, the region 15, and the region 13, respectively. In each figure, V is the front yarn (2/72 wool yarn), W is the back yarn (20/75 FTY), X is the rubber yarn, and Y is the handle yarn (70/2 wooly nylon). Represents.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the region 14a is knitted using the front yarn V, the back yarn W, the rubber yarn X, and the handle yarn Y, with “2-course flat knitting / two coat knitting” as the knitting unit, and is the strongest. A contact pressure (clamping force) can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the region 14 b is knitted with “1 course flat knitting, 1 coat stack knitting” as a knitting unit using a front yarn V, a back yarn W, a rubber yarn X, and a pattern yarn Y. Can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the area 14 c has “2-course flat knitting and 2-coast knitting” as the knitting unit, as in the area 14 a, but the pattern yarn Y is not knitted, and the expansion and contraction of the knitted structure is not limited. Therefore, as a result, the contact pressure (clamping force) becomes weaker than that of the region 14b.

  The region 15 is a portion covering the calf shin, and has a mesh knitting structure composed of the front yarn V, the back yarn W, and the rubber yarn X as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the region 13 is knitted by a general flat knitting.

  Thus, in this example, as the calf part 15 that covers the bulge of the calf shin of the sock wearer approaches, the wearing pressure of the support region 14 is gradually reduced in the order of the regions 14a, 14b, and 14c. Furthermore, since the contact pressure is reduced in the order of the region 15 and the region 13, the knitted fabric of the support region 14 is not stretched, and the shape of the bulge of the calf shin can be followed to cover the calf shin part. Therefore, the support force for supporting the calf from the lower side is also more suitable.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the five stages of the pressure of the regions 14a, 14b, 14c, the region 15, and the region 13 are used. However, in the present invention, the pressure may be six or more. However, if the number of stages is six or more, the knitting structure becomes complicated, and there is a high possibility that the knitting efficiency will be reduced and defective products will be generated. Therefore, from the viewpoint of productivity and quality assurance, 5 as in this embodiment. Most desirable is a stage.

  In addition, due to the nature of the sock knitting machine, although it is relatively easy to change the landing pressure in the vertical direction of the leg portion 1 in a stepwise manner, the landing pressure is high in the form of crossing diagonally as in the support region 14. Providing the part places a burden on the knitting machine, so it is necessary to pay attention to productivity and generation of defective products.

  Fig.2 (a) is explanatory drawing which looked at the sock S of a present Example from the front direction, FIG.2 (b) is explanatory drawing which looked at the sock from the direction of the back surface.

  On the soles of the human foot, there is an arch structure of the sole consisting of vertical and horizontal arches, which acts like a spring to relieve shock when walking on the ground and distribute the weight throughout the foot, Plays a role in smooth weight transfer. However, if the toe standing on high heels or walking with hard leather shoes continues for a long time, the bottom side tuft ligament or the long plantar ligament that maintained the longitudinal arch continued to be overstretched. The arch of the footbow falls and it becomes difficult to maintain a normal curve. For this reason, if the shape of the vertical arch of the vertical arch cannot be maintained, the impact absorption effect during walking cannot be obtained sufficiently, and normal walking movements cannot be performed, causing fatigue of the feet and pain in specific areas. Cause.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, not only the gastrocnemius muscle but also the sole arch can be supported, as shown in FIGS. , A non-stretchable region 25 is provided.

  The non-stretchable region 25 has the same knitted structure as the region 14a having the highest contact pressure in the support region 14 described above. Since such a non-stretchable region 25 is provided, in the sock S of the embodiment, the support force works in the direction of pulling up the sole arch upward, and the fall of the sole arch can be prevented as much as possible.

  Further, in this embodiment, the support region 14 is divided into left and right starting from the central portion 16aa of the shin side upper portion 16a of the leg portion 1 and extends obliquely downward, and draws a curve so as to gradually approach horizontal. The leg part 1 intersects with the center part 17bb of the calf part lower part 17b, and is divided into right and left again, extends to the base part 27 of the instep part 26 of the foot part 2, and continues to the non-stretchable region 25.

  As described above, if the non-stretchable region 25 and the support region 14 are integrated, the lifting force of the sole arch can be improved, and the instep portion 26 can be used when the foot is stepped forward during walking. The effect of pulling up the vicinity 27 of the base is also obtained, and the dorsiflexion (state where the toes are lowered) as shown in FIG.

  Further, as described above, when the non-stretchable region 25 and the support region 14 are integrated, the flexibility of the base portion 27 of the instep portion 26 is slightly impaired. In this embodiment, the base portion 27 is tacked. Provided. By doing so, since several lines are provided in the circumferential direction of the sock S, the angle of the base portion 27 (the angle formed by the leg portion 1 and the foot portion 2) increases or decreases with walking. Therefore, it is preferable to follow the above.

  Further, a method and results of a test conducted to confirm that the sock of the present invention not only supports the kicking force during walking but also has a leg swelling suppression effect will be described. In the following tests, an example of an embodiment of the sock of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is an “example”, and an example of a conventional sock that does not have a configuration that changes the support area and the wearing pressure stepwise is a “comparative example”. " The swelling measurement test was carried out under the following conditions and method.

(Measurement conditions)
Subjects: Three female office workers in their 20s (hereinafter referred to as subjects A, B, and C)
Measurement site: Calf circumference, ankle circumference, instep circumference (perimeter around the arch) were measured.

(Measurement method)
1) In the morning before work, measure the perimeter of each measurement area with bare feet (unit: mm).
2) After each subject wears the socks of the example and the comparative example for 6 hours during business hours, the circumference of the measurement part is measured again (unit: mm).
3) As the amount of swelling, the difference between the measured values of 1) and 2) above was determined. About test subject A, B, and C, the test result of the Example and the comparative example was as showing in the following Table 1-Table 3, respectively. Moreover, what calculated | required the average value of the result of Table 1-Table 3 for every measurement site | part was set to Table 4.

  As shown in Table 4, the difference between the example and the comparative example was the calf circumference-1.7 mm, the ankle circumference-1.4 mm, and the instep circumference-4.7 mm when viewed from the average values of the three subjects ( Both are rounded to the second decimal place). This indicates that the sock of the present invention has a higher swelling suppression effect at any part than the conventional sock.

  The present invention is not limited to the above example, and it goes without saying that the embodiment may be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea described in each claim. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the regions 14a, 14b, and 14c of the support region 14 are configured so that the shin side is narrower and the calf side is wider. , 14b, 14c are not limited to this shape.

  As described above, the sock of the present invention increases the wearing pressure of the flat knitting region of the leg part in a stepwise manner in the vertical direction from the foot insertion part to the ankle part, and on the leg part, By providing a support area with higher wearing pressure than the flat knitting area so as to surround the swelling of the calf shin from the lower side, it can be lifted from the lower side without tightening the gastrocnemius, so It can assist to support the kicking force when walking. Therefore, if the socks of the present invention are worn, a comfortable walking motion can be promoted.

  The socks of the present invention can also be applied to high socks, over knee socks and the like.

It is explanatory drawing which looked at the sock of this invention for right feet from the side surface direction, (a) is a figure showing the inner side surface, (b) is the outer side surface. (A) is explanatory drawing which looked at the sock of FIG. 1 from the front direction, (b) is explanatory drawing which looked at the sock from the back direction. It is explanatory drawing of the gastrocnemius which is a back muscle of a person's leg part. It is explanatory drawing of the soleus muscle which is a back muscle of a person's leg. FIG. 4 is a cut surface taken along the line A-A ′ in FIG. 4, showing the positional relationship between the soleus and gastrocnemius. (A) is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of the ankle joint dorsiflexion (state which lowered the toe), (b) is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of the bottom flexion of the ankle joint (state which lowered the toe). It is a figure explaining the knitting structure | tissue of the area | region where the wearing pressure is the strongest among the support areas of the sock of an Example. It is a figure explaining the knitting structure | tissue of the area | region used as medium wearing pressure in the support area | region of the sock of an Example. It is a figure explaining the knitting structure | tissue of the area | region where a wearing pressure becomes weakest in the support area | region of the sock of an Example. It is a figure explaining the knitting structure | tissue of the calf part of the sock of an Example. It is a figure explaining the knitting structure | tissue of the flat knitting area | region of the sock of an Example.

Explanation of symbols

S Socks 1 Leg part 11 Foot insertion part 12 Ankle part 13 Flat knitting area 14 Support area 14a Tuck knitting area (2 course flat knitting, 2 coat knitting, pattern yarn)
14b Tack knitting area (1 course flat knitting, 1 coat stack knitting, pattern yarn)
14c Tuck knitting area (2 course flat knitting, 2 coat knitting)
15 calf area (mesh knitting area)
16a Upper part of shin side part 16b Lower part of shin part 17a Lower part of shin part 17b Lower part of shin part 17c Upper part of ankle part 2 Foot part 21 Heel part 22 Toe part 23 Center part of sole 24 Ankle part 25 Non-stretchable area 26 Instep part 27 Root part

Claims (5)

  The wearing pressure of the flat knitting area of the leg part is gradually increased in the vertical direction from the foot insertion part to the ankle part, and the swelling of the socks wearer's calf shin is surrounded by the leg part from below. A sock comprising a support region having a higher wearing pressure than the flat knitting region.   2. The sock according to claim 1, wherein the support area gradually reduces the wearing pressure as it approaches the calf portion covering the swelling of the calf shin of the sock wearer.   The sock according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wearing pressure of the foot part is gradually increased from the heel part to the toe part.   The sock according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a non-stretchable region is provided from the center of the sole of the foot portion to the front of the ankle portion inside and outside.   The support area starts from the upper part of the shin side of the leg part, intersects at the lower part of the calf part of the leg part, extends to the base part of the instep part of the foot part, and is continuous with the non-stretchable area. The sock according to claim 4, wherein the sock is formed.

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