JP7841730B2 - Fittings - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a device that can be attached to at least the lower leg (the area from below the knee to above the heel) of socks (such as knee-high socks), stockings, tights, etc.

In the past, socks or similar garments have been proposed that "when worn, form multiple compression areas that create a U-shape, extending from one side through the rear to the other side" (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-518878). Socks or similar garments with compression areas of this shape are said to have the effect of improving venous return characteristics by compressing the entire lower leg.

Special table 2019-518878 publication

Furthermore, since the aforementioned socks and similar garments create a compression area across the entire circumference, there is concern that some wearers may experience excessive tightness in their lower legs and feel discomfort.

The object of this invention is to provide a device that does not cause excessive tightness in the lower leg without significantly reducing the compression effect on the lower leg.

The first aspect of the present invention relates to a device comprising a front lower leg covering portion and a rear lower leg covering portion. The front lower leg covering portion covers the front (shin side) of the wearer's lower leg when the device is worn. The term "lower leg" here refers to the area from below the knee to above the heel of a person (wearer). That is, the knee and heel are not included in the term "lower leg." The rear lower leg covering portion includes a high-compression area with higher compression than the front lower leg covering portion. The rear lower leg covering portion covers the rear (calf side) of the wearer's lower leg when the device is worn. The front lower leg covering portion and the rear lower leg covering portion may form a tubular covering portion adjacent to each other, or they may form a tubular covering portion with other parts in between. The high-compression area includes a low-stretch region and a high-stretch region. The low-stretch regions are band-shaped areas, of which there are at least two, extending along the lower leg of the wearer from the knee to the heel when the device is fitted. Preferably, these low-stretch regions are straight bands (straight-extending bands). Conversely, the high-stretch regions are linear (straight-extending lines). The high-stretch regions have higher stretchability than the low-stretch regions. Furthermore, the high-stretch regions pass between the low-stretch regions, dividing them.

As described above, this device includes a high-compression area (i.e., a compression zone) in the posterior lower leg covering, which has higher compression than the anterior lower leg covering. Furthermore, the high-compression area includes both a low-stretch and a high-stretch zone. At least two band-shaped low-stretch zones are formed, extending along the direction from the knee to the heel of the wearer's lower leg when the device is worn. Conversely, the high-stretch zones pass between each low-stretch zone, separating them. Therefore, this device can prevent excessive tightness in the lower leg without significantly reducing the compression effect on the lower leg.

The second aspect of the present invention relates to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the high-compression portion covers at least the heel portion of the lower leg when the device is worn.

Therefore, this device can compress the heel area of the wearer's lower leg.

The attachment according to the third aspect of the present invention is an attachment according to the first or second aspect, wherein the low-stretch region and the high-stretch region each have a shape symmetrical with respect to the posterior center line. The "posterior center line" here refers to the line connecting the center point of the upper edge (upper edge) and the center point of the lower edge (lower edge) of the attachment when the attachment is laid flat with the calf-covering side facing outwards.

Therefore, this device can apply a similar degree of compression to both the medial and lateral sides of the calf muscles.

The fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a device relating to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a knee-side adjacent portion and a heel-upper covering portion. The knee-side adjacent portion has a lower compression than the high-compression portion and is positioned adjacent to the knee side of the high-compression portion when the device is worn. This knee-side adjacent portion may also be the opening portion of the shoe. The heel-upper covering portion has a lower compression than the high-compression portion and covers the upper part of the wearer's heel when the device is worn. The high-stretch region extends from the knee-side adjacent portion to the heel-upper covering portion.

As described above, this device features a knee-side adjacent area with lower compression than the high-compression area, and the high-stretch region extends from the knee-side adjacent area to the upper heel covering. Therefore, this device is easy to put on and effectively compresses the wearer's lower leg.

The fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a device relating to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the high-compression portion includes a first high-compression region and a second high-compression region. The first high-compression region covers the heel portion of the lower leg when the device is worn. The second high-compression region covers the knee portion of the lower leg when the device is worn. The compression of the first high-compression region is higher than that of the second high-compression region.

In this device, when worn, the first high-compression area covers the heel portion of the lower leg, and the second high-compression area covers the knee portion of the lower leg. The compression of the first high-compression area is higher than that of the second high-compression area. Therefore, this device makes it easier to move the triceps surae muscle compared to a case where the compression of the high-compression areas is uniform. Consequently, this device makes movements such as walking easier compared to the previous case.

This is a side view of a high-compression sock according to an embodiment of the present invention when worn. This figure shows a rear view of a high-compression sock according to an embodiment of the present invention, with unfolded views of the low-stretch and high-stretch regions of the high-compression sock superimposed on it. This is a side view of the high-compression socks when worn, according to modified example (A). This diagram shows a rear view of a high-compression sock according to modified example (A), with unfolded views of the low-stretch and high-stretch regions of the high-compression sock superimposed.

<Configuration of the lower leg attachment device according to an embodiment of the present invention>
The lower leg attachment according to the embodiment of the present invention is an attachment worn on at least the lower leg, and includes, for example, socks (knee socks), calf sleeves (sleeves for the calves), leggings, stockings, tights, sweatpants, shapewear, shaping underwear, bodysuits, unitards, etc. Hereinafter, "lower leg" refers to the area from below the knee to above the heel. An example of a lower leg attachment according to the embodiment of the present invention is the high-compression sock 100 shown in Figures 1 to 6. The high-compression sock 100 will be described in detail below, along with the configurations that may be permitted in the present invention.

The high-compression sock 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a roughly "V" shape in side view, as shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is mainly formed from a foot covering portion 110, a heel covering portion 120, an upper heel covering portion 130, ankle covering portion 140, a front lower leg covering portion 150, a rear lower leg covering portion 160, and an opening portion 170. For convenience of explanation, the vertical, left-right, and front-back directions are defined in Figures 1 and 2. The configuration of the high-compression sock 100 may be described using these directions below.

Furthermore, if the lower leg attachment is a calf sleeve, the foot covering portion 110 and heel covering portion 120 are absent. Also, if the lower leg attachment is leggings, stockings, tights, sweatpants, shapewear, shaping underwear, bodysuit, or unitard, a thigh covering portion is provided instead of the leg opening portion 170, and a panty portion or similar is added above the thigh covering portion. The thigh portion refers to the area from above the knee to the crotch, and the panty portion refers to the area covering part or all of the area from the crotch to the waist.

The foot covering portion 110 is a bag-like portion that covers the area from the ankle to the toes. A toe pocket may also be formed in this foot covering portion 110.

The heel covering portion 120 is the part that covers the heel and extends from the rear end of the foot covering portion 110 toward the rear.

The upper heel covering portion 130 is a portion that covers the upper part of the heel, i.e., the Achilles tendon area, and extends upward from the posterior upper end of the heel covering portion 120.

The ankle covering portion 140 is a part that covers the ankle and extends upward from the front upper end of the foot covering portion 110. This ankle covering portion 140 is located below the front lower leg covering portion 150 and faces the lower end of the rear lower leg covering portion 160. Furthermore, the ankle covering portion 140 is formed to have a higher compression than the foot covering portion 110, the heel covering portion 120, the upper heel covering portion 130, the front lower leg covering portion 150, the low-compression portion 162 of the rear lower leg covering portion 160, and the opening portion 170 (i.e., the ankle covering portion 140 is formed as a high-compression portion). Additionally, the ankle covering portion 140 is formed to have a compression that is slightly higher than the compression of the high-compression portion 161 of the rear lower leg covering portion 160.

The front lower leg covering portion 150 is the portion that covers the front of the lower leg (the portion on the shin side of the fold when the high compression sock 100 is laid flat (when the high compression sock 100 is folded along the fold line FL shown in Figure 1; the fold lines are symmetrical on both sides)) and extends upward from the front upper end of the ankle covering portion 140. This front lower leg covering portion 150, together with the rear lower leg covering portion 160, forms a tubular lower leg covering portion. It is preferable that this tubular lower leg covering portion has a tapered shape, gradually widening from the ankle covering portion side towards the opening side. It is also preferable that the total vertical length of the combined portion of the lower leg covering portion and the ankle covering portion 140 be within the range of 25 mm to 210 mm. This is because it ensures that the area near the smallest circumference of the lower leg that needs the most compression is covered. Furthermore, in such cases, the ankle covering portion 140 can constrict the ankle in a circumferential direction, providing a moderate compression effect.

The posterior lower leg covering portion 160 is the portion that covers the posterior side of the lower leg (the portion on the calf side of the fold when the high-compression sock 100 is laid flat) and extends upward from the posterior upper end of the ankle covering portion 140. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this posterior lower leg covering portion 160 is formed from a high-compression portion 161 and a low-compression portion 162. The low-compression portion 162 is mainly for covering the upper part of the triceps surae muscle and is formed above the high-compression portion 161 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The high-compression portion 161 is mainly for covering the lower part of the triceps surae muscle and is formed below the low-compression portion 162 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, the high-compression section 161 is formed to have a higher compression than the foot covering section 110, heel covering section 120, upper heel covering section 130, front lower leg covering section 150, low-compression section 162, and opening section 170. In addition, in this high-compression sock 100, the boundary line between the high-compression section 161 and the low-compression section 162 consists of a diagonal line that slopes linearly downward from the front to the back on the side, and a horizontal line that extends linearly in the left-right direction (width direction) on the back, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the high-compression section 161 is formed from seven straight, low-stretch areas (LER) and six linear, high-stretch areas (HER). Therefore, the overall compression of the high-compression section 161 is slightly lower than that of the ankle covering section 140. The presence of these high-stretch areas (HER) also reduces the wearer's uncomfortable feeling of tightness. The low-stretch areas (LER) and high-stretch areas (HER) are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction (linear low-stretch areas (LER) are sandwiched between neighboring high-stretch areas (HER)), as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In other words, the low-stretch areas (LER) and high-stretch areas (HER) are arranged to form a vertical striped pattern along the posterior centerline Ax. Therefore, the low-stretch areas (LER) and high-stretch areas (HER) extend along the muscle fibers of the triceps surae muscle. Therefore, the high-compression portion 161 does not hinder muscle contraction and extension, and does not cause the wearer to feel an uncomfortable tightness. Also, as is clear from Figures 1 and 2, the low-stretch region LER is formed so that its width is wider than that of the high-stretch region HER. That is, if the low-stretch region LER is described as a thick band, the high-stretch region HER can also be described as a thin band. And, as the name suggests, the high-stretch region HER is formed so that its stretchability is higher than that of the low-stretch region LER. When the high-compression sock 100 is worn on a person's lower limb, the low-stretch region LER and the high-stretch region HER extend along the direction from the knee side to the heel side of the triceps surae muscle. Furthermore, when the high-compression socks 100 are worn on a person's lower limb, the low-stretch area LER and the high-stretch area HER are shaped symmetrically with respect to the posterior center line Ax of the lower leg. In addition, multiple areas with different compression levels may be formed in the high-compression section 161. The high-compression section 161 may also be formed so that the compression level decreases from the heel side towards the opening side. When the ankle covering section 140 applies a compression pressure of 10 to the ankle, it is preferable that the lower leg covering section applies a compression pressure of 7 to the maximum circumference of the lower leg. This is because an effective compression effect can be obtained by setting the compression ratio to this ratio. Furthermore, when the lower leg garment is a leggings, stockings, tights, sweatpants, shapewear, shaping underwear, bodysuit, or unitard, the same effect can be expected by setting the compression ratio for the ankle, maximum circumference of the lower leg, and thigh (thigh) to 10:7:4. The aforementioned compression pressure is measured using a Salzmann MST-MKIV compression measuring device.

The opening portion 170 is a part formed to make it easier to put on the high-compression socks 100 and to prevent them from slipping down. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is formed on the upper side of the cylindrical body formed by the front lower leg covering portion 150 and the rear lower leg covering portion 160.

<Specific method for forming high-compression socks according to an embodiment of the present invention>
High-compression socks 100 can be formed in various ways, but it is particularly preferable that they be formed by knitting a fabric. When high-compression socks 100 are formed by knitting a fabric, the foot covering portion 110, heel covering portion 120, upper heel covering portion 130, front lower leg covering portion 150, and opening portion 170 are formed from a highly elastic knitted fabric. The highly elastic knitted fabric can be knitted from, for example, natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, or silk, or synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester, or blends thereof.

The foot covering portion 110 may be knitted in a continuous manner with the heel covering portion 120, or it may be knitted separately from the heel covering portion 120. The length of the foot covering portion 110 can be adjusted by knitting several courses of plain knitting or the like between the foot covering portion 110 and the heel covering portion 120.

The upper heel covering portion 130 is preferably knitted in a continuous manner with the heel covering portion 120. Depending on the design of the knitting machine, several courses of plain knitting or the like may be knitted between the upper heel covering portion 130 and the heel covering portion 120. Furthermore, the vertical length of the upper heel covering portion 130 is preferably within the range of 35 mm to 110 mm, and the circumferential length is preferably within the range of 4 mm to 20 mm. The shape of the upper heel covering portion 130 may be a vertically elongated rectangle, a triangle that tapers towards the opening from the heel covering portion side, or a semicircular shape with the arc side facing the heel covering portion side. The upper heel covering portion 130 is knitted such that its compression is lower than that of the ankle covering portion 140 and the high-compression portion 161. Because the Achilles tendon is located on the surface of the body, excessive compression of the heel upper covering portion 130 could hinder the movement of the Achilles tendon.

The ankle covering portion 140 is preferably knitted in a high-compression fabric. One method for knitting in a high-compression fabric is to alternate between plain knitting and tuck knitting.

The low-compression sections 162 of the front and rear lower leg covering portions 150 and 160 are preferably constructed using a highly elastic plain knit or mesh knit.

In the high-compression section 161 of the posterior lower leg covering section 160, the low-stretch area (LER) can be knitted by employing a less stretchable knitting method such as tuck knitting, or by appropriately combining technical means such as cut bosses, tension adjustment, and adjustment of the amount of elastic yarn fed. On the other hand, the high-stretch area (HER) is knitted using plain knitting or mesh knitting, etc., to have higher stretchability compared to the low-stretch area (LER). It is preferable that the high-stretch area (HER) is knitted in a continuous line along the vertical direction. Furthermore, the knitted fabric of this high-stretch area (HER) may be the same knitted fabric as the knitted fabric constituting the low-compression section 162 and/or the heel covering section 120 and the upper heel covering section 130 of the posterior lower leg covering section 160. Furthermore, in order to adjust the compression of the high-compression section 161, the high-stretch area HER and the low-stretch area LER can be arranged alternately along the vertical direction (in a dashed or dotted line pattern (high-stretch area HER → low-stretch area LER → high-stretch area HER → low-stretch area LER...)). While the high-stretch area HER can also be arranged with the same number of courses, it is also possible to adjust the compression of the high-compression section 161 by changing the number of courses in the high-stretch area HER. For example, the high-stretch area HER on the opening side of the high-compression section 161 can be arranged with 5 courses, and the number of courses in the high-stretch area HER can be reduced to 4 courses, then 3 courses, and so on, as it approaches the foot covering section 110. Additionally, by arranging the high-stretch area HER symmetrically with respect to the rear center line Ax, the circumferential compression of the high-stretch area HER can be uniformly reduced. The posterior center line Ax, as used here, is the line connecting the center point of the upper edge (top edge) of the opening portion 170 of the high-compression sock 100 and the center point of the lower edge (bottom edge) of the foot-covering portion 110, when the high-compression sock 100 is laid flat with the calf-covering side facing outwards. It is also conceivable to incorporate a larger area of high-stretch HER in the hypertrophied portion of the triceps surae muscle. In this case, the high-stretch HER area will be asymmetrically arranged with respect to the posterior center line Ax. The hypertrophied portion of the triceps surae muscle will experience high compression depending on the degree of stretch of the high-compression sock 100. Therefore, by forming a wide high-stretch HER area in the high-compression portion 161, it is possible to avoid excessive constriction of the lower leg and reduce the wearer's discomfort from tightness.

The opening portion 170 is preferably knitted with a loose, highly elastic fabric. This is because knitting the opening portion 170 in this way reduces or eliminates discomfort caused by tightness. At least a portion of the skin-contacting side (inner circumference side) of the opening portion 170 is knitted using nylon as the outer yarn. No inner yarn is used in the opening portion 170. By knitting the opening portion 170 in this way, the thickness of the opening portion 170 becomes thinner, making it looser and more stretchable. The knitting method for the opening portion 170 is not limited to the method described above and may be achieved by combining various conventional techniques.

<Different example>
(A)
In the high-compression sock 100 according to the previous embodiment, the posterior lower leg covering portion 160 was formed from a high-compression portion 161 and a low-compression portion 162. However, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the posterior lower leg covering portion 160a may be formed from a first high-compression portion 161a and a second high-compression portion 162a. Here, the first high-compression portion 161a is formed such that its compression is higher than that of the second high-compression portion 162a. By designing the high-compression sock 100a in this way, the wearer can obtain a fatigue reduction effect during walking. Furthermore, in this case, it is preferable to knit the first high-compression portion 161a in a shape that covers the soleus muscle from the surroundings. By knitting the first high-compression portion 161a in this way, displacement between the first high-compression portion 161a and the soleus muscle can be suppressed, and consequently, the muscle pump caused by walking can be effectively applied to the wearer, resulting in a fatigue reduction effect during walking. Incidentally, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, when the high-compression sock 100a according to this modified example is worn on a person's lower limb, the high-stretch area HER1 and low-stretch area LER1 of the first high-compression section 161a, and the high-stretch area HER2 and low-stretch area LER2 of the second high-compression section 162a extend from the lower edge (bottom edge) of the opening section 170 to the upper edge (top edge) of the foot covering section 110 or the upper heel covering section 130, along the direction from the knee side to the heel side of the triceps surae muscle. In other words, the high-stretch region HER1 and low-stretch region LER1 of the first high-compression portion 161a, and the high-stretch region HER2 and low-stretch region LER2 of the second high-compression portion 162a extend from the lower edge of the opening portion 170 and reach the upper edge of the heel covering portion 120 or the upper heel covering portion 130.

Furthermore, in the high-compression sock 100 described above, the high-stretch region HER2 of the second high-compression region 162a was formed on top of the high-stretch region HER1 of the first high-compression region 161a, and the low-stretch region LER2 of the second high-compression region 162a was formed on top of the low-stretch region LER1 of the first high-compression region 161a. However, it is also possible to form the low-stretch region LER2 of the second high-compression region 162a on top of the high-stretch region HER1 of the first high-compression region 161a, and the high-stretch region HER2 of the second high-compression region 162a on top of the low-stretch region LER1 of the first high-compression region 161a.

(B)
In the high-compression sock 100 according to the previous embodiment, the boundary line between the high-compression portion 161 and the low-compression portion 162 consisted of a diagonal line that sloped linearly downward from the front to the back on the side and a horizontal line that extended linearly in the left-right direction (width direction) on the back. However, the boundary line between the high-compression portion 161 and the low-compression portion 162 is not limited to this, and may consist only of a horizontal line, be U-shaped, V-shaped, or be an arc that curves downward.

(C)
In the high-compression socks 100 according to the previous embodiment, the low-stretch region LER and the high-stretch region HER were arranged to form vertical stripes along the rear center line Ax. However, the low-stretch region LER and the high-stretch region HER may be arranged to form diagonal stripes that slightly incline downward or upward as they move away from the rear center line Ax, or they may have a slightly curved shape.

(D)
In the high-compression socks 100 according to the previous embodiment, the ankle covering portion 140 was formed as a high-compression area, but the ankle covering portion 140 may also be formed as a low-compression area.

(E)
In the high-compression socks 100 according to the previous embodiment, the three low-stretch areas (LER) on the left and right sides reached the upper end of the heel covering portion 130, but these low-stretch areas (LER) do not necessarily have to reach the upper end of the heel covering portion 130.

100 High-compression socks (wearing device)
120 Heel covering section 150 Front lower leg covering section 160 Rear lower leg covering section 161 High compression section 161a First high compression section 162a Second high compression section 170 Opening section (adjacent to the knee side)
Ax Posterior center line HER, HER1, HER2 High extension region LER, LER1, LER2 Low extension region

Claims (5)

When worn, the lower leg front covering portion covers the front of the lower leg, which is the area from below the knee to above the heel,
A lower leg rear covering portion includes a high-compression portion that has higher compression than the lower leg front covering portion, and covers the rear of the lower leg portion when worn ,
An ankle covering portion located below the anterior lower leg covering portion and facing the lower end of the posterior lower leg covering portion, covering the front of the ankle.
Equipped with,
The high-compression portion includes at least two band-shaped low-stretch regions extending along the direction from the knee side to the heel side of the lower leg when worn, and a high-stretch region having higher stretchability than the low-stretch regions and passing between the low-stretch regions so as to divide them.
The ankle covering portion exhibits a higher compression than the high-compression portion.
Fitting device. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the high-compression portion covers at least the heel portion of the lower leg when worn. The mounting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the low-stretch region and the high-stretch region each have a shape symmetrical with respect to the rear center line. A knee-side adjacent portion, which has a lower compression than the high-compression portion and is positioned adjacent to the knee side of the high-compression portion when worn,
The garment further comprises a heel upper covering portion that has lower compression than the high-compression portion and covers the upper part of the heel when worn,
The attachment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the highly stretchable region extends from the knee-side adjacent portion to the heel-upper covering portion. The high-compression portion includes a first high-compression area that covers the heel portion of the lower leg when worn, and a second high-compression area that covers the knee portion of the lower leg when worn.
The fitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the compression of the first high-compression region is higher than the compression of the second high-compression region.