Athletic sock with printed strip

Abstract

An athletic sock for insertion into a shoe, the sock defining a generally tubular body having a mouth at one end, the mouth for engagement by the foot of a person, a first portion of the tubular body including a resilient elastomeric compound, at least a fraction of the first portion of tubular body destined to be exposed out from the shoe during use, the first portion defining an external surface having a fine grain, and a high resolution printed design layout being mounted to the external surface of the first sock portion integral thereto.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A sock having a main leg and an instep coextensive to the main leg, and a separate straight up top portion attached to and opening from the outer end of the main leg, said straight up top portion for use in supporting an advertisement display printed thereon, wherein said straight up top portion includes a stretchable compound that maintains a substantially constant fine grain in external appearance from an unstretched condition to a streched condition thereof.  
     
     
         2 . A sock as in  claim 1 , wherein said stretchable compound includes two elements: polyester, and an elastomeric compound.  
     
     
         3 . A sock as in  claim 2 , wherein said elastomeric compound is an elastomeric polyurethane compound.  
     
     
         4 . A sock as in  claim 2 , wherein the percentage in weight of polyester in said stretchable compound, is greater than 50%.  
     
     
         5 . A sock as in  claim 3 , wherein the percentage in weight of elastomeric polyurethane compound is about 20%, while that of polyester is about 80%.  
     
     
         6 . A sock as in  claim 1 , wherein said straight-up top portion is sown to said outer end of the main leg.  
     
     
         7 . A sock as in  claim 3 , wherein said straight-up top portion is sown to said outer end of the main leg.  
     
     
         8 . A sock as in  claim 5 , wherein said straight-up top portion is sown to said outer end of the main leg.  
     
     
         9 . A sock having a cotton-based main leg and a cotton-based instep coextensive to said main leg, a separate straight up top portion attached to and opening from the outer end of the main leg, and an advertisement display printed layer on an external surface of said straight-up top portion, wherein said straight up top portion is cottonless and includes a stretchable elastomeric compound that maintains a substantially constant fine grain in external appearance for said advertisement display from an unstretched condition to a streched condition thereof.  
     
     
         10 . A sock as in  claim 9 , wherein said advertisement display is in colour, and is obtained by a four colour process.  
     
     
         11 . A sock as in  claim 9 , wherein said straight-up top portion further includes polyester.  
     
     
         12 . A sock as in  claim 11 , wherein said elastomeric material is elastomeric polyurethane.  
     
     
         13 . A sock as in  claim 12 , wherein there is about 80% polyester and about 20% elastomeric polyurethane in said straight-up top portion.  
     
     
         14 . A sock as in  claim 13 , wherein said fine grain of said straight-up top portion is about 240 micrometers.  
     
     
         15 . A sock as in  claim 1 , wherein said fine grain of said straight-up top portion is about 240 micrometers.  
     
     
         16 . An athletic sock for insertion into a shoe, said sock defining a generally tubular body having a mouth at one end, said mouth for engagement by the foot of a person, a first portion of said tubular body including a resilient elastomeric compound, at least a fraction of said first portion of tubular body destined to be exposed out from the shoe during use, said first portion defining an external surface having a fine grain, and a high resolution printed design layout being mounted to said external surface of said first portion integral thereto.  
     
     
         17 . An athletic sock as in  claim 16 , wherein said elastomeric compound is elastomeric polyurethane.  
     
     
         18 . An athletic sock as in  claim 17 , further including polyester as as additional element of said first portion of tubular body.  
     
     
         19 . An athletic sock as in  claim 18 , wherein there is 20% in weight of elastomeric polyurethane in said first portion of tubular body, and 80% in weight of polyester in said first portion of tubular body.  
     
     
         20 . An athletic sock as in  claim 19 , wherein said printed design layout is a four-colour process print, at a fineness of about 240 micrometers.