Fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock for fitting over athletic protective equipment

Abstract

An athletic sock in the form of a standard cotton sports sock includes a slit defining opposed edges that can be fastened and unfastened for stretching the athletic sock over athletic protective equipment disposed on the individual's lower leg, and for removal therefrom. Each edge has a fastening strip member that is disengaged from the other strip member to facilitate the stretching of the sock over the athletic protective equipment, and the strip members can brought into mating engagement for securing the sock onto the lower leg and comfortably upon the athletic protective equipment. In addition, the sock can be used as a medical compression sock whereby securement of the strip members is adjustable for obtaining the desired tightness, looseness and comfort of the sock on the individual's lower leg.

1 . An athletic sock for fitting over the shin guard worn on the lower leg of the individual, comprising: 
 an upper end, a leg portion, an ankle/shin portion, and a foot portion;    an external surface and an opposite interior surface contiguous to the lower leg of the individual;    a slit extending from the upper end to the ankle/shin portion and defining a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges;    a pair of strip members with one strip member mounted to each edge and capable of selective fastening to and unfastening from the strip member mounted to the opposite edge; and    the strip members are unfastened from each other so that the sock can be slipped onto the lower leg and stretched over the shin guard and then the strip members are fastened to each other for securing the sock in position.    
   
   
       2 . The athletic sock of  claim 1  wherein one strip member is mounted to the interior surface adjacent one edge and the other strip member is mounted to the exterior surface adjacent the other edge.  
   
   
       3 . The athletic sock of  claim 2  wherein the strip member mounted adjacent the edge and on the exterior surface of the sock has a width greater than that of the strip member mounted adjacent the opposite edge and on the interior surface of the sock.  
   
   
       4 . The athletic sock of  claim 3  wherein the strip member mounted to the interior surface of the sock is adjustably securable to the strip member mounted to the exterior surface of the sock in order to obtain a comfortable securement of the sock over the shin guard and on the lower leg.  
   
   
       5 . An athletic sock for fitting over the shin guard worn on the lower leg of an individual, comprising: 
 an upper end, a leg portion, an ankle/shin portion and a foot portion;    an external sock surface and an interior sock surface that is contiguous to the lower leg of the individual;    a slit extending from the upper end to the ankle/shin portion and defining a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges;    a closure means mounted to the edges for attaching the edges and closing the slit thereby securing the sock on the lower leg and for detaching the edges so that the slit can be opened; and    the edges are detachable from each other so that the slit can be opened for slipping the sock onto the lower leg and then over the shin guard and then the edges are attachable to each other by the closure means thereby securing the sock in position over the shin guard and on the lower leg.    
   
   
       6 . The athletic sock of  claim 5  wherein the closure means includes a pair of strip members with one strip member mounted to one edge and the other strip member mounted to the opposite edge and the strip members capable of attachment to each other and detachment from each other for closing and opening the slit to facilitate the placement of the sock over the shin guard and on the lower leg and the removal of the sock therefrom.  
   
   
       7 . The athletic sock of  claim 6  wherein one strip member is mounted to the exterior sock surface adjacent one edge and the other strip member is mounted to the interior sock surface adjacent the other edge.  
   
   
       8 . The athletic sock of  claim 7  wherein the strip member mounted to the exterior sock surface has a width that is greater than the width of the strip member mounted to the interior sock surface.  
   
   
       9 . The athletic sock of  claim 8  wherein the strip member mounted to the interior sock surface is adjustably attachable to the strip member mounted to the exterior sock surface in order to obtain a comfortable securement of the sock over the shin guard and upon the lower leg.  
   
   
       10 . A medical compression sock for fitting onto the foot and lower leg of the individual, comprising: 
 an upper end, a leg portion, an ankle/shin portion, and a foot portion;    an external sock surface and an opposite interior sock surface contiguous to the foot and lower leg;    a slit extending from the upper end to the ankle/shin portion and defining a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges;    a pair of strip members with one strip member mounted to each edge and capable of selective fastening to and unfastening from each other for securing the sock to the foot and lower leg and for removal therefrom; and    the strip members being unfastened from each other so that the sock can be slipped onto the foot and fitted onto the lower leg and then the strip members are fastened to each other for closing the slit and securing the sock in position.    
   
   
       11 . The medical compression sock of  claim 10  wherein one strip member is mounted to the interior sock surface adjacent one edge and the other strip member is mounted to the exterior sock surface adjacent the other edge.  
   
   
       12 . The medical compression sock of  claim 11  wherein the strip member mounted to the exterior sock surface has a width that is greater than the width of the strip member that is mounted to the interior sock surface.  
   
   
       13 . The medical compression sock of  claim 12  wherein the strip member mounted to the interior sock surface is adjustably fastenable to the strip member mounted to the exterior sock surface in order to obtain a comfortable securement of the sock on the foot and lower leg.  
   
   
       14 . A stretchable sock for fitting onto the foot and lower leg of the individual, comprising: 
 an upper end, a leg portion, an ankle/shin portion and a foot portion;    an external sock surface and an interior sock surface that is contiguous to the foot and lower leg;    a slit extending from the upper end to the ankle/shin portion and defining a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges;    a pair of strip members with one strip member mounted at each edge and capable of selective attachment to and detachment from each other for attaching the edges and closing the slit and for detaching the edges for opening the slit; and    the strip members being detachable from each other so that the slit can be opened and the sock slipped onto the foot and fitted on the lower leg and then the strip members are attachable to each other for closing the slit thus securing the sock to the foot and lower leg.