Sock, especially athletic sock

Abstract

The invention relates to a knitted fabric comprising a first low-extensible area ( 1 ) and a second high-extensible area ( 2 ) which is seamlessly connected thereto. The aim of the invention is to provide a knitted fabric which can be used to produce a compression article, having areas of different high compression and wherein the difference in compression of the individual areas is as high as possible and can be obtained in a manner which is as simple and economical as possible. According to the invention, the knitted fabric is formed from at least one knitted thread ( 3 ), which forms a basic knit, and welt threads ( 4 ) which are integrated therein. The differing amounts of extensibility of the two areas ( 1; 2 ) arises from different integration of the weft threads ( 4 ) into the basic knit. The invention also relates to a compression article, particularly a compression hose which is produced from the inventive knitted fabric.

1 . Knitted fabric with a first region ( 1 ) with low extensibility and a second region ( 2 ) with high extensibility connected seamlessly to this first region, characterized in that the knitted fabric is formed from at least one stitch thread ( 3 ) forming a basic knit and weft threads integrated into the stitch thread, wherein the different amounts of extensibility of the two regions ( 1 ;  2 ) are created by different amounts of integration of the weft threads ( 4 ) into the basic knit.  
     
     
         2 . Knitted fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the weft threads ( 4 ) are integrated into the basic knit in a non-stitch forming way.  
     
     
         3 . Knitted fabric according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterized in that the weft threads ( 4 ) are elastic threads, especially elastomeric threads.  
     
     
         4 . Knitted fabric according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the weft threads ( 4 ) are formed by core threads braided with polyamide.  
     
     
         5 . Knitted fabric according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the basic knit is a circular knit.  
     
     
         6 . Knitted fabric according to  claim 5 , characterized in that a weft thread ( 4 ) is integrated into every second stitch row (m−4, m−2, m, m+2) of the basic knit.  
     
     
         7 . Knitted fabric according to  claim 6 , characterized in that in the region with higher extensibility ( 2 ), a weft thread ( 4 ) is integrated into every second stitch row (m−4; m−2; m; m+2) and in the region with lower extensibility ( 1 ), it engages in two stitch rows (m−4, m−3; m−2, m−1; m, m+1) lying above.  
     
     
         8 . Knitted fabric according to one of  claims 5  to  7 , characterized in that the basic knit is formed as a right-left knit in the region with lower extensibility ( 1 ), wherein every nth stitch, where n≧2, is missing in every second stitch row (m) and the stitch of the underlying stitch row (m−1) under this missing location is pulled up to the stitch row (m+1) lying above and is knitted there into this stitch row (m+1).  
     
     
         9 . Knitted fabric according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the weft thread ( 4 ) in a stitch row (m) in the region with lower extensibility ( 1 ) is pulled up together with the stitch thread ( 3 ) of the underlying stitch row (m−1) into the stitch row (m+1) lying above.  
     
     
         10 . Knitted fabric according to one of  claims 1  to  4 , characterized in that the basic knit is a flat knit.  
     
     
         11 . Knitted fabric according to  claim 10 , characterized in that the basic knit is formed both in the first region ( 1 ) with lower extensibility and also in the second region ( 2 ) with higher extensibility by a first stitch thread ( 3 ) and that in the region with lower extensibility ( 1 ) a second stitch thread ( 5 ) is knitted with the first stitch thread ( 3 ).  
     
     
         12 . Knitted fabric according to  claim 11 , characterized in that the first stitch thread ( 3 ) is assembled from a base thread ( 3   a ) and a plaiting thread ( 3   b ).  
     
     
         13 . Knitted fabric according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stitch density of the basic knit is higher in the first region ( 1 ) with lower extensibility than in the second region ( 2 ) with higher extensibility.  
     
     
         14 . Knitted fabric according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the boundary line (G) between the first region ( 1 ) with lower extensibility and the second region ( 2 ) with higher extensibility runs perpendicular to the weft threads ( 4 ).  
     
     
         15 . Compression article, especially compression sock ( 6 ) or compression bandage, produced from a knitted fabric according to one of the preceding claims.  
     
     
         16 . Sock or stocking ( 7 ), especially for use in athletic activities, comprising a leg ( 8 ) and a foot part ( 9 ), produced from a knitted fabric according to one of  claims 1  to  14 .  
     
     
         17 . Sock or stocking according to  claim 16 , characterized in that the compression pressure in the calf region ( 10 ) is lower and in the region of the shin ( 11 ) is higher than in the underlying region ( 12 ) of the leg ( 8 ).  
     
     
         18 . Sock or stocking according to  claim 17 , characterized in that the compression pressure in the calf region ( 10 ) is lower by at least 10% than in the underlying region ( 12 ) of the leg ( 8 ).  
     
     
         19 . Sock or stocking according to  claim 18 , characterized in that the calf region ( 10 ) exerts a compression pressure that decreases continuously or in steps from the bottom upwards.  
     
     
         20 . Sock or stocking according to  claim 18 , characterized in that the calf region ( 10 ) has a first region ( 10   a ) with a compression pressure that is lower relative to an underlying leg region ( 12 ) and has at least one other area ( 10   b ) with a compression pressure that is further reduced relative to the first region ( 10   a ).  
     
     
         21 . Sock or stocking according to one of  claims 16  to  20 , characterized in that the transition region ( 13 ) between the foot part ( 9 ) and the leg ( 8 ) has a lower compression pressure than the bordering regions ( 14 ,  15 ;  12 ) of the foot part and the leg.  
     
     
         22 . Sock or stocking according to one of  claims 16  to  20 , wherein the calf region ( 10 ) is formed from the knitted fabric region ( 2 ) with higher extensibility and the underlying ( 12 ) of the leg ( 8 ) is formed from the knitted fabric region ( 1 ) with lower extensibility.