Leg garment with expansive panel

Abstract

A flexible garment combining knitted portions with an expansive panel comprised of expansive materials and specifically four way stretch materials to accommodate a range of leg sizes and provide a compression gradient when worn. An article of manufacture and a method of producing a flexible garment with an expansive panel are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sock comprising:
 a wedge shaped heel section;   a foot section connected below said heel section;   a leg section connected above said foot, said leg section including a U-shaped opening above said heel section;   an expansive panel extending from a panel bottom adjacent said heel section to a panel border;   a U-shaped seam formed by joining said expansive panel to said leg section; and   wherein said expansive panel is wider at said panel border than at said panel bottom and is configured to provide compression around said panel bottom that is greater than compression around said panel border.   
     
     
         2 . The sock of  claim 1  wherein said leg section comprises a first material and said expansive panel comprises a second material. 
     
     
         3 . The sock of  claim 2  wherein said first material comprises cotton and said second material comprises a four way stretch material. 
     
     
         4 . The sock of  claim 3  wherein said panel border is positioned at least six inches from said heel section. 
     
     
         5 . The sock of  claim 4  wherein said U-shaped seam extends from a panel first top to said panel bottom to a panel second top and measures a distance of at least twelve inches. 
     
     
         6 . The sock of  claim 5  wherein said panel bottom is positioned less than three inches from said heel section. 
     
     
         7 . The sock of  claim 3  wherein said expansive panel is configured to double in size upon stretching. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible garment of  claim 5  wherein said leg section comprises a region of continuous circumference adjacent said heel section and said panel border can expand to at least twice the circumference of said region of continuous circumference. 
     
     
         9 . The flexible garment of  claim 8  wherein said expansive panel comprises spandex material having a weight of at least 150 grams per square meter. 
     
     
         10 . The flexible garment of  claim 7  wherein said expansive panel comprises a panel height and a panel width, and said panel height is at least 3 times said panel width. 
     
     
         11 . The flexible garment of  claim 10  wherein said foot section is knitted with at least two colors of yarn to create a pattern in said foot section. 
     
     
         12 . The flexible garment of  claim 10  wherein said leg section is knitted with at least two colors of yarn to create a pattern in said leg section and said expansive panel is free of float yarn. 
     
     
         13 . A flexible garment for the foot comprising:
 a foot section produced by knitting;   a leg section produced by knitting;   an expansive panel comprising a four way stretch material and connected to said leg section by stitching said expansive panel to said leg section to create a continuous U-shaped seam;   said leg section comprises a band and said expansive panel comprises a panel border and said band and said panel border combine to define an opening;   said leg section extends at least seven inches from said opening; and   said expansive panel extends to a panel bottom located at least six inches from said opening.   
     
     
         13 . The flexible garment of  claim 12  wherein a pressure gradient is provided when worn by a user and compression of said garment is higher around said panel bottom than compression around said opening. 
     
     
         14 . The flexible garment of  claim 13  wherein said opening comprises a circumference of less than twelve inches at rest and said can expand to at least 24 inches when worn. 
     
     
         15 . A method of making the flexible garment of  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing a knitted sock; 
 removing a U-shaped cutout from said knitted sock; 
 providing an expansive panel; and 
 connecting said expansive panel to said knitted sock by joining means. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 15  wherein:
 said joining means comprises a serged stitch to create an overlock seam between 
 said expansive panel and said leg section of said knitted sock. 
 
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 16  wherein said leg section comprises a knitted decorative pattern.