Slip-resistant stocking

Abstract

A slip-resistant stocking of the type that is worn by ambulatory hospital patients for walking directly on smooth, hard hospital floors, comprises a stocking, such as a tube sock, having a slip-resistant material applied to the foot portion of the stocking around the periphery of an outside surface thereof, such that slip-resistant material is always positioned under the bottom of the foot of the patient regardless of the rotational orientation of the foot portion of the stocking around the axis of the foot. The slip-resistant material can be on the inside as well as the outside of the stocking, so the stocking also will be slip-resistant when worn inside out. The slip-resistant material can be provided as discreet elements deposited at spaced locations around the stocking. The elements can be formed of recognizable shapes or decorative designs, which will be visible on the top of the stocking.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] In hospitals and other institutional environments, patients are generally clothed in hospital gowns and spend most of their time in bed. Ambulatory patients are permitted to walk around the hospital. Such patients usually are provided with slip-resistant socks or stockings that are used as slippers for walking around the slippery, hard surface floors of the institution. Typical hospital stockings are knit stockings having a slip-resistant material deposited on a portion of the exterior surface of the stocking that is designed to be positioned under the bottom of the foot. Typically such stockings are so called “tube socks” wherein the socks are formed in an elongated tube without a defined heel pocket in the sock. Thus the socks can be oriented normally at any rotational position around the axis of the foot. [0002] In order to avoid slipping on the hospital floor, it is necessary to orient the slip-resistant portion of the stocking between the stoc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The application of the slip-resistant material around the exterior portion of the stocking eliminates the possibility that the patient would put the stocking on upside down and risk a dangerous fall on the slippery floors of the hospital. Because the stocking cannot be put on incorrectly, it is unnecessary for hospitals personnel to invest a substantial amount of time in checking each patient's stockings when they put them on before walking around the hospital.

Problems solved by technology

While this is an easy enough task for most people, hospital patients, particularly those suffering from Alzheimer's disease or dementia, frequently have difficulties with some of the simplest tasks.

Otherwise, the slippery knit material of the stocking can easily cause a serious slip and fall injury to the patient.

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