Lululemon Athletica. has been granted a patent for socks featuring integrated gripping systems. These socks include external and internal gripping surfaces made from specialized yarns, designed to enhance traction by optimizing friction between the foot, sock, and underlying surfaces. GlobalData’s report on Lululemon Athletica gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Lululemon Athletica, was a key innovation area identified from patents. Lululemon Athletica's grant share as of July 2024 was 67%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Integrated gripping systems for socks and stockings
The granted patent US12041975B2 describes a novel stocking design that incorporates advanced gripping features to enhance traction. The stocking consists of a knit sock with two distinct patterns of gripping surfaces: an external pattern on the sock's exterior and an internal pattern on its interior. Both patterns are formed using specialized yarns, including a gripping yarn, which may be silicone-coated. Notably, the internal and external gripping surfaces are strategically arranged to be out of registration with each other, creating a shearing vector that improves frictional forces between the foot and the sock, as well as between the sock and the underlying surface. This design aims to provide better stability and grip during movement.
Further details of the patent highlight specific configurations of the gripping surfaces, such as their concentration in the heel and ball-of-foot regions, and the arrangement of the external gripping surfaces in a gradient from higher to lower concentration. The patent also specifies that the internal gripping surfaces are thinner than the external ones, ensuring a functional distinction between the two. Additionally, the patterns are mutually exclusive, meaning there is no overlap between the internal and external gripping surfaces. This innovative approach to sock design is intended to enhance user experience by providing improved traction and stability during various activities.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
