Knit component bonding

• US 10,094,053 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dua, Bhupesh, Hawkinson, Karen A., Shaffer, Benjamin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Worrell, Danny
• Application Number:
  US14/845,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20160058101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 66202, 66171, 66170, 66169, 442310, 442311, 442318
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0205 characterised by the material material of the lining A43B23/07, material of toe stiffeners or heel stiffeners A43B23/08
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/12 characterised by thread material
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/24 wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/08 characterised by thread material
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/16 incorporating synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/041 thermoplastic; thermosetting
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0114 with one or more yarns appearing predominantly on one face, e.g. plated or paralleled yarns for pile fabrics D03D27/00, D04B1/02, D04B21/02; for intarsia fabrics D04B1/126
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/40 Knit fabric [i.e., knit strand or strip material]

Abstract

A composite structure may include a knit component and a bonded component. The knit component has a first surface and an opposite second surface, and the knit component includes a fusible yarn and a non-fusible yarn that form a knitted structure. The fusible yarn is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, and the fusible yarn is located on at least the first surface. The bonded component is positioned adjacent to the first surface, and the bonded component is thermal bonded to the first surface with the thermoplastic polymer material of the fusible yarn.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprising:

providing a knit component having a first yarn and a second yarn, the first yarn being at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, the knit component having a first surface and an opposite second surface of the knit component, the first yarn being located on at least a portion of the first surface;

providing a second component that is independent of the knit component;

thermally bonding the second component and the first surface of the knit component via the thermoplastic polymer material of the first yarn; and

forming at least part of an upper of the article of footwear from the knit component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the upper to a sole structure.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the second component is a heel counter;

wherein thermally bonding the second component and the first surface includes thermally bonding the heel counter and the first surface of the knit component; and

further comprising extending the heel counter from a lateral side to a medial side of the upper in a heel region of the upper.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second component is a toe guard;

wherein thermally bonding the second component and the first surface includes thermally bonding the toe guard and the first surface of the knit component; and

further comprising extending the toe guard from a lateral side to a medial side of the upper in a forefoot region of the upper.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the second component is indicia;

wherein thermally bonding the second component and the first surface includes thermally bonding the indicia and the first surface of the knit component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first yarn has a core and a sheath extending at least partially around the core, the core formed from at least one of a thermoset material and a natural material, and the sheath formed from the thermoplastic polymer material.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising knitting the knit component using the first yarn and the second yarn.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the knit component includes the second yarn extending from the first surface to the second surface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the knit component includes:

the first yarn and the second yarn disposed at the first surface;

the first yarn and the second yarn disposed at the second surface; and

both the first yarn and the second yarn extending between the first surface and the second surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the knit component includes the first yarn and the second yarn plated together in at least a portion of the knit component.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the knit component includes:

a first area and a second area formed on the first surface; and

the first yarn is provided in the first area and the first yarn is absent from the second area.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein thermally bonding the second component and the first surface comprises:

heating the thermoplastic polymer material to at least one of soften and melt at least a portion of the thermoplastic polymer material; and

cooling the at least a portion of the thermoplastic polymer material to secure the second component and the knit component together.

13. A method of manufacturing a composite element, the method comprising:

providing a textile with a first yarn and a second yarn, the first yarn provided on a first surface of the textile in a first plurality of loops defining at least a part of the first surface, the first yarn provided on a second surface of the textile in a second plurality of loops defining at least a part of the second surface, the first yarn being at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material;

locating the first surface of the textile in contact with a component;

heating at least one of the textile and the component; and

forming a thermal bond between the thermoplastic polymer material of the first yarn and the component after heating the at least one of the textile and the component.

14. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising knitting the textile using the first yarn and the second yarn.

15. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the textile includes the first yarn extending from the first surface of the textile to the second surface of the textile.

16. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the first yarn includes a core and a covering extending at least partially around the core, the core being formed from at least one of a thermoset material and a natural material, and the covering being formed from the thermoplastic polymer material.

17. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the first yarn and the second yarn are plated together.

18. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising compressing the textile and the component together.

19. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising incorporating the textile and the component into an article of apparel after forming the thermal bond.

20. The method recited in claim 19, wherein incorporating the textile and the component into the article of apparel includes incorporating the textile and the component into an article of footwear.