Knitted component with adjustable inlaid strand for an article of footwear

• US 10,398,196 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Minami, Tetsuya T., Shaffer, Benjamin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tompkins, Alissa J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferreira, Catherine M
• Application Number:
  US14/026,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 36 45, 36 55, 36 9 R, 36 3 A
• 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: A43B 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0255 assembled by gluing or thermo bonding
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0265 having different properties in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/00 Shoe lacing fastenings garment fastening devices A41F
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/123 with laid-in unlooped yarn, e.g. fleece fabrics with elastic weft yarn D04B1/18
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 15/56 for flat-bed knitting machines
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0241 enhancing mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/032 Flat fabric of variable width, e.g. including one or more fashioned panels
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear may include an upper incorporating a knitted component. The knitted component includes a knit element and an inlaid strand formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element. The inlaid strand extends through the knit element. A portion of the inlaid strand may extend into the heel region and may be external to the heel region. Pulling on the external portion may tension the inlaid strand.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having an upper, the upper comprising:

a knitted component, the knitted component including a knit element and at least one inlaid strand that is continuous, the knitted component formed on a knitting machine such that the inlaid strand is inlaid within and extends through at least one course forming the knit element, and the inlaid strand extending from a throat area on a medial side of the upper, around a heel region of the upper, and to the throat area on a lateral side of the upper;

the knit element having an exterior surface and an interior surface;

the at least one inlaid strand having a first portion that extends between the exterior surface and the interior surface of the knit element;

the at least one inlaid strand having a second portion that is continuous with the first portion and extends outwardly from the exterior surface of the knit element; and

wherein the second portion is disposed in the heel region of the knitted component, and wherein the second portion includes a length located at a rear of the heel region and configured to be pulled to provide a tension to the first portion to thereby tighten the upper around a foot.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least one portion of the at least one inlaid strand forms at least one loop forming an aperture in a throat area of the upper for receiving a lace.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein the second portion of the at least one inlaid strand is configured such that pulling on the second portion applies tension to the at least one inlaid strand and the at least one loop to provide tension to the lace.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the at least one inlaid strand comprises at least two inlaid strands, including a first inlaid strand associated with a first side of the knit element and a second inlaid strand associated with a second side of the knit element.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the at least one inlaid strand is disposed within a knit collar portion of the knitted component, the knit collar portion being associated with an opening of the upper.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein the second portion of the at least one inlaid strand is disposed within the knit collar portion.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 6, wherein a first knit portion of the knit collar portion that includes the first portion of the at least one inlaid strand is thicker than a second knit portion of the knit collar portion that includes the second portion of the at least one inlaid strand.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one inlaid strand has a stretch resistance that is greater than a stretch resistance of the knit element.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one inlaid strand forms a first loop in the throat area on the medial side of the upper and a second loop in the throat area on the lateral side of the upper.

8. An article of footwear having an upper, the upper comprising:

a knitted component, the knitted component including a knit element and at least one inlaid strand having a stretch resistance that is greater than a stretch resistance of the knit element, the knitted component formed on a knitting machine such that the inlaid strand is inlaid within and extends through at least one course forming the knit element;

the knit element having an exterior surface and an interior surface;

a lace associated with a throat area of the knit element;

the at least one inlaid strand including a first portion that forms a loop at a medial side of the throat area;

the at least one inlaid strand including a second portion that is disposed in a heel region of the upper; and

the at least one inlaid strand including a third portion that forms a loop at a lateral side of the throat area,

wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are continuous,

wherein the second portion of the at least one inlaid strand is exposed on an exterior surface of the knit element, and

wherein the second portion of the at least one inlaid strand has an exposed length located at a rear of the heel region, the exposed length being at least three centimeters such that it is configured to be grasped and pulled by a wearer to increase tension in the first portion to thereby tighten the lace.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the second portion of the at least one inlaid strand is fully disposed in the heel region of the upper.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the inlaid strand extends continuously from a throat area on a medial side of the upper to the throat area on a lateral side of the upper.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the second portion is disposed in a knit collar portion of the knitted component disposed in the heel region of the upper, the knit collar portion being associated with an opening of the upper.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the knit element is comprised of a single knit layer and wherein the exterior surface is associated with the single knit layer.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the knit element is comprised of at least two knit layers and wherein the exterior surface is associated with the outermost layer of the at least two knit layers.