Upper for an article of footwear having a knitted component with a fused area

• US 10,669,656 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Green, Jessica, Hsu, Chun-Ying, Lupinek, Jaroslav J., Matthews, Darryl, McFarland, II, William C., Tu, Chun-Yao, Yang, Yi-Ning, Han, Cheng-Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Worrell, Danny
• Application Number:
  US15/443,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/24 wearing apparel
• 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 2403/023 Fabric with at least two, predominantly unlinked, knitted or woven plies interlaced with each other at spaced locations or linked to a common internal co-extensive yarn system
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/061 Piped openings (pockets)

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an upper for an article of footwear. The upper may include a knitted component having a first yarn and a second yarn, where the first yarn comprises a core with a sheath, the sheath being formed of a thermoplastic material having a melting temperature. The second yarn may be substantially free of the thermoplastic material. The knitted component may further comprise a first layer having a first surface and a second layer having a second surface, where the first layer and the second layer are secured via a knit structure of the knitted component, and where the knitted component further comprises a first region and a second region.

Claims

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

a knitted component having a first yarn and a second yarn,

wherein the first yarn comprises a core with a sheath, the sheath being formed of a thermoplastic material having a melting temperature,

wherein the second yarn is substantially free of the thermoplastic material,

wherein the knitted component further comprises a first layer having a first surface and a second layer having a second surface,

wherein the first layer and the second layer are secured via a knit structure of the knitted component,

wherein the knitted component further comprises a first region located adjacent to a biteline of the upper and a second region located in a throat area of the upper,

wherein the first region comprises the first surface substantially formed by the first yarn and the second surface substantially formed by the second yarn, and

wherein at least the first surface substantially excludes the first yarn in the second region.

2. The upper of claim 1, wherein the core has a second melting temperature that is higher than the melting temperature of the thermoplastic material.

3. The upper of claim 2, wherein the first yarn of the first surface is incorporated into the second surface at least at one location within the first region.

4. The upper of claim 2, wherein the first region extends along an edge adjacent to the biteline of the upper.

5. The upper of claim 1, wherein the second region comprises the first surface substantially formed by the second yarn and the second surface substantially formed by the first yarn.

6. The upper of claim 5, wherein the second region extends along the throat area of the upper.

7. The upper of claim 1, wherein the first yarn is thermoformed to form a fused area.

8. The upper of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material of the sheath consists essentially of at least one thermoplastic polyurethane.

9. The upper of claim 8, where the core of the first yarn comprises at least one polyester.

10. The upper of claim 1, wherein the first layer is integrally knit with the second layer.

11. The upper of claim 1, wherein a fused area formed by the thermoplastic material extends from an edge of the upper towards the throat area, and wherein the fused area terminates adjacent to the throat area.

12. The upper of claim 1, wherein the first yarn is thermoformed to form a fused area, the upper further comprising an auxiliary component formed by a material other than a knitted material and secured to the fused area via the thermoplastic material.

13. An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:

a knitted component having a first yarn and a second yarn,

wherein the first yarn comprises a core with a sheath, the sheath being formed of a thermoplastic material having a melting temperature,

wherein the second yarn is substantially free of the thermoplastic material,

wherein the knitted component further comprises a first layer having a first surface and a second layer having a second surface,

wherein the first layer and the second layer are secured via a knit structure of the knitted component,

wherein a first fused area is formed by the thermoplastic material on the first layer in a first region, and

wherein a second fused area is formed by the thermoplastic material on the first layer in a second region, the second fused area being a transition area including a reduced amount of the thermoplastic polymer material relative to the first fused area.

14. The upper of claim 13, wherein the second yarn forms at least a portion of the first layer in the second region.

15. The upper of claim 14, wherein the first yarn forms at least a portion of the second layer in the second region.

16. The upper of claim 13, wherein the first fused area extends along an edge adjacent to a biteline of the upper, and wherein the second fused area is located between a throat area of the upper and the first fused area.

17. The upper of claim 16, wherein the second fused area terminates adjacent the throat area of the upper.

18. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:

a knitted component having a first region located adjacent to a biteline,

wherein the first region of the knitted component includes an inner surface and an outer surface,

wherein the outer surface includes a fused area formed with a thermoformed thermoplastic material included with a first yarn that is interlooped with a second yarn,

wherein the inner surface is at least partially formed with the second yarn and substantially excludes the thermoformed thermoplastic material, and

wherein a throat area substantially excludes the thermoformed thermoplastic material.

19. The upper of claim 18, wherein the second yarn is free of the thermoplastic material.

20. The upper of claim 18, further comprising an auxiliary component that is coupled to the knitted component via the thermoplastic material included with the first yarn.