Footwear incorporating a textile with fusible filaments and fibers

• US 20040118018A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dua, Bhupesh
• Granted Patent: US 6,910,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/45
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/14 made of plastics A43B1/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0255 assembled by gluing or thermo bonding
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 8/24 Embossing using heat, e.g. high frequency electric current
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/08 Tulle fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/041 thermoplastic; thermosetting
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

The invention is an upper for an article of footwear that includes a textile having fusible filaments or fibers. The textile is incorporated into the upper and specific areas of the upper are heated such that the fusible filaments or fibers fuse with other filaments or fibers to form fused areas. In comparison with unfused areas of the upper, the fused areas may impart properties that include greater stretch-resistance, stability, support, abrasion-resistance, durability, and stiffness, for example. In addition, the fused areas generally provide air-permeability without significantly increasing the weight of the footwear.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having a sole structure and an upper secured to said sole structure, said upper comprising a textile at least partially formed from a plurality of first strands and a plurality of second strands, said first strands being formed of a thermoplastic polymer material, said textile including a fused area wherein said first strands are fused to said second strands.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said textile is a non-woven material.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said textile is formed from mechanically manipulated yarns, said yarns incorporating said first strands and said second strands.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first strands include a single said thermoplastic polymer material.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first strands include a first said thermoplastic polymer material having a first melting temperature, and said first strands include a second said thermoplastic material having a second melting temperature.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein said first said thermoplastic polymer material forms a central portion of said first strands, and said second said thermoplastic material surrounds said central portion.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein said first melting temperature is selected to be higher than said second melting temperature.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first strands and said second strands are incorporated into a yarn.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein said second strands are formed of said thermoplastic polymer material.

10. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein said second strands are formed of a non-melting material.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said upper is knitted such that said textile forms a tubular structure.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said fused area is positioned adjacent an ankle opening of said upper.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said fused area is positioned on a heel portion of said upper.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said fused area is positioned on a side of said upper.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said fused area is positioned on an instep portion of said upper.

16. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said fused area is positioned on a toe portion of said upper.

17. An article of footwear having a sole structure and an upper secured to said sole structure, said upper comprising:

a fused area of a textile, said fused area being at least partially formed from a plurality of first strands and a plurality of second strands, said first strands being formed of a thermoplastic polymer material, and said first strands being fused to said second strands in said fused area; and

an unfused area of said textile, said first strands being unfused to said second strands in said unfused area.

18. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said textile is a non-woven material.

19. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said textile is formed from mechanically manipulated yarns, said yarns incorporating said first strands and said second strands.

20. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said fused area is positioned adjacent an ankle opening of said upper.

21. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said fused area is positioned on a heel portion of said upper.

22. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said fused area is positioned on a side of said upper.

23. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said fused area is positioned on an instep portion of said upper.

24. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said fused area is positioned on a toe portion of said upper.

25. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said first strands include a single said thermoplastic polymer material.

26. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said first strands include a first said thermoplastic polymer material having a first melting temperature, and said first strands include a second said thermoplastic material having a second melting temperature.

27. The article of footwear of claim 26, wherein said first said thermoplastic polymer material forms a central portion of said first strands, and said second said thermoplastic material surrounds said central portion.

28. The article of footwear of claim 27, wherein said first melting temperature is selected to be higher than said second melting temperature.

29. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said first strands and said second strands are incorporated into a yarn.

30. The article of footwear of claim 29, wherein said second strands are formed of said thermoplastic polymer material.

31. The article of footwear of claim 29, wherein said second strands are formed of a non-melting material.

32. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said upper is knitted with a knitting machine such that said textile forms a tubular structure.

33. A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, said method comprising steps of:

providing a plurality of strands, at least a first portion of the strands including at least one thermoplastic polymer material;

incorporating the strands into a textile that forms a portion of the upper; and

forming a fused area of the textile by fusing at least the first portion of the strands to a second portion of the strands.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of providing includes selecting the first portion of the strands to include a first of the thermoplastic polymer material and a second of the thermoplastic polymer material.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of providing includes positioning the first of the thermoplastic material in a central portion of the first portion of the strands, and positioning the second of the thermoplastic material around the central portion.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of providing includes selecting the first of the thermoplastic polymer material to have a higher melting temperature than the second of the thermoplastic polymer material.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of providing includes selecting the second portion of the strands to be a non-melting material.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of incorporating includes forming the textile to be a non-woven material that includes the first portion of the strands and the second portion of the strands.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of incorporating includes forming the textile by mechanically manipulating yarn that includes the first portion of the strands and the second portion of the strands.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of incorporating includes forming at least an outer portion of the upper from the textile.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of incorporating includes knitting a tubular structure with a knitting machine that mechanically manipulates yarn at least partially formed of the first portion of the strands and the second portion of the strands.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of forming includes positioning the fused area adjacent an ankle opening of the upper.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of forming includes positioning the fused area on a heel portion of the upper.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of forming includes positioning the fused area on a side of the upper.

45. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of forming includes positioning the fused area on an instep portion of the upper.

46. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of forming includes positioning the fused area on a toe portion of the upper.

47. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of incorporating includes locating the first portion of the strands in specific locations in the textile.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of forming includes heating the entire textile.

49. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of incorporating includes locating the first portion of the strands throughout substantially all of the textile.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the step of forming includes heating specific areas of the textile.

51. A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, said method comprising steps of:

incorporating a yarn with at least one fusible strand into a majority of the upper;

heating substantially all of the upper to fuse the at least one fusible strand to an adjacent strand.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of incorporating includes selecting the yarn to be entirely formed of fusible strands.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of heating includes submersing the upper into a liquid having a temperature above a melting temperature of the at least one fusible strand.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of incorporating includes forming a textile by mechanically manipulating yarn that includes the at least one fusible strand.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of incorporating includes knitting a generally tubular structure with a knitting machine that mechanically manipulates the yarn.