Footwear with knit upper and method of manufacturing the footwear

• US 20050115284A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dua, Bhupesh
• Granted Patent: US 6,986,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 66/178.R
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/00 Footwear characterised by the assembling of the individual parts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/102 with stitch pattern D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/106 at a selvedge, e.g. hems or turned welts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/26 stockings
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 9/26 for producing patterned fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear with a knit upper and a method of manufacturing the footwear are disclosed. The upper is formed through a knitting process to include a plurality of sections formed of different yarns and knits to provide the sections with different physical properties. In portions of the upper where sections formed of different yarns are in adjacent wales, a tuck stitch is utilized to join the sections. The method utilizes a circular knitting machine having multiple feeds that work together to knit the upper into a unitary, seamless structure. The multiple feeds, each of which provide multiple types of yarns, produce the sections to have varying physical properties.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, the method comprising steps of:

knitting a first section of the upper from a first yarn having a first physical property;

knitting a second section of the upper from a second yarn having a second physical property, the first physical property being different than the second physical property;

forming the first section with the second yarn being substantially absent from the first section;

forming the second section with the first yarn being substantially absent from the second section; and

knitting tuck stitches between the first section and the second section to join the first section with the second section.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of knitting the first section, knitting the second section, and knitting the tuck stitches are performed with a circular knitting machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the knitting machine includes four yarn feeds.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the four yarn feeds operate simultaneously to knit the upper.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the four yarn feeds accommodate yarns with different physical properties.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of knitting the tuck stitches includes positioning the tuck stitches between adjacent wales of the first section and the second section.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of knitting the first section includes selecting the first physical property to be a first stretchability.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of knitting the second section includes selecting the second physical property to be a second stretchability, the first stretchability being greater than the second stretchability.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of knitting the first section includes selecting the first physical property to be abrasion-resistance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of knitting the first section includes positioning the first section around an ankle opening of the upper.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of knitting the first section includes positioning the first section in a heel portion of the upper.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of knitting the first section includes positioning the first section in an instep portion of the upper.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of knitting the first section includes forming ribs in the first section.

14. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear having a knit upper and a sole structure, the method comprising steps of:

knitting a first section of the upper from a first yarn having a first stretchability;

knitting a second section of the upper from a second yarn having a stretchability, the first stretchability being greater than the second stretchability;

forming the first section with the second yarn being substantially absent from the first section;

forming the second section with the first yarn being substantially absent from the second section;

knitting tuck stitches between adjacent wales of the first section and the second section to join the first section with the second section; and

attaching the sole structure to the upper

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the steps of knitting the first section, knitting the second section, and knitting the tuck stitches are performed with a circular knitting machine.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the knitting machine includes four yarn feeds.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the four yarn feeds operate simultaneously to knit the upper.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the four yarn feeds accommodate yarns with different physical properties.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of knitting the first section includes positioning the first section around an ankle opening of the upper.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of knitting the second section includes positioning the second section in a heel portion of the upper.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of knitting the second section includes positioning the second section on sides of the upper.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of knitting the first section includes forming ribs in the first section.

23. A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, the method comprising steps of:

knitting the upper to include a first section formed of a first yarn and a second section formed of a second yarn,

selecting the first yarn to have a first physical property and the second yarn to have a second physical property, the first physical property being different than the second physical property;

substantially limiting the first yarn to the first section and the second yarn to the second section; and

knitting tuck stitches between the first section and the second section to join the first section with the second section.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of knitting the upper is performed with a circular knitting machine.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of knitting the tuck stitches includes positioning the tuck stitches between adjacent wales of the first section and the second section.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of knitting the upper includes selecting the first physical property to be a first stretchability and selecting the second physical property to be a second stretchability, the first stretchability being greater than the second stretchability.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of knitting the upper includes selecting the first physical property to be abrasion-resistance.