Article Of Footwear Having An Upper With Knitted Elements

• US 20110078921A1
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Lyke, Christopher James, Aveni, Michael A., Greene, Pamela S., Farris, Bryan N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/47
• 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 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/026 Laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/028 Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/26 Tongues for shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0031 provided with a pocket, e.g. for keys or a card
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/20 Ankle-joint supports or holders
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/22 specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/207 Wearing apparel or garment blanks
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0241 enhancing mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear may incorporate various elements that are at least partially formed through a knitting process, such as a circular knitting process or a flat knitting process. Examples of the elements include tongue elements, collar elements, and collar-throat elements. In some configurations, the elements include compressible areas and flange areas. The compressible areas may include foam cores or floating yarns that impart compressibility, and the flange areas may be utilized to join the components to the article of footwear.

Claims

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

a material layer forming at least a portion of an exterior surface of the upper; and

a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component having a compressible area and a flange area, the compressible area forming a portion of the exterior surface and a portion of an opposite interior surface of the upper, and the flange area extending outward from the compressible area,

wherein the flange area is located inward from the material layer, and the flange area is joined with the material layer.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the compressible area defines a cavity within the knitted component.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of a foam member, a fibrous material, and a plurality of floating yarns are located within the cavity.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the knitted component forms at least one of a tongue and a collar of the upper.

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

a first material layer forming at least a portion of an exterior surface of the upper;

a second material layer located parallel to the first material layer and inward from the exterior surface; and

a knitted component having a first knit layer and a second knit layer formed of unitary knit construction, the first knit layer forming at least a portion of the exterior surface of the upper, and the second knit layer forming at least a portion of an interior surface of the upper, the knitted component defining a flange extending outward from at least one of the first knit layer and the second knit layer,

wherein the flange is located between the first material layer and the second material layer, and the flange is joined with at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 5, wherein areas of the first knit layer and the second knit layer are spaced from each other to define a cavity within the knitted component.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of a foam member, a fibrous material, and a plurality of floating yarns are located within the cavity.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 6, wherein edges of the first knit layer and the second knit layer are joined to each other around at least a portion of the cavity.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 5, wherein the knitted component forms at least one of a tongue and a collar of the upper.

10. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a tongue element comprising:

a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction and forming a majority of an exterior of the tongue element, the knitted component defining an interior cavity; and

a compressible material located within the cavity,

wherein an end of the knitted component is secured to a throat area of the upper.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the compressible material is a foam member.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the end of the tubular structure includes an opening for the cavity.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the compressible material is a plurality of floating yarns formed of unitary knit construction with the knitted component.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the knitted component includes a first region having a first stitch type and a second region having a second stitch type, the first stitch type being different than the second stitch type.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the first region includes a first yarn and the second region includes a second yarn.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein another end of the knitted component is located adjacent to an ankle opening of the upper and has a closed configuration.

17. A method of manufacturing a tongue element for an article of footwear, the method comprising:

knitting a tubular structure having a first end and a second end, at least the first end having a closed configuration;

inserting a compressible material into the tubular structure through the second end; and

securing the second end to an upper of the article of footwear.

18. The method recited in claim 17, wherein the step of knitting includes utilizing one of a flat knitting technique and a circular knitting technique.

19. The method recited in claim 17, wherein the step of knitting includes forming a first region having a first stitch type and a second region having a second stitch type, the first stitch type being different than the second stitch type.

20. The method recited in claim 17, wherein the step of inserting includes selecting the compressible material to be at least one of a foam member and a fibrous material.

21. The method recited in claim 17, wherein the step of inserting includes laying a plurality of floating yarns within the tubular structure.

22. The method recited in claim 17, further including a step of locating a form within the tubular structure and heating the tubular structure to impart shape to the tubular structure.

23. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper defining an interior void for receiving a foot of a wearer, and the upper having an ankle opening that provides access to the void, the upper having a collar element formed of unitary knit construction and comprising:

a knitted exterior forming at least a portion of (a) an exterior surface of the upper adjacent to an ankle opening of the upper and (b) an interior surface of the upper adjacent to the ankle opening, the knitted exterior defining an interior cavity; and

a plurality of floating yarns located within the cavity,

wherein the collar element is formed as a separate component from other portions of the upper and is secured to the other portions of the upper.

24. The article of footwear recited in claim 23, wherein the collar element includes a flange formed of unitary knit construction with the knitted exterior, the flange being secured to the other portions of the upper.

25. The article of footwear recited in claim 23, wherein the knitted exterior includes a first knitted layer and a second knitted layer, the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer being joined to each other at the ankle opening and at a location spaced from the ankle opening to define the cavity.

26. The article of footwear recited in claim 23, wherein the collar element extends along a portion of a lateral side of the upper, around a heel area of the upper, and along a portion of a medial side of the upper in an area of the ankle opening.

27. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper defining an interior void for receiving a foot of a wearer, and the upper having an ankle opening that provides access to the void, the upper having a collar element comprising:

a first knit layer and a second knit layer formed of unitary knit construction, the first knit layer forming at least a portion of the exterior surface of the upper adjacent to the ankle opening, and the second knit layer forming at least a portion of an interior surface of the upper adjacent to the ankle opening, areas of the first knit layer and the second knit layer are spaced from each other to define a cavity within the knitted component;

a plurality of floating yarns located within the cavity and between the first knit layer and the second knit layer; and

a flange extending outward from at least one of the first knit layer and the second knit layer, the flange being secured to another element of the upper.

28. The article of footwear recited in claim 27, wherein edges of the first knit layer and the second knit layer are joined to each other around at least a portion of the cavity.

29. The article of footwear recited in claim 27, wherein the collar element extends along a portion of a lateral side of the upper, around a heel area of the upper, and along a portion of a medial side of the upper in an area of the ankle opening.

30. A method of manufacturing a collar element for an article of footwear, the method comprising:

flat knitting the collar element to have unitary knit construction that includes (a) a tubular structure with an interior cavity and (b) a plurality of floating yarns within the cavity; and

securing the collar element to an upper of the article of footwear.

31. The method recited in claim 30, wherein the step of flat knitting includes forming a flange that extends outward from the tubular structure.

32. The method recited in claim 31, wherein the step of securing includes placing the flange adjacent to a material layer of the upper and joining the flange to the material layer.

33. The method recited in claim 30, wherein the step of securing includes locating the collar element along a portion of a lateral side of the upper, around a heel area of the upper, and along a portion of a medial side of the upper.

34. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:

knitting a series of footwear elements, at least two of the footwear elements being joined by a release area that includes a release yarn;

removing the release yarn to separate the footwear elements; and

incorporating at least one of the footwear elements into the article of footwear.

35. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the step of knitting includes utilizing one of a flat knitting technique and a circular knitting technique.

36. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the step of knitting includes forming each of the footwear elements of unitary knit construction.

37. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the step of knitting includes forming flanges in the footwear elements, and the step of incorporating includes securing one of the flanges to the article of footwear.

38. The method recited in claim 34, further including a step of heating and altering a shape of at least one of the footwear elements.

39. A method of manufacturing a first article of footwear for a right foot of a wearer and a second article of footwear for a left foot of the wearer, the method comprising:

knitting a first element and a second element, the first element being substantially identical to the second element;

incorporating the first element into the first article of footwear; and

incorporating the second element into the second article of footwear.

40. The method recited in claim 39, wherein the first element has a lateral portion and a medial portion with different shapes, and the first element has opposite sides that are substantially symmetrical.

41. The method recited in claim 39, wherein the first element includes a compressible area and a flange area extending outward from the compressible area, and the step of incorporating the first element into the first article of footwear includes securing the flange area to a material layer of the first article of footwear.