Article Of Footwear Incorporating A Knitted Component

• US 20120233882A1
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fabdesigns, Inc., Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Huffa, Bruce, Bhupesh, Dua
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,532 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 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 23/025 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 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/045 Uppers with inserted gussets
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/10 Tennis shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/00 Shoe lacing fastenings garment fastening devices A41F
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 5/00 Eyelets machines for setting eyelets A43D100/00
• 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 2403/032 Flat fabric of variable width, e.g. including one or more fashioned panels
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/62 related technologies for production or treatment of textile or flexible materials or products thereof, including footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear may include an upper incorporating a knitted component. An inlaid strand extends through the knitted component. A combination feeder may be utilized to inlay the strand within the knitted component. As an example, the combination feeder may include a feeder arm that reciprocates between a retracted position and an extended position. In manufacturing the knitted component, the feeder inlays the strand when the feeder arm is in the extended position, and the strand is absent from the knitted component when the feeder arm is in the retracted position.

Claims

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

a first yarn and a second yarn that are knitted together to form an area of the knitted component, the first yarn being at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, and the second yarn being entirely formed from at least one of a thermoset polymer material and natural fibers; and

an inlaid strand extending through the area of the knitted component.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the first yarn is fused to the second yarn.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the first yarn is fused to the inlaid strand.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the inlaid strand extends from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 4, wherein the knitted component defines a plurality of apertures in the throat area for receiving a lace, and the inlaid strand extends around the apertures.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, further including a third yarn that is incorporated into another area of the knitted component, the third yarn stretching at least one-hundred percent.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 6, wherein the knitted component includes a pair of at least partially coextensive knitted layers formed of unitary knit construction, the third yarn being incorporated into at least one of the layers, and the knitted component includes a plurality of floating yarns located between the knitted layers and extending in a direction that is substantially parallel to the knitted layers.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the knitted layers and the floating yarns are located adjacent to an ankle opening of the upper.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the inlaid strand has a greater thickness than the first yarn and the second yarn.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the knitted component is formed of unitary knit construction and extends along a lateral side of the upper, along a medial side of the upper, over a forefoot region of the upper, and around a heel region of the upper.

11. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component comprising:

a fusible yarn and a non-fusible yarn that are knitted together to form a plurality of intermeshed loops defining courses and wales; and

an inlaid strand extending along at least one of the courses.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the fusible yarn is fused to the non-fusible yarn.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the fusible yarn is fused to the inlaid strand.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the fusible yarn is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, and the non-fusible yarn is substantially formed from at least one of a thermoset polymer material and natural fibers.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the fusible yarn is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polyester, and the non-fusible yarn is substantially formed from thermoset polyester.

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

a knit element defining a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, the interior surface defining a void for receiving a foot, the knit element extending from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper, and the knit element defining a plurality of apertures located within the throat area;

an inlaid strand extending through the knit element from the throat area to the lower area, the inlaid strand extending at least partially around the apertures in the throat area, and the inlaid strand being located between the exterior surface and the interior surface in the throat area; and

a lace extending through the apertures.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the inlaid strand repeatedly extends from the throat area to the lower area.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein one section of the inlaid strand extends upward from the lower area to a first side of one of the apertures, the inlaid strand extends partially around the one of the apertures to an opposite second side of the one of the apertures, and the inlaid strand extends downward from the second side of the one of the apertures to the lower area.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein a portion of the inlaid strand extends through the knit element from the throat area to a heel region of the footwear.

20. The article of footwear recited in claim 19, wherein the portion of the inlaid strand extends to an edge in the heel region.

21. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the knit element is formed of unitary knit construction and extends along a lateral side of the upper, along a medial side of the upper, over a forefoot region of the upper, and around a heel region of the upper.

22. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the inlaid strand extends from the throat area to the lower area in the lateral side and the medial side.

23. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein a portion of the knit element forming the exterior surface exposes multiple sections of the inlaid strand between the throat area and the lower area.

24. The article of footwear recited in claim 23, wherein a portion of the knit element forming the interior surface covers substantially all of the inlaid strand between the throat area and the lower area.

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

a knit element forming a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, the interior surface defining a void for receiving a foot, the knit element extending from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper; and

an inlaid strand extending through the knit element from the throat area to the lower area,

wherein a portion of the knit element forming the exterior surface exposes multiple sections of the inlaid strand in an area between the throat area and the lower area, and a portion of the knit element forming the interior surface covers substantially all of the inlaid strand between the throat area and the lower area.

26. The article of footwear recited in claim 25, wherein the knit element includes an aperture located within the throat area, and a lace extends through the aperture.

27. The article of footwear recited in claim 26, wherein the inlaid strand extends at least partially around the apertures in the throat area, and the inlaid strand is located between the exterior surface and the interior surface in the throat area.

28. The article of footwear recited in claim 26, wherein the inlaid strand extends from the lower area to a first side the aperture, the inlaid strand extends partially around the aperture to an opposite second side of the aperture, and the inlaid strand extends from the second side of the aperture to the lower area.

29. The article of footwear recited in claim 25, wherein the knit element includes a yarn that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, the yarn being fused to the inlaid strand to join the yarn to the inlaid strand.

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

a first knitted layer that forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the upper;

a second knitted layer formed of unitary knit construction with the first knitted layer, the second knitted layer being positioned adjacent to the first knitted layer and at least partially coextensive with the first knitted layer to define a tube between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer; and

a plurality of floating yarns located within the tube and extending in a direction that is substantially parallel to the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer,

wherein the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer are at least partially formed from a yarn that stretches at least one hundred percent.

31. The article of footwear recited in claim 30, wherein the upper defines an interior void for receiving a foot and an ankle opening providing access to the void, the first knitted layer, the second knitted layer, and the floating yarns being positioned adjacent to the ankle opening.

32. The article of footwear recited in claim 30, wherein the first knitted layer, the second knitted layer, and the floating yarns are located on a medial side of the upper and a lateral side of the upper.

33. The article of footwear recited in claim 30, wherein the first knitted layer, the second knitted layer are formed of unitary knit construction with a knitted component that extends along a lateral side of the upper, along a medial side of the upper, over a forefoot region of the upper, and around a heel region of the upper.

34. The article of footwear recited in claim 30, wherein substantially all of the first knitted layer is formed from the yarn, and the second knitted layer is formed from the yarn and another yarn.

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

a knit element including at least one yarn that forms a plurality of intermeshed loops, the knit element defining a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, the interior surface defining a void for receiving a foot, the knit element having a configuration of a single textile layer that forms a portion of the exterior surface and the interior surface; and

an inlaid strand extending through the knit element and located between the exterior surface and the interior surface.

36. The article of footwear recited in claim 35, wherein the knitted structure includes a plurality of intermeshed loops that are formed from the yarn and define courses and wales, the inlaid strand extending along one of the courses.

37. The article of footwear recited in claim 35, wherein the knit element extends from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper, and the inlaid strand extends from the throat area to the lower area.

38. The article of footwear recited in claim 37, wherein the knit element defines an aperture in the throat area, and the inlaid strand extends at least partially around the aperture.

39. The article of footwear recited in claim 37, wherein a portion of the knit element forming the exterior surface exposes multiple sections of the inlaid strand between the throat area and the lower area.

40. The article of footwear recited in claim 39, wherein a portion of the knit element forming the interior surface covers substantially all of the inlaid strand between the throat area and the lower area.