Footwear Upper Incorporating A Knitted Component With Collar And Throat Portions

• US 20140137433A1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Craig, Kenneth T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,182,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/50.1
• 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 23/024 Different layers of the same material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/04 with rings or loops
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/108 Gussets, e.g. pouches or heel or toe portions
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/22 specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
• 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 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear may include an upper having a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component includes a collar portion and a throat portion. The collar portion has a cylindrical configuration and the throat portion extends outward from the collar portion. In some configurations, the collar portion and the throat portion form (a) a first area of an exterior surface of the upper and (b) a first area of an interior surface of the upper. The upper may also include a cover component secured to the knitted component and forming (a) a second area of the exterior surface of the upper and (b) a second area of the interior surface of the upper.

Claims

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

a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction and including a collar portion and a throat portion, the collar portion having a cylindrical configuration defining an ankle opening, and the throat portion extending outward from the collar portion and through at least a portion of a length of a throat area of the upper, the collar portion and the throat portion forming (a) a first area of an exterior surface of the upper and (b) a first area of an interior surface of the upper; and

a cover component secured to the knitted component and extending between the knitted component and the sole structure, the cover component forming (a) a second area of the exterior surface of the upper and (b) a second area of the interior surface of the upper.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the knitted component includes a first knit layer and a second knit layer, the first knit layer forming the first area of the exterior surface of the upper, and the second knit layer forming the second area of the exterior surface of the upper.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the first knit layer contacts and lays against the second knit layer.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein (a) peripheral areas of the first knit layer and the second knit layer are joined to each other and (b) central areas of the first knit layer and the second knit layer are unjoined to each other.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the knitted component further includes a heel portion extending outward from the collar portion and through at least a portion of a height of a heel region of the footwear.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 5, wherein the heel portion forms further areas of the exterior surface of the upper and the interior surface of the upper.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the knitted component includes separate regions having at least one of (a) different knit structures and (b) different yarns.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein a least a portion of the knitted component has a rib knit structure.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein a lace extends across the throat area and contacts the first area of the exterior surface of the upper.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the upper includes (a) a plurality of tensile strands extending through a region between the knitted component and the sole structure and (b) a lace coupled to the tensile strands and extending across the throat area.

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

a knitted component including an outer knit layer and an inner knit layer laying adjacent to each other, each of the outer knit layer and the inner knit layer extending around and forming a collar of the upper that defines an ankle opening of the upper, and each of the outer knit layer and the inner knit layer extending through at least a portion of a length of a throat area of the upper, the outer knit layer forming a first area of an exterior surface of the upper, and the inner knit layer forming a first area of an interior surface of the upper; and

a cover component secured to the knitted component and extending between the knitted component and the sole structure, the cover component forming (a) a second area of the exterior surface of the upper and (b) a second area of the interior surface of the upper.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the knitted component has a cylindrical configuration in the collar.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the outer knit layer contacts and lays against the inner knit layer.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein (a) peripheral areas of the outer knit layer and the inner knit layer are joined to each other and (b) central areas of the outer knit layer and the inner knit layer are unjoined to each other.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein each of the outer knit layer and the inner knit layer extend through a majority of a height of a heel region of the footwear.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the knitted component includes a seam where either (a) two sections of the outer knit layer are joined to each other or (b) two sections of the inner knit layer are joined to each other.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the outer knit layer includes separate regions having at least one of (a) different knit structures and (b) different yarns.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein a lace extends repeatedly across the throat area and contacts the first knit layer.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the upper includes (a) a plurality of tensile strands extending through a region between the knitted component and the sole structure and (b) a lace coupled to the tensile strands and extending repeatedly across the throat area.

20. A knitted component for an article of footwear, the knitted component comprising:

a collar portion having a cylindrical configuration;

a throat portion extending outward from the collar portion;

a first knit layer forming a first surface of the collar portion and the throat portion; and

a second knit layer located adjacent to the first knit layer and forming an opposite second surface of the collar portion and the throat portion,

peripheral areas of the first knit layer and the second knit layer being joined to each other, and central areas of the first knit layer and the second knit layer being unjoined to each other.

21. The knitted component recited in claim 20, wherein the knitted component is formed of unitary knit construction.

22. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein the knitted component includes separate regions having at least one of (a) different knit structures and (b) different yarns.

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

utilizing a circular knitting process to form a knitted component by (a) knitting two substantially coextensive layers and (b) joining peripheral areas of the layers to each other; and

incorporating the knitted component into an upper of the article of footwear, the knitted component forming a collar of the upper, and the knitted component extending through a majority of a length of a throat area of the upper.

24. The method recited in claim 23, wherein the step of utilizing the circular knitting process includes forming (a) a first portion of the knitted component to have a cylindrical configuration and (b) a second portion of the knitted component to extend outward from the first portion.

25. The method recited in claim 24, wherein the step of utilizing the circular knitting process further includes forming the first portion and the second portion from the two substantially coextensive knit layers.

26. The method recited in claim 24, wherein the step of incorporating the knitted component includes locating (a) the first portion to form the collar and (b) the second portion to extend into the throat area.

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

knitting a first layer and a second layer that each form opposite surfaces of a collar portion and a throat portion of a knitted component, the collar portion having a cylindrical configuration, and the throat portion extending outward from the collar portion; and

incorporating the knitted component into an upper of the article of footwear, the collar portion being located to form a collar of the upper and define an ankle opening, the throat portion being located to extend through at least a portion of a length of a throat area of the upper, the first layer being located to form a portion of an exterior surface of the upper, and the second layer being located to form a portion of an interior surface of the upper.

28. The method recited in claim 27, wherein the step of knitting includes utilizing a circular knitting process.

29. The method recited in claim 27, wherein the step of knitting includes joining peripheral areas of the first layer and the second layer.

30. The method recited in claim 27, wherein the step of knitting includes forming a heel portion extending outward from the collar portion, and the step of incorporating includes locating the heel portion in a heel region of the footwear.

31. The method recited in claim 27, wherein the step of knitting includes forming separate regions having at least one of (a) different knit structures and (b) different yarns.

32. The method recited in claim 27, wherein the step of incorporating includes joining the knitted component to a cover component extending between the knitted component and a sole structure of the article of footwear.

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

knitting a tubular structure to have a cylindrical configuration with two knit layers;

removing a knitted component from the tubular structure that includes a collar portion and a throat portion extending outward from the collar portion; and

incorporating the knitted component into an upper of the article of footwear, the collar portion being located to form a collar of the upper and define an ankle opening, the throat portion being located to extend through at least a portion of a length of a throat area of the upper.

34. The method recited in claim 33, wherein the step of knitting includes utilizing a circular knitting process.

35. The method recited in claim 33, wherein the step of incorporating includes joining the knitted component to a cover component extending between the knitted component and a sole structure of the article of footwear.