Article Of Footwear Incorporating A Knitted Component With Integrally Knit Contoured Portion

• US 20140245633A1
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Podhajny, Daniel A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,936,757 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 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/26 Tongues for shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 8/00 Machines for cutting, ornamenting, marking or otherwise working up shoe part blanks pulling-over or lasting A43D9/00 - A43D23/00; making or fastening soles, heels or welts A43D25/00 - A43D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/123 with laid-in unlooped yarn, e.g. fleece fabrics with elastic weft yarn D04B1/18
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/032 Flat fabric of variable width, e.g. including one or more fashioned panels
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper with a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component has a first edge and a second edge. The knitted component also includes a base portion configured to be disposed adjacent the sole structure and to be disposed under a foot. The knitted component further includes a heel portion, a forefoot portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion. The knitted component additionally includes a collar with a rim. The second edge is joined to the first edge at a seam. The seam has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is located generally at the rim of the collar on one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper. The second end is spaced from the first end.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole structure; and

an upper that is coupled to the sole structure, the upper including a medial side and a lateral side, the upper including a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including a first edge and a second edge, the knitted component also including;

a base portion configured to be disposed adjacent the sole structure and to be disposed under a foot,

a heel portion, a forefoot portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion that are each formed of unitary knit construction with to the base portion, and

a collar with a rim, the collar extending from at least one of the medial portion and the lateral portion,

the second edge being joined to the first edge at a seam of the knitted component causing the base portion, the heel portion, the forefoot portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion to cooperatively define a void for receiving the foot,

the seam having a first end and a second end, the first end located generally at the rim of the collar on one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, the second end being spaced from the first end.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the seam includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion extends from the first end and downward toward the base portion, and wherein the second portion extends continuously from the first portion and toward the forefoot portion.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2,

wherein the upper further includes a forefoot region at least partially defined by the forefoot portion of the knitted component,

wherein the second end of the seam is located generally in the forefoot region adjacent the lateral side,

wherein the seam further includes a third portion and a fourth portion, and

wherein the first portion extends from the first end and downward toward the base portion, wherein the second portion extends continuously from the first portion and toward the forefoot region between the base portion and the medial portion, wherein the third portion extends continuously from the second portion and upward and away from the base portion, and wherein the fourth portion extends continuously from the third portion along the forefoot region to terminate at the second end of the seam.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein the second portion of the seam has an arched curvature that is configured to substantially nest with an anatomical arch of the foot received within the void.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the upper also includes a forefoot region at least partially defined by the forefoot portion of the knitted component, and wherein the second end of the seam is located in the forefoot region.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the knitted component includes a knit element and a tensile strand that is formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element, wherein the knit element substantially defines the base portion, the heel portion, the forefoot portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion, wherein the tensile strand includes a first portion that extends along the knit element toward the seam, and wherein the tensile strand includes a second portion that is substantially aligned with the seam.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the first portion is inlaid within the knit element, wherein the second portion is exposed from the knit element, wherein the tensile strand further includes a third portion that is inlaid within the knit element, and wherein the second portion extends continuously between the first portion and the third portion.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the knitted component includes a knit element, a first tensile strand that is formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element, and a second tensile strand that is formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element, wherein the first tensile strand includes a first portion that extends transverse relative to the seam, wherein the second tensile strand includes a second portion that extends transverse relative to the seam, wherein the first portion and the second portion are disposed on opposite sides of the seam, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are substantially aligned.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein the sole structure includes a flex groove, wherein the first portion and the second portion are substantially aligned in a longitudinal direction with each other, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are substantially aligned in a vertical direction with the flex groove.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the base portion includes a plurality of openings and the base portion includes a substantially continuous border that encompasses the plurality of openings.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the knitted component further includes a throat area that is defined between the medial portion and the heel portion, and wherein the throat area is integrally attached to and formed of unitary knit construction with both the lateral side and the medial side of the upper.

12. A knitted component configured to form an upper for an article of footwear, the upper configured to be attached to a sole structure, the knitted component comprising:

a base portion with a first side that is at least partially defined by a first edge of the knitted component, the base portion configured to be disposed adjacent the sole structure;

a heel portion and a forefoot portion that are formed of unitary knit construction with the base portion; and

a medial portion and a lateral portion that extend from a second side of the base portion, the second side being opposite from the first side, one of the medial portion and the lateral portion being at least partially defined by a second edge of the knitted component,

the second edge being configured to be joined to the first edge at a seam to locate the one of the medial portion and the lateral portion adjacent the first side of the base portion and the other of the medial portion and the lateral portion adjacent the second side of the base portion, and wherein the second edge is configured to be joined to the first edge such that the base portion, the heel portion, the forefoot portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion cooperatively define a void that is configured to receive a foot.

13. The knitted component of claim 12, wherein at least one of the heel portion and the forefoot portion includes a surface having three dimensional curvature that defines a cavity.

14. The knitted component of claim 13, wherein the heel portion includes the surface having three dimensional curvature to define a heel cavity.

15. The knitted component of claim 12, further comprising a collar with a rim that is configured to define an opening into the void, the first edge and the second edge configured to be joined at a first end of the seam, the first end disposed generally at the rim of the collar.

16. The knitted component of claim 12, further comprising a knit element and a tensile strand, the knit element substantially defining the base portion, the forefoot portion, the heel portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion, wherein the tensile strand is formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element, wherein the tensile strand includes a first portion that extends along the knit element toward one of the first edge and the second edge, and wherein the tensile strand includes a second portion that is substantially aligned with the one of the first edge and the second edge.

17. The knitted component of claim 16, wherein the first portion is inlaid within the knit element, wherein the second portion is exposed from the knit element, wherein the tensile strand further includes a third portion that is inlaid within the knit element, and wherein the second portion is disposed between the first portion and the third portion.

18. The knitted component of claim 12, further comprising a knit element, a first tensile strand, and a second tensile strand,

wherein the knit element substantially defines the base portion, the forefoot portion, the heel portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion,

wherein the first tensile strand and the second tensile strand are formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element,

wherein the first tensile strand includes a first portion that extends transverse relative to the first edge, wherein the second tensile strand includes a second portion that extends transverse relative to the second edge, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to be disposed on opposite sides of the seam and are substantially aligned with each other.

19. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprising:

knitting a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction to have;

a base portion with a first side that is at least partially defined by a first edge of the knitted component,

a heel portion and a forefoot portion that are formed of unitary knit construction with the base portion,

a medial portion and a lateral portion that extend from a second side of the base portion, the second side being opposite from the first side, one of the medial portion and the lateral portion being at least partially defined by a second edge of the knitted component;

moving the second edge toward the first edge to locate the one of the medial portion and the lateral portion adjacent the first side of the base portion and the other of the medial portion and the lateral portion adjacent the second side of the base portion;

joining the second edge to the first edge at a seam of the knitted component causing the base portion, the heel portion, the forefoot portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion to cooperatively define a void that is configured to receive a foot; and

forming an upper of the article of footwear from the knitted component, the upper including a medial side at least partially defined by the medial portion of the knitted component, the upper also including a lateral side at least partially defined by the lateral portion of the knitted component.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein knitting the knitted component includes forming a collar of the knitted component, the collar including a rim,

wherein joining the second edge to the first edge includes causing the rim to define an opening into the void, wherein the seam has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is located generally at the rim of the collar on one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, and wherein the second end is spaced from the first end.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein knitting the knitted component includes forming a collar of the knitted component, the collar including a rim,

wherein forming the upper includes forming the upper to include a heel region between the medial side and the lateral side of the upper,

wherein joining the second edge to the first edge includes causing the rim to define an opening into the void, wherein the seam has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is located generally at the rim of the collar on the heel region between the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, and wherein the second end is spaced from the first end.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the medial portion is at least partially defined by the second edge of the knitted component, and wherein the lateral portion is adjacent the second side of the base portion.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising attaching a sole structure to the knitted component such that the sole structure is adjacent the base portion of the knitted component.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein joining the second edge to the first edge at the seam includes forming the seam with a first end, a first portion, and a second portion, wherein the first portion extends from the first end and downward toward the base portion, and wherein the second portion extends continuously from the first portion and toward the forefoot portion.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein joining the second edge to the first edge at the seam includes:

defining a forefoot region of the upper with at least a portion of the forefoot portion of the knitted component;

forming the second end of the seam generally in the forefoot region adjacent the lateral side, and

forming the seam with the first portion, the second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion, wherein the first portion extends from the first end and downward toward the base portion, wherein the second portion extends continuously from the first portion and toward the forefoot portion between the base portion and the medial portion, wherein the third portion extends continuously from the second portion and upward and away from the base portion, and wherein the fourth portion extends continuously from the third portion along the forefoot region to terminate at the second end of the seam.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein joining the second edge to the first edge at the seam includes defining the second portion of the seam with an arched curvature that is configured to substantially nest with an anatomical arch of the foot received within the void.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein knitting the knitted component includes knitting the knitted component with a knit element and a tensile strand that is formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element, wherein the knit element substantially defines the base portion, the heel portion, the forefoot portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion, and wherein joining the second edge to the first edge at the seam includes extending a first portion of the tensile strand along the knit element toward the seam and substantially aligning a second portion of the tensile strand with the seam.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein knitting the knitted component includes:

inlaying the first portion of the tensile strand within the knit element;

leaving the second portion of the tensile strand exposed from the knit element; and

inlaying a third portion of the tensile strand within the knit element, wherein the second portion extends continuously between the first portion and the third portion.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein knitting the knitted component includes knitting the knitted component with a knit element, a first tensile strand that is formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element, and a second tensile strand that is formed of unitary knit construction with the knit element, and wherein joining the second edge to the first edge at the seam includes substantially aligning extending a first portion of the first tensile strand with a second portion of the second tensile strand, the first portion of the first tensile strand and the second portion of the second tensile strand being disposed on opposite sides of the seam and extending transverse to the seam.