ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR INCORPORATING A KNITTED COMPONENT WITH INTEGRALLY KNIT CONTOURED PORTION

• US 20140245634A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• 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 9,848,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/54
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0265 having different properties in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 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: D04B 1/108 Gussets, e.g. pouches or heel or toe portions
• 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 1/22 specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
• 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 upper for an article of footwear includes a knitted component having unitary knit construction. The knitted component has a base portion configured to be disposed adjacent the sole structure. The knitted component also includes one or more side portions that extend from the base portion. Furthermore, the knitted component can have at least a first edge and a second edge that are joined at a seam to define a void that receives a foot. Additionally, the upper can include a tensile strand that extends through a passage defined between an exterior surface and an interior surface of the base portion.

Claims

1. An upper for an article of footwear that is configured to be connected to a sole structure and configured to receive a foot, the upper comprising:

a knitted component having unitary knit construction and comprising;

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

a heel portion and a forefoot portion that extend from opposite ends of the base portion,

a medial portion and a lateral portion that extend from opposite sides of the base portion, the medial and lateral portion cooperating to define a throat area between the medial and lateral portions, and

a tongue portion that is configured to be disposed in the throat area, the tongue portion decoupled from at least one of the medial portion and the lateral portion;

a first edge of the knitted component; and

a second edge of the knitted component configured to be coupled to the first edge at a seam 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 the foot.

2. The upper of claim 1, wherein the heel portion and base portion cooperate to define a surface of a heel cavity having three dimensional curvature.

3. The upper of claim 1, wherein the forefoot portion and base portion cooperate to define a surface of forefoot cavity having three dimensional curvature.

4. The upper of claim 1, wherein the tongue portion extends from the base portion.

5. The upper of claim 4, wherein a gap is defined between the forefoot portion and one of the medial and lateral portions, the tongue portion extending from the base portion and disposed within the gap.

6. The upper of claim 1, wherein the knitted component includes a first tapered area with a first tapered boundary and a second tapered area with a second tapered boundary, the first tapered boundary joined to the second tapered boundary to provide the knitted component with a three dimensionally contoured surface.

7. The upper of claim 1, wherein the tongue portion includes a curved region having a plurality of knit courses that radiate from a common area to provide the curved region with curvature.

8. The upper of claim 1, further comprising a tensile strand that is incorporated in the unitary knit construction, the tensile strand extending across at least one of the base portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion.

9. The upper of claim 8, wherein the tensile strand extends continuously between the base portion and one of the medial portion and the lateral portion.

10. The upper of claim 9, wherein the tensile strand extends continuously from the medial portion, through the base portion, to the lateral portion.

11. The upper of claim 10, wherein the tensile strand alternatingly extends between the medial portion and the lateral portion, the tensile strand extending through the base portion as the strand alternates between the medial portion and the lateral portion.

12. The upper of claim 8, wherein the tensile strand includes a turn configured to receive and support a closure element that selectively secures the upper to the foot.

13. The upper of claim 12, wherein one of the medial portion and the lateral portion includes an opening and the turn extends at least partially around the opening, the opening and the turn configured to cooperatively receive and support the closure element.

14. The upper of claim 13, wherein the turn is exposed from the one of the medial portion and the lateral portion.

15. The upper of claim 13, wherein the turn is enclosed between an exterior surface and an interior surface of the one of the medial portion and the lateral portion.

16. The upper of claim 8, wherein the base portion defines an interior surface of the knitted component and an exterior surface of the knitted component, a passage being defined between the interior surface and the exterior surface, and wherein the tensile strand extends through the passage.

17. The upper of claim 16, wherein a first longitudinal portion of the tensile strand is disposed inside the passage and a second longitudinal portion of the tensile strand is exposed from the passage.

18. The upper of claim 1, wherein the first edge and the second edge are joined by the seam.

19. The upper of claim 18, wherein the first edge and the second edge abut at the seam.

20. The upper of claim 19, wherein the seam includes stitching that is independent of stitching of the unitary knit construction.

21. The upper of claim 20, wherein the seam extends continuously from the base portion to at least one of the medial portion, the lateral portion, and the forefoot portion.

22. The upper of claim 21, wherein the seam is spaced from the heel portion such that the heel portion is seamless.

23. The upper of claim 19, wherein the seam is the only seam of the upper.

24. A method of manufacturing a knitted component for an article of footwear that is configured to be connected to a sole structure, the method comprising:

knitting the knitted component to have

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

a heel portion and a forefoot portion that extend from opposite ends of the base portion,

a medial portion and a lateral portion that extend from opposite sides of the base portion, the medial and lateral portion cooperating to define a throat area between the medial and lateral portions, and

a tongue portion that is configured to be disposed in the throat area, the tongue portion decoupled from at least one of the medial portion and the lateral portion; and

coupling a first edge of the knitted component and a second edge of the knitted component at a seam 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 the foot.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein knitting the knitted component includes forming a surface of a cavity having three dimensional curvature.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein coupling the first edge and the second edge together includes stitching the first edge and the second edge together with stitching.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising extending a tensile strand across at least one of the base portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein extending the tensile strand includes extending the tensile strand continuously from the medial portion, through the base portion, to the lateral portion.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein extending the strand includes alternatingly extending the strand between the medial portion and the lateral portion.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the base portion defines an interior surface of the knitted component and an exterior surface of the knitted component, a passage being defined between the interior surface and the exterior surface, and wherein extending the tensile strand includes extending the strand through the passage.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein knitting the knitted component includes knitting a first tapered area with a first tapered boundary and a second tapered area with a second tapered boundary, the first tapered boundary joined to the second tapered boundary to provide the knitted component with a three dimensionally contoured surface.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein knitting the knitted component includes knitting the tongue portion to include a curved region having a plurality of knit courses that radiate from a common area to provide the curved region with curvature.

33. An upper for an article of footwear that is configured to be connected to a sole structure and that is configured to receive a foot, the upper comprising:

a knitted component having a base portion that is configured to be disposed adjacent the sole structure, the base portion defining an interior surface and an exterior surface of the knitted component, the base portion defining a base portion passage between the interior surface and the exterior surface; and

a tensile strand that extends through the base portion passage.

34. The upper of claim 33, wherein the knitted component also includes a side portion that also defines the interior surface and the exterior surface of the knitted component, the side portion defining a side passage between the interior surface and the exterior surface, the tensile strand extending continuously between and received in both the base portion passage and the side passage.

35. The upper of claim 34, wherein the base portion passage and the side passage are in communication with each other such that the tensile strand is embedded within the base portion passage and the side passage as the strand extends continuously between the base portion passage and the side passage.

36. The upper of claim 34, wherein the side portion includes a medial portion and a lateral portion extending from opposite sides of the base portion, the tensile strand extending continuously from the medial portion, through the base portion, to the lateral portion.

37. The upper of claim 36, wherein the tensile strand alternatingly extends between the medial portion and the lateral portion.

38. The upper of claim 34, wherein the tensile strand includes a turn configured to receive and support a closure element that selectively secures the upper to the foot.

39. The upper of claim 38, wherein the side portion includes an opening and the turn extends at least partially around the opening, the opening and the turn configured to cooperatively receive and support the closure element.

40. The upper of claim 34, wherein the side portion is formed of a unitary knit construction with the base portion.

41. The upper of claim 33, wherein the tensile strand is slidingly received within the base portion passage.

42. The upper of claim 33, wherein the tensile strand is fixedly attached to the base portion.

43. The upper of claim 42, wherein the tensile strand is a fusible strand that is configured to be fused to the base portion.

44. The upper of claim 33, wherein the base portion includes an arch supporting region configured to extend under an arch of the foot, and wherein the tensile strand extends across the arch supporting region.

45. A method of manufacturing an upper that is configured to be connected to a sole structure and that is configured to be worn on a foot, the method comprising:

knitting a knitted component having a base portion that is configured to be disposed adjacent the sole structure, the base portion defining an interior surface and an exterior surface of the knitted component, the base portion defining a base portion passage between the interior surface and the exterior surface; and

extending a tensile strand through the base portion passage.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein knitting the knitted component includes knitting a side portion that also defines the interior surface and the exterior surface of the knitted component, the side portion defining a side passage between the interior surface and the exterior surface, and wherein extending the tensile strand includes extending the strand continuously through both the base portion passage and the side passage.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the base portion passage and the side passage are in communication with each other, and wherein extending the tensile strand includes embedding the tensile strand within the base portion passage and the side passage as the tensile strand extends continuously through both the base portion passage and the side passage.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the side portion includes a medial portion and a lateral portion extending from opposite sides of the base portion, and wherein extending the tensile strand includes extending the tensile strand continuously from the medial portion, through the base portion, to the lateral portion.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein extending the tensile strand includes alternatingly extending the tensile strand between the medial portion and the lateral portion.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising forming a turn in the tensile strand, the turn configured to receive and support a closure element that selectively secures the upper to the foot.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the side portion includes an opening, and wherein forming the turn includes extending the tensile strand at least partially around the opening, the opening and the turn configured to cooperatively receive and support the closure element.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein knitting the knitted component includes providing the side portion to have a unitary knit construction with the base portion.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising sliding the tensile strand longitudinally through the base portion passage.

54. The method of claim 45, further comprising fixedly attaching the tensile strand to the base portion.

55. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole structure; and

an upper that comprises;

a knitted component having unitary knit construction and having a base portion that is configured to be disposed adjacent the sole structure, the base portion defining an interior surface and an exterior surface of the knitted component, the base portion defining a base portion passage between the interior surface and the exterior surface; and

a tensile strand that extends through the base portion passage.

56. The article of footwear of claim 55, wherein the knitted component also includes a side portion that extends from the base portion, the side portion also defining at least one of the interior surface and the exterior surface, at least one of the interior surface and the exterior surface having three dimensional contour so as to define a cavity in the knitted component.

57. The article of footwear of claim 56, wherein the side portion defines a side passage between the interior surface and the exterior surface, the tensile strand extending continuously between and received in both the base portion passage and the side passage.

58. The article of footwear of claim 57, wherein the side portion includes a medial portion and a lateral portion, and wherein the tensile strand extends continuously between the base portion, the medial portion, and the lateral portion.

59. The article of footwear of claim 56, wherein the knitted component also includes a first edge and a second edge configured to be coupled to the first edge at a seam causing the base portion and the side portion to cooperatively define a void that is configured to receive a foot.

60. The article of footwear of claim 59, wherein the side portion includes a heel portion and a forefoot portion that extend from opposite ends of the base portion, a medial portion and a lateral portion that extend from opposite sides of the base portion, and a tongue portion configured to be disposed in a throat defined between the medial and lateral sides.